Winter has snuck up on us again! The surest sign of the season has hit the streets of Manhattan: Salvation Army Santa's are ringing their bells in front of every department store in the city. For New Yorkers that sight and sound is usually like an alarm clock awakening us from our comfortable repose, catapulting us out of our gentle autumn slumber into the rush and dash and chaos of December. Which leather gloves did I get my father last year? The brown? Does he need a black pair this year? Or did I get him the black ones two years ago? Tan?

Breathe. This year may be different. There's a new feeling out there. A feeling of what is really important, of what brings us back to ourselves and to our families and friends. For so many of us who knit and crochet, we find rich meaning in the process, in the sensuality of natural materials, in the deep connection to an ancient craft. To me, this is what feels real this holiday season.

So whether these gift ideas end up under your tree or a loved one's, someone will be enriched, creativity will be sparked and good holiday cheer will reign! Happy Holidays from Purl!

For the Accessory Knitter

• 1 skein of Blue Sky Alpaca's Royal Alpaca, 100% royal alpaca. These colors, from the top, are Alabaster, Cafe Au Lait, Spanish Leather, and Cameo.

• Knot Hat Pattern from Blue Sky Alpacas

Lots of people love to knit quick projects. They don't want to get bogged down in endless afghans or sweaters that go on and on. They want projects that are mobile for the subway or car pool; that make wonderful gifts; and that give them the satisfaction of having finished something, and, more importantly, of being able to move on to the next thing!

This is great gift for just that mindset. Blue Sky's Royal Alpaca is a beautifully understated yarn, made from alpaca specially bred for softness. As soft as cashmere, it is one of Purl's most luxurious fibers. Only one skein is required for this adorable hat, also from Blue Sky. A perfect winter capper!

For the Crafter

• 2 balls of Farmhouse Yarn's Lamb's Wool Roving. These colors are Natural and Pumpkin.

• Little Felted Animals, by Marie-Noelle Horvath

• A Needle Felting Set by Hamanaka

People have been getting really excited about exploring the many fiber crafts that satellite knitting and crocheting. Needle felting is one of the most popular. It is very easy to learn and is inspiring in its freedom and fluidity.

This roving from Farmhouse Yarns, is super soft and lovingly hand dyed (or undyed, in the case of the Natural). Armed with the adorable ideas in Little Felted Animals and the felting board and needles you will find in the Needle Felting Set, crafters of all ages will be set to go!

For the Sock Knitter

• 1 skein of Farmhouse Yarn's Fanny's Fingering, 80% merino and 20% nylon. This color is Rose Garden.

• A set of Lantern Moon's Ebony Double Pointed Needles, US size 2

• Getting Started Knitting Socks, by Ann Budd

Sock knitters are a special breed, always on the hunt for perfect sock yarn: durable, soft, machine washable, and unusual. In short, a yarn that surpasses all other sock yarns. For my money, Fanny's Fingering is the best horse in the race!

Amazingly dyed, each skein has its own character. I have never seen anything knit with Fanny's that wasn't absolutely beautiful. Accompany the yarn with Ann Budd's awesome book, "Getting Started Knitting Socks". Not just for beginners, this book opens up the world of designing your own socks, from simple stripes to complex lace patterns. You will never buy another sock pattern again!

For Expecting Moms

• 3 skeins of Alchemy's Temple, 100% superfine and machine washable merino. These colors are Lantern, Champagne and Rio.

• A pair of Lantern Moon's Ebony Straight Knitting Needles, US size 5

• Set of Buttons by Fab. These are 13 mm and are Brown.

• Baby Surprise Jacket DVD, by Elizabeth Zimmermann, with Meg Swanson

Elizabeth Zimmermann's classic Surprise Jacket has confounded knitters for four decades. Luckily, it's a very easy mystery to unravel, and Elizabeth's daughter, Meg Swanson, is here to help! This step by step DVD covers everything from cast on to cast off, and even includes bonus information about adding a collar, making a matching bonnet and finishing the jacket with an I-cord. The ingenuity and simplicity of the design is astounding. Once mastered, there won't be a baby born within a twenty mile radius of you who doesn't get a Surprise Jacket!

Three skeins of Temple will knit up the perfect jacket. Machine washable, super soft merino, it's the perfect gauge and is dyed in colors that beg for stripes - it's hard to beat!

