All is merry and bright...possibly

Christmas Eve can be a real dichotomy on social media can’t it. There are a lot of well wishing posts, a lot of excitement and it all seems very merry and bright.

Of course the reality is a lot more complicated than that - we are all human after all - and as well as wanting to do all the festive things we also crave silence, peace and being able to withdraw from the world.

I’ll be perfectly honest and say that I haven’t decided whether I’ll be online or not over the next few days. I suspect I will be (in the words of

Sara Tasker - Me & Orla

I’m very much a webtrovert) and a lot of my socialising is done via a screen.

But I won’t be working and my online time will be very much on my own terms - although possibly at the mercy of a super long (and very tedious) family Monopoly session.

Our Christmas Eves are always spent the same way - cosy at home as much as possible. My husband is cooking probably the world’s biggest ham which will take most of the day and it already smells amazing. And I am finishing up last minute jobs - why do I always leave cleaning the kitchen to the last minute, and wrapping the last of the presents.

But then, as dusk comes around it’s time to draw the curtains and light candles. We would normally light a fire as well but despite the stormy winds it’s too mild for that (regrettably). Then we have a little family tradition - borrowed from Iceland - of Jolabokaflod. A practice of giving each other books on Christmas Eve which we started a few years ago. Admittedly now we all tend to pick out our books at a family shopping session in our favourite local bookstore, then we put them away ready to be brought out on Christmas Eve for a little, cosy reading session.

For myself I often like to start a new knitting project - Christmas Eve cast-ons have gained in popularity over the years but it’s only in the last few years that I’ve had the mental energy to actually start one. When my boys were smaller I was often far too tired by the evening to do anything other than lie on the sofa and eat mince pies.

This year, I’m still undecided (surprise) but any Christmas Eve cast on has to fulfil the necessary requirements for holiday knitting. Namely:

• no or minimal counting

• using ‘nice’ yarn that feels like a treat

• portability is an added bonus

Are you starting a new project today? If so do let me know in the comments.

If you are looking for a suitable project I’ve put together a few suggestions on my website which you can find here:

However you are spending the next few days can I just take the opportunity to wish you all the very best for the festive season and the new year ahead. It’s been a pleasure to connect with you here this year - thank you for keeping me company.