I know that I’m not the only person doing a seriously skimpy Christmas this year with the economy and unemployment being what they are. But what if you need a present for some sort of gift exchange or for a person who’s given you a pressie that you feel the need to return the deed. Don’t despair! With a little forethought you can have a handful of Christmas presents at the ready!
Give the gift of Green
I’m not talking about cash here! I’m talking about houseplants! Take a pair of clippers to that overgrown pothos or that spider plant laden with pups and propagate! Many of the most common houseplants propagate easily and quickly. There are tons of houseplant web sites that will help you identify which houseplant you have living in your home or office and then tell you the proper way to propagate it. If the instructions call for something kinda complex like air layering, chose a different houseplant to use. You want instructions that say something along the lines of, “Cut off piece of plant. Stick in soil. Water. Repeat.” Overgrown African Violets are really good for this as quite often you just have to chop-up one plant to get many, many fully formed little plants! And really, who doesn’t like an African Violet (just don’t give folks dozens at a time as this tends to overwhelm them!).
Get Crafty
If you are a crafty person chances are you have a stash of whatever medium it is that you work in. Quilters have fabric stashes, knitters and crocheters have yarn stashes, jewelery makers have bead stashes and scrapbook makers have paper stashes… it’s just sort of what crafters do. So try to make a gift using only what you find in your stash. If you are anything like me, then this should be reasonably easy to do. And remember, it doesn’t have to be a magnum opus that you are making here, it’s a present for goodness sake! Keep it simple and sane. If you know someone is getting a kindle for Christmas, quilt them a cover (just make sure that they open it after the Kindle!) Someone likes to cook? Embroider/cross stitch inexpensive kitchen towels with their initials or something otherwise personalizing. Knitters and crocheters can always make dish clothes and potholders. Pet lover? Make toys for their pets! Kids are easy as they are usually small and fast to craft for. Mittens are good idea for them if you live in a cold area. Hand crafted Christmas ornaments are a staple in this area. Just remember, you aren’t in third grade anymore, gluing cotton balls to a cut-out snowman isn’t going to cut it:-) Try to make the ornament fit the theme of their tree if they have such a thing or personalize it to them in some way.
Get them Crafting
If you have a rather voluminous stash of whatever media you use, consider making a kit to get someone started on your craft of choice accompanied by the offer of instruction or time on your machine (if a machine is involved). Everyone that I know has materials that they bought early in their crafting experience that they probably aren’t going to use but that a newbie might love (I’m looking at you all that bulky yarn in the corner!). To me, this is one of the best gifts that you can give. It’s especially great if you are going to be stuck in a house with bored, overstimulated kids. Teaching young ones to knit or crochet (or finger crochet if they are really little!) or cross stitch or whatever it is that you do will help keep both you and their parents less snappy when the appeal of the battery operated toys wears off. It’s amazing how quiet kids are when they are concentrating on something new!
Give the gift of time
Nearly everyone needs someone to step in and take care of things once in a while. It doesn’t matter if they have kids, pets, houseplants or a car sooner or later nearly everyone needs a favor. So offer it in the form of a coupon that you make yourself. You can be as generous as you would like and it really is saving that person cash too! Last time I checked, babysitting isn’t cheap anymore! And I know that dog walking isn’t! If you’re kinda handy, you can offer to change their car’s oil or whatever special skill that you have that they will need. Mowing the lawn or shoveling the walk are good ones too! It may seem really cheap to do this, but think about how much they would have to pay someone to do this for them and you will see that it’s really actually a pretty nice present! This is an excellent idea for older folks as they may need more help with chores around the house and who can be particularly difficult to buy presents for.
Get cooking!
I’m a big fan of the baked good as gift. I know that this doesn’t necessarily apply to everyone on your list as a lot of folks now have special diets that make it more complicated to cook or bake for them. However, a plateful of cookies is always a lovely hostess gift in my opinion. I tend to save any and all Christmas themed tins that food comes in from the year before or buy the themed plates at the super-duper everything has got to go right now clearance sales that happen in Feb. Stick to what you do well and then make lots of it! Go ahead and experiment on new recipes but if they blow be willing to crank out with a few batches of a tried and true food that you make really well. Even if it isn’t particularly “festive” if it’s tasty few will complain!
