A Family Rule

In our family we have a rule:  no one can buy anything for themselves within 30 days of a holiday, birthday, or special event.  As it's December 8th, my husband raised an eyebrow when I told him I had to go to the yarn shop.  I had determined I wanted to make something special for someone on my list, but needed a specific yarn to do it. I also needed yarn needles to do finish work, as mine have mysteriously disappeared.

That being said, I swung by a local yarn store.  I thought for sure they would have Classic Elite's Alpaca Sox!  They have a huge sock yarn section, and I know for a fact they carry Classic Elite yarn.  The owner wasn't there, and the girl that was tried ever so hard to find it for me.  I ended up leaving my name and phone number to see if it could be ordered as I had been there for a half an hour and my husband was waiting out in the car.

He actually came in the store at one point and found a button that will be my future avatar!  He purchased the button and the yarn needles and went out to the car to wait.  The girl watching the store told me at the checkout that I had "a lot of restraint" for not purchasing any of the other luxurious yarns that were there.  I quickly told her about the family rule and left.

On the way home, my husband demanded an explanation - how was it that I could buy yarn and not break the family rule?  I told him I needed that yarn in order to make a gift.  He grumbled, "It sounds like a loop hole to me!"  He really didn't have anything to grumble about - after all, I didn't bring home a substitute yarn!

Crochet Christmas Gifts

Crocheting Christmas gifts is a great way to show the recipient you care enough to devote your time and talent to them.  At this point, with Christmas a mere 3 weeks away, what can you start now and realistically complete in time?  Lots of things!

I like to crochet snowflakes out of size 10 thread to put in cards as teacher gifts.  A set of 6 crochet snowflake ornaments can be made in less than a week, as each takes a little over an hour to make.  Set aside an evening when all your snowflakes have been crocheted to soak in starch and pin out on a blocking board (wax paper over cardboard works great!)  Allow to dry overnight, and you pack them up the next day!

Hats and mittens only take a few hours to make as well, and a set is a wonderful gift.  If you don't know what the recipient's favorite color is, you can always pick the colors of the school they attend, or go with neutrals if they are out in the working world.

Kitchen and bath sets work up quickly as well.  Choose a color scheme and make dishcloths and pot holders - there are lots of free patterns on the web for these!  You can also find quick, easy crochet patterns for bath puffs, soap covers, baskets - almost anything you can think of for a gift of a bath set.

Open work shawls also can be crocheted relatively quickly.  For the man who has everything, crochet a scarf and hat set.  Electronic cozies for such things as cell phones and computer tablets can be made in a single evening.

Use up your stash and work on your gifts during lunch hour, riding the commuter bus, or waiting to see the dentist.  You will be amazed at how much you can get done in a such a small amount of time.  Crochet your holiday gifts, save money, and enjoy yourself!