handmade nativity

I see all the neat handmade things on other people's blogs, I wanted to be sure to spotlight all the neat creations we received (it helps to have lots of nieces and nephews). I think I pictured everything except a hat Elena knit Ben. Below is the hat I knit Ben (he'll not be hurting for hats for years to come). I did it using the mistake stitch which is generally for scarves but I thought I'd try it out on a hat.
After I finished it, my friend's husband revealed the very cool hat he'd knit and I wished I'd used that pattern, I've tucked it away for future reference. I still don't have a hat so I think for next winter I'll tackle these two. She whipped them up in a week (with four kids!), but I never get that kind of consecutive knitting so we'll see. I'm still working on a sweater I started for Anna in August, I hope I can finish it before Easter (lesson learned- use thicker yarn, save time).
This is one was Ben's project. When he first told me about it I didn't really understand what he was describing, but as you can see it turned out really nice. It fits perfectly on Joachim's card table and has a ledge going all the way around to keep it from siding off. Ben also scored five pounds of legos on ebay to go with it.
Here's the felt basket Tary knit for Ben last year. When he opened it, we weren't sure if it was supposed to be a hat for the new baby or what. Now that we've figured out what it is, it's become a favorite accent in our living room. Ben empties his pockets into it every evening (keys, notes, chapstick, thumbdrive, and coins - Joachim always pilfers the quarters to buy tatoos from the vending machine at the grocery store, it's endearing).Here's this year's basket. It's on our bedside table, but nothing lives in it yet. We're still waiting for it's purpose to be revealed.
Here's a close up of Anna's flapper hat, complete with blingy vintage button.
And here's the perfect hat Jess knit for Joachim. This is a unique hat because in certain situations it brings out the brown in his eyes and in others, it brings out the hazel. It's a great muted green that doesn't shoe up in the picture.
And the very neat printed/sewn bird shirt for Anna. She's still growing into it, so she'll have to model it in another couple of months. I've seen Jess's various works show up on her blog and I'm thrilled to have one of my very own.
Here's the shooting star shirt Benny and Corbin stenciled for Joachim. Kassia explained they picked out the stencil and then added every color until it became a bit muddy. Actually, I think it turned out pretty cool and Joachim wears it proudly. I like seeing how kids create things we as adults wouldn't, and somehow it works.
Earrings Tary made me.
The necklace peg board Elena made. Another one of those gifts I wasn't sure what to use it for when I got it, (but I knew I loved it) and it has been perfect for organizing my jewelry. It's actually rather loaded right now and I'm thinking about expanding on the idea because it works so well. It's helped me wear more of my beads that often just become knotted in the back of a drawer.
This one is my pride and joy. It was my nephew's premiere knitting project. As he pointed out, one end is wider than the other, but it shows the astounding improvement in his stitches and I love the colors. It's 100% wool in purple, green and burnt orange. The colors don't show up in the picture as richly as in life. I feel so sophisticated around town in my new scarf.
This is another interesting one. Nectaria carved it from a very sweet smelling branch on their property and Joachim has really loved it. He left it at their house once and asked about it for weeks until I finally got it back. It's surprising he liked this one so much because he also got a very real looking revolver from them for Christmas. I think the revolver is a little big and heavy and this one is easier to wield and tuck in his pants.

My friends' positions on guns range from no guns for play to rifles kept in a doorless gun cabinet in the living room. I think because we live in a rural town we have a different relationship to guns than in the city where they represent gangs and violence.

Last year Ben had to shoot a sick skunk stumbling around his parent's property. Hunting is very common here (although we're not much into it). We've had it all from elk to rabbit to bear. Just a few weeks ago the butcher came out to get one of my sister-in-law's cows. Talk about grass-finished, he just walked out in the pasture, lifted his rifle and the cow went down. Beckah said her stomach still flipped a little, but I guess that's a cow's life. It was far more humane than where most meat comes from, (and we're now the happy recipients of some hormone/antibiotic free grass-fed ground beef).

Joachim is allowed guns, but he's only allowed to shoot plants, furniture and stuffed animals in the house. I know he plays good guys-bad guys with the boys after church and I'm pretty sure they shoot each other, so, so much for not shooting people.