It’s a good thing that Holiday Shop planning is my favorite time of year since it’s happening all year long at MDK.

Don’t even try to work out the sense in that sentence, just fill a sippy cup with MDK Windup Blend and join me on a joyride of exploration of the great beyond knitting. You’re sure to find a new craft to explore or to delight someone on your gift list.

Going Mobile

Making Mobiles caught Kay’s eye very early in 2021, and when the team saw that pompoms were involved in the making of Karolina Merska’s contemporary pająki (say pah-yonk-ee), we knew we were on to something knitters (and the crafty teens in their lives) would love.

The author provides materials lists for each project, and this traditional Polish craft lends itself to swapping in a wide variety of natural, handmade, and found objects to add color and fun to holiday decorating.

I used tissue paper to make the pink Blossom Pom and Brown window star paper to make the hedgehog pom. And The last of my hydrangeas are shown here in my “Wedding Chandelier” WIP—the ribbons are snip and rip fabrics from my stash, so the only thing I shopped for was the wreath form.

Find it here.

Fuzzy Critters

We’ve gone wide on needle felting here at MDK, and now we’re going deep into the “wool as clay” felting world—using our fingers and needles to shape animals out of roving.

The Woolly Creatures Felting Kit is deluxe. It comes with directions for making six creatures—starting with basic shapes and building on skills toward figures joining multiple shapes. Your imagination is the limit. And the materials and tools are the best we’ve come across.

I knew them before they posed for Chris Sharp.

Let it glow, let it glow, let it glow.

Making window stars has been a winter tradition in my family for many years. When I shared them at one of our first Holiday Shop meetings, the Atlas Craft Table team took to them immediately.

I mean, just look:

We should offer this image as a jigsaw puzzle next year, don’t you think?

BYO Gluestick. Paper and books are here.

Hot tip if you have mullioned windows like I do: Cut each sheet into quarters to make smaller (and more!) stars.

Brush up your calligraphy.

Our own Hannah Jones loves Pentel Brush Pens. That was enough for us to bring them in for our MDK Journals this year.

We’re not the only ones who love to write the alphabet over and over again. Do admit.

Add Modern Brush Lettering for a perfect gift to plan a colorful, joyful 2022.

Loopapalooza

Potholder fever. Potholders forever.  ‘Nuff said.

Did you notice we brought in new loop colors?

Think Thanksgiving fun.

You’ll find all these colorful, gifty items in the Cool Little Things and Beautiful Books departments of the Holiday Shop.

Questions? Someone on the MDK team has snipped, wrapped, fluffed, glued, or needled every beyond knitting project we’re carrying, so ask away in the comments.