If you're the sort of person who is not too big on holiday decor but you'd still like to do a little something to make your home cozier for winter, this Christmas tree pillow may be just the thing.

I love this project because it doesn't feel all that much like Christmas. Yes, there's a tree on it, but that could be a regular old pine tree without any holiday connotations at all. And even if you feel the tree is a little too Christmas to be looking at every day once January rolls around, just flip the pillow over and you'll see simple and sophisticated red and green stripes, perfect all winter long.

Recently a reader asked me for more detailed instructions on how to knit a basic smocking stitch known as Butterfly Stitch. I used this stitch on a pillow when I was in high school and remembered enjoying the fun way it came together, with yarn strands worked into the front of the fabric that are then enclosed in a stitch to make the strands look more like a butterfly.

If you're uncertain about how to make this stitch from reading the instructions, check out this Butterfly Stitch tutorial. Once you make the stitch once or twice, you'll find it completely easy and won't even have to follow along with the stitch pattern instructions anymore because you'll know where to place your strands to make them line up with the previous ones.

This pattern is great for adding texture to home decor items like my pillow, or I could see a round of butterflies used along the bottom of a sweater (or even all over) to bring interest without a lot of work.

Another one in the category of great as an ornament or to decorate a gift is this sweet little Chirstmas vest ornament. It knits up in a flash with less than two yards of lightweight yarn, making it a perfect use for those little tiny bits of leftover yarn you don't know what to do with but don't want to throw out, either (you could make it in any yarn weight you like, just use corresponding needles and know that you'll get a bigger finished product when you use a bulkier yarn).

Another cute idea for this project is to use it as the gift tag: just stitch the recipient's initial on the front of the vest and you're ready to go. It could also be knit in team colors rather than Christmas colors for a more personalized gift.

Looking for an easy way to jazz up your gift bags or wrapped presents this year? Or are you just looking for a quick ornament to add to the tree, or a pin to wear on your coat during the holiday season?

This super simple wreath Christmas ornament could be used for all of those purposes. It's simply an I-cord knit around a craft ring, then embellished with jingle bells, yarn, ribbon, beads, charms or anything else you like. You can easily knit one in half an hour or less, using a yard or less of yarn, and decorate them with any little bits and leftover goodies you have from another project. You could work beads in as you knit, or sew buttons on top for a different look. This is one of those projects that you can bring your imagination to and really do anything you want with to make your tree -- or your presents -- look just the way you want.

It's no news to anyone who reads this site regularly that I have pretyt major repetitive stress problems, and I'm always looking for ways to deal with them. I found this item, known as the Good Medicine Ball, in a craft and knitting supply catalog, though it's more commonly sold as an aid to meditation.

Basically it's a batik-fabriced ball filled with flax seeds, lavender, chamomile, rosemary and essential oils that can be either heated in the microwave or frozen to provide hot or cold relief to stiff joints.

I've only used it a couple of times (and only warm, not cold), but it is pretty soothing to my wrists and elbows. Just holding it in my hands feels really nice as well. It provides aromatheraphy as well as heat or cold, which is nice, though the scent is really strong, at least when the ball is new.

If you or someone in your life has trouble with stiff or achy joints (it could, or course, be used on other body parts besides the arms) this little gift is both thoughtful and useful.

A group of knitters in the Bahamas has been busily knitting slippers that will be given to supporters of a fundraiser that aims to help build a girls' school in Sierra Leone. Girls in the troubled nation, especially poor girls, often aren't able to go to school since parents are usually only able to afford to send one child to school, and they usually pick a boy. The knitters aimed to have at least 200 pairs of slippers to support the cause.

Meanwhile, apparently knitting isn't such a popular hobby as it once was in Pakistan. It used to be that old women and children alike were frequently seen knitting, particularly in the winter, when nights are long and people need warm clothes. But reports say that interest in knitting has declined over the past decade and it's now rarely taught to children. The story notes that people are busier these days and have other options for dealing with boredom without the "long and tiring practice of knitting," but also that people in the West are still knitting despite even busier lives and more options for killing time.

Recently I provided a link to a knit music video, and this week I have another knit video to show you. This one is a short film that was shown at the Encounters Film Festival in Bristol, England, having to do with protecting the environment. It's a lovely film with a good message and a nice showcase for our craft.

Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick and Quick, 80 percent acrylic, 20 percent wool. 108 yards per 6-ounce skein, super-bulky.

Early on in my career here at About I wrote a pattern using this yarn for a Basketweave Scarf. It's always been a popular pattern, and I think part of the reason is because this huge yarn is really easy to work with and the project is complete in a flash. Now that holiday knitting time is truly upon us, it seemed relevant to bring up this yarn and this pattern again for anyone who might be looking for a quick to knit and easy to care for project.

Share pictures of yarn you love on About.

With it being American Thanksgiving this week, I've been thinking a lot about being thankful for all the crafty people in my life. And there were a lot of them, from a young age. My grandmother was a big crocheter and helped teach me to knit, cross stitch and do other crafty stuff, along with my mom, who mostly knits and sews.

I also have aunts who are crafty and artists, and though we're not much in touch these days I'm sure that influenced me growing up. Getting handmade gifts has never been strange or a bad thing in my family as it is with some people.

Anyway, this week I'd like to hear about your crafty family members, and if you'd like to publicly give thanks for the other crafters in your life (family or otherwise), do so by adding a comment.

I think everyone who's ever had a Christmas tree has a bunch of those basic round glass ornaments. Don't get me wrong, those ornaments are fine, but it's also nice to dress some of them up with a quick bit of knitting.

Here's a pattern for a little Cat's Eye Lace ornament that uses a plain glass ball as the base. This is a great way to jazz up ornaments for your own tree or to make a giftable ornament in no time. Each ball cover takes a couple of hours to knit (at least if you're watching TV while doing it, like I was), and you can make them in any color you've got a bit of laceweight yarn in. Then just sew up the sides, put the ball inside and cinch the top closed to make your glass ornament cozy and cute.

Now that there are so many stitches in the knitting stitch glossary, even I'm having a bit of trouble remembering which stitches I've featured before. That's what I blame on me knitting another swatch of Slip Stitch Honeycomb, also known as Loop Stitch, even though it's already posted on the site.

I think this is a great pattern for winter because it's super easy and quick to knit (you're only really working half the stitches on half the rows) but it makes a nice, dense, warm fabric that's perfect for cool weather as well. I could see this pattern used on a sweater or even on a warm woolly afghan.