Halloween Costume Confessions

ScannedImageWith tomorrow being Halloween I have seen many adorable crocheted costumes on various social media outlets. There are so many creative and talent stitchers, that I will admit put me to shame.

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My “Mummy” and “Witch”

Several people believe that my kids must have adorable hand crocheted costumes to wear to various Halloween parties and trick or treating events. They would be grossly incorrect. I am not saying that I spend a fortune on the costumes that are available in many stores, heck; I even balk at spending $25 for a costume that will be worn for only one night, so many of my kids’ costumes are homemade, relatively speaking.

One year my son wanted to be Indian Jones, so a pair of khaki’s, a white shirt, brown hat and a piece of rope (to simulate a whip) and he was quite happy. Another year, a mummy, white face paint some medical gauze rolls, done. My daughter wanted to be Iron Man, her red sweat pants, a red sweat shirt, and some felt cut into a few shapes and tapes on to the clothes…okay I did crochet a red hat to attach a cardboard mask to, but that was it.

There are a couple of years that I spent more time in putting a costume together. One year I made Toothless, the dragon from the How to Train Your Dragon movies, this was a little more involved, but only in taking felt to make the tail and the wings. The rest is just black sweats. Another year the kids both wanted to be a Genie, I had some extra fabric around, so I made some harem pants and simple vests, but these were my more involved years. Fortunately, Toothless has been worn my more than one child, and more than once for Halloween, the Genies have had many play-times at home.

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My “Genies”

This year, the kids are putting together their own costumes, my daughter is creating a Spider Witch and my son…well, my son has come to the age, that he only wants to dress up because that is what needs to be done to trick or treat and receive candy, so he is putting together some mask with a cape.

While I greatly admire the costumes many have created in crochet, and the talented ideas and artistry these creators have, I am one of the moms that is keeping it simple, and stitching up some sweaters for use on more then one night.

Catching Up September

ScannedImageSomehow September always seems to run me around in circles. It seems to be a month that leaves me a little anxious, almost feeling like I am hyperventilating.
It maybe all the family birthdays; my husband, his brother, his sister, my dad, my sister…all within a week, and then the anniversaries; my parents, my in-laws, my aunts, and then my sister is planning her wedding for September of 2015. None of that even includes holidays for long time friends…only family.
Maybe it is the change of season. Being in Northern California I am very happy that this last week has a feeling of fall; it helped to increase the containment of a large wildfire in my community (at least it was not a threat to my home, but I had many friends evacuated for several days, some for nearly two weeks), and seeing some rain makes us all hopeful that our drought may ease. However fall also brings the harvest of our small farm. I am not even sure how many pounds of pears I gave away this year, probably close to 50, I know that I used the dehydrator and dried nearly 140 pears, which my family has nearly consumed all of. I harvest many seedless grapes, and actually made raisins this year…about 10 pounds after they were dried. I still have to make some jelly from the seeded grapes, but that is in the next couple of weeks. MP900384696
It could also be the births and deaths, and tragedies in my local community, I know they are there all the time, but for some reason they seem amplified in September. None of them affected me closely, but it affected people in my life. Or it could me the annual remembrance of “where were you when” , those moments that make you realize that a year has already passed and you are not sure where it went.
So my days were spent settling into the routine of the school year for the kids, accomplishing the things needed for the household, and then not to be over looked….CROCHET! I have spent each and every day with my fingers dancing over stitches and my mind flying over new and possible combinations and ways to use a technique. I plan on getting some of them written down and posted soon, but in all my time writing has taken a sideline. Since October is almost here, I can already feel a change, a calming. This should allow me to regroup and share more of the thoughts that I find in my world of hooking, here is to hoping that October brings cool weather, rain, and calmer seas.

Harvest of Gifts

ScannedImageIt is that time of year, when the hours feel like minutes and the weeks like days. I really do not know why the last few months of the year seem to go by in a blink, maybe it is because there is so much to do (even when not taking into account the holiday season).

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Basket of Persimmons and Quince

I have been bringing in the end of the year harvests, the quince, the persimmons, the grapes, the figs, the apples, and I still have to finish gathering the walnuts. Then there is a matter of canning, drying, and baking all the above mentioned late harvest.

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Zinfandel jelly

Then I realize that I need to get the gifts for the holidays, and this is when I realize that I am holding a silent protest against being a consumer. The advertising in every outlet I see has been telling me for weeks what I should be buying for the people I love, and how to make my dollar go further that I should be shopping on the Friday after Thanksgiving, or now Thanksgiving days itself. But I have never been one that believed the dollars I spend equates to the love I have. When I spend time creating something, I have to have that person in my thoughts longer then just checking them off a list; I think of then for several hours as their gift is coming together. I don’t know if they realize or fully appreciate everything that goes into their gifts, but I can at least feel good that for me the meaning of the season has not been lost. I cannot put a price on my love, or relationships, saving a dollar on a sale and hunting to save a penny is not who I am. My gifts may not be fancy or complete showstoppers, but my heart is there.

I hope you have a way to feel the meaning of the season in your holidays.