All I Want for Christmas is...

I feel like Ralph in A Christmas Story.

I've gotten the knitter's version of "you'll shoot your eye out, kid."

So, the relatives (on DH's side, of course*) asked what I wanted for Christmas.

My very logical, very practical answer was to say a gift certificate to one of the many LYS in this area or I could sign up on the gift registry at the nearest LYS. I gave them the option as they seem to have difficulty giving gift certificates - they want to pick it out, purchase it, take it home and wrap it, etc.

"Don't you have enough yarn?" was their response.

Ouch. I was like Ralph sitting on Santa's lap - too shocked and astounded to respond.

I recently sent a fellow knitter a card that says "There is a fine line between a hobby and mental illness." I think the relatives believe I've crossed that line. They made it very clear they did not want to give me anything knitting related and kept asking if there was anything I wanted for the house or the garden.

"No, actually, I don't," I told them.

Our "garden" consists unknown species of bushes along a fence that separates our yard from our neighbor's. We do have some tulips along side the house, but they were planted by the former owner. I do not have a garden as I have no interest in gardening and no knowledge about gardening. I've killed every plant I've ever owned - not intentionally. I can't tell the difference between a new plant and a weed. The most I can manage is planting VERY hardy flowers in planters for our porch and steps - and this is only out of shame of having the least tended property on the block. I admire people who have a gift for, or a love of, gardening. I am just not one of those people.

As for the house, DH and I married later in life than most couples. Between his house and my apartment, we had what we needed to set up house together. I don't care for knicknacks - just more things to dust. DH thinks we have enough clutter already as he is quite minimalist in his decorating preferences. Like every homeowner, we have things that need to be done - rooms that need to be painted, woodwork that needs to be refinished, windows and doors that need replacing, two more trees in the yard that need to come down, The list could go on - but it's not a Christmas list. Not unless your budget for gifts is 4 figures or more.

It doesn't bother me that they think I have too much yarn - most non-knitters would share that opinion if they saw the stash closet. What bothers me is that they have made themselves the arbiters of what will make me happy and what is or is not appropriate to give to me. I would never think of telling them I don't really want to give them a gift certificate to the local nursery or DIY store like they asked because I believe they really don't need anything more for their house or yard.

DH and I are very lucky - we have food, shelter, and clothing when many do not - we have jobs and can pay our bills when many cannot - we have indoor plumbing in a world where many do not. What we take for granted as the basics in life many would consider a luxury. I don't want to sound ungrateful. I know I'll like whatever they give me. I like what I've been given in the past. Now I feel like a scrooge for complaining and writing this post. I've actually had this written for a couple of days, but waited to post it. I guess the whole point is why did they bother asking me? They already knew the answer and ended up ignoring and dismissing it. And maybe I'm taking the whole thing too seriously, but it also felt that they were unintentionally belittling something that means a great deal to me - the art of knitting. I decided to post this because I want to know - do other knitters run into this? What can I do the next time this happens?


*I say "of course" because my mother, as one who sews, quilts, and used to knit, understands the concept of the stash and the idea of learning more about your craft, She's got a stash of fabrics, notions, and patterns going back 30 years. In fact, about 2 years ago, she made a quilt using silk from Thailand she had been given by her sister in the late '60's. Some day I'll post a picture of it.

Have a Laugh and Do Some Good at the Same Time

Need a break?

All that Christmas knitting got you down?

Got those shoveling blues?

Need a reason to procrastinate from starting/finishing whatever task you need to accomplish?

Tired of sending the same old holiday greetings?

If so, get on over to Jessica's blog and click on the link to play the Holiday-O-Matic game. Besides, time spent supporting a philanthropic endeavor is never wasted.

Best one I had tonight said, "May your soiree be litigious and filled with hand knit mittens.

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

The decorating (and thorough cleaning that comes beforehand and during) has begun at the Stash Haus in preparation of the holiday season. I've started a bit late this year in comparison with other years but I was too busy last weekend wandering around yarn shops and enjoying various libations.

Yesterday - either in a fit of hyper-organization or in a fit of procrastination and not wanting to face the dirtier jobs, like cleaning the bathroom - I spent a couple of hours entering books into Library Thing. I'm Stash Haus over there, too. I had difficulty uploading the file from Library Thing to Ravelry, so I just re-entered the info on Ravelry. I feel like another chore has been crossed off my list - and at least my bookshelf is more tidy now.

I bought a new Christmas decoration the other day - found in a little shop in a small town I often travel through. You can see why I couldn't pass it up.

The Fiber Enthusiast's Santa Claus.





I wonder how much yarn his sleigh can hold?

Sweet Haul Chicago

Ah, Chicago. A lively weekend was spent there with friends from Meg Swansen's Knitting Camp.

We had a beautiful apartment right in the middle of the loop...one block to Macy's on State Street...a couple blocks to Millenium Park. This is the view from the rooftop lounge.



The weekend was spent knitting, eating, drinking, and visiting LYS (and not necessarily in that order). Nostalgia for the U.K. filled me while sipping cider (on tap) at the Elephant & Castle on North Wabash - Mmmm cider. The fact that everyone had more luggage devoted to knitting projects and yarn than to clothing and a review of the contents of our refrigerator speak for themselves as to the kind of weekend it was.



I went to Lorna's Laces on a mission for my local knitters guild. I was so overcome I forgot to get the camera out. But wait a few months - come spring there will be a full pictorial.

We also went to Loopy Yarns - again, too overcome by yarn fums to take photos.

Also on the itinerary were Knitwerks





and Arcadia Knitting.







This was the haul from Arcadia - and all of it 40% off.





Love my new knitting bag!



From Knitwerks, a couple of skeins of 4/8 Wool from Mountain Colors.



From Loopy, 12 skeins of Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light. I'd not seen this laceweight/fingering weight before. I've got a lovely lace project in mind for this.



All three shops are lovely, have helpful, friendly staff, and each carry some yarns that the others do not. Loopy Yarns has the most stock. Knitwerks, although small, is bright and airy with interesting stock. They were also very helpful with dinner recommendations for tourists. Arcadia has plenty of room and a whole wall of needles and accessories. I highly recommend a stop at any of these shops.

Winter Wonderland

Winter is here in full force. We've had three snowstorms where we've gotten 5-6 inches of snow each time. There's so much snow piled on the medians by city plows that it is difficult to see oncoming traffic when turning. The countryside I see on my travels reminds me of Fargo - it's difficult to tell where the sky ends and the ground begins.







The guest speaker this month at our local guild meeting was Candace Eisner Strick. She was a wonderful, engaging, and humorous speaker.





Knitting continues at the haus. As usual, I'm working on several projects at one time. I've been getting home too late for proper photos - maybe this weekend.