Swiss Glacier Express

Well this has been the best ever Christmas Day, we went to Switzerland and went on the Swiss Glacier Express from Chur to Andermatt, it was approx 2 hrs the most fantastic train ride I have ever been on,

We even saw people skiing.

After we got off the train we had to contend with walking on snow on Christmas Day!!

Now the Austrian twist on Christmas Dinner

We even had live music

Birthday Trip

Yesterday was my birthday, I can never usually have a weeks holiday at Christmas but since it was a special birthday I got the week off, we have gone away on a short trip with ledger.

We are on the "Four countries and Swiss Glacial Express"  Austria is where we are staying in Bludenz.

Sun set this evening, quite disappointed only snow on the mountain tops.

Today we went to Fussen a medieval town.

Then we had the opportunity to go and take photos of the Fairy tale  Neuschwanstein Castle where Walt Disney based beauty and the beast.

Tomorrow we go to Chur in Switzerland to catch the Glacier Express Train which I am really looking forward too. 

While we where shopping today I found these bottle brush Xmas trees seen them on other blogs never seen them in the UK only cost me a couple of euros.

Will need to find myself some large jars now.

Confused Poppy

We noticed this loan flower in the garden, it has been rather warm and I think my Poppy plant must think it is June.

There are also several more buds on it.

Upcycling

I am a bit Barr-Humbug at Christmas even though I tend to stitch loads of Xmas decorations every year, one of the girls at work showed me a picture in September from pininterest and said she was going to collect all the used plastic cups and would I order her some staples,

This is what she did with the cups. This the entrance to our Maternity unit.

Each snowman takes about 180 cups.

Gifted Gorgeousness 2015

I have enjoyed this sal as there was no pressure to produce or show anything each month at this time of year I am busy making gifts for Christmas so will share the in the New a Year.

I could almost call this upcycling I started with a several pices of fabric and ended up with this after a 

workshop with Stuart  at the Vikingloom in November.

A beautiful raggy wreath, I was gifted the ribbon from my mother-in-law it is wired edged and has sequins and beads on so when it catches the light it sparkles.

In the same day I also maded a Xmas Stocking 

Another afternoon I also made this.

They are all hung up at home.

I am a winner

Every year I go with my Mother  to her Flower club Christmas flower demonstration, my mother is on the committee and in charge of the raffle so I always go and help her sell tickets, I have never won anything in the raffle and usually quite glad as the flower displays for Christmas demonstration are usually so big I would never have got them in the car, but this year my numbers were pulled twice and even my Mother won a display as well.

The above two displays are what I won, my Mother also got another the same as the above, all three fit on my parcel shelf in the car. (We didn't get the tree branch just the display of flowers)

Never too old too learn something new!

Last Xmas I treated myself to some navy aran wool called Nepal from Drops 65% wool and 35% alpaca it feels nice and soft too touch.

I have enough wool for a hat, gloves and a cowl.

This is the hat it is an American pattern so a lot of the abrivation are different to the English ones, also I am having to read a chart to knit the hat.

We are away for the weekend so I brought my knitting thinking I had everything I needed till I read the instructions and realised that I needed to cast on with a crochet hook, this method was called the Emily Ocker's Circular beginning never heard of it before so I though I would not be knitting tonight, then I decided to search my handbag, as a crafty person I keep a tape measure in my handbag so why not a crochet hook, well as luck would have it I did find a crochet hook it was a freeby I got on a magazine.

On reading the instructions you are using a magic circle and creating the stitches with the crochet hook then you are able to pull it tight so there is no hole, also you start at the top of the hat another 1st for me.

8 stitches and 4 needles was fun!

It started to grow quickly, this is all the stitches for the hat doesn't look big enough to fit at the moment.

Gifted Gorgeousness

A lot of what I am stitching at this time of year are Xmas gifts, but I did make my Hubby a little gift to keep his IPad and key board safe.

My Hubby loves photography and has quite a few camera's so I could not resist this fabric when I saw it. I used the new Bosal fusible foam, so the case is more sturdy.

Bag workshop

I have had an enjoyable day yet again at the Viking Loom in York  doing a bag workshop learning new skills with Stuart,

Maded my own biased binding to go round the curves on the pocket only ever done it straight before.

Still have quite a bit to do managed to put the lining together in class as we also did a zipped pocket.

This evening I downloaded the show he did on Create and Craft that was interesting to watch.

Yarndale

Last weekend was Yarndale, which takes place in skipton. It is a yarn paradise. I didn't take any pictures apart from the Yarndale Sheep.

They appeared on all the promotion for this years show. I found some great photo's of the show on Pink Milks site.

I bought myself some new needles for projects I am doing at the moment, I just love the knit pro circular needles, I like metal tips not the wooden ones.

I did treat myself to this and the wool needed.

The wool is alpaca.

Look what came to breakfast!

My hubby was just sitting down to breakfast this morning and a women was using binoculars to look at our lodge my hubby looked out to see what she was looking at and there were ducks having breakfast

Then he saw a Peacock with them it was very tame

We have never seen Peacocks on site before so we are wondering where it has come from?

This week is going fast we have been to see the red kites been fed at Tollie several times also Buzzards came down to be fed and a saw a woodpecker feeding on the feeders.

We saw a baby red squriel outside the lodge.

Yesterday we went fishing but the fish were not interested so came away without anything for tea.

Spooky Walk

As we where leaving the Potting shed I am seeing Christmas everywhere now.

After the glorious cake we went for a walk in the Forrest down the road. I just love these picnic tables.

We even found a dry river bed.

There is a sculpture park where we where walking quite spooky to look at.

This was the back view.