Free on Friday

Happy Thanksgiving! Hope all of you celebrating yesterday had a wonderful time. I cooked the feast this year for the kids, my husband, his parents and his aunt. I ate my fill and really enjoyed the day with my family. As I was excused from dish-duty, I was able to get some knitting in, and I finished up a little mystery project I've been working on recently, too. Remember this picture? People guessed I was making gift bags, and in a way, that's right. I just loved this picture in the Garnet Hill catalog. But almost $60!? I have the skill, I have the yarn, and I have the time. So, I made my own: Of course, I just made a "Mini" advent calendar to give you an idea that you, too, can make your own very easily!

Instructions: Use ANY scrap yarn with appropriately sized needles (I used Berroco Comfort DK with size 7 knitting needles. Make garter stitch rectangles of ANY size (different ones make sense here!) On the 8th or 10th row of each rectangle, work a YO, k2tog buttonhole TWICE in the row, sort of near the center. Fold the rectangles into small envelopes and seam the sides. Make ties - either work 2 stitch I-cord, a crocheted chain OR cast on 35-40 stitches and BO right away (YOUR choice, and feel free to mix them up!) Just thread the ties through the under side of the envelope and then pull through the buttonholes to close. I crocheted a chain using all 5 colors of yarn, and then crocheted smaller chains to hang each "gift bag". These are great gift pockets - and are perfect for holding gift cards, shawl pins, little repair tools and more!