Hi friends,

I'm sure you've seen Advent calendars in stores already; they're all over the place here, in grocery stores, drugstores...even the local coffee shop. But I've always thought there was something special about having a one-of-a-kind Advent calendar, so this year I designed one. Cutting out the stockings takes some time, but with the help of a glue pen and some glitter, it's not long at all before the stockings are ready for you to hang up.  The stockings can even be filled with small candies (or sewing notions, hint hint).

If you're feeling ambitious and you'd like a calendar that lasts, you could also cut the stockings out of felt. Embroider the numbers (from 1 to 24) on half of the stockings, then blanket stitch around the edges and tack on the hangers. I think this could be the beginning of a sweet family tradition!

In general, handmade Christmas ornaments make great gifts (or gift toppers) and they're a great way to decorate if you're looking for something that's both cute and cost-effective. Here are some great ideas I've seen around the internet recently.

• There are three options in this sweet Woodland Ornaments Tutorial from Sew Mama Sew
• Quick and easy thrifted sweater tree ornaments at The Long Thread
• Shake up your scrap jar and make some Mini Ornaments
• I love, love, love these embroidered felt ornaments from Posie
• There are six options in the Crafty Tree Ornaments e-book from CraftyPod (I love the little house designed by Betz White
• Make a festive felt bird with this easy step-by-step.
• This is one gingerbread man who probably looks better than he tastes (being made of felt will do that to you).

That's all for now. Have a great weekend, folks.

Hi friends,

This dreary day is finally drawing to a close and it's almost time to go home and snuggle up for the evening. It feels like a rice pudding night here in Toronto!

Photo from Wisecraft.

Just in case you need a spot of brightness in your day, I thought I'd point you in the direction of the fabulous Christmas projects designed by Blair of Wisecraft for Value Village and Savers (do we have Savers in Canada? I've never encountered one around here). Find the projects here. Value Village and holiday crafting...it doesn't get much better than that in my book! (Maybe I'd add an eggnog latte and a bit of glitter?)

See you tomorrow – I've lined up all sorts of ideas for your weekend!

Hi folks,

I'm back in the office and it's busy-busy-busy here today, so I'm just popping in to say hello and point you in the direction of this great project tutorial from Design*Sponge: DIY Project: David Stark's Twine Snowmen. Seems to me this would be easy to revise with balls  of wool instead of balls of twine, making it the perfect decoration for a craft room. Or my living room/office/let's face it, every room in my life. Lovely.

Have a great day and I'll see you hear again tomorrow...provided I can find my way out from under this giant pile of paper!

Hi friends,

I'm out of the office today, working on the craft projects for our March issue (I know! Crazy, isn't it?) but I wanted to pop in and talk a little bit about the Mulled Wine Mitts that are featured in the December issue of Canadian Living. 

I worked these up over a couple weekends. Love that pink!

I've had a call and an email from readers who've encountered difficulties as they work on setting up the twisted moss stitch panels for the mitts.  If you've already started knitting, chances are you've already encountered a tricky little bit of stitching in Rnd 9. It looks like this (the trick is bolded):

Rnd 9: 
Needle 1: P4, kitbl, work row 1 of twisted moss stitch over next 13 sts, k1tbl, p3.
Needles 2 and 3: P1, m1 purlwise, p1, k1tbl, work row 1 of twisted moss stitch over next 13 sts, k1tbl, p3, p2tog. 

Chances are you're wondering, "What's up with that increase/decrease?" Basically, it's there to align the outer edges (the two parallel rows of twisted knit stitches that run all the way up the mitts) of the second moss stitch panel with the ribbing, to match the first panel.

Have a look at the panel on needle one:

See how the knit stitches from the ribbing continue into the body of the mitt on the first panel.

And then look at the panel that begins on needle two:

The needle is pointing at the increase. Note how the knit stitches will now align, as on panel 1.

Aha! It's a little bit of knitting sorcery that makes the finished product that much nicer looking. 

The important thing to note is that you only do this increase/decrease once, in Round 9. When you get to Round 13, you will begin a pattern repeat that works over 4 rounds:

Rnd 13: 
Needle 1: P4, kitbl, work row 1 of twisted moss stitch over next 13 sts, k1tbl, p3.
Needles 2 and 3: P3, k1tbl, work row 1 of twisted moss stitch over next 13 sts, k1tbl, p4.

Rnd 14:
Needle 1: P4, kitbl, work row 2 of twisted moss stitch over next 13 sts, k1tbl, p3.
Needles 2 and 3: P3, k1tbl, work row 2 of twisted moss stitch over next 13 sts, k1tbl, p4.

