For the second night of our Hanukkah-palooza, Elyse wanted to offer a prize collection for the crafty Bitches out there. Take it away, Elyse!
Elyse:
For this year’s Hanukkah giveaway I wanted to share some of the items that have brought me comfort and a sense of peace this year.
Some people ask me how I can live in Wisconsin where it gets terribly cold, but the truth is I love winter. I love snowstorms that are eerily silent and peaceful, like the entire world is holding its breath, waiting quietly for the weather to pass.
And I love knitting cozy things during winter, things that I know will bring warmth and comfort when they’re worn.
Firstly, this giveaway will include romance novels because obviously. I’ll include several romance novels across different subgenres.
I’ll also include a copy of Knits About Winter by Emily Foden. This book really took this year’s Indie Untangled by storm, and it offers a variety of beautiful, winter-in-the-country themed patterns.
This book has fifteen total patterns, for sweaters, socks, wraps/shawls, hats, and mittens–basically everything you need to stay toasty. Some of the patterns are charted. I think this book would be appropriate for beginner and intermediate level knitters.
One of my favorite patterns is the Full Moon wrap. Isn’t that texture gorgeous?
I’m also including some yarn. All of the yarn I’m using for giveaways this year is from indie dyers and was sourced at my local yarn shop, Fibre. Shop local, y’all!
The yarn I chose is from Round Mountain Fibres. They’re an indie dyer inspired by nature and they have three collections: ornithology, etymology and botany.
I’m including two skeins of fingering weight yarn (approximately 400 yards each) that is 100% superwash merino wool. The colorways are Hummingbird Purple from the ornithology collection and Cacao Pod from the botany collection.
That’s enough yarn for two hats or two pairs of socks or some mittens.
Finally, I’m including a set of stitch markers by Wee Ones. I discovered this vendor at Rhinebeck this year and I love her stuff sooo much. She makes polymer clay stitch markers, and she does lots of different dog breeds, cat breeds and critters, so it’s a perfect gift for the pet-loving knitter in your life.
I’m including a set of her winter hedgehog stitch markers, which are perfect for adding whimsey to any winter knitting project.
Aren’t they adorable?
Sarah: I think whatever part of my nervous system that handles cuteness has just short-circuited.
Want to enter? Yay!
Leave a comment below with your favorite craft project you’ve started this year!
Standard disclaimers apply: I am not being compensated for this giveaway. Void where prohibited. Open to international residents where permitted by applicable law. Must be over 18 and ready to get crafty! Let’s pour one out for all the crafts we’ve started, that inevitably wind up in the project bin of shame. May your yarn always be soft and remain untangled.
Comments will close Tuesday 4 December 2018, at or near 12pm ET, and winner will be announced shortly afterward.
Good luck, Happy Hanukkah, and thank you for being part of Smart Bitches!
Winner update: Congratulations to Emily Frances King! Be sure to check your email and spam folders.
Keep an eye on the rest of our Hanukkah-palooza giveaways!
I started and finished a two-color brioche shawl this summer (excellent choice, knitting alpaca in 30C weather) that is perhaps the most wonderful garment I’ve ever owned, never mind made myself. The pattern’s called Peacock’s Pride and it has made me want to knit nothing but brioche for the rest of my natural life.
I’m working on afghans this year. Maybe one of them will actually be straight. So far I’ve made three crooked ones but they are still comfy to snuggle under
I love my Konpeito shawl and my Candyman socks.
I’ve had a terrible year with illness and brainweasels, so I’ve not actually started anything crafty this year – hoping for better next year though!
I haven’t been able to craft much this year at all. I have started a scarf for my grape wreath snowmen That I began working on two years ago. Here’s hoping I can finish them someday.
The Tryesta sweater I knit for my husband! It was in celebration of our seventh wedding anniversary. While I love (almost) all of my knits, I’m currently enraptured with my Dust of Snow wrap, an advent design by Helen Stewart. Her advent cowl last year helped me through a really difficult December, something I told her while crying all over her a few months ago when we met.
So after going through hand surgery I started knitting (and I am terrible at it).
OMG, this is so up my alley! I’m a passionate knitter. I mainly do shawls and scarves, and am gathering my courage to move on to socks and sweaters.
I was given the resulting fabric projects from the Hebrew school,s attempt to have the children make rainbows and rainbow stars of David that they did not know what to do with. I made them in to aa two sided wall hanging with rainbow edges and binding and the congregation’s initials at the top. It now hangs in the education directors office.
You can find pictures of it on my Instagram acct.
I haven’t really started anything new this year, but I’m branching out from knitting to crochet so I will be practicing on some dishcloths soon.
My only craft projects this year have been cleaning out the cabinets, i.e., baking (how old is this molasses anyway?), but I’m looking forward to working on some needlepoint projects next year. And maybe knitting too!
I recently started a new pair of socks. Socks are my favorites.
Favorite project is definitely the pair of socks I’m knitting for my internet friend!!
