Happy New Year

From bunnies and humans alike. And look, they DO know how to share sometimes.

Let's hope they continue to share in the next year!

Tea, earl grey, hot and good food and dessert with friends, and then board games.

Presenting the Presents of 2015

I started making presents for real in October this year, because of of the wedding and all, but considering I started quite late I think I did alright.

I have made:

Three sets of mug rugs, four cat heads (two in black and two in white) and one seasonal one (gifted for a birthday in December). Patterns on Revelry here for the cats and egg, flower, pumpkin, the snowflake one I made by myself.

I have made four finished and one half finished ( still hoping to finish the last half soon) wrist warmer and two and a half pairs of socks (one was started by my mother).

The dark grey and red one was made in alpaca after this pattern and was given to my neighbour and friend with a scarf and a lip balm.

The dark grey and lilac one is also in alpaca and the pattern was from Simply Crochet Magazine 11 and the designer is Jennifer Reid, and although I like the pattern and have used it many times it is very time consuming, but luckily for me, I started it in January so I only had to finish one. For my friend Evi.

The other tree is loosely based mostly on this pattern, but a bit from my head too. I gave the grey one to M, the blue ones for my travelling cousin and the blue and grey one will be for my carpenter cousin.

The tree socks are a pattern my friend *Kio gave me that was passed down in her family so I used that on all socks. (the blue pair was started by my mother so I only finished one half of one sock).

I have made four scarfs.

The scarfs are made using this pattern, the red ones were also made in alpaca that I bought on sale, one for our neighbour and one for M's aunt. I think they were well received. The pink/grey and purple  pink ones are made in mohair, the purple pink I bought when my mother's local yarn store went out of business and the pink is from the 80's from my mother's stash, I had to buy the grey because the pink one turned out a bit too small. So another batch of inexpensive but pretty gifts that were fun to make (at least when I didn't have to unravel any mohair stitches that is).

I try to make my gifts because then I can give to almost 30 people and add a small something that fits instead of not giving anything because we live on a limited budget.

My aunt got three washing cloths and a soap. 

Almost everyone got around three trees each this Christmas so I think I made almost fifty in total. I also made this owl in a pattern by Drops. That I haven't given away yet since we didn't see them yet this year, she also gets a Christmas towel, but she likes owls so I hope she likes this little dude. All are made from scrap yarn.

I made two sitting pads for two teenage boys that have a dog, so I think they walk a little, at least now if they do take a walk they can also take a break;) They got a little money on the side. Most of the yarn is scrap, but when you the star is getting bigger you need more yarn for each round so in the end I had to buy more yarn, luckily I was using rather inexpensive Nille wool yarn.

I made four lap blankets, this one for two people, my aunt and her wife, this blanket is made mostly in regular sc and dc, but some x stitches and v stitches thrown in. I made this of scrap wool except the border that I bought. There is even some yarn from our wedding in there.

The bottom blanket was made last year but given to my mother at her 60th birthday, but it was the only picture of all lap blankets I had.

I made three of the lap blankets in the same star pattern I used for the sitting pads, one for my uncle and two for two little boys that we celebrated Christmas with (they also got some money) the pattern is also from here. Mostly made from scrap yarn, but the last rounds used about one skein each so I had to buy a little. So all in all, not too expensive since I use Nille wool yarn again.

Lastly I made 9 hats, three crochet cat hats, pattern from here, for my friend and cousins, and one crochet hat in grey and blue, pattern from here, mine looks a lot different because my gauge was way off. All the males in our family that we celebrated Christmas with got a hat each. My uncle got the crochet one and the rest got knitted ones, M also got a hat.  The other knitted hats are from various Norwegian knitting books but all the knitted hats are made from Nille wool yarn. The black cat is made from reflective yarn that I also got on sale when the yarn store next to my mother went out of business. 

One hat though is a 2014 gift but a 2015 finish, the one for my cousin with a beard, the beard is from here too and the hat is a Tristan from Drops again. 

I am getting better at following patterns and these small finishes help with feeling a sense of accomplishment which is important.

Lastly I made this little dude for my mother, I started this last year, but managed to finish it in time for the holidays. I hope I will be able to do more cross stitching next year. Also I hope to knit more and make cloths for myself as well as presents;)

I hope everyone has had a lovely year and that they liked the presents I gave them.

I do try to give something that fits the person but sometimes I just have to make a pattern because I have a hang up on it and have to find someone to give it to after;) Like with the scarfs.

Today we are celebrating New Year and I have a sinking feeling the last present of 2015, the wrist warmer, won't be finished in time especially since I have been doing presents for next year instead. Oooops. 

Oh well, Happy New Year, I hope next year I will finish all presents within the actual year itself, it might be too much of a stress to hope I will finish all presents in time for Christmas;)

Baking, colouring, crocheting and bunnying around the Christmas tree

Today I had my tea (caramel and vanilla, I am hooked) in my crazy bunny mug that I made almost ten years ago I think.

