Simple Knits | December Dash

So... it's December. How did that happen? It seems like we just started our Simple Knits Knitalong a couple months ago and here we are 12 months (and projects) later. It's almost the end and I know December is a rough month for many crafters because (as I've seen and experienced) we somehow believe that we have an infinite number of hours in the day. Well, the hard truth is... we don't. This is the 11th hour and the holiday deadlines are right there in front of us - just as they do every singe year. At. The. Exact. Same. Time. Of. Year. 

For me, our wee knitalong has helped, but I still have a few gift gaps and small 'somethings' are perfect. There's a strange thing that happened to me once I started gifting handmade, I now feel like a total and complete slacker if I opt for a trip to the store instead of gifting a little something I made. And that's what I've got for you, because with these gifts, there really is still time to gift handmade and Simply Notable is here to rescue us...

Gift Card-igans

Aren't these great?! The Gift-Cardigans are a quick knit with a wee bit of worsted weight yarn (use scraps or a full skein will make several) and a random button.  What a fun way to personalize that impersonal gift card! And... as a knitter pointed out to me just a few days ago, these card-igans can be used throughout the year as a holder for reward cards. Really, these little gems are a win-win. 

Vintage Hankie Washcloth

These Vintage Hankie Washcloths  might take a bit more time to knit, but how precious would they be gifted with a special handmade soap? I love Soap Garden soap and would be a lovely pairing with these cloths. Denise (the soap artist), has a great variety and there's at least one that would be perfect for your giftee, even the naughty ones...

The cloths are knit in a sport-DK weight yarn and would be great in our Blue Sky Alpacas Skinny Cotton or Tahki Cotton Classic - both are in stock at the shop. Fair warning that the edging is crocheted, so you'll have to have some hooking skills to finish them off. I've had my eye on these for awhile, so this might be the time to make some - and possibly for myself.

Pint Sized Pines in a Cork Forest

Last, but certainly not least... These adorable Pint-Sized Pines are just teeny trees knit in dk to worsted weight yarn. Of course, you'll need a few corks, too - I think I should probably get to work on this project. *wink* I'm thinking these would make great ornaments or just a finishing touch to dress up a gifted bottle of wine that the giftee can use as an ornament later. 

So, there you have it. Our last Simple Knits Knitalong project for 2015 and I hope you enjoy these as much as the previous 11 months. If you need yarn for any of these projects, I've got plenty of ideas using our yarns at Firefly Fibers, so feel free to visit the shop or contact me for recommendations or go dive into that stash!

Don't forget... we'll have some prizes once we wrap up and I'll share more on that soon, so be sure to post your FO pics in our Ravelry Thread to enter to win. The holiday spirit it is in the air, so if you missed a month or have something to wrap up, you can slide that in this month too for another entry. For now... 

Cheers and happy holiday knitting!

On the Needles | Things are twisted...

As the weather is cooling down, my list of knitting "wants" continues to grow, but I'm trying very hard to get some projects off the needles and not cast on too many new projects. You see, I have several pairs of socks in progress (I'm not going to count, it's really just embarrassing at this point), 3 sweaters (maybe 4 or 5, but one is going to be frogged and the yarn re-purposed for a shop sample and 2 are linen and it's not really linen weather in Wisconsin now),  a hippo that needs to be done this weekend since the recipient will be arriving in a couple weeks, and a few others. A list might be a good idea, but (for now) I'm going to focus on getting a few projects finished before I shock myself into reality. 

This weekend I've focused on turning the heel on a pair of socks and 2 other projects:

The first is the pink... I've been beta-testing for the new CustomFit shapes that are coming soon *squee* and with my sweater body finished and on the blocking boards, today was the day to cast on the sleeves. I'm several inches past the twisted rib cuff and I expect to wrap up the first one tonight yet and hopefully the second tomorrow. It's exciting to think that there's a very good chance that I'll be wearing this sweater (and be able to share details) in just a few days!

The second project is the brim of a hat - also twisted rib... This is a new project that I just couldn't resist casting on and it's going to make a fabulous Firefly Fibers shop sample when it's done. This is the Passerine Hat by Erica Heusser and I can't wait to get past the brim and start knitting those birds! 

© Erica Heusser

I've had my eye on Passerine and managed to push it aside, but then a friend mentioned it to me a few days ago, and with the sleeves queued up, casting on was inevitable to motivate me. So, after contemplating Unicorn Tail colors yesterday for much longer than necessary since I stare at them for hours a day at the shop, I finally decided on Glazed Pecan for the body and Cousteau for the birds.  Did I mention that I can't wait to start knitting those birds?!  The pattern calls for 3 Unicorn Tails of the MC and 1 of the CC, but I decided to go with a full skein of TML for the body since I'm sure I'll be knitting more than one and the Glazed Pecan is a great background color.  

With that... I better wrap up and get back to the knitting (and the very neglected crying husky). Hubby is helping family up north today and he'll be home soon, so I should probably get some supper started and prep for our weekly podcast recording. I hope you found some time to create this weekend!

Cheers! 

Simple Knits | November Elves

With the holidays coming up, little 'somethings' really come in handy (and are very much appreciated), so that's just what I've got for us for our November Simple Knits project... say hello to the Jolly Wee Elf by Churchmouse Yarns & Teas!

Aren't they totally adorable? Each elf measures about 3-1/2" tall and is knit in fingering weight yarn - if you use 3 colors of Rowan's Fine Tweed (this is what Churchmouse knit theirs with and what I'll be using for mine), the 3 colors will knit up into 5 elves with extra left in the contrasting colors, so you can pick a couple main colors and for a gaggle of elves!

One of the things I love about these little ones, is they can be used year after year - if you're gifting, add a loop to the top of your Wee Elf and you've got an ornament that doubles as a personalized touch to a wrapped gift. 

The Jolly Wee Elf is simple to knit and has some fun techniques wrapped up in the small package. The base is knit flat, then stitches are picked up around the edges to knit the body in the round - no fumbling with double-points with a super-small circumference. There's also a bit of brilliance with weighting down the bottom with a washer so it weighs the base down nicely so your elves will stand upright and sit nice and flat. 

So, pop on over to Ravelry for more details and click on over to ravelry to purchase the pattern from Churchmouse Yarns & Teas. If you want to use Rowan's Fine Tweed for a rustic elf, visit Firefly Fibers in person or can order from our online shop -20% OFF in-store and online through the holiday season! 

And... don't forget to share your progress in our Ravelry thread - these should be quick knit (especially after the first one), so be sure to add individual posts for each finished elf for more chances to win a Simple Knits Knitalong prize. 

Happy Jolly Wee Elf Knitting!

Cheers, Alisa

All photos © Churchmouse Yarns & Teas