Thursday, December 6, 2012

Holiday Gifts - Part 1

I know it has been a while since I have posted, but I have been busy applying for jobs, spending time with the boys, and working on Christmas gifts. Speaking of which, this post is the first in a series of the gifts I am making and giving this holiday season.

This year, I decided that all of the gifts that I/we give will be home made/handmade by me (well, not all gifts...the gift for my nephew Zachary isn't handmade - I couldn't find a Philadelphia Eagles knitting pattern...) Even the gifts from Santa will be handmade this year. Now, before you start calling me "Martha Stewart" or "Suzy Homemaker," let me explain my decision. First, I have found that it is much cheaper to make gifts than buy them. Second, by making all of my gifts, I can ensure that I can get exactly what I want for each person - and each gift is so much more personal. And finally, I genuinely enjoy making gifts - especially knitted/crocheted gifts.

So, I decided that it might be fun to share these gifts with you (the illustrious readers of my lowly blog). If you are expecting a gift from me, don't worry - I won't post your gift here until after you have received it. I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise.

First up - Vincent's gift --

Three of this year's gifts, including Vincent's, come from Susan B. Anderson's book, Itty Bitty Toys. You may remember in September that I made the mama and baby koala from this book for a Relay for Life fund raiser at the boys' daycare. I have really been enjoying working with the patterns in this book - easy to follow, relatively quick to knit, and fun results!

For Vincent, I chose one of the five reversible toys featured in Anderson's book: the elephant and the lion.



Knit separately, each animal has several cute features. I love the elephant's trunk and tail and the lion's mane is adorable (but a bit time consuming to make).



The two animals are then sewn together, with one folded inside the other.



I think Vincent will really enjoy playing with this. I hope that it holds up to his rough play!!

1 comment:

  1. Actually Clare it is "Becky Homeecky" (home-ek-ee)! Not Suzy Homemaker. Great job. I'll look forward to hearing about my gift later. Just kidding. Hope it is a great Christmas down under!

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