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.

Advent Calendar 2024 Day 19 - Little Troll Prince

I have to admit that, although I was still attending school and was already an aunty at that age too, I have never heard of The Little Troll Prince nor have I ever seen the film that was released in 1987.  I have Googled it and none of the images look familiar to me in any way but I do see how the colours in the fibre match his clothes.  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 can see how they have tried to match this design to the story of the trolls but in all honesty these are Gnomes, not Trolls, and are different in looks to trolls.  I like this sweet, cute 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.  I don't know what to do with this one.  Do I blend it with something like white or other neutral?  I don't think I want more of this one.  I will have to do some serious thinking about this one and maybe see what options are.

Advent Calendar 2024 Day 18 - Shoemaker

I am very familiar with the story of the Elves and the Shoemaker, it was one my favourite stories to read when I was little along with The Emperor's New Clothes and others that I had in a set of "Read It Yourself" books published by Ladybird in the late 1970's.  The front covers were mostly black with large rounded typeface in bright colours for the "Read it Yourself" and a small illustration at the bottom.  Happy memories from an innocent time of life.

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 is another one where the design on the packet is just a nice Christmassy type of design, although it does have a kind of Scandinavian type feel about it.

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 feels just nasty.  I don't want to touch it if I can help it.  I don't mind the colours so I am wondering if I could pull out most of the nasty rough Faroe Island wool and replace it with something else and add more similar fibres and colours to bring the total up to around 100g.

Advent Calendar 2024 Day 17 - Cheeses for Meeces

Today we are back to "A Christmas Carol" but this time it is The Muppets version.  I've watched it a couple of times but this version really is my husbands favourite and he knows it like the back of his hand.  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.

Today's packet design seems to once again have no connection to the character or story or even the fibre but I do like it.

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 absolutely gorgeous. Its really soft and silky.  I may just have to order more of this one.

Advent Calendar 2024 Day 16 - Tomte

This one is about Tomte, who sound very much like Nisser from last year. 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 today's packaging does actually appear to have relevance to the story of the character that the fibre is based on, houses.

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, even if does seem a little busy with the number of colours/shades.  One of the ingredients is dark green Shetland and guess what I bought from the Wool Show the other day, yup, dark green Shetland which might go some way to being put with this .

Advent Calendar 2024 Day 15 - Wenceslas

I only know of Good King Wenceslas from the song and I had no idea he was such a young man nor that he died at such a young age. We've had a fibre based on Good King Wenceslas before, back in 2022, but I presume that was based on his clothing as the colours are so rich whilst this one is based on the forest in which he walks with colours to represent the logs, the trees and the snow.  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 does feature some kind of plant with berries on, which might or might not be found in a forest location, and also the night sky. Its pretty.

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 very soft and I need to carefully consider what I might pair this with.

Advent Calendar 2024 Day 14 - Nutcracker

Today's theme is about nutcrackers and I never realised before that those little men in military type uniform ornaments were actually a practical tool for cracking nuts, I just assumed they were something to do with the ballet of The Nutcracker.  

Growing up the nutcracker in our house was a stainless steel hand held tool made of two pieces with ridged semi circle shapes cut into each one and fixed together at one end on a pivot and you would need brute strength to close the handles together and crack the nut.  I rarely managed it but my own nutcracker these days is a kind of thick walled wooden cup with a thick wooden screw that is turned to trap and crack the nut in the cup, so much easier. 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.

Such a pretty design featuring nature on todays package.  I am equally enthralled and interested in the packaging design as I am with 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 one isn't overly rough but its not gloriously soft either.  It is mostly grey-ish white with black but there are some subtle colours running through it too.

I've added this photo to show that there are actually colours running through this blend.

I've been to a Wool Show

Back in October I saw an advert on either Facebook or Instagram, can't remember which, for a Christmas Wool Show that was being held local to me in December with 85 stalls/Vendors.  I immediately wanted to go, especially as it is specifically related to Wool and not just all kinds of crafts.  I checked my husband's work roster and discovered that he would be working that weekend and it's not his thing anyway.  He would probably take an interest and look at some stuff but he would get bored after a while so I asked my two kids if they wanted to go, both said yes, so I pre-booked the tickets and got them cheaper than "on the door on the day".

The event was held at The National Conference Centre, just outside of Birmingham, over the weekend of 14th and 15th December.  We've been today, Saturday 14th December.

I had one thing in mind that I definitely wanted to look for and I told my kids that if they saw anything they wanted (within reason) that I would get it for them as part of their Christmas gifts because right now we haven't got them much because they've not really told us what they would like.  I say kids but they are 21 years old and nearly 18 years old and both heavily into creating art and doing wool crafts, but not spinning.

The thing that I had in mind that I definitely wanted was a braid of Turquoise Merino fibre for a specific spinning project.  I could have ordered this online from where I usually get most of my fibres from but because we were coming to this show I thought I'd wait and see.  The first stall that we came to had exactly what I was looking for and so I bought a braid of Turquoise Merino.  Any purchases after this were just kind of spur of the moment or "yeah, actually I could do with some of that".

As we were walking around we were chatting to some of the vendors a few small purchases were made with a couple of them for things like stitch markers that my kids wanted and a set of coloured metal crochet hooks so that I can teach my eldest to crochet at some point in 2025, my youngest already has some crochet skills and projects under their belt and they will continue to learn over time.  My eldest also chose a skein of yarn that I paid for and then she saw some more yarns that she liked at another stall and insisted on getting those herself.

I did do some more shopping for myself though.  I got a couple of braids of fibre from one vendor, which have turned out to be from World of Wool, as they do sell their products to other shops etc and they are Aurora Borealis by Sarah Jane and then Taurus from the Constellation range.

I also fell in love with some fibre art batts from Barn2YarnShop who put these together themselves.  I don't usually buy my fibre in batts so this will be fairly new to me but I have bought one before, years and years ago.  I will re-figure it out when I decide to spin it and open it all out.  I bought 3 because I instantly fell in love with the first one, loved the second and the third but noticed that they could kind of represent Santa doing his deliveries - clean to start, getting a little mucky and then really dirty by the end of the night.  Their names are Mrs Claus, Noel and New Year.  I could easily have bought some of the other batts they had too cos they were just so beautiful.

(c) Barn2YarnShop

(c) Barn2YarnShop

(c) Barn2YarnShop

What I might do with these 3 is to spin them so as to make yarns that could be used on one big project, almost like a long gradient type of thing, maybe even taking a little from each to make "linking yarns" to ease the transition from one to the next.  It's just a thought at the moment as I haven't undone them to see how each might work up.

My final purchase of the day were two skeins of solid dyed Shetland from A Little Bit Sheepish and purchased purely because I loved the depth and shade of colour and I could do with some plain dyed wool in my stash that isn't Merino.

 

I really enjoyed my day out browsing, chatting and shopping.  I might do it again one day.

Advent Calendar 2024 Day 13 - Lutzelfrau

I'm not German so I haven't heard of today's character but she sounds interesting. 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 little packet is pretty, but again doesn't seem to match the character, which is absolutely fine as that is not expected but wouldn't it be nice if they all did.

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 love this one. It is so fine and soft and the colours are so rich but also softened by the creaminess of the both the Soy Bean and the Tussah Silk.  I would love to get some more of this.