For Christmas gifts, I can see myself making up a handful of the his/her Double Take slippers, and possibly the his/her Aspen Neck Warmers, although offhand, I can’t think of anyone in my family that would wear a short scarf.

If you haven’t received your copy, I’m sure it’ll be hitting your mailbox or magazine rack soon. Oh, and for those who receive the magazine from their CGOA membership, there’s pictures of the CGOA Design Contest winners. There’s some pretty awesome projects there!

There are several things that I like about this book. For one, I really like the inspiration that can be found with each pattern. The tips aren’t necessarily related to the pattern itself, but just towards life in general. My favorite which I found to be helpful and true for me right now is, “Everything begins as a thought. … You have the ability to succeed with your ideas, but first you need to set short-term and long-term goals. If you want to accomplish your goals, do something every single day that will help you reach that goal, whether it requires 10 minutes or one hour.” Then there’s the patterns. There’s several clothing patterns and nearly all of them are written to fit up to a 2XL. There’s also some cute jewelry patterns, one of which I’ve actually done before with brass buttons but with wire instead of the elastic thread like is done in the book. Additionally, I like how the book is laid out and written, and the author is a very sweet, gracious person and a great inspiration. How do I know? I messaged her on Ravelry once, and her response seemed to be true to the character she sets forth in this book.

Check it out if you haven’t already, and look it up at AnniesAttic.com to get it at a price that makes it even more fun! A little positivity goes a long way!

The Favorite Cardi sweater on the cover is very pretty, and I like the colors that were chosen. I don’t know if I’d ever wear it, but it’s something I’d like to make just for the fun of it. I really like the Perfect Fall Sweater as well; however, I think I’d make the sleeves full-length to make it more functional for me in the cooler weather. I love the little cacti, and the socks are already on my to-do list. There’s also a nice wrap made in chunky yarn. The dog sweater is cute, too, but my Zoe said it’s too masculine looking for her. She’d rather have something in pretty pinks and purples with a little frill, which I’m sure this sweater could be adapted to, but I think it would still be a little more boyish than my girl would want to wear. Or that I would want my girl to wear, I should say.

The Crochet Today web site isn’t updated as of this posting to reflect the latest issue, but check it out when you can. I’m sure between it and the latest Crochet! issue, most people can find at least one project to make–maybe more.

My favorite pattern in this issue is the crochet denim jacket. It takes a piece of denim and a lot of crochet to make an attractive jacket. This one is on my list of things to make for myself before cooler weather settles in. I also really like the Romantic Layers set. I’m not one to dress up a whole lot, so I don’t know if this would ever get worn, but it’s definitely something I wouldn’t mind having in my wardrobe just in case. The Dolman Jacket is really nice, too, and may end up in my closet someday.

There’s some great non-wearable patterns as well. I have to mention the Classy Messenger Bag created by Tracie Barrett of Fibers by Tracie. This is an awesome looking bag that has made it to my to-do list. It’s been fun watching Tracie as she started her designing career. I first found her in Ravelry and have read her blog for awhile now. It’s really neat to see a familiar name on a published pattern. Hopefully, some day, my name will be on one, too. There’s also a cute monkey, a chic little bucket bag, and a Breast Cancer Awareness scarf. Like I said, lots of good stuff in this issue.

If you haven’t gotten a copy yet, you can get a sneak peak at the other items on the Crochet! web site under Features, then click on “In this Issue”. You won’t be disappointed.

Happy Crocheting!