Maxi and I were recently given a set of those knitting spoolies in four sizes.

With the next-to-smallest size, I made him a cap. Instead of adding the pom pom on top, I added extra long lengths of yarn which I braided into several long braids. He loves it.

Using the smallest spoolie, I made him a carry-all for his GameBoy which he can hang around his neck.

Working with 2 strands of 4-ply yarn, I simply made a tube about 7 inches long. Then I used one of my crochet hooks to crochet yarn through the last loop on each peg to secure it. I crocheted a strap to an appropriate length to hang the bag against his chest and then stitched the bottom of the tube closed.

Maxi tends to carry his Game Boy with the game inside of it, so the 7 inch length is handy because it is deep enough for the GameBoy plus game plus extra depth so it won't easily fall out.

'Course, Maxi loves the camoflage yarn, so I made it with that, but such a simple bag could be made quite prettily for the girls on your list.

Merme

Cool! Was the spooly thing very easy to use? I keep looking at them but they look as time consuming as regular knitting to me.

A friend of mine bought the set, and made a baby blanket for Warm Up America and a few hats. She enjoys using it - says it's "mindless", and that it goes very quickly.

They remind me of the old fashion horse-reins - remember those? I still have one!

Either I dont remember the horse reins right or I'm thinking of a different thing??

Wrennie ~ I can guarantee you that the spoolie is far faster than regular knitting but the drawback is its limitations. I knit and crochet and am far faster as a crocheter than I ever will be as a knitter. I knit beautifully, but oh so slo-o-o-owly, I often get sick of the project long before it is done.

The spoolie went very fast and I made my projects while doing other things. I made the cap one evening and the GameBoy bag the next. If I were hand knitting those items, perhaps they would have gotten done in time for next winter!

Merme

I may have to invest in one of those. I know Lys would love all kinds of bags and stuff. Once I got going with her, the boys would ask for them as well and camoflage yarn would be perfect for them.

knifty knitter
is this a 'spoolie' or completely different?

Yup, Wrennie. 'em are spoolies. They come in all sizes, too, from an inch or so wide, like a spool of thread, up to many many inches across.

Merme

We were talking about them on OrganizedChristmas in December, but looking at it I thought it would take me as long as 'regular' knitting. I may have to try one. There were some cool patterns on that site I linked to.

I remember spool flowers that could be attached together in an airy afghan, made with those. And we made some as children out of real wooden spools and did long ropes of yarn to make other things out of. I made a little bedside rug, like a rag rug. Of course my sewing wasn't so good so it uncoiled in a short period of time.