Christmas is a great time of the year - it's hot, it's sunny, and it's fun. But for me, there's not much Christ or Mass in the whole season, and it's not really what I celebrate for christmas.

Last night, my local knitting group had an early christmas-kind of meet. I arranged simple crackers (it's my tradition to find the cheapest ones possible because they've got the WORST jokes in them!!)  and a package swap as well and people were openly thanking me for going to the effort. I love christmas when it's like that - lots of people I like, and fun things to eat and knit. I was cultivating tonsilitis or something similar however, so was off my food but I had a ball!

It got me thinking about what christmas is for. On one hand, I liked the package I got because I scored some cabling needles and I've cast on Rogue already, so they were perfect! But I wouldn't have minded not getting a package, just as much (anyone who brought in a package then took one out, so it was even!). So christmas is not about the gifts.

Christmas as a child was, well, tough. I'm one of 5 kids and we were a single income family, so christmas was about clothes and hand-me-down bikes and often as not, no presents at all. It was about travelling somewhere to visit family that I barely knew, but invariably liked. It also often about celebrating in hotels or somewhere not "home" as we always moved at christmas time, as my dad was in the Army. Christmas time is a lot about sadness for me - sadness as a child of leaving friends and people I loved, sadness at not getting the things I wanted but the things I needed, sadness at the walls that were going up between my nuclear family because of yet another move.

I now am passionate about the messages of christmas but not in the christian way - to me, it's about spending time with loved ones and honestly reviewing the year and saying "that was this year - next year will be my year", even if this year was pretty good.

In terms of traditions, it's an interesting thing to see different people's. The last few years I've been in Sydney for christmas, and have had 3 very different ones each time. Christmas Eve was with my aunt and uncle for a Russian meal - lots of seafood, lots of people, lots of vodka, lots of useless shit to take home and get rid of to charity because it wasn't of any use or in most cases, highly scented so not something I could use anyway. I liked being a part of it as I'm quite close to my aunt but I also felt quite alone at times because no one there really knew me, certainly not well enough to give me a goat or a first aid course or something that I wanted.

The next day, I would go to another aunt's place for a roast lunch. This was always fun and the food was good and the presents were again a waste of money. It was usually at this point that I remembered that I had none for anyone, because I didn't have the money to spend and didn't see the point. It was usually about 2pm on christmas day that I started hating the commercialism of the day, and feeling embarassed by the pile of crap that I'd have to lug home, and the fact that I'd brought nothing. We'd call my paternal grandparents and chat with them for a while, and then have dessert before I drove to a third aunt's house for christmas night.

Christmas night was at my mum's sister's place and was always a bang up meal with lots of people coming and going and us sitting around discussing the ways of the world. There were no gifts, there was no crap - just watching a movie or playing Mario Party with whatever other people we could rope in. Then I'd go home and swear never to eat again!

For me the whole season upsets me on one level. The wild eyed consumerism, the search for the perfect gift (I'm actually really good at buying gifts so I hate seeing people shopping with the $$ sign in their eyes), the drive for us to spend spend spend, the hype about the whole thing that starts in October and goes on for MONTHS, the christmas carols at work (thankfully, I work in hardware so christmas stuff is not too heavily promoted!) and the gross amount of money spent at this time of year.

I hate it in so many ways, and yet I love christmas. I will put our tree up this weekend. We are hosting christmas lunch this year (turducken!). Due to various situations in all families, presents are at a minimum and really, are only going where they should. I am not expecting anything from anyone as it's Osk's family that I'm hosting, plus my lovely sister is dropping in. I don't expect anything from anyone. I am tie-dyeing singlets for our nephews, and I will finish a few things I've been knitting for a while and gift them, but I'm not shopping for people.

But the best part of christmas is the food. I kind of wish we celebrated Thanksgiving instead, as that's more my kind of festival. My sockret pal sent me a GORGEOUS TG card and I appreciate the thought just as much even though we didn't do anything for it (this year ;). I wouldn't not celebrate christmas but it's more because of the food and the seeing people thing than anything else!

If you take some yarn and make a swatch:



and a new bag that I love but loved so much I got one for Osk as well,
 

and a need to differentiate them, and voila!

I've been busy this week so here are some photos to show you!

Nephews!!
      

Jensen!!


Dyeing - well, knitting anyway. I knit up the yarns that I've been dyeing so you can see what the colours look like! They've all been relisted on eBay as well for sale this week.



I've also been dyeing to order, and knitting fun things for a friend whose mum was out of action due to a broken arm.



And in other news, my ISE pal received her pal and she said this (relating to this scarf):



Hi Em,

What a beautiful, utterly beautiful scarf you have gifted me with !  I never would have thought that yarn could be the colour of the ocean, but you have certainly done that, and more.  I love the bead work on it, and it feels soft and beautiful on.  It must have taken an age to do all that open work - I'd love to know what pattern you used (if there is one) !

The markers are fun - took me just a little while after a long day at work to realize that they spell out yarn !!!!  Chocolate is an excellent treat at any time - but, don't mind my ignorance - what is the cute little yellow and white in with the makers?  Have I missed something along the way?

I wondered if you, my pal, was in Australia......I even mentioned it to my husband, who just had to call me at work today, and tell me that my parcel had arrive - from Oz.

His brother and sister-in-law live on Bruny Island, Tasmania for half of every year.  Hilary is Australian, and they are both aligned with the University in Hobart.   David (my husband) went to visit them 3 years ago, just before he and I got together.  Now, I want to go !

Once again - it has been a joy to receive such a beautiful piece of hand work.  You should be very proud of this one.  I will enjoy wearing it to work on Monday - have to find just the right outfit to show it off on !

Please stay in touch as and when you can.  It's might to have a friend "down under".

Peace,

Judi-luna

I went to the Quilt and Craft fair last weekend. Normally I'd be waxing lyrical but really

- what is the deal with scrapbooking?
- why is scary faux feathers and other novelty yarn so darn popular?
- why do people insist on eating around craft things?????
- yes really, I knit. Even at my age.
- again, what is the deal with scrapbooking???
- why was the fair mostly quilting, scrapbooking and stamping, with 3 yarn stalls and a few bead stalls?

We need a fibre show like this one.

Anyway, my haul included a heap of very cute beads,





AND my first evah Noro:



Now to work out what to make with it. A clapotis for myself?

And this pile o' yarn that went with me:

If anyone went to the Quilt and craft fairl on the weekend, I hope you had fun! I certainly did! Watch out for my next post of things I bought there!

I sold some of my hand dyed yarns, and had some enquiries about them as well for retail sale which is really exciting. My stuff is upon eBay at the moment if you want any of this for Christmas knitting or so on!

Top to bottom, left to right:
Flamma flamma, wildflowers, roses, mermaidal, autumnal, lavendula lite, lavendula, greentini, irises



I will shortly be putting up another 4 patterns that I've written and made things from but these will be for sale! Very grown up, I know ;)