Monthly Archives: December 2013

One of the traits of crafters is generosity. Many of us probably end up making more gifts for friends and family than we do to keep. And of course sometimes we plan on making on something to keep for ourselves (like warm, woolen mittens) and someone comes along that falls in love with them and before you know it you still have cold hands, but are filled with a warm heart. When giving away your knits (or crocheted items, or quilts…) do you find yourself worried that the person you gave it to won’t remember that it’s hand wash only? Do you write a little note card with the care instructions? Or maybe you are selling your items and could use a little bit of branding. Or you just want someone to know that you made them something with love. Woven labels would be a perfect gift to you!

It’s Mine Labels is a wonderful company located in Connecticut. I actually met Lucinda at Rhinebeck this year and had a delightful conversation with her. So when I was thinking about gift giving ideas, I thought that custom labels would be a perfect gift for any knitter, crocheter, weaver, or sewist.

They have a few different kinds of labels that would be perfect to sew onto your project.

My pick would be the 1″ woven label. It has room for up to three lines of text, so you could easily add care instructions or a website url. There are a number of icons to choose from.

But the 1/2″ designer woven labels are also very popular and also have darling graphics that you could add to customize your label even further. They are slender and elegant, perfect if you don’t need to include care instructions.

Of course you could split the difference with the 5/8″ classic woven labels. You can still fit up to three lines of text with a small icon.

I love that you can buy in fairly small batches of labels. People who are crafting for gift items do not need 1,000 labels, which is what you see with other label companies. But a packet of 20, 40, or 60 labels would be perfect.

The sizes of the labels and the icon choices are not the only things that you can customize. The background and text colors are both customizable AND there are several different lettering options to choose from. The woven labels are not printed; they’re embroidered. It really gives it a lovely touch.

And there are even more options and uses for these labels. If you’re not into doing the bit of hand stitching involved, there are iron on labels. If you have kids always leaving their jackets behind at school or camp, there are kid-friendly labels that you can iron, sew, or even stick on to their clothes. (The stick on ones are really cool. You stick it onto the care label that already exists and it won’t come off in the wash!) There are ID labels perfect for an elderly person who might be in a long-term care facility. I’ve seen stuff simply disappear between visits. It’s Mine Labels makes a variety of labels to help keep items where they belong!

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

It’s Mine Labels is generously giving away one set of 60 1″ woven sew-on labels. To enter, visit their website and look around at their options. Then come back here and leave a comment with exactly what you would want your label to say and which icon, and colors. Make it easy for your gift-giver to select the perfect label for you!

The giveaway winner will also receive a ball of Juniper Moon Farm Tenzing and all 8 leaflets of our 2014 Tenzing pattern line – The Karakoram Collection!

This is a prize package worth $115!

To get additional entries, share this post on facebook or twitter and them come back and leave another comment letting us know that you did. This giveaway is open to folks from all countries and is open through Sunday, December 8th ending at 11:59p eastern time. Check back on the 9th for the winner!

It’s Mine Labels is also donating an additional set for our Grand Prize Giveaway package, so be sure to pop over there and enter, too! Giveaways that are currently open are listed in the sidebar to the right, so make sure you check those out!

COUPON

It’s Mine Labels is offering our readers a 15% off discount on their order! To get it, use coupon code JMF15 when checking out. It will last through December 31st, so even if your spouse misses out on your hints about this being a great present, you can get the labels for yourself!

Because these labels are highly customizable and woven in Europe, the lead time to make them is a little bit longer than ready-made products. It’s possible that these won’t arrive quite in time for Christmas, especially if you delay. Please allow 2-4 weeks from order before the labels ship from Connecticut. It it looks like your labels won’t arrive in time to give as a gift, a note card explaining is sure to be appreciated. After all, crafters are used to the time it takes to craft and item by hand!

Well the turkey is likely picked clean, the stuffing a distant memory, and the green bean casserole pan has long since been scrubbed, so it’s time to really start thinking about holiday gift receiving. That’s right, I said receiving. It can be tricky for a knitter or crocheter’s loved one to know just what to get you for Christmas. I’m going to try and make it a little bit easier by selecting some things that any knitter or crocheter can use. I’ll select one item each day for the next 12 days. That will give your loved one time to get it for Christmas, or if you’re Jewish, (s)he might be able to get it before the last candle on the menorah is lit!

As a knitter or crocheter, you should share this on facebook, email it, or print it out circling what you’d like and put it on the fridge! Give your friends and family a little help this season for the person who seems to have enough yarn already! (I said SEEMS – we all know that you can never have enough yarn and of course a local yarn store likely has Juniper Moon Farm yarn available. In Canada, too.)

