Christmas Fair

It's been a busy couple of weeks, I have been crocheting jackets and flowers for my posy bottles, making cards and stitching hearts filled with lavender for my stall at Urswick Christmas Fair, which is this Sunday at Urswick Recreation Hall from 10am until 3pm, if anyone is in the area. It's a popular fair with plenty of stalls, I'm really looking forward to it.

I love crocheting my little posy bottle jackets and flowers. I only use merino wool, Debbie Bliss, Millamia, Patons and Drops all have an excellent colour selection. The bottles I use are all dated from the late 1890's to 1930's as far as I know. I'm lucky enough to go metal detecting with my father and in between we also dig for bottles, which I love doing.

I have also been making Sunbonnet Sue needle/pin cases using felt, fabric, embroidery and vintage buttons. Each case has a safety pin on the front and needles and pins inside. I've made quite a few of these in all different colours.

Last but not least as I have mentioned in my other posts I have an allotment and always have plenty of fruit at the end of the season, so I have been making a lot of jam, I supply my family and friends with jam and any left over I sell. This year I have been making blackcurrant, red gooseberry, plum and redcurrant which I will also be selling at the fair.

I am still crocheting my shrug, which I mentioned in my last post, it's coming along really well. Although, I did have to order three more balls of wool as I have found out I am an extremely tight knitter! Hopefully I should have this finished soon and will post photographs.

 

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Crocheted Christmas Holly and Berry Bottle

In November I went metal detecting with my dad and one of the items I unearthed was a 1900's square gin bottle, I loved the shape and decided I wanted to do something Christmassy with it.

I selected a couple of Christmas colour yarns, Patons Merino Extrafine DK in shade 00173 green for the main part of the bottle and Millamia Natural Soft Merino in Moss for the holly leaves, Patons Merino Extrafine DK in shade 00131 red for the berries.

I didn't have a particular pattern for this I crocheted a foundation chain and joined it to make a circle. I then ensured it fit around the base of the bottle, I double crocheted around the foundation chain over and over until I got towards the top, when I then needed to reduce my stitches to ensure it would fit nice and snug around the neck of the bottle.

The pattern I used for the holly and berry leaves is from Attic 24.

My Uncle cut some of his willow for me and sprayed it white, I love the effect.

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Dad and Daughter Day

My Dad asked me yesterday if I would like to go metal detecting with him, I of course jumped at the chance I love digging for buried treasure. Unfortunately, the weather was not the best just as we started to dig, it decided to pour down and we looked like a pair of muddy drowned rats, that did not stop us though. We had a great time and although we didn't find any Viking treasure we did find some lovely stoneware and vintage bottles.

I was very lucky and found two vintage cream pots from Carricks Cumberland Dairy, I think they are aged about 1880.

I also found a vintage glass ink bottle, medicine bottles and I think the large one may have been a gin bottle, although I am not sure I will have to do a bit of research on some of these.

The photo above shows two dark green bottles. The first one is 5 1/2 inches high and the second one is 5 inches.

The last items I unearthed were four brown Bovril bottles.

My Dad also unearthed some stoneware and glass bottles, although I haven't had a chance to have a look through his hoard!!

 

 

 

 

 

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