It’s hard for me to pick a favorite project from this year, but my top three all have one thing in common: Tosh Merino Light yarn. Back in March I finished a Sockhead hat for myself in the colorway Outlander; then I made a Hitchhiker scarf for my mother in the Arctic colorway. Now I’m working on a Wolkig cowl in Gosia, which I’ve interrupted for Christmas knitting.
Doodling!! Does that count as crafting? I hope so.
Two years ago my husband, MIL, and I went to Finland. She feel in love with the textiles of her ancestors. Once home, I called the yarn shop we visited and purchased skeins of her favorite color. I’ve made her a lovey shawl made from local Finland yarn in a beautiful greenish yellow color.
I have so many cross stitch and crocheting projects going that I probably need a project dumpster of shame! Strictly for storage, mind you – I’m not getting rid of my stash. I think my favorite one that I started this year is a crocheted hat and cowl that I made for myself. Happy Hanukkah to all who celebrate it!
I’ve started to crochet a hat, it’s almost ready, just needs a pompon on top (which I really should make asap).
Another project is a large cross-stitch landscape, and I’m not even half done yet. But I’m working on it!
Christmas wreaths with my nieces and nephews.
I’m making a desk for my mom. Does that count as crafting? She has a weird little spot in the corner of her living room that is perfect for a small desk, but she hasn’t been able to find one and was worn out looking for it. I figured making one would be easier.
I start a knitting project every year and never complete it, so maybe this would be the start of the finish!
The only craft project I managed to start and finish this year was a little knitted sweater ornament for a friend 🙂 Those yarns and books are gorgeous, and those stitch markers (if I could figure out how to use them, LOL) are adorable!
My fav is definitely my Humulus sweater. It knitted up so quickly, and german short rows are now my new favorite thing. I also made a “winter blues” hat to match. 😀
Those hedgehogs are adorable! I’m almost finished with the Teddy bear travel blanket for my brand new niece, which I expect to be my best project for 2018. Next year I’m diving into basketry and weaving hopefully as well.
My daughter was given a beginners’ crochet set. It’s been fun trying to make the crafts (My Little Ponies!) and reaching out to friends who can show us both how to crochet. Craft + community = win
I’ve recently gotten into embroidery! I’m currently working on a flowery wreath and I’m going to stitch an image of Regina Jonas in the center. Regina Jonas was an amazing female rabbi nearly lost to history. She was killed in the Holocaust but was basically giving pastoral counciling and support to other Jews until the moment she died. She worked with famous survivors like Victor Frankl but none of them ever mentioned her after the war. Her story was rediscovered in the 90s when some Soviet archive was opened up. Anywho she was a badass lady whose life reminds me why telling women’s stories and history is so vital to future generations of women <3
So little crafting because divorce and moving and stuff! BUT I did make a lovely wedding registry for some lovely friends.
It was my year to succumb to the lure of color work! I made the Shaadi Mitts and the Norwegian Rose socks. They came out great!
I have been dyeing t-shirts and painting designs on using bleach. Fun project if I say so myself.
Im working on a fairisle christmas stocking for my new baby!
I have hardly had the time or motivation for crafting this year, but I finally picked up an afghan that was half finished from 2 years ago during Thanksgiving week. As for what I’ve started this year, I have the yarn to crochet a hat for my mom for christmas sitting here, hopefully in the next 2 days it will be started!
I love that the question is about starting a project instead of finishing one. My favorite project that I’m still in the midst of is a knit temperature blanket. We had some extreme swings in VT this year, so I think it’s going to be interesting.
The ongoing “crochet baby blankets for work colleagues” project has been a blast- three down, one to start!
A pair of cabled fingerless mitts in a Louisa Harding yarn that changes from indigo through purple to bright pink back through purple to indigo to blue and round again. So that yarn would be perfect for me. 🙂
My favorite project this year has been a Wonder Woman shawl (pattern free on Ravelry! https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/wonder-woman-wrap-knit). It knits up pretty quickly and looks awesome!
I have started lots of craft projects this year, but one of my favorites, and which is very suitable for a Chanukah post, is a cross stitch panel for the Torah Stitch by Stitch project – https://torahstitchbystitch.org/ – an amazing project connecting stitchers from many different backgrounds around the world.
I worked on a scarf that I started ages ago, but I’m using sock yarn and it’s taking forever.
I’m knitting 3 and crocheting 1 Christmas gifts right now because someone obviously moved the holidays to “too soon”.
I have been learning to knit and loom knit!! Those are my favorite projects – I decided this year to beat the winter blues (I get seasonally depressed) with taking some vitamin D, getting better lights, and also knitting scarves and hats for myself. I can also crochet, so I’m proud of myself for spending more time trying to learn these different styles. Right now the most satisfying thing for me to make has been my loom knit hat. I wanted to make the first one for myself (mistakes and all) and then start making more to donate to my synagogue’s “Mitzvah Menorah,” where we collect hats, scarves, and coats for donation for those in need this winter.
Ooh, my favorite craft project this year has been my recent Christmas presents. I didn’t overload myself on Christmas crafting, and I’m way ahead of schedule! It feels great to already be wrapping finished items instead of frantically figuring out how the fork it’s all going to get done in time.