Gathering with Friends to Celebrate the Season!

There have been hints of the festive season for weeks now, but this is the weekend it truly arrives. Neighbourhood light switch-ons, Thanksgiving travel for our American friends, and a winter chill in the air can only mean one thing: the holidays are here!

We’re kicking off the season with a warm welcome to Dee Hardwicke, Jonna Helin, and their wonderful new book Cultivate. We’ve been so excited to celebrate this book and the two incredible women behind it whose work has inspired us for so long. With some clever stitching, the 20 patterns in this volume seamlessly combine Dee’s nature-inspired motifs with Jonna’s knack for simplicity into some really gorgeous garments.

Tomorrow (Saturday 23 November) they’ll join us in the shop for a Meet and Greet including live demonstrations of the Swiss darning technique used throughout the book and some fantastic sample browsing. Stop by the shop between 12 and 3 PM to delve into the patterns with Jonna, Dee, and your fellow knitters and stock up on yarns as you plan your knits. No need to book!

One of our favorite patterns in Cultivate is the Rose Scarf, which we adore so much we’ve made some very special kits for it. This square scarf is beautiful in all its simplicity, with a solid coloured background and a large rose motif created with Swiss darning stitch. Our Rose Scarf Kit contains all the yarn you’ll need to save you from buying full skeins, along with a lovely Loop cotton project bag. (The kit doesn’t come with the pattern, so be sure to pick up your copy of Cultivate!) You can choose between the original colourway from the book, with a blue background, pink rose, and green stem, or a special Loop colourway, with a dusty rose pink background, golden rose, and brown-green stem.

Wintery Treats for All!

If there’s one thing a maker can be relied upon to do, it’s bringing a unique flair to the holidays. Whether you’re planning to craft your holiday gifts, adorn your home with festive stitches, or just lavish your favourite crafters to some truly special treats, we’re sure you’ve got something up your sleeve. If you’re looking for a bit more inspo, our Gifts page is sure to spark your imagination! Featuring collections for knitters, crocheters, exquisite handmade goods, and some ideas just for this time of year, we’re sure you’ll find something amazing!

This year we’re especially smitten with scarves by Sophie Digard and Nathalie Lété. Sophie’s Paper Flowers, Pansy, and Sea Life in Green scarves are totally unbelievable. They’re intricately hand-stitched and sure to please anyone who appreciates fashion and fine textile work. (Psst – Sea Life in Green is actually on sale right now!) Nathalie’s wonderfully whimsical silk and cotton printed scarves celebrate Hedgehogs, Bambi, and Paris in wonderful artwork that nods to folk traditions. The combination of these classic wardrobe staples with Nathalie’s unique artwork is really stunning.

For the younger ones on your list, Sally Nencini’s Lambswool Dollys and Mr and Mrs Bunny are classic gifts for the holidays or any other special occasion. Handcrafted in Norfolk, England, Sally’s creations are classics that never go out of style.

And for the crafters on your list our ideas are endless. We love the Jingle Bell Stitch Markers that will bring a festive flair to whatever is on a loved one’s needles, and we’re delighted by the special Christmas 2024 edition of Cohana Mini Scissors. Of course you could always get them something to make in those cosy days between Christmas and New Year, like the Matryoshka Trio Embroidery Kit (which will make great decorations for next year), the Hoooked Frosty Penguin Crochet Kit (which has a great wintery vibe), or the Scout Mini Scarf Kit (which will keep them warm into the new year!)

The ultimate gift for crafters is of course our Winter Holiday Boxes, which contain a treasure trove of yarns, haberdashery, and more, with a few pattern ideas thrown in to spark your imagination. Whether you want to give this box to one special crafter or share out all the wonderfulness inside, we’re sure it’ll be a big hit!

If you’re looking to make your home feel a bit more festive, don’t forget to check out our free Mistletoe Garland Pattern. It’s a holiday favourite year after year! A strand or two always brings warmth to the home, and you can also make one-off versions of the leaf patterns as gift toppers or to hang in an opportune location for a little smooch.

Goings On Around Angel

We love celebrating with our neighbours this time of year! There are so many wonderful events lined up in our London neighbourhood of Angel and they always make us feel so festive. First up, tonight is the Light Up Angel Central Christmas Lights Switch On from 4 to 7 pm. Then tomorrow is Glow in the Angel. From 1pm to 6pm there will be music, crafts, festive entertainment, and even a little treasure hunt on Islington Green, right at the end of our very own Camden Passage. The event supports Islington Giving in their winter appeal which focuses on tackling loneliness. Pick up a bespoke Christmas cracker to support the campaign and enjoy the locally sourced goodies inside! And speaking of Camden Passage, next Saturday 30 November is the Friends of Camden Passage Christmas 2024 from 2pm until the evening. Organised by the Ezen Foundation, this event will celebrate a fusion of Japanese culture and Victorian festive traditions. Featuring a DJ, a roaming Camden Passage Scrooge, fashion shows, and dance, it’s sure to be a real treat!

Holiday Hours & Last Shipping Days

Ahead of the holidays, we’ve extended our opening ours on select dates in November and December. Over the next two weeks we’ll be open an extra hour and a half in the evenings, until 7pm on Wednesday the 27th, Thursday the 28th, and Friday the 29th of November as well as Wednesday the 4th, Thursday the 5th, and Friday the 6th of December. Don’t forget we’re open until 6:30 PM tonight!

We’ll also be closed for some days over Christmas and New Year to allow our staff to relax and celebrate. We will be closed on weekdays during the weeks commencing 23 and 30 December, but open the weekend of 28 December. We’ll be open as usual until Sunday 22 December and then again from Saturday 4 January. For more information on our opening hours and more, see our Visit Us page.

As a reminder, our recommended last posting dates for Christmas delivery are:

Royal Mail UK Tracked 48: 18 December

Royal Mail International tracked and signed services

• 4 December: Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Finland, Greece, Italy, Malta, Mexico, Norway, Portugal, Romania and Sweden
• 6 December: Czech Republic, Malaysia, New Zealand, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Turkey and United Arab Emirates (UAE)
• 9 December: Austria, Denmark, India, Lithuania, Philippines, Qatar, Slovakia and Slovenia
• 11 December: Belgium, Canada, China (People’s Republic), Croatia, Estonia, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Luxembourg, South Korea, Thailand and USA
• 13 December: France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, Pakistan, Singapore, Switzerland and Taiwan

Let the festivities begin!