What’s Hot Christmas week

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snowflakes

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This is a bit late today as I have spent the morning searching high and low for the cable to transfer photos from my camera to the computer. I finally found it in amongst all the christmas chaos.

The how:
To play along, it’s as easy as writing up your own hot/not list on your blog and then linking back to me here at loobylu.com and then adding your url to the widget below.

Hot

Solstice is hot: – We had lots of guests last night and our Midsummer feast this year consisted of roast chicken and vegetables, pavlova, Paul’s Christmas pud and chocolates. We drank pimms and lemonade, sparkling champagne and sparkling red. After dinner the children made fairy rings and then Phil took them out way past their bedtime to see the christmas lights in the streets nearby (which apparently was the “most awesome thing ever”) followed by a new Tove Jansson book read by Nan for bedtime stories. Everything was a little bit sparkly last night.

Pavlova cooking: – Something that went just right. My first trial pav was you classic pav laden with cream and berries. It was so good. For Solstice I tried Jamie O’s version with some lime juice and coconut stirred through the mixture. I found it just a little too sweet but still successful.

I made a scrap fabric wreath! Inspired completely by Nan and her easy to follow instructions.

Paper snowflakes: – I can’t stop making them. There is that wonderful moment of surprise when you unfold the snowflake and discover what the delicate cuts have made. I use this image as inspiration (via @Maggie) and here are some instructions.

Aunty Cookie’s kind loan of her wizz bang badge making machine: – Don’t slow down near me or I might whip you up and turn you into a badge. It’s too much fun.

Christmas carols on my ipod: – Our little music box in the kitchen is blasting out the christmasy tunes – we have Charlie Brown’s Christmas, Sufjan Stephens, Vintage carols with the likes of Bing Cosby and Doris Day, Christmas in Sweden (from Anna’s kind gift over at Dos Family)

Alma: – (above) the beautiful (but creepy) animated short is available to watch online for a short time this Christmas. It is so hot. She is an exquisite character.

This set of stacking drawers.

Not

Food fail: – Tears and a bashed head while meringue cooking. Failed dips (too much garlic in the beetroot, too much smoke in the baba ghanouj) and a slightly dried out solstice chicken. Argh. never mind. It’s the company & conversation that counts.

Last Monday: –  Monday was a bad day. I don’t need to go into it really, but it consisted of tired, tantruming children, tired parents, awkward (awful) social moments and failed culinary plans.

I didn’t take a single photo of our Solstice party! So not hot. I guess we were living in the moment.

So how about you?

What’s Hot and not – a day late

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We’re in the middle of the busiest fortnight of the year. Sorry this is a day late. Lots of hots this week and only a few nots which is good.

The how:
To play along, it’s as easy as writing up your own hot/not list on your blog and then linking back to me here at loobylu.com and then adding your url to the widget below.

Hot

Mum and Dad’s ever expanding no-dig veggie garden and Saturday afternoon in my parent’s garden: – Totally blissful.

Phil’s home from California: – Totally hot. Apart from the jet lag.

Comments from Loobylu ornament fans: – thank you if you did!

My crafty girls 1, 2 and 3: - I had a lovely evening sipping Kirsty’s Caiprioskas and chatting and gossiping last night. I have made three amazingly lovely friends this year and I am looking forward to another year of good catchups.

Tiny knitting: – I love a good quick project that actually works out. My tiny knitted caps seem to work for me, immense satisfaction is gained from very little effort.

Hot glue gun: – I was looking for a life changing experience when I bought my first hot glue gun this week. It was a complete, frustrating disaster. I was so disappointed but then decided that perhaps it was the gun itself and should try another. So I got a slightly bigger model, and some advice from a very kind girl from Art Riot in Camberwell and indeed it is a life changing experinece. How did I ever get along without a hot glue gun before? My little ornaments would have been so frustrating without it.

