36 Days Until Christmas

I used to have a lot more of these.  I’ve been knitting, in fits and spurts, since May to make handmade, hand-knit dishcloths for my family for Christmas this year.  The plan was to give a set of three to each of the ladies, and then sit back while I convert all of them away from the Yellow Sponge.

I adore these dishcloths and seriously can’t get enough of them–I’ve been alternating between the Grandmother’s Favorite pattern and a 4 x 4 rib of my own (semi-lazy) design.

And I guess the reason I don’t have as many as I used to is exactly that: I really, really love them.  So I’ve been toting them around in a bag, working when I had the chance or when the family went on a long car trip, and each time I’d need a dishcloth and couldn’t find a clean one, I’d dip into the bag.  Oops.  So now, mathematically, each lady in the family is getting about three-quarters of a dishcloth for Christmas.  My bad.

But the eyelet border!  And they scrub glass!  You’ll never need another sponge again!!  Maybe I’ll make a sassy tag to put with them, and that way, the value will be clear…

Of course, I’ll never get any more dishcloths done if I keep doing what I did today: skipped over to Atlanta local yarn shop Knitch and picked up some yummy worsted wool and a pattern (plus new needles!) to make myself my very first sweater.  Woot!

Diana went with me and pointed out that I wasn’t straying too far from my usual color palette, but perhaps when one ventures into new territory one ought not stray too far from the path, yes?

This is almost certainly a 2011 project.  This year, I’m entering early into my resolution to learn to say “No!” (or as my mother likes to remind me, “NO!  Thank you.”) by finishing up some projects for my family and devoting my hours just slightly less strictly to work.  Our Advent calendar is nearly done (and just in time), and our eldest needs another stocking (last year’s was never quite quite, if you know what I mean).  I’m really enjoying sewing for them and playing and researching and growing and finding new things to get excited about.  And isn’t that what the holidays OUGHT to be?   A chance to renew ourselves and be reminded of what it is that makes life so sweet?

Best wishes to you and yours as you handmake your way to a special holiday this year.  There is still so much time before December 25–I hope you’ll have something with your personal touch waiting under the tree.