Christmas at WildCat Designs

Where there's cold weather, there's knitwear. If you're looking for something cosy to give as a gift for a loved one, or even just a little handmade treat for yourself, look no further!

WildCat Designs has lots of colourful scarves and other woolly warm things for winter. You'll find more information on my website: www.wildcat-designs.co.uk or visit one of my online shops here: wildcatdesigns.etsy.com & wildcatdesigns.folksy.com.

Below are my order deadlines for Christmas:

Last order dates for December 2015

Africa & Middle East - Thurs 3rd
Asia, Eastern Europe & Cyprus - Sun 6th
Central & South America, Caribbean - Mon 7th
Australia, New Zealand & Greece - Tues 8th
Germany, Italy & Poland - Sun 13th
USA, Canada, Sweden & Finland - Mon 14th
Austria, Iceland, Ireland, Portugal, Spain - Tues 15th
France - Wed 16th
Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark, Norway, Slovakia & Switzerland - Thurs 17th
UK - Sun 20th

Please note that custom and made to order items will usually take a minimum of a week to be completed and so may not be ready in time for Christmas.

Season's Greetings!

New Year, New Project

I got a bit of a shock when I realised about a fortnight ago that I hadn't actually done *any* knitting yet this year! (gasp!)

Not like me at all...but I have been enjoying reading "Knit the Season" - the third book in the Friday Night Knitting Club series by Kate Jacobs. Always nice to revisit favourite characters and it's a lovely seasonal tale of their continually intertwining lives. So this has acted as a kind of substitute in a way. I'm so glad someone finally got me it for Christmas (my other half, he rocks), as it's been on my wishlist for a while.

Anyway, it got to the point where enough was enough, I had gotten pretty far into the book and my fingers were itching to do some real-life knitting, instead of just reading about it! I decided to start a brand new project, one I've been thinking about for some time. It's a beautiful lace shawl (or wrap) design which I previously designed and created for a commission using a silvery-white yarn, Rowan's Kidsilk Night in Starlight [Ravelry link].

I am making this year's version based on my notes and pattern from this - it's been adapted from two different lace motifs I liked, a chevron one from a pattern library which forms the border of my design and one which borrows a section of the lacework from the beautiful Anice Shawl in Rowan Magazine 41, which was out around the time I was working as a Design Consultant for Rowan yarns. (Yes, I'm still a Rowan addict!)

I've made some progress on it so far and have named this incarnation the
Goddess of the Night Shawl. A fitting name for its inky plum purple darkness with a shimmering glint of silvery thread.

I don't have a particular recipient in mind, I simply decided to work on this piece for the sheer joy of having a nice cerebral lace project on the go, not to mention something visually stunning developing before my eyes as I continue to work on it.

No instant gratification here, I'm in this for the long haul. I've realised over the years that there is indeed merit in quick, simple projects, which can be easily completed in a short space of time but somethimes you need something a little deeper to get your teeth into. Did I mention it's a bit like therapy? (albeit generally* a lot cheaper!)

* depending on your yarn habit...

Merry Christmas!

I hope all my readers, WildCat Designs fans and customers have a lovely Christmas, and that Santa is good to you! I'll be back soon with more ideas and inspriation, but for now I am enjoying the festivities, and hope you are too :)

Thank you for reading my blog, commenting on my posts and 

supporting my little independent business in 2013!

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you all a very happy Christmas!

Hope you enjoy this song, "White Winter Hymnal" by the Fleet Foxes - it always makes me think of wintery days when I hear it :)

Wintery goodness from WildCat Designs

There is something wonderful about this time of year - I really do like all the seasons (each has its merits, naturally) but I find the act of wrapping oneself in warm, woolly things against the cold quite satisfying. Plus it does feel *right* to be knitting cosy comfort when it's chilly outside, and it's just not quite the same doing so on a hot summer's day somehow!

Not that I let that stop me from knitting all year round of course (yes, I wholeheartedly admit it, I'm utterly addicted, but at least it's a productive obsession!) - I always have at least a handful of different projects on the go.

So...on a somewhat related note, if you feel like getting your paws on some of my lovingly handmade goodies this winter, and wish to receive them before the 25th of December, here are my recommended order dates.

UK orders: Tuesday 18th December

Orders for Western Europe: Monday 10th December

Orders for Canada, USA & Eastern Europe: Saturday 8th December

Orders for Japan, Oz, NZ & everywhere else: Sunday 2nd December

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I *will* be accepting orders after these dates but
please be aware that items may not arrive in time for Christmas,
after all, it is a very busy time of year!

These order dates also apply to my WildKittens online shop.

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Shop online: bigcartel, etsy, DaWanda or folksy.

...or alternatively, find my hand-crafted creations
at one of my UK stockists:

Edinburgh: Flux or Bliss
East Lothian: Peter Potter Gallery
England: Vertiline in Love

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Custom orders: If you are interested in a custom order,
please get in touch by Monday 19th November.

DIY Christmas Gift Labels

This is a quick and easy DIY tutorial for home made last-minute Christmas gift labels - a great way to avoid chaos on Christmas morning! I needed a way to label my presents but didn't have time to go out shopping for gift tags...so I came up with this simple and fun idea.

