As I’ve said before, cooler weather gets me in the mood for comfort foods. One of my favorite comfort foods is a nice, hot bowl of beef stew paired with a big chunk of freshly baked bread. Mmmmmmm! In addition to that, cooler weather brings for me the mood to knit. I think it must have something to do with the desire to keep warm- you’re sitting there in your house, watching Vanity Fair or Pride and Prejudice (for the hundredth time) knitting along on a pair of socks, and visualizing how warm and toasty those nice wool socks are going to keep your toes on a snowy day! If you’re a knitter like me, and if you LOVE knitting socks like I do- here’s a good book you’ll enjoy:
Folk Socks by Nancy Bush is one of my favorite knitting books. It features pages of interesting information on the history of knitted socks, socks from around the world, and has about 18 sock patterns inspired by international socks. She also includes a number of heel and toe variations that you can try. It’s a great book, and the patterns range from simple and easy for the beginner to much more complex patterns for the advanced knitter.
In the same tradition as Folk Socks, there is also Cheryl Oberle’s Folk Shawls. This one contains absolutely gorgeous patterns for lovely knitted shawls and wraps. Like Folk Socks, it also contains numerous anecdotes and photographs of original knitted shawls from around the world. I have both of these books and absolutely adore them- the patterns they offer are beautiful, and contain projects for the beginner to the advanced knitter. If you’re a knitter, and you don’t already have these books, you gotta get them! You’ll be inspired to knit lovely things for your friends and family this Christmas.
Speaking of making things for Christmas- I’d like to introduce you to (if you havent already discovered) one of my favorite websites, Etsy. Etsy is, as they put it, “your place to buy and sell all things homemade.” Pretty self explainatory, isnt it? Etsy has TONS of beautiful things to buy that people like you and me have lovingly created. You can find everything from hand knitted sweaters to handmade jewelery to handmade pottery and even non handmade items like vintage fabrics, magazines, etc etc. Basically, Etsy is everything anti-corporate and anti-cookiecutter. Last year at Christmas I made the pledge to buy handmade, and I’m going to do the same this year.
While I wasn’t able to make everything at Christmas last year handmade, I made sure a portion of my gifts were. This year, I fully intend on making sure there are even more handmade gifts given from me at Christmas. Basically folks, this is what it boils down to… here in America we’ve become rabid consumerists. We always want the biggest and the best and the shiniest and the newest. Christmas time has become this forced holiday with little meaning anymore. It isnt even Thanksgiving and the stores are out with Christmas products, commercials on the television are already speaking about Christmas gifts and we’re already being bombarded with pressure to buy.
This year, instead of purchasing a meaningless gift from some random big box store- why not go to Etsy and purchase a handmade item that you know a loved one would truely enjoy? Instead of supporting greedy coorporate America, why not support the stay at home mom who knits sweaters in her spare time? Or the art student who is talented at making jewelry? Etsy even has a function where you can find Etsy sellers in your area- so not only can you support these incredible folks here who make beautiful objects- but you can support those who are local to you. You’ll be giving a gift that was crafted by someone who cares, not pressed out by some machine- or worse yet, made by little kids in some third world country.
Last Christmas I didn’t have a lot of money, so I made my sister and one of my friends handmade tote bags. I used lovely fabric I had purchased before, and I embellished them with ribbon and vintage buttons. Both my sister and my friend were thrilled with them, and were astonished that I took the time to make them something personal, as opposed to going and buying them something random off the rack. In years past I’ve made friends knitted scarves and socks, and a variety of other things. There is just something more special about presenting a gift that you had to think about and create yourself than just going and buying something from any old big box store. So please, this year if you can- make some handmade gifts to give to your loved ones… and if you don’t feel you’re talented enough to do so- join Etsy and purchase a handmade gift from there. Support the Christmas spirit, which should be more about closeness and sharing with those we love than about the gross consumerism which has almost destroyed the Christmas magic.
Anyway, thats all I think for today! Enjoy!
[...] was doing this I stumbled upon two different friends blogs who were talking about the same things (Lets Get Retro & Tribal Witch). Both have the good idea of giving things that are handmade or homemade. [...]