Christmas shopping - Make it in America

[Owlie]

Cool. How do you do that?

If you get lucky, there are some sweaters (even store-bought) where the fabric isn't knit, cut and sewn, but it's knit so that the body up to the sleeves is a single length of yarn. You can take the sweater apart, unravel it, and use the yarn for your own nefarious purposes.

I have no idea what I'm making people for Christmas this year. DBF's getting knitted socks once I finally get him to measure his feet for me. My sister doesn't want to be seen in my knitting, so so she says. ("You know you could go to Kohl's and get something that looks a lot nicer for less, right?")

[Jolt]

If you get lucky, there are some sweaters (even store-bought) where the fabric isn't knit, cut and sewn, but it's knit so that the body up to the sleeves is a single length of yarn. You can take the sweater apart, unravel it, and use the yarn for your own nefarious purposes.

Or take 100% wool sweaters, wash and dry them in the machine (exactly what you should NOT do with wool sweaters!) so they shrink and felt, then cut out mitten-shaped pieces and sew them together. There are patterns that put the thumb in a better spot by using separate thumb pieces sewn onto the main part, to avoid the awkwardness of having the thumb out to the side, but they are also more complicated.

[Brandi]

I am knitting scarves with yarn spun by my friend who got the yarn from friends who raised the sheep and alpaca's. Oh and she dyed it herself too. She also has a great herb shop. The shampoo bars are awesome! Here is her herb store site http://www.prairielandherbs.com/ oh the lavender vanillia linen body spray is sooooooo good! I am getting all my friends a bottle for christmas.

[Tri Girl]

I made two pairs of mittens already (one for me and one for a colleague). They were made for my winter commutes and they are the WARMEST mittens I've EVER had!!!! I lined mine with fleece to make them extra-warm, but they would be fine without the fleece lining, too.

Yup- I felt wool sweaters to make them. It's a 3 piece mitten that you sew. I'm not a great sewer (seamstress) but these were really easy to make. I used this Youtube video to guide me. I made my own template since I don't have a printer to print out a pattern.
When I made the mittens for gifts, I'll use 3 sweaters for each one, making the three pieces out of different sweaters that color coordinate (to make them unique and special).
It's really a fun project. I made a pair for a colleague and she loves them! Hers have pretty buttons as decoration on them.

[bambu101]

I make bags, pouches, quilted kindle covers, coasters and all kinds of fabric creations... just sayin

Obviously, I am a big supporter of locally hand-crafted artisan goods!

[Trek420]

If you get lucky, there are some sweaters (even store-bought) where the fabric isn't knit, cut and sewn, but it's knit so that the body up to the sleeves is a single length of yarn. You can take the sweater apart, unravel it, and use the yarn for your own nefarious purposes.

Oh, cool so like recycling/repurposing yarn. If you find a nice wool sweater alpaca, merino, etc could just unwind it. Voila! Yarn. Cool.

[Pax]

I only do gifts for my mom and niece; niece always gets cash (made in America ) and this year we're taking my mom to FL for a week as her gift... also made in America!

[skhill]

When I made all that peach jam this summer, I was planning on giving it as Christmas gifts. But I've ended up eating most of it myself!

Right now I'm knitting away: colorful mittens and scarves. Luckily all the immediate family lives in places that get a proper winter. I'll also be baking and making some candy when the time gets closer...

Another repurposed yarn project: did you know most of the innards of a baseball is yarn? It's icky stuff, so I knit a placemat for the cats' bowl from it.

[Brandi]

Here is my friends etsy site where she sells her hand spun , hand dyed yarn as well as she has a bunch of hand dyed silk scarfs for sale. Besides etsy is such a great place to buy gifts made in america plus there is some great up cycling! http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http...al&h=dAQEC--wb the address has facebook in it but it will take you to etsy.

[OakLeaf]

Here's a more general question - I know part of the answer but I'm posting it so we can all share our answers.

Absent designated markets and outside of craft fairs, how do I find local artisans? Say, I just need a little skein of darning yarn. I KNOW there are spinners and dyers in my area. But they don't set up at the farmers' markets, and the season for that is over anyhow.



My partial answer: there's a local poultry and beef farmer who set up a brick-and-mortar shop in town where she sells her farm's meat and eggs; other animal products, sweet syrups and seasonal vegetables from other local farms; and a small selection of mass marketed food and household items. Farmers talk to each other and she'll probably know who I can ask. Likewise, a friend of mine is an aspiring writer with contacts in the local arts community, and if I have a specific type of gift item in mind she can probably point me in someone's direction.

Where else would you folks go?

[Brandi]

Farmer's markets are a good place at least where I live. They let local artist come with booths year round. Also if you try local art store;s and maybe see if people are posting flyer's about home craft shows and stuff. I am so embedded in this community i know all the home shows that happen this time of year. Some good some not so good. Maybe the community center would have flyer's up too?

[zoom-zoom]

Last year we gave my family members (in WI and IL) wine, spirits, and beer all made in MI. They were products they generally could not find outside our state.