Catch up with Shannon on the Knitgrrl blog and check out some of her beautiful fiber, spinning tools, and patterns in the Knitgrrl shop.

Download the Pattern PDF | Subscribe in iTunes

Vegetarians need gourmet Thanksgivings too! I personally am thankful for Martha Stewart and this sensational meat-free menu plan. I will never forget the Thanksgiving when my mother made broccoli salad for my vegetarian boyfriend at the time, complete with plenty of chopped bacon. I chalk it up to true lack of knowledge about non-meat eaters. In her mind, broccoli wasn't a meat, and the bacon added flavor! This menu is a beautiful meal that needs nothing to shine except fresh vegetables made with love!

Well Twi-hards, the time is here. That special day in November when you no longer have to dream of powdery white skin and the smell of blood (and teen angst) in the morning. You can live it, man. Well, vicariously through the screen presentation of the much anticipated debut of the Twilight Saga's New Moon.

To celebrate, we've ditched the not-so-vamp-friendly knitting needles for a kinder, gentler (read: can't be used as a stake) yarn tool: the Knifty Knitter Flower Loom, to make the Ode to Alice Cullen wrist warmers. Gather 'round, Twi-sters!

See-thru-me is a project by Meg Grant that uses LEDs and light sensitive resistors to give the effect of light being passed through the body. When a light is shined on the wearer's back, the LEDs on the front light up in the corresponding place. It seems to me based on the pictures that there aren't any microcontrollers being used in this project, just each photoresistor controlling one LED. [via Fashioning Technology]

These new kits from Lego combine two of my favorite things: Lego and paper crafting.

MUJI partners with iconic building-block company Lego on a super fun new concept. Together they're encouraging us to think outside the blocks ... by punching Lego-sized holes in paper... Available November 27th at MUJI Japan - just in time for the Holiday season. US and European MUJI locations have yet to confirm stock.

I'll be coveting these until they reach the States! [via @allthingspaper]

CRAFT and MAKE editor and publisher Dale Dougherty gave a talk at Ignite Sebastopol II called "Blessed are the Cheesemakers."

Cathe Holden has put together a super useful gift making guide, complete with more than 40 of her DIY projects that are perfect for your holiday gift list.

Museum of Craft & Folk Art
Friday November 20th, 6-8pm
Celebrate the release of Appliqué Your Way
Wine & Sweets will be served
51 Yerba Buena Lane SF, CA 94103

The Curiosity Shoppe
Saturday November 21st, 1-4pm
Appliqué Workshop with Kayte Terry
Learn how to make Kayte's adorable felt ornaments
855 Valencia Street (between 19th & 20th)

A couple of days ago, I posted a flashback to Dev Khan's wire-wrap jewelry DIY from CRAFT Volume 03. Pictured above is a collaborative piece by Dev and Sara K. Woll; Dev wraps the rocks and Sara crafts the necklaces. I just found out that Dev and Sara will be showing their work at the San Francisco Bead and Design Show, which is going on this weekend, November 20th through the 22nd. The show will feature 150 artists, artisans, and suppliers. Their mission is "to reflect the artistic imagination that is intrinsic to traditions of pattern and design in handmade arts such as art couture, bead making, antiquities, fiber art, lapidary, metalwork, ceramics, glass art, handwoven fabrics, art jewelry, fashion design, enameling, fused glass, clay art, designer components, wearable art, textile art, collectibles, and decorative arts." Sounds ornate!

CRAFT pal Moxie has a series of needlefelted monsters exclusively at Schmancy in Seattle. They squeak when you squeeze them, and I want them all. More pictures on Moxie's Flickr.

If you are a crafter who loves to sew or are just starting out this book, The Sewing Bible: A Modern Manual of Practical and Decorative Sewing Techniques by Ruth Singer must be in your crafting library! This hard cover book is like a modern sewing encyclopedia with detailed step-by-step instructions and accompanying photos on techniques for hand and machine sewing. The techniques covered in the book are really extensive such as pin tucks, smocking, hems, adding snaps, princess seams, frills and ruffles, quilting, and embroidery. The close-up photos are great and guide you even better on all the steps. Masterclass techniques, such as mitered corners, help refine your sewing skills. The machine-sewing ones are particularly helpful for me personally as I always need to know if I'm using the right presser foot or not. This book is a sewing companion at it's finest!

