Christmas Cross Crafting..

Before I was a knitter, I was a crafter. I've been a crafter my whole life and I think a huge part of it was kick started by Christmas. My mom has always decorated the house like mad for Christmas, before it was the norm and Christmas was shoved down our throats as it is today.

In early December, my mom would put a card table up in my room and I'd get out all my crafty stuff; glue, scissors, markers, construction paper and GLITTER. Oh ya, I think Christmas was totally glitter to me. I'd make handmade ornaments, cards, gifts etc. This started in 2nd or 3rd grade and I've had a love affair with glitter ever since. Oh and crafts too.


The tree is up and I was looking at some of the ornaments I've made over the years. It's fun to have the memories of creating them! The most recent CraftyPod made me think of these things.

My Family Advent Calendar

In Sister Diane's' blog she mentions her Advent Calendar, which reminded me of the one I have. I created it as a replica of the one I grew up with. It's made with felt and gold Ric Rac. The Ric Rac is the important part! It has to be shiny.
My mother would pin up 2 candy canes for all 25 days (for my brother and me) and we'd get to take one down every night in December and put up an ornament. It's such a highlight of my childhood that I wanted to recreate one for my girls. My mom got hers about 35 years ago at a craftfair. We were living in Spain at the time (my dad was a AF Pilot) and the fair was held by the military wives. All the ornaments were from around Europe and unique. My mom gave me a handful of the surviving ones for my calendar. I also made a calendar for my brother and his family with some of the old ones as well as some new. I'm so glad I made them, my kids love it.

I don't put candy canes up because my kids won't eat them, instead they get a dollar store gift each night. (Lip gloss, stickers, pencil...etc..) I've wrapped them each and put them in a sack. They close their eyes and pull one out. It's cool to give them holiday items they can actually use during the season! I hate giving them cute hair bows and things on Christmas, because then the season's kinda over!

I've started watching Needles Arts Studio on PBS. I like it since it has a variety of crafts. I've got a total itch to cross-stitch again. It's really fun, just not an easy craft for when you have little little ones but now my 'baby' is almost 4 so I think I'm going to have to dig out my floss again!

We are in the process of finishing our attic for our daughters to move into. The carpet will be installed on the 13th and we'll get them up their by the 18th. I swear it's a palace. Their room is over 800 sq ft....anyway when they move, /I/ get their old room! Well sort of..it's a guest room/craft room and I can't wait! I see a bit more sewing in my future as well as digging out various old projects of all kinds.

Attic conversion in progress

Thanks to everyone for the well wishes. I am feeling better and am no longer hacking up unpleasant things (ewwww). I haven't gotten into the swing of the holidays yet. I think that has to do with finishing the attic..it's just taken so much out of all of us! My husband and father-in-law have done all the work. They been working on it since we moved in last June, as in 2006. fun fun. Anyway, I'm thinking about taking a year off from the Christmas Cards...do you think I'll be struck down or something?

The knitting does continue. I've added two dishcloths to the pile. They are nice and easy..well except the cotton! I can do them for awhile, but then have to take a break from the yarn.



I've turned the heel on the first of mom's jaywalkers. I'm making them a tad short to ensure I don't run out of yarn this time.


Hope everyone's cranking along on their holiday knitting, if they are doing some!