Tag Archives: Planet Penny Advent Calendar

Advent Calendar – Day Twenty

Can you believe we’re at Day Twenty on the Advent Calendar? I’m out in the office with the rain hammering on the roof in a most unseasonable fashion, while Higgins makes the most of his cosy little bed by the heater.

I’ve never known a dog who likes to be wrapped in a blanket as much as Higgins does!

Anyway, despite the gloom I’ve managed to take some photos of today’s make. (I seem to have had my camera set to the ‘Low Light’ setting for days and days). I loved the music sheets from this post so much I was determined to use it some more, so this time I’ve made a Christmas Song Bird.

It’s very simple to make and lends itself to all sorts of variations depending on the paper you use. You need something fairly sturdy, or a light card. Double sided wrapping paper would be good or you could scan or photocopy on to both sides of your sheet of paper. For children you could draw out the shape first for them to colour it in, then cut out and complete.

Because this requires a template I have made the instructions as a PDF so you can print it out. You’ll find it by clicking on Christmas Song Bird right here, then clicking again on the link which comes up. This is first time I’ve tried this so do let me know if you have problems.

So that’s the Advent Calendar for today, and I’ll be back tomorrow if we haven’t been washed downstream!

See you then…x

Advent Calendar – Day Nineteen

Today for the Advent Calendar I am responding to a special request for a bow tying tutorial from a regular reader which came about after the Day Twelve project, the tiny Christmas rings. These little bows are the ones I glue or sew on to projects, rather than for tying parcels or shoe laces.

As I started the photographs I realised that my lefthandedness might be a problem so I have flipped all the photos so it suits both left and right handed people. I’m just a slightly concerned about the reader who requested tutorial in the first place. Marigold is a goat… Does it work with hooves? I don’t think so, but hopefully she has a helpful human around to assist her!

I find it easier and more economical with the ribbon not to cut off a length but to leave it on the reel.

1. Make a loop at the end of the ribbon…

2. Bring the long end up in front and over to the back…

3. around the first loop then push a loop of the ribbon through the second loop formed by the thumb.

4. Pull through, and the bow is formed.

5. Carefully pull the loops to tighten the central knot to hold the loops then tweak and pull to make the loops your desired length, cut off from the reel and trim the tails.

I’ve seen ribbon bows for sale in packs of 10 or 12 in craft shops and they’re quite expensive. It bothered me for ages that whenever I tried to make my own I could never get two loops at the top and two tails at the bottom, they were always lopsided but now I’ve figured it out I buy my ribbon out of the remainder basket or in bulk and save some cash.

Now I hope you can too!

Good luck, Marigold, do let us know how you get on!

Advent Calendar – Day Eighteen

I’ve been pottering around in the kitchen for Day Eighteen of the Advent Calendar, making lovely Christmassy smells!

I have a little black book, a Moleskine, which has lived in my hand bag for several years and into which I write down useful stuff, lists, things to do and recipes. It’s quite interesting to delve back and see what comes to light, and disconcerting when I find things which were obviously important enough to write in the book at the time, but I have absolutely NO idea what on earth it all means now! I suppose you could take that as a philosophical view of a lot of the things we stress about today, because they’ll be irrelevant tomorrow!

Anyway, I have a recipe for Spice Biscuits which I’ve never made before but seemed just right the Advent Calendar. I’m afraid it provenance is lost in the mists of time, but having made them and tested them out on my Mum (and Higgins, but only a tiny piece) it definitely earns it’s place on the blog.

It’s a good recipe for using some of those little jars of spice which lurk in the back of the cupboard. I’ve got so many from which only half a teaspoonful has been used, and has anyone ever worked their way through a whole box of Star Anise? (Just check the sell by date, I don’t think they go off exactly but lose their flavour and go sort of dusty if they’ve been hanging around since 2005)

So here we are…

SPICE BISCUITS

250g (8oz Self Raising Flour

1/4 teaspoon each Ground Spice, Ginger, Nutmeg, Anise, Mace, Cloves, Cardamon, Cinnamon

125g (4oz) light brown sugar

60g (2oz) ground almonds

125g (4oz) unsalted butter, softened

1 egg (size 3) Beaten

1) Preheat the oven to 190 deg/375 deg F/ Gas 5, Line 3-4 baking sheets with non stock baking parchment

2) Sift flour and spices together into a bowl. (Some of the spices I used were not ground so I gave them a pounding in the pestle and mortar ind the sieving sorted out the unpalatably big bits.) Stir in sugar, ground almonds andf the butter cut into small cubes. Rub in until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

3) stir in just enough egg to bind and knead into a ball.

