I'm waving at you!

When I've been especially quiet in this space, I think it's just assumed I'm buried in yarn. And to be truthful, that's what's going on :)

I can not believe that November is already upon us! October saw just shy of 70 FO's just for work knitting! Though it's not my record, it's still definitely a busy month! I also had some customs, and a sample go on the needles as well...

And if that weren't enough to take on, I ended up deciding to do a Market! Owen's school is putting on it's first annual Holiday Market, and I'm doing a booth! Owen will be helping me, of course. He is beyond excited as he'll be finger knitting, and selling his necklaces. :) I'm so proud of him! There will be another post about this market soon enough. xo

Please believe me, I think of spending more time in this space often. But as most of you are also crafters, I'm sure you understand the chaos of this season of ours. Holiday knitting is upon us!

I think also that this year has been harder for me to post more frequently as my husband has been away since the summer. He's been gone on course, and we won't see him home until just before Christmas. It makes for busy, and long days for me.

I also have a few selfish knits on the needles as well! Sadly socktober only gave me 1 sock. Not even a pair! haha But hopefully soon I'll see more socks in my sock drawer.

Tell me, what holiday knits do you have planned? Will you treat yourself and make sure you have a new handknit to wear? I'd love to hear from you! xo

merry christmas! xo

it's only 2 days away!! we'll be hosting our christmas dinner tonight with friends.
we have a very excited little boy here. every morning he sneaks downstairs to open his advant calendar, and this morning he had a whole song about how excited he was that tomorrow is christmas eve!
oh how i love his excitement!!

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i'll be taking the next few days off to devote to family. 
wishing you all the very merriest of christmases, happiest of holidays and joyous new year!
(and lots of yarn). xoxo

i'm here!

wowza. today almost slipped past me without a post! my two men are out on an elving errand, and i thought i'd jump at the opportunity to let you know what i've been up to this past weekend....

finally the gift knitting has made it's way onto the needles!!! gack! with only less than 2 weeks to get 'er done too. ha! i clearly like to live on the edge people :)

this one is pretty daring as those are tiny needles! but i also seem to think i don't need any sleep :)

i'm not going to divulge what these patterns are (yet) as there is a small possibility that one of the recipients might see this post.  it's an incredibly minute chance, but it's still a chance. haha. so next week i'll be able to tell you more.

there is still lots of work knitting happening throughout the week but thankfully it looks like a few gift knitting projects will be ready!

how about you? are you knitting madly in the evenings now? what shows are keeping you company? i'm thinking i need to be finding a series to watch. there are a lot of hours of knitting ahead of me!
xo

elving...

sooo... i should have probably started this gift knitting thing a while ago. my calendar just told me that i have 2 weeks... and i might have just had a mini heart attack...
i'm not so crazy to have had plans to knit for everyone.... but still, i think i have a lot of late nights ahead of me... like every night.

so while i breathe, and try to focus... look at this cute little snowman!

this is parson brown (of course it is). and the pattern is by emily ivey. and it's just the cutest snowman ever. i want one.
maybe next year? we'll see :)
next week my hubby goes on holidays, and then the real excitement begins! we've got a gingerbread house to create, gifts for my little man's kindergarten class to put together, and our annual events as well. so exciting!

now where's the coffee? ....

how are you doing with your holiday elving? are you feeling the pinch with just 2 weeks left? or have you already completed your gifts? i'm gonna go out on a limb here though and assume that we're all in some sort of panic.. haha. xo

still knitting...

