People are out shopping like crazy today. And this whole weekend. Every year for the last five or six, we've avoided the big chain stores this weekend, opting instead to stay home and drink hot chocolate, and figure out how many of our holiday presents we can get by shopping small.

If you're considering shopping small this holiday season, please consider a hat from my She Makes Hats Shop. Each Impossible Hat and Cozy Collection Hat purchase will send a child to school for a year through Pencils Of Promise. My goal is to raise $5,000, which will help send kids to school in areas of the world where education is not much more than a dream.


I've still got quite a long way to go with my fundraising efforts, but I know that the holiday shopping season is kicking into high gear, and I'm hopeful that folks will think about picking something up that will do a bit of good in the world, alongside keeping someone's head warm.

With this in mind, any hat purchased today (11/28/2014) or tomorrow (11/29/2014) will ship on Monday (12/1/2014). I'm hopeful that this will mean my fingers (and crochet hooks and knitting needles!) will be flying about like crazy in the next few days as orders come rushing in. There's already some READY TO SHIP hats available, but I'm committing to making every hat, in any color selected, ready for shipping on Monday.

This means I might have to head out to a store or two in the next few days, braving crazy holiday shoppers as I grab yarn for hats. I'm fine with this; I'm hoping this is the case, actually. If I'm out wrestling my way through crowds, it means people have bought hats, and helped send kids to school!

Won't you consider buying a hat from my She Makes Hats Shop?!

Special Hat Shipping Times!

Nov 28, 2014

After a few months of an unintentional "break" involving sharing mostly just patterns - a much needed break, for sure - I've found a bit of my writing voice again! I've been sharing in bits and pieces, mostly through some serialized posts I've tried to keep up with here on the blog, but I hope to have some fun new stuff in the near future as well.

In the meantime, I'm off to celebrate Thanksgiving with family and friends this weekend, FINALLY get our tree set up, cut all my hair off (what!!!! photos will be shared on Instagram) and work like crazy on my huge (and totally self-imposed) holiday knit list! While I dig deep into my favorite season of the year, here's a few things I've found around the internet lately that are making me happy, thoughtful, and grateful.

Enjoy!

My friend Courtney will be sending 31 Gifts to people's inboxes this December. I signed up, and I'm betting you should, too!

Thoughts on white privilege, talking to our kids about Ferguson, and why protest is exactly what we need.

Loving the latest family photos Elise shared on her blog, and how much fun the photographers had playing with sameness in a different season.

Lots of amazing new knits in Wool People 8!

With all the pressure to grow and change, I love the idea of staying the same after a difficult experience.

Seriously killing it with every review he writes, this time my brother Nick has tackled Mockingjay Part One.

I made the Annie Cowl as a holiday gift a few years ago - excited there's a new FREE bulky version to try out!

My girl Kelli nails it with the holiday resentment and gender roles!

There's still time to knit a stocking this year, thanks to the Stuff It Stocking Knit-Along with Ewe Ewe Yarns!

I've favorited these links (and so many more) over on my Bloglovin' profile.

Out And About 9

Nov 26, 2014


Knitting doesn't happen in a vacuum here in SMH-land. Instead, I'm always reading something (thanks to my Kindle) or watching something (thanks to Netflix). Here's a short list of what I've been reading and watching lately.

Hollow City (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children) by Ransom Riggs.This is the second in a series about a group of children with very peculiar abilities, their caretaker (Miss Peregrine) and the battle for the survival of their kind.

I read the first book (Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children) several years ago, but it had been long enough that I re-read the first installment before diving into this book. I'm glad I did this, because I would never have remembered so many of the little nuances that set up the second tale in the series.

Full of time travel, mystery, fights for the survival of a group of people, and more, this book showcases why I love young adult fiction so much. A good YA writer can tell tales with very sophisticated themes, weave in great moral conundrums and help grow readers through words. Definitely pick it up!

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The Promise of a Pencil: How an Ordinary Person Can Create Extraordinary Change by Adam Braun.So, I knew the basics about Pencils Of Promise before reading this book. I'm in love with their mission, and am proud to say I'm helping build 7 schools through their fundraising efforts. That said, I didn't know the origin story behind the organization, and knew next to nothing about the founder, Adam Braun. So I was excited to dig in and read, to learn more.

