Okay, here’s a gift after my own heart. Drinks and yarn – a good combination? Sometimes yes, and…. sometimes no! Ha ha ha – ask me how I know!

These are beautiful – there are also beer glasses and mugs with this same yarn and needles image in the Bread and Badger shop. If you’re interested, go here. Stay tuned for more fun gifts!

Now, this is useful!! And awesome!! How many times have you gotten to the toe of a sock or something else that needed to be grafted and searched high and low for instructions?

Great idea from Tangerine Designs on Etsy. If you’re interested, go here. Stay tuned for more gifts!

I love these sweet woodcut cards.

There’s a set of mitten ones too. If you’re interested, go here. Stay tuned for more fun gifts!

Thought I’d spotlight some fun knitter gifts that are not yarn, fiber or patterns.

Love this! Nail transfers for crafty folk! What next?!

 

If you’re interested in these go here. Etsy is the source of all that is good. I’ll be bringing some more knitter gifts to your attention in the next couple of days.

Here’s what’s on the needles these days. Gift time is ramping up, so I can’t show you everything (because some recipients read this blog – you know who you are….), but Momogus Knits Industries is chugging away.

Look at this uninspiring piece of red chunky weight garter stitch:

This will become a Child’s Easy Wrap Poncho – next pattern on the Momogus Knits Patterns conveyor belt. There’s an adult version as well, with a more interesting stitch pattern. Ponchos are getting popular again, and I love the idea of them, but I can’t get with the Brady Bunch look. These ponchos are simply a long rectangle seamed on to its own edge. Because you can wear them with the point forward or sort of draped off to one side, they’re a little more versatile and (I think) better-looking.

These Mighty Mukluks just came off the needles in a frenzy. I’m teaching a class on them in January and wanted to take them out for a spin.

They’re awesome. It’s a little unwieldy and uncomfortable knitting chunky weight yarn on a #7 needle, but not enough to dissuade me from making more. I also added a 2nd sole to the bottom of each for comfort. I just followed the sole directions, made a 2nd sole and added it to the bottom of the completed mukluk with a 3-needle bindoff.

Here’s a project that feels like it will be on the needles FOREVER (but it’s actually only been a year):

This is the Two Hearts Pullover, from one of my favorite books of all time, Lisa Lloyd’s A Fine Fleece. The yarn is Berroco Vintage. It’s a beautiful pattern and not unenjoyable, but all of those cables switch on every other row and it’s quite time-consuming. I pull it out and chug away at it for a couple of days every month. I’m almost up to the armholes. Someday it will be finished……

And now, my most obsessive current obsession, courtesy of this book:

I am a sucker for kooky fussy patterns, and here are 55 of them! I’ve made two balls – each took one satisfying day – and I can see myself obsessively working through the book because I like every one of the patterns.

All those fingers out there must have been FLYING! In this post, I wrote about Warm Hats, Warm Hearts, an organization that was gathering handknit winter accessories for victims of August’s horrible flooding in Vermont.

Here’s what I sent them this week:

That’s 32 beautiful hats, 2 pairs of beautiful mittens and 2 beautiful scarves (and one cat who refused to give up prime space on the couch)! Thank you so much to all who contributed (I’m looking at you, Dana, Leslie, Andrea, Kate M., Kate J., Joe, Kelly, Nick H., Mary, Barbara, Alice, and Patty – you all rock!) – there are going to be some warm, happy people in Vermont thanks to you!

If you have items to send, here is the address again:

And also, if you’d like to make a simple children’s cap, leave your email address in the comments and I’ll send you a free copy of the Momogus Knits Easy Children’s Cap pattern.

I went to the New York Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, NY for the first time this year. For years, I’ve listened to the buzz: “Rhinebeck!” “Rhinebeck!” “Rhinebeck!” The sheep, the yarn, the fiber, upstate New York in the fall, the food, the wonder! So this year, when my local yarn shop, The Tangled Web, announced that they were running a bus trip, I jumped at the chance.

We ended up only having 4 hours, and I wished I could have had twice (or three times!) that time, but it was amazing! And completely overwhelming. So much yarny and fibery goodness, you couldn’t take it all in. I ended up buying a mug, some soap, and a braid of roving and that was it.
 
I really wished I had bought one of these:
 
O, alpaca, most adorable animal ever created!  Your Seuss-ical looks and your magical trilling capture my heart!

I didn’t want to lug my camera around so I don’t have many pictures, but next year I will. Next year I will strongarm my husband and son into going because it’s a perfect event for families (even without a fiber-crazed mom). I know they will have a great time. And next year, by hook or by crook I’m going for both days! If you have the chance to go, I can’t recommend the experience highly enough!

Here’s a listing of all 2011 fiber festivals – maybe there’s one in your area!!

Today I introduce a new pattern that’s very close to my heart: The Barbara, Ruth and Leona Scarves. This is a pattern for three easy pretty lace scarves, written for dk or sport weight yarn. They’re a great introduction to lace knitting with easily-memorized patterns and make great gifts for moms, sisters, friends, teachers.

Also, 100% of proceeds from the sale of this pattern go to the Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.  Barbara, Ruth and Leona were three fabulous moms who suffered from Parkinson’s Disease. Barbara was my mom. Here’s a random picture of her and my dad, from a million years ago. I love that it’s a little blurry and how huge a grin she has.

Pardon me while I indulge in a little happy Phillies dance.

For the past 12 years my family and I have traveled to Vermont each summer to relax and soak in the gorgeous scenery and the wonderful spirit that abounds in that lovely green state. Here’s what Dot’s Restaurant in Wilmington looked like when we were there 3 weeks ago: