Day 24

Merry Christmas everyone! See you next year.

New year, old memories

Hi again! A new year has begun but I'm showing you some pictures of my Christmas doings. This ice skating outfit was a gift for my sister's Unicef doll in Germany. One of my newest dolls is just acting as a model.

When I was just learning to stay upright on my hockey (!) skates, my big sister's skills were on a totally different level. She had figure skating style skates, and our mother made her a grey felt skirt with white pompom trimming and knitted her a red jumper and a matching beanie with an opening for her ponytail at the top. She (and her doll) has dark hair which looks so much better with red than this amateur model's red and orange.

I can't remember what my sister was wearing under the skirt but could imagine red damasks as they were called back then when leggings or even pantyhoses were not yet invented. I never could skate properly and never got to wear this loveliness even after she had grown out of it. I liked skiing better, and I had a beautiful yellow and white jumper.

A year ago a new crafting fashion swept over Finland, and this year I could not resist the idea of making a little door for Santa's little tonttu elf.

I thought the children would laugh at my idea, but to my big surprise our daughter was excited to see it and took a photo to show her friends that the doors and the tontut do exist. This was a kit from a hobby shop, I just painted it with my half dried out crafting paints. The wreath is crocheted on a seal ring from a juice jar.

December was a busy knitting month. Bright red stripes to cheer up basic men's socks.

I hardly ever knit patterns with one yarn going behind the stitches, but in this one the loops are only one stitch long. This lot has been knitted after Christmas, when so many films were on TV.

One of my favorite combinations, pale pink with grey.

The remaining grey was enough to make basic stripes for this pair.

I'm not one of those people who make new year's resolutions and keep them or not, but I have started a project in my so called sewing room. I'm trying to make it more organized and while doing so, trying to let go of many of the things I really don't need/like/use any more. Nothing drastic, just something I could have done years ago. Today I tried to get something organized again, and after a while I found myself at the sewing machine busily working on a project I had intended to finish for Christmas. Maybe I ought to go back and take the next step in that project. It will also help to get some order there!

Busy December

December started with Santa's arrival to Järvenpää, as usual in a sleigh on wheels, pulled by his faithfull Finnhorse Uuras. Unfortunately my photo didn't catch the whole horse.

  Here is a portrait of him from an earlier visit when we had some snow too in early December:

Santa greeted us, his little tonttu elves were not looking very happy in the cold wind.

The parade included several sport clubs and such, but they were not carrying any signs with their names so we had to guess who they were.

This group at least was obviously dog friends

or maybe sheep farmers? Or are those dogs with reindeer antlers?

I have been making little gifts

in red and white

and socks in many sizes

some so dark I could hardly see what I was knitting.

Other gifts were mailed before I remembered to take photos, and some will not be shown before Christmas for obvious reasons.

We started feeding the birds again in October after a long Summer break. Surprisingly, the bullfinches come in biggest numbers, 6 to 15 at a time, but there are great tits, blue tits, coal tits, willow tits and even long tailed tits (who are not really tits any more but have their own group name) regularly coming to enjoy their sunflower seeds. Today we saw a tree creeper again, jays (Eurasian Jay) come often just like magpies. Sometimes the blackbird (Turdus merula) visits, they may stay here fort he Winter. We have just a little snow now, enough to make the world seem less black.

December 10 - Villa Cooper revisited

Welcome again to Villa Cooper! These wreaths hang by the entrance, where they will keep fresh. They are perfect for welcoming guests at your door.

The dining table was covered with handmade candles is all sizes and colours.

Wreaths for indoor use, and tonttu elves in many sizes and materials.

Modern versions of himmeli. This link is in Finnish but the photos show the basic construction of any himmeli. You need straw, linen thread and a needle and scissors!

Come again tomorrow and I will show you some more!

Day 22

One last look at the Villa Cooper Christmas. Tiny tonttu elves had taken over one of the fireplaces and were busy with their own Christmas preparations.

Day 18

Welcome to Villa Cooper again!

Can you smell the scent of the real Christmas tree in the corner of the big dining room?

