Little Elephant Raffle Winner

Using the random number generator from the folks at random.org, I picked a winner! I wrote down the tickets as they were purchased, assigning each one a number based on the order in which they were bought. The winning ticket is...

Which belonged to Laura. Congrats, Laura! Your elephant will be on her way soon!
Thanks to everyone who entered, hopefully we can have another one soon.

Advent Knitting

I went into my Christmas knitting, once again, with the goal of making almost everything by hand. For about the fifth year in a row. Now that we're into the middle of November, I am realizing it's probably not going to happen. For about the fifth year in a row. Also, we are making our own advent calender. I had planned to make a little knitted something for each tree. I guess I didn't realize how very much work it is to knit 24 anything, even if they're very little somethings.
I started out with a mini stocking garland:

Being ravelled here: http://ravel.me/NataliesKnits/mcso
I figured they could be the first four days of the advent, maybe with a little confection in each one.
Then I started a couple of little critters:

A little Rudolf and mini pink elephant. Which my mom says looks like a mini pig with a long nose. But cute nonetheless.
I am also planning on knitting my girl a super cute shawl, To Grandma's House. It's going to be the gift that's from me, rather than Santa. And I would like a couple of these cute reindeer under the tree as well. And this year, I absolutely have to knit t least two golden snitchs as gifts.
And I have realized that I really should have started in January! I would much rather have those knitted gifts than 24 little knitted advent trinkets, so I broke down and bought a few little things for the advent forest. Mostly Frozen related stuff, because someone in this house is in love with that movie.
What is everyone else knitting up for Christmas 2014?

Make Something Monday

Some mittens and a hat:

Halloween Swap - What I Got

Just wanted to pop in and share what an amazing package I got in the mini TOK Halloween swap! Check it out:

I am so in love with everything! You'll notice the squirrel doesn't have a head - no chocolate is safe in my house! Some awesome Halloween yarn, fun Pez candy for my Magdalena, a cool postcard from Salem, confetti and stickers...plus, SOME REALLY COOL HARRY POTTER STAMPS! O M G they are awesome, I am in love, I think they are so, just, the awesomest coolest thing in, well, ever.
Sorry, I forgot how to English there.
Happy Saturday everyone!

Little Wool Elephant Raffle

So far, this raffle has raised $33!

Psst. You, yeah you.
Wanna win that cute little elephant down there, plus help support a local organization? Specifically, support the Fairground's House, a full time residential facility for adults who can't quite manage on their own, for various reasons. It is the only such facility on our island. You help support something great, plus could potentially win a hand knit stuffed animal for as little as $1. It's a win win!

The Raffle is now closed Please see the most recent post for the winner.

Simply, buy the tickets using that button. Please, I would appreciate it if you have a PayPal account, as then I have your e-mail and mailing address, so much easier for if you win! All money raised will go to the Fairground's House, Nantucket! If you buy five, you get five tickets, if you buy four, you get four chances to win, etc etc. I will then use the random number generator from the folks at random.org to pick the winner!
This cute little girl is knit from the pattern Girl Elephant in a Frondy Frock as well as A Selection of Seasonal Dress Patterns, both by Julie Williams, used with permission for this contest. http://littlecottonrabbits.typepad.co.uk/knitting-patterns/. She is knit from 100% Scottish Highland Wool and is about 8.5" tall.

**The fine print**
- Tickets will be numbered in the order in which they are purchased. If you are the first to buy, you will have ticket number one, if you are the second to purchase, you will have ticket number two, etc.
- Contest will be open from now, until November 19th, I will announce the winner the next day.
- Contest is open world wide.
- Yes, the money will be going to my PayPal account, but then I will give the total to them. (Minus any processing fees from PayPal.)
- Buying tickets does not guarantee you're winning.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot like...

Wait, what?!
But, it's the middle of October..
But, I just spent the last two weeks talking about knitting for Halloween and fall.
Well, welcome to life on a knitter's timeline. As any knitter out there can attest, when you have a lot to knit for a certain event or holiday, you have to start in advance. And, I have a lot to knit.
Welcome to Make Something Monday...Christmas in October!
This past week, I have had a lot of projects going. Since I am not doing any holiday fairs this year, I am free to knit as I want, and it's a really good feeling. I am planning on a lot of those ornaments up there. I am making one for each kid in my class, to hang on these really cute s'more kits I'm giving each of them. Here's what I have so far (I will need at least 11):

Being Ravelled here: http://ravel.me/NataliesKnits/ckops
The only other thing I completely finished were a set of Knitted Tree Lights, which I forgot to get a picture of. They were for a special order. I was going to take a picture of them all wrapped up and ready to send, but was rushed to get them out before work.
Another thing going is a Santa Reindeer. No pictures of yet, but I have knitted one every year now for a while. The one I made last year can be viewed on Ravelry here: http://ravel.me/NataliesKnits/sr2. The one I am making this year is being Ravelled here: http://ravel.me/NataliesKnits/sr3
The last thing on the needles is this:

A sock monkey! Being knit up for Magdalena. Being Ravelled here: http://ravel.me/NataliesKnits/msm

That's it for me this week, folks. Anyone else making Christmas stuff already?

Boo!

