As a knitter/crocheter, I LOVE Christmastime. I love thinking of just the right thing to make for friends and family. I never start early enough, however, to make something for EVERYONE. This year has seen a significant decrease in the amount of gifts I have knitted or crocheted. A sweater for my husband, beanie for my skaterdude son, lacy fingerless gloves for my lovely teenager, and a whimsical freeform purse for my almost 6 year old. I have also made a few batches of these crochet flower corsages…ooh, I’m giddy when I’m making these…some I’ve made up, some are from Nicky Epstein’s new Crochet Flower book. It’s a wonderful way to use up leftover yarns. The most fun is in the choosing and combining of yarns. The cabled sweater is actually crochet! Aran Crochet is now a new favorite of mine…and so is the gorgeous Fisherman’s Wool by Lion Brand. Working the DC skateboarding logo onto this beanie was a bit of a challenge…working in the round causes stitches to be slightly off-centered with each row worked, but I think it will be ok for my son. The pattern for the fingerless gloves was DREADFUL! It is out of the Happy Hooker book I love so much…but this pattern is worthless! Even the corrections for the pattern found on the web are NOT CORRECT either! So I “winged it” and they turned out alright. And of course, freeform is my favorite…just pick up some yarn and a hook and off you go wherever your heart takes you. The bright colors make it perfect for a little girl. I’m wistful about not having the time to make more gifts…I love giving from my hands…if only there was more time.