The Solace of Christmas Crafting in Autumn

Tiffany Walsh discusses her plans for crafting Christmas gift during the autumn season. Do you make gifts for your family and friends?

Each year in the autumn, I start thinking about Christmas gifts. It may seem early to some, but because I am a crafter, I know that it takes time to plan and make these gifts. I’m not always very good at starting things early, but this is one aspect of my life wherein I am more motivated. While it is true that I enjoy giving thoughtful gifts to people whom I love, I also simply enjoy creating things with my hands. Not only do I enjoy it, but I find it actively soothing and calming. As a mom, I find that this is the perfect season to have more calm descend into my life!

Autumn for my state in life means back-to-school time for my two children. Back-to-school time comes with a small bevy of new stresses as I adjust to new routines and generally make worrying a cardiovascular activity: my careful mother’s eye is ever watchful to assure each child is settling in nicely to happy friendships, enjoyable extracurriculars and successful academics.

In the midst of all of this, sprinkled with a lot of prayer, Christmas crafting helps to focus my energies in a peaceful way. The physical wrapping of the yarn and the moving of either my knitting needles or crochet hook is balm to the distracted mind and heart. I find the following to be great gift items that can be finished within a reasonable amount of time, and are also wonderful beginner projects for those looking to learn how to knit or crochet:

Hats: I love making hats. There is an endless variety of looks and techniques, and in the wintertime, everyone needs one!

Cowls: Rather than scarves, which can be time consuming (and just a little bit tedious) due to their length, cowls are quicker to make and easier to wear owing to not needing to wrap them so many times.

Kitchen cloths or towels: Kitchen items are amongst the most popular thing I am asked to make, and absorbent cotton yarn that is perfect for such things can be procured easily and inexpensively from your nearby craft store.

Mittens: Either full or fingerless, all climates can call for some hand warmth in the colder months!

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If you are looking to learn how to make these items and are a beginner, try calling your local yarn shop or craft store to see if they offer classes. AllFreeKnitting.com and AllFreeCrochet.com are good places to get started finding patterns that are available free of charge.

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Sprinkled with a lot of prayer, Christmas crafting helps to focus my energies in a peaceful way. #catholicmom

Are you a crafter (of any kind!) currently making gifts for Christmas? Are you interested in learning any of the fiber crafts? I would love to hear from you in the comments!

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