Happy New Year

I bought some sparkly yarn I have been eying for ages, and I splurged a bit and bought one. I made a rather lovely little snowflake, but since I was a bit late in buying the yarn they did not have any white sparkly left so my snowflake looks a lot more like a star. But none the less it is festive and blends in with the rest o the sparkly decor. 

I followed a recipe from a book I bought just before Christmas, there were lots of nice little things to crochet and knit in it, but I have forgotten the name of the book. Maybe I will tell you another time because now I am off into the new year.

So Happy New Year!

Some Presents I have given my friends

I made a coaster, I backed it with paper. The paper is kind of fun, because it is the lyrics of Silent Night. I thought it fitted with the Christmas theme, plus, my friend is the silent type. I hope she likes it. I wish I was better at making bigger things, like real sewing up and finishing. Like knitting or crocheting which I never seem to progress at… But I won't stop trying.

I have shown you this before, but this is a gift for the same friend. I did buy her some things too.

One of my other friends got this little cat. I like it, and it even has a bell, she loves bells.

I hope she likes it too. 

And I made this Enterprise for boyfriend, since we have a small apartment I did this in two nights after he went to sleep. It was difficult as I wanted to sleep and it was tiny and fiddly.

The snowflake is something I made years ago when I started to crochet and the lovely little knitted bauble I got from my friends mother for christmas.

I wanted to make Enterprise for three other people at least, but I could not bare that many sleepless nights and I did not want to spoil it for boyfriend. He was properly surprised.

Would you like to see some of my gifts?

I love Christmas, can you tell? I love giving things and I like receiving things too. I love sitting at home reading my new books and watching Christmassy shows and eating candy and drinking hot cocoa, gløgg or tea.

So without further ado, here is some of my gifts that I thought you would like to see, like the homemade and stitching stuff:

I got this lovely wooden rabbit thread keep from my friend. I really wanted this and I am so happy I received it.

These two lovely knitted baubles, and look one is a bunny! So I did get a bunny christmas ornament after all!

My other friend made me this hat, lined with fleece. I LOVE it. I asked for something like it years ago, but as she got a bit sick it was put on hold. But good things happen to those who wait or something like that. So I am happy. 

Edit/ apparently this was not the present that I have been waiting for, that present is still on hold and one day when I have forgotten about it I will receive it. And my friend says that when I get it I know that that is the present that I wished for so long ago.

But the fleece inside was bought for that particular present so I was half right;)

And lastly, one of my other friends made me these fun cocoa things, she made them herself and apparently you put them in your hot cocoa and it should taste great. She also gave me a cute little bunny necklace, but it is too dark to take a picture of now.

The other cookie in the picture is my favorite Christmas cookie, we didn't make any this year, so I asked my friend (the one  I got the hat from) if perhaps I could have one from her, and we got two, one for boyfriend and one for me. I have already eaten mine, it was so good, maybe I can trade boyfriends for something so I can eat them both? ;)

And lastly, I got this book from my last friend. I love it. I am thinking about making some granny square ornaments of Christmas Flowers for next year;) I am also thinking about my new swap, something that glitters, I love glittery things, so I need to get started on that too. :)

This is what I got from my swapping partner Kay Eyles from the cross-stitching forum. I love it. I got some pink aida, a flower felt ring and brooch and some floss. Thank you. Hope my gift was satisfactory. :)

Have a merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from Mimle

Here she is with funny pictures from the past year, we did not include any when she was sick, but there is a picture where you can see her tummy has been shaved.

Merry Christmas from us.

I thought there would be no more Christmas present making, but I was wrong, I whipped up this little beauty, but it is not for me:) Even if it starts with a V.

Yatta nee!

I did it! I finally did it. I vowed that I would finish all the presents in time this year and I did. The recent years have shown me on the night before Christmas frantically trying to finish something for everyone and this year I frantically finished a whole day before! I am very proud of myself (to be honest there have been some presents that I have dropped making and opted out and bought something or made something simpler). But I did still finish. Today saw me baking some cakes and whipping out my sewing machine and doing some finishing. Boyfriend helped, we had fun and I even did most of the dished right after which is not fun.

