Crochet ideas for giving, & it's almost Knitvent!

November 05, 2024

There are a variety of holiday pattern traditions that repeat from year to year, and Curious Handmade's Knitvent has a lot to recommend it! Here is designer Helen Stewart's decription for this year:

The Knitvent 2024 collection is an invitation to embrace the joy of exploration and new beginnings. A time to shake things up. Release old expectations and ask ourselves new questions. Decide which rituals we truly love and which ones we might be ready to let go. Invent new traditions and craft our own definitions of celebration.

What would the holidays look like if we just let our creativity run wild? If we allowed our joy to make the plans and run the show? I don’t have all the answers yet, but I’m ready to be surprised. How about you?

How does Knitvent work?

Curious Handmade’s annual Knitvent collection blends the curiosity and community spirit of a mystery knitalong with the excitement and momentum of a holiday countdown calendar.

Each week of Knitvent, a secret knitting pattern (or two!) is revealed. With six fresh patterns bundled into one low price, it’s a small but well-deserved treat for yourself—a weekly flash of surprise and delight at a time of year that often asks a lot of us.

Whether you’re adding to your pile of handknit presents or freshening up your own handmade wardrobe, you can expect a collection fun, fast accessory patterns and one grand, irresistible “advent calendar” design, designed to showcase 24 mini skeins or use up your cherished stash of yarn scraps.

With a friendly Knitalong that runs through the holiday buildup and into the fresh new year, you can relish months of community spirit and crafty company from the Curious Crew.

The Knitvent 2024 collection is available to buy at a special Early Bird price NOW until the first pattern comes out on Thursday, November 7th.

Intrigued? Find the collection here, and watch for the first pattern release on Thursday!

…mark your calendars

Social Stitching

Every Saturday, 2-4p

Bring your current project, and spend some time with others who really vibe on yarn!

Return of Elfin Madness (featuring their friends, the Gnomes)

Participation deadline: December 11

Swap: December 14, 9a - 1p

More to come, but find the sign up form (and explanation) here! This was a really fun event last year, and we're excited to make it an annual tradition!

TEMPORARY SCHEDULE CHANGES

November 11

Veterans Day open 9am-5pm. The annual Veterans Day Parade starts at 11am.

November 28

Thanksgiving closed

November 29 & 30

Plaid Friday & Small Business Saturday open 8:30am-5pm

…new in the shop

When I saw the Wandering Sheep Hat pattern, I knew exactly what I wanted to use for a sample. Normally, for a stranded colorwork project, I prefer a yarn that blooms a bit--crisp stitch definition isn't usually my top priority. But this pattern suggests a cartoon drawing, and Merino 401 had the boldness I wanted!

Our kits for this fun hat include three colors of Merino 401--a dark grey for the brim and outlines, cream for the sheep, plus your choice of background color--plus the pattern. The pattern has options for three weights of yarn, and two sizes, adult & child, along with your choice of single or folded brim. The colorwork chart also included notation for where to catch your floats when carrying unused yarn, which was a helpful addition.

Find kits here! (And if you want to add a pom pom, you can find those here.)

…to inspire

We'll be sharing stitching ideas for holiday gifts for the next little while, and today we are featuring a Ravelry bundle of crochet gifts. When browsing for patterns with great "giftability," I limited my search by the yardage used. So there are a variety of item types, but they are small enough to keep your maker's stress at bay! Find the bundle here. (The Bristol Cozy from Sarah Korth is pictured above.)

...currently stitching

Well, I started and finished a hat 😛

I also knit most of the body of the kids' Besties Hoodie, since I had several opportunities well-suited to mindless stockinette in the round.

But I did also start a new one-skein project, a Riptide135 scarf with a skein of our limited edition Ellensburg Blue from Kim Dyes Yarn. It's an easy 4-row repeat, and the pattern is a nice entry into the "small scarves" category.