Gift Parade

We had a great Christmas: safe travels, great food, fun with family and friends! The kitty really missed us and when we returned he was reckless with his affection. Even as I write, the kitty has climbed on my lap and is sitting half on the laptop, touching the mouse pad, staring longingly at my fingers as they type wishing that I would use them to scratch him. He's pathetic. We think he periodically forgets that we're back and he walks around another part of the house squawking (if you have a cat you know what I mean), until we call him, he remembers we're here, and comes running.
But I digress, this is not a kitty blog*, it is a make things blog, and boy did I make things this Christmas.
In addition to the crocheting I did for around the house, I also crocheted gifts for my side of the family and our Christmas gift to Nate's nephew was an afghan.

So, I have been putting this post off until after Christmas so I would not give anything away.
1. I made my sister-in-law granny-square slippers. I got the pattern here (I love the gals over there, so many great ideas). I have had my eye on this pattern and was waiting for a good time/person to make these for. Since the SIL will be a stay at home mommy soon, I thought that maybe she could use some new house slippers. As a side note, it turns out that my great-Nanny (my dad's nanny) used to make slippers as an annual Christmas gift for the family! And she did granny squares once! What a coincidence.

2. Ski cap for my brother.
My brother called a few weeks ago to ask if I thought I could make him a hat. I was thrilled, of course. The only stipulations were that it be Mountaineer colors and have a pom-pom. I think our dad had one fitting that description when we were little. Anyways, I used this pattern for a hat I made for my uncle last year while he was going through some nasty chemo (it's all nasty, right?) and I really liked it. The pattern calls for very bulky yarn and its in single crochet, so its very dense and I would imagine, pretty warm. The pom is my favorite.

3. Surprise! A ski cap for my dad.
Nate and I liked Sean's so much that we figured that Dad would be pretty excited about one too, so I just used opposite colors. I think it was a hit! By the way, Nate was a great head model for these, they turned out just right.

4. A scarf for my mom.
I looked and looked for a pattern for my mom. She wanted something simple that wasn't super long, and it just seemed like everything I found on ravelry was really lacy or decorative, so I just made this pattern up. Maybe sometime I'll write down what I did, but I would have to look at it again. I made it with my favorite cotton, so it is very soft. It might pill and shed a little, we will have to see. I whipped it up a couple weeks ago while Nate and I watched Millions. (I highly recommend that movie, especially during the holidays, I think its so sweet.) Here is the scarf being blocked. Maybe mom can take a better picture and submit it to the blog.

5. A baby blanket for Baby G.
Nate and I picked out this yarn for The G (his awesomeness cannot be contained to one moniker). Nate is really good at picking out yarn. For real. This is one of my favorite baby blanket patterns, I think Special G is the 3rd child to receive a blanket from the round ripple pattern. I will do it again, I'm sure. Nate was dead on with the colors because Little G's parents said, "Oh wow, these are the exact colors in his nursery." I kid you not, Nate's awesome.


I also made assorted ornaments for family members. I do not believe these were photographed. I also made some dishtowels/hotpads for an extended family White Elephant gift exchange. I think they were popular, they were stolen once!
I did not get pictures of any of these, but if anyone has one I'll put 'em up.

I really enjoyed making these things and Nate and I had fun planning out colors and thinking up things that people would like. I hope I can always find homemade gifts that people want, because I love making them!

Not a Christmas present.
My dear friend and one-time roommate was married on Thanksgiving Day this year, and although this wasn't a Christmas present per se, it certainly seemed like it and it is linked with the holiday in my mind. They live way up north where it's cold, so they need all the blankets for snuggling they can get. When I started with the colors I did the brown up against the green and it looked like camo. I had a panic attack**, but kept going and I think the white broke it up nicely. This is a super pattern and I will 100% use it again.


Obligatory cat picture. He snuggles like this fairly often. Like I said, ridiculous.


Upcoming things:
My other SIL (the newer one, new to me I mean) commissioned me to make an infinity scarf, its like a long cowl-scarf. We bought the yarn over Thanksgiving, and I think I have FINALLY decided on a stitch I like. Again, couldn't find a pattern I loved, but I'm excited about it and from what I've already worked with the yarn I'm a big fan.

I might do an afghan for my aunt. We discussed meeting at a mutually convenient Hobby Lobby to get yarn that will match their new favorite room in their house. I have ideas.

I have also been brainstorming ideas for my bro's bundle. I'm sure baby crafting will have a large place on the blog in the coming months.

Stay tuned for a post in which I sing the praises of both of our parents. Mine for sending lots of meat home with us. Nate's for sending the fruits of their garden. Especially for the stuffed peppers, hallelujah (that's how I felt when I ate them). So far we've been to the store for half and half, and some fruit, that's it. And there's more where that came from.

*Feel free to make fun of me if I post too much about the kitty. Some days its just me and him and I forget that not everyone talks to their cats like a human, I don't know why they don't, but apparently they don't.

** There's nothing inherently wrong with crocheting camo, its just not what I was going for in this particular project. And its probably safe to say that it would always be wrong for this particular friend... Unless...no, I can't think of an instance.
But I totally would do it for someone else, perhaps if my father took up bow hunting.