What is he doing in the knitting department, you may ask?
I don't knit unlike my mother who for many years was a star at it.
This holiday season, I have been looking at many ways one can create his/her own gifts whether it's baked goods, homemade drinks, turning vinyl records into book ends or in this case knitting.
With Knitivity (Andrews McMeel, Fall 2011), Fiona Goble gives the DIY (do it yourself) treatment to the nativity.
Knitivity offers detailed instructions on how to create wooly Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the Wise Men, Sheep, Shepherd Boy and the rest of the cast.
With 8 days to go before Christmas, it might be too late to finish them all for the 2011 holidays. It could be done as a group effort.
Fiona starts the book by offering a few suggestions (excerpt below):
In the beginning
Knitting dolls and creatures like the ones in this book is a completely different experience than knitting clothes. And though I’m a little biased, it really is a whole lot more rewarding and entertaining. In fact, since I started making knitted dolls and creatures, I’ve become something of a knitting addict.
How can you compare the satisfaction of knitting a cardigan or scarf to knitting a doll with a unique look and personality, which you’ve created yourself?
Knitting toys is also much quicker than knitting clothes—unless you’re talking about a tiny pair of mittens for a newborn baby. I promise that in this book you won’t face instructions like “continue until your work measures 20 in (50 cm)”, which you know will take forever. Your characters will start coming to life in no time.
What’s more, every single one of the characters is straightforward to make.
There are no fancy patterns or scary cables. If you can knit, purl, increase, and decrease, then you won’t have any problems at all knitting the entire Knitivity cast.
Satisfaction starts here
The satisfaction starts at the very beginning, with choosing the yarns and colors for the first character in your collection.
Then, while you’re knitting, you’ve got the excitement of seeing the character develop, often in a way that you don’t expect when you begin. If you don’t believe me, try knitting the Ass, or Baby Jesus and his swaddling wrap. I’m sure you’ll be pleasantly surprised. When you’ve finished knitting your characters, you can make the manger and the fold-out stable, provided in this book, and set up your
Knitivity scene. Once complete, take a step back, admire your work, and invite your family and friends to do the same.
One step at a time
If you don’t fancy knitting the Knitivity in one go, why not do it in stages? In the first year, for example, you could knit Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, and an animal or two. The year after you could add the Shepherds or Wise Men. Over a few years, you will eventually create a beautiful and detailed Knitivity that you and your family will treasure for ever.
Get it together
The Knitivity also makes a great project for school groups and knitting clubs. Pool your resources of yarn, take a character each, and, before you know it, your Knitivity will be complete. You may want to donate your set to a school or community group. Alternatively, it makes a great prize for a competition or Christmas raffle.
Whether you choose to create your Knitivity by yourself or with friends, I really hope you have fun and that you are as thrilled with the results as I am. But if you find yourself becoming a knitting addict, don’t blame me.
Knitivity will also be a wonderful gift for seniors, someone who is home recovering from an illness or a surgery, balm for their spirit.
(* Book excerpt and images from Knitivity by Fiona Goble reproduced by permission of Andrews McMeel Publishing, all rights reserved)
If I needed a reminder that someone's junk is somebody else's gold, Junk for Joy (Kyle Books, September 2011 in the UK) by Siân Berry proves that creating new designs from discards can be very rewarding.
As shown below, the author turns old vynil records into bookends.
This would be a great DIY gift idea for a music lover.
Just don't use of her/ his favorite records for it.
While everyone is busy compiling Top 10 books, songs, movies, travel destinations of 2011 and endless lists of gift ideas, French wine bloggeur Bicephale Buveur offers his version of the last supper with Vin pour un Enterrement (Wine for a Funeral)
He notes that for Yutaka Kanzaki of the 'wine' manga "Drops of God" a last glass of (? 1990) Richebourg from Domaine de la Romanée Conti before getting the last rites.
Need to add a bottle of DRC to your cellar, The Antique Wine Company shares details and prices on a few vintages from that Burgundy star.
Bicephale Buveur set his sights on Côtes du Jura "Les Varrons" from Domaine Labet as his last to be enjoyed wine, 100% Chardonnay.
Rare wines, manga and last rites for Tokyo Thursdays #214
(* Illustration from Domaine de la Romanee Conti site...Bicephale Buveur blog is in French only)
Besides peace of mind, what would I like to find under the Christmas tree this holiday season.
Let's stay practical with a few cooking and dining items.
For the kitchen, a rice cooker to start as I never had one followed by bamboo kitchen ustensils (like those below from TruBamboo) to replace the plastic ones. A pressure cooker would be nice (I might start making yogurts again). I definitely need a new wok and most certainly a good crepes pan.
