Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Merry Christmas from a flying sheep

What do you think of my improvised sheep with holly-leaf wings?


Pete came home and saw it and kind of shrieked, "Aghhhh! Bat-Sheep!" but once I explained, he was totally supportive of my artistic vision.  I mean REALLY, bat wings? They aren't even black.  Or green, because I don't have green construction paper on hand, and red was going to be too gory, and there were already blue snowflakes on this particular stretch of wall because white ones wouldn't stand out enough against the white walls.  See?  I'm completely logical, like always.

(design note: the wings are paper, stuck to the wall, and the sheep is suspended in front of them on a string from a temporarily placed hook.  this combination is surprisingly effective in real life in spite of being the product of about three minutes' effort.)

As I was saying the other day to a sympathetic friend, there is no time in my life so busy and complicated and stressful that I can't find a way to make it more so, and in this case, that way is "Turn The Condo Into A 3-D Advent Calendar."

Yes, it's true.  For the last two weeks I have been either planning for, or doing, three things here in CondoLand.  Every single day.  A number gets stuck to the wall (see, I'm all the way up to 12 as of yesterday)...


and a decoration goes up or out...


(this is two, actually - the garland was hung one day last week and the snowman is from yesterday)

and I put new candy in a bowl for anybody who finds the newest decoration. 


Today's offering is chocolate-orange Lindor balls and I might be eating one as I type this  (after all, I am doing most of the work, right?)

The candy part probably strikes you as a bit silly because after all, who's going to miss a flying blue-winged sheep on the wall?  But some of the decorations have been more subtle, like when I tucked a salt and pepper shaker set under the paws of two different bunnies on the table beside the TV.  Okay that just sounds obscure - I should clarify: the salt and pepper shakers are designed to look like wrapped Christmas presents.  Anyway since there are rather a lot of bunnies scattered here and there, it took quite a while before anybody spotted that, and it was even longer for the bottle-brush miniature trees I stood under the wooden 'Happy Holidays' sign I'd tacked up on the backboard of our bookcase on the first day.

The miniature tree was a no-brainer for all who sought it, but I very cleverly set two parts of a toy train under it for ambiance and then a few days later when the tree had become part of the furniture, I sat two little Santas on top of each train, and they were hard to see.  

Overall, this scheme is working out well.  it's fun to see the place slowly transitioning from a fast-paced autumn to a frenetic Christmas. 

On the downside, I keep forgetting that I have committed to do this every day.  It is surprisingly difficult to think of fun decorations, especially under pressure!  Plus, if I were trying to do something new-to-us every day it would get very expensive.  Instead I am bringing in some new things, like the bird garland; repurposing some things we had before, like the sheep, the mini tree, and the Santas; and making some things myself.  The blue snowflakes, for example, were born of desperation when all I had handy was the blue paper and some sticky-tack stuff to get them onto the wall and about five minutes' grace.  The biggest expense? Command-brand hooks to attach to the walls temporarily for suspending garlands and other random decorations.

I have no idea what I'm doing today.  I really need to figure that out, and soon.

For his part, Pete is contributing to the jollity which a much easier project that is just as satisfying, not that I'm jealous or anything.  We have this little stuffed fox toy we call 'Finlay', and Pete has taken to moving it around the room periodically, sort of like our personal Elf On The Shelf.  Finlay doesn't do anything terribly remarkable but he does turn up on some interesting perches.  I don't know if I will commit to the 3-D Advent Calendar thing again but I have a feeling that Finlay is going to be pulling this stunt for a looooong time.

In other Christmas news, remember how I bought two sets of dishes for the new house because I couldn't choose just one?  Well, now we have three.


It's just - I've always wanted Christmas dishes and these ones were really affordable, and made by Royal Stafford, whose plates I love because they have this super glossy finish that just feels marvelous coming out of the cupboard or getting put away from the dishwasher.  Hey, at least I restricted myself to an 8-place setting this time!

Since I got them at the discount-housewares marvel we call HomeSense (is that what it's called in the US too?) I had to take what was available, so I got the bowls and sandwich plates with the sleepy snowy village print and the dinner plates with the fireplace:


And then a few days later I went to a different HomeSense and they had four dinner plates with the snow-village so I bought those too.  Sigh... I have about as much self-restraint as you can fit into a gnat, but I guess that's okay this time at least, because we are LOVING eating off these dishes.  It really does make each day a little more special.


As interesting as all this is, I am pretty sure that what you are wondering most is, Where is the fingerless mitt pattern?? and I'm with you.  I have the mitts, I have the math, and I have the motivation.  But I still don't have the pattern.  Or photos, which is the trickiest part, since I would need three hands, one of them mitt-less, to produce them.  I will try to get that part done tonight but oh dear, if I am able to publish the pattern by Saturday morning I will be a happy knitter.  My apologies!

Perhaps this other winged sheep will serve as consolation:


Have a wonderful day and I'll see you soon!


2 comments:

Laurinda said...

I like your 3D apartment advent calendar, & receiving a Lindor chocolate for spotting the newest thing! I wouldn't stress too much about the mitt pattern- most of us are too bust gift crafting to get a new knitting project going :-D

Mary Keenan said...

Well that's a good point Laurinda - if I'd gotten the mitt pattern out a month ago it might have made somebody's gift-knitting life at little easier but at this stage, it's more likely to be a gift a knitter gives to oneself! Plus the way winter is going so far around here, there aren't going so many people looking for fingerless mitts for a while ;^) Unless it's for indoor use!