12 Sheepish Days - Day 4 Knit and Crochet Gift Card Holders

Even though gift cards aren't exactly as thoughtful as a handmade present, they are definitely convenient! I personally love getting gift cards. Who doesn't want an extra $20 to spend at their favorite shop? So, since they are lacking in the handmade department, I thought it would be fun to tuck them inside a knit or crochet gift card case. This way the recipient gets something handmade and they can store all of their gift cards in one place!

You will need...

-Worsted weight yarn

-H8/5mm crochet hook

-Size 8/5mm knitting needles

-Scissors

-Tapestry needle

Crochet Gift Card Holder:

Make 2 -
Ch 11. Row 1: Crochet in the second chain from hook. Single crochet in each stitch across. Repeat Row 1 for 13 rows. Bind off.

Add something embroidered to the front of one of the pieces. I used chain stitch for the heart. Sew the two pieces together leaving the top open. Weave in ends.

Knit Gift Card Holder:

Make 2 -
Cast on 14 stitches. Row 1 knit across. Repeat row one for 20 rows. Cast off.

I used the same stitch for the embroidered snowflake. You could also try a Christmas tree or holly leaf. Sew the two pieces together and weave in the ends.


I hope you all had a great week! Are you going to give any of the 12 Sheepish Days projects a try this weekend? If you do please share your pictures and tag them with #12SheepishDays!

Enjoy your weekend!

12 Sheepish Days - Day 3 Crochet Peppermint

Hooray for Day 3 of 12 Sheepish Days! This crochet peppermint is such a versatile addition to any gift packaging. The best part about it is that the recipient gets a bonus gift and can use it as an ornament for their tree!

You will need...
- Yarn, white and red
- Crochet hook size G6/4.00 mm
- Tapestry needle
- Scissors

Peppermint circle:
Round 1: Chain (ch) 2 stitches (sts) . In the second ch from the hook, single crochet (sc) 6 sts. Round 2: Crochet 2 sc in each stitch around. 12 sts. Round 3: 2 sc in the next st, sc in the next st, repeat around. 18 sts. Round 4: 2 sc in the next st, sc in each of the next 2 sts. Repeat around. 24 sts. Round 5: 2 sc in the next st, sc in each of the next 3 sts, repeat around. 30 sts. Round 6: 2 sc in the next st, sc in each of the next 4 sts, repeat around. 36 sts. Fasten off.

Peppermint wrapper (Make 2):
Ch 6. Row 1: In the second ch from the hook sc. Sc in each st across. Ch 1. Turn Row 2: Sc in each st across. Ch 1. Turn. Row 3: Sc2tog, sc in the next st, Sc2tog. Ch 1. Turn. Row 4: Sc2tog twice. Ch1. Turn. Row 5: Sc2tog. Fasten off.

Take a long length of red yarn and knot it at the end. Bring it up through the circle, near the edge, and back down twice to make a peppermint stripe. Repeat this around the edge of the circle, evenly spacing each stripe apart. Weave in ends. Sew the two wrapper pieces to the edge of the circle, one directly across from the other. Attach your finished peppermint to a gift and give it with love!


Check out the projects from Day 1 and Day 2!

Have you tried any of the projects yet?

Sponsor One Sheepish Girl in December!

The past few days have been filled with knitting, working on Etsy orders, writing blog posts, and a few other secret things that have me very nervous and excited all at once. Lots of thoughts are definitely running around in my mind at the moment. I'm just trying to work hard and continue doing what I love when time allows. Thankfully crafting and the upcoming holiday season are keeping my spirits high.

Now that December is on its way I am accepting sponsors for the new month ahead! I recently decided to give Passionfruit ads a try and I have really loved the experience. It is so organized and makes the whole process very easy. Ad spaces are available to purchase at any time. Simply click the "Buy Now" button and it will take you through the process of uploading your ad, specifying the site you want it to link to, and including any additional information. The ads are uploaded to my site the same day it is purchased, unless the ad spaces are full, and run for 30 days. Ads purchased today will go live on my blog immediately. You can find my full sponsor information here. Please let me know if you have any questions. You can always email me at sheepishknitcrochet(at)gmail(dot)com.

It has been so exciting to watch my blog grow over the last few months. Along with my holiday craft series, December is bound to be just as exciting! Due to the increase in traffic I will be raising my ad prices accordingly in the New Year. Thank you for supporting my blog and my crafty adventures this year! Your encouragement means everything to me.

I hope you have a great start to the day! I will be back later with the third installment of 12 Sheepish Days.

