Happy Christmas!

This is the final post of my Advent Calendar this year. It is time to concentrate on the family, traditional foods and celebrations. Drive safely if you need to go somewhere, remember your loved ones, feed the birds, have a rest, read a good book. Thank you all for coming by, thank you for your comments, thank you for being there and writing your lovely blogs. I wish you all a happy Christmas time and best of luck and craftiness to the New Year!

Christmas Market 3 and playing in the snow

So nice to find a place to sit down after a long walk. Maybe she was put here waiting while her parents buy her a toy for Christmas in the stall behind her back.

After skiing and playing in the snow the children have such rosy cheeks, wet mittens and runny noses!

Christmas Market 2

I thought you wanted to see more of the miniature Christmas Market in Jyväskylä.

Here is a craftsman selling traditional items woven of birch bark: baskets on the bench and on the ground, the little girl is wearing shoes called virsut  and in front of the bench is a woven rucksack. the little bundles of twigs are whisks. None of these are really used nowadays except for maybe the baskets, but antique ones may be seen as decoration.

Christmas Market

On Thursday we visited our dear daughter Kaija in Central Finland. This time the Craft Museum had a miniature Christmas Market in their window. Kaija took these photos as I didn't have my camera with me. Click to enlarge!

The Santa on the left is guarding the Salvation Army  collection pot, and the other one is there to meet the children and hear their wishes. The real Santa comes on Christmas Eve, preferably with his sleigh pulled by a reindeer or two along the snow. Cars and lorries are alternative means of transport when there is no snow. Santa doesn't climb to any roofs here because a) our chimneys are too tight for anyone, b) they are shut by two draught preventing shutters when there is no fire in the fireplace, and c) Santa leaves the gifts behind the door or under the tree while the family is having a meal in another room or still in the sauna or taking candles to the graves of their loved ones. He may meet families with young children, because the elves know when the family is at home and ready to meet Santa.

Christmas Lights

Our days are so short that I keep the little electric candles burning on three windows all day. This heart shape is my favourite.

More Christmas

This time an elk-looking reindeer Rudolf with an angel friend Celeste and two little Santas Shorty and Skinny. Celeste's star on a stick keeps falling and her ribbon wings are askew, but they all seem like a happy little group.

A Finish and a Half

Here are the socks I started knitting in November when I could begin to move my arm again.

I used the multicoloured yarn for a tiny pair of Train Socks, here both socks at the heel flap. I did not reach my goal which was to make one pair every month for the charity, but they must have enough knitters without me to get socks for every new baby born in town this year. This pair is going with the big socks for a next year's baby.

Guarding Elf

This little elf with a big beard found a place at the round little window. Christobel the Angel used to sit there, but she claimed it was too cold for her, and also uncomfortable for her long legs.

Just over a week

At home we used to decorate the house little by little, starting with the Advent Candles, and the Christmas tree came in and was decorated on Christmas Eve. A real tree would not have lasted until January 6th in the warm house, with live candles and all.

I use this wreath for Easter as well, just change the ribbons and whatever.

Ginger, cloves ...

...allspice and cinnamon. Can you smell the Christmas baking?

Can you now?

Blue Moment

Saturday morning at 9,  twenty minutes before sunrise. Using the flash I could make the snowflakes in the air visible.

Scandinavian Christmas once again

Two years ago we had a sew-along to make Lynette Anderson's Scandinavian Christmas quilt together. Melanie and I started it together, and some others joined us. I made the quilt using my own fabrics. I really had no place to hang it, and it was too small for a lap quilt for the nursery home. Then I got the idea of putting it to use in another way.

My sister P knew some ladies who raise money for good causes. The Zonta ladies' Fistula Project sounded like something I wanted to support. So finally my little quilt was the raffle prize at a larger Zonta meeting, and they managed to raise €420 or $530, which sounds like even more money.

Then two of the ladies came to thank me, and brought me all these yellow roses to lighten up my day. Happy End!

Wool Socks

Villa Cooper's permanent bestseller product is handmade socks. They come in all sizes, shapes and colours. It's a well-known fact that hand knitted socks are the best ;o). Some people don't have the time, some people don't have the skills, and some people just don't like to knit socks. Almost everybody loves good socks. How lucky that we have so many ladies who have the time, the skills and the love needed to make a perfect pair of socks!

Centrepieces

These are made of dried flowers, moss, twigs, cones and nuts. So pretty!

Himmeli

Himmeli is made of rye straw for Christmas. It is a traditional Scandinavian ornament, and the name comes from the Swedish and German word Himmel meaning heaven or sky.

I have seen them made of plastic straws in bright colours but for me the original material is the only right one.

The Tour continues

Special Christmas coffee cups and other hand painted china.

Scandinavian Snowball Fun, finished at last

Sorry to interrupt your tour at the Villa Cooper! I have an important announcement to make: I have finished a quilt. I'm trying hard to remember if I have finished another one this year, but I'm afraid this is the first one.

It is the Snowball Fun quilt Melanie and I started together in 2012, she sent me the fabrics and I sent her the pattern, and we were going to make it for Christmas. Well, Melanie made it for that Christmas, but I finished mine on Sunday.

I had the three stitcheries almost done in 2012 when other things happened and I lost interest in the project.

We don't really have snow yet for good so snowmen are not around, but it is slowly about time to take out the Christmas lights and to start decorating the house.

Mrs. Snowman has taken her child Christmas shopping. I wonder what they will eat, ice cream maybe? Melanie is showing her quilt today too, so follow this link  and find out what it looks like!

The tour inside Villa Cooper will continue tomorrow.

Welcome to Villa Cooper

Some of you have been waiting for this Christmas tour.

The big dining room. This building is on the list of the museum authorities so the lights are about as they were when this was a family home. For a Sunday treat I give you a second picture, the Tiffany glass work and the elves on the right above the fireplace:

Independence Day

Today is our Independence Day. Finland has been independent since 1917.

The Fox

Just the other day we spent some time watching this handsome fox with his prey at the edge of the woods.

Six magpies were flying around and waiting for some leftovers. The last time I saw a fox here was in the Spring 1982 when I was hanging up laundry on the line. We have seen footprints in the snow, but they usually don't show themselves.

Musical Elf

This old elf had just arrived when we came to watch the Christmas parade. Later he played his accordion and sang some traditional Christmas songs.

Marching Elves

Santa's little helpers in their red hats.

Day Two

Two angels were leading Santa's parade.

I remember the wire and gauze wings I got to wear for the school's Christmas play, impossible to keep straight.
If you are interested to follow a more artistic and not at all Christmas themed Advent Calendar, here is your link to my dear daughter's blog Paperiaarre. She will be showing her 24 boxes, one each morning until Christmas Eve.

Advent Calendar 2014

It is time for my Advent Calendar, daily posts with a picture and little words. This will be the fourth one: I started in 2009, the next one was in 2011, then last year and now suddenly for the second year in a row.

The Christmas Season opening parade was yesterday in Järvenpää, Santa arrived very conveniently in a sleigh on wheels.