Holiday Gifts to Make Merry & Bright!

One of our favourite things about the festive season is the opportunity to show those we love just how much we care with an extra special little something we know they’ll love. We’ve got some real beauties in our Winter Holiday Gift Collection!

When it comes to gift-giving, there’s nothing quite like a kit. The knowledge that you’ll be handing over all the gorgeous materials needed to make a stunning piece — and that the pros have had a hand in selecting materials and colours — just gives you that extra assurance that your gift is truly exceptional. We take real joy in kit curation, and seeing how they come to life in your hands is just the cherry on top! The Gepard Kumula Cashmere Sophie Scarf Bundle is sure to be a hit this winter. It combines a luxuriously soft yarn with a super stylish pattern we can’t get enough of. It’s beginner friendly and budget friendly, and with loads of colours to choose from, totally personalised as well!

Mette Mehlsen’s Anemone Scarf Kit is an exquisite collection of hand-dyed wool with a fabulous pattern to boot. Originally designed for our 20th anniversary, this special colourway for winter is a misty garland of green boughs and red berries that’s totally evocative of frosty walks through the countryside. Mette’s yarn is truly unparallelled. In fact, don’t be surprised if these yarn cakes end up in a frame on the wall rather than getting knit up! For both of these knit kits, you may want to pick up knitting needles if you’re not sure your recipient will have the right size. For the Anemone Scarf you’ll want a 2.5mm needle and for the Sophie Scarf you’ll want a 3.5mm needle. We recommend a classic straight needle like Clover Takumi or a circular needle like ChiaoGoo Red Lace.

The most Christmasy of our kits is Jessie Chorley’s The Night Before Christmas Embroidery Template. In hand stitching and needle-turned appliqué, this kit presents a tranquil Christmas scene. This would be a perfect kit to make yourself throughout December and present, completed, to a loved one on Christmas day. Equally, it would make a stunning gift for the hand-stitching aficionado in your life, or someone looking to practice the craft in the new year.

To bring a little joy to any craft, there’s nothing better than a stitch marker with a bit of flair! Our festive favourites are Jingle Bells Stitch Markers and Winter Stitch Markers. The jingle bells make such a joyful sound, and the snowflakes and beads in the winter collection are a sweet reminder of the season. There are 10 jingle bell stitch markes and 6 in the winter collection, and each set comes with a progress marker as well. In the jingle bell collection it’s a cute candy cane, and in the winter collection there’s a choice of a deer or a larger snowflake. Knit on!

Half of any gift is the anticipation and joy of seeing a beautifully wrapped parcel. Wrapping a gift well takes as much care and craft as anything, and we are huge proponents of bringing a bit of beauty to the outside as well as the inside of a gift! We totally adore Studio Carta Cotton Ribbon with Metallic Edging for this purpose. Each of the 13 colours at Loop complement each other so well. We haven’t found a combination we don’t love! And using them together in threes and fours makes really exceptional gift bows. We’re also uber thrilled to have Wallace Sewell Fabric Ribbon Bundles in the shop this year. These beauties are a gift in and of themselves. Made from the selvedge edges of Wallace Sewell’s incredible textiles, they look gorgeous even atop the most basic wrapping paper, and once the gift opening is done they are a gorgeous way to add embellishments to any project or bring a bit of texture to your home decor.

Of course, one of our favourite gift toppers of all time is a handmade Mistletoe Garland. Whether you want to make yards and yards of this free crochet pattern to use as ribbon on all your gifts or just add a few berry and leaf motifs here and there, this pattern is a great go-to (and of course it’s perfect for decorating your home as well. Stock up on BC Garn Lino in the original pattern colours (33 Natural, 60 Pine, and 61 Linen) or pick your own colourway to complement your holiday vibe!

Of course, the ultimate gift for any knitter, crocheter, or stitcher of any stripe is an infinite supply of materials. We can’t exactly promise infinity, but we can offer gift cards, which is basically the same thing. Whether you’re looking for a stocking stuffer or a show-stopper, our physical or emailed gift cards are the perfect trick to have up your sleeve this season! These can be used in the shop or online and they never expire.

And if you just want to share the holiday love with all of your nearest and dearest — whether they’re crafters or not — Petra Boase’s Christmas Cards are a whimsical way to spread joy. Both the penguin and Christmas tree designs are full of character and holiday happiness. We love the playfulness and light that Petra brings to these festive illustrations!

Laine 27: Dawn

The latest issue of Laine magazine is launching today! The art of knitting is front and centre in this exceptionally gorgeous issue that celebrates mid-winter light and clean lines. With 15 knitting patterns and new features to boot, Laine 27 is definitely not an issue to miss!

Christmas Hours and Last Shipping Dates

The holidays are closer than they seem, and as unbelieveable as it sounds, for some parts of the world our cutoff day for pre-Christmas delivery is less than a week away! Here’s when you’ll need to order by based on where you live:

• 5 December – Australia & New Zealand, Caribbean, Middle East & Asia
• 8 December – Europe, USA, Canada
• 11 December – Africa
• 19 December – UK (Royal Mail Tracked 48)
• 2 December – Rest of the World (not listed above)

For those who can make it to London, we’re pleased to say we’ll have extended hours during the week before Christmas! From the 17th to the 20th of December (Wednesday through Saturday) we’ll extend our opening times from 10:30am to 6pm. Sunday the 21st of December will be our last open day before Christmas, and we’ll observe normal opening hours of 11am to 5:30pm. We’ll close for Christmas from the 22nd to the 27th of December and for New Year from the 29th of December until the 2nd of January — however, we’ll be open as usual on the weekend of the 27th and 28th of December. Our normal schedule will resume from Saturday the 3rd of January.

Happy merry-making!