craftgrrl | Christmas Craft WIN!

This year I tried, once again, to make some gifts for my family. These crafty christmases haven''t always gone over well in the past. My family somehow isn't one who understands the heart that a crafter puts into each stitch. To them I am just plain "weird". Do other people who LOVE making things for other people have this problem too? Or is it just my crazy family?

Anyway, this year I am broke broke broke and I couldn't afford to go home so I challenged myself to craft with only things I already owned (I didn't even buy wrapping paper!) and sent things home in the mail.

After Christmas I was surprised to get a phone call from my mother gushing about the gift I made for her! Actual genuine appreciation! She is HAPPY with what I made her and wants to show her friends and is encouraging me to write the pattern for it out so it doesn't get forgotten!
WEEE!

Would you like to see the gift that finally thrilled her?

Warning: Pics might be a bit on the large side. Hopefully, not TOO large.

Click for more...

I made her a water bottle cozy! She's always got a glass bottle in her car cup holder as she thinks glass is the only safe material to drink out of. Problem is, glass is fragile and the bottle sweats when you put cold water in it and makes her car/seat/purse/hand wet.

The cozy is made from a sock weight wool. It's 98% super wash wool with 2% nylon for duability and stretch.
The ribbon at the top slides though buttonholes and is purely decorative as the 2x2 ribbing keeps the cozy snug at the bottle neck.
The bottom is crocheted and buttons and loops added so you can slip the cozy off easily. For some reason the crocheted bottom fits best wrong side out.
The lace pattern is the Horseshoe Lace pattern from The Harmony Guides Lace and Eyelets.
The pattern for the cozy itself is from my crazy head and made up as I go. I am a pretty novice knitter and have a "by the seat of my pants" experience with knitting in general.

It is sized to fit most juice bottles like Snapple and New Leaf.