The time of year for indoor hobbies:

Dolls clothes? I thought they were for children. Now that would be an exciting side gig! They are beautiful.

That’s lovely of you Ange … there will be some very happy smiles from lucky children this Christmas! Your creations are very imaginative and pretty.

Thank you, Paul.

I'm not sure if children play with dolls anymore, Meadow. I was heartened to see a man with a boxed new one under his arm when we went into a store in the week!

I think lockdowns and dark nights have conspired to send a lot of us back to handicrafts we tried years ago, Klahanie! It's not very easy to find different patterns for dolls' clothes, though. I'm getting rather bored with the ones I have!

Thanks, Sheila. They are rather bright creations, but I don't feel I have to be 'tasteful'!!

Little ones usually love bright colours so there should be lots of takers! Like Klahanie I decided to start crochet again - I bought a pattern this lockdown and discovered I'd forgotten how to read it...You've obviously not forgotten anything! Like Paul I thought yours were for children...

Fabulous! You’ve a lovely skill there, Ange..and a big heart too! These are going to be so appreciated. Love the colours, very cheerful.
I remember having one doll in particular ‘Tiny Tears’..she had lots of little outfits and shoes. Oh and Sindy and Barbie…gosh the 70s! Lovely memories!

What beautiful dolls’ clothes you have been busy making in such bright, happy colours.
I used to love my dolls and to have changes of clothes for them would have been so nice!

Well, you are like me Ange! I just knit when the mood takes me and the easiest knit I did was really thick needles and made everyone a scarf. Each one took about 30 minutes!
The longest one was a jumper I knitted years ago which took 3 years!
You have done really well though!

I have to say, Stera, the reason I started on such insignificant things was so I could practice reading the patterns and so that any mistakes wouldn't be too much of a disaster! Perseverance is leading to improvement! (I hope..)

Thanks, Kate. The granddaughters have loved Barbie etc., still. I don't think she has avoided being 'cancelled' so far!

Glad you like the colours, W'rose. They are made from oddments, so can be rather 'screaming' sometimes!

Thank you, Rose. I am rather putting off the large garment. I have at tendency to get bored with one thing and find myself starting another instead of finishing. Learnt my lesson this year, though. I left all the sewing up and that has taken me hours at this end of the year. I won't make that mistake again.

Wow, Ange they are beautiful! Such a lot of work in those, so many hours you must have been busy. Just love the bright colours and the children will be so excited to find an.outfit in their stockings, or wrapped up to undo.

They kept me out of mischief during the last lockdown, Janey, and when OH was glued to the (endless) football..

I can see a lot of care and thought has gone into making them.

Well done Angie for you lovely knitted doll's clothes. It will bring a cheer to many a child this Christmas.
I've been working on a poetry Christmas booklet for our local children. My local butcher takes a pile for his counter and someone else in the town is going to take some as well. I've been jigsaw puzzling with Gerry, but fancy picking up the brushes again to do another picture. Perhaps next week. Keep those knitting needles going.....

Thank you, Paul. It's a double benefit 'cos it's stopped me going stir crazy during our recent 'house arrests' as well!

Needles still going, Linda. There may be a few more ready before Christmas. Good luck with your poetry. And I'm glad you are both enjoying the jigsaws. What would we have done over the last couple of years to keep ourselves sane, if it wasn't for our gardening and other hobbies??

Necessity is the mother of invention - Plato

Beautiful Ange and they absolutely do play with dolls. I knit every evening for an hour or so and as well as children and baby woolies I make lots of dolls clothes for my great grandaughter's dollies. Some smaller than others. Last year I got patterns for prem/baby reborn dolls, which were the only things that fit my new twin great grandaughters. If you need any patterns let me know. They can easily be scanned and emailed.

Too true, Paul. Was it Cicero: "If you have a library and a garden, you have everything you need?" How true is that?

That's very kind of you, Thorney, I'll let you know when I get too bored with the patterns I have. Glad you GK's like dolls. I was beginning to wonder. My girls have never been interested, but then, neither was their mother. Twin Great g'daughters, my Goodness. Congratulations!

Good old Cicero - obviously knew a thing or to...

Indeed he did, Stera.

My "twinnies" were born as we were going into lockdown last year, 18 months old now but I didn't meet them or my great grandson born just after them in May, until they were a few months old. 2020 was a rough year all round but I count my blessings. Only the garden that kept me going .

Let's hope next year is better for meetings-up, Thorney. We're so lucky to have had gardens to concentrate our minds on over the past 2 years. Congrats on all your new additions to the family.