Chapter 12: Catching Up Before Christmas

As the storm comes in overnight tonight, and settles snow around us like an oversized Aran blanket, it will be hard not to get swept up with the holiday spirit. Out in the shops, though now in full force, I noticed shortly after Halloween that the holiday season comes along earlier and earlier each year.  Of course for crafters like us, the holiday spirit sometimes has to take us over as early as January or February so that we can complete every last stitch in time for gift giving.

I’ve spoken openly before about my mental illness, so I won’t be too shy to say that November, with its time change and its dreary gloom in general tries to suck me under.  I battle anxiety and depression off and on year-round, but something about this time makes that battle harder and this year was no exception.  Even this blog was begun at the beginning of November and only just being sent now.  With that said, it means I may be the only person on the planet who is grateful for the ridiculously early Christmas marketing out there.  As luck would have it, apparently my delight in Christmas goes a fair way to helping me tread water when things are closing in. 

Similarly, building our own set of Pretty Little Yarns Ltd. craftvent calendars this year has brought me so much joy!  Usually influxes of work can make things feel stressful, but I love gift giving and this calendar has given me the opportunity to curate a selection of gifts for crafters just like me!  If you don’t have one coming your way yet, and you want to get these goodies for yourself, it's not too late.  We now have 4 options for purchase at different price points - you can grab yours here and I will get it to you as quickly as possible.  Keep an eye on our Instagram and Facebook accounts beginning the evening of December 1st as I post what I’m getting each day. If you're wondering what to do with the mini-skeins that come in the advent calendar, I'm curating a selection of patterns that would be great to use here in my Ravelry favourites.  I will also post about them in social media throughout the month.  

In non-holiday news, I spent two evenings earlier this month at The Knit Cafe learning the art of natural dyeing.  The amount of information I left those classes with was incredible.  We dyed three different protein fibres with three different plant based dyes and the results were spectacular.  Day one was spent pre-mordanting, learning, and absorbing the theory behind dyeing with natural dyes.  We were a class of just four and that gave us a wonderful opportunity to ask questions and really take in so much information from Allie Davis, dyer extraordinaire and artist-in-residence at the Harbourfront Centre in Toronto.  If you didn’t catch the process in my Instagram stories, I’ve saved them as a highlight so you can go check them out here.

That just about brings us back up to date.  Thank you for all your support throughout this year, we look forward to serving you in the coming year as well.  Wishing everyone out there a wonderful and wooly holiday season.