Made all my Xmas gifts, am not happy :(

[Charis]

This whole thread is awesome! I am dying laughing over here!

 

This year has been so weird because I have had many friends get married. Not liking to spend a lot of money, I wanted to make some gifts for them that would mean a little more. I made a couple nice placemats with yarn I specifically picked out to to match the plates...I got a PACKAGE ARRIVED sort of message. Now that I'm thinking about it I wonder if it wasn't the most practical thing to make but they looked nice! Hahaha! Oh well!

 

I also had the intention of making some awesome stuff for my BFF who got married but all I ended up with was 1 hot pad! LOL. I wanted to make her placemats too but yarn choice and previously mentioned friend reaction from above held me back. I honestly don't even know if they have a dining room table!

 

Seriously dying laughing over the afghan tablecloth comment!! Just keep plugging away I guess and we'll get it right one of these days!

[2manythreads]

Charis, I like the hot pads idea actually. I have a bunch of "kitchen cotton" in various colors- the possibilities are endless! freevintagecrochet has tons patterns in neat shapes: fruits, animals, etc. I did their oranges one in old times things were smaller, you might want yours much larger. Here's a link to list of their hot pads/mitts: http://freevintagecrochet.com/patternbook/pot-holders-and-oven-mitts-lily59  everybody needs potholders & oven mitts! If you make them as a gift, they WILL get used, believe me. Most people hold on to their potholders til they are burnt to a crisp, or in shreds.

 

PS to all: apparently, there was some mix up with the mails in my families area, luckily it is a very nice neighborhood where if mail goes to wrong house, it is returned to them in good time. They just sent me an image of the entire family gathered together, displaying themselves wearing each item

 

lol! I told them that "you are not legally or morally obligated to wear, use, or display said items at any time, and are free to use the items at your leisure" hee hee

 

I still am going to send them another box of things though, I have better yarn now, so I can make nicer things. I am still kicking myself over those weird cowls and fingerless mitts I made too. Darnit.
 

[magiccrochetfan]

That is a sweet photo! What a nice thing for you to receive :-)

[Bailey4]

As always it depends on the family.  I love kitchen cotton items and use them all the time.  I make them for some family members who I know like them for a variety of reasons.  Some just like the hand made stuff, others are trying to reduce using paper towels, etc.  So, I've made and given them away to people who I know will use them.  This year I added scrubbies because I was amazed at how well they cleaned and am always looking for something that makes my cleaning easier.  Those went over well, too because again the people I targeted like practical stuff.  They too enjoy easier cleaning.

[redrosesdz]

2ManyThreads, that's a great Thank You!  By the way, I took a good look at all of the items you made and I think they look great on the recipients!  Sometimes things look better on than when you're just looking at it.  All of the items fit nicely and your family looks happy wearing them.  My favorite is the mother's beret and cowl!  They look really stunning on her! 

 

(Sometimes we're harsher on ourselves than reality.  I'm guilty of that a lot!)

[2manythreads]

Bailey4: Ever make household things with linen? That stuff gets stronger as you use it. I have a few balls of it not sure what to do with it yet. I too prefer reusable towels and things as opposed to throwaway paper, but only because I'm frugal, not a Greenie.

 

MagicCrochetFan: Isn't that the nicest Thank You ever?? SO gracious of them. They took more pains to take that picture than the items too me to make, practically.

 

Redrosesdz: The things I made, well- sigh, these things were all rushed, only because the harder projects I attempted were beyond my ken and ended up unraveling them all so had to make quick gifts in a hurry. Hard to see the men's finger-less gloves on the man, lol the "scarf" looks child size on my nephew, these people are all giants and the "boys" are 6'6" and 6'8" tall.

[Bailey4]

I've never tried linen.  I like kitchen cotton for my dishclothes and I even have some towels I've made and like with them.  As for scrubbies I found a free pattern on Ravelry for scrubbies that use the cheap Red Heart Super Saver.  Never thought I'd use acrylic to clean dishes and counters.  However, I tried one and love them.  They really surprised me with how well they clean.  I've been using that pattern ever since.

[redrosesdz]

Bailey, have you tried RH's new scrubby yarn?  Both AC Moore and JoAnn's carry it.  I haven't tried it, yet, but talking to people that did and they love it for making scrubbies.  They just crochet a dishcloth using cotton and the scrubby yarn together.

