Christmas Crafting: The Madeline Cowl and How I'm Shopping This Season

Somewhere between a cowl and a shawl, this quick-knit is a good gift:

I should have positioned this off-centre but it didn't happen. Try to imagine it.

Madeleine Cowl by Teresa Chorzepa

This 50-row, 133 stitch project took 2 evenings. Then I wet blocked it and dried it using blocking wires to stabilize the shape (another day and a half). Then I spent 10 minutes seaming it up. You could easily make 5 of them before Xmas and they do look chic / serve a valuable function.

While I swore that I wouldn't be making any gifts this Xmas - in light of my commitment to conserve energy - I have busy-knit a bunch of things that seem better suited to friends or family. This is one of those items. I sense it will be wonderful on Hilary. How fortunate that she is having her traditional (and very exclusive - just our two families) tree-trimming party tomorrow, wherein gifts may be exchanged. I'm trying to resist baking something for that gathering, but I don't know how I can go to a Christmas-themed event without turning up like the treat Santa. I did find some perfect hand-made ornaments for the kids on Etsy, from CarynBay's shop. The arms are made of actual twigs?!

Not only did I say I wouldn't make or bake stuff, I've also committed not to shopping in stores this year. Partly, I just can't stand the crowds. Partly, it takes too much energy. Partly, I'm afraid of germs. By the time I go to work, I really don't have much left over.

Now, I have had to go into stores for a couple of items I couldn't get online (absurdly), but I was able to roll that "real" shopping into lunch.

I've had a steady parade of parcels arriving from all over the world since the middle of October. Seriously, it takes 3 minutes to buy a present online and then YOU get a present when it arrives at your door. It's two-times a gift.

I can't list everything right now (people might see!, also, it would take too long) but I have purchased just about anything you can think of, mainly on Etsy, but on a variety of other online boutiques also.  It's hard to say if I've saved any money. Surely, not going out to the shops has minimized my opportunities for holiday lunching in expensive restaurants. Mind you, since I can't pleasure-eat or -drink, it's just as well I don't have to push off that associative experience. These days, I'm trying to associate online Xmas shopping with coffee or tea. Yeah, it's not working so well.

One great thing about the online shopping is that, if you opt for pre-wrapping, you can send the gift directly to an out-of-town recipient. It's not as personal as I'd like, but then neither is not seeing someone you're getting a gift for at Xmas dinner.

There is one trick to online shopping - and Xmas crafting, for that matter. You have to start early. Happily, it takes very little actual effort (just thought and skill), and it's utterly comfortable to shop from your own home. But if you wait much longer, it's not going to be an option. Many vendors have already indicated that the end of next week is the deadline for things that can be expected to arrive before Xmas eve.

It's never been a better time to buy online for that person who crafts - I mean, other than you! :-)

• You can find beautiful yarn at WEBS.
• Check out this washi tape. (Kids who love to "duck tape" craft are so into this.)
• Colette Patterns has put together some lovely sewing-related gifts.
• Give a Craftsy course.
• Or, for your fibre-craft friends, gift a pattern from Ravelry. (This can be complicated if you don't know Ravelry or knitting, so do be sure to ask for help if you need it.)
• Buy a great book like this new knitting offer or this terrific sewing reference. (Honestly, anyone who buys books any way other than online is insane. You save an average of 40 percent on the list price and heavy items are delivered, generally within two days, to your front door.)

So, let me turn it over to you: How are you approaching gift-giving this season? Do you love or hate to online shop? Are you crafting for others and, if yes, what are you making?? Can you recommend a great online gift?

Unraveling, As it Were

I'm one of those people who uses Ravelry to good effect. When you click on my profile, you see just about everything I've ever knit with details, a fairly complete list of favourites, a well-stocked library and now, since yesterday, a catalog of yarns, with photos, indicating my stash and which things are queued up to be used with specific stash yarn. The lengths I'll go to to avoid finishing the Bettie Pullover...

If you love being organized like, to the nth degree, this site is for you.

At any rate, I've opted to take a brief break on the Gauge the Situation series (until Xmas, likely) as I will be occupied by knitting the following:

1. The Sisika, knit for me:

Photos from Designer Yarns

In the Amitola colourway 106 (far left):

Yeah, I know, I succumbed to the craziest (for me) choice ever - a totally variegated nubby wool/silk blend that looks fingering weight but actually knits up like a DK (or worsted, if you double it). I went for the most subdued of the shades - I think it's the one used in the promotion photo but there are a few others, on other swatches, that look kind of similar. It's soft, but with a vaguely hairy halo that undercuts the softness. We've got to hope it blocks nicely, which is to say much less natural-seeming than it appears to be right now.

You know, I make a lot of sweaters, but the things I wear most are the cowls, scarves and shawls (because they work on top of outerwear or with inside clothing). If this scarf works, I think it could become well-traveled in my wardrobe.

2. The Madeleine Cowl also for me - It's important to aim to make simple things that really work and are worn often (try to ignore the overkill of the beret):

I do find the yarn this pattern calls for to be fairly horrible. It's got "wool-blend chainette yarn" "accented by diamond-like silver medallions". Um, no.

So, I'll make the cowl (more like a shawl, really) in Zara Plus, colourway 448 (Taupe):

Photo from Royal Yarns Intl.

The taupe is actually much more green (like khaki) than this photo shows.

3. For M, for Xmas, another Rondeur Pullover, in the 1628 colourway of Zara DK, again, the photo makes it look more blue than the green, highly saturated shade that it actually is:

Photo from here

Please be advised that I intend to knit them one at a time, like a "sensible person". At least as of right now.

So, today's questions:

• Whatcha think of these patterns and yarns?? Have you used any of them?
• Now you can see all of my crazy yarn stash. Do you think this is excessive? Be honest.