I'm Thankful For...

On this Thanksgiving day, I just wanted to take a moment to say how thankful I am to all of you who faithfully watched my show, buy my books, follow my other projects, and read this blog.  Your continued support is one of my most treasured gifts.

Have a happy, safe & peaceful holiday!

xo, Vickie

Burrito Bag & B-Day Pics

Several months ago Amy's Kitchen asked if I'd make a bag out of their burrito wrappers, similar to the Trick or Tote from my Kiwi Mag column.    The timing Gods were not with me however, so it took me FOREVER to get to it.   I finally sent it in a couple of weeks ago, and thanksbegoodness, they were happy enough with it to put it up on their site!  If you're an Amy's food fan (and if you're not, clearly you've never tried their goodies) and find yourself with a collection of wasted wrappers, don't ditch 'em-- stitch 'em!  Get the free instructions here.

Burrito Bag

Unrelated, thanks to all of you who sent me birthday wishes yesterday on this blog, Ravelry, MySpace and Facebook!  They made me feel all gushy-mushy inside. :)  

Yesterday was a happy celebration filled with facials, friends, and silly phone messages.  I also got some amazing gifts including, a hand-made wallet, lightening-bolt necklace, and honorary donation to Heifer International from my editor, Valerie. Good stuff.

The day ended with a dinner with close friends at a local restaurant, El Chili.   We had a great time although unfortunately, the enchiladas made a few of us sick, later that evening. No Bueno.

Under the category of awesomeness though, my friend Jaime made me this kick-arse yarn cake (lemon cake, light on the frosting--just how I like it!)  I *heart* my creative friends!

Jennifer, Tina & Jen A. from ACM were all there, as was Jody (the photographer from Not Another Teen Knitting Book) and Jenny M. (aka Websy Daisy).  See more pictures on my Flickr pool, here.

Jennifer, her Cha-Cha bracelet & Tina

Another thanks to all of you who have and will participate in the 35 for my 35th giveaway (scroll down to one post below this, if you don't know what I'm talking about)!  I'll post the winners, shortly after Thanksgiving.

I'm off to do dishes, watch Oprah, and knit a wrist warmer.  Have a good night!

xo, Vickie

Birthday Bash Book Giveaway!!--35 for my 35th!

Today's my birthday and I want to celebrate!  Well, what better way to do that I say, than with gifts for you? Ahhhh, presents.

Thanks to the generous participation of Lark Books, I have a copy each of 35 (one for each year of my life) of their best-selling craft titles to give away!

35 for my 35th!

Enter for a chance to win, one of these craftacularly craftastic books:

Knit Aid

New Knits on the Block

Not Another Teen Knitting Book

Bags That Rock, by Kelley Deal

The Crochet Dude's Designs for Guys, by Drew Emborsky

Lacy Little Knits, by Iris Shreier

Amigurumi, by Elisabeth Doherty

Creative Spinning, by Alison Daykin & Jane Deane

Creative Weaving, by Susan Howard & Elisabeth Kendrick

Shibori, by Lynn Caldwell

Fabulous Felted Scarves, by Chad Alice Hagen & Jorie Johnson

Make It In Minutes Felt Accessories, by Taylor Hagerty

Make It In Minutes  Last Minute Gifts, by Taylor Hagerty

A is for Apron, Nathalie Mornu

Pretty Little Patchwork, by Lark Editors

Pretty Little Pin Cushions, by Lark Editors

Pretty Little Purses, by Lark Editors

Bow Wow Wow!, by Cathie Filian 

Heirloom Embroidery, Jan Constantine

The New Crewel, by Katherine Shaughnessy

Creative Quilting with Beads, by Valerie Van Arsdale Shrader & Paula Bendel

Fabric Memory Books, by Lesley Riley

The Joy of Scrapbooking, by Kerry Arquette, Andrea Zocchi & Darlene D'Agostino

50 Nifty Collage Cards, by Peggy Jo Ackley

Pop Up Cards, by Sandi Genovese

Make It In Minutes Memory Jewelry, by Liz Eaton

Make It In Minutes Beaded Jewelry, by Wendy Remmers

Bead Love, by Jane LaFerla

Polymer Clay Beads, by Grant Diffendaffer

Make It In Minutes Faux Flower Arrangements, by Melody Thompson

Retro Crafts, by Suzie Millions

Extreme Office Crafts, by Jimmy Knight & Tom Chalmers

Skulls, by Noah Scalin

The Artful Home, by Toni Sikes

500 Chairs, by Larry Shea

Here's all you have to do:

E-mail: contests@vickiehowell.com with your Name, Address (no P.O. Boxes, please) and your top 3 crafts of choice (ex. General Craft, Knitting, Scrapbooking, Sewing, etc.).

