It’s looking like winter outside… our pool doesn’t seem nearly so inviting as it did in July.
Since it’s finally winter and I enjoy sitting around under a warm blanket and doing something pointless, I signed up for a handmade challenge on facebook. I promised to make something with my own two hands for five friends before the year is up and I get to look forward to a handmade gift in my own mailbox, too. And as I think of my promise, I remember how easily my handmade projects can turn into homemade messes.
I don’t know why store-bought appealed to me so much when I was younger but it did… perhaps because we had lots of handmade things because my parents often improvised ways to stretch their resources by adding a little of their own efforts. I didn’t appreciate that nearly as much as I should have back then. I do now. I love to receive something someone has put their creativity and talent into. Something that can’t be purchased. Something made with hands.
My niece poured a bit of herself into this sweet cup that I enjoy my tea in often. And the little saucer in the background, too… I love them. I love thinking of her every time I use them.
We had the knitting and crochet out while they were visiting over Christmas holidays… she had a colorful beanie going for herself and a bright scarf for a friend. Both were looking really cute by the time she left.
I crocheted a hat, too, over a couple of days… but mine turned out too big, too loose, too everything.
My kids think it would be fine if I owned a beautiful black afro instead of mousy graying flat dishwater blonde hair. Trust me… if you saw the back, you would agree. So I’ll have to settle for this fleece headband I stitched together in five minutes and try again on the crocheted hat. The mittens that I tried to make to go with the headband? We won’t even talk about the shapeless blobs those turned into.
As for the challenge, I’m still not entirely sure what will end up in the packages. Hopefully a couple of little things. And hopefully they’ll be worthy of the “handmade” label, instead of the homemade horror that some of my projects have turned into. While my artistic overly ambitious self wants to make lovely ceramic cups for each of them, my frugal self is telling me that won’t be happening. And my easily bogged down with details self is telling me to keep it simple or it won’t happen at all.
I’ve had fairly good luck in the past knitting useful cotton dishcloths… Maybe I’ll see what I can do with these.
Something tells me my friends won’t want floppy red hats.
I hear ya on the handmade stuff…too many times I’ve gotten disgusted with the way something turned out…many many flops…but the things that turn out correctly make up for it
I should have responded and you could have “hand-made” me some awesome furniture… Suppose it might have been difficult to ship though!
I thought about that, too, Wanda, and came to the same conclusion. You could always come pick it up.
One of my deares,t MOST treasured gifts is something, a couple of bloggers have made for me. It was their heart that went into it…makes it so special.
hey..i love the red floppy hat. i would skitter with joy if i could make a hat..one of these days……