During a rare date with my husband to Barnes & Noble one evening, I meandered to (where else!) the craft section and pulled out a few knitting books. Most of them were pretty ho-hum, until I picked up More Last-Minute Knitted Gifts, written by Purl Soho owner, Joelle Hoverson. I  oohed and aahed over every beautiful page. The projects use colorful yarns and they are fantastic (and easy) patterns that any modern knitter would appreciate. The photos are fresh, vibrant, and really makes you want to knit every single project. So I was extremely excited when the publisher said she would send me a copy.

{ Stay tuned because I will be auctioning off this beautiful scarf to raise money for the victims affected by the earthquake in Japan. }

Cascade Yarns was generous enough to send me a skein of their beautiful Magnum yarn (which the book referenced) and I used it to knit up the Big Lace Scarf. I’ve never knitted a full-length scarf before. I always thought the repetition would deaden me with boredom and I’d never want to knit again. But, the chunky yarn, chunky needles and breezy openwork pattern made this such a quick easy knit.

Can we talk about the yarn? I’ve honestly never bought premium yarn – I just stick with the fairly cheap stuff from the craft store or estate sale finds. But this was a treat. It’s soo soft. So beautiful. Made from 100% Peruvian Highland Wool, it’s very fun to work with. It’s giant! One skein was all I needed to create this big bulky scarf. Isn’t the color so pretty?

A few more projects I’d like to try right away:  Linen stitch bookmark // soft baskets

Sideways fingerless gloves // Seed Stitch bracelet

With 30 different patterns to choose from, this book is a must for any knitters library. It also includes inspiring gift wrapping ideas, finishing techniques, and templates.