The Sewing Bible also comes with 20 beautiful sewing projects. I love the Circular Skirt (p.270), Book Bag (p. 111), and Gathered Scarf (p.220) that can be worn in a variety of ways.

Book Giveaway Time!
Three lucky CRAFT readers will each receive a copy of The Sewing Bible. Please make sure you include your email address in the comment form field (won't be published). All comments will be closed by Noon PST on Monday, November 23rd. The lucky winners will be announced later on the site. Good luck!

As a special treat, we've got this Stripy Apron project for you! It's a cute apron you can sew up by recycling two men's shirts.

Download the Stripy Apron PDF
(right click and download to your computer)

The backdrop of Hawaii is overwhelming with inspiration. Colors are everywhere, and in full saturation. The sunsets are the exact reason why I brought my travel art kit. I've never painted in my life, but have been wanting to dip my toes in. We took our supplies down to the water's edge tonight to set about putting color to paper.

My uber talented husband Nat added a palette of simple watercolors to the art supplies. He sketched with the paint and black pen to render this pretty little painting.

I'm a novice, and so the clever watercolor crayons were a perfect introduction to the medium. I scribbled out the color, then blended it with the wet brush. It went from drawing to painting in an instant. I can't wait to play with the rest of my materials, including the sharpies and the oil pastels, to create a new sunset every night!

I'm a big fan of homemade food gifts, which in my mind include alcoholic items, condiments, spices, etc. In fact, my mom recently told me that one of her favorite gifts in years past was a jar of Bronzed Chicken Spices that I mixed together in a big batch and doled out to family members along with the recipe. Mom said it took the hard part out of making a yummy dinner, and it was a thoughtful and helpful gift. Bonus!

That conversation greatly influenced my selections when I sat down to choose the items in this year's Foodie Gift Guide. It can take just pennies to make a gift that's likely to end up as someone's favorites list this year, so why pick products that cost a fortune, no matter how cool they are? Sure, we'd all like to have a fancy mixer or espresso machine, but in today's economy, a nice whisk or a pound of good coffee are just as welcome.

So here's a baker's dozen of food and kitchen items that you can either make as gifts this holiday season, or pick up without emptying your larder, er, pocketbook. (Puns definitely intended!) I'd love to hear about other gifts you plan on making or buying for the foodie in your life. Please tell us about them in the Comments! Merry merry, happy happy!

Homemade Coffee Liqueur
A few years ago we made two different versions of coffee liqueur, dutifully marking them brew #1 and brew #2. Some recipes call for instant coffee and some call for a pot of brewed java. The bad news was that we forgot which recipe went with which number. The good news was that both batches were tasty, and our friends and family really appreciated the gift, especially when certain name brands can be quite pricey. This also needs to sit for a month, so factor in the time this needs to sit on the shelf aging to perfection.

This fun idea for a winter party from The Finer Things is making me yearn to live in a part of the country that actually gets snow!

Check out Matt Mets' pictures from the Hack Pittsburgh soft circuits workshop. I love the variety among the participants, from little girls to hacker dudes.

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein is one of my all-time favorite books. Tali of Growing Up Creative shares an acitivty to do with kids after reading the book. It's a great way for kids to take the lessons from the book and translate them into a project to which they can easily relate.

This year's Luv-able and Hug-able show at gallery hanahou in New York City is bound to be a hit! And if you just can't get enough plush, join artist Jenny Harada for a Wee Peppermint Beast plush ornament workshop!

