By Lisa Gutierrez on 11/20/2011 Another November sponsor is here with a SUPER adorable DIY! My son is on Thanksgiving break and I think we’ll be making a few of these this week!
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Hello, Goodknits readers!
I’m Kate from, Otillie’s Closet and I’m thrilled to be posting on one of my favorite knitting blogs. Lisa is such an inspiration by balancing an active knitting and crochet life all while keeping track of her two adorable boys. Because of that, I thought her readers (you!) might enjoy a fun holiday DIY that involves yarn and is kid-friendly. I remember making these as a kid and in fact I still have a few hidden away in a box that I put on my tree every year. These simple Winter Hat Ornaments are perfect to make while digesting your Thanksgiving turkey.
You might have even made these as a kid as well! In case you don’t quite remember this tutorial is for you! Let’s get started by gathering a few supplies…
1. Scissors
2. Toilet paper or paper towel tube
3. Sharpie
4. Measuring tape or ruler
5. Scraps of yarn! Grab any size and any colors you have in your stash.
Flatten your paper tube. Don’t worry about bending it.
Measure sections that are 3/4 of an inch wide. Use your sharpie to mark and then cut.
With a regular toilet paper tube I got five rings.
Cut yarn strands roughly 14 inches long. Don’t worry about being too exact! Fold each piece in half and cut as many as you possibly can.
Slip the loop from one strand of yarn through a paper tube. Loop it around the two ends and pull tight.
Keep going all the way around the tube. Make sure you have enough strands to cover the paper but don’t squash the yarn too closely together.
Now squish all those strands through the tube….you’ve just formed the brim of the hat!
Using one of your spare strands of yarn tie a double knot about an inch from the brim. I also used this strand to tie a little loop which I will use to hang the ornaments.
Trim the loose strands to form a puffball. Make it as fluffy or as short as you want!
And there you have it! Pretty cute, right? It’s pretty fun to get creative with different colors and fibers. I used two worsted weight yarns and one bulky. Little fingers might have more success with bulky yarn.
I hope you have fun with these little guys…they are kind of addicting to make! Thanks to Lisa for letting me do this post – it made me feel like a kid again. If you make any of your own stop on by my blog and let me know!
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Aren’t these the cutest??! I want to grab my whole jar of scraps and start making a bunch. I may have to pass this DIY on to my kiddo’s teach for them to make before Christmas vacation. Go visit Kate’s blog and tell her how awesome she is!
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By Lisa Gutierrez on 11/16/2011 November sponsor, Anhelo of Gatuxedo is here with a traditional Mexican treat! It is downright warm here in south Texas, so I’m going to have to crank up my air conditioning and make my boys and I a cup. It sounds too delicious to wait for Mother Nature to cooperate with the seasons. Enjoy!
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My Grandma Evelia, who still lives in my hometown in Central Mexico, used to make this Hot Chocolate for us – her eighteen grandchildren -every time we’d gather together before Christmas. If I didn’t get the sugar overdose so often, I would drink it every day during the fall and winter. The entire world deserves to try this. I’m sure you have most of the ingredients already.
Mexican Hawt Chocolate
(Makes two cups)
In a sauce pan:
Pour 2 cups of dairy (or soy) milk accompanied by a cinnamon stick.
Keep the fire medium-low.
In a bowl:
Mix 1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa +
3/4 cup of sugar (if you suffer from sugar overdose, try half a cup) +
1/2 teaspoon of chili powder.
When milk starts to boil add the mix of your bowl.
Stir for a minute with a spoon or spatula.
Whisk manually for a couple more minutes until there are no lumps.
Turn off the burner and serve with whipped cream on the top.
Play your favorite record, lean back on your couch and enjoy the weather.
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Thank you so much for sharing! It sounds so easy and delicious. Visit Anhelo’s blog, Gatuxedo! She recently shared her Willow doily blanket. It is beeeeautiful! I am always so happy to see people stitching up my patterns. I’ll be back in a few days with a recipe for cooookies! They will be perfect with this hot chocolate and right on time for Thanksgiving!
By Lisa Gutierrez on 11/07/2011 
Hello, friends! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I am here to introduce you to 6 beautiful women who are the very first goodknits sponsors. I am SO happy to have them in my sidebar all month and to be able to share them with you. I hope to have a post from each of these wonderful folks sometime later in the month. Be on the lookout for those! For now, read about these ladies, visit their blogs & shops, and just welcome them to the blog.
BLOG – SHOP
Meet Anehlo of Gatuxedo! “I’m just another DIY girl looking for new ways to experiment with self expression. Colors, lines, words and sounds run my entire life. Only a few years ago I had my first encounter with fibers and it was love at first touch. Feeling very grateful toward all the people that contribute to the learning process of new crafts or disciplines over the internet, I decided to open a blog about stitching too. In it I share my creative processes, tips and any knowledge that could be useful for anybody out there. I also list goods and supplies it my little ETSY space with the hope that others find that comforting zone through creating as well.”
