Christmas glitter

Looking out of my work window I can see some of the Christmas lights of Covent Garden, and already the shoppers are looking a bit fretful and shovey (not that anyone's buying anything yet, according to the news doom-mongers).

So this new book 55 Christmas Balls to Knit is a real festive treat: knitters Arne & Carlos live and work in, wait for it,  a “an old train station in a rural community in Etnedal, Valdres, Norway”. Everything looks lovely and snowy and serene and the baubles - which are red and white or black and white in designs of rocking horses and roses and poinsettias - are extremely tempting.

But I have particular lifestyle envy for their co-ordinated jumpers, vintage goodies and especially their dolls' house. Unlike mine (which I used to let the gerbils run around in in a The Tale of Two Bad Mice style) it's extremely smart and live-able looking.

Oh to be this Norwegian fairy doll. Makes me think of David Bowie's "all satin and tat".