Falala Free Pattern #9: International Cat Hat: Turkey

Let's not forget the kitties this year! Stacy Mar of Spindles and Spices has come up with a number of adorable, hysterical patterns for cat hats. It was a toss-up between this Turkish fez and the Statue of Liberty crown (the French beret is cute, too), but the red of the fez seems more festive for the season. If you can get your cat to wear such a thing for more than a nanosecond, I would be impressed. Riley says, "No." [Ravelry link / Pattern link]

Falala Free Pattern #8: Hearts and Bones Dog Sweater

Do you have one of those dear little dogs that need a sweater when the weather turns foul or know someone who does? How about a little dog sweater with charted intarsia hearts and bones for embellishment. This sweater is from Picture Perfect Knits (Chronicle Books) and has some nice details, like front-leg sleeves and straps that keep the back of your pooch warm, too, without getting the back of the sweater dirty. Recommended yarn is Lamb's Pride Worsted Superwash, and this is an instance where you should choose a superwash yarn. Your faithful companion will thank you. [Ravelry link / Pattern link]

Falala Free Pattern #7: Child's Gansey Sweater

Do you have a special child to knit for? Perhaps a traditional Gansey Sweater is in order. Claudia at Countrywool wrote up this chatty pattern for the Aranknit list covering all the details that make a Gansey Sweater unique (Channel Island cast on, twisted-stitch yoke pattern, and gussets for a better fit where sleeve meets body) in Worsted weight yarn. She gives us her recipe for a 28" chest and 5spi, but because it's a recipe, she gives you the information to adjust for your own size/gauge. If you follow the Yarn Harlot's adventures, you may know that she's been working on a Gansey for Joe for years. Why not try a smaller version and finish it up in no time? That's the beauty of a kid's pattern: lots less yarn/knitting and you still master new skills. [Ravelry link / Pattern link]

KSA: Vogue Knitting Winter Sale Ends Today

Wow! 40% off books, 50% off patterns. Lost your copy of the Winter 06/07 with Norah Gaughan's Cabled Bolero on the cover? You can get a copy of the pattern for half off. It's in my queue. Is there a knitter in your life (perhaps yourself?) moving on from following patterns to designing their own? Get one of Nicky Epstein's "edge" books or a Vogue Stitchionary (Knit and Purl, Cables, Colorwork) on sale. Ends today (12/7/09). [Link]

Falala Free Pattern #6: Gloves Can Be Deceiving

Perhaps you're a fairly new knitter, looking to move on from scarves, starting to stash beautiful hand-dyed sock yarn, but not yet ready for socks and/or knitting in the round on double-pointed needles (DPNs). Try these gloves, knit flat with sock yarn and then seamed (slightly tedious, but totally worth it). I used about a third of a skein of Madeline Tosh Sock for mine and didn't do the stripes (happily, the pattern is based on measurements rather than a certain number of rows or repeats of the striping pattern, so just follow the inches), which makes it a little easier with fewer ends to weave in and all, plus that hand-dye does all the work. [Ravelry link / pattern link]

Falala Free Pattern #5: Irish Hiking Scarf

This classic, cabled scarf is perfect for just about any man or woman on your list. [Ravelry link / blog link / PDF link]

If you're a knitter with access to the interwebs and don't know who Adrian Bizilia is, you're missing out: beautiful hand-dyed yarns and fibers, clever patterns, some free, others available in great knitting publications like Twist Collective and Clara Parkes's books. Wander around her site from the blog link above or browse her projects on Ravelry.

Falala Free Pattern #4: Amy March's Slippers

These slippers, worked up in bulky yarn (pattern calls for Lamb's Pride Bulky) or two strands of worsted (I've done a number with Malabrigo Merino Worsted, doubled), are quick-to-knit, cozy, and feminine with a bit of ribbon. Plus, they are a great gift for a traveler, since they are small and stretchy and can be slipped in a carry-on. Bonus for the knitter: learn toe-up sock construction with a short-row heel on a much smaller number of stitches. PDF available for download from Ravelry. [Ravelry link]