Category Archives: Advent Calendar

Advent Calendar – Day Thirteen

It’s Day Thirteen on the Advent Calendar and we’ve just come cantering back from a frosty sunny walk…

Higgins is tucked up in his little bed by the studio heater sleeping off his rushing around and I have some peace and quiet to write this post.

I’ve been decorating a new set of fairy lights. I have several sets which I bought half price after last Christmas which run on batteries and I’ve been pleased how long the batteries last with the little LED bulbs.

I’ve made little flowery covers before using wool, but this time I’ve gone for the Rainbow brights of the Planet Penny cotton and it’s worked really well…

My little wire tree has come in useful for displaying them now all the robins have flown!

These would look very pretty twisted round a greenery wreath with the battery pack wired to the back out of sight, draped across the top of a dresser or round a mirror, even across the top the headboard of a bed.

I’ve just started another version, this time all in white…

The flowers are made using the ‘Magic Circle’ method, you’ll find a tutorial here, and the tails are left long to wrap and knot the flower on to each little bulb. You’ll find the tutorial for the Crochet Fairy Lights just here. It’s a great way of using up oddments of yarn and thread as each little flower uses such a short length. I made the rainbow ones with yellow centres, but as you can see they look just as pretty all one colour.

I hope this has inspired you, it might have even inspired non crocheters to have some lessons! I’ve toyed with the idea of making some to sell but it’s not going to happen this side of Christmas, and I’ve no idea if battery sizes are the same internationally. If you are better infornmed than me, I’d love to know!

I’ll be back tomorrow!

Advent Calendar – Day Twelve

It’s Day Twelve on the Advent Calendar, half way there, and a special date on the actual calendar as it’s 12/12/12! I don’t know whether the numbers imbue the date with any magical properties, if it does a visit from the Ironing Fairy would be nice…

The make today stems from the Christmas Fair we are having on Saturday in aid of our Village Hall. For years we raised funds for the old Hall. First to keep it standing, then to raise funds to build a new hall and now we have a wonderful new eco-built hall we have keep it in good repair. As it’s where our Knit and Stitch Group meet every month we have a table at the Fair and we’re all working to fill it with goodies to sell on Saturday.

With things being a little hectic on Planet Penny at the moment I haven’t been able to come up with as much as usual, but I spent some time yesterday afternoon with my trusty glue gun…

…a section of crafty bits and pieces…

…and I now have a dozen little Christmas tree rings for sale on Saturday.

If you haven’t got a glue gun, quick! put it on your Christmas list! It’s the most wonderful thing for quick assembly while crafting, as it sets as it cools so you’re noty left trying to hold everything together with clothes pegs while the glue dries over half an hour or so. I first started using one when I worked at a dried flower shop making arrangements and decorations, back when dried flowers were very fashionable. My own glue gun dates back to that era and is an industrial strength model, but the hobby ones are quite reasonable price. You do have to be careful when using them as the glue is incredibly hot when melted, I sported quite a few burns when I first started out.

(I’ve just realised that I obviously like to live dangerously, if I’m not stabbing myself with felting needles I’n burning myself with glue! Who’d have thought Crafting was an Extreme Sport!)

The little rings are available from most good florist shops and then you have scope for using any number of different odds and ends out of your crafty bit box. It’s a great way of using all the tiny bits and pieces which are too small to make a whole project.

You’ll spot I’ve made use of the little pot of silver bells I bought the other day, I just stitched through the loops with thread to maker a cluster of three and stitched through the twig wreath to hold them. Then the glue which attaches the bow and leaves holds it all in place.

I hope that’s fired your imagination. I’d love to see what you make if it has…

See you tomorrow….x

Advent Calendar – Day Eleven

The Advent Calendar make today has me revealing my secret hoard of wrapping paper, well, a tiny bit. It’s too embarrassing to reveal all! I do love wrapping paper, but when it comes to using it I can’t bear the thought of the eager recipient tearing it off and discarding it, too eager to get at the gift to appreciate it’s beauty and preciousness! (I know, it’s me that’s getting precious!)

But this make means that not only is there no necessity for any reckless ripping, but both sides of the paper can be on show (another cause of head scratching, if it’s gorgeous on both sides which do I use? No wonder I end up with the brown paper!)

I bought this paper the November before last at the Pick’n’Mix Market and it’s been wrapped in tissue ever since..

the robins…

and the winter flowers and berries, which is by Emma Bridgewater…

I found a great little tutorial here on a Japanese blog called Mairuru which explains beautifully how to make gift bags. Apart from a slightly tricky bit of paper folding when you construct the bottom (which is fine if you concentrate hard and keep your cool!!! (I’m saying nothing!) ) I just used a hole punch so I could thread through the ribbon handles. It’s a very simple and satifying little skill which will come in handy for more than just Christmas.

All ready to be filled with all sorts of goodies…

Remember, that little grey mouse could be yours! Have you entered the Prize Draw yet? All the details are on Day Two of the Advent Calendar which is here. All you have to do is to leave a comment to say which way you follow Planet Penny, whether it’s on the blog, or Facebook or even Pinterest. And if you follow via multiple sources tell me that too, because then you’ll go in the Draw twice!

