semperfiona | Hobbes' Holiday

Early last month I spotted a new pattern on Ravelry: "Imaginary Tiger Friend" by Jennifer Reeve. My cuteness meter was pegged, and I immediately queued it and squeeeed to everyone within hearing.

ona_tangent and

ohari bought me the pattern,

lavendargrrl helped me decide on yarn, and off I went with the crocheting.

All the pieces were finished over a month ago, and I stashed them in the Sporty Donut Bag in the top of Chris's closet. They remained there, untouched, until Monday, when I finally stuffed him with fluff and sewed him together. It took several tries to get the face right. Then I put him in a shiny gold gift bag, covered his head with red and green tissue paper, and found him a nice spot under the tree.

Yesterday night, when Rosa returned from her Christmas with Daddy, she opened her presents from us. Hobbes was the last one she found, but she hasn't let him out of her sight since. He went to bed with her-and-Bun-Bun, he spent the day at her side (except for the occasional TIGER ATTACK!!! when he would go flying through space and land on an unsuspecting grownup), and he went back to Daddy's house with her, too. "I'll make sure and bring him back, mommy, please?"