Amelia finally lost her first tooth: – she’s only been waiting for it for two years and it disappeared into a slice of pizza never to be found again. Luckily the tooth fairy doesn’t mind. (Did you know that the tooth fairy gives some children $10 for their first tooth? Is that called inflation? In our suburb she only leaves a much more meagre $2 coin – Amelia says she wants to move to Surrey Hills where their regional tooth fairy is much more generous).

A good end to the school year: – Apart from tired children from parties and discos and too much gifted chocolate and candy canes, everyone is cheerful and well. The head lice seem to have even taken a break.

Tumblr: – I’ve been following some folks with beautiful images and illustration posts. I’m liking Tumblr again very much.

Other web loves this week: Make and Meaning and The Design Files. Good stuff!

Not

Noisy middle of the night neighbours. Noisy middle of the night neighbours’ dogs.

Glue gun burns – they are not kidding when they say that those things can cause burns. So hot it’s not hot.

How about you?

Tiny hat errata

Grr… I can’t believe it. Well, actually I can. There’s a mistake in my knitting pattern for the small hats. The third line reads “repeat for three more rows to make the ribbing” and I was knitting it one yesterday and realised it’s only two more rows! It probably doesn’t matter too much… regardless, apologies!

Here is the correct pattern:

Tiny Pointed Hats

Cast on 20 stitches

Row 1: Knit 2, purl 2 and repeat until the end of the row

Repeat for two more rows to make the ribbing.

Next row: Knit row

Next row: Purl row

Next row: You will now begin to decrease to make the pointed hat. Knit 2 together and then knit to the end of the row.

Next row: Purl 2 together and then purl to the end of the row.

Repeat until you have one stitch left on your needle. Cast off.

Turn right sides together and sew sides together using row ends, leaving the bottom of the hat open. Turn inside out, using a chop stick or a knitting needle head to push the tip through. Embelish with sequins and beads or with simple embroidered details. Glue it to your little doll’s head.

Again – this is for personal use only! Thank you.

Winners picked!

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I have drawn the winners for the ornament giveaway. I picked numbers 68 Laura, 13 ginny and 22 Randi. I will be contacting all three by email for your details. Thank you for entering. xx

Give Away and small knitted hat tutorial

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I have been making little ornaments for gifts and thought I would share my super simple knitted hat pattern with you. (please use it for personal use and gifts only! Thanks folks).

The little wooden blank dolls are from Winterwood but you can get loads on etsy from sellers such as Goose Greese Undone or Gemmielou. The head diameter of the ones I use is about 2cm.

I use 4 ply sock wool and I like using the variegated stuff (is that what a yarn buff would call it? the Patons stuff is called “Patonyle”) so that I get spontaneous stripes and patterns. My needles are size 2 3/4 (that’s  12 English size and 2 US size apparently!).

So; make a cup of tea, crack out the gingerbread, wield your long skinny needles and…

Cast on 20 stitches

Row 1: Knit 2, purl 2 and repeat until the end of the row

Repeat for two more rows to make the ribbing.

Next row: Knit row

Next row: Purl row

Next row: You will now begin to decrease to make the pointed hat. Knit 2 together and then knit to the end of the row.

Next row: Purl 2 together and then purl to the end of the row.

Repeat until you have one stitch left on your needle. Cast off.

Turn right sides together and sew sides together using row ends, leaving the bottom of the hat open. Turn inside out, using a chop stick or a knitting needle head to push the tip through. Embelish with sequins and beads or with simple embroidered details. Glue it to your little doll’s head.

And now the give away part – I will be making three of these little christmas ornaments to hang on the tree and will give them away to three lucky commenters. All you need to do is leave a (one only) comment  (of the creative and eloquent kind – natch!) on this post and I will draw three random numbers out of the hat next week. Comments will be closed on Monday 14th December 2009 7am Australian EST. Thanks! xx

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Edit to say: Comments now closed! Thank you. I will draw three winners later today.