[Bailey4]

I haven't used RH but I have used Mary Maxim's which I understand is similar.  It is makes pretty decorative scrubbies, but honestly having made and used both, I prefer my RH SS ones.  I find it rough on the hands to crochet and not as crazy about how well they clean.

[2manythreads]

Bailey4

omy gosh Scrubbies using acrylic?? I love it! I'm going to check that out - what a lifesaver that will be. I'd hate to waste precious linen on a scrubbie, you know?  Plus, I figure, they are so inexpensive to buy new, that what purpose would I serve working on one using up nice yarn for a thing someone may toss in the garbage in a month.

[Bailey4]

The acrylic scrubbies wash really well, too.  I make them in variegated colors, especially holiday colors and it brightens up the kitchen.  I find they work better than the store bought ones.  I had a nasty pan last night and they cut right through it.  I had a variety of plastic and other store ones that never worked that well and some couldn't be used on certain of my non-stick pans.  These I can use on all my pans and they do the job really well.

 

This is the free pattern I use here.

[Jayashiangel]

Don't you beat yourself up I am my own worse critic as well...

 

Kittyloverdeb---I don't see your friend picking up a pair of hooks and making one..  

 

 

As for Xmas gifts and family don't get me started.....My family (my brother and his family) are pains when the holidays come I hate the holidays because they put NO thought or time into a Holiday gift their gifts are a card and $10....Yet they expect $100 gift cards etc....

 

We make lots of the Xmas gift w/ yarn from shawls/hats to shrugs and blanket ..However next year I am getting  ten one dollar bills and placing it into an envelope for each of them.Except for my mom all she wants is washcloths and scrubbier I made her 24 washcloths and half a does scrubbiers :O) she was very happy....

[Bailey4]

Don't you beat yourself up I am my own worse critic as well...

 

Kittyloverdeb---I don't see your friend picking up a pair of hooks and making one..  

 

 

As for Xmas gifts and family don't get me started.....My family (my brother and his family) are pains when the holidays come I hate the holidays because they put NO thought or time into a Holiday gift their gifts are a card and $10....Yet they expect $100 gift cards etc....

 

We make lots of the Xmas gift w/ yarn from shawls/hats to shrugs and blanket ..However next year I am getting  ten one dollar bills and placing it into an envelope for each of them.Except for my mom all she wants is washcloths and scrubbier I made her 24 washcloths and half a does scrubbiers :O) she was very happy....

 

 

A few years after we were married DH and I started limiting the family gifts to the old and the young.  It had gotten to be painful in that we were expected to give just the "right" gift and in return we kept getting gifts that clearly came from those tables Walmart and Target have with gift sets for people you know nothing about that you buy at the last possible moment.  They worked out well for the Church table that had a game where you won odd prizes, but it was frustrating.  While people were disgruntled the first year or so, eventually they started to be OK with just not having to run out and buy the odd gifts even if it meant they couldn't ask for stuff they wanted too.

 

Now occasionally I will make/buy something specific for someone if it is the right something.  We only do it rarely so it isn't expected or there is no feeling that it has to be reciprocated.

 

This year one family member made us hand made ornaments with her daughter.  It was a very thoughtful, sweet gift.  It was unexpected an a nice idea.  I'd made her and her daughter pocket scarves.  It worked out well.  I'd actually be happy with a hand made family Christmas exchange.  There are lots of great gifts we could make, exchange and not have to break the bank doing.  It could be a fun, low pressure type activity.  However, I just don't see it ever going beyond this casual type exchange.

[2manythreads]

Bailey4 quote: "...limiting the family gifts to the old and the young."

 

So- in effect, the persons that DO receive gifts, then they now know that they are on the "old people" list?  

 

 

Me, I had to make all the gifts, because I am THE world's worst gift chooser if I were to go buy a gift for someone. I am SO bad, that the best way to ensure they'll like it is if I ask them specifically what they would like to receive.  Family once did a game called "Chinese Auction" anyone ever heard of it? Tons of fun! You arrive to the party with one or two "general" gifts that could go to any non-specific person. You do a sort of an auction, where you try to "steal" another's gift you find more desirable than the one you ended up with. I can't remember how it goes but it's a fun noisy, competitive game.

