Lets get real, the holiday season is upon us and Christmas isn't really that far away. If you have high hopes for a handmade Christmas, now is the time to get started on those one of a kind gifts. The great news is that there are a LOT of gift ideas out there that really don't take much time. Today, I am going to highlight some from this very website to get you jump-started.

This first group is for all of the knitters out there.
1. T-Shirt Yarn Star Bracelet - The great thing about this gift is that you don't even have to make a trip to the craft store, just make your own tarn from your closet!
2. Fancy Spats - Liana - Use some left over yarn from your stash for this adorable fashion statement.
3. Baby Bear Hat - Made with chunky yarn and few embellishments, this darling hat is incredibly quick and easy to make.
4. Tractor Hat - This is a great hat for the boys in your life. Plus, it is a great base for an earflap hat, just swap out the chart.

Now to some lovely crochet projects.
1. Fancy Spats - Cathedral - These little shoe collars are the perfect gift for that person with a unique style.
2. T-Shirt Yarn Cluster Bracelet - If you are low on cash, then this is the item to give to your friends. Not only is it adorable, but you can make it from t-shirts in your closet.
3. Ruffle Wreath - Perhaps you would like to add to your decor stash or maybe you just aren't sure what to buy for someone on your list. This gorgeous wreath is easy to make and fairly inexpensive too. (You can make the flowers from old sweaters!)
4. Broomstick Lace Headband - Really, does it get any easier?! Make these as stocking stuffers and use up some of your left over yarn or even make some tarn to create this headband with.

Ok Sewers, here are some ideas for you. 
1. Poinsettia Stocking - So, the stocking itself is pretty cool, but you could use the same technique for a pillow, which would also be adorable.
2. DIY Library Bag - This bag is so easy and doesn't take much material. It would make a great gift for friends and family. You could make it on a smaller scale and fill it with homemade soaps and scrubs.
3. Custom Stuffie - Here is an outline for how to make your own custom little stuffed animal for the little cutie in your life.
4. Men's Dress Shirt to Baby Dress - This would be awesome out of a great red or green plaid shirt!

Here are some random crafts that don't necessarily fall under a specific category.
1. Pallet Growth Chart - This would be a great gift for someone with growing children or grand children
2. DIY Bath Crayons - Can we say stocking stuffers?
3. Olliblocks - So fun, so quick, so easy.
4. Nativity Puppets - Switch up the telling of Jesus' birth with some simple felt puppets

If you are not so much into making things, but want the look of handmade, check out my Etsy Shop.

About a year or two ago, I happened upon the #CrocodileStitch and fell in love. My immediate thought was that it looked an awful lot like feathers. I knew that I needed to make an owl hat at some point. Well, last month, when I was thinking about what Halloween costume to make for my daughter, I thought back to the croc stitch and decided to use that as a base for the costume. I wish I could have brought the pattern to all of you sooner, but I wanted to make sure and get it tested first. I considered waiting until next year, but, well, I got too excited! So, here you go, a lovely little crochet costume!

This pattern includes a hat, capelet and spats. I would consider this pattern intermediate as there are front and back post stitches as well as the use of the crocodile stitch. The hat is worked from the top down with the wings, eyes, beak and ears sewn on after. The capelet and spats are worked from the bottom up.

Gauge:
2” = 7 stitches x 7 rows (in pattern stitch, FPDC, SC portion)

Sizes:
Baby (12 – 18 months), Toddler (2 – 3 years), Child (4 – 10 years)

Materials:
500 - 550 yards (80 – 90 meters) Worsted Weight Yarn
I (5.5 mm) Hook
Yarn Needle
3 half inch (1.3 cm) buttons

Only $5.50 for a .pdf download

Last week, I posted about my pattern for the Chevron Tiny Spats. Here is another #TinySpats pattern. You may recall the Fancy Spats version of this pattern that I posted in June, well here is the baby/child adaptation with a sweet matching headband. Enjoy!

This pattern is a fairly easy project and can be crocheted up rather quickly. It is written using US standards and worked flat from the top down. Due to the front and back post stitches, I would consider it to be an advanced beginner pattern. You may have noticed that the sizes have a bit of space between them; this is due to the way the main stitch sequence works. The math didn’t work to create in between sizes. However, if you need a size that isn’t listed, change the size of your hook and/or the weight of yarn.

Sizes:
Newborn roughly 3” around the ankle (Toddler roughly 4 ½”) (Child roughly 6”)

Materials:
30 – 40 yards (15 – 25 meters) Caron Simply Soft or a lightweight worsted yarn
D (3.25 mm) Hook
Yarn Needle
(2) half inch (1.3 cm) buttons

Only $3.50

After releasing a few of the spats patterns, I had some requests for child and baby sizes. This got the wheels in my head spinning and this is one of the patterns I created. I also decided that the Tiny Spats patterns needed to have a matching headband. So, here you are; a lovely little spats pattern with a cute matching headband!