Help them cook!
There are tons of ideas online for gifts like cookie mix in a jar, or soup mixes in a jar, or even brownie mix in a jar. The dried soup mixes can be especially great if you tend to dehydrate your garden produce. You could be giving the person something that you grew yourself! Most of these mixes require a clean jar and the ingredients and maybe some paper to write or print the baking/cooking instructions on as well. These are nice for folks who are maybe living away from home for the first time or just don’t have a lot of time to cook.
Add to the Collection
A lot of people collect things. Now if you have someone who collects Ferrari’s on your list this year, you have my sympathy. However most people collect things that are a little easier to obtain. For these folks, you just need to keep an eye out. Garage sales, flea markets and auctions are great places to find collectables that are going for much less than they would at the antique mall or specialty shop. You only need to keep your eyes open!
Clean your house
One of my favorite presents that I got as a small child was a box full of make-up that my cousins no longer wanted. Mom confiscated the nail polish and lipstick before much damage had been done but I spent hours playing with my make-up box (more often as war paint than pretty lady type stuff, but that’s ok!). Your old eye-shadows and blushes that you aren’t using anymore would be coveted by a small child of a certain age. You would get bonus points if you have an old Caboodles case that you can put it all in! Obviously, this is one that you want to talk to the mother of the child about before you gift it. And don’t put nail polish in there, it’s hard to get out of the carpet! This is only one example of having something that someone else would love to have. Look around a little and see if there isn’t something that you have in an upstairs closet that the hipster in your life wouldn’t love. Apparently grandpa’s cardigans are hip again! Fondue parties are making a comeback too! And gardeners all over the place are rediscovering canning and jamming, making that shelf-full of canning jars a hot commodity!
Give the gift of Safety
Make a winter car safety kit like I spoke about in my last post. It’s super easy to do and other than a couple of bottles of water and snacks, you probably won’t need to buy anything too expensive if at all. The blanket in my case is a lovely wool one that had a few moth holes in it already. This isn’t a showcase, it’s a survival kit so who cares! A clean, used blanket will work just as well as a brand new one. Same goes for the gloves/hat/scarf combo and candles (I’m using half-burned Christmas candles in mine!). Just make sure that it is all clean and together and maybe labeled so that they don’t accidentally unload it from the car when bringing in groceries:-)
Christmas shouldn’t be all about going into debt and getting stressed-out about it in the New Year. Before you buy a present, stop and think about what that person really needs. Often a well-thought less expensive present will trump an expensive present any day of the week!
This afternoon I drove this beast around the field:
While my dad loaded it with bales of cornstalks using the skid loader.
It is really not a glamorous truck at all. In fact, at some point in its recent history it has been used as a party pad for raccoons. They seem to have taken a liking to the seat as it appears that half of it had been eaten. Still, it’s a legit big-rig.
I am extremely glad that I’ve driven manual cars since I was 18 or this day would have definitely ended in tears and recriminations. As was, I never got out of the first set of gears (there was no reason to) and I backed it twice without hitting a tractor (of which there were several within easy striking distance) so I am calling the day a win.
This is another print that I would love to have. Because, you know, someone living out of a storage unit (Mind you I didn’t say in a storage unit! That’s a whole other level!) really needs another print to frame. Still, a girl can dream someday of having an entire floor to use as a crafting zone (Thanks Martha for putting that idea in my head!)
