weekend wishes

to say our goodbyes to a loved one.

img src: susannah conway

we will be spending this weekend remembering my husband's wonderful grandmother as we honor her and attend her memorial.  she passed away 2 weeks ago and she will be and is dearly missed.  i had planned on doing a normal weekend wishes but it just didn't seem to come out that way.  i found this image and thought...that's the one and left it at that.  it's peaceful, serene and benches are where i do a lot of deep thinking in my life.  i always seem to find one somewhere and they are usually in a beautiful setting just perfect for reflecting on life and what's important in them.  so i only thought it fitting to post a picture of one today.

we had to have a talk with mack about what happened to her great grandma and explain the situation as she is coming to the service on the weekend and we wanted her fully prepared.  we also thought she was old enough to understand some of the basics of what happened and we didn't want to have her asking about great grandma and not knowing what had happened.  she seemed to handle it all pretty good, better than i did in fact and seems to be happy in the fact that we told her that great grandma will always be in her heart and she can think of her whenever she wants to and feel her close to her.

teaching a child how to grieve or say goodbye is new to us.  we have been fortunate in our lives to have not lost too many loved ones so this is all a learning experience for us to go through with our children.  i'm not sure if the finality of it all has sunk in to mackenzie but she seemed to grasp the concept that great grandma was sick and is now no longer with us.  she asked to bring a flower to the memorial so she could say goodbye.  sweet little thing she is.  brings tears to my eyes.  i feel so blessed to have gotten to know my hubbies grandma as she was a wonderful woman.  i also feel blessed that the sewing desk that i sew on everyday was hers and was given to me by her.  i think of her often while sewing and have some of her old patterns and a notebook with her handwritten notes/patterns in.  i will treasure them always.

i'm wishing you all a very peaceful and reflective weekend filled with your loved ones.  happy creating and making and i'll see you on monday :)

anyone have any tips to share on how to talk to children about the passing of a loved one?  how to handle the service?  or what you have done to help them deal with the situation?  what are your weekend plans? what are you all up to?

p.s. have you entered the glerup slipper giveaway yet?  seriously..don't miss this one...the best slipper ever!!

quilting 911 - hanging with the zig zags

i've been hanging with the zig zags.  just chilling out...you know...zigging here and zagging there...going with the flow.  i got all my hst's sewn up last week & i started to plan out my quilt.  i thought it would be quick and easy. boy was i wrong....lol.

i think the pic above is about my 20th layout.  i haven't changed anything for over 24 hours now so i think i am close.  it took a while to decide what tones to move with and where to start and what and how to mix the prints.  i kept focusing on the row of zig zags but then would stand back and remind myself it's also a block of four charm squares that make the point of the zig zag so i had to start looking at it in 2 rows instead of just one as well.  tricky i say.

thankfully one of my pals at knit night gave me a wonderful tip.  i was moaning and groaning about how hard it was to plan the schematics of this quilt by laying it on the floor and always having to take pics of it, look, change it and then put it away and start all over again the next day when i have a chance to lay it out again.  pain in the butt.  i was fed up.  she told me i needed to start a quilt wall.  she suggested getting a cheap blanket/picnic blanket and hang it from the wall with pins so that i can stand back and really see the quilt and also not have to take it down.

let me tell you, this has changed my whole quilting experience!  thank you so much sarah!  i have a cheap ikea polar fleece type blanket at home and hung that puppy up on the wall and pinned my hst's to it as fast as i could.  the best part about this blanket is the fabric actually clings to it.  i really could have prolly got away with not pinning them but was worried the kids would grab them off.

i have spent a lot of time in what i like to call "creative land" feeling like the dude from a beautiful mind trying to solve some intense puzzle.  i keep getting lost in the lines and the patterns.  then, when i'm done...i'm exhausted...lol.  my brain hurts...lol.  anyone else get like this when trying really hard to solve a creative puzzle?  my mom says this is one of her favorite parts of quilting and i can see how some would love it but i find it hard to push through.

