For Tuesday -- Annabelle

On the Wednesday before Christmas, my mum-in-law bought the three of us sock creatures to make. She picked out a reindeer, Alex an owl, me a cow. I originally wanted an octopus, but they were all out, and a little bit of cow-country was calling deep from my soul. A cow made out of pink and black striped socks.

On Monday night, the three of us sat in the living room, the fire blazing, watching Top Gear and starting our respective sock creatures. It was delightful to have a needle and thread in my hands again. I made the body, with stumpy legs, and stuffed it. Cut, stuffed and attached the short arms. Cut out the black heel of one sock, sewed and stuffed it impeccably as its snout; stiched a wry mouth in lime green thread; and attached two buttons for nostrils. Its tail sported a white felt tip to whack away the imaginary sock flies. Ears and smaller horns were attached to the top of her sock-toe head. All that was left were the eyes and the udders. My cow was a girl.

On Tuesday night, we sat round the fire again, with a movie on the television and only be picking up my sock creature. My cow was taking shape and I felt the udders should come next, before the eyes. Carefully a large circle was cut in white felt, along with four smaller circles, all attached in the same lime green thread. The button that came with my sock cow were four of the same shape, with one slightly more orangey than the other pink ones. I sewed the orangey-pink button as her left eye; the last pink one as her right--and there was Annabelle.

With each sock creature, there comes a birth certificate. Annabelle was born on just after midnight on the 30th of December 2009 to Erica Marie. She likes to curl up at night with her tail stuck under her nose, models her style after The Nightmare Before Christmas, and appreciates snuggles and hugs.