The creepily cute free project this week comes to you from The Anticraft, by Renée Rigdon and Zabet Stewart.

It's the Whilameenas...a pair of conjoined rat twins. Make them for the person you can't imagine living without. Or maybe you should just keep them for yourself. Perhaps less creepy? Check out the book for more crazy projects--it's worth owning just for the cool photographs. Ooooo, so crafty....so scary! Also visit The Anticraft Web site for more anticrafting ideas.

Enjoy!

* Jessica *

If you haven’t tried knitting a little something, here is the perfect opportunity. For quite a while I resisted knitting small things. I wanted Big Knitting. Sweaters. Long scarves. Vests. Then I tried a hat. Hmmm…nice and quick. Then some catnip mice. Instant gratification. Along came the Heart Pin from Closely Knit by Hannah Fettig. So satisfying.

This pattern for the Flirt Napkin Skirt from Lisa Shobhana Mason’s YarnPlay at Home is the perfect little knitted something. Go ahead, try one…you may find yourself making a whole set! After all, isn’t there something so appealing about cloth napkins? I’ve slowly been trying to transition into using cloth napkins instead of paper ones just to take one little step in the right direction, environment-wise. A tiny flirty napkin skirt is the perfect complement to a cloth napkin.

If you like this pattern, make sure to pick up a copy of YarnPlay at Home. It’s filled with all sorts of projects for your home, both big and small. Some of my favorites include cozies of all sorts…for your French press, for a wine bottle, even for a CD. Plus Mason’s signature take on color mixing is apparent throughout in her blankets and pillows.

Stay tuned for the next knitalong project… Hint, hint: It’s from YarnPlay at Home.

If you like Mason’s take on home décor, make sure to check out her first book, YarnPlay. It’s filled with tons of fashionable sweaters and tops, plus some wearables for kids and a few home décor items thrown in for good measure. Check out Lisa’s blog to see what she’s been up to lately.

Happy (little) knitting!

* Jessica *

Today is your lucky day! I am so pleased to be sharing my favorite pattern from Mr. Funky's Super Crochet Wonderful by Narumi Ogawa with you all.

Meet Sebastian Le Hamster, that loveable, squeezable guy. And he can swim! Not a talent all hamsters possess. And don't forget to add his saucy beret—Sebastian Le Hamster would never think of going anywhere without it.

If you love this fat little mole, you're sure to love all the projects inside Mr. Funky. Heck, even if you don't crochet, you should buy this book just for the cute and cheeky illustrations. Here are a few to whet your appetite.

You'll find all this and more inside Mr. Funky's Super Crochet Wonderful!!

Lots of people are talking about Sebastian over on Ravelry...

And you can see what Narumi's up to over at her blog... She's the cutest! And so sweet.

Happy Crocheting!

* Jessica *

I'm so pleased to be giving away a pattern from Closely Knit, by Hannah Fettig, this week.

These beautifully luxurious Vintage Knee Socks are featured in the daughters chapter of the book. What a lovely gift to knit for your daughter or for a daughter-figure in your life. (Or you can knit them for yourself--after all, no one will appreciate their decadence as much as you.)

Happy knitting! If you like this pattern, you should pick up a copy of Closely Knit and check out the other offerings. It just came out in March, so you can be one of the first to own a copy. It's full of really beautiful, classic patterns. Each chapter is devoted to the special people who warrant the effort and love it takes to make a hand-knitted gift. In addition to a chapter devoted to the perfect gifts for daughters, there are also chapters for mothers, sisters, men in our lives, wee ones and friends. I find the men chapter especially helpful. I always want to knit for my friends and family, but sometimes I'm stumped on what to knit for them, especially those pesky guys. This book takes out all the guesswork. Want to knit something fantastic for your mom? No problem! Just flip through the mothers chapter. There are all kinds of projects--from big and involved to simple and quick. I've already knitted two of the heart pins! They're so fun and easy. And cheery to wear. Check out the Valentine's Day post for the free pattern and pictures of the pin.

Make sure to check out what else Hannah is up to at her blog. She's always got something going on! And stay tuned, I'm planning to post an interview with her soon.

Please post pictures of your socks!

* Jessica *

Knit some pearls!

This week your free project comes from our sassiest knitting book to date, DomiKNITrix, by Jennifer Stafford. The Strings of Purls, as they're called in the book, are fairly simple to make--they're labeled "novice" in the book. Simple lengths of I-cord are interspersed with quick increases and decreases to form bubbles (or "pearls") when stuffed. Be forewarned, though, you'll need some dexterous fingers to simultaneously stuff and knit.

Here's how Jennifer describes this projet:

"You don't have to be an ivy league graduate to wear a pearl necklace. Just knit up this versatile novelty, making it into a short or long necklace, a belt or a drawstring cord for a hoodie; be guided by your whim. Then vamp it up as much or as little as you want. A string of purls can be just the thing for an informal tank top or even a little black dress. Experiminet with the size of the beads and the distance between them to create something truly unique."

Give it a shot! All you'll need is a set of double-pointed needles and a bit of shimmery yarn--this is a perfect project for valuable leftovers.

Check out Jennifer's Web site, www.dominkitrix.com to see what the knitting dom is up to as of late...

Happy knitting! Be sure to share your finished projects with us.

* Jessica *