Slightly Late Christmas Gifts

We were seriously strapped for cash this Christmas, so we ended up making most of the gifts we gave this year. These were slightly late in being gifted to my younger two, who received them December 26 and 27. The first is a cat I knitted for my youngest from a pattern I got from Bernat:

The second is a bat I knitted for my younger girl from a pattern from Mochimochi Land:

I am pleased to say that despite being a day or two late, they were both well-received :-)

Upon seeing these, my older daughter, third upward in age, asked me if I could make her a Nessie (yes, the Loch Ness Monster). I'm not sure whether she was more pleased or more astounded that I actually have a pattern for that, but it will be rather later than the bat or the cat:

Yes, the scale is correct: I've completed approximately 2 inches of the tail. Here's the pic from the pattern, both from "Amigurumi Knits," by Hansi Singh (a great book with lots of cool stuff):

I obviously have a long way to go, but I do enjoy making things people actually want. Admittedly, I probably enjoy pulling patterns out of my Book Stash for odd stuff that nobody would guess I had a pattern for just as much as actually knitting the thing, but who's counting...

Kitty Hijinx and WIP Progress: Green Blanket

I was walking through the house when I spotted a two-color strand of yarn (I notice these things) strung from the floor up the stairs onto the first landing. It ended near one of the cats, but not until I got closer did I realize someone had tied it to one of the cat toys, which had then gotten dragged up the stairs. Rool, pictured here, tried to convince me he was not at fault if the yarn got damaged:

Meanwhile, our other cat, Franjean (yes, we named them after the brownies in the movie "Willow"), was enjoying my progress on the green blanket:

I only have one more strip to sew to the last piece, then I can sew the three big pieces together and I'll be done. And it's only taken a decade. Such speed.

My hubby was taking the tree down today, so the cats decided they needed one last romp through it before it was boxed up:

Don't worry, guys: it'll be back next year.

Holiday Cookies

I just realized I haven't blogged in over a month: Sorry about that.

Meanwhile, I did make gingerbread cookies for the holidays, but since they weren't anything special I forgot to photograph them until there were only three left:

My Hubby also got me a pre-baked gingerbread tree to build and decorate, which I did:

It survived perhaps a full day before it got eaten. Perhaps the following photo will provide some insight into why:

Sneak attack!