Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Holiday Tips

There are only 5 days left before Christmas. Are you ready? I know many of you are knitting Christmas presents this year (or Chanukah or Kwanzaa or whatever holiday you celebrate this year) and maybe the pressure is getting to you. Here are my knitting holiday tips.

1) Instead of giving everyone you know a handknit item, reserve them for special individuals or for someone you know would appreciate it. Nothing is more of an ego booster to a knitter than a receipient of their knitted goodness actually appreciating and then wearing the garment they've knitted.

2) Keep items small. Think hats, mittens, toys, baby booties. If you must knit something big, knit it for someone close to you like your mother or husband and make sure you have plenty of time to do it (yeah this would have been more useful 6 months ago).

3) Don't cry and complain about knitting for others. You placed it on yourself to knit 10 scarves with lacey details for all of your family.

4) If you're one to ruin a holiday because you're more concerned about getting everything done in time for the big day, you're missing the point of this holiday season. This is the time to relax and enjoy family and friends. If you find yourself overwhelmed, step back from the knitting, grab a cup of hot chocolate, and chill out with some loved ones.

5) Some great last minute gifts (and I mean the day before) are baby items or really small ornaments to hang on a tree. These wrist warmers are also great and can be made in many colors to fit everyone's tastes.

6) If you are half way done through a project and you know you won't finish it in time for Christmas, go out to the store and buy something else for that person. They don't have to know that you are knitting a sweater (or rather that you failed to get it to them in time for Christmas). By gifting them something else, you'll have more time to finish that sweater/hat/mitten/whatever and can get it to them next Christmas or for their birthday.

7) Instead of knitting for your family and friends, why not give your knitted goodness to people that actually need it. The Salvation Army, Good Will, or any other local charities in your area are a good place to start. International relief organizations would except your gifts as well.


I hope that these tips helped you guys put things more into perspective. Remember that there is more to Christmas than knitting. There's house cleaning and cooking too. So when Christmas day comes, if you have everyone's present all wrapped under the tree ready to go, great. But if you didn't finish a sweater for your Aunt Mary or didn't have enough time to complete a hat for your mother, don't stress over it. Have an alcoholic beverage, relax with your family, and act like a kid again.

6 comments:

meg said...

thankfully, i've only got one more thing to really get done (a pair of socks) but i know they won't be ready in time. i'm hoping to have one done by the 26th (when we open gifts with the in-laws) and will gift that one and show him the other wip which i intend to finish while still there.

if not, oh well. alcoholic beverages for everyone!

hope you're enjoying your time off and staying warm. those cookies lookes so delish yesterday!

Anonymous said...

That's why I only knit a few things & I started in January so I had plenty of time. Nothing worse than the pressure of last-minute knitting something insanely intricate!

Valerie Polichar said...

I really like these tips. They put the situation into perspective. Thanks for sharing them!

gray la gran said...

del is so virtuous ! ;)
i think she has the right idea, and i'm going to try to adopt that in the coming year ... and make things throughout the year. i also would like to do at least one charity knit or crochet project each month.
i have made or bought for most people i wanted to. if it's not done, then i just let it go. i had fully intended on knitting my mom some pippi kneestockings, but don't really think i can pull that off before monday.
she knows how stressed i make myself each year, so she just says, "don't worry about me! get things done for ___ & ____ first."
mom is the best. i can always count on her, and that's why she gets knitted gifts throughout the year.
so, tonight, i'm not working on any crafts, but cleaning house and making cookies.
happy holidays :)

Saun said...

Those are definitely words to live by. Christmas knitting can make folks so frantic. I'll definitely be chillin with the family with some hot chocolate in hand. I hope you have a great holiday.

Jimena said...

Pasé por aqui para desearte una muy linda Navidad y prospero año nuevo para vos y tu familia.
Besos!