 

About the ungrateful slobs someone mentioned: Noticed people in general have lost the art of the tangible Thank You card. You know, an actual CARD, that gets sent in the mail with a stamp or handed in person.

[Bailey4]

Actually they think it has to do with titles, Grandparents (when they were alive) Aunts and Uncles (many have now passed) and parents (have only lost one) the age didn't get discussed except among ourselves.

 

I've never been a fan of thank you cards.  I am fine with people saying THANK YOU and I'm good.  I'm never offended if people say thank you or email.  The cards are fine, but I'm not offended as long as I hear from the person that they got the gift and the acknowledge it in some form, hopefully thank you if I got the gift right.  It does bother me when you have to chase people down to find out if they ever got something you spent hours buying/making, packaging, and mailing.  That is is rude. 

 

In return I hate writing them.  I find them awkward and uncomfortable to write, always have.  Perhaps because when I was young we didn't write them, stamps were expensive.  We were always taught to thank the giver, even if we hated the gift we were NEVER to tell the person.  No matter how much the clothes itched, scratched, or gave us hives, we always smiled and said thank you very much.  My father's parents lived many states away and we always called to say thank you as a brief call was considered more personal and ultimately cheaper.  They never sent thank you notes either so perhaps it was a family thing.  Come to think of it my Mom's Mom didn't either.  Perhaps we were all cheap.  Who knows.  We always called and said thank you.

[2manythreads]

Oh Bailey4 I know what you mean, and don't disagree with you, if both parties are cool with the not exchanging TY cards, I mean in a situation where Thank You cards are generally expected. I'm not going to shun you if you tell me "gee thanks" for heaven's sake! I was making a general statement, and not an across the board, legalistic ruling. YOU know what I mean! What I was stating was that people are LESS INCLINED to send actual thank you cards, when in the PAST it was generally "done". And personally, I despise any "e-cards" with a passion. Seems lazy and impersonal to me.

 

and was making a little joke about the Old Folks list! lolol I can imagine the scuttle-butting at Christmas dinner table, and one of the spinsters lamenting that this is the year she starts receiving gifts from Bailey4! lololol I was imagining this in my mind.

[Bailey4]

Oh Bailey4 I know what you mean, and don't disagree with you, if both parties are cool with the not exchanging TY cards, I mean in a situation where Thank You cards are generally expected. I'm not going to shun you if you tell me "gee thanks" for heaven's sake! I was making a general statement, and not an across the board, legalistic ruling. YOU know what I mean! What I was stating was that people are LESS INCLINED to send actual thank you cards, when in the PAST it was generally "done". And personally, I despise any "e-cards" with a passion. Seems lazy and impersonal to me.

 

and was making a little joke about the Old Folks list! lolol I can imagine the scuttle-butting at Christmas dinner table, and one of the spinsters lamenting that this is the year she starts receiving gifts from Bailey4! lololol I was imagining this in my mind.

Well see the list for the "old" doesn't change.  The list was based on family types, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and parents.  Thus, the "old" designation.  We haven't acquired more of these, thus it hasn't been a problem.  The only list that keeps growing is the young.  I now have great nieces and nephews.  God help me if I'm still alive when they start having children.  Since there are already quite a few it could require a list like only those that visit or have contact with me. :lol

 

The tough part is not adding to the aged, it is deciding when to drop the young.  I have a couple of amazing nieces and nephews that I just keep sneaking gifts because they are awesome but have technically aged out.  However, most have hit the "adult" stage and no longer get gifts.  I just can't afford it.  I come from a huge family and DH's extended family isn't small either.  When they finish college they generally get dropped off the gift list.  If they don't go to college, high school graduation is usually the cut off.

[2manythreads]

Your system is a lot like mine- I have my aged out nieces and nephews, but I still made them gifts this (last?) year. As we get older, the family becomes a lot more populated, it's like hey wait a minute! Who can I exclude safely this year? lolol. Don't want to hurt anyone's feelings....

 

that's what is so cool about crocheting, knitting, those sort of crafts, you can always have something to make for gifts, and with buying wisely you won't go broke. I am very frugal so I "save" (husband says WHAT saving?? you're spending, not saving anything) I like to lurk in the thrift stores and 2ndhand places for yarn. I also do a lot of other crafts: counted cross stitch, crewel work, embroidery, you name it. Everyone gets something hand made from me as a gift. Sister has her eye on a "Care Bears" cross stitch I found new in package at goodwill lol! She's older than I am! but she wants it.

