Hello! Happy New Year!

I always love January, because it feels like a time for renewal. New plans, goals, and ideas flood my brain, and I try to get organized and take stock of what I achieved the previous year (and what I didn’t), which helps focus the energy for the new one.

We’ve begun posting our new classes for Winter and Spring 2012; see the whole list and dates at a glance on our schedule page. There’s still more to come, but that’s what we’ve booked so far.

One last note for now: Registration opened today for all four sessions of the 2012 Squam Art Workshops! This year both Jill and Cal are teaching at the Spring session, and Cal is also teaching in the Fall, when Jill will be busy with fiber festivals. Squam is like a crafty sleepaway camp for adults, and we’re pretty sure you would love it!

Never having been one to have an excess of disposable income, I’ve always relished finding small gifts that make a big impact. One such morsel of perfection might be a pack of seeds, especially one that comes packaged in a work of art by a local artist, that also supports a valiant mission to preserve heirloom seed varieties, namely the Hudson Valley Seed Library.

It just so happens that one of this year’s Art Packs was hand-stitched (well, the original art was!) by one of your faithful Knots, moi. That’s my Heart Seed pack above! But there are so many beautiful ones, you might even want to collect them all. Several friends of Double Knot have also designed packs for past and current seasons, including Jenny Lee Fowler, Ayumi Horie, and Cindy Hoose. Even apartment-dwellers can grow some herbs and salad greens on a windowsill, and anyone with even the tiniest yard can grow some tomatoes in pots or dedicate a few square feet to some flora. Perhaps you include with your gift a promise to come and help someone start their own little garden next Spring? Or include some seeds in a pot with a trowel and some gloves. However you present them, a gift of seeds is like giving a tiny packet of hope and prosperity!

Or don’t!  As grownups the fun is really in the time spent together and the giving & receiving of a well thought out gift not tearing through paper that will collect in a giant bag meant for the dump.  Why not try to not wrap your gifts?

Last year I wrote about decoupaging reused boxes, one of my personal favorite ways to “not wrap”.  But you can also buy gifts that serve a double duty as a gift & packaging.  The image above is from Twine, which has lots of ethically sourced amazing gifts! Imagine how sweet this branch box would look with a simple grosgrain ribbon tied around it! There are also these super cute book boxes, maybe for the lit nerd with something to hide :)

These I can picture with a simple printed paper ribbon wrapped around. Or maybe a fabric bird ornament perching atop.

There is also the amazing art of Furoshiki, the Japanese way of wrapping using fabric, great for the fabric crafters in your life, because honestly we can’t turn down a pretty hunk of fabric, or for someone you might be already giving a piece of fabric to (ie. a scarf).

You can whip up a tote bag or small project bag in less than an hour and with a pretty minimal amount of fabric.  Since we are all using resusable bags now instead of plastic (we all are, right?) again, this is a double duty gift!!

I’d love to hear your ideas of eco friendly wrapping, please share on our facebook page.

Rosemary sea-salt caramels (shown above) are my favorite. As well as the Smoky Corn on the Cob bar. And the Anatomical Hearts*. However, I haven’t tried them all yet. Coriander-beet truffles? Ginger orange flower truffles? White chocolate yuzu truffles?

What I’m really getting at here, is that knowing your local makers can simplify, and enrich your holiday season. Find something awesome, and get it for EVERYONE on your list. Does buying your loved ones gift cards from the big box electronics store make you feel warm and fuzzy inside? Doubt it. But buying from someone who puts their heart and soul into what they do every day will. Try it. Seek out the artisanal superstars in your area, and let us know who you find!

Oh and yes, Lagusta does do mail-order.

*”wild dark chocolate hearts packed with lightly crushed cacao nibs, locally roasted coffee beans, black salt enriched with volcanic minerals, and crunchy bits of bright dried cherries.” In case you were wondering.

We all need a break, sometimes.  A peaceful respite is always welcome in our busy lives!  A great gift for the maker you know or even (dare we say) a gift for yourself would be a retreat or away-from-home workshop.  It could be a way to hook up with far away friends, or just spend some down time while being productive and reigniting the creative fires.  No matter where you live, chances are there is a retreat or workshop week(end) that can fit your budget or timeline.

Some of the retreats Cal & (or) I have attended include:

Squam Art Workshops These workshops cover a wide variety of disciplines and are held either in the gorgeous NH woods (pictured above), stunning Outer Banks or this year ITALY!

Yarn Cupboard Winter Fiber Arts Retreat Cal & I both taught here last year and will be again this year and we LOVE it! A relaxing and fun weekend surrounded by other fiber lovers, making, chatting and learning!

Peter’s Valley Workshops in NJ an amazing place to take classes over the Spring & Summer with a fine art & craft focus, the new list of 2012 classes isn’t up yet but promises to include blacksmithing, woodworking, printmaking and ceramics so it seems like almost anyone could find something they’ve been wanting to learn more about here.

Some retreats we haven’t been to but sure sound good:

Rip Van Winkle Sock Knitting Retreat hosted Claudia of Country Wool a weekend in the Catskills that covers almost everything you would want to know about sock making.

CIA Boot Camp Don’t worry, in this instance the CIA stands for Culinary institute of America.  They offer a wide range of week & weekend cooking classes in Hyde Park, NY, St Helena, CA or San Antonio TX.  These are the kind of “boot camps” I can see myself in, the kind that involve butter and wine and don’t require gym clothes.

