These are a few of my favorite new things...

I finished my mittens. I love the flip top on them. It never fails, I just get my mittens on and a boys will ask, "Mama, will you zip my coat for me?" Never mind that they are perfectly capable of zipping their own coats, I've been told that I "do it better!" And now I don't have to take my mittens off to help them zip or put their gloves back on after they get snow in them. Total SCORE!




I decided that I needed a new knitting bag. I finally used the adorable hedgehog fabric that I bought off etsy months ago. The lining and straps are made from an old shirt of my brothers that he ripped the elbows. I even took off the breast pocket and reattached it inside. When making the straps I discovered that I am out of stabilizer but that cross stitch fabric works very well instead.

The beaded candle holder is KNIT! I think it turned out awesome. I got the pattern for it and also the mittens out of "Handknit Holidays" by Melanie Falick. Of course modifications had to be made to the pattern to make it work with the size glass candle holder that I could find at the dollar store. The designer Annie Modesitt claims "knitting with wire and beads can be a spiritual experience." In the beginning all I could think was " unless my own personal hell counts as a spiritual experience, Annie is not the sharpest tool in the shed." But by the end knitting with wire and beads won me over, mostly, I think, because it's just so pretty.