A few months ago I did have the thought that I should make some gifts for Christmas.  “It would be thrifty and more personal”,  I reasoned.  How did it happen then, that I have nothing home made to give?   It’s really very simple, I got distracted.

Firstly by the Icarus shawl.  (Even though it’s just a mini Icarus)

Because it seemed absolutely imperative that I knit myself a shawl for the 40 degree days directly ahead of us. I do really like it though. Initially I thought I would dye the white to match the green, but now I like it as is.  I’m not sure if you can see but I knit the last two rows in a similar green so it sort of ties in.  The green is my handspun and hand dyed alpaca, courtesy of Tauret. 

Then I thought that I absolutely must design an embroidered cuff because I’m trying to figure out the best way to attach findings to embroidery so that it can move beyond brooches.   This one uses hooks and eyes – I wonder if somebody makes sterling silver hooks and eyes?

Ever noticed how hard it is to photograph your own hand?  Especially when that hand has rather short,  stubby fingers and,  since you don’t have a digital camera,  you are actually using the camera function on the video recorder.

Ahhh…That’s the one! The cuff uses feather stitch, chain stitch, lazy daisy stich and palestrina stitch for the side seams.  It has little glass beads between each “flower”

The other day I was travelling to Sydney by train and was probably meant to be making some sort of Christmas gift, but I discovered that I had no pockets in which to carry my ipod.  Fortunately I had a crochet hook, some cotton  and some newly aquired crochet skills thanks to my friend and excellent crochet teacher,  Salihan.

So I whipped up an ipod cosy whilst two bemused teenage girls looked on and talked about me while I worked  not one foot away from them.  It seems that crocheting makes one deaf.  Not that they were rude.  It was just quite strange to be talked about in the third person by someone sitting directly opposite me.

Thanks for teaching me to crochet Salihan.

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