I can't guarantee you a specific book, but I'll really try to keep your prize within your areas of interest.

Deadline for entries is Tuesday November 25th at 11pmET.  Winners will likely be notified via posting on this blog, after the Thanksgiving holiday.  Check back often!

Thanks for celebrating with me!

xo,

Vickie

P.S.  Psst!...pass it on.

Blue Genie Bangles

Dave was at Fun Fun Fun Fest all weekend, so I took the opportunity to watch movies (Mommy Dearest & August Rush) and make things for the Austin Craft Mafia booth at upcoming Blue Genie Art Bazaar. After all of these years of participating, I still don't have a great feel for what'll sell at this event. It seems to be pretty hit or miss. So, this year, I've decided to focus on (insert jazz hands) *accessories*! I figure at least that way I'm not spending more than a few hours on each item and if they don't sell, then I'll be stocked on gifts for awhile.

First up, several pairs of wrist warmers and, a bevy of knit & crochet bangles. Who knows if people will buy them, but I'm having fun working on them which is half the battle, right? ;)

If you're in the Austin area, make sure to stop by the bazaar. It's a truly unique show filled with some pretty amazing wares ranging from Sasquatch embroidered western shirts, to screen printed posters, to recycled wool booties. For more information, go here.

Let the holiday shopping season begin!

xo,
Vickie

Craft Corps Recon

I'm finally starting work on Craft Corps.  For those of you who submitted profiles, thank you SO much! I was absolutely thrilled with the response.  Please don't feel discouraged that you haven't heard back from the publisher yet.  They were kind enough to take a first pass at narrowing them down for me while I was working on the eco-book and Pop Goes Crochet, but I haven't had a chance to personally read submissions yet.  We'll get back to you over the next couple of months. Thanks for your patience!

Unrelated to the profiles, I'd love to know which crafters are most influential to you? Is there a professional quilter, screen-printing artist or potter whose work you follow?  A well-known scrap booker, stitcher, or metal sculptor who especially inspires you?  

I have my own list of people in the industry who I admire and have approached about interviews, but I have room for more and want to fill those spaces with the people YOU want to read about!

So speak up, crafty peeps!  Even if you think the person's a given, please still name them here. You never know, who might've fallen through the list-writing cracks. ;)

Thanks in advance for helping to make this project truly, about community!

xo, Vickie

Waste-free Wreath!

The Holiday issue of Kiwi Magazine just hit stands, and it's filled with tons of great goodies including: Top Green Toys, Hearty Winter Recipes, scoop on MyHealthySchool.com, and much more!

If you're feeling crafty this season (and really, who isn't?), give my waste-free wreath a go.  It's made with recycled grocery bags, making going green with your greetings a cinch!  Get your copy of Kiwi at your local newsstand or health food store now.  You can also grab instructions for this month's Eco-Craft on the Kiwi website here.

Waste-free Wishes,

Vickie

Knit One Save One, with Warm Up America!

Check out this Warm Up America press release about an exciting new program that we can all participate in.  I'll definitely be knitting one, to save one!  xo, Vickie

Big Stars Make Little Caps to Help Newborn Babies

Knitters and crocheters nationwide are mobilizing to help save babies lives. And there are a list of prominent knitting and crocheting celebs who are doing their part as well, including Save the Children Artist Ambassador Gwyneth Paltrow, actresses Rebecca Romijn, Debra Messing, Lisa Edelstein, Vera Farmiga, Mischa Barton and Patricia Arquette.

The campaign is called Knit One Save One and it’s sponsored by Save the Children (STC), the global health organization, and Warm Up America (WUA), the industry charity that works with volunteer knitters and crocheters to provide afghans and clothing for people in need. (For all of you crocheters out there, our apologies for being left out of the name. Our friends at STC came up with the name before we were onboard, but this is definitely for crocheters as well as knitters.)

