Christmas - Phase 2 - The Box and Planning

So do you have you're stocking stuffer gift that you made yesterday?

Yes, good for you! You'll succeed!
No!?! Well get on it... slacker...Camm I see you...


Next go get a box. I use a cardboard box because they go unnoticed, but a storage tub, that is not clear, will do well too.

Now take that stocking stuffer and drop it into the box. This box now has the honour of being the Christmas Box!

This is mine:

I'll be upgrading to a larger one as we get closer

You might notice mine has more then just a washcloth in it and I will tell you a secret. Last year when all the Christmas stuff was going on sale for $1 I did some shopping for this year! I picked up catnip toys, decorations and wrapping paper! I also shop though the entire year to take the edge off last minute Christmas shopping. When I see something I know someone will love I buy it and I toss it into the box! Sometimes I grab it back out for a birthday, but normally it just sits there till Christmas rolls around. If you plan on this let me suggest that you label who's gift is for whom. Two years ago I had a horrible day of dumping the box out to wrap things and I could not figure out who was suppose to get what.

Big thing about Christmas is that it can be very expensive if you do not plan it out right. I try not to spend hundreds of dollars in the two weeks leading up to Christmas on gifts because that is rather stressful. Instead I budget how much I can afford for each person on my list and start thinking of what gifts they will like. It sometimes helps to make a list of what each person's favorite color, shoe size, hobbies and interests.

Next I look at the lists previous to make sure I'm not giving the same stuff again. Nothing it worse to someone as getting slippers last year and getting them again this year.

Now it is time to brainstorm! Take your list and write down ideas for each person and what they might like knitted and otherwise.

This is also a great time to review if someone is knit worthy. Everyone on the list will get the knitted stocking stuffer, but that might be all the knits someone gets this holiday season.

Now here is the list I'm looking at now:

2 pairs Silk Mittens
1 pair of Gryffindor Socks
1 pair of Giant's Socks
2 Blankets
1 Shawl
2 Cowls
2 pairs Boot Socks
1 pair Fingerless Mittens

Now remember 2 things when making this list:

1. Don't plan on showering everyone with knitted gifts. Be selective to those that are worthy and don't give them too much. You need to hold stuff back for next year.

2. Don't forget anyone on your list for the holidays. Every year I make my Christmas list I look back to last year and see who was on the list and add and take away names. Check around to see who might be visiting, who had a new baby and who might be skipping the family get together.

So your homework tonight is to make your list, and start brainstorming patterns you might want to use!

Winner is....

Kat S.

She has won 253 yards of my wool beaded handspun! I love making this yarn with its thread and the beads for the ply and when I'm blending it is always fun to have a theme! I did this one after the Hunger Games, though it is equally appropriate for Halloween.

I found more of the white silk merino blend so I'm going to spin up more of that to get a full 4 oz.

Also, since I know I'm behind by 2 skeins I'll be having 2 extra giveaways this week! Look forward to the white silk merino and some alpaca from North Star Alpaca!

PS. If you want to find out how to enter the giveaway go here! I'm also adding those that donate to my race to this month's Radioactive Rabbit Monthly Giveaway!

Christmas Kickstart! Phase 1 - Lists and the Small Stuff!

Did you know that there are 137 days/19.5 weeks till Christmas? Every year I make this grand scheme to get the Christmas knitting done early and just fly through the entire thing without a care. I make lists and then slowly as we get closer get ideas are abandoned for small gifts out of the same yarn, however I'm still convinced that I'll follow my plan and succeed!

I know 19.5 weeks sounds like plenty of time now but think about how many people are on your Christmas list or take a look at mine:

Mom
Dad
Grandma P
Grandma Sue
Grandma Jane
Aunt Lee
Aunt Bobby
Uncle Paul
Aunt Lynn
Cousin Seb
Pets - 6 cats & 2 dogs
Anna 
Courtney
Stina
Teresa
Jeanne-Marie
Jim

At 17 people (pets count as one) that leaves me just a little over a week per person so I need to start the planning now and I recommend you do the same.

First thing you need to do is make your list. Go make it and I'll wait right here.... Got it?

Okay, second thing I like to do is split my list up in to parts for stocking stuffers:

Stocking stuffers are a great starting place for Christmas knitting. What you pick to give should be small, easy to carry, and if you have a large stash, most should come out of there.  Women this year will get handmade soap and the men will get hats. Since there are only 4 men I plan on stash diving for some worsted weight alpaca. 

Now pick some simple patterns that everyone will like! Don't choose different patterns for each person, that personalization will come with the next step. The idea is to pick a pattern that is easily memorized so it is quick!

Here is my Plain Hat Pattern and the Marsan Watchcap is a fine choice too. For the wash clothes there are many choices, but I like function so I'm just making simple garter stitch squares or you can go the extra mile with the Leafy Washcloth.

