Holiday Weekend Shopping Deals: Yarn-y Edition

Thanksgiving has come and gone and now the shopping season is in full swing. I hope you're comfy in your homes today, instead of battling crazed crowds for mediocre deals, and there are still plenty of deals--good ones!--to be had from the comfort of your own home.

The awesome Marly Bird has compiled this AMAZING list of Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals from indie dyers, designers, and purveyors of all things knitting/crochet-related. You'll want to check it out immediately.

Craftsy is offering ALL classes for $19.99--or less! That's a super steal!

Alana Dakos of Never Not Knitting is offering her print books--Coastal Knits, Annie and the Swiss Cheese Scarf, and Botanical Knits--50% off!

The big Knit Picks sale is still going on--deep discounts on most of their yarn!

WEBS is offering free shipping on $75+ orders through December 4.

And don't forget, 25% off all patterns in my Ravelry shop with code GIVETHANKS, through November 30.

Happy shopping!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Note: they do not make hand turkeys in Peru, so CP had no clue what this was.

Wishing you all a restful, relaxing, and happy Thanksgiving, full of food, fun, family and friends!

I'm so thankful for your continued support and encouragement.

To celebrate, please enjoy 25% off all patterns in my Ravelry shop, through November 30, with coupon code GIVETHANKS.

Eyeing the Finish Line

Finally--FINALLY!--I can see the finish line for one of my biggest projects of 2013, the Mommy and Me sweaters.

Were they done for our family portrait session? Of course not. But I can say, without a doubt, they will be done in time for us to wear them at some point during the holiday season.

Because if they're not, I'm going to jump out a window.

You may recall I'm using Tanis Lavallee's CoolBreeze cardigan patterns for this set, and her Yellow Label DK yarn as well, in a lovely palette of autumn colors. The mommy sweater is down to the cuff on the second sleeve. I made the brilliant decision of knitting the buttonbands before the sleeves, so hurrah!

Although, of course, there are many ends to be woven in and buttons to be sewn on.

JJ's cardigan is even closer--all the knitting is done, the sleeves and underarms just need to be seamed.

I am determined to finish both this week.

And this ball of yarn sitting here taunting me is my inspiration:

This is the yarn, some lovely Madelinetosh Vintage, for my Pumpkin Ale cardigan. This sweater needs to be in my collection yesterday. I adore it. Not casting on has been killer, but I've just had so much on my plate. I promised I would finish these sweaters first.

Almost there!

And speaking of yarn, if you haven't already, check out the Knit Picks BIG SALE, going on right now, through December 1. So many gorgeous yarns and colorways marked down, it's the perfect time to pick up a few skeins. I'd be remiss if I didn't tell you that Wool of the Andes Sport, used in the Javi sweater; Swish Tonal, used in the Cielito baby blanket, and Palette, used in the Warblers fingerless mitts, are all on sale!

Hat WIPing and Single Parenting

Hat buddies!

This week . . . wow. It has been a killer. CP left for the Dominican Republic at 5am Saturday and he's still not home. I love my son, but we've been together round the clock for days and it's starting to wear on me.

Especially because his sleep is alllllllllllllllll over the place. I never know what to expect, other than a battle because naps and bedtime are apparently out of style.

I understand this is normal at this age--they just have so much going on, their little brains have trouble shutting down. He's crawling, climbing the stairs, pulling up to a stand, babbling. He's constantly on the go. I put him in his crib with droopy eyes, yawning, and instantly he's trying to crawl. The result is a struggle to fall asleep--and stay asleep. Which is a real joy when there's no one around to tag in for a round.

And some people do this all the time. I can't wrap my head around it. Hats off to you, single parents!

In the midst of this non-sleeping extravaganza, I've cobbled together a quick knit hat pattern that I'm hoping to release early next month for last minute holiday knitting. I'm knitting up a sample in Wandering Wool Heights Worsted and it's soooooooo squishy and soft, I love working with it.

And I'm looking for test knitters, so if you're interested, stop by the Ravelry group and check it out.

Future Designs - A Story in Yarn

I mailed a final pattern off for sample knitting and tech editing today (look for it in July 2014!), so my plate is temporarily clean.

I mean, of designs.

Not of WIPs.

No end in sight for those.

I took a few minutes to wind up yarn for future design projects.

First, a skein of Wandering Wool Heights Worsted in Cinderella. Such a gorgeous blend of purples. This one is destined to become a hat I've been fiddling with. First I finish JJ's version, which will match the Gavyn pullover, and then, onto the adult sample using this.

Speaking of hats for JJ, doesn't he look darling in my Orchids and Fairy Lights hat?

Not quite his color, though.

Next, the most beautiful skein of the new Knit Picks Diadem in Azurite. I'm so glad this found its way into my stash. The plan for this one is to re-imagine one of my current designs as a triangular shawl. Any guesses which one?

And last, some Dream in Color Smooshy in Amber Glass. This is for a top secret design that's  going to be published in a real, honest-to-goodness magazine next year!

That is, assuming I live through the next week--CP leaves for a business trip tomorrow morning and won't be back until next Sunday afternoon. God help me. 

Saturday Sampler: Holiday Knitting

OK, folks, it's crunch time.

It is now November 9, which puts us about 6 weeks out from Christmas.

I don't even want to tell you how close we are to Hanukkah.

But it's less than a month.

If you haven't started your holiday knitting, it is GO time.

It's past GO time, actually.

Which means I'm waaaaaaay behind, as usual.

So instead of getting started, I'm going to share a few quick(ish) holiday project ideas with you.

Photo courtesy of Knitty.com

Hats are a great quick knit gift, and this Brambles Beret has 3 slouch options, so you can get the look you want. Also, FREE!

And speaking of hats, my Hugs and Smooches hat comes in 5 sizes, for all your gift giving needs!

 Photo courtesy of Tanis Lavallee

If socks are your thing, try these Business Casual socks from Tanis Lavallee--they're unisex, and the FREE pattern is easy to memorize for on-the-go knitting.

Photo courtesy of Jared Flood

Elizabeth's Zimmerman's Mitered Mittens knit up quickly in aran weight, and are great for variegated or self-striping yarns. You can find the pattern in Knitter's Almanac, which costs all of $7 on Amazon.

If you need a baby gift, you can't go wrong with the speedy Baby Sophisticate, simple yet adorable.


So what are you knitting for the holidays? Have you started yet?

Leafpeeping

This past weekend was, I suspect, the best leaf weekend of the season, so I thought I'd share a few photos.
 

Now the fall rain and wind will come and blow these all away, and before you know it, we'll have bare trees and maybe even some snow!

And I'm happy to say all these gorgeous colors are being reflected in my knitting:

This is the smaller of the Mommy and Me sweaters I'm determined to finish for JJ and I to wear for our family portrait session.

Um . . . on Sunday.