We’ve already had a taste of snow around here which spurred me to get my winter car kit ready. In addition to the normal safety items that you should have in your car already (ahem) such as jumper cables, bottles of water, a first aid kit, a gas can, a flashlight and the like if you are traveling in winter weather you should also have a little(ish) kit of items in the car with you. Not in the trunk of your car (if you have one) as there is no guarantee that you will be able to get into your trunk when you need them! In my kit I have 2 blankets, some more water (most of my water is kept in a gallon jug in the trunk), some snacks (I went with packets of cookies that expire in April rather than energy bars because I think I would prefer to eat cookies than energy bars any day!), a handful of candles and matches to light them, a spare hat, gloves and scarf. I also bought a cheap bag of cat litter and threw it in the trunk for icy issues. I was tempted to put in a book or knitting project as I know myself pretty well and I know that I would be most likely to do the stupid thing of trying to leave my car in sub-zero temps to look for someone else if I was seriously bored. I didn’t as I usually have something of that ilk with me if I am on a long trip anyway, but it isn’t a bad idea to throw a trashy paperback in there too! I also had a small baggie of dog food in mine as my dogs may be traveling with me. Other things that I saw suggested but didn’t put in were a small shovel to clear your tailpipe of snow and a battery cell phone charger kit (I may still put that in mine) One thing that I don’t have yet but I will as soon as I have a usable bank account is a AAA membership. Very, very handy to have year-round.
I really like these light bulbs. They are very sexy and could be used so many different ways! I know that they aren’t cheap, but I hope that other light bulb manufacturers will take the hint and start making their products more interesting.
Ok hive mind! I need help. I’ve been cleaning the upstairs of the house out with my mother and have come across a lot of skirts, dresses and jackets that are beautiful vintage wool and have a few moth holes in them, usually in one specific area making them unwearable but there is still tons of fabric left that could be salvaged. I need ideas. Sewing isn’t my strong suit (and I don’t currently have a sewing machine unless I get one of grandma’s old singers running again) but I would be willing to try it. Is wool good for quilting? I could really use some suggestions for what to do with these items as I just can’t bear to throw them away!
I’m now going to jump into the fray about the whole one space or two spaces at the end of a sentence. I use two for a very simple reason; it was the way that I was taught to type sentences and I see nothing wrong with it. When I was in grade school the Ackley-Geneva school district looked ahead and actually saw the future was in computers so they made my entire class take typing. We were the first class to be required to take it and it has actually served me in good stead all these years later even though I really sucked at it then and hated walking into that classroom full of typewriters. However, the two spaces after a sentence makes practical sense to me as well. When I hand write letters, I leave a greater space after a sentence than I do between the words in a sentence. Personally I don’t understand why this has become such a hot-button issue of late. Is there a world space shortage that I am unaware of?
Anyone who has read this blog for a while knows that I am a fan of color. Not subtle, “that’s the perfect shade of ecru” kind of color loving rather the balls-to-the-wall Mardi Gras parade of colors loving. I am a color slut. Here is my current WIP, a baby scrapghan. (Note the lack of pastel predominance)
I had always thought that this was some odd genetic bit of randomness that I had acquired along with my unusual (at least in my family) ability to tan. My folks like my scrapghans well enough but have never totally “gotten” them. Then again, few do so it’s not that unusual that they look at me with a mild combination of confusion and indulgence when it comes to my party-in-a-blanket creations.
Yesterday mom and I were cleaning upstairs once again going through years and years worth of stuff when we came upon this and I immediately claimed it for myself. It was most likely made by my grandmother sometime in the late(ish) 70’s. And it so explains a lot for me.
It’s completely knitted garter stitch with a much larger assortment of yarns in the tassels on the ends than are in the blanket. There are at least 3 shades of Caron Dazzleaire worked into it that I ever knew existed. And it is bright. Really bright. Just check out the assortment of yarns in the tassels!
It’s lucky that this blanket was made fully in the synthetic 70’s as otherwise it would have been eaten to a pile of dust by moths (many, many beautiful things in the upstairs have fallen to those fraking pests!). I claimed it from my mom because A.) who better than another knitter to know how to take care of a hand crafted blanket B.) she left it sitting in a plastic bag for 20+ years (at least) C.) I’ve only ever been given one blanket despite the many that I have given away (thanks Hookers!) and D.) I love it. It is undeniable proof that I come by my raucous color use naturally.
Last week we got our first snow here. We had missed getting any white stuff until this point with folks both East and West of us getting slammed pretty good while we still had lovely weather. Like our neighbors to both directions, our snow was very wet and heavy. It did cause some issues in places like Des Moines, but here it was nothing more than a pretty, transient nuisance.