You will need:

- Pens (ideally ones which won't bleed)
- A sheet or two of blank sticky address labels

- Festive rubber stamps of your choice (or carve your own from an eraser/potato!)
- Scrap paper for blotting (ideally not newspaper)

- Ink pads or paint (ideally in festive colours)

...and last but not least:

- Some wrapped-up Christmas gifts!

It's really very simple, take a sheet of sticky address labels, choose the stamp you want to use, ink it up in your choice of colour (or you could use paint instead) and press onto one of the labels.

I found the easiest way to do it was stamp your chosen design (whilst still on the sheet), then blot off any excess ink with the scrap paper. Allow it to dry, then write your tag and stick to the relevant gift!

Repeat for however many gifts you have - et voilà. They are ready to go under the Christmas tree. :)

Merry Christmas & a very happy new year to all my readers!

Last Chance Saloon

If you're wondering why things have gone a little quiet on the blog lately, well, it's because I'm ever-so-slightly snowed under! Not the weather particularly, more a case of lots of orders, commissions and unfortunately a sore throat too into the mix.

Anyway, on a brighter note, I finally got my Christmas tree up last night, hurrah!



I just thought I would do a little update, to highlight the fact that if you're based in the UK and looking for some of my WildCat Designs or WildKittens goodies in time for Christmas, you're in luck - my last order date is this Saturday, 17th December.

If you live outside the UK, I'm afraid that I now cannot promise that your order will arrive in time for Christmas, but I am still accepting orders at the moment if you are willing to chance it, or just want to treat yourself! ;)

* Custom Orders * - I am somewhat inundated with Christmas commissions so I am currently not taking on any new custom work until after the festive period.

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Find my WildCat Designs handmade woolly wonders on Etsy, Folksy (£),
DaWanda (€) & Bigcartel (£).

See also my WildKittens knits for babies & kids!

Christmas Post

I think the time has come for me to announce my last order dates for Christmas 2011, now that we are well into November and there's a chill in the air!

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UK orders: Saturday 17th December

Orders for Western Europe: Saturday 10th December

Orders for Canada, USA & Eastern Europe: Wednesday 7th December

Orders for Japan, Oz, NZ & everywhere else: Saturday 3rd December

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Note: if you are interested in a custom order, please get in touch as soon as possible, preferably before Monday 21st November, to allow enough time for the item to be made and sent in time for the last posting dates. (My current lead time on commissions is 1-2 weeks.)

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Find my WildCat Designs handmade knitted goodies on Etsy, Folksy(£), DaWanda(€) & Bigcartel(£). See also my WildKittens knits for babies & kids!

Merry Christmas

Wishing you all a very merry Christmas, with plenty of lovely presents, good food and great company! :)


Gorgeous Christmas (post)card by Belle and Boo.

Have a Handmade Christmas!

I know some of you have probably already started thinking about your Christmas shopping...so I thought I'd take the opportunity to post up my last order dates for WildCat Designs and/or WildKittens goodies to arrive in time for Christmas - for my local, national and international customers.


UK

Saturday 18th December
~~~
Western Europe

Saturday 11th December
~~~
Eastern Europe,
USA, Canada & Japan

Wednesday 8th December
~~~
Australia, New Zealand,
Hong Kong/Asia
& the rest of the world

Saturday 4th December
~~~

Please note that these order dates do not apply to custom-made items. Last order date for custom items before Christmas is Sunday 21st November.

I *will* be accepting orders after these dates but please be aware that items may not arrive in time for Christmas, after all, it is a very busy time of year!


Find my hand-crafted creations in one of my UK stockists:

Edinburgh: Flux or The Spider & The Fly
East Lothian: Peter Potter Gallery
England: New Ashgate Gallery, Surrey

...or alternatively, shop online at etsy (here & here), DaWanda or folksy.

Of course, if you prefer, do feel free to come and 'meet the maker' at the Magpie Market! :)

Merry Christmas!

It's been a busy month, but the big day finally came! A very merry Christmas to you all :) It's been chilled-out day (much needed) spent with family, along with a good haul of pressies, and plenty of seasonal treats.

My first attempt at a trifle (including home-made custard) for the dessert was pretty successful, I'm pleased to report!

Seasons Greetings!

Well, I hope you all had a very merry Christmas (I know I did), and that Santa was good to you!

It was a nice day here at WildCat Designs HQ, with a beautifully laid Christmas table (though I do say so myself), a lovely roast Goose dinner and my own home-made Baileys cheesecake for dessert. A little non-traditional, I know, but to be honest, I'm not really a fan of mince pies, Christmas cake or pud. Yule log is much more up my street :) I even have some rather fab home made beaded felt decorations on the tree, as well as one of Lupin's lovely little robins.

Now that my run of craft fairs and craft markets is done, and all my orders have been dispatched, I can get down to dreaming up lots of fabulous new ideas for 2009, yay! Have a Happy New Year Everyone ♥

Manchester, here I come!

My first outing to Manchester is fast approaching - I'll be flogging my lovely wares at the Whitworth Art Gallery on Sunday the 14th of December, 12 noon til 4pm. It looks like a fab line-up, thanks to the Manchester Craft Mafia and there will be lots of opportunities to catch up on your Christmas shopping, including great little stocking fillers :)

[click the poster above to see it larger & clearer]