Posted on 12/07/2006 6:51:44 AM PST by Knitting A Conundrum
"Who's still crafting?"
Me!
"What are you doing?"
I've made a stack of fun and funky hot pads from old quilted fabric that I've found at Goodwill. I've been squirreling away pieces for 50-cents or so all this past year. I usually find nicely quilted pillow shams, or old quilts that are torn or have stains (I work around those!)
Anyhow, they've turned out great. I made a pair for my Mom, my MIL and my Sister. A very fun way to use up materials that are already here and need one more life before they hit the landfill. :(
I've been crocheting dishcloths with cotton yarn, which are always a hit. Those are going to all female family and friends this year.
I made a wonderful, fluffy blue and purple scarf for my niece and one in cammo colors for my nephew who is "in that phase."
I've made Raspberry Chipotle BBQ Sauce, since I had a recipe of raspberry jelly that didn't set up properly. I'll share the recipe if anyone is interested. You could use any flavor jelly (seedless) that doesn't set up right for you.
Other than that I've been making Gift Baskets for various friends and relatives and this year I made (sewed) six Christmas Stockings (Husband, Son, Son's Girlfriend, 3 Best Girlfriends) and have been filling them all year long with useful B1G1Free items and "freebies" I've collected through the year. (Gum, candies, razors, chocolates, toothbrushes, gas cards for the teens, etc.)
It's a VERY Handmade Christmas this year, but my family is getting older and it's getting more "in vogue" to make our presents, versus buying them. :)
Mom and I baked cookies and candy yesterday. Two women, 9 hours, 17 varieties and 600+ pieces of cookies and candies later, we were done! (Those will go in tins for friends, Christmas Parties we attend this month, the Mailman, the Paperboy, Church Coffee Hours, etc.)
It sounds like a lot, but I do a little at a time all year long. It keeps Christmas in your Heart all year long. :)
"I just finished knitting hubby a pair of socks that I even spun the wool for."
You rock! I always chuckle when I think of the old "Cheers" episode when Diane gives Sam "just a scarf" for Christmas. He doesn't get it. He thinks it's a dumb gift. Of course, she has to explain:
"I wanted to match the blue of your eyes EXACTLY, so I consulted a colorist! I took classes to LEARN how to knit! I dyed and spun the raw wool myself! I turned down EVERY holiday party invitation to finish it on time!"
Personally? I would've stabbed him with my knitting needles, LOL!
I just finished a felt (I know, not cool but it's what I can do) Advent Calendar for my 6 year old granddaughter. She's basically being raised as a pagan. She and I had a lot of fun obsessing on The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe last year and on Easter, I told her that Jesus rose from the dead just like Aslan and that's why we celebrate Easter. She did this "No way" look and then ran off to tell everyone. So this calendar has my own version of Aslan instead of the wimpy fawn lying down in the snow. He's free form but I found a wonderful picture of him on the net which inspired me and I also embroidered his name in another part of the calendar and there is a little retablo for Dec. 1st and a lovely necklace (did I mention that there are 24 pockets to put stuff in?)with a silver nativity scene and finally, in the 24th pocket, the baby Jesus from the Equidorian bread dough nativity set she is getting for Christmas.
300 miles. Not as wild as when I moved 2000 miles, and I've lived here before. I will miss my LYS, because it was one of the better ones, but there are a couple in this area, (one of which is new and I've never seen), and mailorder is just a click away.
That sounds so neet. Not doing anything that cool this year...and since we were moving, I even gave up my 5th grade catechism class...miss it.
And the other neat thing I'm doing is redoing the stocking that my mother made for my daughter 20 years ago. It's felt too. The beads must have had a touch of silver in them which tarnished because they were all dark so I'm replacing them with clear and I'm shaving the white felt to make it show clean and finally I'm replacing Santa's pack which for some reason, had candle wax on it. It's almost done and it looks so much better. It's a labor of love for my mother (deceased) and my daughter. She knows and is very excited.
That must be pretty fun to move BACK to a place. De javu on an order of reality, and provable! ;>
There sure is a deja vu feeling...I'll be going down a street...and zap...all of a sudden, I know where I'm at!
I'm impressed! I have two chairs I have promised myself to reupholster...you did such a nice job! It gives me inspiration!
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Those are neat.
That sounds beautiful! Got a picture?
Good morning!
I had to put my knitting aside, as my fingers are swelled up like sausages. (Ah, pregnancy)
My new favorite hobby is little felt toys...I'm making some based on a really nerdy computer game at the moment, it's lots of fun. :-D
Your tagline is rather....different. I have a reenactor friend who researches 18th century medicine, and collects medical devices...wouldn't be surprised if he had one of those....
That is beautiful. Did you figure it out by trial and error? Did you write down the stitches you used?
That's how they treated syphillis...and that's just the time period my friend collects medical apparatus from...He does a great impression of bloodletting with some sort of red colored liquid...and he has clysters, and amputation devices, and tooth pulling tools and all sorts of stuff like that...and he likes to show people how they were used...WE call him Doc, but I think he's a retired teacher...
Sounds like pretty soon you'll be calling him "Such a quiet, nice man...Who'd have thought he was capable of such atrocities?"
(Just kidding)
I got to see some Civil War era medical instruments when I was little; scary. I guess a really good doctor could have your leg off in under three minutes, using what appeared to be a hacksaw...
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