For our first day, I’m going to start with something that there are NEVER enough of for a knitter – stitch markers from Exchanging Fire! Stitch markers are more than just jewelry for knitting – they’re like footnotes! A little reminder that says you should look back at your pattern to find out if it means to increase, decrease, cable, or change stitch pattern here. There are many different kinds of stitch markers and your knitter or crocheter might have a preference, so take a peek at the kind that they seem to have the most of.

My favorite kind of stitch markers are ones that have a wire loop. (Note for the interested knitter: the thin loop means that my stitches on either side of the stitch marker are never distorted by that tiny extra bit of yarn traveling past the marker. More noticeable in thin yarns.) Cherries of the Night would be perfect for me. I love this color combination!

But maybe you tends to work with thicker yarns or prefers a perfectly solid ring as a stitch marker. Snow White features a seamless hammered ring, which means that there’s no join for yarn to snag on – very important!

In fact, Lady Dino has done a whole series on Fairy Tales, which I find entirely enchanting:

Some knitters don’t want anything to dangle while they’re working. Maybe you’re working on a lacy project or with fine yarn and danging stitch marker could get caught in the knitting. Or maybe you prefer little or understated jewelry. The Sunset Caught Me is a great elegant choice. They’re hand twisted and soldered.

But maybe you like bright colors in addition to things that don’t dangle. Well, Hey Lifesavers is a great option! It’s bright, it’s colorful, and it’s acrylic, so tossing it into a knitting bag won’t leave a mark.

For really complicated patterns, stitch markers that are each very different can help you keep your place. The ABC’s of Knitting will do just that. Using them in order will help remind you which pattern repeat you’re on!

Another more color-oriented option would be the popular Flying Colors of the Storm.Those will help keep you straight as well as brighten your day!

One of the things that I really like about LadyDiano’s shop is that every stitch marker is themed. I couldn’t resist Every Cowslip’s Ear, as it’s a quote from Midsummer Night’s Dream by the First Fairy, a part I once played.

As a fan of Sherlock Holmes’ stories (I do have a cat named Mycroft, after all!), I love The Valley of Time.

And my middle name is Rose, so Fragrant Rose Petals was right up my alley.

Have you ever growled “I’m counting” when your asks if you’ve seen their keys? The Secrets of the Chromastone can help your family tell when you’re in a good mood. Like the popular mood rings of the 70s, these stitch markers change color based on body heat (and hopefully therefore mood.) If you’re gripping your needles tightly your spouse can see that you’re concentrating and maybe they should wait until the end of the row before interrupting.

What if you’re a crocheter? STOP THE PRESS! Crocheters need a different kind of stitch marker than what slips onto a knitting needle and it’s important that they’re removable, which LadyDanio at Exchanging Fire is happy to do. She calls this style Twitchies, because you can open and close them with a twitch of your thumb. These Ruby of the Heart stitch markers show what I’m talking about, but she will change any of her stitch markers into twitches; just make a note to seller when you check out.

Exchanging Fire has all kinds of themes, so you can find something that you’ll like. Coffee lover? I Love Coffee will percolate you! Candy Crush Saga addict (or child of the 80s)? Gummi Bears would be a great addition to your knitting arsenal. His Dark Materials fan? The Subtle Knife is a set themed on the second book of the series. (And if you haven’t read it – you should!) Exchanging Fire has already found the perfect quote to go with this present, so put put it in a pretty font, paste it to a small box and put the stitch markers inside. It’s the perfect way to round out your gift so your fellow knitter or crocheter knows just how special it is.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

Now, here’s the really exciting bit. Exchanging Fire is offering to giveaway a set of stitch markers of your choice to one of our lucky blog readers!

And we’re joining in by offering a ball of Findley in #13 Oyster with the Findley pattern booklet! That’s 798 lovely yards of our sure-to-bowl-you-over laceweight silk/merino blend yarn and 20 great patterns to go with it!

(Hey, I never noticed before, but you can see Woolbur on the cover of Findley!)

To enter, please visit her Etsy shop and then come back here and leave a comment telling us which stitch markers you’d like if you won. If you tweet or facebook this giveaway, come back and leave an additional comment letting us know that you did and you’ll be entered again. This giveaway is open to folks from all countries and is open through Sunday, December 8th ending at 11:59p eastern time. Check back on the 9th for the winner!

COUPON

And, to sweeten the deal, she’s also offering you a coupon code that will last through December 12th! Just use JUNIPER10 while checking out to get 10% off! This is a fantastic deal and I highly recommend that you take advantage of it, whether it’s a treat for that lucky knitter  or crocheter  in your life, or as a treat for you this season.

And if this doesn’t float your boat, come on back because I’ll have recommendations and giveaway items everyday through December 12th, including bonus giveaway items! Don’t miss out on our grand prize giveaway, which we announced on Friday! Exchanging Fire also offered a set of stitch markers to giveaway there!