These may not look like much, but I rather like it. I am getting faster and better at the sewing machine thing too. But I am still not at the point where I can make a pillow that can open:O 

First there is a pillow right next to Mr. Snowman as I ran out of the grey yarn (from the poncho I made last year). I took some leftover yarn, it looks a lot different but still manly enough I reckon.

And here is two small ornaments for two small boys. One is a plain felt one with smallest of the boys first letter in his name as his brother got one last year with his initial on it. The other is a little trickier, it is a sock, it looks a bit like a sock, I would not recommend wearing it. Both boys will have some small cash in their parcels, we just have to remember to get them first;) I have no idea what little boys need nor the money for what they want but I can teach them to save up their money for something they really want. 

So the littlest may need a sock next year.

It is really cool because the backing fabric is from boyfriends grandmother so it was free and it was scraps which are hard to use, but here it has been put to use. I really hope these boys will someday decorate their very own trees with some of the ornaments I make for them. But it might be a good idea to think about another thing to make soon… Or I could get them their very own tree to decorate;)

And now since it is way past my bedtime, and even bunny is sleeping on the floor with her little backside firmly placed in my direction as I am in the doghouse with my noising and light flooding when clearly she is sleeping, (She looks adorable cuddled into a small bunny-ball) I will go to bed. As the good bunny slave that I am. I just have to fill her hay rack and find some toys and clear the table and put the cakes in the refrigerator first.

Friday roundup

Want to hear what I have been doing? Except not making much and celebrating my birthday.

Remember this little dude? He now has a home. And his new owner is happy, but the other rabbits in the household is now demanding rabbit ornaments of themselves too.

And here is my assorted birthday card wall. I love them all. ^^

And I have gotten five christmas cards. And did you know? I finished all 25 cards in time and got them sent on the 16th which is the last post day that they can guarantee that it arrives in time for Christmas.

I was so in a hurry I forgot to take a picture of the last cross-stitched card.

Tomorrow I am going to finish finish the last of the presents. There is just some minor sewing machine fun left. And I am done buying presents too, boyfriend apparently has two left. (one of them is me). 

So maybe he has to go to the mall tomorrow, I am only going to the store for dinner.

I am really hopeful that we can finish everything in time this year and have some fun.

Here is a photo of Mimle enjoying her advent calendar.

Mimles Advent Calendar!

This is bunny opening her calendar. Inside there is a treat from Oxbow and a card with tips and info about bunnies.

Today's card told us about rabbits and how they are social. Mimle did not particularly want the card today, because she noticed the treats on the floor.

It came in this lovely paper bag which I am sure someone is looking forward to playing with once it is empty!

A sudden present

There is this lady that helps bunnies here in Norway (and sort of Sweden and Denmark too). She has a blog and a book in Norwegian and soon another in English, and a Facebook where she continues to be available for bunny slaves in need. 

She is also active in an animal rescue organization. My bunny asked me to make her a present and so I did. Last March when Mimle was feeling rather poorly that lady helped us with advice and consolation.

She is truly an angel.

This is one of her little bunnies Harald, who is inspired by the cats I have been doing. The felt is from the same kit because apparently all the felt in Norway contains wool, and this person is vegan. 

I am thinking about adding some vegan chocolate, a surprise and some bunny treats in the parcel and I am sending it on Friday. I hope she likes it. 

In other news I am down to my last two Christmas cards, and I have around ten presents left to make. Do you think I can manage? Or do you think I will think of something else to make to make my life more difficult? ;) I am after all the queen of that. That and procrastination. 

And hey, it is Ornament Onsdag and I managed to finish an ornament and blog about it, how about that;)

Have a merry Pigmas

The table cloth is now properly finished. It only needs washing and ironing. 

I like it, even if I think there should be something in the square in the middle that spot is perfect to put a candle on when you are entertaining! 

I am very happy about finishing this, finally.

I bought this chart from this seller on etsy, and I am very happy with the purchase, this is an ornament for boyfriend'a aunt who lives in Finland and loves pigs. I was thinking about adding a hat on him, but I kind of like him as he is. I also bought the rabbit design. 

This is the backside, it says merry christmas in Norwegian. I am happy about the backside of this too. I love it.

I do believe I have a finish

Even if it is not properly finished yet.

I have finished! 

I got some spare thread from my cousin's wife as she is doing the same kit.

Now all that is left is the finishing. But I will leave that for tomorrow. :)

Good Night!

