I just signed up for Shoplocket and I'm using this blog post to test out how easy it is to use; I'll likely be embedding this same listing in my Tumblr and Facebook.
Small Victories
Sometimes, it's the little things.
In this case, the oddball of yarn I used was just the right amount for the heel.
Pattern: Sock Recipe: A Good, Plain Sock by Stephanie Pearl Mc-Phee, in the book Knitting Rules.
Yarn: Malabrigo Sock in colorways Turner (leg and foot) and Playa (heel and toe).
Link to Ravelry project: A Good, Plain SockAnd So It Begins | NaNoWriMo 2012
I've joined NaNoWriMo (you can find me there as mkcarroll), with the intention of writing something that is well-researched and really terrible at the same time.
Crochet Saved My Life | On My Bookshelf
Kathryn Vercillo of the Crochet Concupiscence blog has published Crochet Saved My Life: The Mental and Physical Benefits of Crochet , a book about the potential of crochet to heal, interwoven with stories from crocheters (including yours truly). Kathryn has done a tremendous amount of research, and has compiled quite a list of resources. If you are interested in how crochet, specifically, can contribute to mental and physical health, this is the book for you!
Read MoreSmocked Mug Jacket
Smocked Mug Jacket
The pattern has been rewritten to accomodate a standard sized mug (with information on how to alter it to fit other sizes), professionally tech-edited by Eleanor Dixon, and now includes a step-by-step photo tutorial for the smocking stitch pattern. $4.50 of the $5.50 purchase price goes to Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders as part of the Tricoteuses Sans Frontières/Knitters Without Borders fundraising efforts. The pattern is also available for free (download links are at the bottom of this page).
Please note that is is a knitting pattern - a set of instructions for knitting a mug cozy. This is not a finished item, and I do not sell finished cozies (if I did, the retail price would be at least $50). If you are looking to buy a ready to use mug cozy, I recommend going to Etsy and doing a search for "mug cozy" or "coffee cozy." You can see a roundup of my favorites on Pinterest.
“Who is MSF/DWB?
MSF is a medical relief organization dedicated to bringing help to people in the worst circumstances in the world. MSF goes where other relief organizations (NGO’s) will not. Where circumstances are the most desperate, the most dangerous and the most hopeless... you will find Médecins Sans Frontières. MSF is transparent and neutral without any political or religious affiliations, and does not accept donations from Pharmaceutical companies or companies that make Tobacco or Alcohol. Part of their job is to witness and report violations of human rights and dignity. MSF helps all persons who need them, regardless of their race, religion, politics or gender. MSF won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999.”
The revision also makes the free version of the pattern identical to the fundraiser version of the pattern. Free version: download pattern and download tutorial.