Britt-Arnhild's House in the Woods

December 7th, feeding the birds for Christmas

@brittarnhild

December 7th, HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEANDER, and I am making the annual Christmas treat for the birds in the garden.

 

 

 

December 6th and a special knitting project

@brittarnhild

December 6th is almost over here in Norway, and I have been too busy to think of my blog. As soon as I came home from work I sat down to finish a knitting project, a pair of knitted wool tights for Leander. Tomorrow is his 3rd birthday and Ingrid wants him to wear the grandma knitted tights in kindergarten, with the nisse hat I knitted a couple of weeks ago.

It took me five hours of concentrated knitting to finish the tights, and then I had to drive over to Ingrid and Marius to deliver it :-) But now it is all done and I have an hour which is completely mine, before going to bed :-)

Maria, St. Mary, arrived this morning. I crocheted her last year, do you remember? And in my Advent vlog today I read the second part of the Mariaevangeliet.

 

 

December 5th and my mother playing the most beautiful Christmas hymn

@brittarnhild

 

December 4th, with a video in both Norwegian and English

@brittarnhild

 

The forth advent calendar mitten, DSt. Barbara Day and a garden walk though the garden after the first snowfall. I hope you enjoy it :-)

 

 

 

 

 

December 3rd and time for another Christmas stocking

@brittarnhild

Back to work again today, after my week in London. Well, London was also work, kind of, so I should say back to my office :-)

Coming home from work, I really felt in the Advent mood, and an important part of my Advent mood is to prepare for Christmas. Like knitting a new pair of Christmas stocking.

This is what I talk about in my Advent vlog today, and Ardi, yes, I talk about you and the absolute stunning stockings you gave us last summer.

I have still not designed a pattern for this year´s stocking, but I am working on it.

 

 

 

 

 

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I will do advent and Christmas blogging in three different blogs this year (at least).

Britt-Arnhild´s House in the Woods ( in English)

The knitting blog, maskerade (in Norwegian and hopefully English as well)

and in 

Vandring gjennom året og Vandring mot Kristmesse (in Norwegian)

 

And there will also be a few vlogs or pods over at Britt Arnhild on YouTube

(subscribe to my You-Tube channel to be sure to get them all)

 

 

Use this link to fine my advent blog posts from previous years.

 

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Do not forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel: Britt-Arnhild on YouTube

And also follow me on instagram: @brittarnhildsstrikkedagbok 

@brittarnhild

@akeleiehagen

@trondheimtales

Or you can visit me in one of my other active blogs:

Britt-Arnhild´s House in the Woods

Britt Arnhilds naturdagbok

Akeleiehagen

dagens lille grønne

Fløy en liten blåfugl

Britt Arnhilds dagboksblader

Hyttelivet på Rastarbo

Blåklokkeveien

Med bøker på menyen

The first Sunday of Advent and reading Dickens. December 2nd

@brittarnhild

I am sitting here with a beautiful, red catalogue in my lap, The Lost Portrait of Charles Dickens, by Philip Mould Company. It was on one of my many long walks in London that I came across Philip Mould Company and a sign that pointed me in to an exhibition with a portrait of Charles Dickens, a lost portrait, now found. 

Curiosity got me, of course, I walked in, and had a lovely hour in a little room downstairs, watching the lost portrait, which has recently been found in South Africa after being lost since 1844!

 

The portrait is from about the time Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol, and here is my point why I blog about this today, in my advent blog, on the first Sunday of Advent. You see, every year I read A Christmas Carol, starting exactly on this day. The book has five chapters, one for every Sunday of Advent, the last one for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

 

Quite a charming young man, isn´t he, with very vivid eyes. 

 

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You Can read more, a lot more, about The Lost Portrait here, quite interesting, so go over and have a look.

 

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In my Christmas vlog today I sing a Norwegian advent hymn, one we sing when we lit the first candle in the Advent wreath, and I read from a book I have written about Maria, Mary, the mother of Jesus.

 

 

****************

I will do advent and Christmas blogging in three different blogs this year (at least).

