Happy Christmas!!!

So this is Christmas!!!! Well its Christmas Eve anyway, and this post, as I am sure there are many others around the web, is to say thankyou to all my followers and my readers this season and a very Happy Christmas to you all!! Relax and enjoy, and keep those fingers crossed that they like all the things I have spent all year knitting!!

Happy Christmas from

Christmas Fairies

I have successfully finished my christmas list. They are all knitted, blocked, stuffed and sewn and ready to be shipped around the country at this very festive time. Father Christmas will be very happy with me, I met all my targets! Now comes that wonderful time of the year when there is 12 months till the big day and I have no list to hang over me needing to be knit.

I have spent lots of time this week browsing all those patterns trying to make me procrastinate. And happily knitting away and not worrying that it is 2 days to go, the mince pies need to be baked and I cant find the sellotape. This week I have found a wonderful website full of lovely patterns and I wanted to share it with you.

The Flutterby Patch is a wonderful Blog by a fellow Brit, with some amazing patterns both bought and free. This week I have knit the topsy turvey doll (which is so perfect for new knitters and works amazingly- I am so so pleased) which is two dolls in one, and if you have ever seen Jean Greenhowe's cinderella topsy turvey doll but dont want to do ALL that knitting, please knit this one, so so cute and perfect size.
I have also knit the snowman and a sheep this week too, but my favourite pattern so far has to be the Autumn Fairy, so much so that I started knitting these yesterday, and there are now four little ladies in my living room

So visit the Flutterby Patch, read the most wonderful stories, be inspired and knit away to your hearts content!!
Sleigh safe everyone- only three more sleeps!!

Mini Hot Water Bottle Pattern

These little Hot Water Bottle covers are brilliant for lots of different things. Firstly, they make a really fun little decoration alond with the mini mittens and sweaters of the season. Secondly, they fit those little mini hot water bottles that you can get that you click and heat your hands up. In my version, I made little mini rice bags that go inside. Basically, cut two small squares of fabric. Sew together on three sides, leaving one side open. Fill will dry uncooked rice. Sew up the fourth side. These can then be microwaved in 10 second bursts until snuggly and warm. Put inside the cosy and you are done!

They take small amounts of DK yarn, whatever you have left over, and I can knit one in less than 30 minutes.

 You will need:
Small amounts of DK yarn
3.75mm needles
Tapestry needle

Tension isn't important for this project.

Abbreviations
sts- Stitchs
K- Knit
P-Purl
K2tog- knit two stitches together
P2tog- Purl 2 stitches together
Kfb- knit into the front and the back of the stitch
Pfb- Purl into the front and the back of the stitch
St St- stocking stitch

Cast on 20 sts
Row 1: Purl
Row 2: K4, (kfb) twice, K8, (Kfb) twice, K4
Row 3: P5, (pfb) twice, P10, (pfb) twice, P5
Starting with a K row, st st  22 rows
Next Row: K5, (K2tog) twice, K10, (K2tog) twice, K5
Next Row: P4, (P2tog) twice, P8, (P2tog) twice, P4

Next Row: (K2,P2) to end
Repeat the last row 5 more times (6 rows of Rib in total)
Cast off in Rib.

Sew the side seam at the centre back, and sew the bottom up. The seam should be up the centre at the back of the work
Fill with stuffing, pot pourri, rice bag, mini hot water bottle, in fact anything you like. Ive knit quite a few of these now, in all sorts of colours, even a fair isle version. Let your imagination go wild and go for it



Guess who's coming to town?

Thats right, Father Christmas of course!!! Well he is as you can imagine pretty busy this time of year, so he has to employ a lot of elves to give him a hand. I just happen to be one of those elves. To be honest, the pay is rubbish and there is no health insurance or pension to speak of, but as they say, I dont do it for the money! It is this time of year I am knitting away like a demon to finish off all those orders and wrapping and writing like a mad woman to get it all done! But I can safely say, as of yesterday afternoon I am done. Now I am a bit of a procrastinating elf rather than a get it all done with a smug smile by November elf. I have in fact procrastinated so much I wrote a whole new pattern just to prevent me knitting up the things that needed knitting!! But I have sat down these last two days to finish.

