Happy holidays

 It's Christmas Eve's eve, and I think we're ready.  Presents are wrapped, food is in the fridge and freezer, Christmas TV has been programmed to record, and both DS and DH are now finished work for the year. DH's mother is feeling much better and hired care is now set up to start on the 27th.  The only thing left that I need to do is buy some sweets for DH and DS, both of whom had said in the past that they didn't want to do stockings any more (I love stockings so was hugely disappointed) but this year are surprised that I wasn't planning to do one for them.  Honestly.

I finished the Chinese dollshouse.  It was quite fun putting it all together, apart from removing the paper covering from the dust cover, which was a nightmare and there are still bits stuck on the plexiglas.  But to my surprise, the plexiglas glued together rather easily with E6000 glue.

The dust cover fits quite snugly over the house, and really sets it off. As DH said, it gives it something of the air of a museum model.

I also got the electrics working.  I re-did the wiring connections and managed to get the non-working bulb to come on.  The flickering turned out to be down to a dodgy switch in the battery box - I was able to order a replacement battery box from Amazon which solved the problem.  Having the lights on really makes it all come alive, a bit magical.

It's a really interesting design, with so many details and viewing angles. I added in some larger real rocks here and there, in addition to the small rocks supplied with the kit as garden edging.  I don't know what scale this is, I think it's smaller than my other 1:20 Japanese house.

Finishing off this kit, I felt very tempted to stay on the roll and start another Chinese kit (I have several waiting in the queue). But instead I am attempting to overcome my deep procrastination and finish off the details of my original Japanese dollshouse that I finished just before COVID.  The house and garden are complete, but I have never added in all the accessories and details that it needs. Mainly because that would need research and scratch building and it just seemed too overwhelming.  But I've made a start.  This is the front porch - I have made two 'kadomatsu' or Japanese new year arrangements, inspired by the explanation posted by Pavluv Pane on her excellent dollshouse blog.  After taking this picture, I also made a little bench to go to the side.  Now I've started on the onsen bath room - I'm making little Yukata robes folded up to go in the storage cubbyholes.  It still feels very overwhelming but I will try to do a bit at a time. It would be great to get the house 'finished' and off my list.

Once I had the quilt kits cut out and prepped ready for my next quilt retreat, I pulled out a printed panel by AmberMakes on etsy, for a little sewing case with accessories.  Quite fun to work on, although a bit fiddly.  It's a clever concept, so much more sophisticated than pre-printed panels back in the day. I've got two more accessories to make for it: a covered tape measure and a pincushion.

I've been knitting, un-knitting, and re-knitting the Little Cotton Rabbits Wristwarmers.  Unknitting because I forgot to leave a thumb slit, and also because of some pattern mistakes.  I thought I was being clever, knitting this in the round instead of flat like the original (which is then seamed, and you just leave part of the seam open for the thumb).  But I hadn't really thought it through: I had to knit back and forth anyway to create the thumb slit.  Also, one or both colours are changing virtually every row, so there have been sooooooo many ends on the inside getting in the way and making a huge mess - even though I stopped to darn them in every so often.  Normally I knit in ends as I go, but it doesn't work well when you are creating more ends in the new row and the first stitch is loose because the three rows underneath that all have ends etc.  Still not happy with my tension, although I know it will look a lot better after blocking.  I might try knitting the second wristwarmer flat to see if that's easier. I also might knit a thumb on, it would be warmer.

I hope your holiday preparations are in hand and you are getting some time for relaxing and crafting.  With best wishes for a happy holiday season!