True to form, Malcolm loved playing in the snow. This snow was a little more slippery than he was used to thus there were a few spectacular wipe-outs (none of which were caught by the camera!). Nevertheless he still got his fun in!
The snow only really lasted just the one day leaving behind it’s less glamorous though less fickle cousin, winter mud. There’s been a lot of paw cleaning lately!
It has gotten seriously sickeningly cute up in these parts. Mal is playing mommy to the Sweetie Pie kitten with Weezy batting clean-up.
This is Sweetie Pie. When all the other kittens ran away, she ran towards... purring.
Malcolm isn't even resistant to the charms of a kitten. This is the kitten "making biscuits" or "noodling" or "pretend nursing" on Mal. She also sleeps on top of him!
Today I received my first contact from an employer where I had filled-out an on-line application. I was starting to think that these applications were simply a cruel joke being played on the jobless of this country as it seemed that I just filled them out, got a confirmation e-mail that I had filled it out and then… nothing.
I know that this is way things are done now, but I really miss printing up my resume on nice paper and mailing it (in nice envelopes) to employers. I know it took longer and all that, but it just seemed more civilized!
So, Christmas time is here again and if you’re struggling to find presents for some of the people in your life, let me make a few suggestions of things that I have found to be wonderful. These are all things that I have either used myself or friends of mine have used and really liked. Just to be clear, I am not getting any money or products from any of the companies that I am posting here.* This is just stuff that I like. However, if any of them wanted to send me products for say, review, I would be more than glad to have them:-)
For Everyone
Land’s End totes. I’m pretty sure that I have written about my addiction to Land’s End Totes before but I can’t make a list like this without putting them at the top of it. These are great for both men or women or even kids! I’ve had the small one personalized with the name of the recipient before and then filled it with smaller gifts and candy. This personalized present went over really well. The extra-large bags would even be big enough to take the place of a toy box in a child’s bedroom. I cannot recommend these totes strongly enough for pretty much everyone. That and the service that I have consistently gotten from the employee’s at this company really make me want to keep going back to them for everything.
Eddie Bauer Favorite Tee’s. Eddie Bauer is another company that makes things that last. As I write this, I’m wearing a long-sleeved shirt that I got from Eddie Bauer in high school (which was a while ago y’all) and no-one looking at it would ever guess that. It hasn’t dated style-wise and there’s not a part of it that looks faded or worn in anything close to the (oh God) 15+ years old that it must be. I’ve given Eddie Bauer bedding as a gift and it is still in use and still looks good 10+ years later. The Eddie Bauer Long Sleeved Tee’s are one of the staples of my wardrobe, something that I wear on a daily basis. Usually with an Eddie Bauer Men’s Fleece Vest over the top of it for greater warmth (and more pockets!).
Now, I know that I have mentioned these folks before, but they deserve another mention. Queen Bee Creations. I am still getting compliments on my Christmas present truckette purse from at least 3 years ago. I use it pretty much daily and it still looks nearly new. And I’m not one of those women who babies her purse. Un-uh. It has been thrown and shoved and stepped-on and wadded-up and shoved in other luggage. Still, I get stopped by strangers on the street (for real) asking where I got my purse. This isn’t some “it” purse of the season (Are “they” even still doing that? Clearly I am not a fashionista [like you couldn’t already tell that from the above choices!]) but if you chose one of their bags it will be well made and stand-up to nearly anything you throw at it. I’ve taken this bag on lots of trips and on forays into some kinda dodgy places and I wasn’t too worried about my bag getting nabbed as it has securely sew-on seatbelt webbing straps that are long enough to go across your body. There’s no way a would be thief would be able to grab your purse and have the straps break off. It would take some pretty serious cutting at which point I would hope that you would hit him with it! I also have the Poppy Trucker which I am currently using for job interviews (it matches the interview outfit:-)) and it’s held-up as well as the purse has (though it hasn’t gotten nearly as much use…)
Kershaw Scallion Plain Edge Folding Knife. I know, it is probably a little weird to be going from a purse to a pocket knife, but hey, that’s who I am! I’ve had this knife for at least 8 years now. I carried-it on a daily basis when I was working in the greenhouse and it got used a lot. I’ve gotten a lot of compliments from guys when I pull it out to cut something and not those, “oh isn’t it cute she carries a pocket knife,” kind of compliments rather ones more like, “nice knife, where did you get that?” or even better, “wow, I have one just like that!”. I see that they sell a version in pink now so if you have a slightly more girly girl who you think needs a good solid knife, she has one that the guys will give back for sure! Personally, I would love the red version as I have nearly lost this green one in foliage a number of times (and I just love red!).
