WIP Wednesday: Sew-wonderful, sew-marvelous

My days are completely mixed up this week.  I had Monday off, and then a monthly team meeting that has tended to fall on Fridays was held today, it's all a jumble.  Overall, there's a sense to me that there's barely time to get back to what we were all working on before Thanksgiving before we start dropping off to take our Christmas break.  Especially for those of us who are using up a few extra days.  I'm grateful to have these vacation days to use, but it would be nice to have a few more to make it worth using them during the year for trips to see family overseas.

But anyway.  In the few weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, there is work-work to be done and craft-work.  I have some gift knitting to do, but not much.  I've joined a Jane Austen-themed swap on Ravelry, so stalking and spoiling has commenced for that.  I am, of course, consulting all four editions of Jane Austen Knits for projects.

I've been busy in the kitchen as well.  I've sent off all of my cookies for the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap and even received my first dozen last week.  And I made another batch of homemade marshmallows using Jello as part of a fund-raiser for a fellow Raveller who needed some support.  They are still setting in the fridge and need to be cut and rolled in powdered sugar before sending.  If you haven't tried making these yet, I'll repost the recipe soon, I highly recommend them.  So much more fluffy and delicious than the ones you buy in the store.

I have also done a little sewing in the past week!  First, I finally did some seaming on my cardigan.

So far it's just the back and one of the front panels, I still need to attach the back to the other front so I have a continuous edge for the bottom ruffle.  I'm still amazed that the pattern has you make the ruffle on the separate pieces.  That would drive me absolutely nuts, to either have unconnected ruffle sections, or to have to sew a ruffle together.  But anyway, progress.

I did some sewing as part of the Cookie Swap as well, because I decided to make a little something extra to go with my cookies.  I'll have to include that in the post with the recipe, but it included learning how to do a French knot.

Then today the activity center at work hosted a crafting session with supplies for sewing up felt ornaments, so I made some of those as well.  I'm going to send them in a holiday card swap, but I'll show those later as well.  I still need to make one more anyway.  And I think I kind of love making these cute little felt things.  Because I need another craft to take up, of course.  And I got to use that French knot technique again, which made me feel kind of expert, even though I'm so very not.  It was a great time, though, getting to sit and chat with people not in my direct working group and enjoying a little shared craft.

How is everyone's Christmas knitting going?  Or if you aren't knitting, just the gift buying?  Do you at least know what everyone is getting, because I think that's the hardest part.

For more WIP Wednesday posts, go to Tami's Amis.