Holiday Gift Guide

As the holidays get closer, it's cool to shop small. It's also cool to support women. I've put together a list of a few of my favorite women-owned businesses and some super neat gift giving ideas. Check it!

First up… Moop. I have been a huge fan of Moop bags for years. And I own quite a few. Backpacks, clutches, totes, messenger bags and more. They are my go-to everyday bags and I know you (or anyone on your list) will absolutely love them too.

Check out Lilla Barn, a rad clothing shop owned by my friend Bergen. She makes clothing for kids and women, and also has hand-dyed goods for your home (like these super cool tea towels.) Everything is handmade in Chicago.

Eden is my favorite DSM stop to find a thoughtful gift (or just to treat myself to something special.) If you're shopping for someone who seems to already have everything, hit up this shop – they'll help you find the perfect gift every time. Owned by my awesome friend Jen, Eden is a bath, baby, and home boutique carrying hard to find products you'd never believe would be available in Iowa. Plus they throw the best parties. <3

Hill Vintage & Knits is my Des Moines yarn store home and my friends Erica and Jess are entrepreneurial badasses. They have an awesome selection of yarns like Hedgehog Fibers, Malabrigo, Noro, Madeline Tosh, Dyed in the Wool, Wool and the Gang and more. AND they have vintage clothing and home goods too, too. In case you need a rad dress for a NYE party, a Lee denim jacket of a set of E.T. juice glasses.

And I know you know my friend Gaye of GGMadeIt ... knitter extraordinaire! GG is an absolute ray of light – she is always sharing the coolest knitting projects online and she always knows what's up. But did you know she sells her signature Yarn Ho t-shirts, plus mugs and tote bags too? Find everything here. She is also offering gorgeous hand-knit accessories (all made by GG!) here.

And then there's my talented friend Laura from XO-LP. Highlighters + markers + wit. She hand-illustrates all kinds of cool things – cards, t-shirts, coloring books, custom stationery, Thanksgiving table runners that kids can color ... you name it. Her lunchbox notes were just featured in Martha Stewart Living Online! So cool.

Domestica is my favorite modern indie handmade shop here in DSM, IA (and they have a full online + print shop too!) Domestica has the best super cool home and personal accessories – rad prints and pieces to help you spruce up your nest, and the perfect gift for anyone on your list. Broad City drinking glasses? YAS.

Coolest gift giving idea ever? An online/long-distance tarot reading by my awesome friend Kristi, or a deck of her very own (stunning) Ritual Oracle tarot cards. K lives in CA, but you can ask her a question from wherever you are ... then prepare to be floored by her guidance and perspective. She offers mini or full readings. And did I mention her deck is GORGEOUS? It is. I have one of my very own. And I love it so much. Find her online shop here.

If you are a knitter (or know a knitter), chances are that you are already familiar with Fringe Supply Co. This online shop has THE coolest knitting/crafting tools imaginable. Just a few items I'm obsessing over this season are the birch knitting needle sets, the leather wrist ruler, any and all of the Boukhou bags and gray canvas Field Bag. Swoon. If you're looking for a gift for your favorite knitter, this is your one-stop shop.

If you know me IRL, you know I'm in love with everything Blackbird. This Seattle design house uses innovative materials and concepts to create perfumes, incense, men's grooming, tea and accessories for everyone. Definitely one of my favorite things in life.

And last but not least, I can't put together a gift guide without mentioning my knitting books WEEKEND and EVERYDAY. Treat yourself to these gorgeously photographed books full of simple, modern designs. These books make fantastic gifts – don't forget to add them to your wish list! Find them here (and keep an eye out for a Black Friday deal you won't want to miss!)

Hey, knitting bag ... let me upgrade you.

When I was in NYC a couple of weeks ago, I spent some of my free time hanging out in Muji, home of all things organizational and minimalist and perfect. I swoon over every darn section in that dreamy store, but my first stop is always the stationery, with the tiny perfect notebooks and mechanical pencils and planners and binders. I love stocking up on these everyday items, but on this trip my mind immediately went to my knitting bag needs. I love carrying around a zipper pouch with all my notions and tools, but lately it had become a mess and I knew cleaning up my game would just made me feel better and be more inspired to work creatively.

So, knitting bag ... let me upgrade you.

Out went all the crazy odds and ends – a broken tape measure, dull craft scissors that I had stolen from my child's art bin, and the mess of whatever else that had accumulated in my multiple project bags over the years. I have to admit that yes, I've been reading 'The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up' (like the rest of the world) so I am striving to keep and use only the things I truly love. I do think this is a magnificent idea.

Anyway, what's in my bag? Well, let's start with the bag itself, which is a large zipper pouch (In 'window' print) from Bookhou. I love it so very much and have been using it daily for quite awhile. It's hand-crafted and screenprinted – so much attention to detail. Everything they make is cool. The little tool treasures I snagged at Muji are the aluminum ruler, a wooden mechanical pencil, stainless steel + acrylic scissors, a tiny steel tape measure and a few notebooks in various sizes (where I keep my sketches and write down notes for new patterns.) A few of my other supplies have come from another favorite source, Fringe Supply Co.: the ebony repair hook, the matte black stainless steel 'facet' mini scissors, black rubber stitch marker and metal removeable stitch markers. Then there's my Wool and the Gang tapestry needles and my trusty Field Notes notebook, which I carry with me constantly. You can never have too many notebooks.

I love the contents of my bag now – cool supplies make the making more fun. What's in your bag? Are you due for an upgrade too?