princessdeia

When we were children the lead up to Christmas started with the store brought chocolate advent calendar, each day you would have to struggle with the perforated door to get to the tiny chocolate bar behind. Here at Chez Princessdeia we have never really grown up and every November we buy two advent calendars (one each as we never did learn to share). Last year Jason was extremely disappointed to learn that whilst he makes do with this bite sized chocolate every day his niece and nephew where having fun sized mars bars. As at there house, they have a wooden advent calendar with mini drawers to hold treats (some days they might get a toy instead of chocolates).

Whilst on ravelry last year, I found a pattern for advent calendar made of mini knitted hats, I just loved this idea but thought all along I would prefer to make mini stocking (after all knitters love making socks!) My original plan was to use Carissaknits holiday stockings pattern, in fact I had the pattern in my ravelry queue for nearly a year. Last month, I figured it would be quicker and easier to make the baby booties from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts.

Tags: Cascade Yarn, christmas, knitting for the home, LMKG, WIP

No Comments »

When I was a child going up after my birthday shops would be filled with fireworks and then a week or so later the shops would be filled with Christmas cards, wrapping, decorations and of course gifts. However, each year the Christmas paraphernalia is appearing earlier and earlier (we actually saw Christmas cards in September this year).

With London’s newest shopping centre opening just on our doorstep, Jason and I had pop along to see what all the fuss was about. Of course the most important thing was to check out if anywhere sold yarn (no luck there). So then we had a general potter around, and I started looking at the Christmas decorations and gifts.

Immediately I noticed there was a knitted theme this year. To decorate your house you can buy gift stocking or to hang on your tree you can buy amigurumi angels or knitted baubles. Or if you are looking at gifts you can find cozies for teapots, mug or hot bottles. Or Hat and scarves there are actually advertising as hand-knitted!

All knitters walk around a store looking at the knitwear and then trying to work out what stitch is used or returning home to spend ours hunting around online to find a pattern similar to the cardigan we have just seen, and this was exactly the way I felt about these knitted items!

A quick look on ravelry and I have found this amazing patterns. For decorations I love Little Cotton Rabbit’s Mini Christmas Stocking, this Amigurumi Nativity, Annie Woolens’ Stockings and these beaded Christmas decorations.  

As for presents, I am a huge fan of the BAWK Bottle Cozy which fits a larger hot bottle not the mini version they have in the stores, the is the classic French Press Cozy (which looks exactly like the M&S version), or the Basic Cup Cozy (an environmental friendly version of java jackets). And where do we start with the tea cozies their are hundreds of great patterns out there.

I have been working on a few Christmas themed presents – so watch this space.

Tags: planning

1 Comment »

So I had a few hours free today whilst travelling, and I thought this would be the perfect time to blog about my birthday week. So I packed the laptop and camera, sat down to start typing and realised I had left the USB cable at home. At first I thought about just writing the post without photos, but then I got thinking about the whole blog process.

When I started this blog, it was to post about my hobby, writing about my works in progress or finished objects. As I got more into the knitting community, I started “flashing my stash” or posting about swaps, as I got more into knitting, I could write about other aspects of the community, exhibitions and meet ups.

I got into a process for blogging. Planing a photo session, then taking photo, editing the pictures, uploading the photos and then finally writing the post.  For me the format worked and I stuck with it for the past few years.

However, it is obviously not working now… I don’t seem to have enough time to post. Also, I am not sure this blog is the best medium to post about knitting anymore. For me, I prefer to post my finished objects on Ravelry. In my opinion their layout works best of displaying finished items and any notes. I like having database of knowledge there and contributing towards it.

As I am re-reading this it seems to be a final post or “a Ravelry has taken over from blogging” post. Which it isn’t meant to be… I just think it is time for me to change this blog! I still want it to me mainly a knitting blog however, I guess it is time to diversify a little. 

I would make this blog a bit more interactive, add some polls, or even some competitions. So I am going to start the interacting by asking about your blog. What is your writing process like? How often do you post? Do you think you post enough? Do you follow a structure, like WIP Wednesday or FO Friday? Let me know?

Tags: admin, wordpress

2 Comments »