A Knitting Christmas in Giving & Receiving!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas - I know I did! Lots of visiting and playing time with my darling niece, food and family and some shopping as well! Plus...
I can finally show what I made for Christmas presents!
For my Dad I made the Canadian Living Reindeer Sweater. I don't think he'll ever wear it. He's very picky and it is rather big on him. I should have made the XL instead of the XXL. Oh well. When he was up here he tried on an Alice Starmore pullover that I had hibernating because it was so huge on me, and it fits him perfectly. So I'll finish the arm and the neck and he can have it.

My sister Deanna got a pair of mittens that I made in the summer (modelled here by my mum):


And she also got a pair of socks. Well, she got a sock. The other one is half done and I'll mail it to her when it's finished in a couple days!


And now, for the getting!
My sisters and I all take after our mother in different ways. She & I both like to theme things. When I'm having a dinner party, I'm much more organized if I can theme it, like Indian or Tuscan or something.
My mother does Christmas and birthdays that way.
This year all my Christmas gifts were knitting themed! Could be because everything on my list was knitting related, or that all knitting gifts are guaranteed to please me, or simply because that's what I do.
So I got a giant bag full of knitting stuff. Much of which was secretly bought while I was with her. Did I mention she's a brat?
Stitch holders and a froggy container to hold odds & sods (please ignore the dog hair in the picture; it's inescapable):


A cute Xmas tree ornament that I will leave up all year long. Also bought when I was with her:


Adorable earrings!


The silk that I was drooling over when she took me to The Little Red Mitten in St. Thomas! Brattykins had the lady slip it into her bag when I wasn't looking!!!!!! Oh, I can't wait to do something with this!!


A very clever swift that isn't an umbrella swift - it's got pegs that you space out according to how big the skein is, and you sit it on top of the table to make your ball.


And, last but not least, Knitted Lace of Estonia, and the Yarn Harlot's Meditations for Women Who Knit Too Much. I was killing myself laughing while reading it. And even my non-knitting brother in law was laughing later on, when he picked it up and started thumbing through it. Possibly because he recognized me in some of the essays.


And here is my gift to myself. Anthony is my hero.