that. was by FAR the most fun i've had at a market! the owl designer fair was amazing! i barely had time to look around the marketplace to see the other vendors, but i'm so glad i made sure to check them out. such amazing talent!
i am blown away by the calibre of this market. from what i could tell, everyone had such an amazing time! and i was so pleased with the new look of my booth. i was very glad to have chosen to have gone with a 4' table rather than a 6'. it really created a cozy little "nook". :)

huge thanks to my dear friend quiltedontherock for snapping this pic

i'll be starting the restocking of my booth in the new year already, in preparation for next year's market. i definitely want to be ready! for those of you who inquired about custom orders, i can definitely work in creating for you in the new year.  because ohmygoodnes, is it really only about 2 weeks until Christmas? yikes. i'm pretty sure my little man has requested socks... i know he wants to pick the yarn, so it won't be a big surprise for him, but it will make him happy whenever he sees me working on them :)
i'm testing a fantastic little pattern for them. i'm so excited! and i can't wait to share it with you.

and so there is no rest for the knitter this time of year... i'm still having to stay up until the wee hours of the morning to accommodate the special knits this year. but it will all be worth it.

do you have a favourite holiday market? how is your gift knitting coming along? come chat! i've missed you all so much! xo

Victoria's finest holiday market!

It's already December, and I bet we're all in a panic. It's just the standard of being for a knitter this time of the year, I think. ha. And I am certainly no exception.

The owl designer fair is happening this coming Friday 6-10pm and Saturday 10-6pm! I am most excited for this market!

This fair has been dubbed Victoria's most creative holiday fair. All items are handmade or upcycled by local artists and designers. Live music, workshops, and unique gifts make this show a must for anyone looking for some style in the Christmas shopping.

Over 30 carefully selected vendors will be there with the most stunning booths! This year, there will even be workshops added! Check out the vendor list here.

The ambiance will be beautiful, and I promise you this will be an amazing kick off to your holiday season!

The snow will probably be falling, the lights twinkling, the company laughing... you don't want to miss this! I'm excited to be adding new products to the booth, which I know will be hot tickets! Make sure you come on by before they sell out! I promise to tease you more on instagram, and facebook this week.

what markets will you be attending this year? is your tree up? come chat! xo

quick gift knitting!

I get so excited when I see someone's f.o of a pattern that I designed! especially this one...

photo by mamatronic

michelle aka. mamatronic is amazing with her mad knitting skills, and coupling with beautiful photography her ravelry project page is just stunning!

when I saw her blog post about this project yesterday, it put the biggest smile on my face. wahoo!! serious happy dance!

and the recent response to these boot cuffs have gotten me inspired to publish more patterns. i'm typing up something as we speak (haha I didn't mean this post, but I suppose I am doing that too.)

these make excellent Christmas gifts. they are practical and beautiful! and relatively quick to knit up.
find the pattern here:

ravelry | etsy

 

thank you michelle for your fantastic photography and knitting skills. :)

 

have you started compiling a list of quick knits for holiday gift giving? which patterns have made the cut? wishing my American friends a lovely thanksgiving! xo



it starts!

welcome Friday !

this weekend we are hoping to decorate for the holidays. and of course cuddle up and knit. we've been having cooler than normal temperatures and it's certainly getting everyone in the mood for the holidays! hurrah! you can bet the Christmas tunes will be playing.



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what will you be doing this weekend? visiting any holiday craft fairs? decorating? crafting away? come chat xoxo the weekend is finally here!

making a list.....

I don't know about you. but I thought I used to be able to stay up until the wee hours of the morning elving, and then getting up at 6:30am (or earlier) to tackle the day. for some reason I totally thought I had it in me to do that today.

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ummmm no. ha. I did muster up the energy to make a pot of coffee pronto though. so that part is good. I wish I could say I was already elving though! and I know that will start oh so soon. so right now i'm trying to make lists, and decide which projects will take longer, and which need to be finished first.

I always have grand plans in my head, and then when I put it down on paper I seriously have to question my thought process. lol! I have to remind myself of the above... "it's ok to say no to unnecessary crazy". definitely. and while I absolutely love the spirit of handmade, I have to remind myself it doesn't mean a knitted advent calendar... or even necessarily anything knitted at all! it was a nice reminder. and made me less afraid this morning. ;)

so today I found this on pinterest.

