Crocheted Christmas Stockings

Don't worry, the decorations aren't up yet. I'll wait until at least until early December. But I was in the loft, rummaging through the Christmas boxes, looking to see if I had any cards, wrapping paper or gift bags leftover from last year. I dimly remembered buying a load of cards and bags for something ridiculous like 50p in Waitrose last January, and I'm trying to get organised and think about what I need to do over the next four weeks. We are hosting Christmas this year, and I'm feeling the pressure. I wrote an epic list today, two pages, broken down into sub-categories.

Anyway, before you know it, I'm pulling out baubles and faffing around with decorations to show off my new stockings.

I can't honestly say that we needed any more Christmas stockings - the children use these ones which I made a few years ago - but I just liked the look of them. The pattern came with the one I used for my socks and is by Sandra Cherry Heart. It's a brilliant pattern for using up small amounts of yarn. I used up a satisfying amount of almost finished balls of DK, some wool, some acrylic, just whatever I had lying around. You could even avoid darning in the ends if you wanted, as no-one would ever wear these, but I did. I found it strangely satisfying. 

Half finished balls of yarn annoy me, as I try to find projects that use them up then invariably end up buying more yarn as I don't have enough. I'm almost through my yarn stash now - apart from balls I've bought for specific projects - and it feels liberating. 

I like the colours. They are my kind of colours, but then it's my yarn leftovers, so that makes sense. They will be hung from the mantel in December. They are very stretchy so I know that I  - I mean Father Christmas - can squeeze all kinds of awkward shaped gifts inside. But they were an altogether lovely festive crafting project and I enjoyed every stitch. 

Thank you so much for all your comments on dogs and greyhounds. It was lovely to read them all and feel your support and good wishes. We have yet to pass the house inspection, which happens tomorrow. Our neighbour is replacing his fence; if you remember his progress was hampered by a laurel tree in our garden which had grown over the boundary, but we've finally had it chopped down. But there is a gap there, and I'm not sure how much of an issue that will be for them. We'll find out tomorrow. But, even if we have to wait a while longer - until the fence is fully in place - we'll be adopting a greyhound eventually. We're pretty committed to it now. I even dreamt about it the other night. 

I will keep you all posted.