21st of Advent

Given that we're at Winter Solstice, it's probably appropriate that we've had some loooong nights around here. A nasty cold bug continues to make the littles miserable, and today C is in bed with it. So far I've escaped, which may well mean I'm due for a dose on Christmas Day! Still, despite this, I managed to get the last of my 'elving' done last night, with these doll nappies and change mat. They are heading for P's little friend, who is about to become a big sister for the first time. P had some play nappies for his doll when M was born and I thought it was a lovely idea. I used the pattern from Anna Maria Horner's Handmade Beginnings for the nappies, using terry towelling for the inside and some left over babycord from M's dresses for the outside. The change mat is simply a rectangle of cotton print with a rectangle of wool/cotton quilt batting and a rectangle of brushed cotton. I had a bit of fun with the embroidery foot on my sewing machine to doodle on it, having earlier threatened my machine with the sack when it wouldn't work properly for some reason. I believe my threats included "I'll get rid of you and get an antique hand sewing machine, then you'll be sorry." Maybe this is a sign that I could really do with more sleep, but it seemed to work!!

20th of Advent

After a weekend of equal parts yuck- two children and a husband with nasty colds, disastrous attempt at fudge making, snow stopping friends and vital parcel deliveries arriving- and yum- a sister who made it over for Sunday lunch, fence panels mended and some rather good brownies made from salvaged fudge mixture- we are on the final march to the big day. Despite feeling the effects of rather a lot of missed sleep, I have got some 'elving' done and all the presents are sewn, blocked, finished off and wrapped with the exception of those still in the post (aargh!) and one more thing that I really, really will finish tonight. Other than that and a whole load of dull domestic chores, all we can really do now is wait and hope that the weather doesn't scupper our plans.
I have also (somehow! I don't know how!) managed to finish M's winter woolly outfit. It's a sort of dungarees that will hopefully solve the cold toes/ankles problem as it has integral socks. I made it using a free pattern called 'Pepita' on Ravelry by Martina Behm. I knitted it on slightly larger needles than the pattern specified, using Araucania Ranco Multy sock yarn (two different shades for a number of reasons, but it doesn't really show or matter much) as M is at the upper end of the age range. As it turns out, the whole thing was in danger of being so huge she wouldn't have fitted it until next winter, but a few reductions here and there means it's roomy but not ridiculous. There's a little more detail about that on my Ravelry notes. This weather is enough to make me wish they did one in my size!

16th of Advent

Over on Soule Mama she calls it 'elving'- getting all those jobs done to prepare presents for Christmas. It's what I should be doing, but for some reason I just don't seem to be motivated at the moment, despite running out of time fast! One distraction is getting hold of some more Auracania Multy so I can keep going with making this winter wooly for M. It's going to be some dungarees with feet, made using a pattern from Ravelry. Even though I'm having to use magic loop, it's quite easy knitting and I'm just enjoying the steady rhythm. I'll elve later, I promise!

15th of Advent

Our season display just now.

12th of Advent

A trawl through the address book and a sore writing hand means that all our cards are ready to take to the Post Office tomorrow.

11th of Advent

Although I only began making it a few days ago, M's Christmas bear is completed, thanks to a few evenings in front of the TV. It's a nice, easy pattern from Debbie Bliss' Simply Baby, all in garter stitch and without too much fiddly shaping or construction. The eyes and nose are darned on in wool rather than using sewn on pieces of felt as suggested, since I thought it would be a little bit safer if she chews on them (she is a very chewy baby!) The yarn is Baby Cashmerino as suggested in the pattern, but instead of the putty colour I used for P's bear I chose a deep golden yellow that reminded me of those old Steiff bears you see in antique shows worth a small fortune. Can't see M's bear ever being worth much in sterling, but hopefully it will be precious to her!

