Xmas 2017 selection

This is a Big Hello to you all after months or indeed years of my absence from my blog. There is not a massively plausible excuse rather than other things have managed to take over. And so, this could explain my non-actions...

Enough said, I wanted to share a selection of Christmas presents to my family this year (or more precisely Christmas 2017).

I am rather proud of this necklace. Its work started sometime in the summer when I had something else on my mind (as it often happens with my work). As I progressed with the weave, my thoughts took me further and further away; possibly also because the festive season was knocking at the door...

...and so I postponed the original idea and produced a necklace for my mum. I hope she likes it. :-)

In the summer (2017 we are talking about) I promised my teenage niece a bracelet. She picked the colours, colours that would also work well for my friend.

Not much needs to be said here, I crocheted two pieces. One more pink for my 'little' niece and one more suitable for an adult, for my friend. And both liked them.

I remember that the most difficult thing was to find suitable buttons. After few weeks of searching I ended up at the first place that I had on my mind, John Lewis. However, I still go to charity shops for buttons. One day, I will be lucky. :-)

This bracelet is an example of a project that needs maturing in time. I started on it last Christmas but could not finish it then. I did not see 'it' that time even though I new there was something in there...

Was it the mixture of yellow & white (material) or wood & ceramic (beads)? My sister had chosen the wooden beads some time earlier so all that was needed was to find a way.

The finished piece came along a few months ago, in time for Christmas 2017. 👍

I have one more niece who is an adult by now. And for her I made these earrings.

They came along from recycling the leftovers from my mum's necklace. In fact, I still have enough to make few variations on this look. So I will, perhaps one pair with different colour beads for myself... :-)

I also have a seriously 'cool' nephew. A teenager as well just a bit older. He started what is equivalent to English A-Levels in September (so that you have an idea of his age :-)

Now, what do you make for a boy of his age...

Looking at it from this angle, I started with his initial 'J'. Such the letter is actually a gift. It played in my cards...

Creating the letter 'J' and flipping it upside-down, I had a question mark. And I had a story...

... a teenager who has just started a big school, a teenager full of contradictions, a teenager full of questions (and that he is), a teenager who can decide for himself what to do with the piece.

He can put it on a chain around his neck, can make a bookmark from it, attach it to his key ring, even attach it to his phone. The possibilities are endless, the choice is his...

Quite frankly, I had fun with making for Christmas 2017. It reminded me of the importance of finding even a short time to do what one enjoys. ;-)