4) Roll out and cut using cutters of your choice. Place on trays and if you want to hang them use a drinking straw to make holes.

5) Bake for 10 mins or until beginning to turn golden brown.

6) Cool for 5 mins on the tray then transfer to a cooling rack.

The biscuits are light and crisp and the spiciness is subtle and not overpowering, they went perfectly with morning coffee…and were pretty good with afternoon tea too…and there were still enough to go on the tree (Very high up, of course!)

If you don’t have all the spices mentioned here it it would be worth experimenting with mixed spice, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, the equivelant of 2 level teaspoons.

I’ll be back tomorrow…x

Advent Calendar – Day Seventeen

It’s Day Seventeen on the Advent Calendar, and a week today it will be Christmas Eve! How are you getting on with the preparations? I spoke to someone today who said she had been into the city Christmas shopping four times since Friday!!! And on one of those day she was there from 10.30am till 4.30pm!!! I feel faint at the thought…Hooray for Handmade and online shopping I say!

As I mentioned last time the Christmas tree went up yesterday. It’s alway lovely finding all the decorations which hark back over the years, a very eclectic mix. That means though that all the little extras I’ve been making fit in very well, and also this gorgeous stocking I bought at the Christmas Fair on Saturday…

Today’s make for the Advent Calendar celebrates 2012 on Planet Penny, the Year of the Mouse!

There have been quite few mice running around what with one thing and another, from the Wedding mice from this post…

…to the Rainbow Mice Clock…

What I’ve found so great about the mouse patterns is the versatility. It came into being because I wanted to use the Planet Penny Yarn, but as I wrote in this post, just changing the yarn and the hook means you can have a mouse for any occasion!!

So while the larger mouse pattern is perfect for making a squidgy soft toy made in chunky yarn with embroidered features, just right for peeking out of a stocking…

The tiny mice from the Mini Mice Fridge Magnet Pattern, made with a fine hook and embroidery thread look so sweet peeking out among the branches on the Christmas tree…

…so much kinder on the teeth than the sugar variety!

There must be many a pampered pussy cat which would love a fat mouse stuffed with dried cat mint on Christmas Morning, and the tiny ones fit on hair slides, brooches and if you’re really game for a laugh, earrings!

I must head back into the house now and try and get the rest of the Christmas cards written as tomorrow is the last day for 2nd Class post…eeek!

…but I shall be back tomorrow…x

Advent Calendar – Day Fourteen Christmas Jumper Day

For the Advent Calendar today I’m harking back to this post, because its Christmas Jumper Day today, in aid of Save the Children!

Debbie Bliss has designed these beautiful patterns for stunning Christmas Jumpers.

Both large and small!

But before you think I’ve completely lost it, I’m not suggesting you run up a Christmas Jumper for every family member before the Big Day (11 Sleeps! – Eeek!) but you have got time for the tiny ones. Remember these…?

They’re just perfect for your Christmas breakfast eggs, and if you anticipate being too full of chocolate coins and Brazil nuts by then, they make fabulous Christmas tree decorations…

And you can download the pattern here.

If you’re thinking, well I really don’t have time to start a knitting project just now, but would like a little jumper for your tree, how about one of these?

To raise funds for Save the Children these little Jumpers are available for auction, here..NOW!

Just leave a bid in the comments saying which Jumper you would like, and the highest bidder will receive it in time for Christmas (UK onlyI’m afraid) Once I’ve worked out who has the highest bid I will contact the winner to arrange payment via Paypal.

This is such a good cause, and it would be lovely to contribute to it so please, leave your bids. Bidding will close on Sunday at 4pm.

I look forward to hearing from you .,..

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!