My ornaments are quite small compared to adult sizes, but they are still actual top-down heel flap and gusset socks. I knit the first of mine as keepsakes that would long outlast handknit gift socks. I’ve since given them as mementos, tokens of affection and appreciation, and most often as Christmas ornaments.

The Firmament Wrap is a wonderfully cozy project for cooler weather. The design is inspired by truly breath­taking images from the James Webb Space Telescope.

Ammo Jockstrap is cute and cozy, with a waistband panel that simplifies assembly. That is, the pouch continues from the panel, and the back waistband joins attractively to panel sides. The pouch is worked in cartridge belt rib (no purls), which also made the design easy to name.

The Synaptic Wrap was inspired by the indistinct photo of a pattern stitch in a 1936 knitting book. The description says it came from an item “said to be over a hundred years old.” If so, the stitch could date back two centuries!

Snooker the Balloon Dog is a whimsical interpretation in yarn of a classic balloon animal. A series of stuffed, roughly cylindrical segments is wrapped into a final shape that can stand carefully on its own. Unlike a glass sculpture, however, Snooker won’t shatter if it falls over.

Tilting at Windmills Shawl is knit in worsted weight yarn, which makes it a project of sincere comfort. Tilted blocks of garter stitch and lace are a kind arm around your shoulders, a child’s warm hug flung about your neck, a cozy nap in the sun.

This Rose Purse is inspired by the motifs, layout, and stylings of a 14th century relic purse from Sion, Switzerland. Present-day important items, such as jewelry or craft notions, are a lovely use for these relic purses.

My earthquake-themed stitch is too well suited to a jock­strap to resist. Tremblor Jockstrap is cozy, stretchy, and somewhat revealing. It answers the question “what’s shaking?”

While pondering what to design with this pattern stitch, children in my family remarked that the swatch looked like city buildings after an earthquake. Tremblors!

While pondering what to design with this pattern stitch, children in my family remarked that the swatch looked like city buildings after an earthquake. Tremblors! So began this lightweight scarf of lace and cables, the first of a small collection of Tremblor designs.

One thing leads to another. The Hallgrímskirkja in Reykjavík, Iceland, inspired the design of Charles Gandy’s Hallgrim Hat and Mittens. In turn, his design inspired me to knit a coordinating scarf. When he saw I’d answered pattern requests by saying the design motif was not mine to publish, Charles offered his permission to me! So, with the kin...

The word “crosstalk” was first used in the late 1800s to describe an electronics phenomenon. It’s found now in a variety of subjects but essentially describes interference in a desired conversation or communication from another channel. Crosstalk is natural choice of name for this scarf knit entirely of crossed cables.

Tisket has humble origins. The manufacturer of my horizontal camera mount suggests a counterweight of string and a water bottle. When I read that, my knitting brain said, “I could knit a bag for that!”

If you don’t need a full-fledged winter hat, my lightweight Rubble Hat comes in quite handy when you’re not quite cold but not quite warm. I paid particular attention to features that make an interesting project for the knitter and a go-to hat for the wearer:

Many years ago now, my mother knit a “one of a kind” cowl for a friend. Her name for the piece is forgotten, but the cowl was treasured and worn often. This year, the friend asked me to knit another of the cowl. Interpreting my mother’s work has been bittersweet but heartwarming. The replacement cowl has gone to its new home, and I am publishin...

More than four hundred years ago, Miguel Cervantes wrote that his character Don Quixote came to a plain full of windmills and, imagining them to be hulking giants, exclaimed that he would slay them and take their riches. Over the centuries, the phrase “tilting (jousting) at windmills” has come to mean fighting an imaginary enemy.