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and I totally think I have to create this. and honestly, what a perfect gift too! the link under the picture will take you to pinterest, but I've saved you a step. click here to go straight to the source. xo

and now as I go chug another cup of coffee, and get ready to volunteer at my son's book fair today... i'll be trying to realistically plan my gift giving. of course, there will be knitting in there too :)

how are you doing for the holiday gift giving? do you have a plan of attack? come chat. let's share tips, tricks, and even ideas! xo

queue exploding

I have just favourited and queued almost all of the patterns in Brooklyn tweed's wool people vol.6 issue. check out the look book here. and be warned, you'll be itching to cast on before you're done browsing the look book.

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and now your queue has grown as well....and I sooo wish I had a bazillion more hours in the day... and a woodstove to curl up and knit in front of...

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I am supposed to be super focused right now.!!! I have the owl designer market next month, (which desperately needs my knitterly attention) and let's not forget about Christmas!!! gack!

so today i'm going to have a freak out. what about you? xo

Are you climbing? I am.

i'm sure you've all heard the buzz about journey. a beautiful new knitting book written and designed by two of my besties, Jane Richmond and Shannon Cook.

if any of you are looking for Christmas ideas for your knitterly pals, this would be a perfect gift! i am happy to tell you that i was able to test one of the patterns and so i can speak firsthand, that climb is an excellent project! if you've never knit socks before and would love to try, this would be the perfect pattern to dip your toes into sock knitting with! .. haha did you get that? dip your toes in? ha. (bear with me, I've had little sleep, and i'm easily guzzling my third cup of joe right now)...

i used knit picks stroll tonal yarn, (the grey is stroll fingering) and a size 2.5mm needle.
these are easily the fastest socks i have ever knit, and i can not wait to knit more! I've honestly stocked up on more yarn just for this purpose. my hubby is excited too because he'll most certainly get a pair or two ;)

when you're knitting them it will seem as though your foot must be uber long but trust the pattern. jane totally knows what she's doing. and you'll absolutely love the result!

best part is that this pattern allows for so many different colour combinations! i'm already thinking of a green and pumpkin combo. yes that will be awesome!

get more info on all of the patterns (there are 6 gorgeous ones, including 2 sweaters!) here. and believe you me. you'll love this book. the pictures are stunning, and i for sure want to knit everything! if you loved island, you'll adore journey.

do you have a copy already? tell me what colour combos will you use for climb? xo have a happy weekend friends! full of knitting, of course. xoxo

market season begins!

and just like that, we are at the start of a new month already! we seem to barely get back on our feet before the bombardment of holiday knitting hits us hard... but i'm ok with that. though holiday knitting has been on my mind since ummm last Christmas it's a given i'll be uber busy. but this weekend I want to take some time to really organize my stash... and figure out my "knitting calendar".
this isn't really any small feat though. my stash has grown substantially since vogue knitting live back in the spring. for real. I brought back a lovely haul from that event, and I've since gone to Virginia, had a few knit picks orders, the plucky yarn keeps coming, and there's been a few extras as well. oh yah, and you got a hint from the other day of knit city.

the hardest thing of all of this is finding time to knit with my own yarns. I've mentioned many times in the past that i'm actually a product knitter. yep, i'm one of the very lucky and few ones out there that is making a living from knitting.... and let me tell you, on top of that I've been agreeing to test knits, a wholesale order, and planning markets. i'm crazy. (but knitters generally are) ;) I do realize I can't do heaps of winter markets though. I love the market atmosphere... even the insane prep period. I really do love it. but with my other obligations, and desire to actually knit for my family and if ever at all possible for myself I've decided to really limit my winter markets.

and if you're in the area, you'll want to go to this one. i'm so excited to announce that i'll be a vendor at the owl designer fair again this year! I absolutely adored this market last year. it was my busiest event, and so much fun!! so mark your calenders.. Dec 6 & Dec 7 at the fernwood community center. you can be sure there will be lots more info on that throughout the month.