Britt-Arnhild´s House in the Woods ( in English)

The knitting blog, maskerade (in Norwegian and hopefully English as well)

and in 

Vandring gjennom året og Vandring mot Kristmesse (in Norwegian)

 

And there will also be a few vlogs or pods over at Britt Arnhild on YouTube

(subscribe to my You-Tube channel to be sure to get them all)

 

 

Use this link to fine my advent blog posts from previous years.

 

:::::::::::::::::::

 

Do not forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel: Britt-Arnhild on YouTube

And also follow me on instagram: @brittarnhildsstrikkedagbok 

@brittarnhild

@akeleiehagen

@trondheimtales

Or you can visit me in one of my other active blogs:

Britt-Arnhild´s House in the Woods

Britt Arnhilds naturdagbok

Akeleiehagen

dagens lille grønne

Fløy en liten blåfugl

Britt Arnhilds dagboksblader

Hyttelivet på Rastarbo

Blåklokkeveien

Med bøker på menyen

 

One step back. December 1st

@brittarnhild

London was filled with Christmas, in every nook and corner. Still only the last week of November, still many weeks till  December 24 and 25.

I came home just before midnight last night, only a few minutes before December 1st. To a tidy and clean house, Terje is always very good at that. But with no traces neither of Christmas nor of advent. No traces, just like I wanted it.......then I can take part in it all :-)

Then, this morning, I woke up to all the unpacking, and to a little grandson filling the living room floor with toys. Still no traces of advent. But we are on the track now.

 

Today, December 1st. I am winding back all the hundreds of Christmas trees and wreathes and candles and music and whatever filled my last week. I am taking a step back to find the peace and quiet which I hope to fill the advent weeks with. The first candle in our advent wreath will be lit tomorrow. Today I will prepare the house, and if there is enough time, I will have Leander help me to set up the annual nativity village.

 

And tonight I plan to write the first Christmas card. To one of you perhaps? Leave a comment if you want one, and I will pick one of you.

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I will do advent and Christmas blogging in three different blogs this year (at least).

Britt-Arnhild´s House in the Woods ( in English)

The knitting blog, maskerade (in Norwegian and hopefully English as well)

and in 

Vandring gjennom året og Vandring mot Kristmesse (in Norwegian)

 

And there will also be a few vlogs or pods over at Britt Arnhild on YouTube

(subscribe to my You-Tube channel to be sure to get them all)

 

 

Use this link to fine my advent blog posts from previous years.

 

:::::::::::::::::::

 

Do not forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel: Britt-Arnhild on YouTube

And also follow me on instagram: @brittarnhildsstrikkedagbok 

@brittarnhild

@akeleiehagen

@trondheimtales

Or you can visit me in one of my other active blogs:

Britt-Arnhild´s House in the Woods

Britt Arnhilds naturdagbok

Akeleiehagen

dagens lille grønne

Fløy en liten blåfugl

Britt Arnhilds dagboksblader

Hyttelivet på Rastarbo

Blåklokkeveien

Med bøker på menyen

 

 

Are you ready for December and another year of advent blogging?

@brittarnhild

Hello friends and readers. Are you ready for December? Tomorrow is December 1st, and I am ready for my advent blogging.

The advent calendar door, which has been closed since last Christmas, is ready to be opened,

and I am so excited, I can hardly wait, to open the door into my advent fairytale world.

I hope to see you there :-)

 

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I hope to do advent and Christmas blogging in three different blogs this year (at least).

Britt-Arnhild´s House in the Woods ( in English)

The knitting blog, maskerade (in Norwegian and hopefully English as well)

and in 

Vandring gjennom året og Vandring mot Kristmesse (in Norwegian)

 

And there will also be a few vlogs or pods over at Britt Arnhild on YouTube

(subscribe to my You-Tube channel to be sure to get them all)

 

 

Use this link to fine my advent blog posts from previous years.

 

:::::::::::::::::::

 

Do not forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel: Britt-Arnhild on YouTube

And also follow me on instagram: @brittarnhildsstrikkedagbok 

@brittarnhild

@akeleiehagen

@trondheimtales

Or you can visit me in one of my other active blogs:

Britt-Arnhild´s House in the Woods

Britt Arnhilds naturdagbok

Akeleiehagen

dagens lille grønne

Fløy en liten blåfugl

Britt Arnhilds dagboksblader

Hyttelivet på Rastarbo

Blåklokkeveien

Med bøker på menyen

 

She draws every colour from her harp.......and Advent is soon to be here :-)

@brittarnhild

Ever since I discovered the church St. Martin in the Fields, many London trips ago, I have made sure to give it a visit. Down in the crypt for tea, home made cakes and a stroll in the book store, up in the church for peace and quiet, and for music.

