Ok, so creating club colourways is hands-down one of the best parts of my job (because it’s really like dyeing for a bunch of friends) but probably just as much fun is putting together our club gifts.  And when I worked with Commonwealth Press here in Pittsburgh and we came up with this adorable messenger bag for the December SpaceMonsters parcel, well, I was just crazy with excitement!

It’s awesome, right?  Big enough to hold anything from a whole sweater project to a stack of books to my 15″ laptop to your smaller project plus everything you need for your day, it’s a fantastically versatile bag.  And with our SpaceMonster grinning away, it’s super cute too.  And I couldn’t wait to show it off!

A bag like that is made for moving and going and carrying so my assistant Jade and I decided to photograph it outside doing just that.  But as you know, I ended up spending most of December recovering from pneumonia — no way could I take those photos!  And then, as we turned the calendar for the new year, a deep freeze set into Pittsburgh that had temperatures so cold we could feel our faces freezing as soon as we stepped outside.  So the December SpaceMonster parcels went out, yarn and gift nestled inside, but I was so sad to have never gotten to share how awesome the bag is…

And then last week, the weather turned.  Jade grabbed a SpaceMonster bag and I grabbed my camera and we found a great spot to take some shots.  At last!  The scene was cool and industrial — so Pittsburgh — and I loved the play of old metal against the crisp snow as Jade walked past an old tanker truck.

But what’s a knitting bag without a bit of knitting, right?  We her standing against the truck, leaning on the truck, adjusting this way or that… but it just wasn’t working.  Ok, I asked, what if you hop up onto the ledge and sit there to knit?  It was a good suggestion — as soon as Jade scampered up onto the metal ledge running along the tanker, everything fell into place and I got lots of great shots.  She knit, the bag posed, and my camera clicked away.

Walking back, it was cold, still only about 12F and I was keen to get back into the warm studio.  But I suddenly realised I’d never taken a good close up shot and asked her to turn around for one last snap.  And as I focused the camera on the bag, I realised to my horror that the back of her jeans were soaking wet.  And not a little either — that poor girl was soaking wet.

“Yeahhhh..  Did you know I was actually sitting right in the snow?”  I honestly hadn’t realised…  I thought she’d say!  But sitting there on a metal ledge in the snow, in freezing temperatures, she just kept knitting serenely until I got the shot.  I was blown away — what a good egg she is!

We have tea at the studio (of course) and a hot cuppa cures a lot of ills as far as I’m concerned  …but it didn’t fix this.  She told me later that she actually  didn’t feel warm again until seven o’clock that night.  Oh my stars!

So, it’s a cute bag, eh?  I’m so thrilled to have been able to put together such a cool gift for our SpaceMonsters.  And the model?  Seriously, she’s awesome.  Just awesome.

(And, I am happy to report, she’s also warm again at last)

(PS — if you’re a member of the SpaceMonsters and received the December parcel, there’s just a few days left to get extra skeins or an extra bag if you’d like.  I’ve sent you an email with the link this morning, so check your inbox)

The Gradient Explorers: Spaces Open Today at Noon!

In the Gradient Explorers we create a gorgeous Never Ending gradient, just as we do for our Mini-Skeins, but for full-sized skeins so they build up into sweater sets!  How cool is that?  Just like the Gradient Mini-Skeins, each month’s colours flow into the next but in larger skeins to create bigger colour blocks and more gradual shifts that are perfect for sweaters and larger projects.  You choose the yarn you want to receive each month: Vega (merino worsted), Lyra (merino sport), Aurora (fingering with cashmere), or Celeste (light merino fingering).  And we start dyeing, all in colours that coordinate with our regular colourways so they’ll work with your stash too!

We open spaces to the Gradient Explorers only when they become available and we have a few spots opening today at noon (eastern). So quick, grab your phone and set a reminder, and then click here at noon to grab your spot!

That’s it, I’ve gotta go.  But I couldn’t resist sharing that story with you.  Have a great (warm, dry) weekend!

 

 

Last week, we finally had a break in the deep freeze that had had such a tight grip on us, and my assistant Jade and I got a chance to get out and take some photos of the fabulous messenger bag that I’d had custom screenprinted as the gift in the December SpaceMonsters parcel.  It felt so good to be outside (even if it was still only 12F!), good to be well enough to do a photoshoot, and so good to finally capture some pictures of that awesome bag.