I plan on doing something a little different with my booth this year, and i'm excited about it! I can't wait to show you all!!
and so this month is already full and exciting. I love this time of the year!


how is your November looking? do you have any upcoming winter markets? come chat. xo

3 months left!

so i looked at the calendar and realized that today marks 3 months until christmas. holy craptarts. are you ready for it? this of course means ... let the late night knitting fests begin!

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actually it's been a crazy fest around these parts. the exciting thing is that we're getting new appliances! wahoo! (one of them quit on us, and then we just decided to upgrade them all... ) but it'll be a busy time until after it's all settled... so in the meantime, i'm trying to knit like crazy, and enjoy this lovely fall weather!
and plan christmas knits!

are you ready for it?? what are your holiday knitting plans? xo

come knit with me!

can you feel it? the routine is hopefully for most of you, starting to fall into place.. the mornings are crisp and cool... the air smells different, yeah.. fall is fast approaching! and this year we want to be ready for it! creatively if nothing else, right?

want to learn to knit this year? local to Victoria, BC? my class schedule is now up!! and i'd love love love to knit with you!!

I have a feeling this will be a busy year with homemade gifts, markets, and new accomplishments.

this is the best time to be inspired, and excited! and I promise you, knitting is super fun!
and really... there is nothing better than a handmade gift xoxo

want to find out more?
you can check out the complete list of classes here. and be sure to give the cloth castle a call to reserve your spot before all are taken!

 

knitting classes with Rebecca of nook.

where?: cloth castle

          786 goldstream ave

         Victoria BC



Phone:1-250-478-2112
Fax:    1-250-478-1050
Email: theclothcastle@hotmail.com

 

when?: first class starts September 18th! check the schedule for more details.

 

 

I really hope to see you there! and if you're not local, I can't wait to hear of all of your knitterly adventures this fall!! what do you have planned for holiday knitting?? come chat. xo

stockings!.. a round-up of sorts ;)

and just like that we are into a new month! the de-cobwebbing has already begun here (i like to get it done straight away), and i'm hoping to create some order before the chaos of christmas decorating and planning get underway...

Source: themakingspot.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

november always surprises me with how fast it fills up. not with the christmas parties and such, but with the creating, and gift planning... and i'm sure this year will be no different. :) i've got 2 winter markets coming up... custom orders to fill, and my sweet boy has asked me to knit him a stocking this year. and then there are other gifts to consider too ;) (ahem, i do have a sweet new nephew due to arrive shortly after christmas)...

so let the planning begin, and the yarn shops visited ;) this month will be a busy one indeed! so while we're all getting our notepads out, our pencils sharpened... and our caffeine fix... want to see some of my fave finds of christmas stockings?
sure. why not :)

Source: ravelry.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

that first pic kind of falls under advent calendar planning, i think... but it's lovely and if i could ever find the time to do something like that i probably would. :)  and these colourful stockings remind me of the whos from the grinch. am i the only one? haha. you can find the pattern on ravelry for them here.

Source: sundancecatalog.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

these ones are also super sweet. but it seems they were ones to purchase online somewhere. that link is gone now :( i'm sure if we wanted to design something along the same lines though, we could figure something out.. no?also, the fact that they include knitted toys in the pic is priceless... just my kind of stocking ;)

Source: purlbee.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

i really do thinks stripes are always a safe bet too... and the purl bee has a great pattern! you can find it here.
personally, i'm a big fan of stripes (in case you didn't know). and they make for easy peasy stockings with that splash of colour. realistically, i'll probably knit up a striped one... it just fits in more with my time frame, you know?
a couple of years ago, i did a custom order for a stocking, and i love the way it turned out. very dr. seuss like :)

i used the pattern, knitted christmas stockings by joy green. it was a cinch to knit. and it just may be my go-to pattern for this year. what do you think? you like? i knit this with lion brand's vanna's choice solids and twists.... and a 5mm needle. check out my rav page on it here.

what about you? will you be tackling knitted christmas stockings this year? what are your fave patterns? do you have a tried and true one that never fails? do share! i want to be ready this year ;) xo

the so-called plan....

heya! yesterday kind of went by in a blurr for me :) i had declared it a "knitting day" ... but really, every day i declare that. ha.
i also told a friend that i just wished i was an octopus who never needed to sleep. and it totally makes sense to me.

