X marks the spot

I am a bad mother, indeed a mean mother.  I do not allow my children chocolate Advent calendars.

To me, the point of Advent is to prepare for and look forward to Christmas.  Even without getting into the religious side of the festival, it seems to me that if one is looking forward to a time of plenty, one doesn't need to eat a piece of chocolate every day to get ready for it.

Anyway, we stick to the regular Advent calendar, where you open the door and see what picture will be behind it.  Works fine for us.  Well, it works fine for me and the children have learnt to deal with it as I'm not backing down on this one.  No doubt when they grow up their children will have the largest, most chocolate filled Advent calendars known to man - and then their mean old grandma will come round and destroy them.  But I digress.

There is however one thing I do not like about the Advent calendar.  One thing I don't remember being there when I was a child.  When you open each door, it's there, taunting you.  There, spelt out in (this year) gold letters - ' x days to go'.  Today's entry said 19, which I could have done without seeing really.

When I see that number I start to feel a creeping sense of panic.  19 isn't that far from 14 and 14 means 2 weeks and it's all downhill from there really.  I need to start making some lists.  I find lists comforting at this time of year.  Lists of presents, lists of food, lists of times to do stuff with food.  This year we will be in Somerset for Christmas so I don't need to do any food lists.  However this also means that I will not be able to do any last minute shopping on Christmas Eve, therefore I must be fully prepared.  I also have to remember to bring everything with us from London.  Add to that the fact that even though I am not doing the food lists, I am cooking the food; a concept I am trying to embrace and relax with, resisting the urge to email/fax/phone my lists through to the people doing the shopping.

The gift knitting is going reasonably well.  I ripped out the freakish clown ruff Curly Wurly scarf and redid it using the Corkscrew Scarf pattern from Loop D Loop.  This turned out a bit better.  Still not really my cup of tea but at least I didn't recoil in horror from the bathroom mirror.  No pictures, as the camera is still away but hopefully I can photograph it on the recipient at Christmas.

I also finished another little project I had going on the sly.  Before you look at the picture, please read this disclaimer:  From now until about March 2006, all pictures at the Wool Palace will be blurry/not good colour etc due to the fact that this country has no light.  Thank you for your understanding.

This is the Travelling Vines scarf, from a free pattern here.  I have kept this by the bed for the last couple of months and done one pattern repeat most nights.  Lace knitting is very good in times of stress I find, forces one to think only about what one is doing right at that moment. 

I used Celestial Merino in Sugar Maple, which I bought from Get Knitted in July.  The colour shows up better in this close up.

One skein makes a nice sized scarf - long enough to tie around your neck once.  More of an accessory than something to keep you warm. 

So that's two scarves down and a few pairs of socks to go.  One pair of Calmer bed socks are almost done.  After that, I may do some more socks or I may decide to save my sanity and buy people their gifts.  Tune in tomorrow and find out...

Comments

[dawn]

What a deceptive photo, i thought that was a stole rather than a scarf, did a double take! I think you're being very optimistic about finishing the socks (especially as you have a children's christmas to arrange - urgh! toy shopping!)

Dawn:)

[amanda]

The scarf looks great! I love the colors :O)

[Michelle]

The scarf is beautiful! Thanks for sharing the pattern. Good luck with your Christmas knitting. I'm considering postponing Christmas so I'll have time to finish mine, but I don't think anyone will go for it.

[Donyale]

Whew - can you do my shopping to? I haven't even thought about it! Spooky!

[cari]

Hey! That looks great! Your Sugar Maple looks different than mine did--yours has more green. I think I like yours better. :)

[Eva Shiu]

Beautiful scarf ! The colour is gorgerous !

[Mary-Lou]

You are not alone on the chocolate calendar front. I used to buy them for my kids (despite disapproving of them) because I could never find any of the 'traditional' type, until a few years ago when my son was discovered to have eaten the whole lot in one go. That motivated me enough to make a huge effort, in which I finally found the 'surprise picture type' and now we re-use it every year. (My kids hate me, and spend the last 2 weeks of November pleading their cause - I do not care, and ignore them completely, and I feel so much better for it!) Also in our household, Santa only gives what will fit in the (fairly small) stockings, and never ever leaves presents under the tree - these always come from friends and family - at least I had the sense to institute that one from the word go ...

Glad to hear you've sorted out your curly whirly dilemma anyway

[Tracy]

Crikey we have three chocolate advent calenders in our house...one is Neil's! I was always happy with a glittery design of some Christmas scene when I was a child, not pictures of flying chocolate bars. How they can stuff chocolate in their mouths before breakfast is beyond me too....was that me saying that? Gosh I sound like my mother ;)
Keep up the Christmas knitting, you're putting me to shame. I love the Sugar maple scarf.

[Jill]

I wonder if I could do that scarf? I also have a skein of Celestial Merino bought at get-knitted - I tried it for socks but there isn't enough. Was going to try a Koigu pattern with it. At least it isn't KSH!

[Brigid]

I don't like the chocolate advent calendars either. I had decided not to get any this year and was looking around for something not too childish for our two boys. Unfortunately Peter stole a march on me and when I asked him to get some shopping he came back with two chocolate calendars! When I was a child we re-used a particularly nice calendar every year. I still have it and bring it out as part of the Christmas decorations!

[RoxyKnits]

Well I was a deprived child and make up for it now with new toys and puzzles for myself each year, and I'm going on xx years.......AND I always have a choccy advent calender too. Have to admit though, they really aren't that great. The chocolate is never that nice.

Stick to your guns. I'd be really really strict.

Did you have to mention Calmer bed socks....now I want some too...