Luv-able and Hug-able
December 3 through January 9
Opening party December 3, 6-9pm (RSVP)
gallery hanahou
611 Broadway, Suite 730 NYC

Workshop: Make a Wee Peppermint Beast Ornament with Jenny Harada
Saturday, December 19, 1-4 pm
Cost: $20 (email to sign up)

I was thrilled to see this beautiful feature on my crafty home base here in Austin, The Stitch Lab sewing studio. Apartment Therapy did a home tour of the studio and an interview with the fabulous studio owner, Leslie Bonnell,, and it's too awesome not to share. I feel lucky to teach hand embroidery at such an inviting and inspirational place, and even luckier to have such a rich resource for crafty classes to take myself (I spent last Friday night screen printing and stitching up some spectacular space geek tote bags). Chances are you have an equally awesome local craft studio in your town. Seek it out and support it!

Being a self-proclaimed word nerd, of course I would love the awesome jewelry made by the folks at The Weekend Store. They offer rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and cuff links made using the the thin flat serif keys of Smith Corona typewriters rescued from the junkyard. Now that's character!

Christy at Instructables shares with us her recipe for delicious homemade eggnog. I can't wait to try it out!

Wow! There's a lot of craft fairs this weekend. Here's some of them. If you have an event you want listed, please add it to our online calendar. If you have a call for entries you want me to include, . Click on the jump to see the call for entries.

Coming Up This Weekend:
EtsyRAIN Holiday Art and Craft Show
Seattle, WA
Saturday, Nov. 21, 10am - 5pm
Sunday, Nov. 22, 10am - 5pm

Handmade Holidays: An Indie Winter Fair
Bayside, CA
Sunday, Nov. 22, 10am - 4pm

Hella Hipster Hoedown
Santa Monica, CA
Sunday, Nov. 22, 3pm - 8pm

Craft Saturday!
Des Moines, IA
Saturday, Nov. 21, 12pm - 6pm

32nd Annual Atkins Christmas Bazaar
Atkins, IA
Saturday, Nov. 21, 9am - 3pm

Detroit Urban Craft Fair
Detroit, MI
Saturday, Nov. 21, 10am - 7pm

Bloomington Handmade Market
Bloomington, IN
Saturday, Nov. 21, 10am - 4pm

GNMC Holiday Craft Fair
Nashua, NH
Saturday, Nov. 21, 9am - 2pm

DC Craft Mafia Holiday Heist
Vienna, VA
Saturday, Nov. 21, 12pm - 6pm

University of Virginia Artisan's Bazaar
Charlottesville, VA
Thursday, Nov. 19, 12pm - 7pm
Friday, Nov. 20, 10:30am - 6pm
Saturday, Nov. 21, 9am - 3pm

GLAM - Gainesville Local Art Mart
Gainesville, FL
Sunday, Nov. 22, 2pm - 6pm

Christmas in Cloverdale: Unique Gift & Craft Marketplace
Surrey, BC, Canada
Friday, Nov. 20, 6pm - 10pm
Saturday, Nov. 21, 10am - 5pm

Crafternoon Tea
Auckland, NZ
Saturday, Nov. 21, 10am - 2pm

Thanksgiving Feast: Pumpkin Pie with Caramel Pecan Topping
By Katie Goodman

I have had so many failures with pie crust — too sticky, too dry, full of cracks — that for a while I just resigned myself to buying either frozen crusts or those ones you roll out and shape yourself. But that's really not my style. I love homemade, not store-bought. When I found this recipe from Simply Recipes, it seemed so easy and straightforward that I thought it was worth another go. With such great results on my first try, I felt the confidence I needed to never look back at those store-bought crusts again.

If you're trying to save time on Thanksgiving, you can make the recipe up to Step 5 and store it in the refrigerator until you're ready to make the pie. Just let it sit out on the counter for about 10 minutes before you roll it out.

The composition of this embroidery hoop mobile from Sara of Creative Jewish Mom is so charming! Fun felt accents add a colorful touch and can be swapped out for changing seasons. [via @SisterDiane]

I'm on an island in Hawaii. And I can't stop eating macadamia nuts. Let's see, I've found macadamia nut icecream, macadamia nut chocolates, and pancakes with macadamia nuts. Now I've moved on to the pure stuff- raw, whole macadamias, of which I took some glamour shots just now for this post. I am loving the perfectly subtle butter flavor and a nut that I would consider crunchysmooth. The recipe for Macadamia and Ginger Stuffing that I just discovered on Epicurious seems amazing. It's got great ratings and despite the exotic flavors, the ingredients are easy to find. The recipe also notes that you can season the bird with some citrus juices and sesame oil to really bring together the theme between the bird and the stuffing. I won't be home for Thanksgiving, but I most definitely plan on making this at Christmas, to take my taste buds back to tropical paradise.

