Been Busy for the Holidays

The last time I posted I had been writing about my trip to Ireland.  Time has completely gotten away from me and I got very busy with the holidays.  I will get back to my description of my Ireland trip and even give you a post about my two week trip to Italy.  This post, however, will be about my gift making for the holidays.

Before Thanksgiving I was using my new studio quite a bit...that was before our deep freeze here in southern Oregon. I wanted to send something to my cousins in Ireland, so I wound and threaded a Christmas colored warp for table runners.  I made five of the above runners and the first day I was able to leave my house after our six inches of snow on Dec. 6th I put them in the mail to my cousins.

Next up, I discovered a book I had ordered some time early in the year, "55 Christmas Balls to Knit" by Arne Nerjordet and Carlos Zachrison.  These fellows are Scandinavian sweater designers who live in Oslo, Norway.  I love charts.  Give me cables or stranded knitting and I am happy.  There are 55 charts to follow in this book and the directions produce some of the most charming Christmas balls I have ever made.  I made three of these balls stuffing them with wool fleece and lavender.  My intention was to knit enough to decorate my tree but the above three were given away in ornament exchanges and as gifts.  I can knit and stuff one of these balls in an evening, so making all 55 balls by next Christmas will not be an impossible task.

I usually give each of my coworkers in the Case Management Department of the hospital where I work a little something for Christmas.  This year my embroidery machine was smoking (not really) as I made each person an ornament to hang on their tree.  I have an attachment for my sewing machine that allows me to sew in a perfect circle. These were quick, cute and personal. In addition, I was able to use some of my fabric stash.

There is one fellow in the Case Management Department, Ron.  Ron loves pretzels, so I gave him a bag of pretzels.  How do you gift a bag of pretzels?  You make a gift bag and give the man a bag of "Jolly".

I have had this very cute blueberry fabric in my stash for a while.  I always bring my sister-in-law in Bremerton, WA a little something handmade when we visit.  Since we plan a visit soon, I decided to make these hot pads with an Jacobean embroidery of blueberries in the center.  If my kitchen were blue, I would make some for myself.  But since my color scheme is tan, gray, peach and black I will have to make something else for myself. I have something else on one of the looms in the studio that will go well in my kitchen.  In the meantime, my sister-in-law will get to enjoy these.

I have one more gift to give.  This was hot off the sewing machine yesterday.  This is a wine bag with matching coasters.  The wine for this bag will be matched to the recipient's taste.

This year I was able to assemble and mail my Christmas cards on time.  Each year I try to include a little bit of handweaving in my hand made cards.  Last year the warp remained on the loom until after Christmas.  This year the warp was woven, cut and included in our cards.  I made over 40 cards this year. Each year I promise myself that I will make my Christmas cards in the summer.  Somehow, temperatures in the high 90's just doesn't lend itself to the Christmas spirit.  I do have my idea for the 2014 Christmas card, so maybe I will get started.

My husband and I decided this year that we would give ourselves a new wood burning stove.  The cold temperatures this month have proven too much for our current wood stove to keep up with heating our house.  We have a heat pump but heating with wood in the winter is just cozy and wonderful.  Besides,  I have wanted a stove that I could cook on should we loose power.  We bought a Blaze King and John is in the process of hooking it up.  I am looking forward to a much warmer house and a more efficient stove.

There were a few more things that I have made, but since Christmas has not come yet, I am not going to post them.  I do think that Santa's workshop has done enough for this year.  Tell you about other things I have been working on later.