It’s Christmas time so I thought I would make something special for my friends who were coming for Christmas dinner. What better way to celebrate than with a yule log from Nigella? It’s my first attempt at such a cake, and I have to say I was very pleased with the result.

(excuse the horrible photo, but it was taken with my iPhone – rubbish!)

I decided to add some sparkle by scattering a few gold glittery leaves around the rather realistic-looking log. And damn it tasted good. That Nigella knows how to bake a thing or two. Everything I have ever made from her How To Be a Domestic Goddess book has come out amazing.

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I think my yarn addiction has reached an all-time low. Or an all-time high, depending on your perspective. I am beginning to think that I have more yarn in my closet than clothing. And I’m almost certain I have more balls of yarn than shoes… and I have a LOT of shoes.

This hasn’t been helped by the fact that I brought home almost half a huge suitcase full of yarn when I went to Japan in October/November. At first I thought I could limit things to stocking up on gorgeous Noro yarns, but no, I couldn’t help myself. In fact, I even borrowed my cousin’s bike just to make an expedition to the local craft shop in Maebashi to stock up on all sorts of crafty goodies. Not only did I come back with 2 bags full of yarn, but I also bought some cute craft kits for making slippers, handbags and money purses.

I also spent far more time than should be allowed trying to hunt down the best Tokyu Hands store in Tokyo, rather than going out sightseeing. Prioritisation problems? Moi? Never!

The best thing I brought back from my trip has to be the craft books and magazines, though. The Japanese attention to detail and the fairly-recent zakka trend means that bookshops in every town are laden with beautiful volumes covering everything from felting to making your own moisturiser. I picked up a couple of real gems, including a whole book dedicated to making corsages, and another one called Happy Small Goods of Crochet, in which I want to make pretty much every single thing. I hope I can find time between getting my web consulting business off to a flying start to make a few gifts for Christmas.

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