Then I made a little mistake …and I’ll tell you about it tomorrow!  (In the meantime, just a quick heads up to the SpaceMonsters members who received the December parcel: if you wanted to order any extra skeins or another of those bags, you’ve got only a couple of days before they close.  Check your emails for the club-only link to place your order).

But right now I’m not outside in snow and 12F weather!  I’m happily tucked up in a comfortable chair with a nice cup of tea, a notebook (always), my knitting (ditto), and lots of fun fibery news to share with you.  So, if you’ll grab a cup of tea or coffee too, let’s sit down and jump right in…

If you spotted photos of a bunch of itty-bitty shawls all over your social media feeds last year (like the one above), that was part of the 5 Shawls 5 Days Challenge.  The idea is that Frenchie of Aroha Knits takes you through the basics of shawl shaping super succinctly by guiding you through the creation of five mini-shawl prototypes in five days.  And it was such a huge hit that Frenchie is doing it again!  The 2018 5 Shawls 5 Days Challenge  starts Jan 29.  Click here to sign up and then cake up your Mini-Skeins!  (I signed up last year, got busy and didn’t get my mini-skeins caked up, and then missed it.  This year, I’m trying again and getting my minis caked up early.  Will you join me?)

I know you have yarn weights down (if you don’t, here’s a primer — I won’t tell) but sewing fabrics might be less familiar.  I found this article on Demystifying Fabric Weights really informative.

Picking just the right increase or decrease for your project can be the difference between something that looks amazing and something that looks remarkably homemade (and not in a good way).  I love YarnSub’s fabulous tutorial walking us through the K2tog-L stitch.  So good to know!

If you didn’t see this wonderful video about Aspen and her knitting, it is well worth it.  She’s blind, on the autism spectrum, and knits in class (yes!) to better her community.  You go, Aspen.

The Gradient Explorers: New Spaces Open Tomorrow!

You’ve seen the latest colourway for the Gradient Explorers and it takes the ever-growing gradient in a whole new direction that the whole team is just swooning over.  We open spaces to the Gradient Explorers only when they become available and we have a few spots that will open tomorrow, Friday Jan 26, at noon. Set a reminder on your phone so you don’t miss it!

Sweater Sets Shop Update: Next Friday Feb 2

It’s sweater weather time!  And we do some seriously gorgeous Sweater Sets in gradients that link from one of our regular colourways to another (so it’s dead easy to add extra skeins if you need them!).  But we’re low on stock so we are dyeing more  for a shop update next Friday, Feb 2.

Plus, we’re creating a few sets of an amazing one-of-a-kind gradient that I am just crazy excited about.  Can’t wait for you to see it, so mark next Friday on your calendar!

 

Woman Must Make Her Own Arrows by Larissa Brown

For knitters with a sense of adventure, this gorgeous pattern contains steps to lead you through creating this unusual shawl shape, plus ideas for customising it…  and then the rest is up to you!  Knit in fingering weight yarn, it’s an opportunity to grab some amazing colours from your stash (of either full skeins or minis) and create a one-of-a-kind combo.  (Hint: if you choose a bunch of colours from one side of the colour wheel, grab one more from the other side and watch how it brings the all the others to life!)

A-dress by Lacelegance

Oh sit down, knitter, sit down!  Because this has to be one of the most heart-stopping patterns I’ve ever seen.  Created in light fingering, its stunning lace is knit into a gentle A-line shape that drops from the shoulders in a way that you can just tell is going to be all lovely and swishy around your ankles.  Lace like this is not for the faint of heart but… mmmm-mmmm… beautiful!

images © the respective designers,  used with permission

This has nothing to do with knitting or crocheting, but I really want your thoughts.  The other night, I was up late doing some tax stuff and flipping through the channels…  and I came across a new property show set right here in Pittsburgh called Restored By The Fords.  And while I was initially intrigued because all the properties are right around our local area, I am not so sure how I feel about the “restorations”.  At all. (In fact, this was the first property show that ever made think, “What does the producer do if the homeowners suddenly decide they really hate it?!?”  That thought occured when the designer painted the clients’ walls black and white, and then also painted their piano in the same colours so it camouflaged into the wall.  Hmmmm…)

Anyway, I really want to know if anyone else has watched this show and what your thoughts are. Please click here to come tell me on Ravelry (and here for more info about the show).  I’d be really grateful!

