Merry Christmas!

This close-up of my advent calender shows what we, I

and Pikku-Hukka, plan to do over Christmas. Eating and

sleeping are also on the schedule.

Snow, baubbles and Christmas

The whole Europe, it seems, has been blessed with a very, very white Christmas. This is the centre of Finland's capital a few days ago. We are still a few measly centimetres short from all time December snow depth record.

This is the view from my living room window during the day

and an evening view from the balcony

I like snow, and I like winter, and I like Christmas. Wrapping gifts is a real pleasure, even with a little helper, who wakes up from the deepest slumber when she hears the rustle of paper and ribbon.

Looking at this picture you might think I have a lovely centrepiece on my dining table

Change the camera angle and you get the truth

clean (thank god...) laundry graces my table. BTW, what is it with clean laundry and kittens?

Perhaps the same thing as with kittens and just-a-minute-ago-cleaned litter box?

I've bought and knit and wrapped quite a few presents, also some to myself! Such as these earrings

And this neclace

I've already worn them this week to

 give a little Christmas feel to my outfit.

Gone fishing with father

12.12.2010

With less snow this is a road fit for a car

The sea coast

Frozen sea, snow-covered islands and two fishermen

I walked...

...dragging the sled and tools

Re-opening one of the holes in the ice

Attaching the line (it helps getting the nets back under...)

The line replaces the nets under

the ice when they're hauled up

two pike-perches

It started to snow at midday

and it didn't end until the next day

a pair or two of warm mittens are a must

about a half of our day's catch

(there was quite a bit of water

on the ice at some places, not very nice)

we left some of the roaches for seagulls,

but father's cat Annastiina got her share, too

FOs and yarn acquisition

So, the rest of November disappeared somewhere and a good part of December, too. Thus, I have a few FOs to show plus more yarn acquisitions than I care to confess to publicly. So, I’ll probably gloss over the yarn a bit.

I went to the Tampere craft fair with Niina and bought these:

Two of the skeins are sock yarn, I've been fighting this urge to start copious pairs of socks. I cannot, until the Xmas knitting is done. That does not stop me buying sock yarn, obviously. There is two skeins for a hat to my godmother in the photo above, too.

Most of the above yarns are from Titityy. I also bought these silver markers from Peikonpoika:

I bought two sets and they're already in use.

I've tackled my Christmas knitting, late as usual despite being planned since Sepember. As some of the recipients read my blog, I'm gonna just give a little peak of the yarns I'm using.

This goes to Merja:

This goes to my sister Marika:

Then there is a super secret gift to my father, that's a joint project with Merja. No photoes at all. Then, my mother asked me to knit legwarmers to granny, I'm probably gonna use this yarn (bad photo, sorry):

Then, a striped hat for Juhani (you might need to buy a new scarf to got with this, Juhani, it'll clash with your striped scarf, i think)

And that's just might be all. I've yet to finish the three I've started and to start the two I haven't even cast on for as yet. Lovely, busy time ahead, again. I'll never learn.

I've finished some of my knitting, however.

A hat for me (more in my project page in ravelry). I managed to eake this out from a single skein of Rowan's kid classic. Excellent. I've been wearing this every day since I finished it. It's cosy, soft, warm and fluid.

Then, I've finished a vest I've been knitting to a dear friend of mine since last January (!!!). I'll post more about it when I can take some photos.

I've also finished this hat for me:

But have not photographed the FO as yet. The yarn is a cashmere/merino blend from colourmart.

I've also finished these fingerless mittens for me:

The yarn is Araucania's Aysen, a worsted-weight merino-alpaca-silk blend, really yummy.The mittens are warm as a toast, which is a good thing as my office is rather cold currently; especially after the weekend the Monday mornings are arctic. Do they close the heating for the weekend or what???

I also finished a grey pullover for myself, but i had to frogg the sleaves due to fit issues and have not knit them again as yet. Maybe this weekend? Oh, I nearly forgot. I've cast on for this beauty. I'm subbing yarn, so it's going slower than it might otherwise. Plus, I'm really trying to be a good girl and knit my Christmas knits...

Oh, yes, I've also bought too much yarn from colourmart.

a few cones of this

and this:

and this, which will become a tunic/pullover to mother:

And that's all for now. I might have a few more skeins hidden somewhere...