Also I finished the second to last Christmas gift, the wrist warmers for my cousin. Yay me.

The bunnies gave me this Christmas colouring book for my birthday and I have been having lots of fun colouring, thank you buns. 

For Christmas I got the pink heart tin from our neighbour with glittering sparkles and the bake it easy serving and baking tray from my family-in-law, the gingerbread form thingies in the tin are mine, and the others I gave M for Christmas, and with all this baking things I felt inspired and make more cookies with M.

I even added some pink edible sparkle left over from our wedding in some of them. They were yummy even though M went to the store to buy white chocolate and came home with dark chocolate, his excuse was that the plastic around was white. >.<

The tree is having a hard time with these guys around.

Valmin is quite good at getting to the branches and chewing one off. Mimle usually tries to steal from Valmin or eats his leftovers because she does not work for her food. She is also known to just stare at her human until said human picks some needles from the tree to her. Said human is me, btw, in case you were wondering. 

A close up of the second to last wrist warmers, I really like these, I didn't use any pattern, I just looked at several and made them after my own hands. I hope they fit...

And I have started on present number two for next year;)

Yes, I still have one half wrist warmer left of this year's present making, but my cousin did get his present from last year this year, so isn't that already a tradition?

Thoughts count

M is still home and we are enjoying our time together, today we went to the store to swap some presents, I got a book that I would have quite liked, if I had read the first, but since the store didn't have the first book, I traded it for two knitting books.

 I had to buy the tea we got at my uncles, so today we had caramel and vanilla tea.

I also got two other knitting books for Christmas so this year I better get better at knitting. Which is sort of my New Year resolutions, I think...

 M and I are watching Home alone one and two and they are great at giving me Christmas feelings. But I do think we need to bake more, I have eaten all the good cakes already.

I should finish the last two halves of the two wrist warmers, but instead I started something new. I think this might be for Christmas next year, ( yes I have started thinking about next year when I am not done with this year yet, so what else is new?) but I do love watching Christmas movies and doing Christmas crafting while it is still Christmas, the rest can wait. At least until January starts? I should finish the table runner I almost finished last year too, maybe that is next?

I bought some more yarn to make those hats my family requested I make, for next year, I like it when it actually sounds like my gifts were happily received because I try to give gifts that fit the person, but you can't always succeed, and sometimes you succeed but forgot to think about things (or in this case sequels) so gifts have to be traded. But it is the thought that counts.

Final stretch

Today M and I had a slow day at home with fiddling with some presents again. I had green tea in a mug I made M years ago. The little green alien is him, and I am the pink bunny.

We saw Kaze Tachinu from Ghibli which I gave M, we played some Playstation that his sister and fiancee gave us, which was pretty amusing.

 The glasses in the back were gifted to us by M's parents and I love them, the glasses I mean. We needed a pair of celebratory glasses not for everyday use like our pretty green ones, and these fit with the fine dining pottery.

Something else that we watched which was pretty amusing was this sight: The bunnies having fun with the tree. Since most of the parts they can reach have been munched away we placed their bed beside it, and Mimle finally understood what to do. So now they are both snacking on the tree.

And another present is done and gifted.  I know I am still a bit late, but the person I gifted it too was not sorry she had to wait. She got a scarf and a set of wrist warmers to match. I started the scarf a bit too narrow and ended up starting a second you know which is why I was late, but the narrower scarf was given to someone else who loved their scarf and the bigger scarf fits my friend a lot more.

I have only two halfs of the last two wrist warmers to do. But my cousin who will get one and her brother who will get the other I won't be seeing until late January or so, so I still have time.

And while I am in a Christmassy mood I hope to start some gifts for next year so I won't have to make another mad dash to finish. But I think I will, after all, that is a tradition, and one I quite like, because I always add gifts or people to give things to which is part of the fun^^

I should be able to finish within this year, but I don't have to:)

Third day of Christmas and third Christmas celebration

Driving in the snow. Did I mention that it is snow! Did I mention I love snow?

We are visiting family again, and so I got tea again, caramel and vanilla, it was really good! Did I mention I love tea? I love vanilla and caramel too.

We played card-games, I won first, then me and my youngest female cousin won together. I love winning. Did I mention I like winning but am a very sore loser?

I finished one scarf yesterday and the second one today and I started the matching wristwarmer and finished one. But there is still two halfs to do. Did I mention I like making things? Did I mention I am not that good at finishing things? Did I mention I love starting new things?

Want to see how the finished hat and beard look on the intended person? Quite handsome, and it fits him too. :) Did I mention I like my cousin? My uncle wants one too now. And did I mention my younger female cousin also wants one?

A second Christmas

Another tradition of mine, celebrating Christmas Eve several times.

This time with M's family.

They also have a tree from their yard.

Joulutee from Finland in Finnish mugs. Presents and Christmas cookies.

Hauskaa joulua!

Happy Merry X-mas

Gifts have been given and received, well wishes have been uttered all around, good food and treats have been devoured and family have been met.

