Star of Bethlehem Ornaments

The day after Thanksgiving, my husband and I hole up in our house, and avoid going anywhere. The black friday (lower case because we don't celebrate consumerism) crowds remind me of packs of piranhas, devouring merchandise and snapping up things they don't really need because, well, it is a good deal.

I have really tried to get away from making purchases when I have a few feelings swirling in my heart and mind:

1. I avoid the "limited time only" sales that make you feel like if you do not impulse buy now, you will regret your existence later. These marketing styles tend to make me feel anxious, like I'm going to pay a whole lot of money later if I don't rush out and get that thing now.  If I start to sense that anxiety growing in my heart, I don't buy. I'm being manipulated, and that's not cool with me.
2. I try to buy things because I need them, not because they are on sale, on clearance, or just a fabulous deal. If I spend money I would not have otherwise spent on things that I don't really need or have a use for, then I've actually wasted money. 
3. I try to watch sale cycles. Usually if I miss a particular sale and am patient, things will go on sale again. If I know the things I want to buy ahead of time, when a limited time sale begins, I know what I want to purchase with that 20% off coupon. And if that thing never goes on sale, I evaluate whether it is something that is worth full price to me. (I also am wary of stores that always have coupons. Seriously, just price things fairly in the first place!)
4. I do not grab things at stores as though it is a race. There is nothing in the world I need that badly. 
5. I do not watch TV (no commercials) or read sales ads (no newspaper) so I actually avoid a lot of the campaigning that comes before black friday. 

Often, marketing is manipulation. They do this lots of different ways, and their strategies are not secrets. They parade the Joneses, they tell us we'll be beautiful, they whisper that we'll be the only ones without, they shout that these are the best prices of the century, they intimate that this is the gift that will be appreciated, and on it goes. I'm done being manipulated. It's over. It's finished.

So, instead of running out to the shops to wait in line to buy things I've been manipulated into purchasing, I stay home. We decorate our little home for Christmas. We put up our tree, I break out the Christmas music, I bake treats, and we begin to anticipate the celebration of Jesus' birth.

Yesterday, I finished making a set of these little star ornaments. I love the fact that they are little. I love the fact that they are stars. And I love the puffy part in the middle.

Here's what you will need to do to make your own...

Star of Bethlehem Ornament:

• Size F (5) hook
• Worsted Weight yarn. (I used the Lionsbrand Fisherman's Wool in Oatmeal... again... simply my favorite yarn.) 
• scissors

To begin: chain 5, join with slst to first chain to form a ring, ch 1.

Round 1: *puff stitch in ring, chain 3*; repeat * * 4 more times for a total of 5 puff stitches; join with slst to top of 1st puff stitch

Round 2: slst to first ch3 space, ch1; *sc, 2 dc, ch3, 2 dc, sc* in the same ch space; repeat * * in each ch space around, join with slst to top of 1st sc; cut thread, tie off, tuck in ends

That's it. They are quick to make, and since it is worsted yarn, they didn't hurt my hands like thread and lace-work sometimes does.  I'm excited for Friday!

* To make a Puff Stitch: 

yo, stick your hook through the next st, pull one loop through st, (3 loops on hook, yo, stick your hook through same st, pull a second loop through st (5 loops on hook), yo, stick your hook through same st, pull a third loop through st (7 loops on hook), yo, stick need through same st, pull a 4th loop through st (9 loops on hook), pull loop through all the loops on hook


The Star of Bethlehem Ornament by Emily Bittel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.