Photojojo is giving away three Nikon D3000s, just because they love you (we do too)! They've opened up the giveaway to you, the talented, creative, awesome readers of MAKE and CRAFT. Just think of all the how-tos you could make with this thing! I'm getting jealous just thinking about it. There are many ways to enter, please do so as many times as you like! In addition to the ways to enter on the Photojojo site (like following them on Twitter), here are the ways to enter through MAKE and CRAFT:

• Subscribe to the MAKE and CRAFT Newsletters. Each subscriber gets an automatic entry to win the camera! These are monthly newsletter to keep you up to date on what's going on in our neck of the woods. (We won't spam you, scout's honor!)
• Follow us on Twitter. That's MAKE, CRAFT, make_tips, and craft_tips. All our Twitter followers are automatically entered!
• Submit a tip! What special tricks do you use when making and crafting? Send a reply to @make_tips or @craft_tips for yet another entry.
• Become a fan of MAKE and CRAFT on Facebook!

The giveaway ends at 5pm PST next Monday, November 23rd. Best of luck to you!

More:

Project Excerpt: Photojojo! by Amit Gupta with Kelly Jensen

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.

Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories made several sets of coasters using single font characters. You can cut them out by hand, but they used a laser cutter, naturally.

The folks at Bolt Fabrics in Portland have posted a tutorial to create a large, super soft baby blanket with Anna Maria Horner's new yummy line of flannel fabrics. They've also included instructions for creating custom bias tape to bind the blanket. When my kids were newborn, I loved having a stash of light, but warm large blankets for swaddling. These would be a perfect baby gift!

I was first introduced to the wildly talented "wire wrapstress" Dev Khan through my dear friend (and talented artist who shot all the images in this DIY) Sara K. Woll. Sara had commissioned Dev to come over and do a wire wrapping workshop for a crew of us crafty ladies. Dev embodies the true artisan, completely at one with her medium. She cuts and polishes her own stones (as evidenced by her beautifully worked hands) and does some of the most amazing wire wrap jewelry I've ever seen. Further, she is all about sharing her love and technique with anyone who is interested. I was thrilled when she wrote this piece for us, which first appeared on the pages of CRAFT Volume 03. Here is the full DIY for you to enjoy.

Wrap Rock
Setting stones in unique jewelry takes just a few twists of wire.
By Dev Khan

Wire wrapping is an imaginative, spontaneous, and versatile method of setting free-form stones using wire and simple hand tools. It allows the shape of the stone to control the placement of wire. The piece becomes its own tool, the moveable wraps acting as clamps and measuring points. By varying the number of wraps and wires, you can accommodate almost any stone.

Craft a centerpiece for a beading project, create a pendant out of that odd-shaped stone, or turn a beach rock into a magic amulet. Amaze your friends!

More entries are coming in for our Me, My Scarf, and I Contest where the Grand Prize Winner will receive a Singer ProFinish Serger! Ooooh! I am loving this Faux-y Lady Scarf by Marigold of the blog Hideous! Dreadful! Stinky! (Flickr user mr. huckleberry & the milosaur.)

Marigold writes writes:

How can something so elegant and sophisticated be so silly at the same time? In my Faux-y Lady scarf, I tried to capture that strange juxtaposition inherent in the vintage fur pelts that have always fascinated me. If this scarf is a reflection of my personality, I hope it comes off a little bit quirky and unconventional, but with a great sense of humor, and somehow still a teensy bit debonair.

There's still time to enter the Me, My Scarf, and I Contest. Deadline for entries is 11:59 p.m. PDT November 23, 2009. Each entry will be judged based on the following criteria: creativity of design, description of how the scarf represents the creator, and the use of a sewing machine in the creation process. Please see Official Rules for more information on the Winner selection.