Source: sunako.soup.io via Rebecca on Pinterest

because we're totally getting into that time of the year. you know what i'm talking about. my pinterest feed is already filling with christmas decroation and crafting ideas, umm what happened to thanksgiving and hallowe'en!? yah, it's gonna be a very crafty season around these parts for sure!

nook's actually taking part in a few markets this year! and i'm super excited about it but what i need to figure out is how i'm going to fit it all in!? knits for the booth, knits for christmas gifts, etsy, test knits, kals and knits for me?! also, i'm pretty sure my little man needs a new sweater. eek!

so i need a game plan. we've got less than 3 months until christmas. (it's totally true) and clearly i can't do it all. also, fall is one of my most favourite times of the year. i don't want to spend my fave season feeling overwhelmed and rushed. no. i want to fully enjoy it. so here's where i start with "the plan"

Source: ravelry.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

get your supplies - if you order online, i'd be looking to order now. the sooner you have everything organized, and have your product, the sooner you can get crafting. recieving your supplies like with 3 days to actually have it created, and wrapped is crazy. (i've done it, it's crazy)

cut stuff out - it seems simple enough, but it's really hard for a lot of people to do. i used to want to make hand knits for everybody for christmas. yeah, i don't do that anymore. i just can't. so now i pick a very select few to knit for. also, most of my family is far away... and that means of course that you have to ship stuff out in like.. november. a lot of families draw names, which i think is a great idea! that's another way to keep things a little more managable.

be ok with it - if you don't get a lot done, be ok with it. just be ok with whatever you can fit in. stressing over making yourself create so many items just defeats the purpose of why we do it. it's a busy time of year.. if you can't fit it all in, just don't. 

be realistic - clearly you can't knit a sweater for everyone. and keep yourself sane. clearly. small gifts are just as meaningful too... and portable. you can not easily cart around an afghan or full sized sweater in your project bag... but a toque? or mug hug? easy peasy ;)

include something for yourself - be nice to yourself. afterall, you want to always enjoy what you do, right? and it doesn't have to be big... even if you can't do it before the holiday season, have some supplies and pattern set aside for when the hubub dies down. something to really look forward to :)

get started - there's no time like the present. in fact, i know some of you have probably been crafting for the holidays since the summer! lucky you. but for those of us who haven't, don't get overwhelmed before you've even started. just pick up those needles and get clicking away :) drinking lots of coffee and tea helps lots too.

oh and sleep only if you have to. just kidding...... sort of. ;)


now that i've indulged my "plan" i should mention that i'm probably already breaking the rules. ha. but the point is to try your best to stay focused. and enjoy it. right? how about you? have you created your holiday game plan? what first on your list? xo

eve of christmas....eve

Source: potterybarn.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

it's the eve of christmas eve! such an exciting day :) how are you doing, my dear crafty friends? do you feel ready for christmas morning? i guess we're as ready as we're gonna be, hey?
i'm hoping to finish the hub's gift today, and there's still a little more baking to do. not difficult. just dinner buns :) but working on something little by little every day, the house will be ready. (a big thank you to the hubs for cleaning the oven out last night, while i tackled the laundry room).
hard to believe we're down to the wire now! december has really flown by!
and even though i didn't have a huge list of knitted gifts to make this year, i'm excited and happy. the only thing we're really missing is living a lot closer to family, and ....snow :)

