Mocha, mince pies and gingerbread

All I want for Christmas is food...apparently

Last years Christmas socks in WYS Gingerbread yarn - and yes I did buy the cookie specifically for the photo.

Looking back through my old journals, the theme of December being ‘a lot’ to deal with crops up time and time again. I know I’m not the only one who feels as though being in December is a lot like being on one of those airport travelators. You seem to be walking at a normal pace but life is moving past you much faster than normal. As though you are listening to a podcast on 2x normal speed and everything is just a bit too fast to keep up with.

So far, so December. Although with my boys now away and no longer subject to the mass glitter-filled hysteria that is Christmas in primary schools I can at least breathe a little easier and set my own agenda. Mostly that takes the form of saying no to things and eating more snacks.

I really enjoyed this post by

Anna Rose

– just the most wonderful permission slip to slow down this winter. Anna writes

The Burnout Rebellion

and if you haven’t already found her work I highly recommend it to you.

What’s making me smile this week

🎄Pantone Colour of the Year. Mocha Mousse seems to have divided the online world this week. I for one love it and hold no truck with those who are calling it ‘sad beige’. Mocha is the colour of chocolate, of indulgent treats and the beloved chocolate flavoured Angel Delight pudding of my childhood. I love it and can’t wait to wear/knit more of it.

🎄Jenny Colgan has a new Christmas book out - The Christmas Book Hunt - and when I saw it was up on Kindle Unlimited for free I quickly grabbed a copy. It’s a short story at just under 130 pages so it’s ideal for snuggling up with a coffee and a mince pie and devouring whole (a bit like the aforementioned mince pie). Apologies by the way, I really do seem to have food on the brain this week.

🎄I’m really enjoying the digital All is Calm advent calendar by

Sarah Raad

. Each day you click on the little window to see some wonderful calming advice or suggestions for the day. One of the prompts this week was to make a list of activities this advent that are just for you - no one else. On my list was a solo trip to the cinema so I could see Wicked. Then I remembered that actually I don’t really enjoy musicals that much 🤣. So instead I treated myself to some M&S ‘picky bits’* and had a sofa day with my knitting and a selection of cheesy Christmas films - heaven.

*For non UK readers, I’m not sure if you have the term ‘picky bits’. I know it doesn’t sound very pleasant but it’s actually just a selection of nice food/snacks that ideally you don’t have to cook or prepare - a kind of grazing tray I guess.

The digital calendar is available as a stand-alone purchase or it comes free with membership of Sarah’s wonderful Substack Gather & Grow. It’s not too late if you want to join in.

🎄Sticking very much with the ‘less is more’ them, this article by

Jessica Smock

really stuck with me this week. And it really embodies how I want to move forward into 2025.

The Case for Essentialism in 2025 (on Substack and in Life)

🎄Planning a Christmas Eve cast on. I have been going through my stash (as a prelude to some minimalist yarn buying intentions for 2025) and realised that I have amassed quite the collection of mini skeins. So I was thinking of working a larger version of my Simple Pleasures shawl to incorporate some mini skeins and give me a larger, more wrappable version. There’s still two weeks to go though, so who knows what I’ll eventually end up casting on 🤣 Are you planning a Christmas Eve cast on?

Simple Pleasures Shawl