i think my favorite part of the quilting process, has been so far, the actual sewing.  i love starting with all these pieces and then ending with a quilt top.  i adore the actual quilting.  so fun.  what i don't adore is all the decisions.  i know that sounds weird but with a quilt it all feels so permanent.  like once it's sewn you are stuck with it.  where as with clothing i change and alter as i go.  i guess i have to get used to feeling confident in my eye and my own creative process.  i think it's a great way for us creative peeps to strengthen different parts of our creativity by challenging ourselves regularly by doing what we wouldn't normally be doing.  it's one of my new year's resolutions this year to challenge myself, push myself and step out into the unknown a bit.  i want to flex a bit more creative muscle and really jump in head first (in a somewhat controlled manner..lol) and just see what happens.  i'm excited, a tad scared but i've also have been having a heckuva lot of fun! 

so grab yourself a cheap blanket, pin that bad boy to the wall and have some fun!  but most importantly get quilting!  go ahead...give it a try!  it's fun and oh, so addicting!  thanks again sarah!  i owe ya one my dear :)

what quilt are you working on?  what's your favorite part of the quilting process?  do you find one area challenging for you?  c'mon...spill the beans my friends :)

* just in case you missed it you can see my first post about my zig zag quilt here.

warm up to winter knit along - elizabeth & hopefully some mitts

pattern: elizabeth by jane richmond

yarn: berroco vintage dk in colorway 6165

warm up to winter is definitely in effect the last few weeks where i live.  snowfalls, wind storms and freezing rain - yum!  love it...NOT!  i'm dreaming of warmer weather already though i will miss wearing my cold weather accessories.  i got elizabeth off the needles last week and i have worn it everyday since.  elizabeth is a chunky cable knit hat that is super fast to whip up and a great first time cable pattern for a hat if you are looking to branch into cables.  i personally love them.  there is something so fun about the magic of cables.  i love how the simple movement of a few stitches moving from the back or front can make the most gorgeous and oh, so warm addition to a knitted garment.

especially when put up against a big, ol wind storm.  we ventured out on the weekend to the water to watch some pretty giant waves come crashing up over the shore and up onto the sidewalks.  it was crazy.  i've been in these storms before..after all..i live on vancouver island but i've never gone down to the water when they hapen and man was it exciting.  it was pretty fun storm watching and so the hubs and i thought it would be a good time to catch some pics of my elizabeth hat in real wind action and i mean real wind :P  check out that hair!  lol!

this hat has just the right amount of slouch.  it's got a long ribbed brim that i love.  keeps the ears real warm and doesn't slip or fall off and there is no need to keep pulling it down.  the hat is super warm yet still breathable.  it's soft, cushy and i looooove it.

green is a new hat color for me and since i've been really feeling the color bug lately i thought what the heck...let's add some green to my hat rotation.  i love me a cheerful, colorful hat! 

now that i have the hat though i need some fingerless mitts.  after searching online and deciding finally to use the last skein i have of the same yarn i used for the elizabeth hat i decided on the "constellation gloves".  i plan on making them shorter and maybe adding a fun surprise to them but we'll see how i feel when i get to that point.  so far all i have is one cuff.  i better get cracking :)

in the meantime while the rain is pouring giant buckets outside and the wind is howling through the nights and shaking our poor top floor condo like king kong grabbed it and decided to rattle us around a bit i'm going to be working away on my fingerless mitts and knitting to keep warm by the fire. 

do you want to join in on the "warm up to winter knit along"?  it's not too late...there's still time.  sign up below...

warm up to winter knit along sign up

start date: january 11, 2012 (but you can join in anytime before the deadline)
finish date: february 8th, 2012
* please note you must sign up to be entered into any giveaways.

all posts can be found here and the thread for the knit along can be found in the luvinthemommyhood ravelry group here!

when you are done your hats and/or mitts please post your finished pics in either our ravelry group thread or our flickr group so we can drool over your fab work! also make sure to pop on over to "nook" today to see what my partner in crime rebecca has been up to for her kal projects :)

how are your projects coming along?  you guys have been knitting up a storm!  i'm so proud and happy with all the projects being made in our ravelry group! wowsa!  it's like inspiration galore in there!  hats upon hats, mitts and lots of yummy creativity! love it!  i'll be in there today to catch up and chat a bit.  in the meantime fill me in on what you've got on the needles below!  i can't wait to hear and see what you're making :)