8th of Advent

How many hundreds of babies over the years must have received a homemade soft toy for their first Christmas present? P has grown to love the bear I made for him before he was born, to the extent that 'Edmund' has had to have rather a lot of running repairs and doesn't look nearly as neat as he does here anymore, darned as he is in yarn that only sort-of matches his original colour. When I've finished this golden yellow version for M, I'm going to save the extra yarn for repairs, in the hope that she loves her one in the same way (although perhaps without the ear-chewing). Maybe if one day she's a mother she'll understand the love that is knitted into every row, sewn into every stitch of a toy made by a parent for their little one. Even if she never understands, it's there all the same.

7th of Advent

Well, our part of the world caught up with the rest of the country in getting the Christmas card style weather last night. Actually, pretty though it is (positively Narnian with our 'unique' garden ornaments, the lamp posts!) it's not such great fun with a toddler and a baby. She is too little to enjoy being outside in the cold, even wrapped up, which means that he can't really get to experience playing the in white stuff until the weekend when his Daddy is home during daylight hours. Let's hope it lasts that long, even if it means being stuck indoors- it's not as if I don't have things to be getting on with...eep! Only a couple more weeks to get a lot of knitting, making and baking done!

6th of Advent

Wow! That was a crazy day getting ready, but it was worth it in the end. No photos of the party I'm afraid, as it was all go and no time to pick up the camera. But above you can see the St Nicholas figure I made, along with the three girls from the story. I used these to do a little puppet show about the St Nicholas day story. We also played a couple of party games with the littles- including pass the parcel where the wrapping was socks (keeping up the stocking theme!) We feasted on pizza and mince pies, so all in all it was a curious mish-mash of traditions and inventions that just worked, somehow. We sent our three little girl guests home in handknitted Santa hats and clutching the gingerbread initials we iced yesterday...and with promises that next year we'll do it all again.

5th of Advent

Tomorrow we're having a St Nicholas day party tomorrow evening and these biscuits will form part of the celebrations. It really will be lovely and I'll write more about why tomorrow. At the moment, after a slightly challenging weekend away thanks to freezing weather and non-sleeping children, with shopping and preparation to do in the morning I'm having to remind myself that it really is a good idea for establishing our own tradition. Deep breaths and keep knitting...

4th of Advent

This is what my lovely friend sent to give me a bit of early Christmas cheer. I'm meant to make the tea, but it's making the room smell gorgeously of spice and oranges so I don't think I'll be brewing it any time soon!

2nd of Advent

The tree is up! We both agreed that this was the earliest we've ever put a tree up in our lives, but they aren't cheap (we tried keeping one in a pot last year but it didn't survive) so we want to get the most out of our investment. Also, we have plans for an early Christmas party on St Nicholas' day next week, so wanted to make the house festive in time for that. We definitely don't have matchy-matchy themed ornaments and decorations, having gradually bought one or two special things each year since we've been together. Some of the tree decorations are ones I handmade some years ago. Now we have children too, their decorations will no doubt be added to our traditions. It's already happened with our somewhat less than traditional tree-topper:

A 'reindeer' made by P when he was at Nursery last year. Apparently he stuck the eyes on himself!
There is also this knitted stocking given to P by his Great Grandma last year. As I write, Father Christmas is still in his chimney. How long he'll remain there is yet to be seen!


These trees are something I made years ago based on an idea whose source I forget now:


While these mini stockings I knitted from this free pattern last year.


And so our Christmas traditions are growing, organically and to my eyes rather beautifully.

