Now that the weather is getting chilly, warm, cozy sweaters are an essential wardrobe staple. Unfortunately, months in storage or an accidental snag can inflict some major damage on the delicate weave of your favorite pullover. Instead of tossing it into the donation pile, mend that hole in your sweater with one of these simple tutorials.

Martha Stewart’s Easy Ways to Fix a Sweater
It’s safe to assume that Martha knows how to fix just about anything, and her sweater-mending tips are second to none. She’ll show you how to stock a knitwear first-aid kit and then use it to fix just about any type of sweater damage.

Darning or Felting a Hole in A Sweater
Whether you prefer stitching with a classic needle and thread or using wool roving and the more complex felting process, both of these options will make your sweater look good as new.

Fix a Hole in a Sweater With Thread
This tutorial from Black Spruce Hound will teach even those with little to no sewing skills how to mend a sweater using a needle and thread. With a few genius twists and turns of the needle, you can even avoid leaving behind those annoying bumps and bulges.

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/tschiae

Coffee aficionados know that different beans and roasting styles create distinctly different tastes, and that's where House of Coffee Beans steps in. Since 1973, House of Coffee Beans has been roasting all its own beans, in small, hand-tended batches, using a vintage German roaster.

This Houston shop offers dozens of different bean varieties, all of which are available to grind and brew at home. Pick up a pound of classic French roast, or treat yourself to one of the shop's custom flavored coffees, like creme brulee, vanilla nut cream, or hazelnut. During the holiday season you can even get unique holiday blends that evoke the flavors of egg nog, gingerbread, or pumpkin pie. If you consider yourself to be a more educated coffee drinker, you'll appreciate the non-flavored, shade-grown, single estate beans in varieties like Ethiopia Sidamo, Sumatra Mandheling, and Celebes Toraja.

House of Coffee Beans
2348 Bissonnet Street
Houston, TX 77005
(713) 524-0057
www.houseofcoffeebeans.com
www.yelp.com/biz/house-of-coffee-beans-houston

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/waferboard

Café Rabelais evokes the charming ambiance of a classic French cafe, and when you sit down at this popular Houston eatery, you just might fancy yourself at a Parisian brasserie. The tables are small and packed close together around the L-shaped bar, and the menu lists classic French dishes.

Try starting your meal with the iconic escargots appetizer, rich with garlic butter. Pate and seared foie gras also provide an authentic start to your meal. The steak frites is a hearty and satisfying choice, and regulars say the tender duck confit pairs excellently with the chef's strawberry balsamic reduction. End your meal in true French style by ordering a cheese plate after your entrée, since your palate will be primed to compare a wedge of buttery brie, pungent gorgonzola, and tangy fresh chevre. Whatever you order, you can be sure that you'll get friendly service, no matter how traditionally French your tastes.

Café Rabelais
2442 Times Boulevard
Houston, TX 77005
(713) 520-8841
www.caferabelais.com/indexOUT.html
www.yelp.com/biz/caf%C3%A9-rabelais-houston-2

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/Laura D'Alessandro