Next is the stash diving. If you have a large stash like I do then this part is easy, but if you don't then it is a good idea to start budgeting for Christmas now. 

For the men's hats I will need about 200 yards. I have a small stash of alpaca worsted weight that I got on clearance once so that is perfect for these hats! The washclothes I need about 360 yards of cotton for so I'll go grab the left overs from the baby toys I made years ago. 

Now go start making your first stocking stuffer and have it ready for tomorrow's post!

What a week!

So I've finished moving and I'm nearly done unpacking. I even dyed yarn yesterday and I'll be doing more today, but the main thing on everyone's mind must be the handspun giveaway!

Drum roll please...

The winner is...

Patti S.

She has won these very beautiful skeins of my handspun. I blended the colors myself using my drum carder and that total yardage is 310 yards!

Tomorrow I will be giving away some lovely silk/merino handspun. I actually spun it on the Yosemite trip the girls and I took.

I did a little extreme spinning and the the yarn is a lace/light fingerling weight. The weight is a bit under 4oz because I dropped some in the river above. Sorry but I was not going after it. That river is really quick.

rollin' rollin' rollin'

That's what is going on with the yarn right now!

I'm having to make a very sudden and unexpected move so please bear with me as I move and get things settled into my new place.

You know you never realize how much yarn you have till you pack it all up. I've decided that next week I need to do a yarn purge of all the nasty acrylic I will never use, because I can hear it squeak on my needles.

How often do you do a purge of the yarn to get rid of the yarn you realized you bought before you knew what good yarn was, when you had bad taste, or when you got over $100 in gift certificated to Michaels?

PS. Drawing for the hand spun yarn will be tomorrow night!

Olympic Ready!

Recently all my customers are talking about the Ravellenics and what they are making. Caroline in South Korea is making the beautiful Haruni by Emily Ross (great free pattern), and Carrie down in southern California and I have been discussing what challenges us on the Radioactive Rabbit Ravelry forum.

Haruni By Emily Ross

Now I do love a great challenge and my knitting group can tell you I love really interesting lace patterns that keep me interested, but nothing has been too challenging lately. In my search for a project that was worthy of really challenging me I realized that knitting is not challenging, that finishing is the real hardship. I can use the excitement of a project to get me through most things, but if it wears off all I'm left with is half a project and a guilty feeling when Ben asks me what happened to last week's hat.

My Olympic size challenge is to gather up all my WIPs and finish or frog all of them. I'm going to end the Olympics with a clean slate. If it cannot be done within that 16 day window then I really just did not want it enough. I'm gathering everything up, and since Ben leaves on a trip on Thursday, I'm going to dump them all on my dining room table and line them up. At last check I had over 100 hours of knitting time in WIPs and with some work I think I can get it down to something like 60 before the games by finishing some stuff and frogging others.

Stop laughing, it can be done!

PS. Handspun winner will be announced later tonight. Carpal tunnel put a cramp in my spinning style.

Running, Tour De Fleece, and Handspun yarn

What does running, Tour De Fleece, and handspun yarn all have in common?

My Giveaway!

We are right now in the middle of Tour De Fleece and I could not be more excited! I actually have a personal problem with my handspuns and that is I love spinning art yarns! I love spinning thick and thin, using beads, adding locks and being wild with colors, but I never knit with them.

In my knitting I like order, calm transitions, natural colors, and smooth yarn that makes an even fabric. I even restrain myself from buying art batts because I always remind myself I only wear scarves and hats my friends have made me, and I'm not sure if my very artsy grandmother can take another cowl made out of art yarn.

What I'm going to do is start giving it away to all you wonderful people that have donated to my Giant's Race fundraiser that is for Project Open Hand!

This will be the first yarn to go up as soon as I finish plying the second bobbin:

It's a 2 ply varying fingerling weight wool yarn that was plyed with polyester thread that has beads on it! I spent an afternoon in Gunilla's shop with my drum carder just making bats from her roving and this one was inspired by the sea.

I have lived in the Santa Cruz area for most of my life and it seems I can never leave here for long. The turquoise is for the sea, the tan for the sand and the white for sea foam. The glass beads came with me all the way from Texas and it reminds me of how the sun makes the ocean glitter on a perfectly clear day.

To win this and other yarns you can do one of the following things:

• Donate at my fundraising page
• Send an email with the link to the page and a bit about what I'm raising money for to 5 of your friends (cc me on the email at radbitdyer (at) gmail dot com)
• Tweet a link to my page with a small blurb and then email me a link to it
• Blog about what I'm doing and then email me a link to it
• Post about it on Facebook with a link and tag Radioactive Rabbit

You can do all of the 5 ways and increase your chances to win! It does not matter how much you donate, the only way to increase your chances is by doing the 5 things above!

 Every Sunday I will post a picture of the yarn and the winner of it so start spreading the word now!