Let it be said up front, I am a sucker for a feel-good story that ends happily. And so it should be no surprise that I cried no less than seven times while reading. Kids getting schools, education, and a sense of hope and promise they didn't previously have? Clearly, there were tears. Loved it, and I've already given away a copy, with more to be gifted this holiday season!

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7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker. Okay, so if you don't really find social justice your cup of tea, skip it. But if you love you some Jen Hatmaker, loved her book Interrupted, or are looking for a way to challenge yourself to live a bit lighter in the world, and are ready to recognize just how much our priveledged lives are built on the backs of others, this one's for you. I've already been simplifying my world, but this book has set a new standard, and has challenged me to dig deeper and let go of even more.

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Still working my way through Gilmore Girls, Breaking Bad, and Bones. Nothing new here, so not writing more about them!

While Knitting | Volume II

Nov 24, 2014


The holiday shopping season is upon us, and I wanted to take a moment to remind everyone that shipping deadlines are now set!

If you are ordering a handmade hat (patterns are instant downloads) from the She Makes Hats shop, and want it in time for holiday gifting, you'll need to order by December 7th (for international orders) or December 15 (for domestic orders).

This means there are still a few more weeks to shop handmade this holiday season! And remember - with every hat purchase a child is sent to school for an entire year through Pencils Of Promise!

Holiday Shipping Reminder!

Nov 23, 2014




I love it when people knit up hats from my patterns, and then share photos of their finished hats with me!

Today, I'm sharing some adorable baby photos featuring my Lennon Hat Pattern, all thanks to Adalia Eden Photographie! Based in Gatineau, Quebec, this lovely photographer has whipped through Lennon in a wide variety of sizes and colors in record time, and I love how they've turned out!

You can buy the Lennon Hat Pattern in my Etsy and Ravelry shops. The pattern uses worsted weight acrylic, and is sized for newborns through 12 months!

Have you used a She Makes Hats pattern? I'd love to share photos of your finished hats in my next Customer Love post - simply e-mail your photos to shemakeshats@gmail.com, or just tag them with #shemakeshats on Instagram!!

Customer Love | Volume I

Nov 17, 2014


All-over texture makes the slouchy Falan Hat a fun knit for experienced knitters, while the construction is simple enough for a beginner hat maker, all while the slouch makes it perfect for winter weather.

YARN
1 skein Loops & Threads Cozy Wool (50% acrylic, 50% wool; 90y / 82m per 127g)

NEEDLES
US 11 / 8.0 mm 16” circular needle
US 15 / 10.0 mm 16” circular needle
US 15 / 10.00 mm double pointed needles

NOTIONS
Darning needle for weaving in ends
Stitch Marker

GAUGE
8 sts x 12 rows = 4” in stockinette

SIZES
baby (toddler, child, adult) = 16 (18, 20, 22)” unstretched

BUY THE PATTERN HERE

Falan Hat

Nov 13, 2014

Today it it still warm here in Omaha, but it sounds like all over the country folks are already getting hit with the ARCTIC BLAST that's about to sweep over just about all of America. Cold weather is replacing gorgeous fall days, which means the time for bundling up is here!

The She Makes Hats Etsy Shop is stocked full of Impossible Hats in 15 colors, plus almost a dozen ready to ship hats (with more being added later this week!), perfect for helping keep you and those you love warm, while also helping build schools and send kids to school through Pencils Of Promise.

I've committed to raising $5,000 before the end of 2015 to help build schools and send kids to school, and I donate all the proceeds from every hat purchase to this cause. So when you purchase a hat, you're not only keeping your noggin warm, you're also helping send kids to school!

Grab a hat from my Etsy shop today!

Mock cables give this hat a feminine look while still keeping your head warm through the winter, thanks to the chunky wool yarn.

YARN 

1 skein Loops & Threads Cozy Wool (50% acrylic, 50% wool; 90y / 82m per 127g)

NEEDLES 

US 11 / 8.0 mm 16” circular needle
US 15 / 10.0 mm 16” circular needle
US 15 / 10.00 mm double pointed needles

NOTIONS 

Darning needle for weaving in ends
Stitch Marker

GAUGE 

8 sts x 12 rows = 4" in stockinette

SIZES 

baby (child, adult) = 15 (18, 22)” unstretched

BUY THE PATTERN HERE

Drew Hat

Nov 6, 2014


I've already sent several boxes of hats to one of my favorite charities - Nest: Maine! They've already gotten snow in the Portland (Maine, not Oregon) area this season, and Jean is already taking bags of donations to local shelters.

