April how did that happen

I really don't know where this year is going to. Guess last month I was rather busy with the flowers for Mother's Day and I'm starting to get bits and pieces made behind the scenes for my wedding. (sorry readers but you'll have to wait till the middle of next year to read all about that. )

So as promised here's a post about the crafty gifts I received at Christmas. My sister added to my collection of Toft patterns with the new Imaginarium book, Like the Edwards menagerie which are animals all based about a basic pattern so they have a family look to them these are all monsters. Pictured with the book is my fist monster made in a three round stripe pattern with funny fingers and toes.We call him Squigley monster

 The extra unique part about this book is the flip feature so you pick different heads, arms and legs to go on the basic body, and with added colour changes and spots this means for a nearly endless range of monsters to be created, I'm going to have so much fun with this. There's also lots of inspiration in the book to get you started.

Carrying on with the crochet theme a friend got me this kit of star wars crochet. The kits comes complete with book of 12 patterns and yarn ect to make a yoda, which I have done and storm trooper which I haven't dot around too yet but I did raid my wool stash and find bits to do the darth vader. These are super cute and are going to be hanging out on my dvd shelves in the future.

I also received this rather lovlely needle felting kit of a fox. Needle felting is something I've fancied having a go at for a while I now have two kits (a friend got me a flower brooch kit for my birthday) so now I can when I find the time. Look out for a future blog post about how I got on trying this new popular craft.

A peek inside the box shows everything I need and this kit is made in my lovely Lincolnshire which is rather nice and nice surprise since the sender isn't from the county.

In our house at Christmas we have fill your own crackers which we try to find awesome little extras for mine this year have these super cute pom pom makers in them which make the dinkiest pom poms. I've been thinking about getting some for a while so was really pleased. thinking how I might incorporated a few pom poms in to the wedding crafting.

In this post I'll just quickly share with you my latest toft critter I made it for another baby which has just made her appearance in the family.  Its a swaledale sheep, now technically I didn't have the pattern for this sheep, I believe it was handed out a a yarndale a while back but I had seen pictures of it online and from this I think I managed to work it out. Mixing and matching from other patterns in the series. The body is done as standard and when assembled covered in fleece as other sheep are. The legs are done with a black foot cream for a couple of rows and then with a colour change about every three stitches to give the black and  white molted appearance I maybe didn't get these precisely even but then real sheep aren't that even so I'm happy with the outcome.

 The head is quite clever I think the nose is a cream with the rest black and eye patches are the same as the ones in the panda pattern and the awesome horns I found the pattern for in the imaginarium book on one of the monster heads.
I rather pleased with the finished sheep and hope they find a happy home with their new family who like a walk in the Yorkshire dales.

Here's the card that went with the sheep I first one suing the new bookcase builder set from stamping up I think this shall be a versatile set and I love the not the norm sentiments. This one says "Today's little moments become tomorrows precious memories" Isn't that sweet for a new baby.