Making a List and Checking It A Dozen Times

Well, I have been knitting up a storm of projects for Christmas gifts this year. Therefore, my fingers have not been very available for other things, such as posting on my blog. Today I thought I would share some of the gifts that I've made, as most people have recieved theirs. (I like to give early gifts, so that the recipient doesn't feel obligated to give a gift back. This way it's less like a "Christmas" gift and more like a "just because" gift ;) )
I have recently become friends on Ravelry with an amazing knitter who is originally from Iceland! She has the cutest little earflap hats ever, and when I asked her if she had a pattern for them, she kindly wrote it up for me! How awesome is that?! Knitters are so nice!!!
So the first picture is of the earflap hat that only took me a couple of hours (here and there) to whip up. I made it for a very dear little boy that I've known all his life. He's very special to me, therfore, he needed a very special hat. He has been very patient with me, too, because he has been waiting since last winter to recieve his hat! Yikes. He LOVED it!!!
The model is not the recipient, fyi!! And although it's not the best pic of the hat, it's such a cute pic of R that I had to post it!!!
The next project is one of my absolute favorites so far! It is for my supervisor and friend who doesn't like to wear hats, but this year at our staff gift exchange, one of the staff made a hat and scarf set that she won. We were playing a game that you could "steal" another person's gift, and because this was an absolute hit, it was quickly snatched up from her! She was visibly upset, as she had put this hat on, just like you would a beret and it looked amazing on her. This inspired me to make my second mystery beret, fondly referred to as Meret on Ravelry, for her. I hope she likes it just as much!


I made this one for another of my girlfriends that just loves berets. There were a lot of firsts involved with this hat!! It is the first knit along (KAL) that I have ever done (and it was sooo much fun), it is the first beret that I've ever made, the first lace pattern that I've ever followed, and the first time that I have ever blocked anything that I've made. I have also, for the first time, felted a project!! I made a cute little flower to attach to it, just because it will suit her so much more with a little bit of bling on it!! I don't have a pic of the flower, but here's the hat:


It is the same as the white one, so I posted this picture so that you could see the incredible lacey pattern and the beautiful star on top! The white one, when stretched out like this, looks just like a snowflake! This is a beautiful pattern and it can be found on Ravelry under "Meret".
Hmmmm, what else....? Oh crumb, I deleted the pics off my files for the hat that I made my co-worker/girlfriend. She complained that her ears were cold when she was done swimming and she asked me many times when she was getting a hat...so I made her the most adorable cabled brim hat and matching mittens. She just loves it and tells me that her hubby makes fun of her because she never takes it off! Now that's a present that you can be sooo happy to have given.
This year, for me, it's all about giving gifts from the heart. I have started this about 6 years ago, and every year I get more and more creative. I sewed an amazing something for another special friend of mine, and I can't say because I haven't given it to her yet, I made a beautiful table swag for another very special girlfriend, but don't have pics of it :( . Homemade gifts are just so, so nice...in my opinion anyway. I hope that all of the people recieving my gifts this year feel just the same!!!