Holiday Handcrafts

Christmas gift-giving with my family usually means one or both of two things: books and needlework. All the women at our holiday celebrations (with the exception of Melissa) are needleworkers of one sort or another. And every one of us, regardless of gender, loves getting lost in a good book.

This year, my mom gave me a knitted scarf, which has been getting lots of wear with the unusually cold weather we’ve had recently.

My sister, brother, and parents each gave me some of the Harmony wood needles I’d asked for.

These are an absolute joy to work with: sharp points, a wonderful feel in the hands, and pretty to look at. (I only asked for double points and 16″ fixed cord circulars, so I can’t vouch for the mechanisms on the interchangeable Harmony needles, with which people have reported having mixed results.)

I even got three kinds of yarn!

The orange and yellow variegated wool is from Melissa’s sister Joanna. I’m planning to knit it up into a bulky-weight version of the Doubles Hat from Trek Casts On. The white yarn is hard to see in its packaging, but it’s an organic cotton from the Alternative Gift Fair at my mom’s church. (It would actually make a very nice Doubles Hat as well.) And that wonderful blue yarn with the loopy texture is from a dear family friend. I expect I’ll be knitting it in with something else–perhaps to make a heavier, textured edging on a shawl.

One of my favorite Christmas gifts this year was a bundle of hankies my mom picked up at a church sale.

I have quite a stash of these and have been planning for years to make a Butterfly Hankie Quilt. In case you’ve never seen one, click here for some lovely examples. The pattern is simple, and one can hide imperfections with a bit of judicious folding.

Isn’t it great when the people we love appreciate the things we love? Lucky, lucky me!