a handmade christmas.

remember the ugly scarf i was working on...um...nearly three years ago? well, i'm happy to report that i finally finished it. and i finished just time in for the first ever handmade christmas gift exchange with my sister.

rather than spend money on something that neither of us really need, we opted to go the handmade route, with one caveat - we were not aloud to spend a single dime on the gift. it had to be constructed using materials we already own.

as i got thinking about what to make, i remembered that i had started a scarf for her. i opened my suitcase of knitting goods (and unfinished projects...we all have them), and pulled out the "ugly scarf." the yarn was still as fabulously thick as i had remembered it. and the green hemp that i weaved in was a nice contrast. i'm glad it took me this long to finish it because i ended up making it into an infinity scarf/chunky cowl of sorts! and the best part, she totally LOVES it! and so do i. so much so that i want to make another one, but i don't have enough yarn. does anyone want the leftover skein? if so, leave a comment below.

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when it came time for me to open my gift from her, i felt like a little girl on christmas morning, filled with so much excitement. i was so anxious to finally see what she had been created. as i was opening the box, i commented on how much i liked the string she used to tie around it. she chuckled.

yet little did i know that the string was what she used to hand braid a plant hanger for me!! isn't it soo lovely?? and if you look closely at the photo above, you will see that she sewed in different sized buttons on it, too. how clever is that! how creative! I LOVE IT!!! i really do. and she so adorably wrapped up the plant that's hanging in it for my birthday present. so the homemade plant hanger immediately had a friend. :-)

needless to say, a handmade gift exchange was a such a great idea! my sister and i are sold on doing it again next year and for many, many christmas' to come! because really when it comes to gift giving, the handmade presents are the most treasured of all.

p.s. the photos in this post were taken with my new ipod touch (thank you andy!) using the hipstamatic app.