Figgy's Pattern Review - Sunki

pattern: sunki by figgy's

fabric: kasbah midnight - lark by amy butler (from our sponsor www.stitchsimple.com)

when i first spotted sunki from figgy's i pinned it, drooled, daydreamed and just plain knew i had to get my hands on the pattern. it was my lucky day when the super talented shelly of figgy's asked me to review the pattern! yes please!!!!!

i knew when i saw it that i had to use amy butler's print kasbah midnight from her lark collection. i love that print and thought it would be perfect for sunki.  the only problem was that i only had a yard...eek!  thankfully i was just able to fit the 18mth size with the short sleeve option out of the 1 yard!  yipee!

do you think she likes it?  hahaha...i think she likes it as much as her momma does!  i heart this dress and love that it is modern and yet feminine at the same time.  definitely a new favorite in our house.

sunki is native american for "to catch up with" and i think that is definitely true for my little ones...lol.  always chasing those two girls that's for sure.  i fell in love with this dresses pocket lines, gorgeous pleated sleeve cap and the overlapping petal shape at the shoulder.  the details in this pattern are to die for.  the neckline has facing for both the front and the back of the dress and the back is finished with a long zipper detail. so adorable and definitely a high end boutique finish.



pattern notes:

- this pattern is definitely an intermediate pattern.  i like to think of myself as an intermediate sewer but i'm also still learning a lot of different techniques and how to's of sewing.  i think this dress stumped me more than a bit right at the start when forming that lovely pocket detail.  i think the main issue i had was that i was making an 18mth size and the illustration is probably more relateable for the sizing of a larger dress.  for some reason i just couldn't get my head around it.  i'm a very visual learner so after more than a few tries (all gone horribly wrong) i thankfully spotted this tutorial on the figgy's blog that shelly released with a how to of this portion of the dress.  definitely made a lot more sense to me and i was able to move on smoothly with the instructions for the rest of the dress.

- if you are looking for a quick one night project this dress is not it. it's more of a whole weekend or a few during the week evenings kind of dress. but it is definitely worth the extra time involved.  it's gorgeous and when complete, definitely looks like a higher end handmade garment.  i'm super happy with it and plan on making the exact same dress for mackenzie in a size 5 asap as well!  our sunki's are gonna get a lot of love and wear in this house :)

- the pattern is written in a friendly and warm manner accompanied by illustrations and step by step sewing instructions. the glossary and other helpful notes in the pattern booklet were a great asset and i found having the extra information very helpful. i would love to see shelly add the link to her tutorial for the pocket to the pattern booklet for us visual sewers. i love the pattern sizing range they covered and the added figgy's ribbon label was a super nice touch. i love how encouraging figgy's patterns are - they definitely make sewing fun!

my oopsies

now the only other problem i had making this dress was totally my own doing and nothing to do with figgy's awesome pattern.  i have never sewn a zipper before.  i know...i'm a goof..but they seriously freak me out.  i decided this year was the year for me to get over my fear of sewing zippers.  so when i spotted sunki i knew that i had to sew a zipper.  needless to say the zipper is in.  is it pretty?  nope.  does it look ok...yep.  did i put it in right...sort of...lol. but it works and that's what counts.

what were my mistakes?  promise not to laugh to hard at me?  well you know when you buy a zipper and there is half an inch at the top of the zipper?  well i got confused by this.  i thought why do i want all this sticking out or having me dress not zip up all the way?  i was so into my dress sewing that i forgot the dress would eventually have facing attached to it and that the extra half inch of zipper would actually become part of my seam allowance!  can you believe it?  so dumb of me.  worst part was i cut it off and sewed the zipper in with the zipper starting right at the top of my back neckline. then happily went about my way stitching the rest of the zipper.  i was so proud of myself until i noticed what i had done when i went to attach my facing.  i tried to make it work anyways and ended up with a shredded zipper. bah!