For the Cashmere Addict

• 5 skeins of Jade Sapphire's 12 Ply Cashmere, 100% Mongolian cashmere. These colors, from the top, are: Pebble Beach, Hibiscus, Mulberry, Tea Leaves, and Deep Plum.

• A pair of Lantern Moon's Ebony Straight Knitting Needles, US size 11

• A Moving Mud Shawl Closure (This is a medium size.)
  

Cashmere has this unfortunate tendency to spoil knitters. Once you start down that road, it's hard to turn back. If you or someone you know has this problem-you'd-like-to-have problem, a stack of sumptuous Jade Sapphire 12 Ply Cashmere will be most welcome. Your senses will revel in this amazing yarn's layers of thick, soft goodness and in its beautiful, hand-dyed shades inspired by nature's subtle tones.

Five skeins is enough for a very generous scarf or a small shawl. The hand blown, tempered glass clasp is a unique finish for a hand knit scarf. It's the perfect way to hold a garment in a graceful drape around your neck or shoulders.

For the Adventurous Knitter

• 3 skeins of Alchemy's Synchronicity, 50% silk and 50% merino wool. This color is Shell.

• 1 skein Alchemy's Silken Straw, 100% silk. This color is Sour Grass.

• Shibori Knits, by Gina Wilde

Gina Wilde, the co-founder and creative director of Alchemy Yarns, has packed her latest book with innovative ideas, sure to inspire the creativity and imagination of everyone on the lookout for something new. Wilde explores the exciting interstices of shibori and knitting, where Japanese techniques of manipulating fiber meet the traditional craft of knitting.

These yarn suggestions are perfect for the funky hat pictured on the cover of the book. The felted silk and wool Synchronicity beautifully contrasts with clusters of crisp Silken Straw. It's a knitting adventure waiting to happen!

For the Elizabeth Zimmermann Fan

• 7 skeins of The Fibre Company's Terra, 60% merino, 20% baby alpaca, and 20% silk. These colors, from the top left, are Redwood, Cochineal, Fustic, Acorn, Chamomile, Wheatgrass and Yarrow.

• The Opinionated Knitter, by Elizabeth Zimmermann

• A set of Crystal Palace Bamboo Double Pointed Needles, US size 9, 8 inches long

• A Lantern Moon Ebony Circular Needles, US size 9, 32 inches long

No single person has influenced modern knitting in America more than Elizabeth Zimmermann. The mother of all knitting to so many knitters, her classic book "The Opinionated Knitter" is a staple. Explorer, storyteller, naturalist, engineer and teacher, Zimmermann generously opens the door to a whole new approach to knitting that will have you thanking her forever.

Had the The Fibre Company been making Terra when Zimmermann was alive it might have become one of her favorites. Rustic yet subtle, it perfectly lends itself to her designs, while adding a modern color sensibility.

For the Color Lover

• A rainbow array of Koigu's Premium Merino, 100% merino. Because Koigu comes in hundreds and hundreds of colors (some that are only dyed one time and never again!), these exact colors may not be available. Both our web site and our store have huge selections to choose from, so have fun creating your own rainbow!

Koigu Premium Merino is one of Purl's most popular yarns. Beautiful as a sock yarn, a loosely knit scarf, or a sophisticated sweater, it has incredible flexibility and wide-ranging function (wonderful for crocheting too!). It is soft, machine washable, and magically elastic. But what has people drooling when they see our immense selection of Koigu is the color. From rich rusty pumpkin, to soft salmon, to vivid lemongrass, these hues inspire all color lovers to kneel down in worship.

Stocking Stuffers for Knitters

• Lantern Moon's Sheep Tape Measure. A tug on the tail reveals a five foot tape measure, and a squeeze to the stomach retracts it. Cute!

• De-Fuzz-It This sweater comb magically (and gently) removes pills from all your knit garments. Everyone asks, Does it really work? Yes! It really, really does!

• Needle Gauge No more mystery needles! This needle gauge accurately and conveniently sizes your needles. It also has a handy two inch window for checking your stitch gauge. All that in the palm of your hand!
  

• Blue Sky Alpaca's Knitter's Little Helper A hand balm for "lightening fast knitting!" I've heard people swear it smells like lavender, some claim chocolate, others insist on black pepper. Whatever the verdict, it smells GOOD!

Whatever you get or give this holiday season, may it be bring you lots of joy! - Whitney