The little brown Mouse? Well he’s appearing later on in the Advent Calendar, wait and see!

See you tomorrow….x

Advent Calendar – Day Ten

Yesterday I wrote about the simple things, so that has prompted today’s simple make for the Advent Calendar. A pompom garland. If you’ve been visiting Planet Penny for a while you’ll know I have had a bit of a love affair with pompoms! The Pompom and Heart Garland which is in this tutorial now hangs in the studio, if I look up in the office I see this…

…and in my 2010 Using Up Leftovers post I had fun with the remains of my big granny square blanket to make my first pompom bunting. So it’s snow balls!

(if you are having Higgins withdrawal symptoms these links will also take you to a couple of little ‘aaah’ moments from his younger days!)

It gave me a chance to get out my little pompom makers, which I find very addictive because it’s so quick. You don’t have to go out and spend money to do this because there is always the traditional way to make pompoms, but I would recommend these over other gadgets I’ve tried.

There’s no point wasting good quality yarn on these, it’s such a shame to cut it up and cotton in this case is useless because it doesn’t have enough ‘give’ and you end up with something like a little corn sheaf! I used a ball of snowy white acrylic which looked perfectly fluffy and snowballish…

These are just strung on a length of the acrylic, but you could also use some sparkly thread, or even some fishing line so they appear suspended in mid air!

And if you’ve got completly carried away and filled the house with pompoms, you can always give them away on your Christmas gifts!

By the way, thank you for all the comments yesterday, sharing your fantasy Christmas dreams. It’s been lovely reading them. If you haven’t added yours yet, please do!

I’ll be back tomorrow, happy pompom making!

Advent Calendar – Day Nine

It might be Day Nine on the Advent Calendar, but it’s also Sunday so I think we’re allowed a bit of a break. Feet up with the Sunday papers, and a magazine or two. I have a new favourite magazine which I have to say saved me from a bit of a downer a couple of weeks ago. I was having one of those anti commercialised Christmas moments. You know, when you go into the supermarket at the beginning of November and they have the ‘Seasonal’ isle all stacked up with tins of chocolates, bumper bags of nuts and crisps and Christmas puddings as far as the eye can see. And Father Christmas hats, and Elf suits, and illuminated antlers. Oh, and mince pies with a sell by date a good month before Christmas. And it all seems too much, there’s just too much STUFF!

But then my Christmas Issue of ‘The Simple Things‘ landed on my doormat…

and it made me stop and think of what Christmas really means, and what it means to me as a celebration.

My fantasy Christmas would involve a log cabin in the woods and lots of snow, a reindeer drawn sleigh to take me visit Santa (I expect my grandsons would like to come too!) and a Carol Service (with a choir) A log fire, a big Christmas tree filled with my eclectic collection of ornaments gathered over the years. A traditional Christmas dinner with all my dearest family and friends and Higgins and Henry of course (and lots of help in the kitchen!) Dr Who, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’and ‘White Christmas on the TV’, and someone who can sing and play ( guitar, piano? I don’t mind) for the musical entertainment.

Well, it’s not going to happen quite like that for me or anyone else for that matter, but it does make you think that actually, whatever the TV ads tell you, Christmas isn’t about cut price tins of Quality Street and Roses chocolates or the latest electronic gadget.

We can find our own magic if we look in the right places…

Do you have a fantasy Christmas? Do share it if you do…

The other magazine in the reading pile is a new Crochet magazine which was sent to me to review. Have you seen it yet? I spotted it for the first time on the High Street yesterday and you can also find it here.

Ideal for beginners as it has a comprehensive ‘How-to’ section at the back, and lots of different project for different skill levels. Some pretty baby blankets, this neck warmer which is on my to do list..

(and the dog’s cute too!)

And these pretty mats which would be a great project for honing newly learnt crochet skills.

I love these subtle natural shades, but these patterns would work well in the Planet Penny Cotton yarn, especially using either the warm part of the spectrum…

or the cool one…

Hope you’ve had (or are having) a peaceful Sunday, I’ll be back tomorrow!

Don’t forget to call over to Handmade Monday to find lots of other Christmas makes, and if you haven’t entered the Prize Draw you can find out all about it, and the fab prizes on this post…

Advent Calendar – Day Eight

I’m hitting the Advent Calendar at a bit of a gallop today as I’ve just come back from my shopping trip, ugh, on a Saturday afternoon too! Still I can be consoled by my Day Eight make which I undertook last night, with our Knit and Stitch Christmas meeting in mind.

Frangipane Mince Pies! I’ve snuck a couple away for testing with a cuppa this afternoon, the rest are safely in the freezer where I can’t be tempted.

I’ve made these for several years now, and if you haven’t come across them before in the recipe section of Planet Penny they are thoroughly recommended. Instead of the traditional pastry top, which I find can often be dry and claggy, these have light almondy sponge and are very delicious and moreish. Even die hard Mince Pie Refuseniks have succumbed to these!

These are just as they are from the oven for freezing, but they look very pretty with a snowy dusting of icing sugar.

You’ll find the recipe here. Go on, you’re allowed, it’s nearly Christmas!

See you tomorrow…x