Christmas Projects

We just returned from visiting friends and family in Michigan, so I have a lot to catch up on.
I finished the first sock of my pair, and I'm happy to say that it looks and feels like a real sock. Wendy's pattern is very easy to follow, and I love that there is no sewing needed. I also love self patterning sock yarn; I had a hard time putting this project down. Now I just have to try to make a matching sock. Then I can say I'm a real sock knitter.
For the plane ride I brought a crocheted hat to work on. The hat is made sideways with smaller stitches at the top to act like decreases. I doubled my yarn to make the hat thicker / warmer.
My mother received the Extreme Hedonism neckwrap for her birthday, and she loves it. She says the wrap stays warm for quite awhile, and the herds and heat help to relax the neck and shoulders. I recommend this pattern to anybody who wants to pamper a loved one for the holidays.
I'm plugging away on the holiday gifts, so hopefully by the end of the week there will be some progress on my side bar.