*zipper note: make sure you zig zag stitch (i did mine at a o length) a few times across the zipper where you are going to cut the bottom off before you cut it off.  measure accurately cause if you make a boo boo you can't make it longer again.

i had a finished dress and a busted zipper.  i had to go through the pain of ripping out that entire zipper and trying to rebaste my back seam closed again and resewing a new zipper in correctly this time with the facings already attached!  aiayayaya!  it was tricky but i did it. i had to undo a tiny bit of the facing and have a very teeny seam allowance but i think i made it work.  that was of course after i made another critical error.

*zipper note: never ever sew a zipper onto a dress in a difficult sewing situation very early in the morning when you have yet to have your coffee reach your bloodstream...lol!  not good!  

i stitched my zipper to the front and back of the dress!!!!!!!!!!!!!  duh!!!!!!!!!!!  shannon the dress is sewn together you must only sew zipper to the back!  embarrassing.  i can't believe i'm telling you all this but hey, i'm keeping it real for you folks.  the hubs is still making fun of me for it actually.  didn't help that i had to rip it all out AGAIN and then sew the zipper back on only to find that i had sewed my back shut...oops!  ripped out half of it and stitched the zipper in again. like i said before, it's not pretty but it works and i'm happy with it!  it was quite the learning experience for my first zipper but i'm thinking that i may actually be a zipper lover now that i think i've figured out how to do it...at least i hope i have :P  it really isn't as hard or scary as i thought though and i actually feel slightly silly for being so frightened of something pretty easy.  it's just one of those techniques that i think would have been easier for me to learn if someone sat with me while i did it.  i definitely would have not made the gazillion errors i made if i had done that.



pattern mods:

- due to me having a few tiny issues with the pocket details my dress was a tad smaller on the sides than i think the pattern is intended thus leading me to have a smaller sleeve opening than my sleeve.  i simply added in one box pleat in the space that your top pleat makes to bring it in a little bit.  i think it looks cute that way and added a bit more poof to the cap which i love.

overall i think the whole line of figgy's new patterns are to die for and i hope to make more.  if you are looking for quality sewn garment's for your little ones then figgy's patterns are the way to go.  the finishing details are fabulous.  two thumbs up for figgy's and one thumb down for me and my zipper stupidity..lol.

 a huge thank you to shelly for seriously providing us all in the sewing community with so much inspiration and wonderful patterns to learn from - you rock hun!  you can find all things figgy's here:

shop  |  blog  |  facebook  |  twitter

what do you guys' think?  you likey as much as me?  have you made any of  figgy's new patterns?  which one is your fave?  do you have a fear of sewing zippers too?  any zipper tips you want to share to help us zipper challenged folks out?  let's chat sewing...coffee's on!

glerups giveaway - seriously the best slipper ever!!!

"warm is a place called glerups"....and ohhhhhhh....does it feel good!  my tootsies have never been happier.  i recently got to review these wonderful 100% wool felted slippers from glerups and they are ahhhhmmmazing.

now when i say ahhhmazing..i really mean it.  i am super picky about what goes on my feet.  i hate wearing socks, actually i never wear them, and don't even own a pair of slippers because i can never find ones that don't irritate my feet.  so when i saw how and what glerups makes there slippers i knew they had to be mine.  so in love.  they have not left my feet except for when i am in bed.

glerups slippers are "ease and cottage style comfort all year round". no hands required!  these puppies are super duper soft and have a cushy no slip sole.  glerup's was started in 1993 by nanny glerup and these awesome slippers are made from glerups select wool and then gently soaked in water, made into a sock and than steam felted to the shape of a foot.  soooooo cozy!  "the wool is treated naturally, and the product is followed closely, all the way from the animal to your foot".  these puppies are so natural they actually shed for the first few days and you have to pluck off the fibers. 