My guest went home today after breakfast, and M and I have been lazing around all day in pyjamas using our gift just like Christmas the 1st should. It is a tradition of mine and most of Norway I think. 

I had strawberry tea given to me by M in this years best mug ever given to me by my mother.

(it is an Elsa Beskow mug)

We watched some great Norwegian films, a comedy called "Den spanske flue" which to my happiness was shown this year, M had never seen it, but he laughed a lot alongside my mother. It was as hilarious as ever, I L O V E that play, not just for Christmas, nostalgia or tradition but it is actually funny.

And then we saw "Reisen til julestjernen", we had to tape most of what is shown on Christmas Eve just because we didn't have time to watch it then. This movie is mostly just tradition, I like watching it, but it doesn't get my undivided attention. Tomorrow I am hoping we get to see some of the eastern European Christmas tradition films.  I love Christmas!

I had TONS of cakes, this beautifully decorated lot was given to me by my friend Evi, look at those cute bunnies, and edible glitter! (glitter was something I was given by someone else, so I am so baking something this Christmas, hopefully with M)

And I so very very close to finishing the last two scarfs, yes two, I know I said I was making only one, but then it was too narrow for the person I felt, so I made another.

I am very sure I have made almost 50 of those trees.

Later when I am done with all the presents I will make a recap and we will see just have much I made, and considering I only started in October in earnest I feel I have made a lot.

I know much of my gifts have been well received which is always nice to hear.

I hope you all are having a happy merry Kurisimasu.

Tjuefjerde Desember

Today the tea was green with peppermint, orange, cinnamon, roasted chicory, vanilla and Irish cream. Very tasty, and because we cleaned out our spare room I found my Peter Rabbit mug, which I haven't really used much yet, so I am happy.

We are going to meet up with my family and celebrate together, all 12 of us this year. I am looking forward to it.

Bunnies wish everyone a very merry holiday, they got a toy each from Santa today but only the ball was cool and they have almost eaten it up already! Today we are celebrating with a lot of family. 

Tjuetredje Desember

Today is the last day and Christmas has begun! I started the day with my daily tea in a mug M made me, it was black tea with cinnamon, rooibos, ginger, vanilla and irish cream, it was very good actually.

Then my mother came and I started on dinner and decorating.

This is a cross stitch I designed some time ago.

Somebunny was delighted that we got a tree, it is from my father-in-lawns yard so it is ok for the bunnies to munch on.

And after dinner we ate blueberries we picked this summer at my mother's cabin.

I know which decoration is M's favourite, can you spot it?

Since I have so many pink items around I decided to have more glitter, pinks, silver and gold this year. The star is from my grandparents so it is quite old.

And since it is the night before Christmas here in Norway we had to of course watch "Grevinnen go hovmesteren", it is equally funny each year and something I really have to watch.

And I am done with another pair of wrist warmers, the two that are left will be done by the time I go to exchange their gifts. And I must confess, I started another scarf, mostly because I thought the scarf I was making needed to be bigger, so I started again in the same coloured yarn and a bigger hook. I have given the rest of the gift and said that the rest will come eventually so there is no rush, just happy hooking with family watching Christmas traditions.

Tjueandre Desember

Today my tea was black wit cardamum, cinnamon, ginger, apple, and caramel. It was quite good, I have spent the day wrapping gifts. This year I have tried to buy more eco friendly wrapping paper made of actual paper that can be recycled. I bought some boxes that the recipient could use after and just tied a bow of hemp.

I used boxes I already had and just tied a bow around with leftover yarn, and attaches a heart from leftover wrapping paper and a couple of croched threes.

This one is simply a used box with a string and crochet threes attached with a clothes peg. I think looks manly and most of the recipients don't really spend too much time thinking about their packaging anyway so why spent so much time and money on it?

I have cleaned and vacuumed the room for our Christmas guest.

Washed the bathroom, done three loads of washing, shined the kitchen, now there is only the living room left, but I need M to carry some boxes into the storage first, if he ever comes home from work that is....

It now looks a bit more Christmassy and welcoming.

The scarf is almost done too! 

The two wrist warmers will have to wait since that deadline is on the 27th. But M's need to be finished, but I am sure I can manage that.

And since it is Tuesday tunes today, here are some of my favourite songs that get me in the spirit!

The newest tradition, I have the whole cd of Hello Project Christmas songs, and I love them. Kago on the top of the pyramid is adorable and I love her voice, so happy she is in Girls beat.

I am sad they seem to have retired this song, because it really helps me to get into Christmas spirit.

This is one of the two movies I need to see on Christmas eve whilst I get dressed for the evening.

this is the second. I loved these as a kid and I love them still, in later years the candy eating and dressing whilst watching have subsided and I have started frantically crocheting the last gifts instead.

I really love this musical, although I never saw it complete when I was little, this was the one with the best quality I could find. What I do love watching that NRK stopped showing was "Den spanske Flue" which is funny still.