Since it is that time of the year
I thought I'd share one my seasonal pitfalls. This is otherwise known as the
Christmas crafting crunch! I am absolutely horrible at estimating the length of
time I need per item and type of craft. Possibly it's because I micromanage
everyone else's crafting as well and all too often end up with my fingers in
too many pots.
Let's face it though, I'm truly
the only one with a crafting bug and everyone else just goes along with it. As
I have other requirements on my time such as this blog, bible study, physical
therapy, household stuff, babysitting, shopping, helping minion with end of the
semester homework and crafting projects, all the recent school events and
whatever else comes up in the next week this is indeed a challenge with only a
week left to go.
My planned craft projects for
this Christmas include a throw blanket made entirely from scraps and crocheted
as a sampler (that is a lot of different squares made from different stitches).
This is the only project I can say I started on before Halloween. In fact it
was a challenge that went out to everyone in a social group I was in and
although I left that group quite some time ago I haven't forgotten the
challenge. It was a motivational exercise to get people thinking and inspired.
It was put simply: make a blanket out of whatever one had on hand. So I did.
Unfortunately it is a very wonky
blanket. The scraps of yarn I used were all different weights--some is baby
fine, some is bulky, some stretches, some doesn't. Since I made this in bits
and pieces it was easy to take it with me and work on it in the car or at the
Drs., etc. However with all the traveling none of the gauges came out quite
right. Kind of hard to keep your stitches even when you’re bouncing along the
highway and dirt roads in my opinion. It is indeed a very wonky blanket sized
at 56"x 72" without the border. I remained true to the challenge and
did not purchase a single thing to make it. This is how it looks. The pictures
of individual squares highlight what would now be called vintage yarns as they
were left over from the 1970's, good preparedness can sometimes lead to
hoarding impulses.
I also made a small purse for minion
but you can't tell. It's a secret. It's made from one of the legs I cut off her
jeans this summer. It has a crocheted flap and strap. I initially got the idea
off the Internet. I cannot say I've followed anything other than the first step
in those instructions. Me being me and minion being minion, I immediately had
to change it. I've added eyelets so that I could crochet the flap and strap
directly to the main body, rather than crocheting the flap and strap and sewing
them on. The pant leg was rather worn so it seemed a sturdier option. I can't
say if it was a bit more work or not but it seemed to come along fine. The
final result seems to be a flap that’s much more flexible. Minion is tough on
stuff so I hope it holds up.
I am currently in the midst of
making a Double layer fleece quilt with crocheted edges for my grandsons'
toddler bed. Then I have some candle
holders to make with glass bevels and some reclaimed wood. Then possibly some
Jar mixes and some crocheted bookmarks. I finally but certainly not last I
finished and will send off the little crocheted angels I made for my 2012
"pay it forward" gifts that I agreed to nearly a year ago as well.
They will probably ship in January though.
The Mr.'s help is valuable and
much appreciated while making gifts and I could not get them completed without
him.
On the supply side....It had been
awhile since the craft paint was out so that got replaced but we had everything
else in the house. Minion is collecting veggie cans and beads, and popsicle
sticks for her crafts and Other assorted crafting bling has also found its way
into the sewing room as well. The Mr. may or may not have something up his
sleeve in all likelihood I won't know until the day and hour of gifting
arrives.
You can see some of these ideas
at Kaya Self Sufficiency on pinterest. While most of the pins come from
elsewhere we thought it would be a good way to present another opportunity for
you to interact with us here at Kaya. It also provides a nice visual aid for
future blog ideas. If you haven't been to pinterest I offer only this advice
make sure you have some free time. It will suck you in just like that Tornado
swallowed Dorothy and the result is no less wondrous or time consuming than a
trip to Oz.
So Are you ready for Christmas or
are you like me? That is, are you running about like a chicken with no head
making a mad dash to finish the projects you committed to on time?
Blessed be and Happy Holidays. I
want to let you know there will not be a blog on Christmas Eve or the following
Friday due to the holiday and thusly no book review. Who has time to read with
all these projects? I promise I will do one in January.
Sincerely
Wifeofaprepper
As always you can join the Facebook group, like
the Facebook
community page, and visit the website. All of these are
conveniently called “Kaya Self
Sufficiency”. I hope you have enjoyed this post and I hope you are getting
better at providing as much as you can for yourself and for your family, group,
or community.
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