Commencing countdown

Good evening. Thanks for calling in! Today is the official start of Christmas chez josiekitten. Mr JK and I always put up our Christmas decorations on Advent Sunday. I love the build up to Christmas. We don't go over the top, and the decorations are pretty well limited to the lounge, but the tree is up, and all the ornaments positioned around the room. It's always such fun, re-discovering old friends as you unwrap the tissue paper and bubble wrap. I'll show you some of my favourites throughout December.

Hasn't it been cold this week? And it's forecast to be even colder for the coming week. Seems the perfect reason to stay inside knitting snuggly winter woollies to me. We haven't been too badly affected so far, right on the coast of North Norfolk. But I snapped this picture driving back from the west of the county on Friday afternoon. Almost as soon as I'd taken the picture, the snow started to come down again! I'm one of those people who likes the idea of snow, but hates the practicalities of it! It would be perfect to have a white Christmas, when you have everything you need at home and can stay holed up for a few days. But when you have to go to work, it just causes problems!

I've been having a bit of a finishing frenzy over the last couple of weeks. I finished the Through the Loops Mystery socks 2010, and love them. I haven't knitted socks with so much pattern in them before, and enjoyed them. The yarn is from The Thylacine and knitted up beautifully. I'm sorry that the photos aren't great, but the light has been terrible all week!

I also finished my extremely orange Circle socks, using the Wollmeise yarn from Kate Blackburn. I love the feel of the yarn, and if I get the chance at KnitNation next summer, will definitely be buying Wollmeise in garment quantities rather than just for socks!

I finally finished my Katerina wrap. I'm calling it a wrap rather than a shawl because it literally does wrap around me! I started it the summer before last (said rather shame faced!), and I'm giving three cheers because it's finally done! It's a wrap, I guess you could say! I'm planning on wearing it when I'm singing, as we usually perform in rather cold churches. I think, given its size, that I'll be able to fit the other sopranos in it with me! The photo isn't great (I had great plans for some beach photos!), but we dashed outside for five minutes while the light was reasonable!

I will try to get some better photos another time! The pattern came from issue 4 of The Knitter, and is made using five skeins of Manos del Uruguay silk blend.

The other finished item is my McCafferty shawl. It's a very well written pattern, and I love the way it's turned out. The yarn I used was an alpaca yarn from La Droguerie, and it is so light, it's like being wrapped up in a cloud. The colour is 'brume' which translates as mist, and that describes it perfectly. It's amazing to think that the designer, Lily France, is only twelve years old. What a future she has ahead of her!

I'm pleased with the sizing - I was a little concerned that it might be on the small side, from the photos modelled by Lily, but I needn't have worried! I'm just over 6 foot tall, and there's plenty of shawl, even for me!

I received a little parcel in the post on Friday. If you cast your mind all the way back to August, you might just remember the amazing swap package that I received from Nancy. Well, Nancy sent me a beautiful scarf that she hadn't finished in time when she posted the parcel, and a few extra little goodies - a pine scented hand-made soap in a little Christmassy cloth bag, some dried cranberries, a bag of peanut butter M&M's (the bag is there just for show, I'm afraid - they were Deeeeeeeeeelicious!) and a box of Christmas chocolates - Hershey's Kisses. Henrycat was rather interested in those, and stuck his snout in just as I was taking the picture! Thank you Nancy - you have been a great swap partner!

Well, I think I've pretty much got you up to date! Don't forget that you still have time to enter my giveaway. I'll be drawing the winners at random on December 1st. Have a good week, and keep warm! xxx