For the dining room, decent wine glasses and champagne flutes, a slate board for cheese, a black salad bowl (makes colors stand out), last cotton napkins and napkin rings to dress up the table a bit.
Nothing extravagant.
I shall see what Santa brings.
(* Image of bamboo ustensils from TruBamboo site)
The DIY wave has many facets. Suzy Atkins guides us through its liquid side in How to make your own drinks (Mitchell Beazley, Fall 2011).
It will be a little late to have this recipe ready for Christmas 2011. You can always offer it as an unfinished melody.
Here's Quince Vodka recipe from How to Make Your Own Drinks.
Quince Vodka
Makes approximately 600ml (1 pint)
I challenge anyone not to like this – quinces give the vodka a yellow glow and a honeyed flavour. This is another drink that you make in the autumn to be ready by Christmas. Another great gift, then.
2 large quinces
50cl (18fl oz) vodka (unflavoured)
200g (7oz) golden caster sugar
1. Wash and dry the quinces, then grate them, whole and unpeeled, using the coarse side of a grater. Use the entire fruit, core and all. As you grate, put batches into a kilner jar and splash in a little vodka,
or the fruit will quickly brown.
2. Work swiftly and pile all the last bits into the jar and add the sugar, topping the whole lot up with the vodka.
3. Seal and turn gently to mix. Turn every day for 2 weeks, then occasionally for another 4 weeks. Strain after this period, discard the quince and bottle the lovely golden spirit.
* This tastes quite sweet and doesn’t need any more sugar adding at the end (as some recipes suggest).
* Delicious with a fresh fruit salad, or with a plate of preserved fruits (apricots, figs, dates), toasted hazelnuts and pistachios.
* I have made this with decent windfalls, but do inspect each quince carefully and discard any that are very bruised.
(* Quince Vodka recipe from How to make your own drinks by Suzy Atkins- Mitchell Beazley- Fall 2011- shared with permission- all rights reserved)
Time's been scarce to jot down ideas for today's Green Day.
Thankfully a fully formed topic landed in my Inbox.
As our buying frenzy gets into high gear with each holiday, what could be a better antidote than the subject of Dumpster Diving, rescuing food leftovers.
Let's be honest, many people do it out of necessity rather than choice.
A man on a mission, Jeremy Seifert documents the trend in Dive! The Film- Living Off America's Waste.
The film site also promotes the Eat Trash Campaign to End Food Waste.
Will it be part of the conversation at the dinner table on Christmas or New Year's Eve 2011?
Dumpster Diving for Green Day # 205
Previously: Are DIY Gifts the Best Way to Give Green This Holiday 2011?
Are tickets to wine and food events or destinations amongst the things you put on your list to Santa?
Americans who can't make the trek through European vineyards might want to consider week-end events in the U.S.
In search of a Zin Moment, the 20th Annual Zinfandel Festival in Paso Robles from March 16 to March 18, 2012, will do the trick.
Tickets for the event just went on sale.
Collectors can pick a few things for their cellar during Zin Tasting & Wine Country Auction, "showcasing Zinfandel wines, complimentary gourmet bites, and Wine Country Auction lots" on March 17.
From March 16 to March 18, Visit the Wineries "join more than 150 wineries for a selection of barrel tastings, winemaker dinners, vineyard tours, laid-back barbecues, live music, and more. Many wineries offer a special treat to Zin Tasting ticketholders, so keep your ticket at hand throughout the weekend to take advantage of these special offers. Use the online tour booklet or search by day, winery, and activity to help plan your memorable Zin-filled weekend in Paso Robles Wine Country."
Perfect gift for a merry wine Christmas
There is an inherent tension between desire to be green and shopping for holiday gifts.
Are DIY (Do It Yourself) Gifts the best way to give green this holiday 2011?
You might not be the next great painter or best cook in town.
For those with time and patience, embroidery can combine both and after being framed ends up as a nice personalized kitchen gift.
It all starts with a pattern like those Food Math themes 'Sad to Happy' themes sold by Wild Olive on Etsy.
DIY gifts on the table for Green Day # 204
Previously: Chauffeured New York Car Service with a Low Emission Mission, OZO car
(* Image for Food Math from Wild Olive's Etsy Shop)
Creativite tout azymuth, all around creativity, is a good way to describe Patrick Roger, the French maverick chocolatier.
For the opening of his Brussels shop in November, Patrick Roger becomes a cartoon character.
His signature Boites Vertes ('Green Boxes') come handy as a ready made title for the cacao hero's adventures.
(* Illustration from Patrick Roger site...Thanks to Lauranie Choco for allerting me of Patrick's adventures)
Recent Comments