Oh, and Permin did give me the thread number, just turned out I didn't need it after I was gifted some. Guess I won't be needing the thread that is on the way in the post either that I ordered to give to my cousin's wife so that she could finish her table cloth….

Hope everyone is safe in the storm, bunny has been kind of antsy here today as the wind is howling around the house.

Ornament bird

I made the second in the set, it was fast and fun, this one is for me. There is only a bad mobile phone picture so you can't really see the beads I added on this one, but I just finished it you see, I'll try and take a new one in the sunlight. Which by the way is really hard this time of year….

Next year, I will make a rabbit in this manner. Just for me.

Bunny is feeling the darkness too and sleeps a little more than usual. Apparently, the door we made for her was too small so she had to fix it. Now there is a window too, and she is busy ripping away at the cardboard floor of her house, because apparently, a floor is not needed.

Tired bunny.

Tuesday Tunes Do you get it?

So Hello!Project has made another double sided single and this time both song are equally good! 

Very grown up, and I must say, this is the S/milage I know, fun and fast and quirky!

And on a side note, Morning Musume's last single outfit was red and black, Juice=Juice too and this is sort of red-pinkish and black, do you think℃-ute and Berryz Koubou's next single will have the same colour-theme? 

I think that the lyrics of both songs are quite good and I like the beat.
But if I should choose a favorite it would be the second one "Ii Yatsu". 

First Advent Ornament

Today I had my mother over for a belated birthday get-together, unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of her present that I made, but I will next time I see her, she really loved her presents and that made me happy.

I was thinking about waiting to show you some ornaments until ornament Onsdag, but then I realized that most of the things I made lately were ornamented gifts, so here is a cat for someone who is a cat person. ^^

And then there is an advent present for my boyfriend. He and his sister used to have a bird each that they hung on the tree but they are looking a bit battered nowadays so I made boyfriend one that would not brake if it fell off the tree;)

And what post would be complete without a bunny pic? Bunny is tired. she has an advent calendar too, but she gets presents everyday. Now who wouldn't get tired of opening gifts everyday?

Ornaments are done Onsdag

I am very happy to say, I have made another Christmas ornament, and since it is a gift, that is another gift to tick of my to-do-list. 

So I am showing off my Christmas angel cat and the one I made before. I rather like them.

I have thought about it, and I need to make four more in this series this year. 

Since I have used the floss double I am already out of white floss, but since I have heaps in my stash I am not too worried.

What I AM a little worried about lately though, is a present that I have been doing on and off for the past two years. I was seeing the light in the end of the tunnel and not a moment too soon because I was out of a particular colour thread. And then it happened, the repeat I was doing did not match up with the other side…. Oh the horror, the first repeat I made is one square to much up and the entire repeat must be frogged and done again. And as I said earlier my predicament lies in the thread that is alas empty. I do not think that I can manage frogging and keeping all of the floss I have, there is bound to be some spillage and then I am sort that particular thread. And it is a weird DMC thread too, no number and very thick orangy. Oh, well I must throw in the towel and ask Permin for a replacement and hope that it will come in time for the holidays… Wish me luck.

It is the square one here…. And as you can see, it will look really wonky if I don't fix this mistake...

A hole in the Hol and a workshop

My friend joined me and we drank some Christmas Fizz and then we made a cat each. I have the grey one and she the white. I think they turned out lovely once we found the strength to abandon the instructions, because face it, they were making us more confused.

Now to decide who gets my lovely cat…. I have already started another, as there were 13 in the kit.

Then later the same day bunny helped boyfriend to assemble a Hol from IKEA. And I have no idea how she knew, but she acted like it belonged to her before we even put her stash in. She now has a small house were we are giving out hay. Hopefully she will keep the hay inside the box and not drag it everywhere. Because as you all know hay must be eaten either straight from the bag or from the floor, but if it stays on the floor for too long, it turns inedible soon. But somehow after weeks of being on the floor behind something it turns edible again if there is enough dust in it…. Bunnies.

And here she is hopping out of her table house. Boyfriend's father made the hole for us.

Moar Cards and a tomte

You know, I was looking at my to-do-list yesterday, and I have started the gifts for most of the people on it. And some are even finished! 

