I really do dig getting nice letters, tips and suggestions.

My inbox is overflowing so here are a few more:

Sunshine creations is prolific in her tutorials - here is one for making felt christmas decorations

Donni writes in with this:

I was wondering if you would be able to highlight a recent post of Ailsa’s - in regards to Knitpicks and the lack out shipping outside the US and Canada. She makes some fine point and I can’t help thinking that “Power of the People” might help this situation.

A simple request is to ask people to add their own thoughts so that we can try and bring this to Knit Picks attention. I guess its a matter of “if you don’t ask you don’t get”.

Baleema sent in a link to some christmas tags for download

Dear Whipup!
I am a daily reader of your wonderful site and nearly every time I am inspired or delighted. I love the sharing character of whipup and the crafty scene in general. This morning I made some Christmas tags that I am offering for download. It would give me the possibility to “give back something”.

Tanna writes in tell us about a collaborative craft blog in her town

Hello, my name is Tanna and I live up here in the cold north of Alaska. I absolutely adore your site and am always finding great tips on creating warm wear and other clever crafts. I have recently begun my own blog with a few other crafters here in town and would love suggestions, comments, or a link! We are at www.craftaddicts.blogspot.com.

By Jennifer New, featuring the journals of many artists, writers and makers.

Published by Princeton Architectural Press.

I have always kept a journal, not constantly, not everyday, but in spurts and starts. I am not sure if I have ever finished a journal or been consistant with the type of journal I keep. Sometimes its a visual journal filled with inspiration and thoughts, sometimes its a memory journal, jotting down daily occurances of the kids words and achievements, sometimes its a personal intimate journal of my darkest thoughts when I am going through a particularly difficult or emotional time. When I was at art school I filled many spiral bound blank notebooks with my process and ideas and concepts. This was a requirement but I also enjoyed doing it, and now I like to look back on these and see how far I have come with my art. When I was a child I had a secret diary complete with padlock, the first entry states quite clearly who I would one day marry and my daughter has a secret diary with a secret pen that can only be read with a special torch. Its wonderful and contains lists of her friends (its not very secret she shows everyone). I love the idea of the journal, I’m just not any good at keeping them going for long.

After reading this book however, I now realise that a diary or journal is whatever it is for each individual. There are many types of journals and many ways of keeping them. This book has totally inspired me to get it together and try again. Maybe I will.

Visually stunning book, perfect in the details, I love the rounded corners and the gridded pages, gorgeous images from the journals, and a great read - a celebration of the humble journal as the essential tool of the creative maker, thinker and do-er.

Jennifer tries to decipher why we keep journals and what purpose they serve. In the process of researching this book she has found that there are four reasons/ways of keeping a journal. And this is how the book is divided: Observation, reflection, exploration and creation. In the opening essay Jennifer disscusses the emotions that a journal invokes and the various experiences keeping a journal, the freedom it gives in self expression or the meditative ritual of writing or drawing everyday. She also discusses the physicality of the journal, the tactile quality and how the act of writing and or drawing is important in the creative process (as apposed to online journals), there are some lovely examples of journals kept by famous artists, thinkers, explorers and scientists, their journals an inspiration to anyone who has seen them.

The book is divided into the four categories mentioned, and within each category are wonderful examples with an introduction about each person and why they keep their journal and what sort of journal they keep.

Observation: The journals of the intricate maps of the daily walks of an elderly Japanese man now over 100 years old. He kept these journals for 25 years before burning them, they were a process for him of understanding his roots and the history of place. A children’s book author obsessively keeps a journal of everything she observes, she finds beauty in her surrounds and travels a great deal in order to “replenish her visual diet”. A marine bioligist illustrates sea creatures near her home, she loves the facts about nature but also uses the journal to explore her heart.

Reflection: An illustrator uses he journals as a therapeutic outlet. An artist has used his journals to deal with childhood ghosts and has enabled him to move beyond and to grow and learn about the world. He is free within the pages of his journal.

Exploration: A designer obsesses over detailed drawings of objects, exploring every angle and view which leads to more ideas. A Photographer uses his journal to re-train his eyes, to break loose from the rules. Travelers keep journals to help them remember but also to see more clearly.

Creation: A designer and quiltmaker uses her journals to work through concepts and thought processes and the emotion that goes into her work. An artist keeps a journal documenting the life of her garden, it is a creative tool.

These are just a few of the journals featured in the book, it is a beautiful journey of self discovery and inspiration. A book to keep going back to.

Contributors list can be found here
Read more about it here