A new sweater for Shadow

 

Shadow's new sweater is based on a pattern from the December issue of Crochet Today magazine. It is made up of little granny squares. I used a lot of 'leftover' yarn for it, which was a great way to get rid of those last little pieces. It is nice and 'cozy,' which is perfect for a small, short-haired dog who gets very, very cold!

Simple Xmas Decorating Idea

 

These poinsettias are made from red felt. I downloaded a free printable from online and cut two patterns from it. You could even do it freehand. Just make one layer with 6 petals (they are kind of flame-shaped), then make a second layer a bit smaller with 6 petals. You could get ambitious and add a few green leaves, but that might be too thick to fit behind the knob.

Cut a small slit in the middle of each piece, remove the knobs on a cabinet, then attach the flower behind the knob.

Red looks great on a white background, but you could think about snowflakes for a dark cabinet! You could even make those out of cardstock, since there's a lot more cutting involved.

This is the first of my Christmas decorations to go out. I have too coordinate with my boys to get all the boxes down out of the attic, which I plan to do ASAP! Good thing Thanksgiving fell early this year (hope you all had a Happy One!) because it gives us more time for Christmas decorating!

Progress

I've got a few more rows done on the snowflake blanket. It's doubtful I'll have it done for Christmas, but I am going to show it to Katherine on Christmas Eve and finish it ASAP. I just have too many other things to do.

Today I made Jamaican Beef Patties to put in the freezer for a Christmas Eve Appetizer. The recipe is in the October 1st-ish issue of Family Circle. Not sure of the date but there are Jack O Lanterns on the cover. They taste pretty good. 

I've already started my Christmas cookies, which are also in the freezer. There are just too many kinds I want to make to wait!

Meet Mr. Giraffe!

Here is the giraffe I designed and made for my nephew. He came out pretty good, I think! Nice and goofy, perfect for a 7-year-old! I'm going to give it to him on Thanksgiving so it doesn't get 'mixed in' with the 8,000 Christmas gifts he'll probably get. I think he'll like it!