The thrills of December

For me it is a holiday season- I'm not Christian so this isn't the "Christmas season" and anyways, I think holiday festivities start with Thanksgiving and finish with New Year's Day. Despite the annual debates at work (Merry Christmas? Happy Holidays? Merry Xmas? Happy Chrismahanukwanzaakah?), I feel like my own personal festivities are well on their way. Thanksgiving was obviously wonderful and productive. And Chanuka starts this coming week! What insanity! I finished all my holiday shopping quite some time ago, and of course there were a few homemade gifts. Not nearly as many as last year. I did a lot of shopping with other crafters, however. I'm working on gifts for two friends, that I aim to finish and send out for Christmas. We don't normally exchange gifts, but these items just seemed so quick and perfect for the intended recipients that I thought it might be fun to send them a bit of handmade warmth. Part of the boy's gift came from a crafter on Etsy. I shipped a box off yesterday containing my handmade knitting as well as locally crafted items for my dearest friend from grad school. Mom's getting another local artisan find from the Sugarloaf craft fair- and although it's technically not a holiday gift, my father will be receiving half-handmade and half store-bought for his birthday gift this year (though of course he doesn't know it yet). Assuming I finish the thing- but I'm quite close now, so I'm not too worried. Even if I am driving down to my parents' home on Tuesday morning. And then technically I haven't finished a gift for the roommate, though I have a bit of time before that needs to be wrapped up and under the tree. Maybe I should get back to my knitting, nonetheless?

The purpose of this post was to signal something larger than just my own holiday gifting. I regret that I am not more charity-minded in general. I donate a small amount to my alma mater, since I am forever in debt to UMBC for a solid undergraduate education and being part of a special scholarship group. I join in a few crafting for charity efforts, and hope to do more of that in the coming year. I will also be participating in larger volunteering efforts over the next few months. That all still combines to a pretty pitiable showing, though. One opportunity has presented itself in the form of my Crafts Cluster, through GesherCity. Some members (with or without prodding) have agreed that we should make donating our crafts a priority, and we have already held a few "openly charity-minded" events with more to follow. One is tomorrow, in fact. We hope to make afghan squares and hats, scarves for Food and Friends' scarf drive, and little beaded animals as comfort for kids. The Celtic Knot up in Ellicott City also is instrumental in helping SOS with hand-knitted pink scarves. There are plenty of opportunities; it's just a matter of making them a priority.

I have also volunteered to knit for those in need in a slightly different manner. When I was a kid, I remember very vividly going to the local living history museums- places where the past was vibrantly alive (and reenacted). In Massachusetts I visited Old Sturbridge Village and Plimouth Plantation, and of course Canterbury Shaker Village in my home state of New Hampshire. I loved it- in fact, for years I assumed I would take my love of acting and history and become a reenactor at one of those sites or possibly at Williamsburg. Alas, I moved on to dreaming of becoming an English professor, and then falling into my current world of technical writing and software development business analysis... a bit of a jump from the 1620s environment I'd dreamed of as an ideal workplace. Being deathly allergic to horses probably wouldn't have helped. Frankly, I had rather forgotten my childhood career goal until recently, when I found the historical knitting groups on Ravelry. I already had a significant interest in historical knitting myself. Victorian lace has an obvious appeal for a former Victorianist, and the idea of knitting myself vintage stockings and vintage sweaters from original patterns is very enticing. My very first sweater was from a vintage-inspired pattern. To find a group of similarly history-entranced knittings on Rav was one thing, but then a woman posted about her job at Plimouth Plantation, which included needing to knit period stockings for every single reenactor in the encampment.

Hello, fortuitous aligning of the stars and heavens! I immediately requested a volunteer kit, and will be knitting some plain stockings as soon as I complete my last holiday knitting projects. I chose to do the basic pattern to start with, but they need a great deal of volunteer help, so I'd imagine I'll contribute more than just the one pair. My historic pattern and pretty wool have already arrived!


It may not be charity in the traditional sense, but I am so happy I can help. If you are interested in joining the effort, more information is available on their blog. They need stockings and gloves for lots of arms and legs, so I'm sure any knitter who can help would be welcome!

Thanksgiving is for Knitting

I had an eventful Thanksgiving vacation. I don't blog much about my personal life here, because I know you just came looking for the knitting pictures. Suffice it to say I got to spend lots of quality time with a few different families, and my own personal tall drink of water. I also heard stories about a spinning wheel in Hawaii, and family tales of knitters past and present. I'm thinking hard about my goal to learn spinning at 30. That is such an arbitrary number, and I picked it mostly so I wouldn't get tons of fiber while I still have so much yarn. If I keep going like I did this week, I might be able to start spinning next year! In between the long car rides and meeting lots of wonderful people and the delicious food and kisses there was also a great deal of XBox-watching and car-sitting knitting time. So much so that I've outdone myself.

First, I finished up the Endpaper Mitts (ignore that I haven't blocked a darn thing since I got home- that's a lot to ask of a girl, I think).


And my semi-artistic shot. Apparently I need to give myself a manicure, too.


After doing that, I figured I should work on a commissioned item. Does knitting for Sharyn, even by request, count as a commission? I would knit the world for her, in vegan yarns. People who like my knitting get showered with it. At any rate, they're very Fetching.


And modeled, by the same recalcitrant badly polished hand:


Lest I spend all my time knitting mitts for ladies, I started on one for a man. The boy tested it out for me, and deemed it man-sized. He's got huge hands though, so we'll see if it fits the intended recipient. I have modified the initial (glove) pattern significantly, to make it more fun and fingerless.


Mitts of all sorts are well enough for hands, but what about other extremities? Check out the Manly Sock! New and improved. I finished the first sock some moons ago, and had done half the ribbing for my second sock. But now I am up to the heel! Watching Halo III and Mass Effect is conducive to stockinette:


Finally, I managed to get a major amount of work done on the Super Secret Holiday Gift, but it's far too soon to show off pretty pictures of that.

Thanksgiving really is for knitting. And mashed potatoes- I'm equal opportunity.

I have already got my family's presents sitting under the Christmas tree in my apartment (which my Christian roommate sweetly put up while I was driving home from vacation). I am ready for an early Chanuka! So ready that I'm going to be spending it in Raleigh with the folks... And vacation with Mom means lots of crafting. Maybe this time I'll learn how to hand-quilt a bit better than last time? She finished hand quilting the wall hanging in LESS than a WEEK. She's a machine. It looks great- I hope to hang it this week, since it is so festively colored.
My Raleigh time will surely include some sewing and some piecework and a lot of knitting. It always does.

Half done, photo proof

Palm up:


Palm down:


I think I like it just the way it is.

Also, these are the fabrics for some upcoming projects. First, beautiful cottons to make bird Christmas tree ornaments for the Roommie and me (and maybe a few other people):


And blues for a gift project:


It may be cheating to just use lots of fabrics from the same line, but I was too in love with these to care. They are all Asian-inspired, with fish and symbols of joy and happiness, and of course peonies. We all need peonies in our lives. Can't wait to get working on it!