1st of Advent

When you teach in Primary school, there comes a certain time in the winter term when you realise it's time to break out the glitter. Christmas crafts beckon and compete for time with Nativity play rehearsals so you take a deep breath, sweet talk the cleaner and resign yourself to a good few weeks of having everything ever so slightly sparkling, from the carpet to your face to your lunchtime sandwiches. As I'm on a break from teaching just now I don't actually have to do the glitter thing but it must be something inherent in a teacher's nature that come the end of November, it's glitter time. It began with the crafts for the winter season table and continued with the Christmas cards I've made for this year.
I considered the idea of making decorations to send people instead of Christmas cards this year. I'm torn between dislike of the waste of binned Christmas cards at the end of the season and the fact that most of our family and good friends live far enough away that sending Christmas cards is important. I'm just not sold on the idea of e-cards and thought that making something that might be kept and used another year would be nice. Well, it would be if it didn't mean making dozens of whatever we send. In the end, for reasons of economy and to satisfy my taste, I made something- and for reasons of time and to retain my sanity, it was cards not decorations. Cards whose construction mainly involved glue and...glitter. I now understand why there are lots more people who do craft for fun than make money from craft. Doing something once is fun, doing it fifty times is less fun. I had to do what I labelled my 'Christmas Card Sweatshop' sessions in batches, making 10 or so each evening until we had enough. Which meant that each day meant a fresh dusting of the sparkly stuff over everything. Oh well, it's only once a year...

Baby, It's Cold Outside

We may not have the bright lights of the big city round here, but we do pretty well for little town festivals and celebrations. The town we lived in until the summer has a wonderful Christmas tree festival in its Church each year, launched by a Christmas procession through the town. Since there is a Wild Animal Park just nearby, the Christmas procession includes a real donkey for Mary and real camels for the Wise men! I got a sneak preview of the Christmas Tree festival when we had to find an emergency place to feed M- it felt very seasonal to be a woman seeking a room for her and her baby on a cold winter's night! The idea is that lots of community groups decorate trees around the Church and collect money for charities. I couldn't get pictures since I was juggling a still grumpy M and an empty buggy, while C chased P, who was overcome with the urge to touch all the glittery loveliness, but take my word for it, the spectacle is magic.
M certainly made her presence felt last night- I think she objected to the cold despite her brand new 'Snow Gnome' hat, a last minute improvisation with some spare chunky wool I had lying around- pattern on Ravelry now. Funny to think that this time last year she was not much more than a little secret sparkle as we waited for a New Year scan. Now she's such an integral part of the family, and asserting her growing personality more each day.

Seasons Change

I had already planned to change our new Seasonal display this weekend, and right on cue this was the snowy scene out of the kitchen window as I cooked up an indulgent full English breakfast this morning. We can claim the breakfast as medicinal since three out of four of us have had a truly awful cold the last couple of days, with number four making up for her lack of cold with teething pains. Thankfully we all seem to be on the mend, even if there is no sign of actual teeth yet.


I'd already broken out the glitter earlier in the week when P and I prepared a backdrop for the Winter display. I was originally looking for some dark blue card, but then I saw this dark indigo felt and thought 'Why not?'. We used cotton buds dipped in PVA glue to create the stars and moon, with glitter heaped on top, then the excess shaken off to settle over everything inside and outside the house, probably until next July. Cotton buds are great for controlling how much gloopy stuff- glue, paint etc- an enthusiastic toddler transfers from pot to artwork. With a bit of experience I've seen lovely pointellism (spelling?) effects using this method.

Since the glitter was already all over the place anyway, we did a bit of instant, post lunch/ pre nap art using pine cones, glue, two empty cream cheese tubs and yes more of the shiny stuff. Actually it's quite a good way of minimising the glue and glitter mess and has the added advantage of involving noise and surprise, always good as far as two-year-olds are concerned! Basically, put some PVA glue in one tub and some glitter in the other. Put the pine cone in the glue tub, put the lid on (firmly!) and give it a good shake and rattle. Open it up, carefully transfer into the glitter tub, repeat the process and 'Surprise!' a frosted pine cone!


We began with 'realistic' white frost but ran out of that colour so ended up with 'tasteful' purple as well.

Also featuring on our Winter display is the Steiner advent calendar we made at the toddler group we go to: an angel made of cleverly tied wool tops moves up 27 stars on the dark blue ribbon until Christmas day (27 because the first Sunday of Advent is not the first day of December). The angel has a slightly unfestive bulldog clip sewn to the back of her to enable the heavenly ascent...
The Season display is becoming one of my favourite things in the house. We do our best to light the candle from it each day at our evening meal, to help P to understand that it's a special time to sit together. We're developing the habit of finding things or making things to add to it as the weeks go past, and while I'm lucky enough to spend a reasonable amount of time outdoors and watching the year as it turns, this focal point helps to give me a heightened awareness of time ticking by, which in turn seems to remind me to take a longer view, rather than sweating the small stuff. Every home should have one!

