November and December are major crafting months for me, as I’m sure it is for many of the other crafters out there. Many of us vow to get started on holiday gifts earlier next year, but it doesn’t always happen that way. I tend to craft as the mood and opportunity strikes, but sometimes it’s just hard for those two things to line up. So, when November and December come around, I realize my deadline is fast approaching. I realize that it starts to become less about the process and more about the end product.
With knitting, it’s almost always about the process. I love the feel of yarn lingering around my fingertips and looping over my needles over and over with a steady rhythm. I can knit in nearly every setting, finding peace in the midst of chaos and feeling accomplished while just sitting and knitting. Knitting is definitely my zen. With other projects, like sewing, it isn’t the same. I have notions, pieces of fabric, rulers, you name it, everywhere. I do all of my sewing in my kitchen – the heart of the home. I have to worry over food and water getting onto my fabrics, little toddler hands climbing up to ‘help,’ little infant hands grabbing bits off the floor to eat. (Yes, Ollie has eaten fabric. I’ve seen it from both ends…) Adding to all that, I’m still very much a novice seamstress which adds up to a fairly stressful situation.
Last night, I was working on a project that involves glitter. I loathe glitter. I love the sparkle and the shine, don’t get me wrong, but glitter is my absolute least favorite medium to work with. It gets everywhere and is so incredibly difficult to clean up. As I was working last night, I thought I was being smart by putting down a large bag to cover the table and catch all of this falling, sparkling dust. Finally finished, I held up the monstrosity, ahem, my work to have a good look at it. Just as I had decided it was satisfactory and was ready to set it back down, the tiniest little hand gets a firm grip of the bag that was holding much of the glitter that I wasn’t already wearing. Ollie was too fast for me, pulling the entire bag over himself and an avalanche of glitter rushing down. He was Very Heavily dusted in gold glitter. No, I didn’t get a picture. I stripped his clothes off and got to scrubbing his face and hands with a washcloth so he wouldn’t get it into his eyes. After all that was done, I decided that we should at least get a photo of his feet, so there it is, top and center. Not terrible (and sort of hard to see), but definitely a concern when it’s all of your baby’s face.
So, while you’re trying to get your holiday crafts done this season, do your best to enjoy the process. Slow down and imbue your gifts with the love you feel for the person you are creating for. That is usually my focus, but sometimes it gets lost with a deadline looming over head. Finally, avoid glitter at all costs. 