12 Sheepish Days - Day 2 Crochet Holly Gift Topper

Thank you so much for the great response to yesterday's post and the beginning of this series! I really do hope you enjoy making these crafts this season. Day 2 of 12 Sheepish Days is this simple crochet holly leaf gift topper!

You will need...
- Red and green worsted weight yarn
- Size H8/5mm crochet hook
- Scissors
- Cardboard
- Pencil

I found this crochet holly leaf pattern on Attic24 and thought it would make a great gift topper!

First, crochet three holly leaves. Skip the stem since it will be covered up by the pom pom. Leave a long tail on one of the leaves and then weave in the ends on the other two. Using my pom pom tutorial, make a medium size pom pom. Next, take the three holly leaves and hold them together in the center. Using the long tail, sew the three leaves together. Next, sew the pom pom to the top of the holly leaf cluster. Lastly, take a long length of green yarn, weave it through the center of the holly and tie it around the package with a knot.

I love how a little bit of yarn can make plain white gift wrap look festive. I hope you give this a try! Please send me the pictures of your creations and tag them with #12SheepishDays. Also, if you would like to spread the word about this series, please grab the button below.

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12 Sheepish Days Series Day One - Yarn Embroidered Gift Bags

After several weeks of planning I am excited to share Day One of my 12 Days of Gift Giving With Yarn series, now known as 12 Sheepish Days. I have twelve fun projects ready to share over the next few weeks. Each project includes a different way to add a little handmade touch to your gift packaging this year. In some cases the packaging becomes an extra gift! All of the projects require simple materials like plain white paper, plain gift bags, blank gift tags, glue, and yarn. I love giving handmade creations even when I run out of time to make all handmade gifts. Even the smallest bit of handmade can bring a smile and show someone you care. I hope you enjoy making these projects for your loved ones this year. 

For these embroidered gift bags you will need...

- A blank paper gift bag
- Pencil
- Embroidery needle
- Tapestry needle
- Yarn

First, draw the shape on the bag. I chose a tree and mitten, but I can think of so many other ideas for these festive bags. A snowman, a candy cane, or a simple heart would look great! After you draw your shape, take the embroidery needle and punch holes evenly around the pencil drawing, about an inch apart. Next, take the tapestry needle to make the holes a little bit larger so the yarn can fit through the hole. Thread the tapestry needle with a long length of yarn and knot the end. Use backstitch to trace the shape on the paper bag. Bring the yarn up through the first hole and down through the next. Repeat all the way around until you reach the end. Weave in the end and tie off with a knot. Snip excess yarn and fill the bag with gifts!

Have fun experimenting with different shapes and color combinations for these bags! A few of my knit gifts this year will definitely be given in one of these mitten bags.

Please share photos of your creations and tag them with #12SheepishDays. At the end of the series I will gather together a group post so we can see everyone's holiday gift creations! :)

Enjoy the rest of your day and have fun crafting!

Christmas On The Square

I just got home from the most wonderful day spent in downtown McKinney exploring their yearly Christmas festival. All of the local shops were decked out in ribbons, twinkle lights, and vintage ornaments. The roads were blocked off for different vendors selling hot cocoa and kettle corn. As if the beautiful decorations weren't festive enough, white flurries started falling from the sky. Right as we were leaving, a snow machine started blowing fake flakes down over the square. If you squint, you can kind of see the little white snowflakes falling in front of the brick in the last picture. It was pretty magical, even on a 70 degree day in November.

I hope we can continue this tradition next year! It was the perfect way to end the holiday weekend. Now I'm getting ready for tomorrow's first post in my 12 Days of Gift Giving With Yarn series. I can't wait to share all of the projects with you!

How was your weekend? Have you had a chance to visit any local holiday festivals yet?

Crochet Christmas Drink Ornaments for Mollie Makes & Gathered!

I was so honored when Mollie Makes asked me to dream up some crochet drink ornaments for their Christmas issue this year. I stitched together a cup of mulled wine, peppermint mocha, and eggnog, perfect for trimming the tree. I hope you enjoy making these crochet ornaments! You can find the patterns for the projects in Issue 21 of Mollie Makes and Issue 6 of Gathered!

I gave my trio of crochet ornaments to my mom and she already has them hanging on the tree. :)

Enjoy the rest of your weekend! What is your favorite holiday drink?

Thanksgiving Weekend Plans 11/23 - 11/25

I hope everyone in the US had a great Thanksgiving yesterday! My family had a great day spending time together, cooking, and relaxing. One of my favorite parts about Thanksgiving weekend has always been the day after because it means the Christmas season is finally here! I can only wait so long...haha. Here's what I have planned for the rest of the holiday weekend...

