Friday, November 9, 2012

Handmade Presents for Everyone

I cannot believe it is almost the holidays again! I am telling you, once you are out of school I think the years just fly by. When there is no major separation between the years it is scary how quickly they fly!

As the holidays approach I know that many of us will be invited to TONS of holiday gatherings, gift exchanges and open houses. What can you do to make cute holiday gifts without breaking the bank? Well, here is my list of cute, quick, and easy knitting hostess-style gifts for the holiday season:

Made by Broke Knitter
The Wine Bottle Hat and Scarf
This quick and easy little hat and scarf makes your bottle of wine really stand out at a party. It is really cute and people love them because they can re-gift it on another bottle! And if you are not already sold on this idea, you can use stash and scrap yarn for these! I have used all my odds and ends to make these little guys.  Click here to view the free pattern for download on Ravelry courtesy of Sara Neff.

Christmas Tree Ornaments
Pattern courtesy of Red Heart
Pattern courtesy of Andrea Kopacek
Little Christmas tree ornaments also make wonderful gifts. It is personal and something that will last for years to come. Again, use your scrap and stash yarn to make these projects a win-win! There are many different kinds of ornaments you can make. I have shown a few different styles here along with the links to the free pattern downloads on Ravelry.



Coffee Cup Sleeve
Made by Broke Knitter  
How many of us use those little cardboard coffee cup sleeves that every coffee cart and shop gives away. And most of us wind up throwing those away after we get our caffeine fix. This is a great gift for anybody "green." It is also a nice way to warm your hands against your coffee when it is cold outside. Here is a cute little handmade coffee cup sleeve that you can make, again, using your scrap yarn! Click here to view the free pattern for download on Ravelry courtesy of MissKnittyPants.






Good luck with all of your holiday knitting!

Until Next Time,
Broke Knitter

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Storm Round 2

As if New York hadn't taken enough of a beating from Hurricane Sandy, we have now been subjected to Nor'Easter Athena. When did we start naming snowstorms?

Transit is still an absolute disaster here in the Big Apple and Randy has been working from home for two weeks now. It took me several hours to get home last night amidst the snow and winds and several hours again this morning to get into work. Let me tell you, I cannot wait until the transportation system gets back to normal!

On a high note, the wintery wonderland yesterday prompted me to pull out my winter items and I wore my newly-completed Crazy Cobra Cable Hat (http://www.ravelry.com/projects/YoungPadawan/cobra-cable-alpaca-hat) and some wonderful mittens. I was very happy to have my warm and homemade items in the crazy snowstorm yesterday. I feel that the cold weather has really re-inspired me to get knitting!

Until Next Time,
Stranded on the Subway,
Broke Knitter

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Hurrication - Thanks Sandy!

I wanted to begin this post by offering my deepest sympathies and condolences to those who, like Randy and myself, were affected by Hurricane Sandy. While Randy and I made it through the storm unscathed, our neighbors home was very badly damaged and several trees have taken down fences, power lines, sidewalks, and porches on our block. I wish all of you the quickest and safest recovery possible!

That being said, I was stuck at home all week in, what we on Bell Blvd are calling the "Hurrication." While Randy and I were able to run some of our electronics on our backup generator, we were still on a rather low-functioning end of a normal week. This, however, was a GREAT things for all those UFOs sitting around my apartment. I spent each day wrapped in a blanket working on the many unfinished projects that have been stuffed in my closet all year. I think I will have some very happy family members and friends come the Christmas holiday!

What did you do to get through the week without power? Crossword puzzles, regular puzzles, dirty romance novels? I'd love to hear all about it!

Until Next Time,
Finally with some power,
Broke Knitter