 

Ok, that’s it.  I’ve got a busy day in the studio ahead of me, dyeing a new colourway I’ve just come up with and I’m SO excited!  I’ll show you soon and, in the meantime, I hope you have a wonderful day and all my best!

 

 

Snow Days…

Last night, as the snow came down in soft swirling flakes, I sat on the couch with a cup of tea, watching the cars as they spun their tires trying to go up our hill (and inevitably slide back down). As bad as I felt for those drivers (and I did), I couldn’t help but feel grateful to be tucked up in my house, warm and safe and with no where to go.

Eventually the snow plough came along, salt spraying out the back, and tamed the snow enough for traffic to pass by safely again.  But it got me thinking about what a wonderful time of year this is to concentrate on the slower things.  The holidays are over, the busy-ness of spring is still a long way off, and everything feels a little like it’s in limbo.  What a perfect opportunity to spend a little quiet time at home, focusing on all those warm and woolly pursuits that make us feel grounded and safe while it’s cold and snowy outside.

And in that vein, I’ve got a lovely cup of tea next to me, my knitting nearby, and a lot of great fibery news to share with you.  So if you’ve got a nice warm cuppa too, let’s take a look…

Although I always think of January as Selfish Knitting Month, I love the term “hiberknitting” too!  Loveknitting.com created this fun quiz to see what type of hiberknitting animal you are.  I’m a dormouse — what did you get?

Nothing to do with knitting or crochet at all but I think I need one of these. I mean, I have a full-sized dishwasher in the kitchen but still…  I need one!

The beginning of the year is a great time to start anew and if you want to use this time to improve your knitting skills, I love knitting.today’s series to Improve Your Knitting Skills in 30 Days.  Even if you’re a great knitter, there’s bound to be something you haven’t tried before (steeking, people, steeking!)

Dates for Your Calendar

The Gradient Explorers: New Spaces Open Jan 26

 

You’ve seen the latest colourway for the Gradient Explorers and it takes the ever-growing gradient in a whole new direction that the whole team is just swooning over.  We open spaces to the Gradient Explorers only when they become available and we have a few spots open at the end of this month so mark your calendar for Friday Jan 26 at noon.

Sweater Sets Shop Update: Feb 2 TBD

It’s sweater weather time!  And we do some seriously gorgeous Sweater Sets in gradients that link from one of our regular colourways to another (so it’s dead easy to add extra skeins if you need them!).  But we’re low on stock so we are dyeing more this month for a shop update on Feb 2.  Set a reminder on your phone!

Two quick projects I want to share with you before I go…

Andrea knit her Adventurous Wrap with SpaceCadet Mini-Skeins and I love how it came out.  Talk about living up to the pattern name!

Rebecca made these two beautiful hats by striping the colourways from our October SpaceMonster Club parcel, and I think they look terrific!  She’s made two more as well, and all four are different from the others.  Click here to see them and show her beautiful knitting some love!

Ok, that’s it for today.  I’ve finished my tea and it’s time I got down to the studio — we’re going to work on some of those new colourways we were playing with last week (keep an eye on my Instagram for process pics!).  I hope you have a wonderful day ahead of you too and, until next time, all my best!

 

Dyeing is always about creativity and always about colour, but it isn’t always about playing.  And I realised recently that we needed to get in the studio and just play a bit.  No plan, no dyeing list, no preconceptions…  Just gathering a bunch of skeins, getting all the dyes out, and letting our imaginations run.  So yesterday, that’s what we did!

(Here’s a little behind-the-scenes designed to show you what we did while not actually revealing anything)

It felt wonderful to shed the pressure we usually place on ourselves and to just experiment and explore and create.  And that feeling of freedom came through in the new colourways we dyed.  They’re all in the studio drying now and, if I like the results as much as I think I’m going to like them, I’ll be photographing and sharing them with you in the coming weeks!

But there’s no hurrying drying — it just takes a long as it takes — so, while we wait, let’s occupy ourselves with all the fun fiber-y news I’ve spotted this week.  Are you ready?…

Awhile back, I wrote a blog post about How to Use Instagram for Knitting Inspiration and one of my key points was to use  hashtags to find patterns and other knitters you like.  At that time, the only way to do that was to use the search to find posts with that hashtag but Instagram has now made it possible to follow a hashtag the same way you’d follow another Instagram user and the result is an IG feed that’s just bursting with knitting and crochet inspiration!  To follow a hashtag, just tap on it in a post or search for it in the search window, and then tap the blue “follow” button on the hashtag’s feed (here’s a quick tutorial).  For knitting, try following #knittersofinstagram #knitting_inspiration #knittingaddict #knittersofig #knitsagram;  for crochet, try #crochetersofinstagram #crochetgram #instacrochet #crochetaddict #crochetlove; and for SpaceCadet yarn, follow #spacecadetyarn #spacemonstersclub #spacecadetminiskeins #yarnalliance.

