This prayer shawl is inspired by St. Martin of Tours, the 4th century Roman Soldier who after years of service laid down his arms and later became a bishop, albeit a reluctant one. He was known for his humility and untiring devotion to the poor. He is the Patron Saint for soldiers, against poverty, horses, winemakers, and many more.

I designed these dressy wrist warmers on a weekend long ago to wear at work. Worn under the cuffs with only the frilly lace showing no one ever caught on as to their purpose of keeping hands warm and fingers nimble for keyboarding.

The idea of these yarn cozies came to me a few years ago when I saw a commercial product made of plastic mesh. I thought if one were to knit up a simple tube of ribbing from left-over sock yarn you would get the same results. These cozies hold any center-pulled ball of yarn together nicely, but truly shine with slippery yarn. The ribbing keeps ...