This is our penultimate episode of the year! With only a few weeks to go before Christmas, Rachel has lost her mind with her holiday knitting so we've found some gifts for knitters ideas to keep things sane in your own households and you can get back to your own projects instead of stuff for other people!

First a word from our sponsor:

The Loveliest Yarn Company is a new online yarn shop bringing you the loveliest yarn and knitting accessories.  Buying yarn online can be a bit fraught so they have gathered the best into one place.  They have knit, washed and worn everything so people know it's all been tried and tested by knitters. 

The Loveliest Yarn Company stock artisan hand dyed yarn from Life in the Long Grass, organic merino from Rosy Green Wool, some great stalwarts of the yarn world from West Yorkshire Spinners, irresistible accessories from Merchant and Mills and lots more.  All from theloveliestyarncompany.co.uk.

Podcast listeners can get 10% off in July, August and September with the code YITCEnabled2016.  If you aren't shopping for yarn at the moment, sign up for their newsletter on the site. 

As YITC has international listeners, we currently ship to countries in the EU, Australia and New Zealand.  And they will be adding more countries as they grow. Welcome to The Loveliest Yarn Company!

News and Events

It's the last few days of Wovember!

3 December – Selvedge Makers's Fair, St Augustine Church Hall London, 11-5:00.

6 Dec – Make handpainted gift wrap at VV Rouleaux

14 December - Late Night Knitty Lock-in at Wild & Woolly

16 December - Pom Pom Christmas party, 49 Tanner St London SE1 3PL

Will feature The Fibre Co., Fig Tree Yarns and John Arbon Textiles, as well as Francesca Hughes, Elisabeth Beverley, Coop Knits, Daughter of a Shepherd, Pink Hazel, La Bien Aimee, Beyond Measure and The Uncommon Thread.

Brioche classes for beginners at I Knit London on 3 Dec, 7 January and 21 January

​What we're working on

Allison is on the 13th stripe of 19 in Harrison's Hogwarts scarf. In addition, she's working on the Sonder Shawl by Helen Stewart. She's also been making lists of what needs to happen in the next few weeks –maybe a couple of pairs of slippers, a quilt for her FIL and a throw for her brother. Plus a waistcoat for Jordan for Christmas.

Rachel is frantically trying to finish her Vestvember project, Aileen by Laura Aylor, in some lovely alpaca her husband bought her in Peru. Despite all great intentions not to get out of control with Christmas knitting, she is also looking to do two versions of Because Sock Yarn by Kate Atherley and two top down yoked sweaters for her kids for Christmas. Goodbye sleep, hello RSI!

Christmas gift ideas

Cashmere bundles – Lux Adorna - available at Loop

Check your Gauge cloth – Cocoknits - available at A Yarn Story

Christmas book bundles from The Loveliest Yarn Co 

Jewellery from Tangled Yarn

Christmas Tree ornaments from Katrinkle and Yarnistry (also Christmas stitch markers)

Gift tags from Beyond Measure

Patterns for Ornaments

Christmas Eve Bauble Renee Callahan

Cheers! Cheryl Niamath

Mini Christmas Stocking by Julie Williams

Crocheted Christmas Baubles by Carmen Heffernan

Minikins – Woolly Wormhead

You can find the podcast on iTunes and Stitcher Radio and us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, in our Yarn in the City group on Ravelry, or in person on Wednesday nights at our knit night at the Goat between 7 and 10pm. Everyone's really friendly and we hope to see you there!

Have a great couple of weeks and we'll chat with you soon!