Christmas memories ⭐

As Margaret noted  last week, families have memories and traditions tied to Christmas. Society seems to have agreed families "should" get together, eat and celebrate, play games and visit.

I have a sincere problem with the word "should" and would like to remove it from our vocabulary. We can stop "shoulding" on ourselves and each other. Say it out-loud, I hope you can hear the guilt implied when we say or read "should". We can choose to, choose not to, will/will not do, might/might not do, can/can not do. etc.

This is a really interesting idea I am forwarding from one of our customers:

Mom and daughter (daughter and granddaughter) were in last week wanting to build a 'memory lantern'. They had an old candle lantern 'grandpa' had used during power outages. They were going to adapt the idea with a rocking chair, a Christmas tree, and a couple of old family photos - miniaturised. This will be a gift for their grandmother. Grandpa died just a couple of months ago.

They were going to write on the glass, use a chair from an old doll house, add a mini set of lights and were looking for miniature presents to put under the tree. We found some very small buttons that will work well. The granddaughter was going to make a very small photo album - just a couple of pictures to put in the chair.

What an thoughtful gift to a new widow. I can feel Mom and granddaughter honouring wonderful treasured memories created over many years.

For those of us who have families moved away, no longer part of our community, and those who have out-lived all their family - this can be a very lonely season.

It is hard to create new memories for those who are alone, or have lost someone in the past year. As some of us older people know, the first year is the hardest. Friends and families often avoid bringing the up the subject thinking they are being kind.

Suggestions from survivors:

• create new traditions - i.e. a lantern
• set an extra plate at the table and invite a neighbour/friend from church who will be alone
• change the decorations - put only some out or start anew with new decorations
• volunteer at a soup kitchen - find ways to gift to others
• bring out the photo albums, tell stories (this is one of my favourites)
• make a donation (any size) to a charity they believed in and put the card on the tree so all can share
• do a craft when you first gather i.e. bake cookies, go for a family walk 

Another way to celebrate, create new memories is to give IOU's or Gift Certificates (only if you truly will honour them) to take Grandma out to dinner once a month, or to a camp-out in the summer. This works for so many ideas, find one that works for your family.

Speaking of memories, the first time I visited The Crafty Lady was at Easter, just a couple of months after the store opened! We had a cabin at Gull. Over the last 25 years, it was such a trill to be able to buy yarn/needles for me and craft projects for my four children. We invested in building kits, stitching projects and I think we even had a couple of painting projects over the years. This is one of the memories we discuss every year.

My children are all grown now and have moved away from this area, but my daughter cross-stitches and knits. I am passing on patterns from my grandmother - to carry on the crafting tradition. Now that my nieces and nephews are getting married, crafting heirloom blankets has become the wedding gift for some of them.

These are truly a labour of love - as the original pattern has you make the squares then pick up and knit two rows on every side of every square! There are 39 squares - times 10 ends? Really? I do not think so. Therefore I have amended the pattern in a number of ways i.e.crocheting the edges.

One of the traditions my mother started just after our father died was annual photo on The Couch. This couch was a hand made wedding present to my grandparents - stuffed with horsehair. It has been recovered 4 times over its 100+ years. As far back as I can remember, there has been a hand-knit afghan on it.

The closing of the "brick and mortar" store is the loss of a different kind of dream for me. I know this sounds a bit selfish, as I have finally found my dream job. I have worked in a number of different industries and environments. About 5/6 years ago I left a position working for a slightly OCD supervisor, who reported to a micro-manager, who reported to a person new in their position - who was trying very hard to follow the rules. The second layer to this onion - management were trying to phase out my position - going to work was always a tad stressful, to say the least.

Then The Crafty Lady asked if I would help during inventory and I would not go away. I kept coming back. I have learned so very much working here, I have made some wonderful friends, renewed older friendships!! I have been so very lucky to have been allowed to work/learn and enjoy working here.

This really is going to be an interesting transition - Please follow Lori/The Crafty Lady on Facebook as she transitions the store to on-line, and then to a pop-up store!


And remember Christmas is only one day, you can celebrate the season any day!

Hoping you have finished most of your Christmas projects. We have a great selection of colours for your felting projects.

Sale!!

Everything in the store is now at least 5% off! 

Products Lori is not planning on carrying forward are all 25% off. 

All stitching (including floss, tapestry wool, buttons, Aida cloth) is 25%. The Knit Pick needles and accessories are all 25% off. We currently have some needle kits and a good selection of cords.

Oh, I almost forgot BOOKS, BOOKS and MORE BOOKS

 25% Off 

This is a great time to add to your pattern library!


As this will be my last opportunity to do this, this year - Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and health, family, and peace in 2020.



written by Anne, still knitting on a Star Wars toque hoping to have it under the tree. We will see . . .