knit gifts

I love giving (and receiving!) handmade gifts. At first I was a little disappointed that I only managed to make two presents this Christmas, but then I realized that even two was a major accomplishment on top of everything else we've been doing: traveling, preparing for Christmas, and even working on home improvement projects. (Why did I attempt a big project in December?? Never again!)

First I made this knit pillow for my friend Kathy, who develops a computer program at work which is affectionately nicknamed "The Pink Icon" for its distinctive bright color. Since she is also an avid knitter, I knew she'd enjoy this knit replica of the pink icon. We are such nerds. Project details are available on my Ravelry page.

Side note: Isn't this little knit bird she made as part of my Christmas gift adorable??

Although I finished the pillow back in November, I didn't even start the second gift (for Dan's cousin Sean) until the week of Christmas! These are the "Trigger Gloves" from a set of patterns published by the National Defense Program under the title "Knit for Defense" in 1941. I made a few small modifications which I listed on my Ravelry page. Also, thanks to Dan for being my hand model!

I was a little worried about finishing these gloves with only a few days left until Christmas. But, after two cancelled flights on the 23rd, we gave up on air travel and decided to drive to visit Dan's family instead. Instead of 90 minutes on a plane, I had 9 hours in a car to knit! The gloves were finished, blocked, and dry with plenty of time left before the big family Christmas party!