‘Tis the season to be jolly … and ‘tis also the season for late-night knitting & loud proclamations of “I’ll never get it finished in time!”
Why do we do it to ourselves? Spurred on by the thought of happy beaming faces unwrapping a oh-so-complicated fair isle sweater or one’s entire family decked out in matching hat & gloves – we are all guilty of overreaching ourselves at this time of year. Who hasn’t handed over a partially finished project with apologies and a firm promise to not eat or sleep until we have completed it? It is shameful to admit but as a yarn shop owner I do not possess a ‘Christmas Jumper’ simply because I only have the desire to knit one in the exact same season I’m knee deep in gift knitting.
Last year I knitted everyone scarves, heavily patterned texture scarves, which were a huge hit. This year I have spent more time worrying about how to top that than I have knitting – a victim of my own success! I had, foolishly, thought I could knit everyone socks this year (note to self start knitting those in January next time).
Thanks to Royal Mail it has been an incredibly stressful run up to Christmas this year. So many parcels are taking so long to get to their recipients, a couple have even disappeared in transit – I use tracking for my packages, can you imagine the anguish of discovering the parcel has ‘disappeared’ at the local sorting office 2 miles away? And they blatantly ignore my request to be allowed to ransack the sorting office and find my missing parcels myself … completely unfathomable! (I am kidding but a part of me believes I would find it every time if allowed). So my apologies to my lovely patient customers who are no doubt as frustrated as I am.
A large delivery this week left me feeling bereft – every year for 10 years I have gifted my mother the latest knitting needle gift set. As most of you know I sadly lost my mother earlier this year. Each December I would have the immense pleasure of her oohing & ahhing over the latest edition (more often than not earlier than the 25th as she was thrilled to use them for last minute knitted gifts).
It’s the same for our Boxing Day Cast on, instigated by my mother we would all have great fun choosing our yarns & pattern prior to the day, then get together to all cast on at once. It’s too painful to replicate this year so we have switched things up and will be having our own version of it on Christmas Eve. I’m still looking for THE pattern, you know the one that takes your breath away and you MUST knit ? Any ideas anyone ?
One thing’s for sure, I won’t be getting my pattern from my local craft superstore – popped in there with my sister yesterday, was happily browsing the art section when I overheard my sister extolling the virtues of my yarn shop … to the shop assistant!!! The same shop assistant that works in the craft superstore that we are actually standing in, that sells yarn (gulp). Cue me slinking out the door wondering if I should just leave her in the car next time!
Sharon x