Bad news folks. I spilled a soda on my laptop last night. (I know, dumb.)
The computer’s mostly working again, thanks to my amazing husband, but the keys are crazy sticky (the mechanism underneath, not the part that my fingers touch). It’s taken me a ridiculous amount of time just to type this. So, no knitting today, just careful cleaning out laptop keys with q-tips and water. Ugh.
So, as a consolation, here’s a picture of my dog from when he was little. So cute!
It’s official! On the Needles is out of its terrible twos! 
It’s been three years of three-days-a-week blogging, sharing patterns and writing in excessive detail about the fluffiness of yarns and the drape of knit fabric. Thanks so much for coming along with me on this adventure, I really appreciate every single hit and “favorite” and I love hearing about everyone who tries one of my patterns!
Speaking of patterns! I just checked over on Ravelry, and apparently I’ve published 44 patterns- that’s more than one pattern every month since I began this whole knitting-as-a-job thing! And, I’ve been included in 5 pattern collections from KnitPicks! (And there are more in the works!)
I absolutely love sharing my favorite activity with you guys, and I’m constantly surprised when people actually show up to read what I write! So, thank you for reading (and knitting)! Here’s to 3 more years!
It’s my birthday! And someone around here needs to get a present!
Let’s do a drawing!
Last week, my mom generously offered up one of her beautiful yarn-themed 2016 calendar tea towels to a lucky winner.![il_570xN.865351455_2ena[1]](https://ontheneedles.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/il_570xn-865351455_2ena1.jpg)
It’s time to find out who that winner is! Let’s head on over to Random.org.
And, 8 people commented on the post, so, let’s plug that in and, here we go:
Commenter #1! Jean Valerga, you’re the winner!
I’ll send you an email this morning and we’ll get the shipping details all sorted out!
It’s time for a drawing!
Last week I showed you the newest collection from KnitPicks, Petite Presents, and offered up a drawing!
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, get ready because now it’s time to do the giveaway!
14 people responded to my post, so I headed over to Random.org.And clicked on the number generator:
And Commenter Number 10! You’re the big winner! (That’s Chickie Brewer, if you’re wondering.) Chickie, I’ll be emailing you with details so that I can get your copy of Petite Presents to you as soon as possible! That way, you can start working on your Mini Kitty Poufs with your granddaughter!![32768124[1]](https://ontheneedles.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/327681241.jpg)
(And don’t forget, I’m still giving away a Knitting-themed tea towel designed by my mother! Sign up here to put your name in the drawing before Wednesday!)
In celebration of Knit for Yourself Month, let’s do a giveaway! After all, a giveaway is really just a present for yourself, right?
I’ve talked about my mom’s amazing graphic design talent before. She’s the artist of the family, and designs amazing fabrics (which you can buy by the yard here), and then uses her fabric to make gorgeous little project bags, baskets and other lovely products (which you can buy here).
When I visited her over Christmas, I got to drool over her newest projects, a fabulous fabric basket:![il_570xN.892993440_t1by[1]](https://ontheneedles.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/il_570xn-892993440_t1by1.jpg)
A beautiful zippered cosmetics case/sock WIP bag (I took one of these home with me. It’s decorated with octopi. It’s adorable.):![il_570xN.883634046_5afq[1]](https://ontheneedles.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/il_570xn-883634046_5afq1.jpg)
And an adorable yarn-themed tea towel/wall hanging:
It’s printed on a really lovely cotton/linen blend, and Mom’s finished the edges really nicely (I don’t know how her hems always turn out so nice and straight. I just don’t have the patience for that).![il_570xN.865351611_8ed1[1]](https://ontheneedles.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/il_570xn-865351611_8ed11.jpg)
And here’s the best part: You could be the lucky one to take home a tea towel of your own!
Just reply below with your favorite item from Mom’s Store, to enter, and we’ll pick a winner at random on January 18th!
(Or, if you don’t want to bother with the whole “entering a contest” thing, just pop over to Mom’s store, PaperorThreads, and treat yourself!)