Materials:
30 – 40 yards (15 – 25 meters) Caron Simply Soft or a lightweight worsted yarn
D (3.25 mm) Hook
Yarn Needle
(2) half inch (1.3 cm) buttons

Only $3.50

My Fancy #Spats patterns have been primarily crochet, but fear not knitters, I bring you Liana. It is a simple, lacey vine stitch that is easy to memorize. It comes in one size, which is approximately 11 1/2" around the ankle and 2 1/2" tall. As with most of my patterns, I used Caron Simply Soft for this pattern, but you can use any lightweight worsted yarn. It's a quick, fun knit and the end product adds such a fun frilly detail to the top of shoes.

Materials:
50 – 60 yards (45 – 55 meters) Caron Simply Soft or lightweight worsted yarn
Size 7 (4.5 mm) Needles
Yarn Needle
Size D (3.25 mm) Crochet Hook
2 half inch (1.3 cm) buttons

Only $4.50

I have been intrigued with the bullion stitch ever since I happened upon it on Pinterest. I kept trying to incorporate it into patterns without much luck. However, about a month ago I was at my in-laws with just a ball of tarn and a G hook and this spats pattern was the outcome.

The yarn for these spats is made from a T-Shirt (tarn) cut into one continuous ½” strip. Here is a tutorial on how to make tarn. With most tarn projects, you can hide the seams of the T-Shirt, but that is not so with this pattern due to the use of the bullion stitch. To bypass this, either find a shirt that does not have side seams, purchase your tarn or use a bulky weight yarn.

Just a couple of notes about tarn; not all tarns are made equal and the type of T-Shirt you use can greatly affect the outcome of your spats. Generally, I have found that the pure cotton tarn (which is what I used here) stretch and will give you a greater quantity, but are also harder to work with. A synthetic blend will still be quite stretchy and easier on your hands, but you won’t necessarily get the large quantity or the sturdier outcome. One medium women’s adult size shirt is likely to create enough tarn for these spats.

About the bullion stitch; this is a tricky stitch and takes some getting used to. The best tutorial I have found on the web is a video by Margaret Hubert, which is accompanied by written tips. Just remember to keep your wraps loose.

This pattern was written using US standards and worked flat from the top down. Due to the bullion stitches and working with tarn, I would consider it to be an intermediate pattern.

Sizes:
One Size, approximately 11 ½” around the ankle and 2” from FSC to highest point of bullion shell. There is a lot of give with these, but if you would like a larger size, use a larger hook, if you would like a smaller size, cut your tarn ¼” thick and use a smaller size hook.

Materials:
40 – 50 yards (35 – 45 meters) Tarn
G (4.0 mm) Hook
Yarn Needle
2 half inch (1.3 cm) buttons

Only $3.00 for a PDF download.

Although, I still have many more spats patterns that I am working on, testing for the Chevron Fancy Spats finished early! I had thought that the official release of this pattern wouldn't happen for at least a few days, but here it is, hot off the press and ready to be crocheted up!

This pattern is a fairly easy project and can be crocheted up rather quickly. It is written using US standards and worked flat from the top down. Due to the color work, I would consider it to be an advanced beginner pattern. This pattern is set up such that every other time you change color instead of turning, you go back to the beginning and pull up a loop with the new color. It sounds tricky, but I will have pictures to better display this technique.

Sizes:
Small approximately 9 ½” around the ankle (Large approximately 12 ½” around the ankle)

Materials:
(C1) 30 – 40 yards (25 – 35 meters) light worsted weight yarn
(C2) 30 – 40 yards (25 – 35 meters) worsted weight yarn
G (4.25 mm) Hook
Yarn Needle
2 half inch (1.3 cm) buttons

Only $4.00 for a PDF download.

Here is the launch of a series of patterns I have in the works for spats. Basically these are collars for your shoes that can stand on their own or peek out from under jeans. They are incredibly versatile as you can wear them with boots, flats, heels or booties. If you are wondering about the name, it comes from an accessory popular at the turn of the 20th Century, according to Wikipedia. Anyway, I have at least 3 other patterns, one of which I am currently testing in Ravelry and the other two I am still finalizing. If you are interested in buying this as a completed product, send me an email at [email protected] and we can work something out. If I get enough interest, I will add these to my Etsy Shop. Enjoy!

This pattern is a fairly easy project and can be crocheted up rather quickly. It is written using US standards and worked flat from the top down. Due to the front and back post stitches, I would consider it to be an advanced beginner pattern. If you want these to fit over boots/booties, go with a larger size.

Sizes:
Small roughly 11” around the ankle (Medium roughly 13”) (Large roughly 15”)

Materials:
40 – 50 yards (25 – 35 meters) Caron Simply Soft or a lightweight worsted yarn
D (3.25 mm) Hook
Yarn Needle
2 half inch (1.3 cm) buttons

Only $5.00 for a PDF download