I made another coaster:

I like this one, on sparkly aida. I have really enjoyed making these coaster and I can see myself making more of them. I get to use up stash, I find the charts from my magazines, and all I have to buy is the coaster itself, and it is super cheap. It goes fast and there is no making up afterwards, just jam it in and close. My kind of project. And tadah, finished.

Here is another stitched card, There is only one left of the stitched variety and about eight non-stitchy cards, I think I will be able to send them out next week. Last year my mum bought the stamps and we signed all the cards together and sent. Maybe she wants to do that this year too? It is nice to send home made cards and I like sending them with my mum because we have been doing that forever. Plus it is never stupid to share the cost of the stamps;) Most people still think of my mother and me as a set anyway so a card from us and my boyfriend together might not be a dumb idea. I think I will ask them and see what they think. :)

Look at the poinsietta Bouffle is holding, that really is the most Christmasy flower I know of. I am thinking about buying one in plastic though because it is very toxic to bunnies and my bunny can get to anything she puts her mind to. To be honest I am fairly certain she can make people do whatever she wants by telepathy. The other day I found myself giving her a small banana bite even though I was adamant she would not get any as she had already gotten apple from boyfriend when suddenly I heard her nommin away on the banana…. Wonder how that happened.  

 So more cards. I like making simple cards, the lovely green aida is from a Bothy threads kit I did years ago and still had in my stash. There was not that much left, but I still keep the little pieces just for instances like this. I usually use fray-stop- glue on them immediately after cutting them and keeping them in my stash, because I hate for them to fray into something unusable just by being in the stash.

  God Jul means merry Christmas in Norwegian. I have used a Permin letter font from their God Jul heart ornament stitch that I bought the other day.

And I have also updated my bunny ornament stash!

This little darling was a shop display, but since she was broken I got her cheap. They are selling off the rest of their ornaments on the 22nd. I have my eyes set on one of them. Bunnies prefer bunny partners after all.

And, I have my first proper bunny christmas ornament. I see bunny ornaments on blogs all the time, but the only ornaments made for adults come during easter, and since Christmas is my holiday I want tons of bunny Christmas ornaments. Look at the little fellow, he looks like a proper "fjøsnisse".

Tuesday Tunes JuiceJuice

Yes, there is a Morning Musume member in this dance, but Karin is fine, she just had a fractured ankle and could not dance, so they had a dance-in in the form of Ayumi from Morning Musume.

I love this song, obviously since I am showing it on Tuesday Tunes. 

And black and red clothes look cool, even if they have used that particular combo before. Like in High King or Ai no Gundan.

Christmas fun

So I am still chugging away at the secret season projects. But there are some I can show you. I have also been busy with the Christmas cards, and I think I am halfway down now. ^^ 

I know I have only one more cross stitched one to go. But here is a card that I don't count as cross stitched, I really liked how this turned out. I gave it a little hanging so that the recipient can hang it about in the entire snowing season. The reason I don't make that many elaborate cards are because most people love getting cards, but throws them out or forgets about them too soon for me to think that there is a point in all the hassle, but some put them up year after year and those are the people that get the full on cross stitch ornaments cards. At least from me.

 I love the secret season, I love making gifts, and since the stress still has not made an appearance I am feeling like this season is still fun, Saturday I bought Christmas tea, and here in the cellar we have been drinking GLØGG for weeks now. The fun.

And here are some gifts, I like them even if they are simple, they are going to a couple which is why they are matching. And coasters are handy I think. I try to make gifts that are usable, but it is not always that easy if I want to cross stitch, knitting and crocheting are much easer to make handy gifts with, too bad I am not yet that skilled that I want to send them to others. But this year I am making something crochet. Four of the same design actually, but since at least two of the recipients read my blog, that particular reveal have to wait until after christmas;)

I am not about to slack off, but to tell you the truth, there are not that many presents left to make, still a lot of finishing off, but I thought all the finishing off would be best left to one day in so that I don't have to schlep my sewing machine about too much;)

4 of 8

or something....

But look, I have made another Christmas Card, and I am still busy with making presents, and since some of the recipients read my blog I will not feature pictures until packages are received. 

Since for some reason people like to be surprised.

Also I am reading a lot lately, and when I am done with this series of three books I will tell you about them, if I still like them that is;)

So that was a little sneek-peek from me here in the basement.