my favorite part about glerups (besides them being super stylish and modern) is that the wool is self cleansing.  the woolen fibers are totally waterproof and sweatproof.   that's right, sweat can't even penetrate the fibers. so cool.  glerups work best when worn against the skin.  "the qualities of wool become entirely unique when worn directly next to the human skin, and we recommend you to use your shoes on your bare foot".  they are so soft and cushy.

warning.....and this is even on the packing...these slippers are super addictive!  just a heads up :P

want a pair of your own????  yeah?  weeeee......cause you're in luck, the lovely folks of glerups have been generous enough to let me give away a pair of slippers today!  woot woot!!! ready to enter?

the prize

- one pair of glerups slippers (slipper style only)!!!! thank you glerups!

how to enter

- due to blogger recently rolling out the new threaded comments i have lost my numbered comments making it tricky to do giveaways.  i've decided to have you guys enter your name/email in a google doc form instead.  when you enter your info you are designated a number by google doc based on when you enter.  this will be the number i use to correlate to your name when the winner is chosen.  make sense?  if you have any questions just ask me below in the comments.  click below to enter the giveaway:

glerups giveaway entry

the rules

- unfortunately at this time this giveaway is open to *Canadian Residents Only*.  for those of you outside of canada you can also purchase and check out glerups at glerups.com.
- giveaway is open until january 30th, 2012 midnight, pacific standard time.
- you must enter a valid email into the entry form or you will be disqualified.

glerups also has a wide array of other styles of there products such as shoes and booties.  the boots are adorable!  love them as well!  go check them out...but remember...they are addicting :)

good luck!  what is your fave kind of slipper to wear?  are you picky about what you put on your feet like me?  which style/color of glerups do you love?

weekend wishes

that my hubby has a wonderful bday today and knows how much i "heart" him...

img src: i love you more than knitting

to get out thrifting...i hear pyrex calling my name...

img src: pyrex collective

that this damn snow goes away sooner than later...

img src: a stitch in time

to make one of these lovelies...

img src: camille roskelley

and to curl up in front of the fire with my babies & hubs.

Source: flickr.com via luvinthemommyhood on Pinterest

to sport these on my wrist...

img src: anusha

yippee..it's the weekend folks!  i'm so happy this week is almost over. it's been a rough one over here.  from losing a loved one (jer's grandma passed away),  nasty stomach bugs, to being stuck inside for days due to snow and to living in a condo that is in a half organized state i'm ready to break out...lol.  i need me some starbucks and my hubby.  speaking of the hubs..it's his bday today....my young stud is almost in the same decade as me now..lol.  yes, that's right, i'm older than him.  6 years older in fact.  that's how we roll ladies.  i like me a younger man...you should try it sometime, i definitely recommend it :P today i tried to convince him to wear a sweater over a dress shirt to keep warm and caught myself saying "ryan gosling would do it"...omg...i have seen way too many yummy ryan gosling tumblr pics and movies lately..iayaya.

i'm also planning on getting my hands on some downton abbey now that you have all convinced me in the facebook group.  of course netflix canada doesn't have it...so i will have to be a bit more imaginative.  i'm also hoping this damn snow melts so i can get to knit night cause i've got way too many projects on the needles.  i also got all my pretty half square triangles sewed up and fixed the wonky one (thanks for your tips) and am dying to start getting my zigs and zags together.  this quilt is way too much fun :)  plus i've got 2 new tutorials in the works and a pattern review coming up this month so stay tuned for some sewing fun too!

what are your plans this weekend?  are you a downton abbey addict?  are you quilting, sewing or knitting?  anyone else dreading more snow?  fill me in my friends...you know i love hearing what you are all up to.  happy snow free, great tv, hubby snuggles and coffee sipping craft filled weekends.  xoxoxo.

