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November is here and everyone is building up to Christmas - the shops are full of decorations and Boney M is filling the sound systems in every supermarket! Christmas markets are happening every weekend and even weekdays encouraging you to spend on those "must have" gifts.
I encourage all of you to make some if not all of your gifts this year. Perhaps knit, crochet or weave small items for special family or friends or gift a kit to someone you know will love the idea of making their own especially if they cannot afford to indulge in these things themselves. My friend Clare was asked by a friend if she could make up a crafty gift for a raffle at the Christmas market at the retirement complex she lives in. So Clare made a Japanese Knot Bag and, together with a pair of bamboo knitting circular knitting needles, a cake of my handdyed yarn and a couple of simple knitting patterns that another friend and I made up - we donated the items. Yesterday was the market and quite a few members of our knitting and spinning group went along to support the market. Julie, who organised the raffle, was so excited with our donation and the amazing support it received that she gave us free advertising wherever she went! It was such a small thing that made so many people happy - just a little Christmas spirit that went so far. Hopefully the raffle winner will have fun using everything or will make someone else a very happy gift recipient. There is a new addition to the shop - Handknits - at the moment only fingerless mittens but more items will be added as they are knitted. Everything will be knitted with Yarn Stash yarns. This began as a way to show off the yarns at fibre fairs/markets but non-knitting customers wanted them so I decided to extend to include Handknits! |