Ding Dong Merrily On High

Christmas is coming, I can feel it!

Ever since the first Christmas Coca Cola advert came on TV a couple of weeks ago, I knew it was on its way (this is the benchmark I use each year). Yesterday we decorated the tree:

Though it has fallen over three times since then! This year we've topped it with a ribbon instead of the silver snowflake that we always use. I quite like it; what do you think? If I was at my parents' house, there wouldn't be any question: it's always the white dove with the little blue sequined eye.

You would be forgiven for thinking we had three children from this photo. In fact, we have none, and are just big kids ourselves. DH has two advent calendars this year; one from me, and one from my Mum. I have one from my Mum too! Yes, at the age of 29-rapidly-approaching-30, I still get an advent calendar and a stocking, and I'm very proud of it!

We also have an advent candle, a tradition my siblings and I always had as children, though this is an unusual one:

Do you find yourself reverting to your childhood self at this time of year? I certainly do. Many of our decorations are from my first ever little tree, one which I, like my siblings, had in my own room each year.

The sari girl was a new addition two years ago.

This is probably my favourite one, and comes from a tiny little village in the north of Scotland. My Mum had a tradition of letting us build up a collection from wherever we visited, so there are some from all over the world. Originally I had an angel-only tree, though this has now changed.

Peg-doll Liberty angel.

There are Russian Dolls,

finds from Istanbul this summer (note the all-seeing third eye motif),

and a fun camel,

always apples and ribbons,

home made stockings from a few years ago (I've done 6 in total),

hand-made christmas trees (also from a couple of years ago),

and all sorts of other goodies.

This year I haven't made a single knitted present (I may have gone overboard last year). It's been such a relief not having a deadline to work to, though there are two (commissioned)requests that I have yet to deliver. I like to have the tree up on 1st December but this year that was knit-night, so it had to wait til Saturday (the 5th, not too bad). I also have to have all presents bought before 1st December each year. Check.

By the way, someone on Ravelry has made a scarf from one of my patterns! I can't tell you how impressed and amazed I am!!! It looks really good, too.

Have you got your tree yet?

An early Happy Christmas to you all.

Happy Holidays!

Here's our little tree. You can't get a large tree into our flat so we have a wee one each year. It looked like a dumpling when I first brought it home, but the decorations have pulled down the branches now.

A few more decorations...

The heart with poinsettia below I just made up myself.

And a couple more.

I hope you have a lovely Christmas. Snuggle up with your family and try to forget about the economy! xx

Aren't these fetching!

I made these this weekend. They're a very quick knit and the yarn really shows off the cables. This was my first cabling project, and easy, despite the tight knitting (in order to use one skein, as specified). I'll have to make another pair for someone with the emergency skein I have - unfortunately in the same colour. Looking at the skein I couldn't believe I would get two gloves out of it, but I did.

Pattern: Fetching by Cheryl Niamath for Knitty
Needle: US 6 / 4.0 mm

Yarn: Debbie Bliss Rialto Aran (1 skein = 87.5 yards (80.0m)/50g) Colorway: DBRA03
Yarn purchased at: Stash, Putney

Here in Brook Green Autumn is in full swing and the rowanberries are out on our street. My favourite time of year:

I'm getting ready for Christmas too with these mini Christmas trees to hang on the real tree. Some will be off in the post to my Mum, and I'll hang the others at our house. The pattern is by Frugal Knitting Haus. I've made them in snippets of malabrigo worsted and koigu (using a much smaller needle):