Quilting 911 - head over heels in love

oh my...last night i fell in love with hst. no not our dreaded canadian tax but "half square triangles".  oh yes, i fell head over heels in love.  i have never done a hst before being a newbie quilter but let me just say they are fun!  i got so excited i even bored the hubby to death with all my quilting giddiness...poor guy :P

 
i took a charm pack of oliver & s city weekend and a charm pack of white fabric that my lovely sponsor stitchsimple.com just sent me (yes, she even cuts to your request and washes/presses your fabric!) and matched those puppies all up, drew my lines, sewed my stitches and cut my triangles and i made it through almost the whole stack in under half an hour!!!! now that is what i like people!  hardly any cutting! woot woot!  you guys all know how bad i am with a rotary cutter..lol...useless :P

1. city weekend by oliver + s 2. balloon in aqua from children at play by sarah jane

i decided the other week to make a zig zag quilt for mackenzie's quilt of choice.  i'm supposed to be making a queen size for me but the poor thing was so sad when she saw harper's that i promised her i would make one for her too with a "m" on the back to match harper's "h".  after a lot of drooling all over flickr and pinterest i got sucked in by the purl bee's and cluck cluck sew's zig zag quilt and was stuck on the combo of the white with the printed fabric.  after using a lot of bright colors for harper's quilt i liked the idea of doing a softer yet still colorful palette for mack's.  i'm also hoping that it will match up with my beloved balloon print from sarah jane's children at play line for the backing.  i bought enough of it in the summertime in the hopes that i could use it for the backing of a quilt.

1. cluck cluck sew 2. the purl bee

i've been following the purl bee zig zag quilt tutorial and also relied on the lovely rachel of  p.s. i quilt's half square triangle tutorial just to make sure i was doing it right :)  now i whipped through mine pretty fast so i'm hoping my accuracy is still good and that i didn't wonk anything up.




i already had one oopsie though...one of my charm squares was stuck to the other (same print on top of it) and i unknowingly sewed the two identical prints to 1 white square and didn't realize i had done this till after i cut it! eeeek! anybody have any tips on how i can fix this???  i haven't ripped it out yet.  i could use any tips any of your master quilters may have :)

i'm super excited to just power through this quilt but not sure how much time i'll get to work on it.  our modern sewing group is in lingo as we are homeless.  the lovely sewing shop we were being housed at has changed ownership and is moving so we are still in the process of finding out what and where we are going.  i'm bummed though because that was pretty much dedicated time for me to quilt.  hopefully everything will work out in the end and someone will adopt us :)  in the meantime i'm sure i'll be dreaming of hst's.....

have you made a zig zag quilt before?  any tips?  are you a lover of all things hst?  what is your favorite quilt pattern to make using an hst block?  i can't wait to hear what you all are working on!

Warm Up to Winter Knit Along - My Projects & Accessories

pattern: elizabeth by jane richmond

yarn: berroco vintage chunky in colorway 6165

after a lot of thought and deliberation between my computer and my yarn stash i decided to whip myself up an "elizabeth" by my lovely friend jane richmond.  shocker!  you all know how i LOVE her patterns.  i have never made this one before and it suited my stash and the amount i had left to use just perfectly.  it's a super fast knit and didn't take more than one skein of my berroco vintage chunky yarn.  now i have enough left to do some fingerless mitts!  yippee! i love this color green and will definitely be getting my hands on some more.  it's super pretty and the hat fits awesome!  i was even wearing it inside last night when i finished it to keep warm (finished pics to come).

i made elizabeth using the magic loop method.  for all of you just learning who are part of our kal here is a link to a great video from jane on how to knit using the magic loop method.  i would be lost without it.  i honestly never got my full mojo on using double pointed needles so the magic loop has become my best friend :)  also for those of you who are venturing out into the world of knitting in the round here is another video from one of my fave places to go for help - "knitting help" for how to knit in the round.  check em' out...you just may learn a new technique.  it's not as scary as it looks, i promise!

we're having a major snowfall here this week so it's perfect timing for us all to curl up inside and chat knitting!  i thought it would be fun to show you some shots of my fave accessories for knitting from knit picks.  their prices are way more than affordable and i am a very happy user of their interchangeable needles. i yak about my lovely little notions and handy accessories all the time and just like sewing, knitting also has lots of fun little notions and goodies you can collect and carry around with you in your knitting bag.  here are my current faves...

