The highlight of my recent holiday visit to Tulsa (well, aside from Christmas with the fam), was my visit to Loops, the fabulous yarn store in Utica Square.

Since I was from the area, and had been impressed by the store on a previous visit, I occurred to introduce myself to the staff as a pattern designer. I was actually really nervous to do this, since I’d never done anything like it before, but my brave friend Jennifer who was with me was more than happy to loudly exclaim “my friend Anna has a knitting website!” as she bought a few skeins of yarn.

To my utter astonishment and delight, the staff had all heard of me, and a couple of them had even bought patterns from my website just the day before. They gave me the warmest welcome possible, and even had a camera on hand for a picture.

Shelley, the owner of the store, wasn’t in that day, but she posted about my visit on the Loops blog.

After a year of being active in the online knitting community, it was a thrill to do some in-person networking. Loops has invited me back to teach a class in June, so I look forward to being there again!

And if you’re a knitter in the Tulsa area, you’re hopefully already familiar with Loops. I encourage anyone who is not to check it out!

As soon as we arrived in New Hampshire this weekend to visit my husband’s parents, my mother-in-law was eager to show off some deeply discounted holiday gifts she recently picked up at CVS.

She bought them not because she thought they would make great stocking stuffers for Xmas 08, but because she thought they were utterly ridiculous and didn’t have her cell phone with her at the drugstore to take photos of them. So she purchased them for our amusement.

Bonney really should have a blog of her own, but because she doesn’t, it’s up to me to share these gems with a wider audience.

Here we have a gift set for the person who has everything. Everything, that is, except for a candle that doubles as hand lotion (??), packaged with (of course) a CD of “fresh, easy-listening contemporary” holiday music.

Just burn, pour, and uh… moisturize. Try to remember to stick that order, I guess.

Here’s another one that I’m sure many people have already seen, but I just can’t get over how lame it is.

There are probably hordes of Sportscenter fans who jumped at the chance to own this electronic Hallmark “Keepsake” ornament, but I would rather get paid to advertise on my tree, instead of the other way around. The thing came with batteries, but we don’t have the stomach to insert them and see what noises it emits.

For their first competition, the snails and slugs engage in a race to the the end of the log.

There doesn’t seem to be a clear winner, so I’m calling it a tie.

The real slackers were hiding out under the log.

UPDATE 1/3/08: Thank you to the Craft Blog for featuring Snails vs Slugs!

I got a little carried away with the Reindeer this year, handing them out like breath mints to friends and coworkers. Now I just have to make one or two for myself!

The pattern still comes for free with any purchase through January 1st. After that, it will be available for $5.