Don't you just love it ..............

............ when a plan comes together? Hmm, maybe I have been watching too many re-runs of the "A-Team" But still, I have finished my new Christmas Lanterns Pattern on Rainbow Valley, complete with better pictures!

And to celebrate, I am giving some of the prototypes away. On offer I have one each of the Angel, Candle, Stocking and Christmas tree lanterns.

They do not include the tea lights, you will have to supply them yourself. I also have a copy of the pattern to give away.

However, you are going to have to work for them by entering a a prize draw. All you have to do is add a button or link to my Christmas page on my site, then leave me a comment on this post to tell me you have.

You also need to let me know which one you would prefer to win. The more I see of Ravelry, the more I love it. I have sold 12 patterns in the last week - which is really good going for me.

I have also had about 130 downloads on my Christmas tree pattern. And I set up my very own group< on there.

Do you Ravelry?

I didn't but I do now!

I actually joined in August 2008 but got so confused with the place that I gave up. And, just afterwards, I started the new job which took up lots of my time.

However, I have recently been re-investgating and found it a wonderful place!

Ravelry is a site for Knitters and Crocheters. It has an ENORMOUS data base of patterns which is continually added to by its members.

There are groups and forums you can join and lots of help pages.

If you are a designer, it is even better. You can add your designs to the database all for free. You can get linked to your patterns as the designer which allows you to do all sorts of things with them. Quite what, I haven't found out yet because this takes a little while to do.

However, with 1000's of users all over the world, its a resource worth using.

So, as if you can't gues, the reason I haven't been about as much recently is that I have been busy adding all my patterns to Ravelery. I started with the Christmas ones and have been doing bits and pieces of the other - both free and for sale.

Before you get linked as a Designer, it is a bit long winded as you first have to add them as project, then add them as a pattern to be able to use the photos from the project.

However, it is worth it. I have sold 4 patterns in the last 3 days and all of them have been recently listed on Ravelry.

I would like to think this is no coincidence!

The other thing I have been doing is working on some new patterns. One, a free pattern for these Christmas trees is finished. Click here for the Christmas Tree Free Pattern.

The small one (about 11cm tall) is made with Dmc Petra size 5 and a 2.00mm hook. I added brads for the decorations when it was finished.

The large one (about 16cm tall) is made from DK and a 4.00mm hook. I threaded the beads on the yarn first and worked them in as I went along.

I am about to add the pattern to the Ravelery database and, if you do make them and are a member of Ravely, add them as a project. Of course, the other thing I have bee working on is those lanterns. I "borrowed" this lovely tree to take the photos. It looks so much better than my cupboard under the stairs!

As promised........

Photos of the new lanterns First of all, here is the Candle. I wanted something relatively simple as some of the more complicated things I was working on just weren't going right.

I was pleased with the way this turned out, simple but effective. Again, please excuse the bad photos, take with the IXUS on ISO3200. But you should be used to them by now! As soon as I am able to get a decent evening, I will go out and do the decent ones on a long exposure. I just have to wait tuntil its not too windy.

And here is "SnowStorm", although I am not quite sure if that is the right name of it. Any suggestions? It is the same as "Starburst", made with 11 motifs in the smaller size bangles.

This weekend I bought some new candles, just under £5 for a pack of 6 in Wilkinsons. This is roughly the same price as you can get them on eBay and you don't have to worry about the postal strikes. Something else I have been doing recently is re-investigating Ravelery. I joined over a year ago and got so confused with the place I gave up. Now, whether it is me or them I don't know, I am finding it a bit easier to negotiate.

I have been adding some of my free patterns to their database and, when I work out what I can and can't do, may add some of the ones for sale. In the meantime, if anybody wants to add me as a friend I am Enfys on there as well. Just one more thing I couldn't resist showing you, I bought this cute little phone sock in Peacocks, only £1