Advent Calendar 2024 Day 25 - Merry Christmas Yoo-hoo

Well, I am one of those people in the world who have never seen Frozen.  I know of that infernal, annoying song, Let it Go, that an adult neighbour caterwauled along to at the top of her awful shrieking voice over and over and over for hours at a time for almost a month none stop before she moved onto another song and ruined that too.  Thankfully she was evicted almost 6 years ago, thankfully a year before Covid-19 lockdown, could you imagine being forced to stay inside with a neighbour like that for that amount of time?   

As soon as I started reading the description out to my family my husband started laughing because, apparently, he does know who this character is and he is immensely funny.  I had to find a clip online and watch to find out who he is and I like him.

All the information can be found in the first photo and if you click on the photo you can zoom in if you need to.

There isn't a string of lights in the clip that features Oaken and obviously they can't use images from the film due to Copyright Law so this is a fitting pattern to use.

I have undone the tightly wrapped little bundles and made them into braids to take any pressures off the fibres and also so that I can see the colours properly and feel the texture too.  This one is interesting.  Yes, there are lots of colours and there are other times when there are the same amount of colours in other blends and I go "eesh, no thank you" but these colours work together for me, although I think I might pair this with 50g of the dark teal Shetland that I just got from the Wool Show last week.

Advent Calendar 2024 Day 24 - Family Tree

I have heard about Stick Man and I vaguely remember watching it with my kids quite a few years ago.  They had quite a few Julia Donaldson books.  All the information can be found in the first photo and if you click on the photo you can zoom in if you need to.

The design on this packet is a winter forest scene and Stick Man does run through the forest in winter so this time it does actually match.  Yay!

I have undone the tightly wrapped little bundles and made them into braids to take any pressures off the fibres and also so that I can see the colours properly and feel the texture too.  Oooh, this one is very fine, flyaway and luxurious.  I will need to pair this with something really special or buy some more of this one.

Advent Calendar 2024 Day 23 - Emmet

I have never heard of this character so I had to Google him and he is something to do with Jim Henson Studios and The Muppets as Kermit the Frog narrates the story.  All the information can be found in the first photo and if you click on the photo you can zoom in if you need to.

I don't think this design is based on the story but the colours in the design do seem to match the colours in the fibre.

I have undone the tightly wrapped little bundles and made them into braids to take any pressures off the fibres and also so that I can see the colours properly and feel the texture too.  This is not my favourite colour combination and, to be honest, its a bit too busy for my liking so I will need to tone it down somehow.

I did manage to find a photo online of the character of Emmet and the I can see how the colours match his clothing.

Advent Calendar 2024 Day 22 - Mrs Claus

I have seen a few variations of a "Mrs Claus" character over the years and she is usually portrayed as being dressed very similar to her husband "Santa Claus".  My favourite one is from Santa Claus The Movie and she is played by Judy Cornwell and John Huddleston played Santa and Dudley Moore played Patch, the elf.  All the information can be found in the first photo and if you click on the photo you can zoom in if you need to.

I guess this pattern could feature on her costume if she is wearing something knitted or maybe an apron with stitching on.

I have undone the tightly wrapped little bundles and made them into braids to take any pressures off the fibres and also so that I can see the colours properly and feel the texture too.  This one is really soft and smooth and is so lovely.  I definitely want some more of this one.

Advent Calendar 2024 Day 21 - Buddy

I know of this character as I have seen TV adverts and clips of the film but I have never watch the film because the lead role is played by an actor that I really really cannot stand.  I know that a lot of people rave on about this film, saying how great it is blah blah blah, but I really cannot bring myself to watch it.  All the information can be found in the first photo and if you click on the photo you can zoom in if you need to.

I don't know of the design matches anything in the film because I haven't seen the film but its an interesting design though.

I have undone the tightly wrapped little bundles and made them into braids to take any pressures off the fibres and also so that I can see the colours properly and feel the texture too.  I like this one as it will produce a multi-tonal yellowy-green yarn with flashes of white texture.  I will most likely pair it up with something with the same tone of green from either this year or a previous one.

Spinning Xinhai Revolution

I've done it!  I've spun up the last of the full braids of fibre from a previous supplier and I have to say it feels good.  I know it sounds stupid and I could have just sold all of the fibre off and got rid of it ages ago but for the most part the fibre isn't the problem, it is the memories of the conversations about it and her and her best mates attitude towards anyone who had a different opinion to them.  I don't have any such memories with this fibre as I had long since left the club and the group chat when this fibre was produced and, likewise, I don't have any such memories attached to the 37 small clumps of "blend ingredients" that I have in my stash that range from 1g to 22g as they were just instant purchases and not something that was discussed.

This fibre is called Xinhai Revolution and I bought it from another spinner when they were selling off some of their fibre stash and I liked the colour combination along with the texture.  I have no idea about the inspiration for the colour but I do know that the Xinhai Revolution took place in 1911 and overthrew the last Imperial dynasty of China and led to the establishment of the Republic of China.

I knew that because of the texture in this one that I would not be able to spin it too finely so I spun it over-the-fold to help make it thicker/bulkier but without it being too dense and heavy, using the loft of the fibres in a positive way to achieve this.  I just plied the two singles together and done this for each of the braids.

Both skeins have spun up to 12 wpi - sport weight for a combined total of 206g/627m and the fibre content is 50% Corriedale, 25% Bamboo, 20% South American, 5% Viscose Tweed Nepps.

Advent Calendar 2024 Day 20 - Mr Bingle

I've definitely never heard of this one so I Googled him to see what he looks like.  Hmmm, yeah, a flying snowman with holly wings, nothing weird in that one!  All the information can be found in the first photo and if you click on the photo you can zoom in if you need to.

This design is just a pretty wintery type design.

I have undone the tightly wrapped little bundles and made them into braids to take any pressures off the fibres and also so that I can see the colours properly and feel the texture too. The fibre is not very soft but its not coarse either, its a kind of sturdy everyday heavy usage kind of wool.  This one will most likely be paired with something that needs to be toned down.