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we just *had to have a thread with the subject heading, don't you think?  A VERY Merry Christmas, to all of you who inhabit this little wordy world, this place of secure companionship. Thanks for a whole year of friendship, learning and thought provoking debate; for sharing and letting me share. HAPPY HOLIDAYS ALL!!
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Carpal Tunnel
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thanks! and right back at ya! hoping that this holiday season brings peace to all.
formerly known as etaoin...
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Yes, peace...more peace...and sweet slumber.
Joy to all!
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Pooh-Bah
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thank you, maahey, and duddub and eta belated greetings to you all and to everyone who reads this 
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Carpal Tunnel
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Why, thank you, Ms. maahey; much appreciated! Christmas should be a time of peace and giving, and well, holiness. It is hol(y)day, after all. Those* who look upon it as merely a time to be off work and party--well, that's their choice, and I'm glad it isn't mine. It is also a time to, as you did in your post, count my blessings; but then 'most any time is that, for me.
*I am not speaking here of those who practice other religions.
Our family had a good Christmas, despite 2 of us being sick. Everybody got things they really liked, which pleased the givers. Hubby and son reverted to childhood with the burp guns I gave them; another ambush was just staged! We had (by vote) a traditional dinner of roast turkey, dressing, gravy, cranberry sauce, broccoli casserole, and fruit salad. Too full for dessert!
It won't be much longer, I think, until our kids have moved away and/or married; so one of the things I was thankful for is that we still had them both, yesterday. And yet--I'll also be thankful when/if they do those things, because that will mean they're successful.
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Thank you! And a Happy New Year 2004 to all of you as well. Personally, I'm very glad the shopping orgy is over for me. My New Year's resolution is to rethink who I give to next year -- and especially how much. I had 47 people on my shopping list this year. Yikes! Perhaps it's downsizing time? Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.  Merry Merry!
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Oh, but it's fun, though, isn't it? I love finding things that just "fit" a certain person. Even if I'm not shopping for gifts at all, if I see something that just shouts out someone's name to me, I'll buy it--assuming it doesn't cost an arm and a leg, that is. Usually I send it to them on the spot, too--nothing like an unexpected present to lift the spirits!
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old hand
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Hi Jackie, and Gifthorse, and, of course, everybody else as well.
I'm glad you had good Christmases, and hope you have great New Year's too.
I had my niece around for lunch, so put together a roast duck (more traditional and al that - goose would have been too big), along with trimmings - stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce - all made from scratch, of which I was quite proud. Couldn't drink, though - work later in the evening.
And, uncharacteristically, I actually bought three presents this year - my first in about five years. I must be going soft in my dotage.
Anyway, hope you all have a great year to come, and lot's more AWADing.
cheer
the sunshine warrior
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Pooh-Bah
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47!! no wonder you're the GIFT horse
We've got it down to stocking stuffers for the adults and presents for my neice(4) and nephew(1) and the occasional little something as a surprise gift for a friend. The hardest part was finding a toy for my nephew that didn't take batteries. I wanted the stacking rings and it took me almost a week to find but he loves it.
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The hardest part was finding a toy for my nephew that didn't take batteries. I wanted the stacking rings and it took me almost a week to find but he loves it.
Even the stacking rings take batteries now. My daughter had a set that played music and lit up as each ring (star, actually) was added to the stack. I certainly appreciate your dilemma -- my daughter got not one but two "learning systems" for Christmas this year. They are proto-computers, really, put in a cartridge and a book, and you can touch words to hear them read aloud or play little "find the red square" games. She seems to like them, but the little cartridges are about 1" x 2", and I know they will be lost by Valentine's Day. Thankfully, her most appreciated gifts were a humble changing table and new bottles for her dolls.
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47!! no wonder you're the GIFT horseWhat can I say? I'm a crazy woman. Seriously, it sounds like you are being much more realistic about gift-giving than I. My hat is off to you. My new mantra: Less is more, less is more, less is more...(repeat)....
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well, we like to try to give something to everyone, but make things rather than buying. so my wife and the boys made more than 40 small candles, and my wife baked more than 20 loaves of bread. between family, and the boys' teachers, and friends and colleagues, it adds up very quickly!
formerly known as etaoin...
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...more than 40 small candles, and my wife baked more than 20 loaves of bread...Great job! You do realize the Martha in me takes this as a direct challenge. One year I made 13 Irish Fishermen's afghans. It was a lot of hard work, but really worth the time and energy. I had such fun watching my family open their presents. My ideal Yule would be to make every gift; each beautiful, functional and as individual as the person. Oh, for a perfect world with all the time I need. *sigh* Keep up the good work, etaoin. You and your family are an inspiration to a slacker like me.
