We then had this, yes I picked up some spruce bunches as well, mmmm spruce.

It was then over to Spotlight, which surprisingly was just about empty!!! I know on a Saturday afternoon … I didn’t even have to line up at the checkouts… Crazy. I picked up some steel rings (one which was 400mm in diameter and the other was 350mm) and some floral wire.

The holly then went into a bucket of water downstairs in the cool till last night when I decided it was time to get up close and personal with the holly (read, let’s get prickly). Apart from the prickles it was dead simple to make and probably only took about 30 minutes or so, I was listening to Nightlife and spent some time just listening. The interview with Katy Gallagher (ACT Chief Minister) was most interesting.

The progress shot, uploaded to Facebook.

I arranged the branches round the ring and then went round wiring the branches on, using about three pieces of floral wire per holly branch and then used more wire to make a hanger that is is the same style as on the back of picture frame. I then wrapped a length of red bead garland round the 350mm ring and hung it behind the holly wreath so it “sort of resembles” holly berries.

The final product, hanging above the plates over the stair well. Do you see the the mini candle wreath on the Royal Doulton Rustic England quatrefoil bowl? The plates do not escape Christmas

I made Strawberry Jam in December which I gave as part of my Christmas boxes. I finally got round to taking a photo of one of the jars! The felt topper changed between jars depending on what I had at hand but they were all tied up twine and finished with jingle bells.

I started this wreath when I was off work with my foot. It was something “easy” to do though I’ll say it now, if I ever make one of these again, I’m using thicker wool! I used some Patons Bluebell 5ply that I found in my stash (originally from the Salvos store at Bundamba). I’ve been looking at the wreath the last few days deciding what it needs. Wanting to keep with a pretty clean and muted palette, I added a doily which is a few shades darker than the cream wool and an old Christmas decoration thing that I picked up in a mixed lot from the Juicy Junk Shop in Pomona at the start of the year. (Look at that I’ve just mentioned two of my favourite second hand stores in the one paragraph). Wrapped some gold thread round the rest of the wreath to carry on the gold from the decoration thing and there she is. It makes me smile.

Up Close

On my bedroom door
You can just see my Christmas apron peeking out from behind the back door, a early Christmas present from Mum – to wear when doing Christmas baking.

This is the advent garland/calendar that I made last night. I picked up these little pegs from Tiger (I liked Tiger, I wish we had Tiger here) when I was in Iceland, threaded a length of ribbon through the spring on the pegs, hung it beneath my shelves with the trusty 3M decorating clips and there it is. I’m using the little santa card to mark the day. This morning when I woke up, I moved the card to peg 2. It felt so good. I have a chocolate advent calendar at work.

I put up my little tree last night and was most distraught to realise that I left my box of miniature tree ornaments at Mum’s. I’ll be picking that box up pronto. I do have some suitable ornaments to place on each day till I pick that box up so not all is lost. I haven’t put the ornament for today on yet. Still a little while to pick the one that suits today.

The lights on my tree.

I was having a little browse through the Tiger catalogue and I came across this hat … yep, this hat has so much more class and style than your run of the mill Santa hat.

As promised on Wednesday, here are some new photos of my rug. I am now over half way into my third ball. My routine most days is that I will crochet a round a night before bed. If I catch the train to work, I crochet on the train but as I ride pretty much every day now I miss that crochet time but instead get lovely cycling time. A fair trade off.

“Sunday clears away the rust of the whole week.”
Joseph Addison

Sundays are nice days, out of Saturday and Sunday I think I like Sunday the most. Sundays are not so frantically filled as Saturdays. Sundays are about delighting in the littler things. Wiping the kitchen benches down and taking a moment to pause and smile at those clean surfaces. Ripping out 70% of the crochet you had done that day because you discovered a mistake which you know you could never ignore. Whipping up a very fast treat baked treat for Brown Owls. Sitting on your bed and just listening to James Morrison. Finding the basket for my bike that fits my criteria the most, now to get it painted white. This was my Sunday

This is my current wip, that I started this morning at Brown Owls. A granny square with larger than life dimensions, no idea yet as to how large it will get but thought is that it needs to be snuggable, so I’m thinking it will need at least 7 skeins. I am using Noro Taiyo in colour 11, which I just adore, it feels so lovely.

This arvo after I had done another row or two, I was looking at it closely and realised that on one side I had managed to get two extra clusters, gah. I thought about ways to reduce it but ended up ripping it apart till I had only three rounds completed…. I’ve done about seven rounds now and it looks much better than it did before.

Yesterday I made my book case curtains and today I borrowed the drill and put it up. It looks so pretty! I love the fabric. I had a fun time using the hemmer foot.

This is what I took for morno’s at Brown Owls, a pear and hazelnut torta which is a recipe by Belinda Jeffery in the May 2009 issue of Delicious. It took me about 10 minutes this morning to put it together and then it was in the oven for about 30 mins and ready to go. I am going to make it again in the near future but playing with different nuts and fruit.

If someone had told me a few months ago that I would have won Best Dressed at the work Melbourne Cup event I would have laughed. Somehow though I managed to pick up the prize. It wasn’t till sometime yesterday arvo that I decided to wear a hat for the happenings today. After SES, I stopped off at my parents and ummed and ahhed over the various hats. Then Matthew suggested I wear Karl’s WW1 Brodie Helmet, a little bit of fabric and a few ribbons later I had myself a hat which would protect my head from shrapnel and was classy enough for the “field”.