The Big Blog Giveaway!

The time has arrived - finally! I've been so excited about launching this giveaway; I've been planning it for weeks!

The aim was to come up with a giveaway item that could be given to either sex as a good Christmas present - (or a present for yourself if you wish!)

So I've come up with this super cool circular scarf, mittens and beanie set, all in a matching rich moss green yarn. It looks stunning on - perfect for girls or boys!

The hat has been knitted in a rib stitch making it really stretchy - will fit a standard adult head snuggly. 







You can see that the full set looks rather fetching on my husband Stew - he said it was very comfy to wear, and would keep you cosy and warm in the winter time!





The mittens have a ribbed cuff to make them fit snuggly against your wrists, and are fitted around the thumb. They are quite fitted so they will keep you warm, but can still function in them!













I love this cowl - it is very warm. I knitted this on a loom, so it has a great laddered pattern, and has no seam so it is very strong - you can pull it on and off as many times as you like and it will keep its shape!











So here it is - a 3 piece set worth a staggering $50 retail value! I'm feeling very generous with the festive season approaching, so one lucky blog reader will win this great prize!

This giveaway is open worldwide so everyone can enter - it is really simple, no games or catches - a very straightforward giveaway!


You get automatic entry into the competition if you:

a. Leave me a comment under this blog entry saying what you would buy from my Etsy shop if you had a blank cheque…
b. You get another entry if you have left a message and follow my blog.
c. You get another entry for following me on Facebook
d. You will get another entry if you follow me on Twitter
e. Lastly if you tweet or post on your own blog a link back to this blog competition you get another entry.

So maximum of 5 chances to win… - how cool is that!?


Please make sure when you leave your comment on this blog post that you say where I can contact you (Email address, Etsy username, Twitter handle, Facebook page etc)

Winner will be picked at random on Sunday 14th November 2010

Pob Lwc!

(Good Luck!)

Debs!

Halloween Post: Double, Double Toil & Trouble...

... It's that time of year again; All Hallows Eve is fast approaching this weekend - and it's also the weekend the clocks go back 1 hour here in the UK, changing from British Summer Time back to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), making the 31st extra dark and spooky this year.

"Double, Double Toil and Trouble"; Shakespeare's contribution to the Halloween festivities from the Witches speech in the play Macbeth conjures up thoughts of cauldrons, eyes of newt and frogs tails! (not bubble bubble like you may think, the thought on this is that the collective memory on this has become a bit cloudy, and double has got substituted for bubble...)  Though Halloween is not celebrated with the same fervour here in the UK as it is in the US, we still have a great time!

This year I'm planning to settle in for a night of movies, candlelight, popcorn and plenty of sweets! Which movies are on the play list I'm not sure yet... All suggestions welcome! In Halloweens of past I've enjoyed dressing up and going to a big party, but I am a bit obsessive with costume etc - in 2005 I spent 4 hours painting myself up as a zombie with terrifying results!

(I was at University at the time so had plenty of time to cover myself in green greasepaint and fake burns - and yes that is glow in the dark paint in my hair!)

But Halloween does not have to be all blood guts and gore if you don't want it to! There are some fantastic handmade objects that can be kept out all year to enjoy if it takes your fancy...

I LOVE this hat - I stumbled across it on Folksy recently and I think it would look fantastic to glam up a more classy Halloween outfit. It's made by Janine Basil; the hanging spider is a stroke of genius!

I've also fallen in love with these fantastic candles - we don't really have Candy corn here, but the colours always make me smile, and I'd have these out in my house all year around. They are hand made by Craftasticparties on Etsy and at $11 for a set of 3 they are really good value too!

Throwing your own party? Need some tips? There are so many ideas out there! Bobbing apples, spaghetti meatball guts, haunted house mock-ups (though maybe not for very small kids or those with a nervous disposition!) - and of course you will need a Jack-O-Lantern carved from a big fat pumpkin.

 

This pumpkin lantern bowl by TheCaramelJar is a great way to enjoy the lantern effect, but keep year on year to display at your parties. And if it is full of sweets all the better!

I really do not like pumpkin. I've tried year on year to try and like it - but I can't stand wasting all that food by just scooping it out and throwing it away either; I've scoured around for a way to use up the flesh from the lantern and have discovered that doesn't fill me with horror (!) is a Pumpkin Risotto with Crispy Sage; it's a River Cottage classic recipe by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and mixes the pumpkin in with a creamy rich risotto, and you can hide it under lots and lots of cheese. I think it's one I'm going to give a go this Halloween!

Happy Halloween to you all!

UPDATE

Sunday is also the day I launch my Christmas present to you guys - my blog giveaway! It will make a great present for a loved one, or for yourself! I'm very excited about it already - 1 week to go!

Debs

National Wool Week Celebration!

Yes that's right - this week is National Wool week! (admittedly I'm a bit late writing this on Friday this week, but work has been mental - better late than never!)

