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I've been getting such a kick out of your responses to my plan to knit 12 sweaters in 2012. Some people are all for it, some people think I'm crazy. Some people have enthusiastically endorsed the plan...and then asked if one of the sweaters could be for them. And some people have decided that if I can knit 12 (debatable), they could at least try to knit one.

I've got lots of recommendations for easy first sweaters, if you're so inclined (I like Jane Richmond's Classic Raglan Pullover – perfect in Patons Classic Wool – or the Tea Leaves Cardigan from Madelinetosh), but I'll be honest – every time I hear the words "first sweater," I can't help thinking wistfully of my first sweater. Behold:

My first sweater was this patriotic pullover, out of a then new, now long-out-of-print, Patons pattern book. It was knit in the round with stranded colourwork, in Patons Canadiana. I squeaked along with my acrylic yarn on plastic needles, watching episodes of Friends and The X-Files (for the first time!), struggling with my first DPNs. Having taught myself to knit from a not-exactly-illuminating book, I made the entire thing inside out. But what I didn't know didn't hurt me, and I ended up with a sweater at the end of it all.

Unfortunately, I don't know where it is now. I wish I could lay my hands on it again – it would be neat to see it, and try it on, and see if my stitching is any better now than it was way back when.

What was your first finished object (sweater, afghan, sewing project...)? Do you still have it?

I think I might be crazy, but I'm possessed by a near-overwhelming urge to make 12 sweaters in 2012. I didn't write about it in my 2012 crafty resolutions but I've been thinking about it for some time now.

Sweater #1 is already well into the rotation. Sweater #2, a baby sweater, is in progress. And I've got sweaters 3, 4 and 5 lined up and ready to go. (If only my yarn budget grew as fast as my Ravelry queue!) I think I'd better throw a few other baby sweaters into the mix, though – I'll need them for months when the knitting goes into overtime.

Are you planning any grand 12-in-2012 projects?

Hooray! I finally finished my I Heart Aran sweater.

I grabbed it at the last second as I was heading out the door to Quebec City for the weekend, and I'm so glad I did. It kept me busy on the flight, and by the time I touched down I was finished.

I washed it in the bathroom sink and blocked it on the ironing board (making the hotel room smell of damp sheep, but oh well) while I went out to enjoy Carnaval. After I was back from my fun weekend with Bonhomme, my sweater was ready to wear. Hooray!

The heart pattern and X's and O's motifs make it perfect for Valentine's Day. And the TFA green label yarn (shown above in Sand) is perfect. Easy to work with, and lovely and soft once it's washed and blocked, with a beautiful drape.

Next up: Glenna's Locke St. Cardigan, also featuring TFA yarn. (Sometimes when I'm not knitting, I'm modelling knits – check it out!)

What are you knitting this Valentine's Day?

Hi friends,

I'm just popping in with today's giveaway winner. One lucky reader will receive the fabulous new release from Interweave Press: The Crafter's Guide to Taking Great Photos by Heidi Adnum.

And the winner is:

...Gillian. Congratulations! I'll be in touch shortly.

There's another giveaway coming up later in the week – keep your eyes peeled!

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, but I, of course, haven't done anything other than eat my fair share of Hershey's kisses and red jelly beans – thanks, Lisa!

Here are a few ideas for you, just in case you're a Last-Minute Lucy like me.

• Valentine's Day surprise crackers (as in prize-filled poppers, not Saltines) from Not Martha.
• Sweet little memo holders from Omiyage.
• Rainbow heart banner from Say Yes to Hoboken.

And next week's issue of "Get Crafty," my e-newsletter, will be chock-full of Valentine's Day ideas. It comes out on Monday, so you still have time to sign up.

(PS Don't forget, you can enter to win a copy of The Crafter's Guide to Taking Great Photos until Sunday night!)

Today is National Sweater Day – do you know where your cardigan is?

Image from WWF; photography, Stephen Welstead

On Sweater Day, the WWF encourages to turn down the heat and pop on a sweater. If each of us did this every day, we'd save an incredible amount of energy across Canada. Frankly, I think every day should be Sweater Day.

Speaking of sweaters, I've got just an inch left on the collar of my current project – so close!

I was hoping to wear it today, but alas, sleep trumps knitting every time. Maybe I'll celebrate belatedly, and wear it tomorrow.

Are you marking Sweater Day by turning down your heat and wearing your favourite handknit?

PS See behind-the-scenes photos from the Sweater Day poster photo shoot (via KnittyBlog).

