I apologize for my 'absence' over the last several weeks. I have no other excuse than the simple fact that life got in the way -- Thanksgiving week, 1st Birthday parties, a funeral, and a trip to NY for Christmas. I will be very content to stay home for a good long while once we get back!
Even in the absence of new material, my blog has gotten over 1000 views -- so THANK YOU to all of you readers. :) Be sure to check back often, and leave comments or questions.
This holiday season for me has been focused on one word:
homemade.
Every year we spend so much money buying things for others... Things that they don't necessarily need. Things that add up to quite a lot of mulah when you tally it up. And things that they really don't have a place for at home.
So this year I decided that if I was going to give presents, I wanted to take the time and effort to make something special for everyone. Something unique that you couldn't just pick up at the store. I should have started the process months in advance, but here is what I managed to "whip out" by Christmas time:
Crocheted scarves for the sisters (infinity scarves, from this pattern)
Crocheted hats for the kiddos (pattern here)
Crafty canister set for my mom's bathroom (see post here)
Candy jar for my dad (see blog here)
Homemade spice mixes
Felt Bible Story Quiet Book for the niece and nephew
Now, I spent all this time crocheting things for other people, and just in the last few days I've had time to finish a hat for myself. :)
Here it is...
The pattern called for a bow on the brim instead of a flower, but it looked terrible. So here's a closeup of the flower I made instead:
Now, a few words about crochet.
I'm 100% self-taught. My oldest sister and I decided one winter that it would be fun to teach ourselves how to crochet. Boy, were we in for it... I'm pretty sure what we did back then was not even a second cousin to actual crochet... we have quite a collection of "scarves" that we made back then. Mine always came out really tight and skinny, and my sister's always came out chunkier and looser. Needless to say, we gave up crochet quite easily.
When my niece Cheyenne was born, though, I decided to make her a baby blanket. From then on I got slightly "better" at it. I bought myself some more hooks, a reference book, and plodded along. She is now almost 5 years old... and just this year I decided to put the time and effort into learning how to fully follow crochet patterns and *GASP* learn to crochet "in the round" as it were.
Let me tell you, a little dedication, a lot of patience (pulling out hours worth of work and restarting it), and countless hours of working on it at night after the munchkin went to sleep has truly paid off. :) I started crocheting nearly 10 years ago, and it has taken me this long to get "good" at it.
So, I guess my point is... if you have a hobby that you really want to try but just don't think you are "good enough" at it, put in the time and effort it takes to master the skill. Be patient with yourself. "Good things come to those who wait." In the end, you will feel a well-earned sense of pride. And perhaps you'll even have a few awesome hats to keep you warm in the winter!
