Great Gifts For The Knitters In Your Life (or for yourself!)

You must think I'm obsessed devoting two November posts to Christmas gifts.  Just to clear things up, I Christmas shop all year.  By the time December rolls around, most of my Christmas shopping is done.  I seldom if ever fight the December mall crowds.  The thought of that sends chills up my spine and sends me running for a glass of wine.  I used to be a champion mall shopper.  I would just go to the mall to see what was there.  I would spend the day wandering in and out of stores with no purchase in mind.  I wouldn't have a list of things to search for.  I would just serendipitously shop.  Some where along the line I would have a soft pretzel, a Mrs. Smith's cookie and sometimes a Cinnabon. It was on this carb induced, sugar high that I would buy things I didn't need and would never wear.  I was "SHOPPING UNDER THE INFLUENCE!"  Now I buy most things on-line and become claustrophobic if I even get near a mall crowd. I blame Dick for this change.  But I have two fabulous gifts you can find in your LYS that would be perfect for knitters on your list or, well, you.  Ok, now be honest.  Don't you buy a little something for yourself for Christmas!?!?!?!

Does any knitter or quilter or embroiderer have enough project bags?  I know I don't.  This set of bags has four different sizes from baby bear through jumbo bear.  (Remember "The Three Bears?  Mama Bear, Papa Bear and Baby Bear?)  And besides that, these are clear so you know exactly what is in each bag without opening it up and pulling stuff out.  What a time saver!  Less time to search equals more time to knit!

This is called SeeYourStuff The Clear Storage Bag and is $44.00.  I bought mine at Ann's By Design and will buy several more as gifts as soon as the next shipment comes in. I think there is one coming in that is Michigan State green.  Hurray for me! If you live near Adrian or want to shop Ann's By Design online, she has many colors.  How easy is that!

This is so cool, I can't stand it!  You know I am a knitting needle addict.  Well, here is Knitter's Pride Melodies Of Life LIMITED EDITION knitting needle set.  You heard me right.  LIMITED EDITION.  You know what those words do to me.  It is exactly like saying "discontinued yarn."  Once I hear those words I MUST, MUST, MUST have MORE, MORE, MORE!  Because after all, when they're gone, I'll never be able to get them again.  I got an email from Knitter's Pride (first of all who told them about my addiction!!!) announcing the release of their holiday set of knitting needles Melodies of Life.  I immediately started searching for places I could buy them.  I went to the Knitter's Pride website and they directed me to a Michigan distributor who only sells wholesale.  They asked the name and number of my shop.  I could have made up a name for a shop but that number stumped me. I always thought if I had my own LYS it would be called "In Stitches." That says knitting and fun to me.  Yarn and laughter every where.  Just my kind of shop.  I decided to come clean and tell them what I wanted; TO BUY THOSE BEAUTIFUL NEEDLES.  They cheerfully told me they don't do retail.  They are a whole sale supplier to LYS.  They made me say the names of LYS near me, and then they would tell me if they were a supplier to that shop.  I struck out with Spun, I knew Ann's By Design wasn't a customer and finally I said Yarn Envy.  Hurray.  I immediately called the shop and ordered three sets.

The needles are so beautiful.  I got kind of nervous, so I went to Web's and ordered one set but they were on back order.  Time passed but still no needles.  Then I decided to go to Jimmy Beans.  They had 50 set so I ordered 2.  Are you keeping track of how many sets of needles I have committed to?  Then I went back to Web's.  Now they said they had 50 sets.  I emailed them and asked when I would be getting my needles only to learn they had been sent.  Doesn't this sound like an addiction?!?!?! 

They finally came (all of them) and it's not just a box of knitting needles.  There is a beautiful pouch filled with knitting tools AND two set of stunning earrings.  Ok now, limited edition knitting needles AND earrings!  If this doesn't have my name written all over it, I don't know what does.  

Aren't they beautiful!?!?!?! As you can see the earrings are wood.  Ok, so I have six sets of knitting needles and 12 pairs of earrings.  That does sound a little over the top.  Some of these are Christmas gifts.  

This is the pouch of goodies that comes with Melodies Of Life. In it you will find cords of various lengths, keys to tighten needles to cords (these are so important! If you've ever had a needle separate from the cord in the middle of a row, you understand why.  DO NOT TAKE THESE FOR GRANTED! PUT THEM IN A SAFE PLACE!),stitch holders, and this little package of things I don't have a clue what they are. They look like knitting needles with a plastic loop on the end.  I believe that when I figure out what they are, I will wonder how I ever lived without them.

So, in these two discoveries, I have purchased 6 gifts for Christmas and 5 gifts for me,  I am trying to decide if I should wrap my gifts or not.