This weekend, inspired by my friend Sherrie, I tried something new – making candles. It's something I've wanted to try for a long time, and I'm so happy I finally did.

Materials: recycled jam jars, bamboo skewers, candle wicking and the metal tabs you use to anchor the wick, and a giant block of beeswax. I got mine at the farmer's market, but you can actually get it at the health food or art supply store, too. I got the wicking and the tabs at the art supply store, for about $5.

I melted the wax in a stainless steel bowl (thank you, Value Village!) over simmering water. It took some time.

Meanwhile, I set up the jars. It's pretty straightforward. I used melted wax from another candle to anchor the wicks in the bottom of the jars, and wrapped the wicks around the bamboo skewers to keep them straight.

Checking in on the beeswax...

Ready to pour! I covered my work surface with parchment paper just to keep things clean. I used a 1/2 cup ladle that I had lying around (where do these things come from?) to pour the wax because I thought it might keep things a bit tidier.

Here goes...

The wax started to cool almost immediately. It took another six hours or so for them to harden completely.

Ta-da! That giant block of beeswax yielded three candles – and made my house smell amazing for the rest of the day. I can't wait to try them out.

I think these would make a great gift, and provided you're doing all the work with the hot wax, it would be a fun project to do with your kids, too. They could help cut and tie the wicks, supervise the pouring, and create special labels for the candles. Maybe as a Valentine's Day present for someone special?

(If this has piqued your interest, here's lots more info on making candles.)

Today I'm excited to be participating in the blog tour for a fabulous new release from Interweave Press: The Crafter's Guide to Taking Great Photos by Heidi Adnum. Giveaway details are below, but I'd love to tell you a bit about this book first...

This book is TERRIFIC. I took it home with me this weekend and almost as soon as I started to read it, I was wishing that I qualified for my own giveaways. I've struggled to take interesting photos of my just-cast-off socks, but with this book, I think the struggles will be over!

Whether you take photos of your handmade items to sell on Etsy, to show off on your blog or to feature in your portfolio, you're sure to find this book comes in handy. It starts with the basics – how to use light, what those mysterious terms like "aperture" and "exposure" mean, and how to choose a camera. I've read about this stuff again and again, but with this book it finally clicked!

From there, you'll learn about how to tell a story with a photograph, and then read tips and techniques broken down by product or craft (accessories, knitting, etc.) The chapters cover planning and set-up, composition and common problems – everything you need to know to help you set up a successful craft photo shoot. At the end, you'll read all about post-production, photo editing, and business advice.

There's also a practitioner spotlight for each craft– an interview with a photographer who is a superstar at taking great shots of his or her crafts. I loved these and noticed many of my favourite crafters and crafts were featured. Paging through this book was like reading a Who's Who of craft photography.

Of course, the photographs are fantastic, and the book is as gorgeous as it is informative. (Click through to take a peek inside the book.)

For your chance to win, leave ONE comment telling us your greatest challenge when it comes to taking great photos of your Finished Objects.  The contest is open to Canadian residents only. Contest will run until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, February 12, 2012; I'll post a winner here on Monday, February 13. Good luck!

(Want to read more about the book? Visit some of the other stops on the blog tour, below. You'll find other giveaways, as well as posts by featured crafters and photographers.)

Thanks so much to everyone who entered for a chance to win the copy of Kate Atherley's new book, Beyond Knit & Purl.

It's great to see such a response and always inspiring to see the ways you want to challenge yourselves (and your knitting!). The winner is:

Congratulations, Michele, I'll be in touch shortly! And stay tuned, because there's another giveaway coming right up.

This weekend I've got all sorts of things to do, but I'm hoping that I'll have time for a bit of crafting. After all, Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and it's a great excuse to get out my red, pink and white craft supplies and get crafty.

After last week's Valentine's Day roundup, I found three more fabulous Valentine's Day crafts that I thought you might be interested in:

• Fabric Heart Valentines from Sally Shim. A great way to use up scraps.
• Polka dots + ombré + heart = a perfect tote bag for your Valentine.
• DIY felted heart-shape elbow patches. To help you wear your heart on your sleeve(s).

I'm looking forward to sitting down with a cup of tea to read (and pore over the photos in) this edition of What's in Your Toolbox with Lotta Jansdotter. And I'm adding this lovely shawl to my (endless, I'm afraid) to-knit list. How will you spend your crafty time this weekend?

PS Don't forget – you can enter for a chance to win Kate Atherley's book until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday night!