These cute little coin purses, offered in both a flat and "puffy" version, would be great gifts for friends this holiday season. Get the free PDF pattern from Cotton and Cloud.

Here's more photos and projects for inspiration:

Pictured clockwise: Hoodie Devoted by Laura Irwin from Boutique Knits, Pfeiiffer Falls Hooded Scarf designed by Anne Kuo Lukito from Interweave Knits Winter 2008, Free Pattern: Mossy Cowl designed by Katie Himmelbeg from Interweave Crochet Spring 2007, Never Wimpy Wimple by Priscilla Gibson-Roberts from Lace Style edited by Pam Allen and Ann Budd, and Nomad Hat and Scarf designed by Kat Coyle Interweave Knits Fall 2007

From the site:

This Cape, made out of maroon herringbone wool (lined with red herringbone) has this great English country living feel, that makes you think of a walk in the woods, followed by sitting by a crackling fire with your friends. A creative transition piece from a light jacket to your big wintercoat, this Cape can be made out of any weight of wool.

These cozy felt mittens with knit cuffs from Molly at The Purl Bee are perfect for whipping up to get ready for colder weather!

A group of Portland, Oregon crafters have joined forces in support of their favorite craft thrift store, The Knittn' Kitten, which is struggling in the sluggish economy and is in danger of closing. Over the next two months, various crafters will be creating and offering free patterns for projects that can be created with things found at the Knittn' Kitten. Contributors include Diane Gilleland, Susan Beal, Teresa Sullivan, Joey Groendes, Christine Blystone, Lee Meredith and Bridget Benton. I recently blogged about my adventures at The Knittn' Kitten, and I know Portland wouldn't be the same with out it. Be sure to follow the projects at each of the crafter's blogs. You can also check out the Knittn' Kitten Flickr pool, where folks are uploading pictures of the treasures they've found at the Kitten. Enjoy!

Well, I just discovered my next sewing project! I have one of these plastic Ikea high chairs gathering dust in my garage from my niece's last visit; I've been trying to decide whether or not to keep it for my little one when he gets ready to join us at the table to eat. It seemed kind of uninviting and a bit boring, but what a great idea to spice it up with a great piece of fabric and some padding! Better yet, you can get the high chair cushion pattern for free over at Burda Style.

When faced with a pile of yarn scraps, it can be quite a puzzle getting them to match. How does one take yarn from a baby sweater and get it to look dazzeling with leftovers from a men's glove set? Or what about that half skein of verigated yarn? What will that go with. Today I'm going to show you some practical applications of color theory! I love Joseph Albers' teachings on color theory and read them like a favorite novel. Not everyone does though, or may be asking, who is Joseph Albers anyway? Without reading texts on theory, you can still get some great use from color theory basics. I'm going to show you how using stripes + some basic color theory makes color matching a no brainer.

Easy House Slippers
Do as the Norwegians do and make these super-simple slippers.
By Liecel Tverli Scully

There's a saying where I am from: "Don't just sit there with your hands in your lap — knit something!" I grew up in the far north of Norway, above the Arctic Circle in Saltdal, a small town on the edge of a fjord. Knitting was the perfect way to pass the time during the dark, cold winters. At school, knitting class was a requirement; when I was in the 5th grade, we had to make a pair of socks using five needles. It was a complicated project and I remember having a really hard time with it. But my poor friend Roger was so frustrated he threw his half-done sock into the fireplace at home, needles and all. That's right — at my elementary school the boys had to learn to knit as well!

This is a pattern that is really popular in my valley right now. It's an easy project that makes a fun, cozy slipper. If you know basic knitting, you'll knit these in no time.

Read full story

From the pattern:

Embroidered all in one color of embroidery floss, this simple design uses only three stitches -- stem stitch, satin stitch, and French knot -- for a modern take on a very old-fashioned flower.

Robyn writes:

All babies need a bit of extra snuggle when first born, and sources tell me they should also be wrapped up tight. But what if your babe likes to kick her legs?

I fell in love with the Kicking Sleep Sack some time ago, but with such small needles, my hands revolted before I could finish up a bag. Here then is my worsted-weight counterpart. By using slightly thicker yarn, this pattern will practically knit itself, while still keeping everything soft enough for even the most sensitive of babes! And as an added bonus, you use the entire skein of yarn, so there’s no need to figure out what to do with leftovers!

Lisa of U*Handbag is offering up a free pattern for this Everyday Glam bag. The bag has inside pockets and can be sewn in portrait or landscape versions.

This week's CRAFT Pattern Podcast is one we featured back here in 2007, the Maddy Top from BurdaStyle. It's a stylish top that you can sew up this weekend to wear right away. This top's signature look is centered on the diamond gathered in the front. Make sure you choose the right fabric because the lighter the fabric, the harder it will be to sew the diamond. One tip is to secure the gathering with a stitch line before you sew it to the other pieces of the top. For more how-to's related to this project, check out the Maddy page on BurdaStyle.

Also check out the mod version of Maddy in Stretch, with some tips for using the pattern with jersey fabric.

Download the Pattern PDF | Subscribe in iTunes

My mom has had a long love affair with frogs (made birthdays really easy when I was growing up), and I recently caught the bug myself (so to speak) at the California Academy of Science.

So of course I fell in love with this adorable froggie hot sock (or hot frog wheat bag, as it's referred to in the original post), and now there's a wheat bag pattern and tutorial! I'm totally smitten with that fabulous fly lolling on the greenest of tongues. Gotta make myself one of these to stick in my pocket or the little one's stroller on a cold San Francisco summer (ha!) morning... (Via Whip Up.)

p.s. Check out the Wikipedia page on frogs for some jaw-dropping frog tidbits.

Whit writes:

I love thick and squishy baby blankets. They keep babies cozy in cold weather, of course, and they're fast to knit, which is always a welcome bonus; but, best of all, they are perfect floor mats for young babies who haven't yet discovered their locomotive skills. I'm always reaching for the plushest blankets I have so I can set Bear down wherever I need to be. I get to keep an eye on him, and he gets to experience new vantage points from his luxurious travelling rugs.