Thank you for joining me in the 6 weeks of my Christmas Craftalong. If you love handmade gifts, giving home baked goodies or just love the season, join me until Christmas for ideas old and new to put together a unique and old fashioned Christmas season. If you don’t want to miss a thing, sign up for my Newsletter now.

This week is all about Cowls and Cookies, Tea Cookies to be exact.

Cowls

While I’ve never seen a vintage pattern for a cowl (scarves were the gift to make), I prefer the more modern (and quicker) cowl for a handmade gift. Great for a walking partner, that playground lady, a dear friend, or yourself. This one, pictured above with Pi is The Interrupted Cowl designed by Heather Hill. Bonus: this pattern is free.

This is my go-to pattern for a quick gift, and between now and Christmas–you could quickly knit several of these. I love this bulky yarn, Bamboo Bloom, for all its wonderful color and possibilities and since it is knit on big needles the cowls are fast.

I do like to modify this one by casting on 150 stitches. It makes a narrower cowl, but the length is good from wrapping around your neck twice. I can usually make one during a single football game. 😉

CROCHETERS: Here is a good pattern to sub: The Artemis Cowl.

The Simply Scrappy cowl is another fast project, and if you are a knitter, you very likely have leftovers or a skein or two on hand that will fit the bill. I used up a handful of mini skeins I had tucked away and knit until I felt it was the right length. You can personalize this with lots of colors or a tame palette depending on who you intend to gift it to. This pattern is Free. (Crocheters: sub in The Michigan Waves.)

Okay, get those cowls on the needles and if you do make something, post about online using the hashtag: #handcraftedchristmas and #OLTB

Oh, you thought you could skim over the knitting and crochet and say “not for me.” Well, I am trying to include everyone–so if you can read a recipe, you can participate. Because we are going to fill the cookie plate with a nummy variety of cookies you can bake now, freeze, and then bring out in December and shine with your glorious selection of homemade goodies that look like you spent the entire month baking.

Cookies: Christmas Tea Cakes

This was my grandmother’s trick. She worked full time, but she baked a different cookie in the evenings throughout November and by December she had enough to fill lots of plates to giveaway.
So let’s begin with one of my holiday favorites: Russian Teacakes

This is my mom’s handwritten recipe card, but I will spell it out for you:
Russian Tea Cakes

1 C butter (room temp)

1/2 C sifted powder sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 cups of flour

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup finely chopped nuts (I like pecans, my mother used walnuts)

Mix the butter, sugar and vanilla. Stir in flour and salt. Mix in nuts. Chill. When ready to bake, heat oven to 400 degrees. Roll dough into 1″ balls. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. While warm, roll in additional powdered sugar. Cool, then roll again in the sugar. Makes 4 dozen.

Pop them in the freezer. Easy peasy. 1st Batch done. I love mom’s recipes.