(And! Don’t forget the Petite Presents Giveaway, too! So many Giveaways!)
I’d like to raise a glass to all of my knitting brethren and sistren out there, on New Year’s Eve Eve;
May your 2016 be full of happiness and love.
May your skeins never tangle, and your needles never break.
May you always get gauge on the first try.
May your sweaters knit up faster than expected.
May you never have to tink back an entire row, and when you do make a mistake, may you find it before it’s too late.
May you never be stuck in a waiting room without your knitting.
May your LYS always have the yarn you’re looking for (and in the right colorway too!).
May you always buy enough of a dyelot to finish a whole project.
And, may you never stop knitting.
Happy 2016, everyone!
Merry Christmas, everyone! (And, if you don’t celebrate Christmas, merry Going Out For Chinese Food And Then A Movie Day.)
I don’t have anything profound to say today, or even anything that interesting. I just want to wish you a Merry Christmas. May your day be filled with warm mittens, fluffy sweaters of the finest merino, and knitting free from mistakes.
We’re in the home stretch, folks. Only two days left until Christmas. What’s that? You’re not done with your Christmas knitting yet?
Why stress about it? Why not print out this letter, fill it in, pour yourself a glass of mulled wine, and kick back with a favorite Christmas movie?
That’s my Christmas gift to you- the gift of relaxation!
Hi everybody, I thought I’d take a moment to do the cheesy-yet-well-intentioned Thanksgiving tradition. You know, the one where we all go around the dinner table (or in this case, the knitting website) and tell everyone what we’re thankful for.
![CornucopiaThanksgiving[1]](https://ontheneedles.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/cornucopiathanksgiving1.jpg)
I know it’s dorky, but I’m in a thankful mood (but maybe that’s just my endorphins building up in preparation for tomorrow’s feast), so let’s do this thing.
I am thankful for knitting! It’s both therapy and entertainment. It keeps me busy and keeps me warm. There’s something almost alchemical about turning yarn into something as complex as a lace shawl or as practical as a thick wool socks. It warms my heart (and feet), and challenges my brain, and I love it.
I am thankful for my husband (obviously). He puts up with having an entire room dedicated to knitting and doesn’t mind when he finds project bags scattered across the house. He ‘s been insanely supportive with my blog and pattern design work, as well as regular awesome husband-ness.
I am thankful for my pup. Ollie’s been an amazing addition to our lives over the past half-year, and he makes me laugh every day. I couldn’t be happier having him in my life (even if he has chewed up a knitting needle or two… *grumble, grumble*)
I am thankful for this blog- and it’s readers! It’s been a really fun (sometimes difficult) and interesting exercise to write something (hopefully) interesting and (sometimes) funny every other day for almost three years, and I’m looking forward to keeping it going. Being able to share my passion with all of you lovely people is fantastic! You’re the best! (And, there’s so many of you!)
Happy Thanksgiving! What are you thankful for?
Here’s the part that sucks about being a knitting blogger.
I want to share everything I’m working on (there are some really awesome things happening at Casa de On the Needles). But, right now, they’re all Top Secret. 
I’ve got Christmas presents going for several people (quite a few of whom read the blog), so I can’t show you the beautiful ________s that I’m making for _______________ and _______________. And I have to keep the amazing _____________ that I’m making for __________ secret, too.
Not only that, but I’m also working on a few patterns for KnitPicks. They’ll come out in the next few months, but for now, I’ve got to keep them all on the down-low. My feminine lace __________ __________, the adorable little _________ __________, and even my colorful __________.
I’d love to share them with you, but you’ve got to understand I can’t! Of course, I’ll tell you all about everything soon enough (after Christmas, for a lot of my projects), but in the meantime I’ve got to hold my tongue. (And I’ve never been great at keeping secrets.)
It’s the worst!
Thanks for bearing with me.
Do you have any super secret projects you’re working on? Can you give me any details?
On the Needles 