Source: google.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

wishing you all a lovely christmas! i hope you're able to spend time with loved ones, that you can rest, and enjoy this christmas season. wishing you all full tummies of yummy dinners, and christmas treats... and gifts of lovely soft yarns, favourite books, kiddos giggling, lots of snuggling, hot chocolate, and anything that puts a smile on your face :)

have a very merry christmas dear friends! xo

psssst!

first of all, i have to apologize for this post taking so long to get up. :) it's tricky business editing photos of a secret gift when the recipient is in the same room, and always running up to ask for help, or just to talk, generally... ;)
but without further ado... wanna see what i've been up to these late nights?

it seems this little guy likes coffee as much as i do.. i guess he's tired too. haaa.... but after he had his morning bevvy, he warmed up to the photo shoot... speaking of which, the reason for the bad lighted window sill shoots is because it was the only place i could "set up" without owen knowing about it.... and it was only just getting light... so there's that.

the deets? pattern is louie the lovebot. my first rebecca danger pattern! definitely not the last!
yarn: paton's decor
needle: 3.75mm

he was really fun to make! and now that i've made him, i was thinking of casting on for a second one... with a heart this time... and i'd also remember to put the eyes down a little lower... but still, i love this one. he's cute.
and i hope owen loves him too.

yeah... this guy's a poser.

as for my other projects? yikes. i do have a hat on the needles, and i finished a sweater for owen already.... but i'm not sure what else i'll get up to doing. i really want to make more of these guys though.. maybe the nieces and nephew would like one? :) of course, they'd be late for christmas, but that's totally ok.
i'm also realllly wanting to cast on for a sweater for myself. but it's gonna have to wait as i'll be knitting up a store sample first, cause i'll be teaching it in the new year! woot woot!!!

the class schedule is up! and even if you're struggling with last minute gift ideas, what about a class?

anyhoo, off to think of some other patterns to possible tackle. to be honest, because i wasen't feeling so well for a little while, i've really missed knitting! (even though i haven't really stopped) you know i'm passionate when.. lol....


only 9 days left! what have been some of your most enjoyable patterns for gifts so far? any that you think i should tackle? i'd love to find a cool bookmark pattern for the hubs... anyone know of any? xo

christmas 911 - the home stretch!

we're almost there! and even into the single digit countdown! are ya singing with joy yet? :)

Source: images.search.yahoo.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

how excited are you getting? i'm guest posting over on luvinthemommyhood today, and we'd sure love to hear how you're doing with your last minute christmas crafting!

we've got some tips for last minute gifts, as well as the yummiest of recipes to help please the crowds while your turkey is a cookin'... or your hands are busy knitting away ;) trust me, there are some great finds there!

so head on over, k?  we've got the biggest pot of coffee on!cone share on how you're doing with your last minute christmas preparations! xo

spazz

holycowidon'tKNOWhowi'mgoing2pullthisoffihaveonly17days!17DAYSuntilchristmasandihaven'tevencastonyet.!!!!

Source: oldtimefriend.tumblr.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

unless you count the sweater for owen, and of course the cowl for you.... deeeeep breath...

it's ok. i can do it. and that pic there, that's me. until christmas :)  i've pulled my neck out. it's so awesome. and the knitting hasn't really happened in about 4 days. this is un-sat(isfactory). so i'm pushing through.
as i'm sure many of you are now :) don't worry. i haven't gone off the deep end, yet... i don't think my list is unattainable. 'cause i don't have one yet. hahaha. i'll keep it small this year, as last year i went all out and everyone and i mean everyone got a handmade gift. including christmas party favours... so it's more of the selfish knitting here. selfish because most of the knitting i'm doing is remaining in this house. it's for the kiddo and the hubs. (and me). :) and maybe a surprise knit or two....

how are you doing? need a coffee? come chat with me! i promise you, i'll probably be up at odd hours of the day and night until the big day.  xo