Going back to London for Christmas was fantastic. "Only hand luggage" was not. I got some really lovely things for Christmas, and even more in the Boxing Day sales, and there was just no way to lug it all back in my teeny little Apfelgrun suitcase. This is the part where Mama and Daddy came to the rescue - I got a knock at the door today, with a UPS man bearing an incredibly large, incredibly heavy parcel.
Inside, a veritable cornucopia of clothes and treats. All the clothes I'd left behind due to lack of room, some knitting things, hair dye, two fleecy onesies (no regrets!) to keep me toasty in the chilly evenings. As well as: more tea! The tea in the supermarkets here is muy asqueroso and just not very pleasant at all. PG Tips keeps me going (now with added monkey). Marmite! My jar in the kitchen has been looking very sad and empty for a while now, so now I can spread this delicious brown goo to my heart's delight. Shitty magazines! Apparently the newsagent gave Mama a very strange look at the counter - very likely, seeing as some of the key headlines are "Mum, your beard's longer than mine", "My fur stole's haunted by The Fox", and "Jumbo jibe shame: Which one's the elephant?"
A beautiful knitting book (kudos to Daddy for this one) with lovely illustrated knitting patterns. Jumpers, baby clothes, blankets, it's got the lot!
And, a wonderful gift from Santa: a beautiful forget-me-not heavyweight spindle with a cherry wood shaft (perfect for plying), and Falkland wool in "Pansies".
