Lisa's Prayer Shawl

I am very excited to announce that my new pattern line is now available on Patternfish! These patterns include a prayer shawl, ear warmers, a child's hat, fashion belt, scarf and dish cloths! These patterns can be worked up quickly for yourself or as a quick gift.

A special note about one pattern - Lisa's Prayer Shawl. This shawl was created in honor of my friend Lisa. She is a five-year breast cancer survivor. She is an amazing person and a wonderful friend. For every purchase of Lisa's Prayer Shawl pattern, I will donate $2 to Casting for Recovery. I met Lisa at a Casting for Recovery retreat where I was a volunteer. This wonderful organization provides free fly fishing retreats for breast cancer survivors. My husband Glenn and I have been volunteering with this organization since 2003.

I have put much though and care into developing these patterns. I certainly hope you enjoy making these items as much as I enjoyed creating them.

        

Get inspired this weekend at the Saints Peter & Paul Orthodox Christian Church's Christmas Bazaar! There will be plenty of hand-made items (including yours truly), as well as professional vendors to get your holiday shopping done. Bring the kids so they can craft with Mrs. Claus and tell Santa what they want for Christmas! There will also be plenty of homemade Slovak goodies to snack on while you are shopping.

The event will run from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 5th. The Saints Peter & Paul Orthodox Church is located at 64 Beach Street, Rockaway Boro, NJ.

Be sure to stop by and say hi!

        

As the official shopping season begins today with "Black Friday," I urge everyone to take the same pledge I do each year and buy handmade.

What is the handmade pledge? It is a promise to purchase hand-made items by local artisans, which are more meaningful than store-bought gifts. This is even more important to me this year in light of Ebay's commercial that tell us that handmade items "smell like Church."

Can't make something? No worries. Shop at Etsy. Go to your local craft fair and buy gifts. If you live in the northern New Jersey area, shop at Peter's Valley. Go to BuyHandMade.org and sign the pledge.

There are lots of ways you can reject the commercial aspect of this season and give a gift that will last longer than the batteries needed to make it work.

        

        

Just a quick reminder that the next Stitchin' at Starbucks is this Thursday, November 19th, 7:00 p.m. at the Starbucks coffee shop next to Pier One in the Target strip mall at the Rockaway Mall, Rockaway, NJ. We are having a great time getting together every few weeks and would love to have more join in on the fun!

If you are on Facebook, search under groups for Stitching at Starbucks and join our happy little group! Hope to see you there!

        

In my last blog post, I shared my complete disdain for the latest Ebay commercial that pokes fun at those who make handmade items as gifts.

Well, I have been searching the internet for those who haven't seen it and finally someone posted it on YouTube.



You watch it and be the judge.

        

OK, I have a gripe...

"Let's talk about homemade gifts ... No one wants them. I know it's the thought that counts, but think harder. How about a snow mobile? It doesn't have to be expensive. Go to eBay."

This is how a new television commercial for Ebay starts out. The individual providing this opinion is holding a pair of knitted gloves with grandma sitting in the background trying to hear what he is saying. I have a major issue with this...and I will be the first to admit I do not have the best sense of humor. However, I am one of many who make hand-made items for those I care about enough to put the time and effort into making something as a gift. I also know for a fact that those who have received those handmade gifts appreciate them.

A perfect example is when I saw one of my three nieces for Christmas a year or two ago. As she sat on the floor looking at the wrapped boxes in front of her, she starred in wonder. Before she started to rip them open, she turned and asked, "Which one did you make for me Aunt Andrea?" You have no idea how much that meant to me.

Now don't get me wrong, I like Ebay very much and use their site more than I care to admit. However, I think this was a very insensitive advertisement, both to those who make and give handmade gifts and to those who sell handmade items on their site. If you do sell handmade items, I urge you to check out Etsy instead. This site is a celebration of all things handmade. It is definitely worth a look.

        

Nonna's Yarn Cafe is doing a wonderful project and are asking all knitters to make helmet liners for our troops serving in Afghanistan.

A friend of the shop owner's is involved with K-help and has asked us to make helmet liners for our troops in Afghanistan. These liners are to be knitted in 100% wool, like Galway or Cascade 220 in dark colors such as black, greys, green.  The shop has the pattern and a finished liner in the shop for added help.
 
And to make it more enticing, with every liner returned to the shop for our troops that is knitted with wool purchased at Nonna's will receive a coupon worth 10% off your next purchase of regularly priced yarn.
 
Every Tuesday evening in November the shop will be giving free lessons on how to knit the liners.  Therefore take advantage of this opportunity to learn how to knit in the round using circular and double point and at the same time you will be making some soldier feel warm this winter.
 
The shop will be shipping the liners by December 13, 2009. I hope all the knitters out there will help out!

        

Just a quick reminder that the next Stitchin' at Starbucks is this Thursday, November 5th, 7:00 p.m. at the Starbucks coffee shop next to Pier One in the Target strip mall at the Rockaway Mall, Rockaway, NJ. We are having a great time getting together every few weeks and would love to have more join in on the fun!

I will also be officially showing off my new pattern line and will have all the finished projects with me!

If you are on Facebook, search under groups for Stitching at Starbucks and join our happy little group! Hope to see you there!