 

I've said it before, wish I had learned crochet and things much earlier. Being a noob kind of limits me as to what I can make yet. Practice makes perfect!  I wasted so much time attempting projects that were so beyond my skill level, and got so frustrated. 

[Bailey4]

The issue is getting everyone to agree to hand made presents.  One of the reasons we stopped is gift giving presented a huge challenge not just to us, but to all parties concerned.  If I make stuff, people often feel obligated to buy something.  When it's random and unpredictable, they don't have to reciprocate.

 

I'd love to see a hand made exchange among the adults in the family.  It could be a fun time.  However, I just don't see us going there.  Therefore my rules have worked and I think I'll keep them.

[ShanaEirin]

I will randomly make my parents handmade gifts whenever I see a pattern that reminds me of them, or whenever my mom says she wants what I made (that happens a lot, so she doesn't get everything she wants!).

 

We've never exchanged handmade gifts, but we do have this tradition of whenever we're together in December we exchange secret santa gifts in handmade packaging that is usually very creative. I made a birdhouse last time.

 

I don't exchange gifts with my extended family, as it's a very large family and they never even sent me a birthday card when we were living in a foreign country.

[Bailey4]

Families are complicated. I extended family who I'm closer to than those who technically are closer in the family tree.

[2manythreads]

ShanaErin this sounds SO neat!!!:

 

"We've never exchanged handmade gifts, but we do have this tradition of whenever we're together in December we exchange secret santa gifts in handmade packaging that is usually very creative. I made a birdhouse last time."  The handmade wrapping packaging sounds so cool- Ive done it once before and it came out very nice, sometimes I attempt it and it looks terrible lol. Just the luck of the draw. About some family not sending birthday cards even when you're in another country- don't feel sad, I don't even know the dates of my only brother's birthday date, and he sent me a bouquet on mine. Time goes by so fast these days and people get distracted. The only way to "cure" them of it is to make sure to send them a card on their birthday, maybe you'll start a trend

 

 

Oh people just LOVE hand made stuff in my family, no one's done anything hand done in ages, so it's a novel concept to them, and quite appreciated. I just get a big kick out of making things instead of buying some generic thing, and everything now is made in China and quality is just getting worse and worse even with the department store stuff. Has anyone noticed this phenomenon?? Even the good stores- all China junk. 

Gifts -there's no obligation to anyone to reciprocate, I tell the receivers "I was going to make it ANYWAY as I liked the pattern and figured you might want it" I don't make anything for myself, I only keep my mistakes! lol! I have a cute beret that came out larger than the pattern described, I pin it to my hair when I wear it.

 

The whole hand made crochet Xmas gifts is a huge Godsend to me as it totally saves me money for one thing, plus there is more thought and care that goes into it, and people are so impressed with the fact Hey, I MADE this with my own two hands! If I get some really bad vintage 80s scratchy yarn, I use it for animal beds. If I get Fun Fur in a grab bag from Savers, that's an edging for a pair of gloves or to embellish a hat or make a cute modern scarf. I find a purpose for every yarn, and the whole fun of it is figuring out who gets what. Men are the toughest "customers" as there are so few accessories you can make for them, and their taste I think is more particular than women's, really.

 

I'm working on a fruit theme Hot Plate Mats from free vintage crocheting site, that's my "go-to" pattern repository. If I don't like the pattern I modernize it for today's style. But, with the hand made things, everyone loves them, only the meanest sort of brute wouldn't appreciate something a family member made by hand.

 

I've already started on next years like I said, I'm going to plan out each week, and have everything sorted and nicely arranged so I won't be in a big mess by December like last time. I went through my stash of crafts,  I discovered some wonderful things I forgot I even had!! Some Mary Maxim craft house kits, some early 70's Made in England high quality plush forest creatures (just lovely), some "Creative Circle" crewel/needlework kits of all kinds- tons and tons of Baby Yarns- there is NO excuse next year for me to be caught red-faced. I am SO ashamed of my pathetic rush gifts from last time, sigh. But someone earlier commented that I must be a perfectionist, that if I find one thing wrong with it I am not happy, that's true- and it winds me up into a tizzy. I get so nervous and overwrought about it all and should just relax.

