Friday, November 22, 2013

We Were Gypped


I don't know if you've noticed, but this year we have one less week of Christmas celebration! Yes, yes, we still have the 24 days of December before Christmas but we all know that the celebration begins once the turkey has been cleared from the Thanksgiving table and this year that happens a week later than usual.

This means that we need to get our butts in gear. I'm not the only one who puts things off until it's "Christmas time." Start on those scarfs, hats, mittens, pot-holders, wash clothes and amigurumis now! You'll have to play it cool when you see your recipients on Thursday but I think it can be easy to distract them with stuffing or pumpkin pie. Mmmm.

So, to sum up, you've been warned.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

A Chill In The Air


Fall is in full swing and that means it's prime knitting time. Dig out those needles, or hooks, and let the fire burn and the hot cocoa steam. If you're at a loss for what to knit or are bored of working on what you are working on, here are a few suggestions (all free):

Garments:

Designer: Veera Valimaki

A nice quick knit. Something to throw over a long sleeve tee or a simple dress. The collar is fun and can be dressed up with some fancy buttons.

Pattern: Sequoia
Designer: Alegria DaSilva

This vest is also a quick knit and can be worn with so many things. Keep it plain by just throwing it over a simple shirt or make it out of festive yarn or with some mohair and have a classy piece. 

Accessories:


Who doesn't like some subtle leaves? This would make a great gift or even a little present to yourself for the holidays. Since you only need a small amount of yardage you can pamper yourself with a cashmere blend or some alpaca.

Pattern: Maize
Designer: tincanknits

These mitts come in several sizes, from toddler to Adult, are unisex, and can be made into mittens. This is a great pattern with a great payoff. Have the whole family match Christmas day with some lovely mitts or just make a couple pairs for a day out in the snow.

Home:

Pattern: Leafy Washcloth
Designer: Megan Goodacre

Now this is a nice gift. Make a couple and bundle them together under the tree with a nice ribbon. It's a great way to wash your face or even enjoy in the tub with some bubbles. They'll work up fast and you can use your scrap cotton lying around.


What a great way to decorate your house for the holidays, with a festive colored pillow on the couch. It's great for snuggling or for an afternoon nap by the fire. Should whip up in no time and you'll have fun picking out matching buttons to dress it up. 

As always, we have some lovely yarn options at the shop for these patterns and the needles to go with. Hope these suggestions helped and that you can get some lovely projects done before the big man in red comes along.