The new year a great time to be adventurous and pick up new skills (especially when the weather forces you to stay indoors the way it has here in Pittsburgh).  If you are a knitter who has always wanted to learn to crochet, I am intrugued by The Learn to Crochet Project from loveknitting.  Starting with a simple chain, it promises to walk you step-by-step through everything you need to know to begin crocheting with confidence, and your first project is a really pretty cowl.  Grab a hook and check it out!  The first installment (last week’s) is here and the second (this week’s) is here.

This has nothing to do with knitting or crochet but had me laughing out loud while also screaming “WHAT?!?” inside my head.

I am utterly blown away by the Flying Mosque, a hand-crocheted art installation currently on display in the United Arab Emirates.  Created by the same artist who produced The Urchins (and produced by a team of over 40 crocheters), it is simply beautiful.  When you click the link, scroll down toward the bottom of the page to see it turning in the wind.  Mesmerizing!

Dates for Your Calendar

Shop Update: either Jan 26 or Feb 2 TBD

It’s sweater weather time!  And we do some seriously gorgeous Sweater Sets in gradients that link from one of our regular colourways to another (so it’s dead easy to add extra skeins if you need them!).  But we’re low on stock so we’ll be dyeing more this month — look for a shop update to be announced for either Jan 26 or Feb 2 as we get closer to the end of the month.

**SPOILER** The Latest Gradient Explorers Colourway: Sun Shower

The most recent yarn in our (full-sized) Never-Ending Gradient went out to the members of the Gradient Explorers and, I have to tell you, I think it’s amazing.  I’m pretty sure most of the parcels have been delivered but, if you’re a member and haven’t received yours yet, quick — close your eyes and scroll down!

This is Sun Shower, and it takes that same lavender that we hinted at a couple of months ago in Frost Moon and layers it with a stunning periwinkle and bold, deep purples. I love how they run over one another, blending and dividing as they do. And then, for an exciting pop of contrast, we added in a wonderful buttery yellow that somehow looks perfect against all the blues and purples, don’t you think?

I sent an email to all the Gradient Explorers members introducing the colourway and sharing a whole BUNCH of ideas for awesome fades. I found is that the Gradient Explorers skeins of the last few months work so beautifully with so many SpaceCadet colourways that mixing and matching them is super-easy — but choosing between them is really hard! The fades below are all quite similar, but look carefully and you can see subtle differences that will impact how the final project turns out.

Choose your favourite and then click here to vote in my poll on Ravelry — I’d love to know which one you liked best!

Gradient Explorers: New Spaces Open on Jan 26

We open spaces to the Gradient Explorers only when they become available and we should have a few spots open at the end of this month so mark your calendar for Jan 26, and look for joining instructions  in upcoming newsletters.

 

The Habitat Cardigan by Jess Coppom

This is the time of year when I reach for big, slouchy cardigans to wrap myself up in and keep the cold at bay (sometimes two cardigans, if one is big enough to fit over the other!).  This lovely loose design is exactly what I have in mind and, if you’re planning to try The Learn to Crochet Project that I mentioned above, you’ll be glad to know that this beautiful crochet design is both beginner-level and free!

Unheeded Warnings by Barbara Benson

Two things I really love about this design: first, the name, which stems from Barbara’s unwavering belief that there had to be a way to successfully combine colour and lace; and second, the fact that this design is a fabulous way to combine that variegated skein that’s had you stumped with a semi-solid skein that will tame it a little — swatch them together and see if I’m not right!

All images © the respective designers and used with permission

For as cold as it’s been in Pittsburgh, today and tomorrow we are getting a very short reprieve — today is forecast to hit almost 60F!  And so we’re going to taking the opportunity stocktake of some of the yarn that’s stored in an area that’s usually uncomfortably cool this time of year.   So I had better finish my coffee and get to it!  I hope you enjoyed taking this quick fiber-filled break with me and, until next time, all my best!