Little tonttu elves have gathered on top of the old radio. Could it be that they are singing?

The tour continues

There is a closet under the stairs in Villa Cooper's old dining room. It is used for small scale exhibitions. This time the theme is old toys from our members. These are from the 1940's to 1980's.

 

More tonttu elves.

 

Himmeli traditional straw decorations in the dining room.

More to follow!

Christmas Parade

Yesterday I went to see the Christmas parade in town, as I had never been there before. There were elves, naturally, in their red suits.

There was an angel, or Lucia, or a snow queen, I couldn't tell which, but she was wearing white.

Animals were invited to march too, and so there was an alpaca, favourite of many children.

Next came many dogs walking with their owners, some very small ones came first

and some really big ones followed:

More tonttu elves, and a pig looking very satisfied as she was not going to end up on a Christmas dinner table. We traditionally eat ham at Christmas.

And finally there was the clipiti clop of horse shoes and ringing of bells as the most important person, Joulupukki, arrived

sitting in his sleigh with his Mrs Santa. They had put wheels under the sleigh as we still have no snow here in the Southern Finland. Santa was waving to children on the other side, so I didn't get his face on the picture. Anyway, he is the original Father Christmas, living at Korvatunturi near the Arctic Circle.

I had to take this picture of Santa's sleigh when he went to talk with the children. This is a very old Finnish ryijy rug, all worn out (the blue spots) by hard use. Rugs like this were originally used for warmth in sleighs and as bed covers with the furry side facing the sleeper. The wool yarn has been dyed with plants, and some colours have been harder on the wool than the brown and the pink. In this link you can read more about this traditional textile.

They lit the lights in the big Christmas tree at the square, but I will show it later when I can take a picture when it is dark.

Today I thought I should start my Christmas crafting, so I made this wreath for our door. By the time I was making the last quarter, I was getting the idea how it should be done. Next time I'll try to make a round base ring.

All sewing has bee so secret that I don't have anything to show you this time. Enjoy the Advent time and remember to take time to notice the nice smells of baking, the favourite songs you hear and the beautiful flowers and decorations starting to show up everywhere.

Christmas in Villa Cooper, part 2

Today we move on to the next room. Wool has taken over this space, where we usually see bags and clothing.

Mittens and scarves, beanies, caps and hats for every taste.

A whole tree hanging full of socks in every size and pattern. Hand knitted wool socks are a favourite product at this time of the year.

A group of tonttu elves is watching here too.

We move on to the kitchen. A modern wall decoration with straw, cloth, paint and dry roses.

Christmas stars made of wicker and red felted balls.

Handmade candles. The pastel shades are soy candles. You can wash the possible stains away with soap and water.

Red wreaths in the kitchen window.

A closet was filled with sauna products like these soaps in crocheted bags, and the hand woven towels.

The last room is the maid's room, usually our "wool room", but now showing the bags, clothes, baby things and toys.

The tour ends here, behind the windows of the kitchen and the maid's room. The shop is open on weekdays from 3 pm to 6 pm and on weekends from 10 am to 4 pm. All the handmade products are for sale, and the staff is our voluntary members who also work as guides for the Villa Cooper.

On the way back we walk past the swimming pool now filled with sand for safety reasons, so our  little guests can play there in the summer. The lanterns mark the edge  and show the way to the door.



      

When I came home, I had some special mail to be opened. This came form Paulette, my recycling blog friend from Canada:

Paulette is a specialist of wool appliqué, and she dyes the necessary shades herself. This cute cat elf will decorate my sewing corner tomorrow. As you see, still can't figure out why blogger sometimes tilts my portrait pictures like this. Just bend your right ear close to your right shoulder, and you will see the picture like it should be.

The other surprise was from my sweet blogging friend Melanie, whose parcels have been torturing my curiosity for weeks already. She promised I could open the one that jingles! Here it is:

                

A genuine British Christmas elf with her jingling shoes and hat, and with two red jingles in her hands. She is sitting on top of the new fireplace and watching over us. I think I need to start the Christmas cleaning now, before more guests arrive.

Thank you, talented ladies!