phew. i am officially closing down the holiday sweatshop for the year. here's the final products to roll off the assembly line:

a daffodil face cloth (pattern or rav link) for my mother-in-law's stocking (she collects daffodils).
i embroidered this set of tea towels for brian's grandparents. they liked the ones i made them last year so much that they asked for more (who doesn't love when that happens)! the design is based on the blue ridge pottery pattern that they collected for and then gifted to brian.
this is a rock with a hat.
it comes with a little story: for at least a month lily has been peppering me with questions about what she's getting for christmas. here's a sample of how the conversation would go:
l: what are you getting me for christmas?
m: a rock.
l: no you're not you silly mom!!
m: oh yes i am, you're too good of a girl to get coal, so i'm getting you a rock.
l: but i don't want a rock.
m: oh but this rock is special - i knit it a hat!
we've been having variants of this conversation over and over and over. to the point where i decided there was no way i couldn't get her a rock with a hat. so here it is, and i think i'm going to be a stinker and arrange for it to be the first present she opens. heh heh.
now there is still one present left that i haven't finished, brian's socks. but i have decided to close down the sweatshop anyway - he knows they're coming (i had to ruin the surprise because i wanted him to try them on) and he won't be upset if they're not done before christmas. i decided to knit them with leisure instead of in sweatshop mode so i would have more time to enjoy the build up to the holidays.
plus this is only as far as i am, i really doubt i could finish them before the 25th at this point anyway (unlike a certain british knitting kitty who is cranking out a pair of socks at record pace!). they are the paul atwood socks (pattern or rav link) a very cool pattern, and if i ever finish them they will be awesome socks!
i hope you are all finishing up your holiday crafting as well!
-melissa