Yesterday I was lucky, I arrived in the church half past twelve, which gave me just enough time for tea and cake down in the crypt, before the lunch concert at 1pm. A concert with Gabriella Jones playing harp. The church was slowly filling up while I sat there, clearing my mind for all the noice, hustling and bustling from the busy London streets.

Gabriella Jones came in, and her long, dark hair, shining eyes and bright smile filled the church. I closed my eyes, focused on the music, not on the coughing harking of the man behind me while Scarlatti´s Sonata in A started to flow. My whole body relaxed, and behind my eyelids colours appeared. Blue at first. The dark blue of the sky just after the sun has set. Then a little red, some orange, glimpses of pink. I not often see colours when I hear music, but when it happens it feels like a special blessing. 

The sonata and the following applause ended and Gabriella started to talk about the next piece she was to play, and its composer, Canadian Caroline Lizotte. I wanted to stay in my colour land, but opened my eyes when I heard Gabriella say: "Caroline Lizotte draws every colour she can from her harp......."

 

I continued to stay in heaven for the rest of the concert. Gabriella Jones´lovely music (angels play harps, don´t they), the colours drawn by Caroline Lizotte, and also the knowledge that Lizotte writes all her music by hand, not on the computer.

 

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You know what? Advent is soon here :-)
I had my morning tea at Fortnum&Mason yesterday, and while enjoying their special Christmas blend tea, I started to plan my advent blogging.

I do have some surprises coming up this year.......like, doing something in my vlog (on YouTube).......hopefully. So do not hesitate, come over to my YouTube chanel and subscribe, to be sure not to miss anything :-)

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 Do not forget to watch my latest knitting vlog (pssst, in the advent vlogs I hope to speak a mixture of Norwegian and English)

 

::::::::::::::::::::::::

Do not forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel: Britt-Arnhild on YouTube

And also follow me on instagram: @brittarnhildsstrikkedagbok 

@brittarnhild

@akeleiehagen

@trondheimtales

Or you can visit me in one of my other active blogs:

Britt-Arnhild´s House in the Woods

Britt Arnhilds naturdagbok

Akeleiehagen

dagens lille grønne

Fløy en liten blåfugl

Britt Arnhilds dagboksblader

Hyttelivet på Rastarbo

Blåklokkeveien

Med bøker på menyen

 

Selfriges today

@brittarnhild

This autumn I have been watching all the seasons of Mr Selfridges on Netflix. The fascinating tale of a man and his dream. When coming here I had one thing very high up on my list - to visit Selfridges.

I know that Selfrides has new owners now, have had several since Mr. Selfridges created the work of his life. I also understand that the Netflix series only tell parts of the truth. But still!

Coming there on the Saturday after Black Friday was of course crazy. It felt like the rest of the world was there together with us.

I had no plans to buy anything, I did not buy anything, instead I enjoyed walking around, and I even more enjoyed listening to my friend Fran when she talked about her coming up to London as a child, with her parents and her two sister, so see the Christmas decorations. A visit to Selfridges was always on their list, before finishing the visit to see the lights on the Norwegian Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square.

 

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I am knitting in the hotel room in the early mornings and at nights. And I have made another YouTube video, having a hard time with the uploading through the hotel´s wifi. But I made it!

 

 

 

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Do not forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel: Britt-Arnhild on YouTube

And also follow me on instagram: @brittarnhildsstrikkedagbok 

@brittarnhild

@akeleiehagen

@trondheimtales

Or you can visit me in one of my other active blogs:

Britt-Arnhild´s House in the Woods

Britt Arnhilds naturdagbok

Akeleiehagen

dagens lille grønne

Fløy en liten blåfugl

Britt Arnhilds dagboksblader

Hyttelivet på Rastarbo

Blåklokkeveien

Med bøker på menyen