If you're joining in on the contest, here's the code for the badge to display on your site or blog.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/1229922@N20/"><img src="http://cdn.makezine.com/make/craft/badge_singer_scarfcontest.gif" width="150" height="144" border="0" alt="CRAFT: Singer Contest - Me, My Scarf, and I" /></a>

See more entries in the Me, My Scarf and I Flickr Group.

Calli of Make it Do shares how to make this sweet felt poinsettia hair clip that can also be made into a pin or even used as a gift topper.

"Easy! No gluing or cutting required" says the cover of the book Make Your Own Paper Flowers. So I decided to make my flowers in a place where craft supplies are sparse: an airplane. Before my trip, I stashed the Klutz Chicken Socks book in my purse. Without any scissors in my bag, I cleared security in a breeze! After takeoff, I folded down the tray on the seat back in front of me, and set to work.

As I put together the project, a million childhood memories came rushing back to me. I vividly remember so many fun Klutz books. I had the juggling one, the dollar bill origami one, the magic one with the special coin, and my personal favorite, the friendship bracelet one. And seeing Klutz triggered memories in more that just me. All the stewardesses paused as they walked by to check on my progress and talk about the best Klutz books which, after much debate, it was decided was the braid one!

It's here! The Alex Rider Dream Gadget Contest launches today! Put on your thinking caps and dream up some awesome gadgets! To celebrate the release of the newest Alex Rider book, Crocodile Tears, and the Kids of All Ages edition of MAKE (both at bookstores today), we're thrilled to be running this contest.

All of you adventure-seekers and gadget lovers out there are invited to join in. If you were Alex Rider, what gadget would you want in the upcoming adventure "Crocodile Tears"? Design your dream Alex Rider gadget, inspired by an everyday object (i.e. an iPod, toothpaste, a pen). The winning gadget will be built right here at the MAKE Labs. Send us a schematic of what your gadget is made from and how it works. (Your schematic can be a diagram, a drawing or an explanation by you). Remember that the winning gadget will be inspired by an everyday object that one could realistically build (as much as we wish we could create a pair of scissors that could fly us to the moon)!

So what do you do? Dream up a gadget, of course! And what could you win? We're so glad you asked:

Grand Prize (one winner):

• A signed collection of hardcover Alex Rider novels
• iPod nano with a personalized message from author Anthony Horowitz
  
• A backpack full of goodies and gadgets from the Maker Shed
• The opportunity to have the winner's dream gadget produced in MAKE Labs and featured on Make: Online
  

Runner-Up Prize (two winners):

• A signed hardcover copy of Crocodile Tears
• An Alex Rider t-shirt

With prizes this good, how could you not want to enter?! The Alex Rider Dream Gadget Contest is open to kids ages 8 to 18, so get your kid, nephew, niece, grandkids, and yourself involved!

Need some inspiration? Check out these gadgets and book excerpts from previous Alex Rider novels to get those brain juices flowing:

• Alex Rider's Radio Mouth Brace
• Alex Rider's Smokescreen Bike Pump
• Alex Rider's Geiger Counter Game Console
• Alex Rider's High Tensile Yo-Yo
  

The Alex Rider Dream Gadget Contest launches TODAY! We're giving away two copies of the newest Alex Rider book, Crocodile Tears, by Anthony Horowitz! The book comes out today as well, so win one here before others have a chance to scoop them up in stores. Just leave a comment in this post and tell us why you or your kid(s) needs one of these books. That's all you need to do to enter! Please make sure you include your email address in the comment form field (it won't be published). All eligible comments will be closed by Noon PST on Sunday, November 22nd. Good luck!

