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Knitting & Crocheting

Christmas Presents

18 years ago

What is everyone making for christmas presents this year? I'm in need of some new ideas. Not too much time left though, it's coming fast.

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Comments (11)

msmeow
18 years ago
I decided to take my life back and I'm making NO Christmas gifts this year. Instead my DH and I will be making a few charitable donations in honor of our family members. We all have so much stuff, and I was typically spending at least 6 months every year knocking myself out to make gifts, so this year I decided - NO MORE!

Donna
sheilajoyce_gw
18 years ago
Not making any this year. In years past I made large afghans for my sister and her husband. I also have made mufflers for the kids who live in colder climates.
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Check out the SFA University Mast Arboretum spring plant sale April 5 - starts at 9am. They have all kinds of oaks at good prices - young trees, easily planted. This is a sale I never miss - so many interesting things that cannot be found at nurseries. They have one in fall also, usually October 5-6. If you don't find a white oak by then, SFA will have it. Or you might try Cooks Nursery in Nacogdoches but theirs will probably be larger and expensive. SFA is your best bet probably. They publish a list of what they will have a couple of weeks before the sale - check the website. I just checked my fall list - they had "Quercus Alba" - white oak. Also Southern Red Oak, Mexican Royal Oak, Overcup Oak[have one of these, a wonderful tree], Burr Oak, Swamp Chestnut Oak, Chinquapin Oak, Shumard Red Oak, Pecos, Post Oak and Live Oaks. Lufkin gives away free trees on Arbor Day, January 31, at the Lufkin Mall from 9am - noon - pines and hardwood seedlings - you might find some white oaks there. Come early - there is always a line.
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Do you have a funny or awkward Christmas present story?
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I have one that is more strange than funny, but appropriate for a decorating forum. Many years ago, just before Christmas, my BIL and his wife remodeled their kitchen, using apples as a theme--dark red and forest green colors. My MIL called and told me that for Christmas she and FIL were buying BIL/SIL new dishes, to match their new kitchen. She described the dishes as having apples painted on them, with a dark green edge band. Then she said, "And we'd like to get you new dishes, too." I was thrilled, because I'd been thinking of buying a new set of dishes to replace our old odds-and-ends, but hadn't wanted to spend the money. I told my MIL this, and thanked her, and mentioned that either a cream color, or a light sage green would look good in my kitchen. MIL: "No, we're getting you the same dishes, with apples on them, because that's what FIL likes." Me: "But, we don't have anything with apples on it in our kitchen, and really, nothing red or forest green." (The kitchen had no theme--it was neutral with cream and tan, and some light blue-green vintage pottery.) MIL: "Well, that's what we're getting you, and I'm sure they'll be just fine." Me: "Um, OK, thank you. That's really nice of you." On Christmas I opened the package, thanked the in-laws again, then used the hated apple dishes for about a year and a half. One day when the in-laws showed up for family dinner, I put out my brand new cream and sage dishes, that I'd finally bought for myself, without saying a word. Neither of them ever mentioned my new dishes. I love my FIL and my late MIL, and that was so out of character for them, it still puzzles me. BTW, I packed away the apple dishes, until just recently, when my DD needed dishes for her new place. She was happy to see the familiar pattern, especially since the dishes came from her grandparents. :)
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Do you buy yourself a Christmas present?
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Comments (39)
I was raised to only buy something if you can pay for it outright. With the exception of cars, houses. To borrow money and pay interest or administration fees etc was is a waste of money. True but with this wisdom in mind it means that it takes a long time to buy the big wants. So this year I did a happy dance when a good sale came on for a camera, the old one was completely outdated and dead. So this was my BD and Christmas present to myself. By definition buying for yourself is not a gift but what would you call it then. This camera wasn't a need its is purely a "toy" for my enjoyment. The money that paid for it could have paid for necessities or put into savings so using it to pay for the camera was to me a gift to myself. I don't plan to sell anything or try to make extra cash to make up the money I used to buy it so to me this is a gift I bought myself. I also indulged by using my in store points earned over the last two years (not a credit card) at a local drugstore/grocery store to get a tablet. I could have used the points to get groceries or gifts for others but decided that I would use them on myself instead, another toy for me that I would consider a gift because I choose not to be practicle with these points. So to answer the OP question I do not usually buy myself gifts but this year treated myself really well. ( I also do not buy gifts to myself paid for buy someone else) I guess I should write myself a nice thank you note ... hmm :)
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Share a funny/embarrassing Christmas present story
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I have kind of a cute story. In 1982, I was a recent college-grad, newly moved to San Francisco, and during the Christmas season, I walked past the SPCA's adoption event on Market Street at lunchtime one day. I've always been a huge dog lover, and impulsively decided I wanted to buy all the dogs chews for Christmas, so I stopped for a few minutes to talk to the woman in charge to find out how many dogs there were in total, where I could drop the chews off, etc. We had a good 10-minute conversation. During our conversation, I was slightly aware of a youngish man standing off to the side of us, but Market St. is a busy street with lots of people around, so I didn't pay him much attention. Anyway, after I made a plan with the volunteer, I walked quickly away, because by now I was a bit delayed getting back to work after lunch. Half a block later or so, I suddenly, I felt a bit of a tug on my arm and turned to see the young man who had been listening to my conversation with the SPCA volunteer walking quickly as if to catch up with me. "Excuse me," he said, with a heavy Eastern European accent. "I sorry to be nosy -but I never see this before. You are buying shoes for all the dogs for Christmas?" It just cracked me up, to think of him sitting there thinking, "These crazy Americans, they buy shoes for their dogs!" I think I got him straight, but the funny thing is now, nearly forty years later, it wouldn't seem all that bizarre to buy shoes for dogs!
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anne_b
18 years ago
Well, my son-in-law is already gently asking about the possibility of new work socks! For the last few years, it has been his absolutely favorite gift - he is a carpenter with much outside work in the winter, and says my socks are the only thing keeping his feet warm. How can I resist? Also, several of my friends have discovered the Moebious scarf - I made one for myself last year, and they saw it and loved it, so I am making a few for gifts. I always keep a supply of Norwegian-style mittens on hand, in various color and size, for Instant Gifts as needed. Our mailperson is getting socks, knitted with self-striping yarn in shades of blue. I call them "Unofficial USPS Footwear" and Husband made a neat tag for them. The crew at the local lab/bloodbank where we spend a lot of time (I am a 15 gallon donor) will get a basket full of red, green and cream-colored washcloths, rolled up and tied with ribbons and jingle bells - it really looks festive!
Personally, I am hoping for gift cards to the local yarn shop . .
sheilajoyce_gw
18 years ago
Anne, you are making me think I ought to try socks. I assume you use a fine wool yarn? DS lives in NYC and walks a lot. Maybe he would wear a gift pair of socks??? I think I will need to practice first. So it will have to be a birthday gift.
anne_b
18 years ago
Sheilajoyce, you will love making socks! The wool I use for SIL's socks is from Norway - 75% wool, 25% nylon - andmakes strong, thick socks, by SIL's request. My daughter likes thinner socks. For her I have made several pairs from Lion Brand's Magic Stripes - the band on the ball also has an excellent pattern for newcomers to the sock knitting world. But there are so many good and interesting yarns; I prefer the ones with a bit of nylon in them for strength.
Have fun!
lawmar
Original Author
18 years ago
Well, I have made a cashmerino hat and scarf for one of my sisters and am working on the same for my other sister and I made socks for 3 of my neices and one of those ladder yarn scarves for another neice, a bowtie scarf for my sisters friend and assorted dish cloths for friends and family. I can't wait to get done with this last scarf and can finally do some leisurely knitting. I have been wanting to make a sweater for my cat and never seem to get to it, but I am going to soon as I get done with all this other stuff.
donna_loomis
18 years ago
Like the other Donna above, NONE! Okay, now if this gets too sappy, just back out now. Fact is, we have decided that our love is our gift to each other, and we celebrate that. That is, after all, what Christmas IS all about, isn't it? The ultimate Christmas gift - God's love for us! So, we have a huge family get together, with maybe a cookie exchange - now face it, bringing that all together is enough stress, isn't it? I do give a few Christmas gifts, but who wants the added stress of having to complete everything by a particular date? So, instead, I just keep those hooks and needles moving all year, and when I'm done with a project it is given to the intended recipient at that time. I recently finished a few things that haven't gone to their new homes yet: socks for my SIL, a ponchette for my daughter.

