Happy Christmas!!

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

Happy Christmas and New Year to all our customers!

I probably won't blog again until next year but, until then, for those of you dreaming of warmer months (or lucky enough to be going on a winter cruise) I've just uploaded the new Bamboo Cotton Prints range and patterns from King Cole:


















so you can start planning!

In the meantime, thank you to all our customers for supporting us through this (difficult) year and here's to a great Christmas and 2012.

Make sure you all make time for some peaceful knitting over the festive period!

Voila - the wonder scarf

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

First things first - mugs are back in stock and everyone who pre-ordered had theirs sent out, first class, today. Also, apparently, last posting day is - in fact - Tuesday so you still have time!

Next - and most importantly - Voila the wonder scarf!


















Voila (pronounced the French way but I can't get the accent on the "a" on this programme) comes as a tape-type yarn - a bit like Can Can but it's woollier (43% wool) and comes as a tube. You "knit" it by doing a simple crochet along one end and then up the main length and then across the second end and tie off - et, voila, you have a curly scarf!

It is unbelievably simple and I've put together a very simple instruction sheet which comes free with every ball and there's also an excellent video on You Tube by Adriafil.

This is the yarn that EVERYONE needs in their stash this Christmas. Picture the scene - presents round the tree - you've agreed with Auntie Olive that you won't do presents this year but she then produces one for you. Normally you would panic, blush and stammer. This year you excuse yourself - say you've eaten a dodgy prawn or something or even go to check on the turkey. Grab your ball of Voila and a crochet hook and - Voila - in 10 minutes you have a pressie for Auntie Olive. Panic over. All is well.

Alternatively, your pre-Christmas knitting plan has gone awry - those socks you promised everyone just aren't going to be finished in time. You're trying to fool yourselves but deep, deep down you know it just isn't going to happen. Get yourself a couple of balls of Voila as a back up and bung them in the stash. Christmas Eve (or even Christmas morning) grab your crochet hook and save the day. Brilliant.

And it's very reasonably priced and lovely and soft and, what's more, looks great too!!

Perfect - well done Adriafil!

PS: If I look cold in the picture - I was! No improvement in the weather here but not as bad as the rest of the country, I think. A good knitting weekend!

Last Deliveries Before Christmas

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

Most wool companies close for the entire festive period so they're all working frantically to get last orders out before then. We had, possibly, our last 2 deliveries yesterday so worked on late to get them away and the site updated last night - the first was Stylecraft and we had loads of our most popular-selling standard yarn "Life" in - we had Life in 4ply, DK, Aran and Chunky and, at £3.30 for 100g, it's a brilliant yarn at a brilliant price. We also had loads of the big 400g Aran balls in - very, very popular at the moment.

We then had a small "top up" delivery from Italian firm, Adriafil. We had top ups in the beautiful 4ply alpaca, Sierra Andina, the lovely DK, Knitcol and the very popular Super Chunky, Monello. They're all on the site now so check them out for a pre-Christmas treat - obviously we all need lovely wool to knit over the festive season when we're all stuffed with chocolate and there's nothing on the telly!

There are also, unbelievably, a few new yarns!! New colours in Stylecraft Extra Special and a fantastic new 15 minute wonder scarf. So - if you haven't finished all your pressies and you're running out of time, tune back in later for the quickest scarf ever - seriously, I made one last night in 10 minutes!! I'm now off to photograph it. Stand by!!

PS: Mugs coming back in today as well.

My Moment

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

I had a moment this morning - one of those moments to savour and cherish and possibly even do a small dance over. The cause of this moment? I emptied the wash basket. Pause and reflect, if you will, on the enormity of this. There was nothing in the wash basket - nil, nada, not even a sock.

It didn't last long - obviously. FB came back from the gym. G cleared a small passageway through his bedroom and - lo - the moment was gone. But it was there. For about half an hour it was there. My moment!

Obviously gee'd up by this moment I carried it with me and entered a few new patterns on the site this morning. Children's patterns in Marble Chunky (which everyone's been asking for) - here is a sample:



















and this hooded waistcoat:



















I then added one new pattern in Passion which didn't come into stock last time:



















and four in Marble DK:






































Today I have the car (even FB lets me off cycling when the weather is this horrendous) so am now off to M&S to do some last bits of Christmas shopping. It's my first trip to M&S in Hayle (which has probably been there for about 5 years now) and I'm pathetically excited!

Weather

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

For those of you who fondly think of Cornwall as blue sky, sun and sandy beaches then I'm sorry to disappoint you but today has been absolutely foul!! We get the best and we certainly get the worst - gale force winds, horizontal lashing rain and that grim, damp cold that chills your very bones. Absolutely the only thing to do is light the fire and knit in front of it. We have our Christmas "do" a week on Thursday and I've still got the sleeves to knit on my festive sweater - there's a sweepstake on as to whether I can finish in time or not. (There's no collar though so no picking up stitches so I may be in with a fighting chance.)

I don't usually talk about customers but today is a bit of a red letter day as we had an order in (by phone) from Tristan Da Cunha. Where the Christmas Cracker is that, I hear you ask. Well, indeed, you may wonder - as did I - so I googled it. Tristan Da Cunha, it transpires, is the most remote, inhabited island in the world - 1,750 miles from South Africa and 2,088 miles from South America - Wow! - and some Katia scarf yarn is on its way there, with needles. Our customer is going to email with requests for more wool so I'm going to ask her all sorts of questions - like what she's doing there!











As I sit at home tonight cracking on with my two sleeves I'll spare a thought for the most remote island in the world - I think it might take a while for our wool to get there ...

Mugs and other Christmas Treats

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

Wow! We've been busy over the past couple of weeks - loads of you obviously knitting hats, scarves, gloves etc for Christmas and the occasional big sweater too. Mind you, with the current weather what's better than cosying up in the evening, keeping warm and knitting?

Our "Keep Calm and Carry on Knitting" range is proving incredibly popular for pressies as well (or perhaps you're all treating yourselves?). So popular, in fact, that I ordered more mugs at the beginning of December. They are due for delivery to us a week today (16th) and will be despatched on that day too. I've checked with our Post Office and last posting date for Christmas is the 20th so we'll be in good time for that.

So - keep ordering mugs but don't expect them to land on your doorstep until about the 19th/20th. We've become dab hands at wrapping them up safely so no need to worry about breakages either! Mugs will be despatched on a "first come, first served" basis but I've got over 100 coming in so you should be fine.


















I love the idea of knitters around the country waking up on Christmas morning and drinking their coffee/tea/hot chocolate/egg nog/champagne out of our mugs!