The new year always starts with a mix of excitement and trepidation.  Everything is fresh and new, everything is a blank page, and the possibilities are endless!  …And yet, can I possibly live up to all that has to offer?  When I first mark that blank page, can I do it justice?

Photo by rawpixel.com

As each year passes, I’ve gotten a little better at harnessing that potential.  Not that I ever feel I’ve lived up to it, mind you, but I’ve moved on from resolutions (so harsh!) to goals (more forward-thinking) and this year, perhaps, to cultivating practices.  I’m hoping to make 2018 mindful and focused and I’m sharing with you some of the ways I’ll be trying to do that.

But before I do, I hope you had lovely holidays.  Ours were wonderful — mostly quiet with family, which felt exactly right, and gave me a chance to really rest.  I am knocking on wood as I say it, but I feel like I’m starting to get back to feeling like myself again. Of course, I say that but then I tried 15 minutes of yoga this week and had to rest for 30 minutes afterwards.  Baby steps, I guess.

Oh, one other quick thing: this week, the “k” key on my laptop keeps sticking, which is something of a problem for someone who writes about knitting a lot, so if you see me mention “nitting” somewhere below, you’ll know why.  Anyone know how to fix a laptop key that’s acting up? (Also, just take a guess as to how many times I had to type “the ‘k‘ key on my keyboard keeps sticking” before it came out right?!?)

Ok, ready for all the usual weekly fun?  Here we go…

As it’s the first week of a the new year, with all that has to offer, I’m devoting this section to sharing my favourite ideas and tools for making the most of 2018….

New Year’s Resolutions always feel kind of doomed to fail (if you kept yours in 2017, hit reply and tell me how!) and year-long goals are… well… long.  Instead, I kind of like the idea of a bucket list for the new year: individual things you want to do, try, or learn at some point in the year.  This article gives four steps for creating a great 2018 bucket list.

And along those lines, I really liked this article with six tips for cultivating a creative practice in 2018.  Whether it’s knitting or crochet or writing or playing guitar or whatever creative outlet you most enjoy, I absolutely love the idea of taking our innate creativity and consciously building a practice around it.

I’ve told you about Workflowy before but it is a tool that I love so very much that I have to share it with you again.  I don’t really know how to categorise it: it’s a list-making tool, an organisational tool, a note-taking and brainstorming and mind-dumping and everything tool.  I use it all the time and you just have to try it to understand what I mean (or, watch this video… but really, just give it a go).  And it’s free(!) up to 250 items a month (“items” means lines, and that will make more sense once you’ve tried it) but, if you sign up with this link, both you and I get an extra 250 items for free.  So give it a try — and then please hit reply and let me know what you think!

Bullet journalling is a thing I always feel I ought to conquer but somehow never do. I mostly just make to do lists.  This year might be different.  I will never be one of those artsy people who create works of art on every page (I know a few and they amaze me!) but I can at least use my journal for more than lists.  I’ll use this Bullet Journaling 101 article as a guide (or maybe the whole series).  This week, I put a fresh notebook in my Traveller’s Notebook and, while I use a Pilot Metropolitan fountain pen, I also got a Lamy Vista for Christmas and I really like it. (And I do like to pop a printable Knitting Project Card in my notebook to keep track of what I’m working on at the moment).

Ok, just for fun: I shared with you a few weeks ago what fun it is to blow bubbles in super cold weather and watching them freeze (have you tried it? Go! Do it!).  This week I discovered the absolute joy of making my own snow.  You wouldn’t think that throwing a pan of boiling water into the air would delight a grown woman as much as it did, but I actually started giggling like a little kid when the water froze and turned into snow.  If you’ve never done it, try it!  Here’s a video to show you how (…how to do something so easy that you don’t really need the video).

 

Dates for Your Calendar

Shop Update: either Jan 26 or Feb 2 TBD

It’s sweater weather time!  And we do some seriously gorgeous Sweater Sets in gradients that link from one of our regular colourways to another (so it’s dead easy to add extra skeins if you need them!).  But we’re low on stock so we’ll be dyeing more this month — look for an update to be announced for either Jan 26 or Feb 2 as we get closer to the end of the month.

Gradient Explorers: New Spaces Open on Jan 26

We’re about to send out the latest colourway for the Gradient Explorers and it takes the ever-growing gradient in a whole new direction that the whole team is just swooning over.  I can’t wait to share photos with you!  We open spaces to the Gradient Explorers only when they become available and we should have a few spots open at the end of this month so mark your calendar and look for updates in upcoming newsletters.

