Köln Christmas market!

Yesterday Jamie and I went to Cologne to see the Christmas market. When we were there 2 years ago, I saw the most beautiful hand-made wooden music box. I didn't end up buying it and have been pining for it ever since. Well I ran into it again in a little shop and bought it this time. It plays Silent Night and I absolutely ADORE it!!

The picture doesn't do it justice.















Here it is with some of my other European Christmas goodies.















I also managed to find some yarn at the market (suprise, suprise). It was just hanging in one of these stalls calling my name.















I can tell that it's 100% wool but it had no tag or label on it, so I have no idea where it came from. I also bought some cookie presses to make Speculaas, these tasty spicy gingery Dutch/German cookies. Since you can buy them everywhere here, I don't think I'll actually make them until we go back to North America. Anyone out there have any other good recipes that would work well with a cookie press? I've never actually used one.















And in knitting news, I finished Purly's Cable and Seed Stitch Baby Hat (in Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino in colour 605) about a month ago but just haven't gotten around to posting it. I wasn't paying attention and ended up doing garter stitch instead of stockinette for the first few rows so it doesn't curl up, but I still love it. I'm working on hat #2 for Baby Nap, due at the end of January.















Tomorrow is Sinterklaas here in Holland. It's my absolute least favourite holiday in the whole entire world. You'll see why...