Mystery Box Time: Nov 2nd

It's Autumn and time for another round of Mystery Boxes! Let's see....I'm feeling like we need a dose of something new and different.... How about a new technique and a little arm-chair traveling? But first...some ancestral ramblings to get us in the mood....

I love to dive into our familial ancestral gene pool. Often I wonder, "did any of our great-great-great grandmas knit?" Here's our Norwegian g-g-g-grandma Margarete Jensdatter Mikkelson. She looks like she'd knit....maybe....

 

1) She is Norwegian, who are fierce knitters (who have hugely popular Slow TV and National Knitting Night show for hours on end-I kid you not!). 2) She's wearing little lacy fingerless mitts...But alas I've uncovered no concrete proof in the Mikkelson archives yet that she actually knit. Dang...

On the other side of our tree it's all Portuguese (specifically from the Azores, because according to Azoreans you always have to classify "Azorean" and not just Portuguese). They too are great knitters historically. So much so, they invented their own special style of knitting.

Hmmm wonder if g-g-Grandma Anna Silveira knit...

Or maybe our g-g-g-Grandma Mariana Francisca do Corao de Jesus knit. I bet she did!

Alas, it's impossible to find documented proof we come from a long line of knitters (big sigh). Instead I think I'll just pretend this woman is a long lost ancestor who charmingly knits in her kitchen.

Oh look...here's our very distant "Cousins" knitting  hearth-side.....
(before the days of winding machines)...

The Menfolk were kicked out of house...so they're happily hanging out in the pub!

"Uncle Frank" remembered to take his knitting!

How about these "relatives" in the fields! I can't see myself doing this.... ever.....

Or this!! But I bet some of our ancestors did. They had to make clothes, and you have to shear sheep to get the wool, to knit sweaters!

Don't think I could ever walk along blithely knitting, chatting and not fall off the pier!

This is just too much! Walking...with a huge, heavy basket on her back and knitting!!

Apparently it was common practice to knit while gathering up firewood....because that's what is in the baskets! Peat bricks..... Talk about multi-tasking!  

Our ancestors spent hours and hours of back breaking work involved in growing, chasing, herding, shearing, washing, carding, spinning, dyeing, winding just to to knit! I'm tired just thinking about it.

Don't panic!  

Your Mystery Box won't require any chasing or shearing of sheep, or spinning either. It's all done for you.

Many other hands did the hard work and we can cast on immediately (My favorite part). We jump straight to learning a new technique....and bless our lucky stars we live in a modern world where yarn is easily accessible! Just a quick trip to our shop or a mouse-click away.

Want to sign up? Call, drop into shop or click here to order your Oct 2016 Mystery Box . Select your Box Type: Make-Knit ($50) or Read-Books ($36) only. Then indicate color preference and pay. That's it. Boxes ready to ship/pick up on Nov 2nd and Sign up now for best color selections.

What's in the Box? 

Your box will be filled with lovely 100% pure USA wool dyed in gorgeous natural dyes all ready to knit the selected pattern. You'll be the recipient of truly unique yarns, currently part of a very huge renaissance in the fiber world. As usual, there's always additional pattern suggestions and extra tidbits to surprise & delight. This box will reappear as a class this winter so you're getting first peek too!

Color Options

Now these are not exact colors you'll get in your box, more like preferences. Select which palette you find most appealing, then we'll craft your box based on what you are magically drawn towards. Feeling daring? There's always Surprise Me! and let us psychically tune in to which is your perfect palette. :)

Mineral

Autumn Leaves

Borealis

Cozy Cuppa

Winter Bouquet

Frosty Buds

Golden Pears

It's again a thematic box (I just love coming up with new themes)! There's a bit of arm-chair traveling too....my favorite kind. We stay snug and warm inside though, curled up in our favorite chair with a hot mug.....rather than out trekking in the cold frozen tundra like these poor wee animals.

 

Want to join in the fun? Click here to buy your box, or just call/drop into the shop. We're open 7 days 10-5.