And now for something completely different; Christmas Granny Squares

I had been working on a better set of sleeves for three days straight. Redrafting the pattern, cutting and sewing. When they were finished they turned out to be worse than the original sleeves and I had run out of fabric. I got so frustrated that I decided to put the coat aside for a couple of months, it doesn't have to be finished until next spring/early summer, and to do something simple. Something that I could almost do with my eyes closed. Doing crochet always calms my mind and I had some left over yarn. I have never been to fond of granny squares. Being from the 70's when they where very much in fashion. I always have the feeling that they are old fashioned and I really connect them to grannies doing crochet. On the other had I've being playing around with making something for christmas for a couple of years and our christmas decorations are always old fashioned, kitschy and corny. ;-)

You can find the pattern for the squares here: Granny Square Christmas Stocking by Maggie Weldon on Ravelry.

Twenty squares later I am out of yarn and the frustration has subsided. The store only has these particular colors of this yarn (Zeeman Sparkle) in stock during the winter so I can't continue. It doesn't really matter, it did the trick. If they become available again maybe I'll make more and make a plaid out of it. If not it will become the front of a pillow case. Either way I am feeling better and refreshed.

For now I'll stick to repairing or slightly altering the Victorian costumes I have. So that I (and two of my friends) at least have something to wear at the Dickensfestijn in Deventer. This year I have decided to wear a combination of two 1885's bustle costumes. I really love the black tail bodice I made last year but I don't want to wear all black. So I'll wear it with my red velvet bustle skirt and my new hat. It will almost be like wearing a new costume. Even better is the fact that my son thinks the color combination black-red is badass and that I look fierce in it!  If there is any time left I'll make a new costume piece for one of us. First I'll have to make sure we can wear anything at all!