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thanks, gh. if you notice, I said my wife and the boys made.... all I do is sit back and rake in the compliments...
formerly known as etaoin...
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Irish Fishermen's afghans
I've got to ask, what is an Irish Fishermans Afghan? I'm getting some sort of fisherman's jumper, an Irish one possibly (is there a special kind?-- I thought they were just sort of a-national jumpers, or should that be universal?), but the Afghan part has me totally flummoxed, I'm trying to figure it out but my mind is full of flum. Please tell me. [question-e]
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I would suspect it's the design: cables and such like.
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Carpal Tunnel
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An afghan is a blanket, usually smaller than what you'd put on your bed under the spread. A lot of people drape them over the back of the couch.
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Rembers of troy's post about fisherman's sweaters, so varied in technique the home island of a drowned sailor could be known by his sweater?
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afghans, ('rugs', or lap blankets, that are often hand knit or crocheted) are very popular here in US. most homes have one or more... some times they are jacquard woven designs, but many, many folk, who don't otherwise knit or crochet, make afghans--(i have 2 i have knit, and i have given dozens away-- but not like gifthorse, all in one year!)--even my ex made a point of snaring one of the household afgans when we got divorced, and his nieces, (the dear little gold diggers) made a point of grabbing the one i made for my in-laws when their house hold was being 'dismantled'(my M-I-L, knit, but thought afghans to be too big a project, and ex S-I-L doesn't knit) the little gold digger grabbed the afgan before she had completed grabbing all the silver!--to put the desirerabilty into a frame of reference--and to be honest, the afghan was nice, but not an award winner by any means! i know from my knitting sites, afghans/lap blankets/rugs (as my nana always called them) are not nearly as popular in UK--which is amazing, since with central heating, they are almost unneeded here, and would actually serve a function in UK!-- but there are some UK knitters who design and knit them.. one of my favorite sites is: http://www.woollythoughts.comthey have wonderful designs (and besides, their afghans are rather mathmatically designed!)
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Whence afghan?
I'm not sure. That's just what I was brought up to call a knitted/crocheted blanket. It's in the Merriam-Webster:
Main Entry: Afˇghan
Pronunciation: 'af-"gan also -g&n
Function: noun
Etymology: Persian afghAn Pashtun
Date: 1767
1 a (1) : PASHTUN (2) : PASHTO b : a native or inhabitant of Afghanistan
2 not capitalized : a blanket or shawl of colored wool knitted or crocheted in strips or squares
3 not capitalized : a Turkoman carpet of large size and long pile woven in geometric designs
4 : AFGHAN HOUND
- Afghan adjective
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And as I recall, the stitch is unique. It's different from standard knitting, perhaps more like crocheting but not exactly that either. I think the needle my mother used was single with a hook at one end (like a crochet hook) and a broad flat head at the other (like a knitting needle) so the work wouldn't come off the back end. The width of the work was limited by the length of the needle, as with knitting, and so she used to make several/many strips and then join them using a crochet hook.
oT, you can elaborate if (and correct me where) needed.
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Carpal Tunnel
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think the needle my mother used was single with a hook at one end (like a crochet hook) and a broad flat head at the other (like a knitting needle) so the work wouldn't come off the back end. The width of the work was limited by the length of the needle, as with knitting, and so she used to make several/many strips and then join them using a crochet hook.
i know this as tunisian knitting. It is something like crochet, and something like knitting, and it (is) still commonly used for making afghans. (and it is sometimes called 'afghan crochet')
there are knit stitches that mimic the effect of tunisian work.
The width of the work was limited by the length of the needle, as with knitting,
knitting is rather flexible--you can easily fit 20 inches worth of stitches onto a 12 or 14 inches needles. there is some 'limit' but i recently made myself a cape/poncho that is about 90 inches at the hem (its not quite circular) and i knit the whole thing (in one peice) on a 29 inch needle (too cheap to spring for a 40 inch or larger needle.)
for those of you who are trying to envision needles like yard sticks, think again-- i use a 'cable needle' a 17 or so inch cable, with 'needle points' (6 or so inches long) at either end of the cable. cables needles come in different lengths (the smaller sizes have smaller needle ends) and they are used to knit 'tubes' (seamless knitting) and to substitute for 2 straight needles.
90 inches (of knitting) crammed onto a 29 inch needle is 'tight' but it possible.
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