Here is a little bit of history of where Wool Week came from, written by Laura Smith:

"Back in January 2010, HRH The Prince of Wales announced a cross-industry initiative called The Campaign for Wool.The project aims to promote the versatility and sustainability of this natural fibre with the intention of increasing demand, which has been declining recently. The campaign is supported by many high profile brands including Debenhams, John Lewis and Marks and Spencer. 
One of the higher profile aspects of the campaign is to be National Wool Week. Originally scheduled for September, the dates were changed and now National Wool Week is running from 11th until the 17th October. Many organisations are getting involved and there are numerous events planned throughout the week. However my favourite has to be the Savile Row Field Day where the London street, most famous for world class tailoring, will be closed to traffic and laid to turf in order to allow Exmoor Horn and Bowmoor sheep to graze freely!"

How cool is that?! I really wish I had been there to see that! Wool is a fantastic resource, it is natural - straight off the sheep - and it's sustainable - farmers in the UK are almost giving away fleeces and are seen as waste products!

Wool is also amazingly versatile - think about all the different products can be made from this gorgeous product, from the fabric for Saville Row suits, to the yarn we love to knit with - it is biodegradable, water resistant, hard wearing and dyes really easy, so you can get a wide variety of colours. 

The processed wool can be spun and turned into gorgeous yarns to be knitted, crocheted or weaved, or it can be formed into that wonderful non-woven fabric that we all love - felt!

Check out this gorgeous treasury of knitted delights to celebrate National Wool Week and salute the humble yet wonderful world of wool!

'Homage to National Wool Week!' by debs102

My celebration of UK National Wool week - a celebration of all things woolen!

Chunky Cream Moss S... KnitFrekkles $68.00	Bridal - - - 3 felt... Stemellina $12.00	Lion Brand - Wool-E... LillyQueenBead... $2.00	Upcycled Felted Woo... formydarling $19.00
Undyed Natural Woo... smokymountainf... $5.00	Fingerfull Warmers ... JurgitaMi $32.00	Ivory and silver da... TheBroochBouti... $12.50	Felted slippers BEI... ing00te $80.00
Vintage 1950s white... dirtybirdiesvi... $58.00	Sheep Knitted, Wool... ButtermilkCott... $30.00	Handmade Crocheted ... PropShop $25.00	Coco -3 white wool ... PetitCalla $14.99
Cream Swirls Headba... GraceInspired $12.00	Natural Handspun Ya... sweetredemptio... $14.00	Hand Knit Hat - The... pixiebell $55.00	1CM Felt Balls/24-P... HandbehgFELTS $8.50

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites. 

Enjoy these knitted treasures and get behind the ethos of sustainable wool sources for your projects - it's something I'm really going to investigate for my store

Debs 

Autumn Days in a Park in Wales

I do like Autumn as a season; the colours are so pretty, it's cool enough that I can start to get out my cosy knitted goodies out of the wardrobe, but not as drab and dreary as Winter gets here - winter light here in Wales is very dull, flat and grey. It can make you feel very dreary, and want to hibernate away from the world...

... but we aren't there yet! We have a gorgeous little park opposite us called Thompson's Park, which we enjoy going on walks in. 

The sun was out this afternoon, and it was quite mild for October, and I enjoyed a lovely walk with Stew my husband. The colours out were fantastic, and I got some pics on my phone whilst we walked around... 

After having a pretty stressful and busy time recently, it was great to get out in the fresh air and relax before another hectic week at the office kicks off again. It's also given me some great inspiration for some new items in some of these gorgeous colours; greens, golds, reds, russets and browns.


On getting back I turned my inspiration into a Fall themed treasury, featuring some of the work of fellow Etsians who have nailed the Autumn vibe perfectly!

'Autumnal Colours in the Fall' by debs102

Inspired by my walk in the park today, this is my tribute to Autumn!

Genevie the bunny i... Yarnigans $15.00	Waving Woods - 184 ... SpringtreeRoad $27.25	6 Cranberry Wool Fe... greenbaboondes... $12.00	NEW - Orange Coffee... natalya1905 $15.00
Mustard Yellow Fing... warmandsoft $25.00	Candy Corn Candles ... Crafttasticpar... $11.00	AUTUMN FALL TREE AP... ABC123APPLIQUE... $3.00	Fall Leaves Necklac... Madryl $30.00
Cinnamon and Butter... SatinandBirch $16.00	Tree ChrissyGemmill... $90.00	fall harvest - fuzz... thefuzzymonkey $17.00	Little knitted hedg... Yarnigans $15.00
Brass Leaf Earrings RoseAndRaven $13.50	The Fairy Forest - ... NatureMandalas $45.00	Silver Orchid Trio ... PiperBlue $23.00	Autumn Tree -- 70.8... wiwicoco $48.95

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites. 

 I hope you enjoy it! 

*** Update - I'm knitting the Christmas giveaway prize as we speak - will launch the competition on 31st October, or sooner if we reach 200 blog followers! It is going to be a fantastic prize! ***

Debs