While I am on the “sharps” part of the list I would be seriously remiss if I didn’t mention Slip N Snip Folding Scissors. This company has been making these in the USA for years now (I remember my Grandpa carrying these in his store when I was a little girl) and they are still making an excellent product. I’ve taken these through many security lines at airports just sort of attached to my key chain. Since they don’t look like anything exciting when they are folded-up going through an x-ray, I never had any problems with them even when they were confiscating the little tiny Swiss Army knives. They are sturdy and fold-up smoothly every time, even after years of use. These would make a fantastic stocking stuffer for everyone except small children (there are pointy, sharp bits) and can be found on Amazon.
Sheepskin slippers from either Land’s End or L.L. Bean. Yeah, they are pricey, but they last for years and years (assuming the dog doesn’t take a liking to them!) and enable you to lower the temperature in the house. If your feet are warm, the rest of you will be a lot warmer too! And who doesn’t like the gift of lower heating bills! One brand that I would not suggest is Ugg brand slippers. If you have an adolescent that is begging for Uggs, don’t try to cheap out of it by buying them slippers instead of the boots. They will not get it that they are slippers and will wear them outdoors, thus ruining them. Trust me on this, I worked in shoe retail for a Holiday season and I saw more than one pair brought back in which this happened. Uggs are much more expensive than the two that I already named and not particularly better quality. They are not worth the extra money.
If you have someone on your list who just loves Christmas and really does the decorating and the whole shebang, then I would suggest Rubbermaid Roughneck Storage Boxes. I can hear you rolling your eyes at me, but really, these bad boys really stand-up to everything you can throw at them year after year. As someone who has made two international moves I can testify to how well they survive. Don’t skimp and get the cheaper ones as they will crack and break eventually, trust me on this! Now they are making a Roughneck Sheds and I have a feeling that I would like them as well. Sigh…
Reisenthel Bags. Another bag company that I’ve talked about before, but really, when you use two of their products on a daily basis, you really should be talking about them! I have the All Rounder in (I think) Large. I use it as my carry-on bag for flying. It’s large enough to fit my laptop (and all the wires and crap that comes with it), my camera and a couple of extra lenses, a small pile of magazines and books for reading, and all the other assorted travel crap that you need. It’s padded so that even if it gets slammed by a neighboring roll aboard in the overhead, your laptop will still work when you get there. The strap is sturdy and the padded bit has some rubberized stuff on it so that it doesn’t slip off your shoulder. Excellent, excellent bag. This is another bag that has gotten a lot of use and does not show it at all. I also use the Mini Maxi for shopping. It’s big enough that it holds a lot but sturdy enough that you don’t feel like the seams are going to come out of it carrying your shopping home. Since it rolls up into a nice little packet, this bag would make a great stocking stuffer!
Source Sports Sandals Classic. I bought a pair of these at least 7 years ago and they are still going strong. More importantly, they don’t smell strong! One of the reviewer’s on the site mentioned that theirs had a, “Great vanilla smell even after 3 years!”. Mine don’t smell like vanilla, but they don’t smell like ass either! One of the unique features of these sandals is that they come with a green dot on the bottom of them. The warranty on these sandals is 2 years plus up to an additional 2 years if the green dot is still visible so that folks who don’t do heavy-duty hiking in them will have a longer warranty than those that are harder on them. I still have the green dot on the bottom of mine, and I wore them A LOT when I lived in Florida and they were pretty much all I wore in the summer in the UK too! I think that you would have to be doing some pretty serious hiking on a daily basis in order to wear out the green dot before 2 years was up.
