Gingerbread - 2012 Style

I had to blow the dust off this poor neglected blog to get this post started, and I would be wondering if anyone bothers to stop by anymore - except that 'anonymous' (who I strongly suspect is my sister Donna) posted a comment a couple of days ago that it would be nice to see this year's gingerbread creation.

So I know at least one person is still out there!!

In a quick recap of my crafty year - I'm still knitting of course - lots of novelty animals and stuff this year, scarves and a few pairs of socks.  

I spent a couple of months dreading the Olympics and the inevitable traffic disasters.. and then from the first moment of the opening ceremonies became entirely obsessed with all things Olympic and like every other Londoner fell in love with whole thing.  I watched it every single moment I could and was lucky enough to be there when Usain Bolt won 100m gold.  And no travel chaos!!! 

I didn't want it to end and I consoled myself with more crafting and rediscovered my sewing machine.  Without really intending to, I found myself making a quilt - it's lovely (she says modestly) but contains more than a few pretty basic mistakes.

But of course it's this year's gingerbread house that 'anonymous' was looking for so I better get on with it!

After last year's Who-ville masterpiece (embarrassingly, I don't even have to link to it - it's two posts ago if you are interested) I was feeling a bit of pressure when it came to picking a theme.  There was a lot of interest in an Olympics gingerbread display but I thought that recreating the stadium might be tricky(!) and I really, really like snow on my gingerbread house.  So I vetoed that and decided to go for the snowiest place I could think of - Santa's workshop.

The Coopers (Pat, Caroline and the 4 minis - Gen, Suzy, Mads and Louis) arrived late Sunday morning a week ago and we set to work planning the general layout.  They embraced the theme and quickly decided we needed elves on the inside of the house at work, and a conveyor belt bringing the presents from inside the house out to Santa's sleigh.  

From there we were off!

I really love the help wanted sign - although clearly UK employment law would never permit the bit in parenthesis.  Apparently employment lawyers have not yet hit the North Pole.

 The elves are hard at work inside the workshop, warmed by the roaring fire (Mads made that) ....













...preparing presents to send out to the sleigh through the conveyor belt door.

(These photos were taken before we put the roof on.)

Outside of the workshop, Gen added a solitary elf ice fishing (even elves gotta eat, although I don't think Santa got that figure from a fish diet)....

... and behind the elf you can see the conveyor belt is full of presents ready for loading into the sleigh.  

I hadn't noticed while we were building the house but only the sack of coal has actually made it into the sleigh.  I'm not sure what the meaning behind that is - perhaps there is a mini Cooper worried about what list they're on!!

Suzy created this great Santa and Rudolph, and the sleigh was a joint effort by Pat and Louis.

Of course, where you have reindeer, you have a reindeer feeding station, and reindeer - errrr - droppings.  

Our gingerbread creations are nothing if not sophisticated!

Although I vetoed the idea of an Olympics theme, I did suggest that a 'nod' to the Olympics would be ok.  And from this little display I think it's clear that Santa was a bit of a team GB supporter!  I think that explains their phenomenal performance!!

Tom Daley apparently trains at the North Pole (why not?).  Here he's at the top of the diving platform waving to his adoring audience (the little green elf).  

...and a pair of swimming trunks are floating in the pool - lost by some poor diver who we can only assume is in hiding while he looks for something to wear.

A bird bath, some trees and a lumpy but adorable snowman (Caroline's annual addition) finished the exterior.

The mini-Coopers are pretty grown up now - Louis is the youngest at 10 3/4 years old.  They are all quite expert in the art of building with sweets and their creativity amazes me.  But adult or 10 3/4, we all enjoy watching the Grinch (animated version) and Charlie Brown's Christmas while the roof sets on the house.

 

For those of you who wonder what happens to the gingerbread house - well, the following Sunday afternoon  the Coopers have a Christmas party.  While the adults enjoy minced pies and some mulled wine the children stare longingly at the house until towards the end of the party when they are gathered into the playroom, the house is placed in front of them and they are allowed to tuck in.  This year the demolition took about 4 seconds.   

Thanks to anyone who is still out there and made it through this crazy long post!  Wishing you all the best for the holiday season!!!  

Baby it's Cold (and wet)(and super windy) Outside...

Happy 2012!  I hope the weather is better wherever you are than it is here.  It is cold. And wet. And crazy crazy windy.  I am going to make some tea, pull out some yarn, fire up Great Expectations (latest BBC adaptation) on the iPlayer and settle in for the day.  I can't imagine anything would convince me to venture out...

I was a knitting fiend while in Canada - I left with a couple of completed presents (go me!) and completed a few more while there and overall everyone seemed pleased.    I still owe my youngest niece a pair of socks (not a Christmas present - she's just never had any!) and hope to get to those this week.

Christmas knitting started with this red infinity scarf which Sarah made a special request for.  It's a simply 1 x 1 rib, worked in 2 yarns (alternating 2 rows):- Debbie Bliss Donegal Luxury Tweed Chunky (colour 07) and Rowan Chunky Colourscape in Cherry.  

Sarah liked it - but we all agreed that it seemed made for Fred (the cutest dog in the world).

My sister had hinted strongly for a sweater so when I arrived we began searching for patterns.  She said she liked the one I made from my Dad last year and wanted one like that.  So I searched in Ravelry and showed her a number of shawl collared cardigans, narrowed it down to one, bought some yarn (heathery green Patons Classic Wool)  but somehow it didn't seem right.  

The next day I woke up and realised I had missed the point - she didn't want a pattern LIKE the one I made for Dad - she wanted THAT pattern (Charcoal Rib Cardigan from Interweave Knits free Knitting for Men booklet).  I asked her at breakfast (before I cast on) and sure enough - that's what she wanted.

I started on Monday 19th and finished in the very early hours of Christmas day so was able to wrap it up finished!  Woo Hoo!

I made Dyl her annual mitts.  She's graduated from high school and is now a freshman at Ottawa University.  I made these Fiddlehead mitts in the University colours replacing the lower pattern on right mitt with '2012'.  I used Rowan Baby Alpaca DK (in Lincoln and Cherry) which was insanely soft and will be very warm.

While I was there we somehow got talking about headbands and it turned out that Dyl really wanted one.  I pulled out some of the leftover yarn and made this headband using a pattern from Interweave Knits Accessories magazine (found under the tree from Santa!).  Since then I've been struck with the need to make one in the Fiddlehead pattern and Sarah has put in an order so there will be a few more in my near future!

I rounded out the knitted gifts with socks for two of my nieces (forgot to take photos).

I got some lovely gifts (including The Office Season 7 - can't wait!; Modern Family Season 2; Raising Hope...my not very subtle hints that I can't watch these shows here worked!) and was surprised and delighted to get a yarn bowl from my younger sister!  

She confessed she didn't really know what it was but figured that I would.