Alabama Chanin Workshops A weekend in Florence, AL making a gorgeous garment with Natalie Chanin herself using her patterns, and materials sounds absolutely amazing, plus how many weekends away can you come home with with a couture garment?!

There are tons and tons more covering so many different skills and scattered all over the world.  Have you been to a retreat that was mind-blowingly amazing? Tell us about it!

I’ve always been a very practical gift-giver. If a gift involves recycling (or *upcycling*), costs little or no cash, and is actually USEFUL, chances are I’ll love it! This project, a candy-tin sewing kit, fits all my criteria. In fact, I really need to make myself one, as I recently found myself with a mending crisis on-the-go, and was appalled to find that I wasn’t carrying a needle and thread! It’s the kind of thing I imagine whipping up a dozen of some afternoon, assembly-line style, to have on hand for giving. You can probably think of all sorts of ways to customize the idea for different people (eyeglass repair kit? knitter’s needs? letter-writing kit?), but personally I think no one should be without a sewing kit. You can find complete instructions to make the one above here.

I love knitted or crocheted dishcloths. LOVE.  Not only do they almost completely eliminate the need for paper towels, they are much cuter and super giftable.  The adorable pattern above is from Amy Marie who has an amazing collection of mosaic dish cloth patterns available on Ravelry .  An extra bonus of knitted or crocheted dish cloths is they are relatively quick to make, which as the end of the month draws near important and small enough to tuck in a bag for little bits of down time that you can fill with knitting or crocheting.

Dishcloths are also small enough I think they are a great way to try a new technique or stitch pattern while making something useful.  The size is just right to learn to cable, make lace, do entrelac or even learn to knit or crochet without being overwhelmed or ending up with a bunch of useless swatches.  Cotton yarn is widely available and pretty inexpensive so you could make a few for every house you plan to visit during the season.

There are over 5000 patterns for dishcloths on Ravelry, so you won’t be left wanting for inspiration.  We’d love to see what you’re making,  share your favorites on facebook

As knitters and crocheters know, there’s no gift like a handmade one. With a few weeks left before the holidays hit their peak, you can still whip up a few more presents, most likely in less time (not to mention stress!) than if you went shopping for them. I’d rather spend my free time with yarn in my lap and a cup of tea by my side, cozily crocheting in front of the woodstove, than braving the mall or big-box store any day!

Here are a few tips for quick knits, so you don’t bite off too much:

1. Stick with projects using worsted-weight yarn or larger, and minimal yardage. Think hats, cowls, headbands, mittens or boot socks. Many patterns can be adjusted to make them quicker; shawls can become kerchiefs, socks can be shortened, cowls can be shrunken…

2. Choose a pattern with universal appeal, and make two or three of them. You’ll save time if you don’t have to work out the kinks with every project you begin this month.

3. Use superwash or easy-care yarns, ideally from your stash! Striping is a fun way to use up lots of small balls and leftovers.

If you’re looking for some patterns, you may not know that both Jill and I have our designs for sale on Ravelry! Any of the projects above would make lovely last-minute gifts, and each photo links to its pattern page. Or see all of Jill’s knit patterns here, and Cal’s crochet patterns here.

…is to buy something and not have to worry about late December craft all nighters – we’ve all been there, right?

But you want to give something unique, handmade and fantastic?  Perfect solution; shop at one of the many artisan fairs happening nearby.  The money you spend supports an artist following their dream and goes right back into the local community. What could be better?! Plus it frees up busy fingers for cocoa drinking.

Here in the Hudson Valley we are lucky to have a rich community of artists and art fairs in December, here are just a few:

This weekend 12/3 & 4:

Catskill Fiber Celebration In Woodstock a great way to pick up gifts for the fiber lover in your life Sat 10-6, Sun 10-5

Unison Holiday Crafts Fair In New Paltz a diverse group of craftspeople here you could probably cross quite a lot off your list Sat & Sun 10-5

Next weekend 12/10 & 11

Winter Gift Sale @ Hudson Valley Sudbury School in Kingston the sale is inside the cozy school on Zena Rd art, pottery, clothing Sat 10-6

Slightly farther afield but usually well worth the trip is the BUST Craftacular in NYC here there are over 200 vendors, so you’re sure to find something perfect Sat 11-8 Sun 11-7

The Tivoili Artists CoOp is ongoing through December 24th the perfect place to pick up work by established and emerging artists

Do you have a favorite local fair? Tell us about it!

Hi friends!

Here at Double Knot we can hardly believe it’s December 1st.  Soon enough we’ll be saying goodbye to 2011 and hello to 2012.  We have lots of fun stuff ready for the new year, but first let’s send 2011 off in style!  December is traditionally a month full of  parties, gifting, eating and visiting friends near and far.

These are among Cal & Jill’s favorite things!

For the next few weeks we’ll be sharing some of our favorite recipes, tips & ideas to get you through December feeling (hopefully) a little less frantic & overwhelmed.

One of the things near & dear to our hearts is living small.  If you’re not sure what we mean, it’s about conscientious consumption.  Eating slow, locally produced food.  Buying or making a few gifts instead of filling the house with mass produced stuff someone far off suffered in the making of.

Sit back, put up your feet and let’s all enjoy this month instead of scrambling.

We love hearing from you, please share your favorite host(ess) treats, holiday recipes, trimmings, local shops or DIY gifts on our Facebook page.