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One-skein wonders make yarn companies cringe. They'd rather you stock up on a few dozen skeins for a sweater or a blanket. But some yarns are so decadent (and often so pricey) that they beg for smaller, special one- or two-skein projects. Artyarns falls into this category. As if reading our minds, owner Iris Schreier has just published a collection of patterns that take the one-skein notion literally one skein further.

Last weekend it was "wagons ho!" to Phoenix, Arizona, for the semiannual TNNA trade show. I went, I talked to a lot of people, and I fondled a ton of new yarn. Here's what stood out.

The latest knitting news usually comes from TNNA, the semiannual trade show taking place in Phoenix this weekend. But last weekend at Vogue Knitting Live in New York we heard big news from Alice Starmore, and we got previews from Ysolda Teague, Addi, and the Buffalo Wool Co. I have the full scoop, with pictures.

Last week's hat pattern left me with bulky yarns on the brain, both literally and metaphorically. I've since discovered a plush, spongy knitted-tube yarn from Rowan. Alpaca Chunky is billed as the chunky sibling to Lima. But on closer inspection, I found several reasons why the yarn merits a little respect on its own. Shall we swatch?

You know what they say about the shoemaker's children never having proper shoes? That was me this week, walking down Portland's Congress Street with nine-degree winds howling around my hatless head. I was away from home, and I had no hat. Clearly, this had to be rectified. As I scrolled through my mental list of suitably warm, bulky wools, my yarndar went off. I was standing just a skein's throw from Pam Allen's office - the one from which she runs her Quince & Co. empire. A quick call and elevator ride later, I was walking away with a skein of Puffin and a plan. I offer the results as my New Year's gift to you: an extremely simple, fast-knitting hat that will ensure the shoemaker never goes shoeless again. It is fittingly called the Shoemaker's Hat. It's yours to download for free until January 15th, and I hope you enjoy it.

This is our last Knitter's Review together in 2011. I'll be taking next week off to tidy my swatches, file away the skeins, and ready the deck for a rich and full New Year. But before we break, let's pause for a moment and look at the year we've just shared. What happened? Where are we now? What's next?

In 17 days, a new year begins. I'd like to hit the 'pause' button on all the frantic year-end scurrying, the last-minute gifts and holiday sales. Instead? Let's escape into the world of three lovely finewool yarns I discovered during my travels this year.

What a year for craft books. You couldn't turn around without tripping on a new title. Want to make puppets out of your cat's hair? Prefer making origami out of duct tape? Not to worry, they've got you covered. Knitting was no different. Some titles stood out amidst the inspiration overwhelm. Here's my list of 11 notable books of 2011.

Since we last spoke, something pretty wonderful happened. I took a road trip to the Finger Lakes region of New York to join 115 of my favorite knitters for the 10th-annual Knitter's Review Retreat. We had yarn galore, inspiration as far as the eye could see, chocolate at (almost) every meal. Underlying it all was a sense of connectedness and community I rarely get from the world at large. I'd love to share it all with you.

Ahhhhhh, Rowan Kidsilk Haze. Who can resist its frothy super kid mohair and lustrous silky halo? Sometimes we don't have the time for the type of lace-weight creation Kidsilk Haze invites. Just in time for the holiday season, Rowan has created a limited-edition version of Kidsilk Haze that whips itself up into a curly scarf in no time flat. Meet Kidsilk Creation.

What a weekend. The San Francisco Bay was as blue as ever, the knitters inspiring and the yarn plentiful. I've brought back stories and pictures from Interweave Knitting Lab, including links to three succulent yarns you'll want to try.

I've fallen in love and its name is Loft. Made from the lively fleeces of sheep that graze on the western U.S. rangelands, and dyed and spun at a historic mill in New Hampshire, this fine, springy yarn embodies all that is good about wool. Please help me welcome the newest addition to Jared Flood's Brooklyn Tweed yarn family.

One of my favorite online traditions is "Friday link love," when you hand over the stage to other online places that inspire you. While it's not Friday, I have five things competing for my attention this week, and I'd like to share them all with you: a charming book, ebook, and accessory; a hotel room we all must visit; and a school in Silicon Valley that's doing things right.

How do you convey the heart and soul of the New York Sheep and Wool Festival, one of the country's largest and most venerable fiber gatherings? Let me walk you through the show from A to Z, from apples and artichokes to yarn and the zoo. Can you guess what Q is?