Charities that I think use the money effectively are Doctors Without Borders, Heifer International, The Salvation Army and Habitat for Humanity. If you have someone who really does have everything, before you buy the next gimmicky adult toy at the department store, think about taking that money and giving it to a worthwhile charity. A donation that is non-specific as to where it goes does the most to help these organizations get goods and services to the people most in need. Besides, even if they don’t like it, they aren’t about to complain about it to anyone:-)
So I don’t have any of these but they are so cute I just have to share (and would like them myself!). This print and this print and this calendar all from the talented artist Katie Vernon on Etsy. I think that these minimalist fairy tale prints by Christian Jackson are amazing and would be a really cool alternative to some of the hyper-saccharin children’s decor there is out there. Or even for some adults! And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the Aardvark Press manifestos. Kill your TV indeed!
Charmin to Go.This is a total stocking stuffer, but I have to mention it especially since it appears that you can get a pack of 24 for $21.99 on Amazon! One for everyone’s stockings right now!!!!
For Pet Owners
Marchioro Clipper Carriers. Great pet carriers that stand up to abuse. A handful of mine have been in daily use, and you couldn’t tell the difference from the ones that are only occasionally used. They don’t come with the bolts that some airlines (I’m looking at you United!) require now, but they do have bolt holes under the snaps and you can pick-up the bolts cheaply enough if you are flying. These crates don’t fall apart like some that I’ve dealt with and are excellent for daily use.
Flexi Retractable Leashes. Another one that I use many times a day. I really couldn’t believe the difference between this retractable lead and a cheaper one that I got in the US. Yes, they are more expensive. Yes they are worth it. The mechanism in these leads is much faster and smoother than other leads that I’ve used. It has been dropped, kicked, dragged and thrown (extra bad dog day there) and it still works as well as the day I got it. I have the Classic Long Large for Malcolm but it looks like they have an option to customize the leads now for an extra special gift!
Birkenstock Garden Clogs. These are fan-freaking-tastic when you have to run out with the dog for the umpteenth time in an evening. The ones that I linked to aren’t exactly the same as the pair that I’ve had for 4 or 5 years now, but they are similar enough that I think that this is just the newest styling of the ones that I have. These clogs combine the comfort that you expect from Birkenstocks with the durability and water resistance of a garden clog. The shoes are fairly tall, so that even if you step in a bit of mud or water, it doesn’t get up in your socks. I wore these sometimes to walk the dogs in, they are that comfy. There are only a few downsides to these shoes really. First off they will make your feet really sweaty if you wear them in hot weather. Secondly, they aren’t great in snow. You will get snowy socks if you wear them in the white stuff. And lastly, my dogs seem to like to chew on them:-P
SmartyKat Super Scratcher. Will help to save furniture while making happy cats. Who doesn’t like that?
For all Fiber Freaks (Spinners, Knitters and Hookers)
The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook by Carol Ekarius and Deborah Robson. In a world becoming increasingly specialized, folks in the fiber arts should know where their fiber is coming from. The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook is really essential reading for anyone wanting a better understanding of the materials that they are working with, or really anyone interested in fiber animals! If the fiber artist in your life doesn’t yet have this book then you have at least one Christmas gift for them this year. Really, it’s a no-brainer. It’s a big, beautiful book that is destined to be a classic! Go get it now. Seriously people, get it.
All Wound Up: The Yarn Harlot Writes for a Spin. I will be honest here. I’ve not yet read this book. However, I have read everything else that she has published in the knitting genera and I feel reasonably confident that this book is just as excellent as all her previous books have been. Plus, this is one that I want for Christmas!!
Hefty One-Zip Jumbo Bags. These are 2.5 gallon zippered plastic bags. That’s big enough to get most of a sweater in progress in. Or a lot of roving or yarn. Love, love love these bags. Unfortunately, it seems that at least around here (meaning in all the places I’ve lived and visited in the US) the only place that I’ve been able to find them are at Target. It’s not that I don’t love Target, it’s just that it would be nice if these were in every grocery store and big box store like the rest of the Hefty line. And yes, I really have given these as gifts.
