I tend to have troubles with my parents and deciding on a gift for them.  They both have what they need and they always tell me they don't want anything.  It also is just silly to me to buy some cheap nick knack that they'll just put in a closet and forget they ever had.  They have enough of those in the first place!

So, I figured I should make my mother something that I knew she would enjoy and use.  The picture displays my finished projects.  The white Christmas star is a bulky doily that she can use to set underneath things on her wood surfaces.  To the upper right is a scrubbie for doing dishes (I absolutely love how it turned out, the spiral affect is fantastic!).   Finally, I made her a flower hot pad.  

Funny story about the hot pad.  I was following a design found here, but couldn't for the life of me figure out how to fold it  so that it stayed flat.  I probably could have asked around, but I tend to want to do things my way whether or not it's the 'right way.'  So, I took what I had and made this design!  I think the finished product turned out quite well.   This hot pad is bulkier which will keep the heat from soaking through the fabric quickly and making the table hot.

My mother absolutely loved the gift.  Remember, the ones made by you are always the best!

What handmade gifts did you make for the holidays?

I have noticed that cowls in replacement of winter scarves have become quite popular.  Maybe it's just my increased involvement with the knitting and crocheting world, but I can't remember seeing them before.  I will often mention it to another person and they'll give me a look of "What are you talking about?  Did you just make that word up?"  No friends, I did not.

I looked up the word with Merriam-Webster (a dictionary website that I will use while I'm online) and found several definitions for the word 'cowl.'  The best fit for the definition was "a draped neckline on a woman's garment."  Didn't seem to quite fit, because these warm cowls aren't really just on the neckline nor just for women.  So, I saw there was a definition option for 'cowl-neck' defined as "a high loose-fitting turnover collar used especially for sweaters."  Ha!  This seems quite a bit better definition.  Come to think of it, these cowls that have become so popular really are like detached collars of a sweater.  I guess that's where the name came from.  :p

Anyway, I have been tinkering with my own designs for cowls.  The picture above is one of the two I've made so far.  They're actually quite easy.  There are a couple options you have when making a cowl.  You can make a large rectangle, long enough to go around your neck and wide enough to cover it, and whip stitch it together or use button fasteners like I did.  The second option is to knit or crochet in a round, again making sure you make it large enough to fit.  Use whatever style of stitch you like!  I mix and match mine for neat texture changes.

It's December 1st!  With it comes some unusually warm weather in my parts along with some possible rain.  I suppose if you compared this year to last, though, it wouldn't be so unusual.  Oh well.  The beautiful thing about the warmer air is that it will allow me to put up lights on the house and not freeze my tush off.

If it were chilly out, I would hope to have one of these ear warmers to wear.  It's a modified version of those headbands and that wouldn't always stay on your head!  I liked the idea of not having a whole hat on my head when I was young, but those ear warmer headbands would never stay in place for me!  Plus, the ones I had were super chunky which wasn't that fashionable either.

This ear warmer, however, is fantastic.   It's wide to cover the ears, thin so it's not too bulky on the head, and very warm!  I believe the best thing about it is the button fastener.  Unlike the headbands, this ear warmer allows you to wrap it around your head without messing up your hair.  It also fits more securely on your head as opposed to the other headbands.

So, if you're looking for a way to keep your ears warm this winter and look great doing it, head over to my Etsy shop to find the one pictured.  I hope to get some more in the shop in the next few weeks, too.  Don't forget, you can always message me for a special request!  ;)