~:: Odd Gifts by Hand ::~

For those who choose to live in far-away places (even not so very far-away is far), gifts have to be chosen or made and wrapped and in some way conveyed across space long before the Great Holiday happens. I really don’t like making presents for Christmas. Whenever I do it, I end up cramming needles into things and making do when the machine breaks down or trying to figure out how to work on something and hide it at the same time – and usually, I end up finishing the stuff at the very last minute. It’s anything but peaceful.

I like Christmas to be joyful, peaceful and lovely. Frantic doesn’t feel Noel-ish to me.

Gin and her family are hard to gift. People who can get things for themselves  throughout the year, all on their own, are hard. Grown up children are hard. Beloved people who you no longer live with and only actually see a couple of times a year are hard.

Little people hunger for things they can’t get for themselves. That’s what makes the gift morning such a merciful and magical thing. But how do you delight a grown up? What relief or wonder can you weave into a surprise for someone with his/her own nice checking account?

So I go for silly. Silly is delightful, too. And Gin loves crazy things. So I looked all year for odd, appealing ideas so I could send her something crazy. I had a pile of recycled sweaters and felt – aw heck, I have a little of everything. And I made the boys something crazy, too. And I bought a shirt for Kris that was slightly crazy. And I wrapped it all up. And I sent it all down with Cam at Thanksgiving.

I sort of organized the wrapping stuff in baskets and boxes. It pleased me to have these things as a sort of decoration all on their own, stacked on the dining room table, waiting for the flurry of gifts, ready to go.

I saw some platypus guys on line and knew Max would love one.  So I made him one in Perry colors, with his initial and a heart on the stomach, working in recycled sweater and bits of fleece.  The designer who inspired me makes and sells these (mine are not half as cool), so if you want to buy one, let me know and I’ll send you the link.

Sandy’s was red.

And for Gin, a fish that came from this designer.  Three different felted sweaters make his tail, body and upper fin.  His tail has a wonderful beaded, kind of star-fishy design on it.

And that’s the tale of my making for Santa Fe.