The SpaceMonsters Latest Parcel

And while we’re at it, I just have to share with you the SpaceMonsters December colourway.  This was the last parcel of the 2017 season and I just love the both the club colourway, Tannenbaum, and the coordinate, Winterberry.  Don’t you?

This parcel also had an awesome gift that I was too sick in December to photograph, but I’m hoping to snap some photos and show you in next week’s newsletter.  For no other reason than that I love it so much!  Seriously, it’s just so much fun to create beautiful colourways and put together great gifts for our club members!  The club doesn’t open again until June but if you want to hear first when it does, get on the SpaceMonsters mailing list.

 

It’s been bitterly cold here in Pittsburgh (ask me what that does to our dyepots!) so, this week, I am entirely preoccupied with keeping warm — and that spilled over into my pattern picks.

All images © the respective designers and used with permission

Below 60 Beanie by Benjamin Matthews

Ok, when I first read the name of the pattern, I thought it was Below Minus 60, because that’s how cold it feels right now.  But even if it’s not really that cold and even if this hat isn’t name quite so dramatically, it’s the perfect wintery quick-knit to keep your noggin warm.  And it’s FREE through January 5, so snap it up quick!

“The Huggle” Hooded Cowl by Jess Coppom

As cold as I’ve been this week, how could I resist this cowl-that-becomes-a-hood?  A super-simple pattern, it’s just one of those practical things you’ll end up reaching for all winter long (personally, I’d be wearing it inside my jacket so it fills that gap around my neck where the wind sneaks in.  Knit in bulky yarn, this free pattern would look great (and be sooo warm) in our bulky Elara.

Heriz by Hunter Hammersen

What’s the thing that gets cold the most? My toes!  And I want socks that look pretty, of course, but that keep my feet warm (“No lace, Mrs Bennet, I beg you!”).  Heriz fit the bill perfectly — such delicate stitchwork can be combined with a no-holes design is exactly what I want.   Knit them in Oriana and they’re sure to keep you toasty year after year.

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Ok, it’s time to get back to work.  I’ve got some fun photography to do today (new Gradient Explorer’s colour combos!) and a little colourway brainstorming as well.  And then it’s off to the studio to see if those colourways come out the way I’d imagined.  Thanks for spending some time with me this morning and, until next time, all my best!

Hooray! Hooray!  It’s the Winter Solstice!  Officially the first day winter, what it is really is the shortest day of the year (and, therefore, also the longest night).  Having lived for so long in Britain, where the sunrise on the Winter Solstice can be as late as 9am and sunset as early as 3.30pm, the solstices have special meaning for me because, while today is the depth of Winter’s darkness — something to enjoy with candles and tea and warm blankets and cosy knitting — tomorrow we begin the slow lengthening of the days that will take us, day by day, back to summer.

Photo by Mira Kemppainen

And of course Christmas is only a few days away (what?!? I’m so not ready!) and, while it is the season of peace and joy, it really can feel like anything but.  So much to do, so much traffic, things to remember, and things you forgot…  And I think the best way to remedy that is by spending time in the company of good friends and family (who don’t care what you did or didn’t forget), indulging in much-loved slow traditions (ours is decorating our tree on Christmas Eve by taking the whole day to make gingerbread men and saltdough stars — I love the smell of pine and gingerbread!), and naturally, curling up at the end of it all with your needles or hook to let go of whatever stress you’re still holding onto to.

And to help make that happen, I’ve gathered up some wonderful yarny things to share with you. So grab a cup of something lovely and steamy, find a comfy spot to sit, and enjoy!  Oh, and make sure you read to the bottom, because I’ve got a special request of you, ok?  Right, here we go…

To me, colour is something to dive into with abandon but I know that lots of folks find colour combining really intimidating.  If that’s you, check out this article with some really excellent and simple tips to take the tension out of putting colours together for stranded colourwork.   Really worth reading.

Some knitters and crocheters are in it for the finished object, some are in it for the math (bless ’em), and some of us are in it to give that creative energy a healthy place to go.  If you’re the latter (a “chaos maker” according to my assistant Jade), you’ll be nodding your head at this list of Twenty Things Only Highly Creative People Would Understand.  And if you’re not, it might help you make a little more sense of the chaos-makers in your life.

