I love making handmade gifts but sometimes I drive myself into a frenzy as I desperately try to complete them in time. For some reason, I always get a brain storm of ideas two weeks before Christmas or someone's birthday and then I spend every waking hour and spare moment up until that point frantically crafting my gift. Every year I routinely
stay up into the wee hours of Christmas morning knitting that last sock or blocking a scarf that I'd had the sudden inspiration to make only three days prior. Once, when my older brother came to visit for his birthday, I literally cast off the hat I was knitting him and then the very next moment, shoved it into his hands as he was walking out the door. Needless to say, I save a lot on wrapping paper.
But this year I have vowed to try extra hard to
plan ahead! My first challenge was my niece's birthday coming up this May. This time I began knitting right after New Years after I found this
pattern for a girl's ruffled bolero in the
December holiday issue of Knit Simple magazine.
And because I finally planned ahead for once I even had time to knit a matching one for her Barbie doll!
Best of all about planning ahead is I feel so relieved. No more scrambling and staying up until midnight tediously weaving in yarn ends. Also, now I finally have time to wrap it up all nice and give it properly. It definitely is better to plan ahead but there's still a lot more birthdays coming up so I guess I'd better stay busy!