Rnd 15:
Needle 1: P4, kitbl, work row 3 of twisted moss stitch over next 13 sts, k1tbl, p3.
Needles 2 and 3: P3, k1tbl, work row 3 of twisted moss stitch over next 13 sts, k1tbl, p4. 

Rnd 16:
Needle 1: P4, kitbl, work row 4 of twisted moss stitch over next 13 sts, k1tbl, p3.
Needles 2 and 3: P3, k1tbl, work row 4 of twisted moss stitch over next 13 sts, k1tbl, p4. 

And so on, and so on, until it's time to begin shaping the thumb gusset.

I hope this helps! If you have any other questions, please let me know. If you're looking for a tutorial on the k1tbl stitch, check out the handy how-to that Glenna put together here. 

And just in case you're wondering if I'm ever going to talk about something other than knitting for a change, here's a sneak peak at a Christmas craft I put together for you over the weekend. It'll be up on the CL Crafts Channel soon...stay tuned!

Coming soon!

Hi again,

This week, I'm happy to give away a copy of Quilting for Peace, a marvelous book from STC Craft. (You might remember that I wrote about it here.)

This is a beautiful book – yet again, STC Craft has delivered a project that melds artful photography and great projects with well-written instructions. In addition, this book tells the stories of dozens of quilters (individuals and groups) who quilt for good causes – from animal shelters to children in need to adult victims of violence, war or natural disasters. The stories are touching and the projects are inspiring – they're part of what inspired a few of us here at Canadian Living to put our heads together and start a quilt for Project Linus Canada (more on that as it develops).

In conjunction with the publication of the book, STC Craft has organized a Quilting for Peace campaign. I think this is a wonderful idea – even though we live in a world where problems can seem so overwhelming, it's the little actions (even as small as a tiny quilting stitch) that can make the biggest difference in people's lives.  Learn more here.

For your chance to win, leave a comment on this post: Tell me who you'd make a quilt for if you were quilting for peace. The contest will run until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, November 22; I'll post a winner here on Monday, November 23.

See you back here tomorrow – have a great Monday.

Hi friends,

Happy Monday! I hope you enjoyed your weekends. I was knitting and crafting up a storm – but somehow I still feel like I've barely made a dent in my Christmas list. I'm back to knitting on the subway in an effort to squeeze in a few rows of knitting wherever I can!

Speaking of knitting, I'm here to announce the lucky winner of this skein of purple Malabrigo Silky Merino from The Purple Purl. Thanks to your comments, I learned that you looooove to knit, and many of you like small projects – ones that are portable, ones that progress quickly, and ones that have lots of things to keep you interested, whether that be new stitch patterns, colourwork, or shaping. Of course, there were lots of scarf- and sweater-knitters, too, and lots of people hoping to make gifts that the recipients will treasure. Thanks for sharing!

On to today's winner, as chosen by my friend the Random Integer Generator...

Congratulations to...

...Lynn! There's not enough yarn to make a sweater, but I think these mitts will help keep you warm this winter. Check your email shortly, Lynn.

And check back here later today for Weekly Giveaway #29.

Hi friends,

Well, here we are again: thank goodness it's Friday! I've got big crafting plans for this weekend, but I think I need to push some of them aside and start in on a handmade Advent calendar. Isn't this one something special?

Have a great weekend and I'll see you here on Monday.

Hi folks,

As I mentioned last week, I've been thinking about ways to make Christmas-crafting fun, festive, and affordable. I had a few tips (start early, make a list, be realistic, watch the sales, make multiples, order takeout) and many more have been pouring into my inbox all week.

Here are some of my favourites from all the tips you shared.

