Still some December left, and I'm done!

Well, at least until I come up with another project to fill the remainder of the month.

For me, December is all about making Christmas things AND Barbados things too. It's become a tradition to do both. Some hats and mitts have been knit and given, since they aren't really a Christmas present for a 4-year old.

Neither are pyjama pants, if truth be told. But this year I had even more fun than last year's "beer pants". Because this year I got to do mother/daughter and father/son pj pants. Everleigh will only be just over three months on Christmas Day, so her pants are nearly as wide as they are long. But I figure I only need one picture and it will all be worth while. The boys will wear theirs all year long and love them.

Once again, in an effort to be frugal with the fabric, I managed to get some upside down hockey sticks on the boys' pants. Not nearly as funny as last year's upside down beer glasses and bottles.
Some modifications this year, Kris (father) asked for pockets. And Jackson (son) needed drawstring plus elastic, since he is such a skinny little fellow.

The other Christmas goodies are a bunch of appliqued ornaments, which was the project for our rug hooking group this Monday.  I made a few ahead as samples and just kept going. I love to hang one on a bottle of wine, or just give as a little gift.

As to the Barbados making, here are a few shots of the "frocks" I made for the trip. Let me say that when I am in Ontario, I rarely wear dresses. I am a t-shirt and jeans gal, but when in Holetown, wardrobe requirements are quite different. First of all, it is WAYYYYY warmer - hot in fact - realized by the first blast of hot air when they open the airplane doors. Dresses are cooler and the ones I have acquired over the years are perfect for multi purposes, including casual dinners and bathing suit cover ups. Every year, I add a few more to the line up. 

Here are this year's additions to the regular wardrobe.

A tie-shoulder maxi which will get lots of wear. 

A cover up made from the cheeriest fabric ever!!

A seer-sucker maxi with a little surprise hem. 

An amazing Sandra Betsina patter that I made for the Because of Jenna fundraiser.

Christmas projects are done. Barbados sewing is done. And I still have a few days left till Christmas and then a few more till Barbados. I am sure that I will find things to fill the space. Including the second sock for my husband for Christmas.

There are some other projects calling my name - so I will see where my time takes me.

I promise to share.

Hooking, Sewing, Dyeing, Making: Must be December.

Every year my Christmas list is filled with making. And as I make my way through my list of projects, I am pleasantly interrupted by other projects.

Another RHGNL student finished her project from rug camp this August and sent me a picture. These are her grand dogs and they have an incredible story. These two dogs were first rescued by their owners - and then were rescued again by their grandmother from the fires in Fort MacMurray. They stayed with her, in Newfoundland, for a few weeks and then flew home after the worst was over. Their proud grandma started hooking their likeness in our time together, and recently emailed me the finished (and framed) piece.

I can't remember if this was a gift, but if it is, I hope there are tears in the eyes of the owners. Not sure the dogs totally get it, but they would be very impressed if they did.

My gift making this year has slowed a bit. I had grand plans, but somehow a new "grand baby" and other news cut into my making time. I did sew some mother/daughter and father/son Christmas pyjama pants for daughter/new grand daughter and son-in-law/grandson, which I am totally hoping to get a shot of on Christmas Eve, which I can hopefully share after the fact. 

I knit an awesome Anemone hat for grandson Jackson and then made another for me, so we can be "twins". It is such a fun pattern to knit, I highly recommend it. Also, it is the first time I have received a thank you email from a ravelry designer and I must confess, I was totally star struck. Note to self: We all must remember to thank those who support us, and Cat Bordhi gets full marks for doing exactly that. I feel like I have truly made a friend. 

Today, I started my husband's yearly socks. He loves them more than anything. And he gets a new pair every Christmas. But these are socks with a difference. They are being knit from a "sock blank", dyed by my friend Sandra Marshall. If you don't know what a sock blank is, it is a pre-knitted piece of fabric that is then dyed by someone with dyeing talent. It has a live edge and that is what you ravel to knit your socks. So far, so beautiful. I will share a picture of the finished product.

So now there are still 14 days to go before the Santa event. I am sure there will be last-minute projects that I will come up with and wrestle to the ground. And that is just fine with me. I would rather be in a "making" frenzy than a "shopping" frenzy.