On today's episode I'm winding up another wonderful year of knitting and podcasting with the wonderful Curious Crew. I'm trying to slow down for a few weeks to soak in the holiday vibes, but of course there will be plenty of knitting behind the scenes. We're heading away for Christmas this year so there's lots of packing to be done and lots of holiday knitting decisions to be made! Show Sponsors: Alongside an eclectic yarn range, which includes Hazel Knits, Icelandic Lopi & CoopKnits, we stock a carefully chosen selection of needles and notions. We’ve also recently launched ‘hand dyed by meadowyarn’, our very own in-house, hand-dyed yarn range. Working in our tiny dye studio, nestled in the Suffolk countryside, we are able to indulge our love of colour, producing complex tonal, kettle-dyed shades across a range of weights and bases. With regular updates our collections evolve and grow, inspired by the landscape and people around us. AYS is a wool boutique specializing in hand dyed yarns and luxury fibres from around the world. You’ll always find a well curated collection of yarns and colors on the shelves and a friendly knowledgeable staff on hand. Some of our favorite brands include Hedgehog Fibres, SweetGeorgia Yarn, Julie Asselin, Shibui Knits and The Fibre Co. You can find A Yarn Story on Walcot Street in Bath or online at www.ayarnstory.co.uk Show Links Brooklyn Knitfolk Voolenvine Yarngasm A Homespun House Little Bobbins Land of Sweets Cowl Knitting Outside the Box by Bristol Ivy The Knitvent 2017 KAL will run through January 31st, so that you have lots of relaxed knitting time to wrap up your projects over the holidays. I have two lovely prizes from PrairieBagWorks and Andre Sue Knits so be sure to post your projects in the Finished Object Thread as you complete them for your chance to win! Little Skein in The Big Wool Hay Pullover by Clare Mountain Vintage Fairy Light Socks Circus Tonic Handmade The Yarn Tart - Suffolk Socks Yarn Ink Yarns Mrs. Brown's Bags Knit Aid Knitmas Event in London The Knit Aid UK Collection Deadline is the 22nd of December for sending hand knitted gifts to refugee camps in Europe. In honour of their work, you can knit my Warm Wishes Hottie Cover pattern for free with the code KNITAID on Ravelry. Hot water bottle covers are in high demand in the camps at this time of year, but you are also welcome to knit it for your own loved ones. Unicef Syrian Appeal That's everything for this week...and this year! Keep in touch with me over Instagram and on Ravelry, and make sure you're signed up to my mailing list. I'll see you all in 2018 and until then I'm wishing you happy holidays and happy knitting!

200 Episodes! It's a landmark Curious Handmade podcast today and we're celebrating with a special giveaway and the results of the draw for The Shawl Society's Grand KAL. It's also the end of Knitvent and the last pattern is out, though that KAL will run for another month. Show Sponsors: Alongside an eclectic yarn range, which includes Hazel Knits, Icelandic Lopi & CoopKnits, we stock a carefully chosen selection of needles and notions. We’ve also recently launched ‘hand dyed by meadowyarn’, our very own in-house, hand-dyed yarn range. Working in our tiny dye studio, nestled in the Suffolk countryside, we are able to indulge our love of colour, producing complex tonal, kettle-dyed shades across a range of weights and bases. With regular updates our collections evolve and grow, inspired by the landscape and people around us. AYS is a wool boutique specializing in hand dyed yarns and luxury fibres from around the world. You’ll always find a well curated collection of yarns and colors on the shelves and a friendly knowledgeable staff on hand. Some of our favorite brands include Hedgehog Fibres, SweetGeorgia Yarn, Julie Asselin, Shibui Knits and The Fibre Co. You can find A Yarn Story on Walcot Street in Bath or online at www.ayarnstory.co.uk Show Links We're at the end of Knitvent for this year! I can't believe it. This has been a very special one, and I'm so grateful to everyone who came along with us on our Nutcracker adventure. The final pattern is Clara's Cape: The costumes in The Nutcracker’s opening scene immediately draw us into another time and place. Whether your production sets the party in 18th century France, Imperial Russia, or turn of the century London, you know you’re somewhere special in history, swiftly approaching the fairy-tale beginning of “a long time ago.” The clothes are more formal, adults and children alike, but they’re also so much more fun: bonnets and breeches, top hats