winter

Tutorials

Brown Paper Packages Tied Up With String

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I know a lot of women haven’t outgrown the joy of creating a special package for someone on a special day. My best friend and I used to compete to wrap the most presents for each other’s birthdays. One year we wrapped not just packages of candy, but every piece of candy! Christmas is full of people to wrap for and I love sitting down to a big, clean table, a pile of odd-shaped gifts, and a stash of gift wrap. The last few years I’ve used brown paper and natural jute twine to as a canvas for other embellishments. This year my cranberry and popcorn garlands as well as our tradition of decorating oranges with cloves inspired me to use pretty spices and cutouts to create a natural woodland gift wrap. Pictured are cedar boughs, star anise, Szechuan peppercorns, construction paper and jute twine. I think they turned out so pretty! What are your favorite wrapping materials?

New Patterns, New Products

November Giveaway: Alpaca Ear Flap Hat Kit

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Do you know about alpaca fleece? Yes, there’s an inside scoop here. If you know it, you’re likely to prefer it to merino wool and even cashmere. Be warned: asking an alpaca lover about it will launch a long list of qualities.

Oh, do ask! Alpaca fleece (and yarn spun from it) is warm as all get-out, squishy not stiff (unlike many wools), soft as cashmere (seriously), easy on allergies, and doesn’t pill up with wear. Plus, alpacas are enviable for their sense of style (above) and deliver adorable candid moments (see cats cuddling with baby alpaca below – wha???!).

This November I’ve teamed up with a family farmer in Alberta, Canada, A to Z Alpacas, to create your best winter hat.


You can buy it in my shop here or make it yourself from the pattern here and yarn here. Or, you can enter to win both in our giveaway here. Remember that all purchases in the shop plant one new rainforest tree.

Lucky you, swaddled in alpaca fur. I can’t be held responsible if this hat makes you run around your neighborhood with exuberant delight like the alpacas it comes from: