Now that most of our Christmas bits and pieces are online, I thought it would be a nice idea to do a general post about what we have in store (and online) that is geared towards Christmas crafting.  

Firstly, for the sock knitters among you, I have to show you this year's Christmas colourway from West Yorkshire Spinners in their Signature 4 Ply.  With a pretty silver sparkle thread running through it, the Vintage Tinsel colourway is a pop of nostalgic fun for your feet this Christmas.  With each purchase of this colourway, you get a 4 page pattern booklet for the Twinkle Toes sock designed by Winwick Mum.  You can find this on our website here and of course, in store.  We also still have a couple of balls of a previous Christmas colourway, Robin.

If you're a crocheter and want to make something cute for your tree, what about this teddy and deer bauble kit?  The box contains everything you need except the hook and sewing up needle, but if you don't already have a 3 mm hook we have plenty in stock.  I think the deer one is so cute with her nose freckles!

Or maybe a Christmas themed cross stitch kit is how you envisage relaxing in the run up to Christmas?  We have lots of different options, but my favourite are these DMC kits, which use navy Aida fabric to make the designs really pop. There are 10 different designs to choose from, from gingerbread houses to reindeers, puppies, and love birds.  These Felt Cross Stitch Hoop Kits are also a good option for children to make, as the holes are much easier from young hands to work with, compared to Aida fabric.  Plus with the included hoop, the finished piece would make a great grandparent Christmas gift!  The wooden Ornament Cross Stitch Kits are even simpler to make thanks to the wooden template with pre-drilled holes, all that's left to do is decide on the design!

In store we also have a section in our bookcase dedicated to Christmas Knitting and Crochet books, with lots of projects and inspiration for any Christmas related item.  There are knitted and crocheted toys aplenty, both large and small.  There is even a Christmas jumper book by Rico which has Christmas Jumper designs whose sizes vary from baby to adult, so the whole family can match at Christmas time!  Below are a few examples of what we have, but there are lots more!

We also have lots of Christmas themed ribbons, both bright and neutral with all manner of designs. There are a few bundles of Christmas Fat Quarters for anyone handy with a sewing needle, and for children's crafts we have felt in an arrangement of colours, as well as decorative craft buttons to add interest to their creations.  We can even help if you're in need of some jingle bells, with coloured, silver and gold in a couple of sizes available in the shop. 

This post is a bit different, as rather than introduce you to one yarn, I'm going to show you two very similar yarns, both fun fur yarns.  We had a very similar yarn last year that was very popular so we're excited to stock some very similar yarns again this year.  Fur yarns are super chunky weight yarns, working up quickly on 8-10mm needles to give a fabric that looks just like fur.  The individual stitches aren't visible, but you end up with a beautiful and ever so soft knitted fabric, perfect for accessories, teddies and even garments.  So, let me introduce you to Rico Creative Petit Lapin (Left), and James C Brett Chinchilla (Right)!

We are stocking 5 shades of the Rico Creative Petit Lapin and 8 of the James C Brett Chinchilla - a mix of plain colours and realistic fur colours which are lightened on the ends, as below (Petit Lapin on the left and Chinchilla on the right).  The Petit Lapin even comes in a mottled blue and black shade that's very unusual.

There are patterns from both companies to go along with their yarns, including a waistcoat pattern with both adult and child sizes - just in time to get cozy for winter!

Rico Creative Petit Lapin can be found here, and James C Brett Chinchilla can be found here.

We are pleased to bring you the latest offering from West Yorkshire Spinners, a brand new collaboration with Dame Zandra Rhodes with 6 brand new colourways for two of their most popular ranges, Signature 4Ply and ColourLab DK

As I'm sure you know, we have recently started adding West Yorkshire Spinners ColourLab DK to our shelves ( and online here ) as we feel it a is a really good all round 100% wool yarn with an affordable price. And of course we have stocked their Signature 4Ply for a good few years as it really is one of the best sock yarns, whilst still being soft enough for accessories too. So we were very happy when they brought out this range of 6 multicoloured yarns, with all 6 colourways available in both ColourLab DK (on the left) and Signature 4Ply (on the right).

As you can see, they are bright and fun, like Zandra herself.  There are 2 of the yarns that come out in stripes, 2 that are multi coloured and 2 that are mottled so there is something to appeal to everyone!
She has also brought out a book with 15 patterns, from garments to accessories and socks, in her trademark colourful and bold style.  

I was really taken with the Forest Stripe colourway, and as I was sitting trying to warm my hands back up in the shop I decided to cast on a quick pair of handwarmers which should hopefully be ready in a day or so.  To get them done quicker I decided to go with ColourLab DK and I've been really impressed with both how soft the yarn is, especially as its 100% wool, and also how neat the colour changes are.  Sometimes in multi coloured yarns the place where the colour changes is dragged out so that you end up with  a lot of muddy stitches in between the 2 colours, but not so with this yarn. I'm really excited to get them done (and worn!)

ColourLab DK Zandra Rhodes collection can be found here
Signature 4Ply Zandra Rhodes collection can be found here