Woo Hoo!  Today I received my new Dude book!  "The Crochet Dude's Designs for Guys"!!!  I am excited to get to it and see if I can actually make something for my hubby or brothers that they would love!

I have flipped through the design/pattern book, which is full of Drew's fantastic humor, and have found wonderful sweaters to make, as well as other odds and ends for men.  I can even see making some of those hunky sweaters in more girlie colors for us women!!  Just a huge array of lovely and wonderful patterns I know I will love to make.

Finally, but not least, one thing I really really love about his book is that he gives you the type of yarn to buy, and then gives you what yarn HE used.  So instead of running out and having to buy "the" yarn, if you have a stash in bulky 5 weight, use it!  What a wonderful concept.  The yarns he uses are fantastic, but now you have a choice.

I have been trying to make a vest sweater for my long time friend in California.  She chose (by default) a pattern from Garn Studio which is really nice, but a bit too open. I have been trying to fix it, but something is wrong with their pattern so I have had a devil of a time, and have wasted many hours.  I see in Drew's book that he has a really super nice zip up vest with front post stitches, and it just fits the bill!  I'm so stoked!  All I have to do is either put in some short rows, if that would work, or just make the front a little bigger/wider, which I think is probably the best bet.

Wonderful!  Nice early Christmas present for myself!