For me ... there's only one Rudolph

Crocheting gingerbread people

So so cute and fun!

Gingerbread man PDF pattern by KTB Designs, $5

Finally ... a blog I can live with ...

I've been trying to find the right "look" and "feel" for my blog this year (thank you all for bearing with me through color and style changes!).  I'm really happy with this particular style!  Simple, clean, goes with the logo.  I could wear this blog.  :)  I may tinker a tiny bit more, but I hope I'm done with the experimenting!

Phydeaux Giveaway!

Probably all of you have heard about this, but I am having a big giveaway with a fun interview on the wonderful Lillyella blog!  Just in time for the holidays!

THANK you to Nicole for inviting and having me over.  This is the only place on the planet where you can learn how I handled an invasion of tarantulas - how's that for a teaser?

If you're not following/reading Lillyella, I highly recommend it!  Nicole has done a fabulous job of lining up great guest columnists (like me!), including recipes and tutorials, and sharing great handmade and vintage shopping suggestions.

Christmas Stars

I absolutely love Paper Boat Press' star ornaments! They're so magical - perfect for your Christmas tree.

Spotty Christmas Star by Paper Boat Press, $12.95

Knitting: Brooklyn Tweed

I know I haven't posted very much about knitting, despite being a knitter! So I'm remedying that, starting right now.

One of the things that is fun for me as a knitter is seeing what other knitters do, particularly designers with a passion for fiber. A couple or few years ago, I ran across Jared Flood's blog, "Brooklyn Tweed," which helped reignite my own passion for fiber, just about the time I was considering creative ventures to rebalance myself, feed my soul, and maintain my sanity. :)

I'm sure you other knitters are familiar with Jared's work and/or blog. He's become quite the celebrity in the knitting world this year, with a book of designs from Classic Elite, speaking engagements galore, and interviews and articles in every knitting publication.

And for good reason! His designs are stunning in their complexity and simplicity. Complexity and simplicity? This is a guy who makes such good use of good old fashioned garter stitch (knit stitch every single row - no purls, yarn overs, etc.), but with sumptuous fibers and/or exquisite edging (look at that lovely baby blanket above!).

His flickr photostream is a delight to peruse - his photography is so beautiful!

I have many favorites designed by Jared, but maybe my top favorite is his Willoughby Stole (also the first photo on this post) - I have the pattern on my computer, just waiting for a quiet moment for me to knit ... for myself! Decadent heaven!

If you haven't checked out Jared 's blog or designs before, I hope you'll enjoy them now. He's also on Ravelry, user brooklyntweed and designer Jared Flood.

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By the way, if you knit, crochet, felt or spin, and haven't joined Ravelry ... join! So many great resources! I've found discontinued yarns from fellow knitters (yay!), wonderful free patterns, great fiber ideas, invaluable advice/help with tricky stitches or techniques. And be sure to friend me! Here's my user name and my designer account.

Fiber: Wool Candy

So do you remember not long ago when I was waxing prolific over Wool Candy's gorgeous handpainted yarn? I finished one pair of mitts using the beautiful apple green variegated yarn (see above) and loved it (I probably have enough for another pair!)! No pooling and no striping of color - my number one pet peeve with variegated yarns! I love knitting variegated yarns that keep you wanting to see what the next row will look like - that was definitely the case here! You will definitely see more mitts knit with Wool Candy. In fact, I'm casting on a new pair in gorgeous black currant/purple/merlot. I highly recommend knitting with Wool Candy!

Walking: who knew?

So, I've been walking nearly every day for the last few weeks with a good friend. We're up to about two miles, which for two seriously out of shape ladies is pretty darn good. There was the week break when I thought my toe was still or rebroken, but the orthopedic surgeon laughed me out of his office (but showed me the healed break in my toe x-ray).

I'm pleasantly surprised to learn the following:

• Exercise is addictive! Regardless of how crummy I feel, I am so ready for my daily walk!
• Walking with a friend makes it not feel like exercise at all. We have had such a great time catching up.
• I'm now able to wear walking shorts and leggings that didn't fit a month ago!
• Walking isn't just great for your legs (and my legs are looking better every day) - my arms are also getting a nice workout.
• I'm having less knee pain now (the first week was hard on my knees, but they feel SO much better).
• My blood pressure has dropped a bit (yay!).
• And my blood sugar levels are lower, but I'm also avoiding sugar, so it's hard to tell which has the larger impact.

I love that walking is inexpensive, too. I never follow through on gym memberships, but if I miss a day or a week of walking, I'm not beating myself up over the money I wasted.

It's SO cold this week in the Bay Area, but I'm bundling up and walking anyway. And, best of all, fingerless mittens are so great for walking! Gloves are too hot once we get going, but fingerless mittens are just right.

I'm weighing in tomorrow - let's hope I'm down two more lbs - I was at 13 lbs last Friday!

How do you all keep in shape during the Winter? Walking? The gym? Other?

On Top of Your Day Job: Allie Beans

November's On Top of Your Day Job column is live on Lillyella! I love Allie Beans' adorable fabric creations. Learn more about Allie and how she juggle a busy online business with a more than fulltime job, and take advantage of a special discount!