Thursday, November 30, 2023, Issue 323: Happy Thursday....What is on your needles?

Advent starts soon! Our Advent Sets / Kits are on SALE!! 

I have these beautiful Advent Calendars from SweetGeorgia left over from last year. For 24 days in December, SweetGeorgia will immerse you in a festive season filled with colour, delight and woolly lightness with their 2022 Advent sets! Yes, the date says 2022 but they are brand new and I had hoped to get new labels for them.

Here’s a sneak peek! The Fingering-weight base features 15 individually wrapped mini-skeins of Tough Love Sock and CashLuxe Spark, a total of 788 yds / 720 m, a lovely array of accessories and surprises, one knit shawl pattern by Tabetha Hedrick and one crochet shawl pattern by Ruth Nguyen. Both patterns are laid out in a twenty-four-day schedule.

I also have a few of the SweetGeorgia Fibre Advent Calendars.

Here’s a sneak peek of the main Fibre box but not the second box! The Spinning base features 15 individually wrapped fibres of various fibres, a total of 6.5 oz / 184 g and a lovely array of accessories and surprises.

Each Advent set offers a luxuriant treat of self-care, beauty, fibre-fun.

Here are some of the Koigu Festive 25 Day Kits and Winter/Summer Solstice Jasmine Kits that are available.

Koigu Festive 25 Day Kits contain 25 'demi' skeins of Koigu "KPPPM" (100% Merino Wool). Each skein contains 87 yards (2,175 yards total).

• 100% Merino Wool
• 3.0mm Needles (US 3)
• 28 stitches by 36 stitches over 10cm by 10cm

Koigu Winter / Summer Solstice 24 Demi Skeins of Jasmine DK contain

24 x 25g (60 yds) Jasmine (1,440yds)

Jasmine is the sister yarn of KPM. It is spun from the same fine merino sheep. Three plied DK weight for durability, this lightweight wool is soft, silky, and retains the natural elasticity. An extremely versatile yarn, like KPM. Ideal for both hand knitting and crochet, as well as machine knitting, weaving and needlework; this yarn is perfect for creating dresses, slippers, sweaters, shawls, blankets, hats, and gloves... the list could go on forever!

• 100% Merino Wool
• 3.5mm/4mm - 6-7US Needles
• 22 stitches 10cm/4”

Join the fun December knit-a-long - the fifth year of Ambah’s Festive KAL, 2023.

Choose any of Ambah’s current  Advent inspired designs and the 3 (or so) new designs coming in 2023, and join Ambah over in the Pre- chat Ambah’s Festive KAL 2023 for festivities, fine company, lovely prizes and and general joy.

Ambah's Festive KAL 2022

The Knitvent 2023 collection by Helen Stewart @curioushandmade celebrates the sweetness of the season. This year's collection includes six mystery knitting patterns. Five festive weeks. An irresistible feast of secrets and surprises to indulge your most knitworthy loved ones and feed your own creative heart.

Knitvent is a cross between a holiday countdown calendar and a mystery knit along. Each week, you’ll get a secret knitting pattern (or two!) in your inbox. Expect fun, speedy knits and super-giftable accessories, as well as one grand, irresistible “holiday calendar” design, designed to make the most of 24 mini skeins of yarn or your own colourful stash of scraps.

Firefly Notes Stitch Marker Advent Calendars and the matching Firefly Notes Stitch Marker Tin are also on SALE.

This year's theme is the: “FAIRY WORLD AND THE NIGHT SKY".

And 2023’s calendar is EXTRA SPECIAL!

This year they have not only designed ALL of their packaging and matching insert cards as usual but they have also designed EACH AND EVERY CHARM that is on the markers and progress keepers! Wow! Every single charm is TOTALLY EXCLUSIVE to Firefly Notes. Each one is embedded with a "Firefly Notes" back stamp on it. It features 20 (10 mm) handcrafted no snag stitch markers plus 5 handcrafted progress keepers, each with a unique design inspired by the beauty of the fairy world and the stars above.

The matching tin is designed with love and care and hand crafted in small batches with a deluxe non toxic hand poured resin, these slider tins are a beautiful keepsake worth having for a lifetime.

Perfect for your knitting and crochet notions, sewing bits and bobs, credit cards, pill box, jewellery box, travel case for q tips and so much more.

WIPs and FOs

I have the pocket sections started on my Growing cardigan by Lone Kjeldsen! My row gauge is off so instead of 48 rows, I should work 56 rows but that seemed too high to start the pockets. I started my pockets on row 65. On the following WS row I worked the rib pattern for 10 rows for the 35 pocket stitches for both.

I am using Regia Premium Merino Yak held double with almost all of the Manos Cabrito mohair left in stock.

I have separated the sleeves from the body on my Secret Garden Sweater by Elena Mortensen. The increased underarm stitches made the adapting the chart complicated! I had to print out a sheet of knitting graph paper to colour in what I would need to do.

I am using the yarn specified in the pattern, Regia Premium Alpaca Soft and Regia Premium Merino Yak. Only one remaining Kit available HERE. 

Remember back in October, I had I decided to lengthen my Lace & Fade Boxy by Joji? I finished the ribbing and bound off on the train to visit my daughter. In this photo, I still hadn't re-blocked it but I am much happier with the longer length to wear with knee length skirts!

KNIT GROUP AND GALLERY

Claudia (@cgriffs01) finished her stunning Field Sweater by Camilla Vad. Yarn is Cascade 220.

Rosemary (@coolknitsbyrose) came in wearing another gorgeous Ranunculus by Midori Hirose! I think this is her third!

Anna (@kollar.annie) finished her beautiful Victoria by Jennifer Wood. She knit lace panels on the sleeves about 20cm longer.

Anna (@kollar.annie) finished this pair of Minerva Socks by Sari Nordlund.

Sandi (sandima) knit this pair of “Post Mastectomy Gnomes” for a friend and her mom. She incorporated Never Not Gnoming, All Work, Gnome Play by Sarah Schira and Knitted Pink Ribbon by Kath Glover.

Sandi (sandima) knit up a few Wee Sweaters by Sarah Schira using some of her hand spun combined with some stash.

These are a few of the 15 hats that Marie (thecatsmom) has knit since October 4th. Pattern is Hat with Heart by Lynn Ann Banks.

Sonia (soniabknits) has been gift knitting. This poncho is the Friend to Friend by Leslie Friend knit ussing a bulky yarn and 8 mm needles.

More gifts finished by Sonia (soniabknits)! She has finished a couple of pairs of Molly Mitts by Katarina Linnhagen.

Brenda (@bmallat42) has knit many of these beautiful cowls! Pattern is Arika Cowl by Jane Richmond.

Happy Thursday, Happy Knitting, Crocheting and Crafting!