And there are some members of the family who aren't financially able to give to everyone, (even though that wouldn't bother any possible recipient, it would still bother me if everyone else gave to all, and I couldn't do the same) and this way the emphasis is not on what people give, but the enjoyment everyone gets from being in the company of the people they love and call family.

Having said all that, I love to give, give, give! And I have several projects going at the moment, I just finished a white crocheted round ripple baby afghan for a mother-to-be at church, started a knit round ripple baby afghan for another mother-to-be at church, fingerless gloves (for myself!), knit potholders for a friend I haven't met in Ohio, a crocheted giant panda for another friend I haven't met in Ohio (both of these were "met" on one or another forum and recommended this one to me), and several scarves.
itsmesuzq
18 years ago
I'm rather new to crocheting, but I've been turning out scarfs, blankets and washclothes like crazy. The fun thing is to see how much better I am with each piece! As for my Christmas project - my daughter has asked for a poncho. So I'm going to start this weekend (as soon as I make the final decision on the pattern) and hopefully I'll have it done by the 25th!

Oh, if anyone has a favorite "easy" pattern I'm very open to suggestions.
~Susan
sheilajoyce_gw
18 years ago
That Martha Stewart poncho pattern looks easy and also quick.
JDee
18 years ago
Just a couple of knitted scrafs for a daughter and daugher in-law. One is almost completed.
quiltmom
18 years ago
"sheliajoyce" the Martha Stewart poncho is sooooo simple to crochet. I'm on my second one and should be done by the weekend. I am making three one for each of my daughters for Christmas presents.

I highly recommend giving them a try - I want to make myself one when I'm done with theirs.

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