At her most recent drop-off, she learned there is a HUGE need for warm mittens in all sizes, but especially for kids as young as 2. So I'm going to break out of my hat donation mold for a bit, and get some mittens on my needles! Hopefully I can work up some from my stash and add them to my next hat box.

Since I'm not normally a mitten maker, I did a quick search of Ravelry for mittens that I can make with the yarn already in my stash - worsted and aran weight wool. I plan to add an extra inch or so to the wrist cuffs, both to help keep them on and to add a bit of extra warmth, and will work up as many different sizes as I can!


Bev's Two Needle Mittens For Kids is a free pattern that's perfect for folks who don't want to use dpns! The pattern comes with two sizes, and the Ravelry notes have a link to an adult version as well!


Another Pair Of Mittens is a free toddler mittens pattern. Perfect for using up leftover bits of yarn, Jean mentioned there is a high need for toddler sized mittens, so this one might get lots of time on my needles.


Basic Cuff-Up Mittens is a free pattern that uses Cascade 220. Lucky for me, I have a bit of that in my stash, so plan to dig that out this week and use it up with this pattern!


The Basic Pattern For Children's Mittens is also free, and this one uses four dpns. Sizes from 4-6 years through to small adult means this pattern could easily be a go-to for almost all sizes!


Cruiser is a free pattern that offers a bit more design for those out there who are more seasoned mitten makers, and looking for something more than stockinette.


Mittens For All is a free pattern written for acrylic yarn! Nest needs wooly mittens, but I'm holding onto this one anyhow, as sometimes patterns written for wool don't work as well for acrylic, and you never know when I'll want to make mittens with acrylic as well.


The Stars Or Stripes free pattern is written for toddlers, preschoolers and children, which definitely helps in the "small mittens are needed" way.


I love making waffle stitch hats, so the free Waffle Mittens pattern will help me make a few hat/mitten sets, I think!


The Waiting For Winter pattern costs $4, but it comes with instructions for three hand sizes AND a fingerless mitts version!


Warmest Mittens says it fits an "average woman's size hand", so this free pattern will work well as a good general mitten pattern.

I'd love for you to use one of these patterns (or another of your favorites!) and send a pair or two along to Nest: Maine. Here's their PO Box for those interested in helping out:

Jean Lee
NestMaine
P.O. Box 6011
Falmouth, Maine, 04105

I'll be sharing my pile of mittens before I send it off, and I hope you'll consider sending a few pair, as well!

Nest Maine Needs Our Help!

Nov 5, 2014


Whether you're like me, already playing holiday songs in the car and watching your favorite holiday movies every evening on Netflix, or you're a last minute holiday person (or even a Bah Humbug person), there's no denying the holidays are coming up fast.

If I may be so bold, may I suggest that my book, She Makes Hats, is a wonderful gift for the knitters on your list? Published in February 2014, I'm so proud of this little book, packed full of my favorite hat giving stories.

You can buy the book both in paperback and for your Kindle on Amazon, or you can pick up a copy from my Etsy shop and have me sign it for you! I've got a limited number in the Etsy shop, so if you want your copy signed for a friend, family member, or even for yourself, grab one before they're gone!

She Makes Hats For The Holidays!

Nov 4, 2014


Meet the Ella Hat! This texture-heavy hat is made from simple knits and purls, making this an ideal hat for a beginner hat-maker. The texture will help keep your ears and head warm, while the slouch keeps the dreaded hat-head at bay!

YARN
1 skein Loops & Threads Cozy Wool (50% acrylic, 50% wool; 90y / 82m per 127g)

NEEDLES
US 11 / 8.0 mm 16” circular needle
US 15 / 10.0 mm 16” circular needle
US 15 / 10.00 mm double pointed needles

NOTIONS
Darning needle for weaving in ends Stitch Marker

GAUGE
8 sts x 12 rows = 4” in stockinette

SIZES
baby (toddler, child, adult) = 16 (18, 20, 22)” unstretched

See the Ravelry Page for more information.

Ella Hat

Nov 3, 2014

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