1) Cable Needles - these are new! i've been using a different style of cable needle for eons and finally spotted jane knitting with hers and decided i needed new ones..lol.  a great cable needle will speed you up and make the process that much more enjoyable.  i heart cable knitting!

knit picks cable needles - $1.49 each

2) Best tape measure and scissors evah!!!!  seriously...this tape measure is like a buck something and is the perfect size to fit anywhere and is retractable even though it is a soft tape measure inside.  we all love ours at knit night and i think it is up there with my favorite things.  even the kids love it.  and the scissors...oh man...don't get me started on the scissors...awesome!  they fold up and fit in my handy little tin case i carry around with me.  how cool is that?

knit picks tape measure $1.99 & foldable scissors $4.49

3. Stitch Markers.  i go through stitch markers like crazy!  i have some very special ones that a good friend made me but i also need a giant back up artillery.  i use them for everything from marking the beginning of a round and for lace and cable knitting.  i run out like crazy and honestly have tried using all sorts of things from around the house but nothing seems to work as good as a proper stitch marker.  the ones below are my newest additions and the price was just right for me!

various knit pick stitch markers

4) Needle Protectors and Extra Cables.  i've got a weird sense of humour and call my needle protectors my rubbers...lol.  i know...sick...but they are made out of this plasticy rubber material and sometimes you may even hear me calling them my needle condoms...sorry...the snow has got to my brain...muahahaha.  anyhoo..they are awesome! and make me feel much better if my knitting is laying around that the kids can't get hurt as easily on the needles and my stitches don't fall off when they are in my bag.  i've also figured out which cable sizes are the most used from my knit picks interchangeables and have now stocked up on the 24" and 32"'s that i seem to use like crazy!  lots of magic looping going on in this house..lol.

knit pick needle protectors $1.19 and options interchangeables circular knitting needle cables

5) Ball Winder.  santa brought me a knit picks ball winder this year.  i was super excited to not have to depend on my lys to wind all my skeins for me or for me to make sad attempts to wind center pull balls by hand at home anymore.  yippee!!! this handy contraption will wind your lovely skeins into yummy jumbo cake style center pull balls.

knit picks knitting yarn ball winder $19.99

  6) Yarn Swift.   the ball winders best friend.  my hubby hates having to hold the skeins open for me while i wind the yarn.  it is definitely a two person job unless you've mastered the art of using a chair which i have definitely not.  santa also got me a yarn swift and it just came yesterday!  i am super excited to wind up the rest of my quince and co. yarn and test this bad boy out!  i think i may have to sew up a pretty bag to keep her in :)

knitpicks knitting yarn swift $50.00

i also use a handy little metal tin to store all my bits and bobs in for my interchangeable needles.  jane showed us that using some double sided magnets inside works great for keeping your needles and other metal littlies all organized and sorted.  i keep extra stitch markers, a stitch counter, thread, needle, darning needle and more inside.  it's handy to have it all in one place so i don't have to cart around a ton of stuff with me or have to keep getting up or digging in my purse every time i need something.  definitely a great way to stay organized. now if only i could get my mitten pattern chosen...that would help.  i keep changing my mind......

but on the upside you guys have been doing amazing so far! i cannot believe how many of you have finished hats and mitts already. go ladies go!  the conversation has been lots of fun and it does my heart good to see you all chatting happily away in there!  for those of you wanting to join in on the "warm up to winter knit along" it's not too late!

wanna join in?  here's the deets....click the link below to enter the knit along:

warm up to winter knit along sign up

start date: january 11, 2012 (but you can join in anytime before the deadline)
finish date: february 8th, 2012
* please note you must sign up to be entered into any giveaways.

all posts can be found here and the thread for the knit along can be found in the luvinthemommyhood ravelry group here! 

when you are done your hats and/or mitts please post your finished pics in either our ravelry group thread or our flickr group so we can drool over your fab work!

happy knitting ladies!  which pattern did you choose?  what's your favorite method for knitting in the round?  are you a dpn's or a magic loop kinda gal?  what are your favorite knitting accessories, tools and notions?  it's snowing and the coffees on...come on over for a chat!