The Importance of Handmade

This is really, the only good thing I can think of right now. (see above)
The minute I clear my Thanksgiving plate, the panic set in. The holidays are here! Oh crap, I’ve done nothing as far as shopping for gifts and I hate crowds and, and, wait! I’ve made a pledge to buy handmade, (and make and give handmade gifts this year). So it won’t be so bad. I’m not only a jewelry designer these days, I’ve accumulated many other craft skills along the way. This year there is knitting and crocheting to go on that list. So guys can benefit from my handmade skills as well. Or not. Granted, some of my gift recipients aren’t going to appreciate a handmade gift, so tough on most of them because they may be getting one. And, some recipients, in order to make their handmade gift, I should have started, well 3 years ago. Thank goodness for my local Target and my internet.
So here’s a sampling of what I’ve done, without naming names. And if you read my blog and are in my family, read no further, click your back button and wait until after the holidays to read this. I have not listed all of them, but enough to give a feeling of accomplishment.
So
Don’t
Go
Any
Further
If
You
Are
Family!!!
I’ve knitted this wonderful scarf for one lucky gift getter guy. It’s nice and warm and since he lives where it’s cold and windy, this should be a fabulous gift and he will be forever indebted to me….yeah, like that’s going to happen.


This is a half handmade gift. I bought these amazing little keychains that you can download pictures on. I’ve accumulated pictures from family members and uploaded them onto these nifty contraptions, so the guys in our family will be getting these. Shhhh, don’t tell them.
Then there are the knitted mini-mittens. As a little extra, I’ve knitted these adorable little guys for packages and little extras.
Resin glitter flower rings were a brief obsession and experiment which I have to admit, I’m a little disappointed with. I like the results of the ones that turned out but that was about half of the ones that I made. They aren’t easy and let’s just say, air bubbles are not my friends. I may make more, but it’s very time consuming and messy, because I always find a way to get messy. And this resin doesn’t come off easy when wet. Have you ever silicon sealed your tile? If so, it’s that same feeling. Yucky. Oh, and these rings are for the nieces, plus tanks handmade by Rebe who I found at Felt Club XL Holiday this year. Theirs are a different design and color.
“Fame, I’m going to live forever.” Yes, that’s what keeps playing in my mind because I knitted these legwarmers for my daughter. I used the easy legwarmers pattern from “Last Minute Knitted Gifts” by Joelle Hoverson. The book has some great ideas. I’m also working on a scarf for a friend from this book.

With a feeling of accomplishment as stated above and a continued panic, I’m currently in the middle of required and necessary 4 projects and another of no significance which is costing me a fortune and is so time consuming (that will be another post.)