More:

• Alex Rider's Radio Mouth Brace
• Alex Rider's Smokescreen Bike Pump
• Alex Rider's Geiger Counter Game Console
• Alex Rider's High Tensile Yo-Yo
  

Shh! I have a secret. I'm completely obsessed with the Twilight series. I first heard about the books from Kim Werker. Then, it was around this time last year when I got a hold of the first Twilight book from a fellow crafter Nancy Flynn of Belle Epoque. I was weeks from giving birth and on maternity leave so I thought what the heck, I'll give it a try. A week later, I was on the third novel in the series. The movie premiered on the day I gave birth to Chloe so I never got to see it until it came out months later on DVD. Yes, I admit have a crush on vampire Edward Cullen (not Robert Pattinson the actor, mind you) and the fog laden, damp locale of Forks, Washington is a perfect backdrop for showcasing knits. Because dear crafters, I know we have a lot in common. I see Twilight pop up in your Facebook feeds, in your Good Reads lists, and yes, it's a topic of conversation among us on Twitter, no?

(Photo: Summit Entertainment)

Enter in my one of my many email conversations with Vickie Howell, a knitting/crochet queen and fellow movie buff. In September for our "Cozy Up to Yarn" month, she had a brilliant idea to tie in her Movie Monday post with a knitting pattern for Alice Wrist Warmers. (Alice Cullen is also a teen vampire and Edward's sister.) With the movie premiere happening this Friday, we thought it would be fun to do an "Along" tying in our favorite thing -- knitting and a movie.

To celebrate the premiere of New Moon we are presenting the Knifty Knitter Loom-Along (LAL) with Vickie Howell! Vickie will be showing you how to create her Alice Wrist Warmers inspired by the movie using a Knifty Knitter Flower Loom Kit. You'll probably be able to find this at your local Jo-Ann's or craft store. It's an easy way to knit if you don't know how or a fun thing to try out even if you do know how. I'll be joining in on the fun as a new loom knitter.

Diana Eng's new Fairytale Fashion video is about playing with the Drawdio and conductive embroidery to create fun, interactive noises.

For anyone who hasn't been lucky enough to attend a screening of the indie craft movement documentary, Handmade Nation, you can now purchase a copy of the film on DVD. The DVDs are available through Buy Olympia, which also happens to be one of the businesses profiled in the film. [via Sublime Stitching]

MAKE, Volume 20 is on newsstands today! Check out this preview video to get a tour of our best edition yet (we know, we say that every time)!

Want to know how to build a hydrogen rocket? How about a laser light show in a lunchbox? Or a simple remote-controlled videocam car? Or maybe you want to go old-school and build a wooden mini sailboat or toy car launcher? All this and tons more, plus revealing photos of Adam Savage's maker childhood, can all be found in MAKE, Volume 20, "For Kids of All Ages." Get your individual copy in the Maker Shed, or subscribe now to get access to our awesome Digital Edition.

Subscribe to the MAKE Podcast in iTunes, or download the m4v video.

The more than 300 photographs that combine to make this stunning stop-motion video from januarypress are mesmerizing. They depict the production of printing a book on a Vandercook press and detail the binding of the books. I've always been a letterpress junkie (you can read about my incredible experience printing with my friend, Sarah, at the Pacific Northwest College of Art last spring) and watching this video made me fall in love with the process even more. I was also enamored with the process of binding the books, especially the sewing portion. Enjoy! [via NOTCOT]

The world needs more sock monkeys. There. I said it. There's much to be said about taking something as old and inanimate as a sock and breathing life into it in the crafting process. Slovenia-based Cardboard Castle definitely has a knack for just that. Pictured above is Salvator, one of the crew of "models of sustainability" made from recycled materials. Don't you just want to hug him? Pictured below are Zora, Handsome Stan, and Anabel.

Adam @ MAKE writes:

Symbology befitting a Dan Brown novel exudes from these handcrafted iPhone home button earrings. Do they imbibe the wearer with mystical iPhone powers? Does wearing two buttons break Apple's Human Interface Guidelines? You'll just have to acquire a pair to find out.

Craft: The Complete Collection ($149.96)
Get the Complete CRAFT Collection -- every issue we ever published! CRAFT Volumes 01-10, featuring the First Year Box Set, the Second Year Box Set, and Volumes 09 and 10.

CRAFT Box Sets: The First Year ($59.99) and The 2nd Year ($59.99)
In this special limited release, all 4 Volumes of Craft's first year and 2nd year are combined in a Special Edition Boxed Collector's Set. Box slip case is included in this set.