• Always be on the lookout for supplies: Buy year round to stock up, check the January sales, check dollar stores and discount bins
• Don't constrain yourself to Christmas-y colours or styles. As Sarah writes, "My best tip is to not be restrained in your color choices, a handmade card or ornament in pink may be just as beautiful as the green, red, silver or gold you'd planned...work outside the box a little. Some of my best peices got made due to a lack of supplies!"
• You don't have to make everything yourself. Amy says: "I would also suggest that if you don't have the time or energy to make everything yourself don't be shy about supporting fellow crafters through Etsy or local holiday craft sales. Handmade is always better whether it's your hands or not."
• Accent purchased gifts with homemade surprises: "Quite often you can purchase something simple and add your own touches to them or include it with something purchased; i.e. home-made dog biscuits added to a gift pack including a bowl and leash. Or buy a container or bowl and fill it with your own home-baking," says Pat.
• Stay cool: "Don't panic if something isn't ready on time," says Mimi. "Everyone in my family is more surprised when I actually am on time!! They appreciate homemade gifts and I will not be satisfied with something that I had to rush to finish because more often than not that is when big mistakes happen."
• Look everywhere for inspiration: library books, nature walks, kid's crafts, magazines and websites, shop displays,
• Pay attention: "I usually make jewellery for my girlfriends," says Lily, "and try to make each one as unique as they are. To do that, I have a secret list that I keep throughout the year where I make note of things that I know they like. For example, if they're into certain colours this year or a specific themes."
• Work together: Organize a "crafternoon," like Nadine or Elonda, and enjoying crafting with your friends or family.
• Make it personal, like Laura's cross-stitched ornaments: "To ensure that each ornament is special to the recipient, I try to choose a pattern that includes something significant that happened to that person during the year, and always include the year on the ornament."
• Be selective: Neala advises, "My best craft tip is to not worry about making EVERYONE a home-crafted gift. Choose one or two people and work on those gifts, and then if you have time you can make more for others. Those people who 'missed out' can get your crafty gift the following year."
• Watch out for Fido and Fifi: Conni has a good point! "My tip for crafters who are also pet owners is: clean up and put away all those crafts you just made and whatever is on your craft table if you need to run out to the store for more supplies. Your dog and cat think that crafts make the yummiest appetisers and the greatest toys....after all, why would you spend all day with crafts instead of your pooch or kitty if they weren't absolutely, irresistably fabulous?!!"
• And there were tons of good gift ideas: including a variety of ornaments; home-baked Christmas goodies; recipe books (Camila F.); make your own gift wrap, cards or tags; personalized stockings...the list goes on.

Of course, there were many many more great ideas. See them here. A great big thank-you to everyone who commented!!

As promised, I've got two prizes for two lucky tipsters. Congratulations to Jeannine, who wins two tickets to the upcoming Seasons Christmas Show at the International Centre in Mississauga, and to Laura, who wins a copy of Tree Top Decorations by Emma Hardy. Please check your inboxes!

Still gathering ideas? This might be a good place to start. See you all tomorrow!

Hi folks,

I know I've told you that when I'm getting ready for a trip, I like to make a new bag to take with me. Well, when I'm getting ready for company, sometimes I like to make new throw pillows. You might remember this proverb quilt that I posted about last week:I was really intrigued by the idea of letter quilt blocks, so I headed home that night with a project in mind. I don't have time for a full quilt right now, but I do have a big pile of scraps, and I enjoy free-style/improvisational piecing. After a couple false starts....

If seam ripping is required and it's after 10 pm, it's time to quit for the night.

...I woke up in the middle of the night on Friday and thought: Foundation piece it! Last night I finally had the chance to sit down with my scraps and my sewing machine to turn out this pillow.

I made it from scraps left over from the stacked coin quilt I made as a couch throw (you can see part of it there on the left), and once I had the foundation-piecing breakthrough, the pillow came together pretty quickly.

The fabric is Denyse Schmidt's Katie Jump Rope from Free Spirit, (with some plain brown cotton from Fabricland). I backed the pillow with a square of the cheater print from her County Fair line.

This is a great stash-buster project and I think it would make a great present for a child who's just learning his or her letters – or for someone who loves unique monograms.

Hi friends,

Well, I'm a bit tuckered out after all that prize-giving, knitter-interviewing and giveaway-posting from yesterday! So I'll keep it short today. I've encountered a few neat ideas in the last few days that I wanted to share here.

1. In conjunction with the release of their book Quilting for Peace, STC Craft has organized a Quilting for Peace campaign. They write:
"Quilting for Peace profiles more than 25 individuals and organizations devoted to making quilts and other necessities for the needy. The efforts range from Newborns in Need, a group that makes clothing for premature babies at nearby hospitals; to Quilts of Valor, which makes quilts to honor wounded soldiers; to the Sleeping Bag Project, which distributes 100,000 homemade sleeping bags to the homeless every year. This timely book also includes 15 projects and guidelines for quilters who want to contribute to an existing effort or establish a new one."
> It's a great book and a wonderful idea. Learn more here.

2. I know that many of you are already hard at work on your Christmas gifts; if you're looking for even more ideas, check out the Sew Mama Sew blog, where they're running their Handmade Christmas series for the third year. They've rounded up tutorials for more Christmas crafting ideas (not, it's not all sewing) than you can shake a knitting needle at. (Today's theme is gifts to make for crafters. Perfect!!)

4. Virtual/online quilting bees have been popping up all over the place. Basically, twelve quilters take turns making blocks for each other  (one per month for a year). At the end of the year, you end up with a quilt top! I love this idea. Check out the Block Party blog, where they've started a quilt-along; get ideas at the Block Party Flickr group; or find out about starting or joining a virtual quilting bee for yourself (there's a Canada-only bee – great idea! – still looking for members. See more here).

What's inspiring you these days? Please, leave a link in the comments if you've got something to share.