Guys, I'm starting to panic. The countdown to Christmas is about to start and I already feel unprepared. How is this possible? I feel as though I've been prepping since September. In fact I'm pretty sure I've been prepping since September. Now we're two days away from December and I feel like I'm way behind schedule.
I don't know why but countdown to Christmas always starts on December 1. As soon as that first box is popped on our advent calendars it feels like we need to get things done NOW. Invariably, I end up paring down my grand plans to manageable plans almost instantaneously. I'm not gonna tell you my grand plans because I'm super confident that one of these years, I'm actually going to execute them and I still want everyone to be surprised.
It's around this time where Pinterest and Ravelry become both my best friend and worst enemy. Like, "Ooooh look at this, I'm totally going to make everyone gingerbread houses from scratch... next year. This year everyone can get mittens." That was last year. Thank you Tin Can Knits, those really were The World's Simplest Mittens. I knit them in our RSBSY Worsted Weight, added a little fleece lining and TA DA!!! I've got a totally amazing handmade present! Everyone loved them. No one knew how fast I churned those babies out.
This is also the part of the year where I turn on post notifications on all of my favourite designers. Throughout the year I try to control myself with my pattern purchases but as soon as Black Friday rolls around I give myself free reign to be as wild as I like. I am a sucker for a pattern sale. Last year I did some real damage. This year I have to commend myself on my self control. Erica Heusser had 25% off her patterns for the #giftalong2017 and I was sooooo tempted... and then I reminded myself that her Wishmaker Mittens are still in my Ravelry library. Erica has some of the most beautiful mittens I have ever seen. Susan Claudino has the sweetest softies and every year her patterns go buy 2 get 1 free for a few days. I think I have all but three of them. Last year I knit her Snowball Buddies for my mom. The year before that, Mila and Paige both received Voodoo you love me? softies named Conrad and Murray (named after Neil Caffrey and Sarah Ellis' imaginary son in White Collar and Chad Michael Murray - gimme a break, One Tree Hill was a great show). If I knitted faster I would buy all of the patterns but the truth is I'm slow as molasses and there will always be beautiful patterns to have.
I promised you guys that I would share my top fave free patterns from Rav that are great for this time of the year when you really need something and you're working with limited time so here goes:
1) The World's Simplest Mittens by Tin Can Knits
2) Antler Hat by Alexa Ludeman - This pattern also has a mitten set that is a paid pattern.
3) Hermione's Fingerless Gloves by Annalisa Dione - Oh boy, I think I've knit a dozen of these, three just for myself and three for my best friend and tons more just to give away. Also when you tell Harry Potter fans that they're called Hermione's Fingerless Gloves they go WILD.
4) Simple House Slippers by Simone A.
5) Golden Pear Hat by Melissa Thomson
6) GAP-tastic Cowl by Jen Geigley
7) Baby Uggs by Autumn Street
8) Lotus Hat by Uptown Purl - you will look like you have mad crazy knitting skills. SSK and K2tog, my friends. You're going to love it.
9) Slouchy Bubbles and it's matching mittens Dainty Bubbles by tshep (hat not shown - just had a "did I really not take a picture of the hat? How'd that happen?" moment.)
10) Baby Vertebrae by Kelly van Niekerk
Thats it for me for this week! Come back next week! It's almost my birthday and I'm definitely going to be up to some shenanigans. I'll tell you all about it! Until then, PEACE to you and your fam and happy knitting! XOXO