This holiday season, I have been reminded of the Dr. Seuss Classic, How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

The Grinch erroneously believes that if he steals all of the gifts and trappings of the holiday from every household in Whoville, he will be able to stop Christmas from coming.

I have no interest in stopping Christmas from coming, but given how little I have been able to get done to prepare for the holiday this year, I have thought that it would be nice if I could stop time long enough to be able to get SOMETHING done all while realizing Christmas is coming whether or not I am ready.

Fortunately, a lot of crafters have been busy getting gifts made, and while I was not one of them, I have one friend who received some handcrafted gifts, which, while they are not crocheted, are quite remarkable.

The first gifts were this knitted scarf and beanie:

and then (the pièce de résistance in my estimation) this aluminum tab bag:

Both of these gifts demonstrate the transformative power of craft.

In the first example, straight lines of pink and black are used to create a vibrant tweeded scarf and hat that will keep the wearer warm, and in the second example, aluminum pull tabs which are often thrown out or recycled, are instead “upcycled” and made into something spectacular that will (no doubt) get many comments expressing the combination of astonishment and joy that seeing the piece in person brings.

I hope that all of my crafting and crochet friends who are giving gifts of themselves this holiday, are rewarded with the thanks and joy that all crafters deserve.