Christmas is always something that I really look forward to.  The lights, family gatherings, food and general prettiness of all the decorations and colours make it my favourite holiday.  I try to plan ahead so that I don’t get overwhelmed by it all as the day approaches, and even though for the most part I think I am successful at avoiding last minute panic, it’s always nice to sit and enjoy the sense of laziness that occurs after the celebrations are over.  Christmas week, as I used to call it as a child, is wonderful for it’s lack of schedule and rush against the clock that is the norm for the other 358 days of the year; for the rotating meals at various family members’ houses; and the anticipation of New Year’s celebrations. This Christmas was a new adventure for me in the area of gift giving, as we decided as a family (well, mom and 3 DDs) to make our gifts. We only exchange with cousins, my dear SIL and my MIL. I chose to make hats for my nieces, SIL and MIL, and my DD1 decided she’d crochet everyone gifts: a scarf for her Tia and Vôvô, and fingerless gloves for the cousins.   For the girls’ hats I used the beret from V7792, and did one in a dark purple velvet, lined with lavender silk shantung shot with turquoise.  I don’t have a model picture of it, but here it is with me modelling the left hand of the pair of fingerless gloves DD1 crocheted.  She used a mauvey stretch yarn with silver metallic threads running through it. The second hat was a red boiled wool-rayon blend from my scrap box.  It was a bit heavy for the pattern, so the shape is more definitive.  I lined it with shot pink taffeta.  The fingerless gloves were made with the same yarn as the purple pair, but in magenta.  The girls were very pleased with the gifts.

You’ve already seen the scarf DD1 made for her Tia in a previous post. I made a red hat using Vogue 8440, View A, from the same boiled wool as my niece’s.  It complemented the scarf perfectly.  I made a little knot using the instructions from the fabulous Ralph Rucci dress made by Terri, and lined it with black silk shantung.

The pattern was extremely simple – it consisted of two pieces, one of which was for the band interfacing.  It’s the same piece cut 4 times and stitched together.  And it looks lovely.  I’m sorry I don’t have a picture of it being worn, so you’ll just have to take my word for it!  I made one for my MIL from the black faux Persian lamb that’s been in my stash for years.  You can see a hat made for my daughters of the same fabric here.  I lined her hat with pink silk as she has been recently diagnosed with breast cancer, and started her chemo treatments 3 days prior to Christmas.  She was able to celebrate with us, which was the most wonderful gift that evening.  My DD1 made her a scarf in the same pattern as the one for Tia, only in black and shades of blue, which are my MIL’s preferred colours.

And I’m thrilled to announce we’ve a new member in our family.  I got a hedgehog for Christmas!  I’ve put one on my list for many years, and finally Santa thought maybe I was serious about such a ridiculous request, particularly coming from someone my age!  Ha!

Isn’t she just so CUTE?  We’ve called her Pickles.  With a dog called Nuggett, I think we’ve a food obsession going on in this house….