23rd of Advent

What with travelling to see friends and relatives, preparing food in advance and decorating the house, it's been a lovely, hectic few weeks. The last thing I expected was to feel sad at the little lull that's happened early this week: C being back at work, our usual pals having gone away for Christmas and nothing really much to do. It was twice the good news, then, when I got an unexpected call from an old friend, who is currently staying (as she described it) 'halfway to where you are compared to when I'm in London'. That's still five hours drive in some nasty weather, but she insisted that she wanted to take advantage of the fact and come and see us. Now that's friendship- all that travelling for an overnight stop!
It was tempting, with the sun shining, to try and go up to the Lakes. However, I've learned now that a few miles and a bit of altitude makes a lot of difference, especially in winter weather, so we stuck close to home and went back to Conishead Priory. The woods were magical in the frost-crusted snow, made more so by the decorated pine tree near the beach. It was covered in messages from whichever elves bring baubles and tinsel into the woods- presumably those who work at the Priory.
The shingle beach was transformed by its snowy blanket and the bay as still as I have ever seen it. Even with the wide selection of joyful dogs we met and a fascinated toddler it was icy tranquility. We rounded it off with lunch at the ever-wonderful Gillam's Tea Room before our intrepid explorer set off on her homeward journey.

21st of Advent

Christmas- or at least the Christmas fruit and veg box- came earlier than expected today.Brussels sprouts on their stalks, chunky carrots and parsnips, fresh thyme and rosemary, organic oranges and lemons and much more. Not to mention some Creamy Lancashire and Cheddar cheese. Howbarrow Organic has done us proud. This being the first time I am not just cooking but also hosting at home for Christmas last night I wrote a plan, with timings, for the big day. Not including the list of things to get out of the freezer and other preparations on Christmas Eve there are nineteen separate instructions. NINETEEN! And somewhere amongst this I need to open presents and be of good cheer. Actually I'm really looking forward to it and now that I've got it all worked out I'm pretty confident it will all go fine, just as long as I don't chop any more fingers between now and Christmas day...

19th of Advent

The food is sorted (apart from the veg box which arrives on Wednesday) and squeezed into the fridge and freezer- although with the temperature in our kitchen we could just keep it on the floor! The presents are bought/made and (mostly) wrapped. The cards are posted. The house is decorated. All this meant that today, instead of braving the shops at Christmas we could escape up to Coniston for one of our favourite walks to Torver jetty. It's the first time we've been walking properly since the floods and know that lots of lovely walks have been damaged or swept away altogether, but thankfully this one is unaffected. It was mighty cold so we ate lunch huddled in the car, but the weather meant we got to park in the free spaces and had the place almost to ourselves, save a few brave dog walkers and swans. Then to top it all off- snow! We've missed out on this particular brand of winter magic so far, being the wrong side of the country, but now we feel Christmas really is on its way!

Advent update

We've been doing some early Christmas visiting so preparations in own household have got a bit behind, but today the Festive Season really arrived in our home. With handmade contributions from various members of the family and a pot-grown tree which we hope to keep alive for at least a couple of years, we're keeping the cold out and the good cheer in. It seems that despite our moving so far North everyone else in the country has snow apart from us- but fingers crossed!

Ninth and Tenth of Advent

The teeny tiny stocking represents success- the first thing I've knitted since the finger incident. Casting on was actually the hardest thing but luckily it only takes 25 stitches.
What do you mean you don't know what the heck the other thing is? It's Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer rendered on a polystyrene cup of course! Don't worry, I haven't been on the painkillers, this is all the boy's work. According to nursery he even stuck the googly eyes on himself, which may explain the Picasso style. Funnily enough, I was just saying the other day that we needed something special to top the tree...maybe we've just found it!