If you like the idea of a surprise of different yarns and goodies arriving for the knitter or spinner, then the Phat Fiber Mystery Box would be perfect! Each month there is a different theme and oodles of indie dyers, fiber producers, and folks that make knitting and spinning accessories send in samples of their products that fit the theme for the month. Not every box is filled with the same producers (that would be a lot of samples for one indie producer to come up with!) but they are all little representatives of what they can make. There is a yarn only box, a fiber only box and a mixed box. I got one of the mixed boxes for Christmas last year and it was so much fun! The only problem with this present is that you do have to stalk it a bit in order to get one. However, they do let you sign-up for a newsletter to let you know when the boxes are going on sale and what the themes are and things like that, so it’s not like stalking a particular color of Wollmeise!
For someone who wants to feel like they are a part of where their fiber or yarn comes from, there is Juniper Moon Farm’s CSA program. They had the first fiber CSA in the country. When you buy a share you get percentage off in their shop, invitation to the Shearing Day Celebration as well as either yarn or rovings of your choice. This isn’t the “cheapest” way to get yarn or rovings, but it is one of the more interesting ways. Personally, I like it better than having a star named after me or something like that!
For Spinners
J&S Shetland Combed Tops or an actual Shetland Fleece hand-picked by Oliver for your favorite spinner. If you are living in the UK or Europe, you could order a raw Shetland Fleece to be picked-out by Oliver for your special someone. If you live elsewhere, you will have to order their combed tops as they won’t mail a raw fleece out of Europe due to international restrictions. However, the tops at J&S are lovely and a real treat to work with. Order the Superfine white for an extra special treat!
Mini carders. These are from P&M Woolcraft a lovely company based in Milton Keynes, England. I’m sure that these must be available somewhere else too, but I’ve yet to find them. If you do, please let me know in the comments! Even if you do have to order them from England, the folks at P&M are wonderful to work with and will get your order shipped-out as quickly as humanly possible!
Easyknits Yarn. Jon makes lovely yarns. If you aren’t sure what color to get the knitter or crocheter in your life order them a few months of one of Jon’s yarn clubs. There is the Sock Club which comes in different fiber flavors that you can choose from or the Shawl Club which comes with a sushi roll. Both clubs get patterns and goodies to go along with the yarn chosen that month. Since it is a month to month club, you can get as many months as you would like rather than having to get a years club (which can get a little pricey!). The colors are always new and Jon tries really hard to find fun new extras to put in the packages. Much better than a wine-of-the-month club (though that could be nice too I suppose…) Jon has also rolled-out (after much annoying prodding from me and others:-)) his Little Guys line, which is a set of 5-20 gram mini skeins all in a color family ready for color work or for a sock yarn blanket or beekeeper’s quilt. These would make an excellent gift for someone working on either of these projects! (Which I am….)
Patterns from Dutch Knitting Design. Marleen has tons of patterns available in English and really I cannot praise them enough. Her patterns are thoughtfully worded and graphed. Marleen tries to use commonly available yarns (she has a collection of Noro designs as well as a bunch of patterns in Kidsilk Haze) so that you aren’t running around trying to find a yarn at your LYS that simply isn’t available except in one corner of Mongolia (y’all know what I’m talking about here!)
A set of needles from Signature Needle Arts. This is not one to surprise your knitter with as these puppies are A.) sort of customized and B.) really not cheap. I don’t own a pair myself but I know a few folks that do, a couple of them knit for a living, and they all love them. They also do Gift Certificates if you still want to surprise them on the big day and then they can choose the needles that they want themselves.
Pretty much anything from Succaplokki. This artist is located in Finland and make all the Knitting Accessories from recycled plastic. There are Needle Sizers in all sorts of shapes, Stitch Markers, Mitten and Sock Blockers as well as Gauge Checkers. The products are all well made and packaged in funky recycled papers and packaging. All are very fun and would make great stocking stuffers!
