My kids have a running countdown to Christmas posted on the whiteboard on our fridge. It’s been a daily reminder of how far behind I am this year. But I’m getting there. Friday night we did all of our Christmas shopping and today we hope to tackle the rest of the fudge and cookie making.
We don’t have a single Christmas light or decoration up yet, but we are in the middle of a bathroom renovation and everything has been covered in drywall dust. Does drawing snowflakes in the dust count? I’m waiting for the work to be finished before we put up the tree. Though I suppose a coating of drywall dust might look like a light coating of snow. It could be the closest thing to snow that we have before Christmas again this year.
I finished a few quick dish cloths/face cloths for gifts for the girl’s teachers. Wrapped up with a bar of local handmade lavender, lime and mint goats milk soap, they make a cute and quick to make present.
There are a lot of patterns to be found on the internet for this cloth. This is the way that I make it.
Quick and Basic (Yarn Over) Dishcloth
Printable Version
Materials
Instructions
Cast on 4 stitches
First row: Knit 4
Next row (increasing row): Knit 2, yarn over, knit across the row. Repeat this row until you have 45 stitches on the needle.
Next row (decreasing row):Knit 1, Knit 2 together, yarn over, knit 2 together, knit to the end of the row. Repeat Row 3 until there are 4 stitches remaining.
Cast off using the stretchy cast off stitch (knit together the first two stitches on the left needle through the back of the loop. Slip the new stitch on the right needle back to the left needle. Repeat 1 and 2 until all stitches are bound off.).
Linked to Frugally Sustainable, Wildcrafting Wednesday, Simple Lives Thursday
lightlycrunchy 
I think drawing snowflakes in the dust is the right kind of spirit for Christmas! Good luck with the renovation!
What a lovely gift for the teachers! Thank you for sharing!
you are comforting in your everydayness–thank you for a normal post
Life continues on in an everyday way at our house. The kids are talking about the school shooting and thinking their way through it. The oldest one has been reading as much as she can about it. It’s something that I don’t think I have the skills to write about.
I mostly avoided it–tried to find a way to comfort others
Yes! I make these too!! Perfect gifts : )
I went simple on the decorating this year, …don’t pressure yourself about “getting it all done” – moving and renos are craziness in themselves!
I think just getting the tree up and decorated will be an accomplishment this year – the rest of the stuff can stay in the boxes.
I make special ones with motifs in them every year for each kiddo with a special handmade bar of soap 🙂
I’ve just started one in an apple pattern for a teacher. I hadn’t thought of making some for the girls – good idea.
I started doing it a few years ago for everyone after I made one for my son’s pre-K teacher. She had been teaching them sign language so I made her one with the sign for “I love you” . I love how personalized they can be.
I like your idea of just letting the drywall dust pretend to be snow on the tree! 🙂 Thanks for sharing your pattern.
The bathroom still isnt finished – so I think I will just put the tree up anyway. We’ll go with the dusty/snowy look.
Hope you get your reno done soon…and get your tree up….Diane
Me too – thanks.
You amaze me, I know a family member is moving into your house soon, I would have left the bathroom remodel for them to tackle and called it quits on this house. 🙂 I love your teacher gifts, they will be cherished over all the other “teacher” type gifts so many will receive this year like many others.
We’ll keep trying to make improvements to the house – we will still own it, just rent it to my brother, so improvements are a good thing.
That makes sense, I thought they were buying it from you.
It’s awesome that you did all your Christmas shopping in one go!
I know. I surprised and impressed myself!
Heidi, you are one amazing woman! The last time we did a bathroom renovation over Xmas time, we almost ate take-out for Xmas dinner! I find it very inspiring that you still have the time and energy to make home-made gifts! Keep up the good work and show us the new bathroom.
I’m not opposed to take-out – though for the first time in about 13 years, Christmas is not at our house this year, which makes it a bit easier.
I so wish I could make these! I have zero patience though and about the same amount of skill when it comes to knitting. What a sweet and thoughtful gift!
That’s why I like these – very little skill or time required. 🙂
I’ve got the time…just no skill lol I WISH I did!
drywall dust, hate it. I’ll be getting my share of drywall dust in the coming months. I love this as a teacher gift and will need to remember it for next year, works well for a male teacher too who I sometimes find a bit more challenging to craft for. I like to make sewn reusable gift bags for the teachers, they’re easy and affordable, and reusable.
I’ve made gift bags before too – but not lately. Most of them are still circulating within the family, I think. Good luck with your drywall dust. It seems to get everywhere, even with a tiny bathroom reno.
Good luck with the renovations!
Heidi, I love these, I think they’ll work for us! I tried some a while ago, but I used yarn that was too thick I think. I love how these look, and the gift you made is such a great idea. Thanks for this!
P.S. you have the skills to write about anything you want to, BTW.
That’s nice of you to say – thanks. And I like making these – they are so easy, I can finish one in an evening.
The teachers will love this! I was just going to give my kids teachers a store bought gift, but I think I’ll be including a bar of my homemade soap now too 🙂
They’ll love your soap. I do. 🙂
🙂
You know, I really need to learn to knit and crochet…haven’t done anything like this since I was a kid and I wasn’t very good at it then! Thanks for Sharing on Wildcrafting Wednesday.
Couple this with a nice bar of handmade soap and it’s a winner! What a fantastic gift idea :). Thank you VERY much for sharing 🙂
These are lovely gifts! I learnt to knit some dishcloths a few months ago and have given a couple as gifts this Christmas. Accompanied with handmade soap and pretty ribbon it makes a special gift.
I’m glad you think so too – I thought it would be something I’d like to receive, and hoped that others would feel the same. The girls took these to their teachers today for their Christmas gifts.
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