BLOG – SHOP – FACEBOOK – TWITTER
Meet Kate of Otillie’s Closet! “I’m a Midwestern homebody living near the shores of Lake Michigan with my Texas musician husband. By day I am an Art History teacher at two different schools. I am a total fiber junkie and my blog is usually about all things yarn and knitting with a little everyday chatter thrown in. In my shop you’ll find some of the creations from my fiber obsession made just for you. Are you as yarn obsessed as I am?”
BLOG – FACEBOOK – TWITTER – SHOP
Meet Sarah of Sarahndipities! “I’m a stay-at-home mom of five wonderful children, and I’m married to a wonderful school teacher husband. We live in the small town of Mount Pleasant, in a 114-year-old Victorian farmhouse, and I love it here! My Grandmother taught me to crochet and it has become one of my great loves! I make lots of fun crocheted items like hats, scarves, and shawls. I like to make things that people will actually use and wear. I also love to sew and embroider, and make and sell small toys and ornaments using felt and floss. I’ve started writing my own patterns, and have many of those for sale in my shop, too!! I have craft ADHD. I can’t stick to making one single kind of thing for too long or I go nuts! I never run out of things to do. Boredom just doesn’t happen here.”
SHOP – FACEBOOK – PINTEREST – RAVELRY
Meet Mari of Brown Betty Style! “Hey! I’m Mari. My first crafting love is knitting and I feature my work as much as possible! But man, does knitting take forever… so I figured, if I can’t knit fast enough to sell on Etsy, maybe I can learn to sew and make project bags for other knitters. That started my newest affair with sewing. My featured items include not only knitting project bags with cool prints and unique color combinations, but also patchwork pillows, double sided aprons, and more (coming soon)! I make things that I’d love to have in my own home. So my pillow covers all feature eye catching patterns that are retro in spirit but modern in design. I love rich colors, prints you’d never find in a store, and the unique inconsistencies that can only come from handmade. :) “
BLOG
Meet Alli of One Pearl Button! “Hello, Goodknits readers, I’m Alli! I’m an archaeologist and graduate student who documents my creative life at www.onepearlbutton.com. I blog about crafts, fashion, and photography, and some of my favorite things include scooters, Polaroids, and thrift stores. Stop by and see me sometime; I’d love to get to know you!”
SHOP – BLOG
Meet Julie of Restless Hearts! “This shop is a collaboration of my two loves: treasure hunting and sewing. My grandmother taught me about thrifting. We used to go thrifting all the time when I was little. She also taught me to use what I had, not to be wasteful. I love finding things that other can love and giving them a second chance.
My grandmother also taught me to sew. I went to school for 8 years for fine art, but in the end, crafting was my one true love. I really love embroidery and applique. I also like to use mainly recycled or repurposed fabrics in my work. Giving life to something new and making into a precious piece of art is such a liberating experience.”
Use coupon code FALL20 for 20% off @ the Restless Hearts store!
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Please take a moment to look around and show these ladies some love! I hope you find them as inspiring as I do.
By Lisa Gutierrez on 10/19/2011 
Good day, friends!
I’ve been mulling over this decision for a while and I’ve decided I should do a trial run for advertisers/sponsors. I am only going to accept a limited number, but it will be completely affordable and you will get an ad in my sidebar (right below my main menu and above my own shop button) and the opportunity to guest-post on the blog.
Traffic has been steadily increasing the past few months (happily hanging above 20,000 unique visits and over 30,000 page loads per month). I had two patterns published in the current (Fall) issue of CraftSanity Magazine and will have another in the Winter issue. The blog was also mentioned in the current (October) issue of Let’s Knit. November will be an exciting month for Goodknits because of the release of my first pattern booklet–Lace Love.
Most of my readers are interested in craft-related (knitting, crochet, and general DIY) products and blogs. If you have a blog or product and are seeking new readership/customers, please consider an ad on the Goodknits blog!
Currently, all sponsors will have the same size ad and they will be rotated mid-month.
$15 will get you the ad space, part of the group introduction, and a post all you own (this is optional, but it can be a giveaway, DIY, more in-depth look at YOU/your business, or just something you want to share)
Space is limited, so if you are interested, please send me an email- lisa@goodknits.com
If this trial goes well, perhaps we can expand this opportunity to include smaller and larger ads with different features for the blog. If it doesn’t, then I promise to never ask again. ;)
Thank you so much for reading. Happy Wednesday!
By Lisa Gutierrez on 04/20/2011 What kind of sponsor would I be if I didn’t mention the glorious giveaway going on at my girl thursday?
You can win a plethora of beautiful prizes, including a little package from your’s truly!
a mustard doily pin & a set of post cards (vintage train cases)! I’ve already got it packed up and ready to go. How rad would it be if one of my readers won? super rad! :)
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