This pesky little sponge was the last thing I had to knit. As always, he was easier than I had imagined to finish, and with the help of felt and the Blattman, he was finished up, and even if I do say so myself, he actually looks like Spongebob. All together now... He lives in a Pineapple Under the Sea....

Deck the Halls

So we have already made the Blog a little more Christmassy by this spangly new background, but the Bricks and Mortar Blattcave takes a little longer. We normally decorate early December, and then bits and pieces get added over the month in our advent parcels, our family and us picking bits up as we go along. So here are the festive highlights from our house to yours.

 This beautiful nativity was bought for us by my Granny when we went to the Friars in Aylesford for their christmas fair. It was a lovely day, and they had a huge animatronic polar bear that walked and growled and responded to the audience. Granny thought it was real, in fact she still does. Bless. We put a candle in front of this and the light from the candle makes it even more magical!

Another Granny buy, again from the Christmas Fair. She said it reminded her of us! They are actually sparkly too and textured and they sit under our TV with the light up nativity from before.

This is our first nativity we bought together. It is actually a candle holder too, and all the cutouts behind the holy family light up when the candle is lit inside. Next to it is also one of my favourite Christmas cards from this season, from Fr Brian, and it is just so lovely it got upgraded from the card holder to the side!!

These are my special cards. The big one at the front is from my lovely Mum and StepDad who always buy such lovely cards. The Snowman was a present for the Blattman from me, and he loves him!! He is a bit in the way of the lovely card the BlattGrandparents bought us this year, but he isnt in real life in the way. Also, one of our Christmas traditions is that the Blattman always buys me a poinsettia, and I never know when he is going to buy it, it is always a surprise.

Here is our lovely Christmas tree!! It is black with white lights, and has only our special christmas decorations on, ones we have picked up or people have bought us. The knitted nativity sits underneath, along with a totally awesome glittery blue camel!!!

This has to be my favourite bauble. We bought it in Florida on our honeymoon back in 2009 and it is so beautiful. It has pride of place on our tree, right at the front, as well as the picture being my phone screensaver this time of year, along with Cliff as a ringtone. What more can you want!!

Sleigh safe everyone during this very special time of year, and many christmas wishes to you all. Coming very soon (hopefully this afternoon) is a brand new quick gift pattern too made in about half an hour- great last minute idea.

Be Happy

I love to read other blogs. I could spend hours browsing years of posts, learning and laughing along. Being still in the aforementioned Slump, I found a great post that inspired me to write this one. Be Happy is something that makes us all look at the good things. Basically, 5 things that make you happy! In this festive time of thanksgiving and christmas, I think it is the best time to consider the things that make us happy.

Number 1: My Family and Friends

I completely couldnt survive without them. My lovely Mum and all of the family on my side, and my lovely In-Laws. We have had a tough couple of weeks, as the Blattman's cousin died suddenly aged only 30, and although this is an awful experience, it was nice to see how a family comes together and supports each other,. We did the same when my Grandad died and it is a reminder how family can be the best thing. The picture below is from our wedding (obviously-as much as Id love to wear my dress every day, I dont!) and is of us and our parents (and step-parents)

2. Knitting

How could this not be on my list?!! I love knitting and actually do it every day, it is my addiction and I am never going to give up!!! My name is Sarah and im addicted to knitting. It relaxes me, it calms me, it challenges me and I have met so many new friends from around the world with thanks to my knitting. What more can a girl want?

3. My Wonderful Husband

4. Christmas

I know I know, not more Christmas, but at least it is December this time. I am loving christmas, but I am getting a bit stressed now. I have a few presents still to finish off and still to buy but I am getting stressed, and I hate it. I love this festive time of year and I want to enjoy it. I will share lovely pictures of my christmas tree soon because we have put it up and the Blattcave is looking decidedly festive. I ahve all my lovely candles burning, my nativites up and my tree is twinkly.

5. The Dentist

No I am totally not one of those people who enjoys the dentist. In fact, I am petrified and hate every minute. But the reason that today the dentist makes me happy is that by the end of the afternoon, when I have finished up with the dentist it will be another 6 months till I have to go again!!!