Freebie Friday - Angry Golf Club Cover

From the wonderful blog, knitterbees, comes the Angry Birds Golf Club Cover.  I love this as a goofy holiday gift idea for the Angry Birds crazed loved one on your list.  Please credit knitterbees if you share this pattern, and direct folks to her site.  Her patterns are terrific, and her stories are often hilarious.  Enjoy!

Christmas Karma

Christmas at the Marino home was a delight. The kids received electronics, concert tickets, magazines, and pajamas.  Cookies were eaten, champagne was toasted, and then it was over...  As an avid knitter, of course I hoped for knitting gifts this year.  And the kids came through!  No coffee mugs, no candles, no DVDs - knitting books! And the Mr. came through with a Kindle!  So cool.

The first book is 60 Quick Knits, published by the makers of Cascade Yarns. Every pattern features Cascade 220 worsted wool.  There are hats, scarves and mittens in snazzy color combos and updated versions of traditional designs.  Since 220 is a worsted weight yarn, everything knits up quickly.  I've made mittens from this book, and know a couple of people who own and love the book already.  I'll have to wait a little, though, as it's still on order. :(

Second is Punk Knits by Sharon Ross.  The author is a punk music artist herself, and views creating her own garments as a way to side step the establishment and make her own statement.  That's fine with me!  There are 26 projects in the book with edgy details and a ton of attitude. I always tell the kids to tell me what they'd like me to make and I'll be happy to make it.  I'm sure it won't be long until the kids are placing requests for these punk knits.

Alli, my youngest, has recently taken a serious interest in what I knit.  She doesn't knit herself, but this morning she was poring over pattern books and suggesting color combinations and traditional motifs for an ear flap hat she wants.  She does this kind of designing in her head, leaving me to find the right yarns and generate the patterns.  Who knows?  Maybe we have another great knitwear designer in the making.  I'll be happy to be her sample maker!

Spa Gifts - Free Pattern

I'm giving this gift myself. Washcloths and face cloths seem to have gone the way of rotary phones.  Yet very little is as good for the skin as simple friction with a gentle organic soap.  All the chemical cleansers and exfoliants are great money makers for cosmetic companies, but at most high end spas you'll find simple cleansing and moisturizing as the treatments of choice.  (Think clay masks and cucumber eye treatments.)

If you're looking for a quick last minute gift, try beautiful washcloths and artisan soaps.  Two handmade cloths wrapping some fine handmilled soaps and tied with a ribbon would make a lovely gift for anyone on your list.  (Modern men are into skin care, too.) Add a candle or two, and it's a spa experience you can even tuck into a stocking!

Use some organic cotton or bamboo fibers, and these cloths will gently exfoliate skin.  Choose a boutique artisan soap that fits your friend's personality: chocolate, olive oil, lavender, and oatmeal are all popular handmilled soap types.  (If you're in the Buffalo NY area, stop in to Village Artisans on Main Street in Williamsville for a lovely selection of soaps and candles.)  Or coordinate soap and candle colors to the yarn colors used for a pretty visual. Need something more substantial?  Add a pedicure brush or a facial brush, bubble bath, and a natural moisturizer.  Enjoy! 

Great and Cozy Quick Sock Pattern

The pattern for these beautiful socks can be found here.  It's amazing how such a simple (really, really simple) pattern can make such fabulous socks. 

Made in a DK weight (3), these knit up quickly and are a great addition to your gift knitting repetoire.  Somebody needs these as a holiday gift, care package, "because I love you", or charity project.  I've got mine.  I can't wait to see yours!

Placing an order

About a year ago I made a pair of mitts from The Knitter's Bible: Knitted Accessories with Cascade Greenland yarn. They have a lovely cable down the back, and are otherwise ribbed, giving lots of warmth and stretch. Greenland is Superwash, so there isn't much allergic reaction. I wear them to knit in the the chilly Buffalo winter, and love them.

Today my eldest placed an order for a pair of her own, mentioning that she's been borrowing mine because they are "so cool". I've knit for my teens before, and it's always a mystery what will be popular for more than a few weeks. Mitts seem to be a winner every time, but who would have thought my boho grunge daughter would be mad for cables?