Christmas in April!

 

I've been living in Whitehorse for nearly four years now, and haven't managed to make it back to Manitoba for Christmas since I moved.  It's sort of sucks, especially since Christmas has always been such a family thing for us.  Usually, we just mail gifts to each other and chat a lot during the holidays.

This year though, we were all sort of running late with our Christmas shopping, and I just wasn't feeling it.  I wanted to celebrate with my family.  So I proposed doing another Christmas in April, and everyone thought that was a fantastic idea.

I thought it would be fun to do some local or homemade gifts for everyone, and have been working my fingers off trying to get them all done.  They'll be part of a game that involves stealing whichever gift you're interested in and hoping that someone won't steal them back!

You've already seen the Moustachio'd Coffee Cozy, but here's some of the other gifts I've made up.

Boot Cuff Rav project page

For these boot cuffs, I used the Helmikuu Boot Toppers pattern with some left-over yarn from this old sweater.  I modified them a bit based on some project notes, decreasing the width by one pattern repeat (mostly because I used a thicker yarn).  I can't wear them without almost over-stretching them since I have some pretty hefty calves, but they look awfully cute one others.

Peekaboo Mitts Ravelry Link

The fingerless mitts I made last year for a family fundraising thing were pretty popular, so I made a hefty pair this time, meant to fit larger hands.  I used the Peekaboo pattern again, which will probably remain my TNT for most mitts cuz the pattern is so easy to follow and modify to your liking.  I bought this lovely skein of very rustic and sheepy Cestari Traditional Collection Wool.  I loved working with it, but it did leave a lanolin waxy residue all over my fingers.  I'm a little concerned about having enough gifts for the men in my family, although I have a feeling the women will be fighting over this one too.  Although I was smart and made a women's pair too.

Bonnet Mitts Ravelry Page

I'm pretty proud of this pair - I created the pattern myself, even if the basic mitt part is really simple.  I'm considering writing up the pattern though, since it's quite charming with the wrist strap and buttons.  I just finished these mitts the other day and my Mom is already plotting to claim these ones!  Basically I designed these around those cute little wooden toggles - I've been looking for a project to use them since our LYS brought them in a couple of months ago!  I used one of my favourite yarns, Drops Nepal, and I've called them Bonnet Mitts, mostly because I've made them out here in Lac du Bonnet.

Crummy photo, but I also threw together a fabric grocery bag the night before I flew back to Manitoba!  It was seriously easy and used up 3 fat quarters, so I definitely need to make up more of these.

I basically just cut out a plastic grocery bag and used this tutorial - so easy!

This one's a little more boring after everything else, but you can't really go wrong with a set of dishcloths!  It's my favourite pattern and my go-to for dishy gifts!

I knit up this cowl in an evening using Drops Cloud, and it's gloriously soft!  It's another one that I sort of came up with the pattern, but that basically just meant doing a gauge swatch, measuring out how wide I wanted it (24"), and knitting it in stockinette with 4 rows of  2x2 ribbing on both ends.  Granted, it wound up being 26" long, but oh well.  I need to make one of these for me...

This one isn't me-made, but I'm pretty stoked about it anyways!  It's a skein of yarn dyed by a friend of mine from natural products she collected in the Yukon.  The gift includes some circular needles and a couple of possible patterns for the receiver to make up themselves.  The gift also includes me winding this into a ball and teaching them to knit, if necessary.  What can I say, I'm a filthy enabler.

There's another cup cozy (this Owls cozy) that I've yet to take photos of, but the rest of the presents include mostly Yukon-unique gifts I've found all over Whitehorse.  I really love that dream catcher I found at the Indian Crafts store on Main Street, and those are some pretty good books there.  One of my favourites though is a glass from the Yukon Brewery plus two bottles of some of the beer the Brewery produces!  That's a cool gift for sure. 

Granted, my gift count is only at 17, and there's about 24 people going.  When I started there was only supposed to be about 10 of us.  Oops.  Ah well, I'll find some more interesting gifts to add to the collection tomorrow.

If you could pick any of these (and fight to defend them from other family and friends), which would you pick?  I'm thinking there's going to be quite the fight over the beer gift, the fingerless mitts (both pairs), and that Good Time Girl's book...