Christmas Eve Eve

It's the day before Christmas Eve so that makes it Christmas Eve Eve - right? The presents are wrapped and hidden away until tomorrow evening when they can go under the tree. In the case of the cats' presents, they have to be hidden until the last moment or all the other presents will have been licked by the time we get to them (I make them catnip toys each year and, yes, I speak from experience).

The advent calendars are nearly finished. Just one more chain to add to my crochet Advent Chain tomorrow.

The last chunk of my advent jigsaw is going to take  a while I think. Look at that big space.

I've already bought the two puzzles to turn into next year's advent jigsaws for my son and daughter. I found them in a charity shop for £2 each; I know how to spoil them, don't I?

The decorations are up, although for a while these included that traditional favourite the mattress in the hall as my new bed and mattress were delivered last week.

Luckily, one of my son's friends came round yesterday to help him move it up two flights of steep stairs to my new bedroom where it can stay until we can put the bed together after Christmas. Speaking of the bed, apart from the slats and the headboard, it all fitted into this box.

Mmm ... doesn't seem very likely, does it? I shall report back once we get it open.

I've been going through my list of all the things I've made this year and it's quite a mixture. I'm going to write a blog post about my lists of the year soon - oh yes, there are several - but I can say that I always start off my Christmas preparations in January by knitting the set of mini stockings that go on my Christmas presents. Here's my one of this year's, hanging on the tree; I make an extra one for myself if I remember.

The problem with being so far ahead is that it leaves me feeling smug and I then forget to do anything else for months. Ah well, maybe I'll be more consistent next year. Actually, I have already designed next year's mini stocking and knitted two of them ... One of the things I really must do in 2024 is to sort out my various mini stocking patterns and get them all published properly.

Anyway, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a peaceful and Happy New Year. I shall leave you with a few candles on my son's house warming quilt which regular readers are probably sick of the sight of.