Boo! Happy October and welcome to Make Something Monday! It's my favorite time of year again - fall. Although we're still having warm weather here, I love when the weather starts getting cooler, the nights get darker, and the trees get more colorful. Plus, the start of the holiday season is right around the corner, with Halloween just a few weeks away.
To celebrate the start of this amazing season, and to herald in the hopefully imminent colder weather, I knit up a hat this week.

It doesn't photograph well, or I am not a good photographer, I dunno. But it is a lovely hat, so soft and warm. Another angle:

I got to try something new with this hat, called welting. Welting is what created the bumps in the side of the hat in the first photo and makes for a perfeclty slouchy hat. I love trying new techniques, and I really don't try them too often.

Also, something I don't get to do too often; knit for myself. I literally made this hat in less then 24 hours. I cast on yesterday, finished this morning. The pattern calls for crocheting the edge, and I may go into my Local Yarn Store to ask them to show me how to do it, as I have never gotten the hang of it. I've watched plenty of tutorial videos, I just can't seem to get it!
Ravelled here: http://ravel.me/NataliesKnits/kg
Oh, some more pictures:

The only other thing I managed to finish was another pumpkin.

Happy Monday everyone. Oh, and I want this bag. I mean, my 30th is coming up in about two weeks...

A Pumpkin and a Bat

By the way, it's Make Something Monday! Hey, they can't all be winners. I know last week I promised a new mitt, but then I decided I wanted to knit something else. Which happens to me a lot.

Like, way too often. But, at least I am maintaining the trend of one finish a week. This week, it's Batty the Bat and his pumpkin friend...named by the six year old who rules the roost.

I have wanted to knit up a bat and pumpkin for many Halloweens running and decided I was actually going to do it this year.

And it won't be too long before I am all out Christmas knitting (the bulk of my orders flood in soon - not a bad thing, but with the job and the kid it's full time!), so it was now or never.

She is all wool, and just as squishy and cute as can be.

Ravelled here: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/NataliesKnits/bat-and-jack-o-lantern-2

Halloween Mini-Swap

As I mentioned last week, I was making some Spicy Mitts for a swap I had joined. I never posted pictures of anything else I was sending, because I didn't want to spoil everything, on the off chance anyone from the group read the post.
But my swap partner got her goodies, and her photos are just so pretty, I had to use them to show everything off!
Photos by the amazing JulieRoseSews on Ravelry.

There's my mitts, some yummy treats, some mulling spices for making her own cider, and a card that I thought was just so pretty and perfectly themed.
Some close-ups.

Spicy Simple Mitts

Hey hey, it's Make Something Monday. Today I am sharing a pair of mitts I knitted, a twist on my Simple Mitts.

I followed the pattern, but with much thinner yarn. Which made for a less squishy and thick mitt, perfect for fall. This time around I used a variegated colorway called spice, from Blissful Knits. The yarn was over twice as expensive then the Kureyon by Noro I have always used before, however, there was over twice as much yarn.
This colorway was really pretty, just perfect soft fall colors. It's part of a swap, and the person I am spoiling loves the muted colors of fall, and I thought this just fit the bill.

Stay tuned for more ideas on how to tweak this basic pattern for mitts. Hopefully next week I will have one with a different cuff that will totally transform it.

Here are the mitts all wrapper up, along with some other goodies:

And of course, the six year old artist has to put her spin onto the package:

While this pair is heading off to someone, I had enough yarn for another pair, if you like them, check them out on Etsy.
Ravelled here: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/NataliesKnits/simple-mitts-4

Make Something Monday

The Winner is...

Sorry I am late in posting this, time got away from me! But I have a winner! Using the awesome website random.org, I chose the winning comment, which belongs to...Carla Shiver! Congrats Carla, I will be messaging you soon!
Be sure to check back for other giveaways, I think there may be a Spring themed one in the works.

Yarn Grab Bag Giveaway!

I have recently decided I have far too much yarn. So what better way to get rid of some of it then with a giveaway?! (Other than selling some of it here.)

This giveaway is for a grab bag of five (5) full skeins of KnitPicks Wool of the Andes yarn. I will pick five skeins out of the very many that I have, some examples viewed above! (Details: They are worsted weight, 110 yards and 100% Peruvian Highland wool. Hand wash/dry flat.)

As always, entering is simple, and you can have up to four entries (leaving a separate comment for each entry):
- One, just leave a comment!
- Two, follow my Blog and leave a comment saying you've done so.
- Like Nantucket Knitter on Facebook and leave a comment saying you've done so. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nantucketknit
- Share this giveaway in some way (Facebook, forum, Ravelry, pinterest, etc), and leave a comment (with a link to where you've shared it) saying you've done so.

I will leave the contest open until April first, 'round about 6:00 PM EST. Please leave some way to contact you in at least one of your comments. E-mail, Ravelry name, whatever. If there isn't a way to contact you I will wait 48 hours after a winner is chosen for you to contact me, at which point a new winner will be chosen. Winner much respond within 48 hours otherwise a new winner will be chosen. Winner will be chosen via the awesome folks at random.org. Contest is open internationally.

Good luck!
You can also purchase a grab bag here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/183788701/grab-bag-five-skein-knitpicks-wool-of

Ingress Resistance Key Knitting Chart

Just designed this chart for us in fingerless mittens or knuckle gloves which I have yet to design. Wanted to share this as I haven't posted in a while. Nothing much of note has been happening around here to post about!
Anyways, enjoy: