Daffodils and Christmas

Seasonally no one really associates Daffodils with Christmas.

It's either winter in the Northern Hemisphere or summer in Southern Hemisphere so Spring flowers are not readily available. Instead we associate Christmas with Poinsettias, Ivy and Christmas Lillies (lilium).

However I have fond memories of sitting in my Grandmas lounge room over Christmas holidays and embroidering Daffodils. No doubt the cricket was on and the rest of the tribe were sprawled on the floor watching TV and escaping the heat. I had been given the embroidery kit as a Christmas gift. It was the perfect summer project to work on. My Mum and my Grandma showed me how to do the various stitches required to complete the pattern and we all watched as the other Lillie (Dennis) smashed the West Indies!

Sadly, I don't think I ever finished it. However I really did enjoy it, and no doubt it furthered my love of crafts.

(Picture is not the the same, but very similar to my kit)

How long is a piece of String?

One of the most common questions I am asked is, "How long will it take me to knit this?"

This is difficult to answer because everyone has their own knitting pace and time to spend knitting. Even though I am an experienced and confident knitter, I am actually very slow. Meanwhile my friend Kathy, knits like a woman possessed! She whips up beanies in a matter of hours.

You can probably make an assumption that a small simple project will take a shorter time than a complex large item. For example a beanie should be quicker than a cable knit jumper, but you never know!

Knitting to a schedule can be difficult especially if you are relatively new to knitting or perhaps trying a more difficult pattern. If you plan to give a knitted gift for Christmas, I suggest you get going now and don't wait to cast on the day before!

The kits available on WhatJaneKnits.com are designed to be small simple projects to encourage people to finish them before they lose interest or find it too difficult.

However just like reading a book, each person has different time to spend and speeds of reading so there is no definitive answer.

Knitting: Free for all...

I recently came across a story of a Public Library in Minneappolis, USA that provided a wooden peg tree for hats and gloves.

(link below)

The hats, gloves and scarfs on the tree are donated hand knits and can be freely taken by the Library users.

This is a perfect solution for both knitters who love to make things and locals facing a chilly winter ahead.

Are you a knitter that just can't stop knitting ...even though your family and friends no longer need your crafty wares? Maybe next winter you could ask your local community centre or library to make a Knitting Tree for knitters.

http://www.kvrr.com/news/local-news/the-little-free-mitten-tree-that-keeps-on-giving/36293426

These are available to buy on Etsy... free shipping in Australia!