Compilation of Gifts and Resolutions.

I don't know what it is about being busy, but it seems as though the more obligations we have, the more we are able to somehow juggle and squeeze other things into our lives as well.  This is so true for me; with each increasingly difficult semester I find that I'm taking on more and more projects and tending to work longer week hours.  It amazes me how many things we can accomplish when we're presented the opportunity to do so,  especially when these things are necessary.  

I'm also kind of embarrassed at how exceedingly well the artificially-imposed new slate gimmick works for me at the beginning of the year.  Logically, I understand that the new year is really nothing but a mostly-arbitrary marking of the passage of time, but for some reason I really do feel like I can make important changes and implement all of the pieces I associate with the person I want to be.  Aside from the usual things I convince myself I'll change this year such as reading out of all of my textbooks before I go to class, or becoming someone who actually enjoys distance running instead of just sprinting for 10 meters, or thinking in SI units...I've resolved to begin making my Christmas gifts early this year.  It's really ridiculous how I tend to wait until the couple of weeks before Christmas, and somehow I'm always shocked when it arrives in December, as if I didn't have 12 months to prepare.  I hate the feeling of obligatory gift-buying because I know I won't have time to come up with something good enough.  Which is why this year, I've already mentally mapped out most people's presents, and I've started on many of them.  Making things for people always makes me really happy because I often have trouble thoroughly conveying to people how much they mean to me and I feel like by giving them something personal I can express this more completely through the gesture with (likely) a combination of awkward and silly words that I might stumble through and smile cheesily after. 

Because I've been making things for probably some of the only people that read this blog, I can't share fully what I'm working on.  Therefore, I'm going to give a couple of sneak-peeks (I feel like I'm presenting some sort of movie to you).

The first one is what has consumed my time knitting on the train most days.  Remember my shoebox knitting method that I came up with to conserve space when on UTA Trax?  I've used this for every single one of these blocks below.  Clearly, these still have to be blocked so that they are all square, but I'm waiting on finishing about 5 more of these colored blocks. 

This next one represents me loving the look of entrelac (a faux woven pattern).  I won't tell you exactly what I'm making, but I had a couple of specific people in mind as I've been making this pattern and have decided to create it for both of them...perhaps even more than just these 2.  Also, I love this yarn. 

Finally, I have been making these fabric envelopes to send my Christmas thank-you cards in.  The basic assembly is from the awesome pattern from here by Sew Mama Sew.  Does this mean I get an extension on sending thank-you notes?  I hope so.  I'm so awful....

I'm actually planning on sending these out in the mail as a real envelope.  What do you think?  Will they send?  Will they be returned to me?  I'm thinking of ironing the stamp on as well as the address.  I seem to recall an episode where Mythbusters sent a coconut into the realm of the US Postal Service and it made it to the desired address.  Fabric envelopes can't be more bizarre than that...right? (side note:  I just spelled bizarre wrong twice...I do not remember ever learning the spelling of this word in public school) 

Well, I guess I'll find out soon.  I'll keep you posted!  Ha ha.  Get it?  This is a suitable joke to leave on.