The campaign is bringing U.S. knitters and crocheters of all ages together to draw attention in Washington, D.C. to the nearly 4 million newborn deaths that occur each year in developing countries. Participants are asked to create one baby cap to keep a newborn warm during the first critical hours and days after birth, and to write a personal note to the President-elect asking him to lead the way in reducing newborn deaths globally.

The campaign that kicked off at the end of August will continue through December 31, 2008. Early next year, Save the Children will take the personal notes to the new President to Washington, D.C. The caps will be distributed to mothers and newborns through Save the Children’s community health facilities in Africa and Asia.

Hollywood’s biggest stars made little caps in all colors and wrote personal messages to the mom and baby on a tag attached to the cap. Gwyneth Paltrow knitted a raspberry-colored baby cap gathered at the top and finished with charcoal trim. Paltrow’s cap tag says: “As a mother of two children who mean everything to me, I share your joy. Love Gwyneth.”

All of the leading ladies’ baby caps and cap tag messages can be viewed at www.savethechildren.org/knitonesaveone. An interactive web game on this page lets fans match the caps to their favorite stars. To view a special video message from Lisa Edelstein, visit Save the Children’s nonprofit channel on YouTube at www.savethechildren.org/youtube. To download a Knit One, Save One action kit, which includes cap patterns, cap tag and more information about the program, go to www.savethechildren.org/knitonesaveone, or call 1-800-728-3843. Knitters and crocheters can also download patterns at the Warm Up America web site: www.WarmUpAmerica.org.

PROJECT: Mario Mushroom Wrist Warmers!

This holiday season whip up a cozy little gift, for the game boy (or girl) in your life.  They're quick, they're cute and the pattern's adjustable!  xo, Vickie

What you need:

Worsted Weight Wool (amount varies based on size, but 100yds/110m usually does the trick!) in color: White

Scraps of Worsted Weight Wool in colors: Red & Black

Size US 6(4mm) DPNS

Tapestry Needle

Size

Adjustable (see "What to do")

Gauge

20sts x 28 rows=4" (10cm) in St st.

What to do:

Measure around the circumference of the future wearer's palm, excluding the thumb .  If said wearer is unavailable for measuring, you can go by the measurements I usually work off of when making wrist warmers: Smaller Kid= 6"; Larger Kid= 7"; Woman= 8"; Man=9". 

Because these are meant to fit snuggly, subtract 1" from the palm measurement.  This will give you number "X".  For example: Child's palm measures 6"-1"=5".  "X" =5

To figure out how many sts to cast-on, multiply "X" by 5 (number of sts per inch).  Once you have that number, round it up to the nearest multiple of 4 (to give you a workable number for K2,P2 ribbing in the round).  For example: 5" x 5 sts per inch= 25.  Nearest (rounded up) multiple of 4= 28. CO amount= 28 sts.   

There you go!  Ready to start?  Well, ok then.

Cuff:

CO "X" sts.  Distribute sts evenly on dpns.  Join rnd, taking care not to twist.

Work in K2, P2 rib for desired length of cuff (I recommend about 2 1/2" for Smaller Kids; 3" for Larger Kids; 4" for Adults).

Beginning Main:

Next Rnd: Begin working in St st (knitting every rnd.)

Continue in St st until ready for thumb hole (I recommend 1" for Smaller Kids; 2" for Larger Kids; 2 1/2"-3" for Adults).

Thumb Opening: ( This section WILL BE KNIT STRAIGHT, not in the round.)

Next row (RS): Knit all sts.  Once you've knit the last st on the last needle, flip piece over. 

Next row (WS): Purl. Once you've purled the last st on the last needle, flip piece over.

Repeat last 2 rows, 4-6 more times (depending on size you're making).

End Main: (Return to working in the round)

Next rnd: Knit, rejoining the piece (this will close the thumb-opening top).

Repeat last rnd 1-4 more times (or until piece is 1/2" shorter than desired length)

Return to K2, P2 rib for 3 rows.   BO in rib st.

Finishing:

Using scraps, tapestry needle & Duplicate Stitch, follow the chart to embroider mushroom on the front of each wrist warmer.

Duplicate Stitch Chart

(Need a duplicate stitch refresher course?  See pg. 83 of my book, Knit Aid.)

Weave in ends.  Block if necessary.  Enjoy!

This pattern is meant for non-commercial use only.  Copyright Vickie Howell, Inc 2008.  All rights reserved.