Christmas knitting

I am spurred to write this because of the Yarn Harlot's annual I've got the Christmas knitting undercontrol post. This year's Unstoppable was posted Monday, Dec. 1...basically spitting into the wind.

My holiday knitting plan is different. I knit - and then decide who gets the item. A very simple solution. This comes from many years spent laboring over hand-quilted, -sewn, -crocheted, and -knitted gifts that have been treated as if they were bought at WalMart.* I admit to several post-holiday times when I'd find my carefully made item in the kids' toy box or under a plant or somehow in harm's way. It took me years to finally realize and accept that most people mean well - but they have been raised in a throw-away society.

We'll buy another one later.

And when they see all the cheap handmade items in the stores (and don't see all the poorly paid labor that went into making them) no wonder they don't respect my gifts! I'm not holding myself up as someone beyond this mentality! I can be just as wasteful as the next guy. But I am learning. And I am drawing a line.

This year's holiday knitting goes to afghans for Afghans and Macuwita Sni (South Dakota).

And maybe I should start thinking about my New Year's resolutions -

• be more public in my knitting/quilting/spinning
• start teaching these arts and crafts
  

Maybe. We'll see. In the meantime, I need to get some boxes packed and shipped off! Good luck, Yarn Harlot!

*NB: I do have a few people (only one of which is a Muggle, though) that appreciate and respect my labor. They've been known to get a present or two from me.