Projects that take on a life of their own

This year I had a new inspiration for holiday giving. I don't like the commercialism of the holidays and rebel against the extreme gift giving. Actually, against most gift giving, truth be known. I prefer heart felt gifts, whether handmade or thoughtfully purchased.

I decided to make hats for the homeless. I wanted to make hats with quality yarn so the recipient could feel the caring in them. I decided I would make the hats and give people on my gift list a card indicating that a hat/hats had been given in their honor. I would decorate the cards with a mini-hat! (I love whimsical knitting).

So the project began, and I was using up yarn I had around, another compulsion of mine (everyone's winning here!). Hat after hat rolled off the needles. Some leftover self-striping yarn became mini-hats. One mini-hat for every hat. I lined the mini-hats on the window sill, moving to the other window every time a hat was completed. Customers who were in on the project checked the hat progress and movement.