Winter Gift Exchange Hosted by Craftaholics Anonymous

Twice a year there is this fabulous gift exchange that takes place for crafters of any kind. You sign up to make a handmade gift and you receive a handmade gift in exchange. You can ask Secret Q & A questions and it's lots of fun!

I exchanged gifts with Dara from Not in Jersey. She made me this absolutely gorgeous hat! Ignore the person in the picture...I should have at least put on make-up or something before taking a picture of myself. lol!

I was inspired by Day by Day Crochet who makes the most amazing stitch markers! They are out of this world awesomeness and I love them. My partner in the gift exchange is a knitter, so I made some knitting stitch markers for her. These are 100% inspired by Day by Day Crochet. If you need stitch markers (knit or crochet), then please check her out. Not only does she make the awesome yarn ball stitch markers in every color under the sun, but also clay-covered hooks, buttons and a gazillion (maybe not quite that many) fabulous designs for stitch markers.

I wondered if my yarn balls were just a little too big, so I made a few smaller ones. The big ones turned out to be the perfect size for stitch markers, so I turned the mini yarn balls into ear rings. Day by Day Crochet makes ear rings, too! Seriously, go like her facebook page now!

So, my giftee is a knitter and I crochet. I just had to send her a crocheted item, because that's what I really do. But, I make mostly hats and nearly everything I make is for babies and I knew I was making her a scarf/cowl. Inspired by friends in the FreshStitches Ravelry group, I went for a Granny Square cowl:

My husband hated the cowl so much that there was no way I could give it to my giftee. So, I went for a modified Granny Square pattern that worked in rows, rather than rounds. I really think it turned out great!

My giftee mentioned that her favorite colors were Teal and Purple. Doesn't this yarn work up beautifully? I hope it keeps Dara nice and warm.

If you want to be part of the Craftaholics Anonymous Gift Exchange, sign up and you'll get an e-mail alert before the next exchange happens. It's loads of fun!