Hats & Hair & A Chrimbo Fair

My jaded heart is starting its seasonal melt. I am becoming 'enthusiastic' Perdita again, yes, that annoying one who highlights everything in Time Out and texts a million and one people and constantly organises one after the other 'just a little gathering- you know- some mulled wine.' Christmas Perdita. She gets tiresome quickly, but I don't have to hang around with her, everyone else does. Ha!


The first local Christmas Fair (or fete, or fayre, or bazaar, or table-top-sale or whatever it's called) happened this weekend. Suprisingly, I don't actually go to these for the bric-a-brac or jumble (boot fairs and jumble sales have a greater range than the one stand in the corner). I do, however, go for handcrafted items. In my experience these fairs and fetes tend to be handicraft heavens, full of knitted and paper craft gifts and accessories. But because it isn't a craft market or boutique, but a community event, the prices are minuscule (yet without any ethical guilt... granny has knitted her wares watching the telly with a cup of tea and a biscuit... the only possible cruelty would be inflicting the remaining awful tawdry XFactor entrants upon her bifocals. That would be inhuman though, and render her knitting some kind of nightmarish Beyeux tapestry of misery, a warning for all eternity to vote wisely on TV talent shows). Additionally, the profits usually go to charity. So, yeah, handcrafted and thrifty and charitable. I'm all heart me.

£2.50 hand-knitted 'ears' hat

Check out my bobbly head. Two bobbles, one each side.

This hand-knitted hat was snapped up for £2.50. The lady who makes them is genius - she uses ends and 'sale' wool to make all sorts of small bits such as gloves, hats, handbags (yes, I do own a bag of hers - it's the infamous one!) and they all sell for £5 or less. Due to her wool sources, the colours are usually suitably garish and mis-matched for my wardrobe too. Profits go to a charitable group for the elderly. She actually saw this design on one of her granddaughters and decided to make copies- they sold almost instantly. Double bobble 'ears' ... who could resist? Also (although you can't see it here thanks to my Pixlr addiction) there's a cable pattern knitted into the crown. Just super.

I also got my hair cut ready for my dizzying seasonal social whirl (aka going down the pub a bit. Don't rain on my parade m'kay?). I'm a short-hair person at heart, and have stuck with a classic bob which can be styles 'many' ways. Can be. If you know me you know of my three style options: (a) straight bob, (b) curly bob, (c) straight or curly bob with a quiff. Option (c) is also called 'I couldn't be bothered to wash my hair last night' and is especially luxurious, so loaded with Batiste dry shampoo as it is that it sprinkles soapy smelling Christmas snow hither and yon bringing seasonal cheer to all. Unfortunately the only shot I have of my salon-fresh hair is one of me on the sofa after a few beers. Just imagine the blurring and vacant expression is down to me being in fashion and terribly ironic. Bwahahaha! As if.

What are your little treats in the run up to Christmas?