What a deal! I had to write about this "Monday Madness" promotion with Meritline. You can get 7 different fruit shaped note paper packs for under $5.00 - with FREE SHIPPING! You must use coupon code MLCK413FRUIT083068NL1 (for First 1000 Orders). Just copy and paste the coupon into the "Coupon Code" field during checkout - you will see the discount taken before proceeding and finalizing your order. If you are only interested in one or a few of these that is fine, too (The cost per item is $0.69 with the coupon) - but the coupon will only take the discount (bringing the price to $0.69 per item) on one of each item. If you order more than one of each the $0.69 price will only apply to one of them with the remainder at $2.15 (which is still not a bad price).

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The "Product of the Day" at Tanga is the Brain Buster Puzzles, Wood & Iron, Set of 5 for only $16.98 (with shipping). These are the best little puzzles for the price I am sure you will find - and they have many uses! You can keep the kids (or your significant other) entertained for hours trying to figure them all out (you will have to hide the included instructions/solutions), give them as gifts to friends or family, or use them as cute little decorations - they can really fill up a little space on a book shelf quite well (7.5 inch height).

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Short rows are something that intimidated me as a beginning knitter, before I tried them.  

My first introduction to short rows was the Fiber Trends "Huggable Hedgehog."  I fell in love with the little guy at a fiber festival display table.  I had to have it.  Small problem: pretty much the entire thing is made up of short rows.  But I loved him so much that I took a deep breath and launched right in.

You know what?  It wasn't so scary after all.  As is almost always the case, in my experience!


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With back to school in full swing... this is a great time to learn about printing your own paper. This in itself might read as a little confusing because your not making paper - you are just printing a design on it. Yes, my friends, you can now create your own notebook paper, graph paper, or really any kind of specialty paper - absolutely free. No strings attached. How is this a good deal? Well, for most people, even the least expensive notebooks you can buy have so much paper and then inevitably it gets lost, or you go to a keggar and spill beer all over it, or the only use for it after that semester is to hold your milk crate coffee table level - you get the gist of what I am saying, right?

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I picked this up expecting it to be profiles of DIYers ("Makers," as Frauenfelder calls them).  I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was more of an autobiography of Frauenfelder's projects, his successes, and - more to the point - his failures.

Mark Frauenfelder is a big name in the DIY world.  The man behind MAKE and CRAFT magazines, founder of Boing Boing (the original zine and the website), and the Man of A Thousand Hobbies.  I saw Frauenfelder recently on The Colbert Report; he brought on a truly wonderful device, which is a box that turns itself off.  You flip a switch on, and a little hand immediately pops out to flip the switch off. Love it!


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Attention all artists, knitters, crafters, tinkerers, and people who generally like to make stuff: how would you like to engage in your hobby while earning money for your favorite charity—as well as some prize money (in the form of a JoAnn gift card) for yourself?

JoAnn Fabric and Craft Stores are hosting a “Craft for a Cause Contest 2010” just with this idea in mind. With a very simple premise and an easy way to participate, the contest allows entrants to do what it is they do already—make stuff!—and enter in the contest at the same time.

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Everyone's favorite online Megastore, Amazon, really does have you covered from A - Z, even in death! That's right folks, you can even buy a burial casket from Seattle's very own Amazon.com. They have many different options for you to choose from in regards to burials on the cheap - different sizes (in case you need one for your pet), shapes, and even a DIY option - for the undertaker / craftsman in us all!

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Recently, I had to make a very important purchase - a new dining set for my small, urban, one bedroom apartment. There was a lot of thought to go into it but price was (as it always is) one of the biggest factors I had to consider. I wanted to stay as close as possible to $100 for the purchase of a sturdy table and four chairs - while at the same time also getting what I purchased delivered directly to my apartment. Impossible you say? Not so when you have Walmart.com on your side (for better or worse). I found exactly what I needed - a table and four chairs - delivered free to my apartment for $129.00 (plus tax).

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On the heels of yesterday's somewhat alarming post, I wanted to follow up with some of my favorite gift knitting patterns.  Certainly we have plenty of time left before the holidays, but let's be honest - for most of the people on your list, the faster you can knit it, the better!

Watch Cap
A watch cap is my standard go-to knit present.  I like to start out by giving everyone one of these, and from there I go to a fancier hat pattern if they seem interested. 

This is a super boring thing to knit, but my experience has been that people LOVE them.  


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Would you hate me if I admitted that I only have one more thing to knit, and then I'm finished with my holiday knitting?  Very well, then; I won't say it.  

At any rate, I can attest that planning your knitting ahead of time is AWESOME.  You might not think so, but it's true.  Don't let this be the year when you have to wake up early Christmas morning to finish sewing seams!  

The only thing you need for this project is a pen, paper, and some quiet time so that you can sit and think.  10-15 minutes will do the trick.  


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