"Would you ever change your blog post?" my mother said. "I'm sick of looking at a picture of knickers with a question mark on it."As many of you might have suspected by now, my parents believe that this blog is for them and that they ought to star in it on a more regular basis. Sadly I have to disappoint them this evening, because today we're going to talk about the one time of the year when crocheting becomes a chore: Advent.
Advent is not that much of a deal in Ireland, but it certainly is in this part of the world. Not least because the fourth Sunday before Christmas marks the traditional opening of the Christmas markets. Much of the profit made in pre-Christmas Bavaria is probably generated by shoppers buying their seasonal presents with a couple of beakers of mulled wine (Glühwein - literally, glow wine) inside and the Christmas markets are to blame/thank for that. Anyway, the opening of the markets makes me shudder because it usually coincides with an avalanche of pre-Christmas exam correction and a tsunami of crocheted gifts.
Oh, handmade gifts. Sigh.
I hate buying presents - I basically want the giftee to tell me what they want and I'll just wrap it up - but making gifts is even hairier. For example, I thought I'd give my sister-in-law some nice cushions for her dark red sofa. Her apartment has lots of wood and bright, quirky colours, so I made some nice granny square cushions in bright, quirky colours:
Fortunately - I say 'fortunately' now, but at the time, there was a lot of inner teeth-gnashing and fist-shaking - I showed her photos of some of my cushions the last time we met in a casual, "Oh-what-do-you-think-of-these?" way. She thought the above cushions were nice, but she thought these cushions were lovely:
So I've gone back to the drawing board - or, in this case, the teeny-tiny hook and the super-skinny sock yarn. And I have two more of these to do by Christmas Eve.
Sob.
15 comments:
Just when you think you have it figured out they throw you a curve! They are lovely pillows Mrs. Gingerbread!
Sigh. It is so hard to balance the desire to give something the giftee really, really, really wants with the desire to still have working fingers by the time Christmas arrives, isn't it? I love the grannies to though :).
I love both sets of cushions but if I was pushed for a favourite, I would go for the granny ones.
I share your pain, I have resisted asking about wants/likes in any way connected to what I am making for fear of a similar result. Once it is finished I won't mind so much of they don't like it as they will be far too polite to say so. I love both sets of cushions but the black background is my fave.
Awww, I know EXACTLY what you mean! I get so stressed out at Christmas time, sometimes I don't even give gifts - or I give something super easy. I would rather give those personalized, time-consuming gifts throughout the year
Ha ha serves you right for asking. Awww well I love your cushions and think I prefer them to the fussiness of the others but each to their own. Xx
Ah big mistake giving the giftee waay too much choice! had she not seen the last set she would have been happy with one of the others!!! LOL Anyway happy hooking hope you get them done. ♥
I am an old lady and, well, I'm with your mum. Rather glad to see the knickers move down a post. (We old geezers must stick together.)
These are all such nice cushions it would be hard for me to choose. I will say that I, too, am a pushover for bright colors rimmed by black. Pretty classy in my humble opinion.
I'm with Sara. Both sets are beautiful but my favorite by far are the granny's.
I just finished the last of my gifts. I cannot believe it. I've been promising myself that I would do this, (start earlier to be done earlier), for years and I finally did it. Such a relief.
Blessings,
Betsy
http://betsy-thesimplelifeofaqueen.blogspot.com
I hate, hate, hate deadline crafting. So why do I put myself through it every Christmas season? I despise crafting to someone elses specifications. So why do I do it every Christmas season? I think if Christmas were the month AFTER instead of the month BEFORE New Years holiday that I could keep my annual resolution to NOT do custom-request, deadline-driven crafting. But alas, 10 months is just too long for me to remember the pain of LAST Christmas and so I repeat the annual agony.
A little late to this party of comments, but...wow. I missed this post when you originally launched it. In addition to crochet, I also have a passion for photography. I have run into the same thing with photos...it's a little "blue" or a little "yellow" or a little "too pink"...well, of course it is. And I'm the artist and it's the way I WANT IT! If you want it differently, you learn how to do it and take care of it yourself! LOL Having said all that...I am in total LOVE with the motifs joined in black! I find myself gravitating to bright colors that are "popped" by black. Was there a pattern for that cushion or did you create that? Or have you already said so and I'm being a dunce? Sorry if you have. Good gracious, that is just beyond gorgeous! Hugs, Annette
Making gifts for family is so hard for me. I did it 3 years in a row and it seemed like the gifts were unloved completely. Now it's chocolate gifts and lottery scratchers..I don't want to ruin my love for crochet simply because my in laws dislike the things I make. Instead... I started a company around charity crocheting for the holidays. I love being about to make and then give to people who actually LOVE the items I give. It give me a nice warm feeling.. Love your blog.. :)
Hi Inkbean! Thank you for the kind compliment - and what a lovely idea to give something back through crochet. I'm sorry your family don't appreciate it, though, but I know some mother somewhere will be so happy to have your blanket for her baby...
Petunia: I replied on your blog ;-) But, yes, I know the burden of perfectionism... gosh, if I only felt it about housework ...
the non square cushions are the absolute BEST!!!!!!!!
Happy new year!
Neomi
Hi
I just found your blog by accident and I love it!
I love, love, love your grannies! And, I love the black rimmed one, too!
I would love a pattern for the black-rimmed one, if you have it, or legally can share it.
You have the greatest eye for color and your work is lovely, lovely, lovely! Perks up the viewer immediately. Thanks so much for sharing with us!
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