With the arrival of the autumnal equinox, fall is well and truly here. There’s a nip in the morning air here in the Chama Valley as we open the shop which makes weaving and working with wool for the day all the more appealing. Time to sit down and sort through our stash and our notions to take stock of our stores and begin…holiday crafting‽
Yes, dear readers, the time to begin crafting for the holidays is now. Yes, we know that “Christmas seems to come earlier every year,” but how many of us have oh-so-optimistically sat down on December 1st and made a list of gifts we’d like to craft for our loved ones only to find that December 24th is already here and so few (if any) of those projected projects have come into being? It happens – we’ve all done it – and the way to prevent those yarns you bought for a one-of-a-kind gift from permanently joining your stash for the coming year is to begin planning and crafting now.
Make your list – and check it twice!
Not everyone needs – or wants – to receive a handcrafted gift, so make your list of recipients and then edit. Consider who will really love, appreciate, and (most importantly) use your creations and then concentrate your creative energy on creating gifts for those recipients. Then check your list again and consider the scope and size of the project you’ve selected for each person. Ask yourself if you can realistically complete what you’ve set yourself to do in the time you have and if you can accomplish it without undue stress or frustration. Handmade gifts should come from the heart, not from heartburn!
Consider the gift and the receiver
Your sister would certainly love a full-size Rio Grande style tapestry wall-hanging – except she has no place to hang it in her small city apartment. A set of pillows or placemats that coordinate with her existing décor might allow her to use and enjoy your creation year-round now instead of storing it until she moves to a bigger place.
Shop your stash first!
Odds are good that you don’t need to purchase all-new yarn and notions for your holiday projects. Once you’ve decided on the projects you’re going to start, look through the yarns you have available before you order. (This will also give you a nice opportunity to give your stash a little organizational love – see last month’s blog!) Challenge yourself to use at least one yarn you already have stashed in your holiday projects. As you’ve no doubt heard before, “necessity is the mother of invention” – sometimes giving yourself a few rules to work with can really spark your creativity.
Consider sharing your love for wool and craft in other ways
Your 10-year-old niece might not be interested in receiving a handwoven table runner (even in highly attractive shades of pink and purple), but she might just love a lap loom with enough yarn to make her very first woven scarf. You two can use this learning activity to build connection and memories together – and also introduce a new generation to the satisfaction and pride of handcraft.
Ready to wind your warp for a happy, handcrafted holiday? We can’t wait to see what you create!