Cooler weather has triggered the crochet-producing endorphins in my bloodstream: It is stash-busting season.
Maybe you too have one or two skeins of lovely yarn that you just had to have, without knowing exactly what it would become. Well, folks, it's time to be making decisions. I'll share my battle plan with you, and you can share yours with me, and together we will cozy the world!

I have some fantastic local fiber I plan to spin for Doris Chan's One For All Family of Mitts (from our Interweave Crochet Accessories special issue) to give my husband and son. These mitts are the first ever thing my son has requested mommy to make for him! I love the fact that this pattern is diverse enough that my very little guy and my very big guy can both have the same mitts. And if I start to run behind schedule, I can even omit the cables for a quick gift.

I am especially excited to work on Brenda K. B. Anderson's Sydney's Sideways Socks for my Grandma. This is a great pattern for feet of unknown sizes, since the ribbed stitches and side-to-side construction create enough snug and stretch to fit just about anyone. Grandma, who turns 90 this year, is the first person I ever saw crocheting. I'm hoping to hand-deliver the socks in November and return with a blog's worth of photos of the crochet items in her home! There is something about knowing Grandma's feet will be warm that makes me warm all over.

This is what I have planned so far. There are a number of people on my list who I still need to plan for. And I have a lot of yarn left to inspire more ideas!

If you need some pattern inspiration for special gifts, or if you just need to bust some stash to make room for more, check out our upcoming Accessories issue, or check out the e-book we've put together for you. It has ten of our most popular accessory patterns bundled into one digital package.

Happy Crocheting!

Until next time,