Hello again my dears, I hope that you're all managing to keep safe and warm, though if you're in the UK, and anything like us, you'll have been eyeing your smart meter with increasing alarm, as the sub-zero temperatures of the last week combine with the price of fuel right now to take their toll on the heating bill. I swear ours is double what it was this time last year!
At least being the home of a knitter, we're well equipped with warm socks, woolly jumpers, and plenty of blankets to mitigate at least some of that. I'm feeling especially bad that I didn't manage to knit hats for the homeless this year though. I'm certain that they're going to be needed more than ever.
Still, other than a few last minute stocking fillers, and the veg for Christmas dinner, my Christmas shopping is all done. For a few years now I've made the agreement with the majority of my friends and family to do presents only for my immediate household, and anything left of my Christmas budget once they're sorted is donated to hardship charities, as they're always in particular need at this time of year. It works for everyone - Nobody is receiving a bunch of tat that they don't need, or possibly even want. Nobody has to go out of their way to search for presents for us, and we don't need to search for presents for others, or risk offending anyone who didn't "make the grade" to get a gift. It's much easier to control a budget when you don't find yourself forced to spend more than you can afford in order to somehow match the sentiment you feel. On top of all of that, there's a lot less waste when you're not buying for the sake of buying, and wrapping it all up beautifully. Good for me, good for my friends and family, good for the charities, and the people they support, and good for sustaining an environment on planet Earth that is capable of maintaining human life. What's not to like?
Right, now for the advent stuff:
December 10th
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| SHIVIA |
Advent of Change: This day's donation went to SHIVIA. "Today you have bought the feed and medicines for a poultry toolkit, enabling a woman in rural India to work her way out of poverty."
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| December 10th advent contents |
Lindt: Little milk and white chocolate truffle.
English Tea Co.: Berry Rooibos tea.
Northern Waxes: Plum and Rhubarb wax melt.
Mint and Mustard Dice: Transparent sparkly D6, with pink and yellow splashes, and gold numbers. This die matches those from days 3 and 7.
Lily's Kitchen: I genuinely don't know what the treats were this day, Stephen cups them in his hands when he opens Finn's calendar, and Finn shoves his schnozz right into Stephens hand, so no glimpse of the treat is evident in any of the many photos I take! I don't honestly think that Finn cares anyway!
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| "Is my treato calendar Daddy?" |
Stephen's Golden Book Escape Room Calendar: Some days he finds very easy, some days he finds very frustrating. Some days take him 5 minutes, some take half an hour, and I end up looking at them too, because my brain sometimes works in different ways to his. He likes the ones that are logic puzzles more than the pattern recognition puzzles. He's still enjoying it, and thinks we should maybe get a more challenging version for next year.
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| Stephen doing puzzles |
December 11th
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| Marie Curie Charity |
Advent of Change: This day's donation went to the Marie Curie charity. "Today you have helped fund the heating of a hospice, making patients comfortable and enabling them to spend time with their families."
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| December 11th advent contents |
Lindt: Small milk chocolate truffle.
English Tea Co.: Spicy Pumpkin tea.
Northern Waxes: Apple and Cinnamon wax melt.
Mint and Mustard Dice: Opaque yellow and grey D20, with white numbers.
Lily's Kitchen: We were gaming at our friends' house on this day, and out most of the day, so I very quickly opened my calendars in the morning so I could take my teabag with me to drink during the game (we always get through many cups of tea during a gaming session!) but we didn't open Finn's calendar, or do Stephen's escape room until the next day. This could explain why Finn tried to steal Stephen's slipper (yes, his slippers do resemble tanks), knocking cards from his escape room calendar everywhere when the calendars were brought out on the 12th!
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| "Where's my treato Daddy? I steal your slipper!" |
December 12th
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| Equally Ours |
Advent of Change: This day my donation went to Equally Ours. "Today you have helped make sure that everyone's needs and rights are met equally during the current cost of living crisis."
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| December 12th advent contents |
Lindt: Small milk chocolate truffle.
English Tea Co.: Seasonal Siesta tea.
Northern Waxes: Vanilla Buttercream wax melt.
Mint and Mustard Dice: Transparent green, blue, and purple D20, with white gothic script. This die matches those from days 1, 5, and 8.
Lily's Kitchen: See what I mean about not being able to tell what the treat was? Look at that adorable crinkly little schnozz though!
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| "Cronch!" |
December 13th
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| Henry charity |
Advent of Change: This day's donation went to Henry. "Today you have helped a vulnerable parent find ways to improve their own wellbeing, so that they're better able to care for their children."
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| December 13th advent contents |
Lindt: Small milk chocolate truffle.
English Tea Co.: Ginger Cranberry tea. Note - This smells like mulled wine, but tasted fruity!
Northern Waxes: Christmas Tree wax melt.
Mint and Mustard Dice: White pearlised D10, with gold numbers. This die matches those from days 2, 6, and 9.
Cuddlebums Yarn: I can finally open the yarn calendar! Cuddlebums specialises in rainbows, so I expect every micro-skein to include rainbows of some sort. This one is a pink and white stripe, with rainbow pops. It also had a dark metal snowflake stitch marker attached.
Lily's Kitchen: All of my photos of Finn with his advent treats this day were blurred. This is the best one I got, and I think he's eaten them all and is hoping that Stephen has more concealed somewhere...
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| "Do you have any more Daddy?" |
December 14th
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| Alzheimer's Research UK |
Advent of Change: Today's donation went to Alzheimer's Research UK. "Today you have contributed towards key lab equipment for scientists working to develop tests that can detect dementia earlier."
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| December 14th advent contents |
Lindt: Square of milk chocolate, with a teddy bear in a sleigh picture.
English Tea Co.: Gingerbread Treat tea.
Northern Waxes: Candycane wax melt.
Mint and Mustard Dice: Transparent sparkly D8 with pink and yellow splashes, and gold numbers. This die matches those from days 3, 7, and 10.
Cuddlebums Yarn: Pink and peach stripes with rainbow pops.
Lily's Kitchen: 2 Bedtime Biscuits.
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| "Eat the treatos, not photograph the treatos!" |
FO's
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| Ribbed beanie hat in green and grey, with pops of pink and purple |
I finished Jo's hat in time to give it to her at our game this weekend, and she seems to be really pleased with it. I love this pattern for a simple and snug winter hat. The ribbing makes it extra smooshy and cosy.
WIPs
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| In Progress blanket made of different coloured squares |
The yarn advent calendar is open, so the Mitred Squares Blanket has been brought out of its summer hibernation, and is gaining a few more squares each day. Both of the yarns I've had so far are knit up in this photo; top left, and the furthest right of the current "row". Most of the other squares I'm knitting right now are made up of yarn left over from projects I've been working on throughout the year. Once I've done at least one square with each of those, and one with this years advent yarns, I'll start on my vast selection of mini-skeins. I'll probably keep working on this until the weather gets warmer again in about April.
The pattern for this is Mitred Squares Blanket, by LuAnn Krug, and the yarns are literally hundreds of different colours of wool 4-ply.
Other than this, I have done a little more on the socks I've been knitting, but not really enough to be worth showing you again just yet.
No more new stash, and no more new penguins to report, so it's bed time for me now.
Sweet dreams my dears, I'll be back in a few days.
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