The Quizzical Owl has all sorts of quirky jewelery and stitch markers from Legos and well pretty much anything little and fun that Alex finds interesting! If you want something that you don’t see in her shop, she is more than willing to make custom items!
For the folks on your list who only want really luxe, high-end stuff might I suggest a key ring from Tiffany’s. I got one of these as a graduation from high school gift and I still have it and use it. One of the things that they don’t tell you is that if you lose the little ball on the end of it (there was an incident in Mobile, Alabama after their Mardi Gras and silver beads on the sidewalk everywhere) they will replace it. At least when I went in to get it replaced, it was free. They just gave me another one. No questions and no issues at all. And, best of all, it still comes in that little blue box with all the trimmings!
*I have gotten presents in the past from Jon of Easyknits and Marleen of Dutch Knitting Design as I am friends with both but I am not receiving anything for this post nor was I asked to promote their products. I just really like their stuff!!!
So, Christmas is fast approaching. For anyone not believing me, just go into any department store and check-out the Christmas displays and music piping from the ceilings. Christmas is on it’s way people!
This year, Christmas isn’t going to be a big one for me. With the move and no job and everything else going on in my life right now, it doesn’t really make sense to go crazy this year, even a little bit. However, there are a couple of little kids in my life, and I hate for them to not get anything from Auntie Sarah. One is really too little to care still, but one is right in the beginning of when Christmas is a magical time of the year and Santa is real and all of that wonderful stuff.
Because of the lack of incoming funds and the fact that I have a metric ton* (which is 2,205 lbs for those of you curious) of yarn sitting in a storage unit now I figured that I would make 2 blankets before Christmas. One is for a small(ish) child (he’s big for his age) and one is for a baby. I think it’s do-able! I’ve already gotten not quite a quarter of one of the blankets done (it’s one of my trademark scrapghans) and I have found the yarn and fabric for the other which is more of an accomplishment than it sounds like it should be:-)
Here is the progress on the scrapghan with Malcolm for scale:
And just to be fair (and to torture the dog a bit more:-)) here is the progress on blanket #2:
Please don’t think that I am a total lazy butt as the bed has been made once today already. Malcolm and Weezy really don’t like it when it’s all nice and flat like that. Both of them paw and work at it until the entire bed looks like a towel someone threw on the bathroom floor. Then they are both happy with the bed! Meara on the other hand just sort of slips under the covers near the pillows, not really disrupting them at all.
All of my knitting has been put on hold for the moment. My crocheting is faster (I only started that blanket a couple of nights ago) and these need to be done asap, whereas the knitting is all for me and thus can wait for a bit. I made a trio of dish cloths as well (for the mama of the two kids) prior to starting these blankets, so I’m not turning homo-craftual in case you were worried:-)
*I don’t really have 2,205 lbs of yarn. I don’t think…
Please excuse the lack of sheets. I was washing the bedding that day. I didn't have the heart to kick them off they were being so damn cute!
I have to watch Weezy when she is around the kitten as she tends to get a little exurberant with her face cleaning sometimes flipping the kitten over!
So far, we are calling her Sweetie Pie as she is very much one. Meara does not like her and wants nothing to do with her. If anyone is interested in adopting her, I would love for her to go to a good home. As you can see, she gets along with dogs:-)
My friend Tini is still podcasting. Check her out here or on iTunes!
This week I helped my mom give a little talk about Finland to a local nursing home. I would have never guessed 4 years ago that I would be a local expert on Finland!
I stopped-by a Salvation Army center this week to drop-off a bag full of toiletries that we found around the house. Most of them were the little travel sized ones from various hotels that my mom has stayed at over the past few years. These are good for folks that are coming to a shelter. Anyway, I was there at lunch time and was amazed at the number of people coming in for a hot meal. And most of these folks were elderly. It’s almost time for the Salvation Army bell-ringers to start their work. Don’t just pass these folks by while you are out doing your Christmas shopping. If you have enough money to buy presents, you can dump at least a little change in their kettles. Really, I got to see first hand what this money is going to. I think that everyone should. So get in the Christmas spirit and help someone down on their luck. It is only by the grace of God that we are not there ourselves…
Sarah Jane Humke 