- The tree is officially set up at our house. Now it's time to pull out all of the ornaments, lights, and Christmas music. 

- I love this sugar cookie tea so much. I think I will have a cup with some leftover apple pie later tonight. ;)

- I have a few crochet projects to work on for upcoming issues of Gathered that I am really excited about. I also need to finish a custom scarf order in this pretty purple. 

- We are going to a "Christmas On The Square" event nearby this weekend. I can't wait to see all of the decorations and take lots of pictures. It is such a beautiful time of the year! 

- Also, I will be getting orders together for my Black Friday shipping sale happening in my Etsy shop until tomorrow evening.

Also, I thought I would share an update about the Turkey Trot! It went really well except for when I tripped over a gas cover in the street and slammed into the ground. Not fun. I got a few scrapes and bruises, but thanks to a kind stranger who quickly got me back on my feet, I finished the race. It was such a great feeling of accomplishment. I can finally check "running a 5k" off my life goal list. Thank you for all of the encouragement over the past few months! :)

I hope you have a great weekend! What are you up to? Is your tree up yet? Are you doing any holiday shopping?

"What's In My Yarn Bag?" with Rebekka Seale

I'm happy to share another addition of "What's In My Yarn Bag?" this morning! The lovely Rebekka Seale was kind enough to share a glimpse inside her yarn bag, or in this case, her yarn basket. Rebekka is an incredibly talented illustrator and creator of the blog Dear Friend. I hope you enjoy getting to know more about her love of knitting! 

What do you typically keep in your yarn bag?
My yarn bag is actually a basket, and it collects all my skeins and hanks of yarns, my needle set, scissors, embroidery floss wrapped around clothespins, and lots of loose stitch markers. And, on most days, there will also be a sleepy gray cat on top! Apparently it's the most comfortable spot  in the house :) Almost all of the yarn in my stash is either Malabrigo merino worsted or this amazing, springy, kettle-dyed yarn I'm obsessed with by Neighborhood Fiber Company. I received this interchangeable needle set last year for Christmas and it's been a dream. The needles  have the warmth and feel of wood but don't splinter…and the colors are just plain fun!

Are you working on any fun projects at the moment? We want to see! I am currently finishing up a lace-edged shawlette that I've been working on forEVER! There is no way mine is going to turn out as beautifully as the one in the picture, but I can't wait to get it finished and blocked. I'm hoping to have that done over the Thanksgiving holiday so I can start on my next project, a 20's inspired turban hat topped with a vintage brooch.

What is your favorite knit or crochet creation that you've ever made? So far it's the Orchids and Fairylights hat from Tiny Owl Knits. It was really challenging for me with all the cables and bobbles, but I loved the final product so much. I used Malabrigo merino worsted yarn in Apple Cinnamon, and the peachy-creamy-caramely variegations are so pretty and sweet.

Do you like to carry your yarn bag with you and work on your knit projects in public? 
I knit with friends a lot, it's one of my favorite things to do.  Last night I took my shawlette to a girlfriend's house, and we knitted together while sipping champagne and listening to Christmas music. Total bliss!

What is your favorite part about yarn crafting?  

I'm a freelance illustrator by day, so I spend almost all of my time creating and putting things together. Because of that, it feels extra important for me to have a creative hobby that I don't get paid for! Knitting is that for me. Being able to focus on color and texture and repetition is really therapeutic, and being able to give handmade gifts might be my favorite part of all.

Thank you so much for sharing Rebekka! Have fun finishing your beautiful shawlette and have a Happy Thanksgiving. 

I am enjoying Thanksgiving Eve by baking pumpkin biscuits for the first time, finishing up our apple pie and enjoying time with loved ones. And feeling very thankful, of course. Have a great day! :)

New Braided Scarf and Knit Bow Hat

I have been working hard over the past few weeks getting new accessories ready for the winter months. I am so excited to share a few of these new items, my braided scarf and knit bow hat! Both accessories are available to purchase in my Etsy shop. You can find the scarf here and the hat here. I am already working on new colors for both items, but if you would like to talk about a custom order please let me know!

The scarf is definitely one of my favorite knit creations I've ever made! It is so cozy and thick. Hopefully I have time to make one for myself. :)

This afternoon I am making the dough for my apple pie, working on more craft projects, and writing some articles. With all of this baking and holiday crafting going on I had to break my "wait until after Thanksgiving" rule and put on a few Christmas records. How could Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole ever be a bad thing?

I hope you have a wonderful day!