Advent Calendar

Welcome one and all to Stephanelli Designs in this cold, frosty week!  It seems fitting for December to start with the coldest, frostiest days thus far where I live.  When I left for the nature reserve at 9am yesterday morning the outside thermometer read a whole -4°C (and I when I got in at 12:30pm, a mere 1°C!).  The eagle-eyed amongst you may notice that we’ve had a visual update here!  It’s still the Stephanelli Designs you know, just streamlined and more beautiful (in my opinion anyway!).

Advent is one of my favourite times of the year.  Christmas preparations feel like they can properly start in earnest and exciting things like Christmas lunches, Christmas band rehearsals and such like can occur!  A time of joyous expectation!  Not to mention the Christmas music can start and the daily advent calendar…

Talking of advent calendars – for today’s post, I thought I’d share with you a lovely advent calendar I’ve put together for my little mouse, Colin.  Bonus picture of Colin at the end of this post too!  For his calendar, I’ve crocheted 9 stockings and made a lolly-stick Christmas tree to hang them on!  I’m very proud of it.

The patterns I used for the stockings came from Bethany over at Whistle and Ivy which I found from the ever trusty Ravelry pattern search!  They are a lovely set of patterns and I thoroughly recommend them.  I’ve only made the first 3 patterns mostly because I ran out of time and partially because I figured we could just reuse some of the stockings throughout Advent…he’s a very intelligent mouse, but I don’t think he’s going to complain!  Each stocking has been stuffed partially with tissue paper and a selection of treats put on the top.  Each day he’ll get one to empty out and enjoy!

I hope you enjoyed viewing his calendar, I’m planning some Christmas craft tutorials (origami napkins for Christmas lunch anyone?) throughout December so keep a look out for that and I hope the seasonal preparations go well for everyone who celebrates!  If you’ve got any crafts you’d particularly like me to cover then do drop me a comment at the bottom of the page!

Have a photo of a cute mouse to end!  (This picture won Mouse of the Month on the pet mouse forum I’m a member of!)