and tailcoats, ruffles and petticoats. Entirely enchanting and completely impractical for 21st century life. Combining a dollop of old-fashioned Edwardian charm with a dash of modern simplicity, Clara’s Cape captures a bit of that timeless magic and makes it utterly accessible. Wear it as a lovely shoulder-warming cape or loosely as an oversized statement cowl: it dresses up and down instantly. The wide stripes of simple ribbing and super bulky yarn means that this is an incredibly fast knit, perfect for an impressive last-minute gift. Purl Soho Super Soft Merino in Heirloom White Land of Sweets Cowl Tchaikovsky Hat and matching Tchaikovsky Mitts PrairieBagWorks Andre Sue Knits Herbstblatt Regina Yarn Knitting Outside the Box by Bristol Ivy Sharman Cardigan baa ram ewe Dovestone DK Hundred Acre Wood Shawl After more than six months of knitting beautiful shawls together, we finally have winners from the Shawl Society Grand KAL! The random number generator has drawn names from each of the threads, and there are some lovely prizes waiting for you. If you're on the list please get in touch with your address! Big thanks and love to everyone who knit a shawl this season, and congratulations to our winners! Fairyhill FO Thread: Post 37 - swatchblocker Sprite's Fen FO Thread: Post 23 - anettemcl Vila Wrap FO Thread: Post 27 - muddancer Rune Shawl FO Thread: Post 151 - Craftercizing Wishmaker FO Thread: Post 55 - joannemakes Familiar FO Thread: Post 24 - maggyblue Collage Thread: Post 31 - krmoore

In today's episode I confess to some Harry Potter-related procrastination, get excited about opening my yarn Advent Calendar and finding a perfect pattern for it, and introduce you to this week's Knitvent pattern! Show Sponsors: Alongside an eclectic yarn range, which includes Hazel Knits, Icelandic Lopi & CoopKnits, we stock a carefully chosen selection of needles and notions. We’ve also recently launched ‘hand dyed by meadowyarn’, our very own in-house, hand-dyed yarn range. Working in our tiny dye studio, nestled in the Suffolk countryside, we are able to indulge our love of colour, producing complex tonal, kettle-dyed shades across a range of weights and bases. With regular updates our collections evolve and grow, inspired by the landscape and people around us. AYS is a wool boutique specializing in hand dyed yarns and luxury fibres from around the world. You’ll always find a well curated collection of yarns and colors on the shelves and a friendly knowledgeable staff on hand. Some of our favorite brands include Hedgehog Fibres, SweetGeorgia Yarn, Julie Asselin, Shibui Knits and The Fibre Co. You can find A Yarn Story on Walcot Street in Bath or online at www.ayarnstory.co.uk Show Links Knitvent 2017 Norah George Yarn Herbstblatt Regina Yarn Land of Sweets Cowl ADVENTurous Wrap by Ambah O'Brien The fourth window Knitvent was opened yesterday to reveal the Marzipan Legwarmers! Somehow, the exuberant movement of the dancers seems effortless: they drift, float, spin, and even fly. Endless days of training and practice lie behind each sparkling moment of perfection onstage. For every moment a ballerina spends in a breathtaking tutu, she spends hours in legwarmers, repeating the ritual of class at the barre and rehearsing her role. Cosy and comforting, legwarmers keep a dancer’s muscles supple and ready: watch a performance from the wings and you’ll see that they stay on until seconds before she makes her entrance. The Marzipan Legwarmers are a graceful interpretation of the dancer’s staple. A pretty pair of legwarmers instantly adds a bit of ballerina chic to any outfit, all while keeping your ankles toasty. A clever twisted rib stitch gives the sportweight Marzipan Legwarmers plenty of stretch and cling, so that they can be styled up or down: elegantly stretched or artfully rumpled. With three sizes for toddlers, children, and women, you can knit a pair for all the little dancers in your life (and another for yourself!) The Shawl Society Grand KAL will end on Tuesday December 5th TSS Collage Thread to post your collage of 5 or 6 shawls from this season to qualify for the Grand Prize I will also draw a winner from each of the FO Threads! Surprise Party Shawl The Surprise Party KAL is beginning, and WIPs and even finished shawls are welcome! It will be hosted in The Grocery Girls Ravelry Group and will run until February 28th. Hue Loco Yarn Skein Yarn Dingo Dyeworks Hay Pullover by Clare Mountain Laine Magazine Copper Corgi That wraps up our show notes for this week! I'll talk to you again soon, and until then, happy knitting! x