Gifts

Over the years, my friends and family have given me gifts to help feed my craft habit.  Craft gifts seem like they would be impersonal, but au contraire, you need to know someone and their craft pretty well to get the perfect item.  Appreciated gifts can range from a ball of luxury yarn to how-to books on the latest craft fad.  I even think that a gift card, the epitome of impersonality, can be very personal, if from the perfect little shop that you love and thought no one knew existed.  My sister just sent me a package that I was not expecting.  This package came from Patternworks and I knew it was from her.  She never mentioned that she sent it, but I just knew.  When I picked-up the package, it was chiming.  I was thinking, why is there a bell inside this package?  Anyway, when I opened it, it made me smile and I could not stop from laughing.  Everyone, I would like you to meet Purl:

Purl, a String Doll

Purl is a String Doll that can be a key chain or a charm that you hook to your bag or purse.  It cracked me up, seeing the knitting needles she wielded above her head and the jean skirt.  She has a bell and a tag that states "Purl makes sure that you never drop a stitch."  Isn't she so cute?

Another gift that has been so nice to use was a pair of Gingher dressmaking shears that cut through fabric like butter.  I got these as a Christmas present from my boyfriend.

Best scissors ev-a!

He also gave me two pairs of thread scissors.  The pair I have shown has a gold handle, but what is cool about this brand is that they have a designer series where they have colored the handles with designs such as plaid, polka-dots and animal print.  Tres chic.

Another noteworthy gift came in the form of a box via an eBay seller.  My friend had seen these knitting needles online and thought of me:

Frisky needles

These needles have a white cat wrapped up in a ball of red yarn at the ends.  They are a size 8 or 9.  You can click on the image to enlarge to see more detail.  They are a riot as well.  I have an eclectic mix of needles that range from Boyle aluminum ones that are older than me to plastic ones that are also older than me that are bowed from so much use to ones with fancy ends like the cat above.  I don't have many wooden or bamboo ones.  I hear they are nice to work with, but when I start a project, I normally have the metal ones in the size I need, so I can't justify spending the money, even if I have a 40% off coupon for Joann's or Michaels.  My mother once went to a yarn sale and got an enormous bin full of knitting needles for under $5.  That was a great score.  That bin was split among my sister, me and one of my friends.  There were several triplicate pairs, so there was no fighting :-)

This brings me to my last featured gift which is a plasitc yarn container (yarn-tainer) with a hole in the top.  This is great for the thin yarn that likes to curl as you knit or the small ball of yarn that likes to go rolling off the couch when you pull for more yarn.

Fab yarn-tainer

This yarn-tainer was bought for me as a Christmas or birthday present from a friend.  We saw them at a local store in Providence, RI and we fell in love.  We thought it was the cutest thing.  The brand is Snapware and they have since come out with other crafty containers for use with items other than yarn.  This yarn-tainer is a must-have; check them out.

So, with these items, I am a happier crafter!  I have officially made Purl my project mascot.  She has been hooked to my current knit bag and will "watch over me" so I don't make any mistakes.

Mascot Purl

Purl will have to be a miracle worker to prevent me from making mistakes, but I have faith in her; anyone with needles that big is bound to be an enforcer!  Bon tricot!