Pom-poms are everywhere at the moment and everyone knows that gradients are gorgeous.  I love this tutorial combining the two to show you how to make a gradient pom-pom.  Because that’s what your life was missing and now you are complete.  (Mini-Skein Club members: go on, get on it! and please send me pictures so I can see!)

Nothing to do with knitting but everything to do with winter and I am totally going to try this one cold day: blowing bubbles in freezing temperatures is stunningly beautiful!

Photo by Aaron Burden

There’s no time to order anything and the shops are just insane.  But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered for last-minute gifts that will be an instant hit…

The SpaceMonster Mega Yarn Club is Open Now! (But Closes Saturday)

A SpaceMonster Club subscription gives yarny goodness all year long!  We spend a lot of time planning everything that goes into the club to ensure that being a part of the SpaceMonster Club is about gorgeous new colourways, awesome gifts, and the fun of sharing it all with a community of fellow club members.

The SpaceMonster Club opens to new members only twice a year and only for two weeks.  It’s open now until Dec 23, and then it closes again for a whole six months so, if you’ve been thinking about joining, you’ll want to grab a spot now!  (And you know what’s the best part?  It makes an excellent (and easy!) holiday gift that lasts a whole year!)

Four Months of Mini-Skeins: a Gift Subscription

You know that our popular Mini-Skein Club is a super-fun way to collect a palette of colours but, because it’s an ongoing subscription, I know it’s a little tricky to give as a gift.  So just for the holidays, we’ve put together an awesome option for easy gift-giving… Now you have the chance to give a one-time gift subscription to your favourite knitter or crocheter — or try it yourself!

And y’know, I’ve never been one of those (amazing) folks who get all their holiday shopping done on Dec 1 —  I’m always scrambling a few days before the holidays to find the perfect gift.  And if you’re that kind of person too, I getcha!   So I’m making our Four-Month Gift Subscription available right up to Dec 23 to save your last-minute-shopping bacon!  Tell us who your gift recipient is and we’ll be sure to send them an email to let them know what you’ve got them.  Click here for all the details.

Fir shawl by Melody Hoffmann

To me, the deepest, darkest winter is all about texture — and this beautiful shawl’s incredibly subtle texture is absolutely perfect.  Knit in worsted weight yarn, our Vega would show off the stitchwork perfectly.  Knit it in Drizzle or Dark Skies for a wonderful neutral look, Longing for colour of deep pine forests, or Troublemaker to shake things up a little.

Fissure by Simone Kereit

Texture combined with gentle colour might be even better.  I absolutely love the three-dimentional effect of the shawl’s stitchwork, where one colour layers over another.  Ah, the magic of slipped stitches!  Try it in Oriana in the colourways Sliver, Breathless and Drizzle for an ethereal look.  Or go for Feather, Crisp, and Plume for a striking cool-hued combination.

Jessica Jones by handmade by SMINÉ

And there’s probably no texture more sublime than classic linen stitch.  This beautiful cowl is pattern shows it off perfectly, and is available for free until midnight Dec 24 (New Zealand time). Knit it in Oriana in the colourways Dark Skies or Fat-Free Chocolate for wonderful winter neutrals, Thrive for a subtle colour play, or Tickled or Gobsmack to make a real statement.

all images © the respective designers and used with permission

This isn’t really a pop quiz, because I couldn’t possibly guess what your answers might be to create a poll.  But I shared with you our family tradition of decorating our tree on Christmas Even with freshly made gingerbread and saltdough ornaments.  It’s not something I did as a kid but rather a new tradition we developed on our own as a family, and it means so much to me.

Photo by Joanna Kosinska

I love the way it creates a transition from Advent to Christmas, how it turns the whole day before the holiday into a celebration as well (with flour and mess and texture and smells and laughter and silliness and joy), and oh, did I tell you about the scent of pine and gingerbread together?!? It’s gorgeous, and it lingers all through Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. It’s lovely!

And now I’d love to know your most cherished tradition.  Whether it’s something you grew up doing or a tradition you created on your own, come over to Ravelry and tell me the thing you do every holiday season that means the most to you.  I’d really love to hear about it!

 

Ok, that’s it for today.  There’s an awful lot left to do this week, so I’d better get to it!  I hope the rest of your week is crowd-and-craziness-free, full of fiber, good food and fun.  And until next time, I wish you the very happiest of holidays!