[ShanaEirin]

ShanaErin this sounds SO neat!!!:

 

"We've never exchanged handmade gifts, but we do have this tradition of whenever we're together in December we exchange secret santa gifts in handmade packaging that is usually very creative. I made a birdhouse last time."  The handmade wrapping packaging sounds so cool- Ive done it once before and it came out very nice, sometimes I attempt it and it looks terrible lol. Just the luck of the draw. About some family not sending birthday cards even when you're in another country- don't feel sad, I don't even know the dates of my only brother's birthday date, and he sent me a bouquet on mine. Time goes by so fast these days and people get distracted. The only way to "cure" them of it is to make sure to send them a card on their birthday, maybe you'll start a trend

 

 

Oh people just LOVE hand made stuff in my family, no one's done anything hand done in ages, so it's a novel concept to them, and quite appreciated. I just get a big kick out of making things instead of buying some generic thing, and everything now is made in China and quality is just getting worse and worse even with the department store stuff. Has anyone noticed this phenomenon?? Even the good stores- all China junk. 

Gifts -there's no obligation to anyone to reciprocate, I tell the receivers "I was going to make it ANYWAY as I liked the pattern and figured you might want it" I don't make anything for myself, I only keep my mistakes! lol! I have a cute beret that came out larger than the pattern described, I pin it to my hair when I wear it.

 

The whole hand made crochet Xmas gifts is a huge Godsend to me as it totally saves me money for one thing, plus there is more thought and care that goes into it, and people are so impressed with the fact Hey, I MADE this with my own two hands! If I get some really bad vintage 80s scratchy yarn, I use it for animal beds. If I get Fun Fur in a grab bag from Savers, that's an edging for a pair of gloves or to embellish a hat or make a cute modern scarf. I find a purpose for every yarn, and the whole fun of it is figuring out who gets what. Men are the toughest "customers" as there are so few accessories you can make for them, and their taste I think is more particular than women's, really.

 

I'm working on a fruit theme Hot Plate Mats from free vintage crocheting site, that's my "go-to" pattern repository. If I don't like the pattern I modernize it for today's style. But, with the hand made things, everyone loves them, only the meanest sort of brute wouldn't appreciate something a family member made by hand.

 

I've already started on next years like I said, I'm going to plan out each week, and have everything sorted and nicely arranged so I won't be in a big mess by December like last time. I went through my stash of crafts,  I discovered some wonderful things I forgot I even had!! Some Mary Maxim craft house kits, some early 70's Made in England high quality plush forest creatures (just lovely), some "Creative Circle" crewel/needlework kits of all kinds- tons and tons of Baby Yarns- there is NO excuse next year for me to be caught red-faced. I am SO ashamed of my pathetic rush gifts from last time, sigh. But someone earlier commented that I must be a perfectionist, that if I find one thing wrong with it I am not happy, that's true- and it winds me up into a tizzy. I get so nervous and overwrought about it all and should just relax.

Reading this just made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside... Your gifts sound awesome, and it sounds awesome that you can find something to do with every yarn you get! I have made a couple of designs lately only using leftover yarn that I didn't like. It gives surprising and fun results!

 

The gift wrapping thing: it's a Dutch tradition, they're called 'surprises', and usually they resemble something. Often we use paper maché to make really elaborate gift packagings. It's a lot of fun! My mom made a whole plane once, and my dad is really good at it as well. One time my mom made this huge heart with a really funny poem about how I got a boyfriend earlier that year, and how glad she was that I broke it off... The packaging is almost the best part of the gift! But for the less creative people with us, there have been lots of 'cell phones', 'computers' (just a square with a screen painted on), and we even had a gift that was just frozen in a block of ice once. It really is fun.

[Charis]

Neat! I have never heard of this wrapping tradition before! Thanks for sharing!

[2manythreads]

Wow - that IS amazing! I've not heard of this tradition either, what fun that is! Wow that should go on one of those Buzzfeed or any of those pop culture websites, you know, "Christmas Traditions from Other Countries You've Never Heard Of" or something haha- I especially enjoyed the descriptions, how the non-creatives make mobile phones or computer shapes- so awesome. This is such a treat to read about you know, learn something new each day.