Handmade gift option #1: the Booga Bag
This one I already made came out to be 3.5"x7"x8" tall with a handle length of 12"... this length is great for hanging on your arm while shopping, as it doesn't dangle too much.
There was a good amount of yarn left over, so it would be possible to make it a little bigger, or the handles a little longer, or a pocket or two, or maybe a felted PDA or cell phone holder to go along with it. With the way the handles are attached, the opening is narrower than the actual bag. It's just a little small to easily drop my wallet in, but it does fit, I just have to pay attention when I'm putting it in.
Here's some other pictures of finished Booga Bags, so you can see there are plenty of color options, either in the self-striping Noro, or by doing solids or creating your own stripe pattern:
Booga Bag gallery
Here are the colorways available at my preferred source. I'd have to check around for other colorways. The pattern would require 3 balls
This page shows some pretty solid colors I could use. The pattern would require 3 balls.
I have a local source for
this yarn, although I can't promise they have every color shown here.
Handmade gift option #2: the Sophie Bag
I haven't made this one myself yet (I was going to, but couldn't find the yarn I had dyed with Kool-Aid that I planned to use for it), but I'd be more than happy to make this one as well, as I know it's also within my knitting skills. See above for color options.
Here are a couple of creative examples of completed Sophie bags to show you how you can create your own unique striping pattern (this would work on either of the bags).
Handmade gift option #3: Feather & Fan scarf
Notice my lovely scarf model. Click on the picture to see a larger version, so you can truly appreciate his expression. You can just tell how much he loves being a scarf model.
Here's another view... both of the scarf and another lovely view of the model. I apologize that the image is a tad fuzzy... it's hard to take a picture when you're laughing so hard.
This is made from oh-so-soft alpaca that has been hand-dyed. This one is only half done (since I didn't know if you'd want it in this colorway anyways, I figured I could finish it up later). Right now, it is 27.5" long, so the finished scarf would be about 4.5 feet in total length.
Follow
this link to see other colorway options.
Please note that different fibers pick up the colors differently during the dyeing process, and quite a few of the examples are only shown on the cashmere yarn. If you want one of those colorways, I'd probably ask her to put up a picture before sending it so that you can decide if it turned out as you'd hoped.
Handmade gift option #4: Airy Springtime scarf
I don't think the photo quite does the scarf justice... you can't see the stitch pattern hardly at all, but you can see how nicely the color travels through the scarf.
This is a more open knit, so it would not be quite as warm as the Feather & Fan scarf. Perfect for springtime! I haven't measured it exactly, but in comparing the way it hangs on me to the way the Feather & Fan scarf hung on Chris, I would say it was just about the same length as the finished Feather & Fan scarf will be... maybe even just a little longer.
I can't stop feeling this one! It knit up so spongy and squishy :) It's also made with the hand-dyed alpaca, so see the above link for color options.
Handmade gift option #5: Crocheted scarf
This one is crocheted in an open pattern with a bulky yarn. I've gotten lots of compliments on this when I've worn it, and the girls liked it so much that I made each of them a version of it, too.
Here are the colors that this yarn comes in.
