A Very Woolly Giveaway

Rumour has it it's still summer. I've been waiting for the cooler months to tempt you with a bonnet giveaway. But what the heck - there's enough of a chill in the air in my neck of the woods this evening to warrant some wintry fun.

I've had such wonderful feedback since opening my shop late last year. A gentle, steady start to the sales, but an overwhelming number of clicks. Every day, it seems, a hat of mine features in at least one Etsy treasury. (Don't know what a Treasury is? Here's a beautiful one.) It seems people like to see colourful wool atop cute little heads.

So thrilled am I with how it's all going, I'm currently waiting on a very large yarn order. Very, very large. There will be a few new colours, as well as the lovely wool/alpaca blend I need to finally launch the range of newborn hats I keep talking about.

But in the meantime, let's give away a couple of hats. Two winners will each choose the style, size and colour of their prize. They are available in baby, toddler and kid size, and currently two styles - the Chubby Pixie and the Bumpy Bonnet. I will happily post anywhere in the world.

So if a little head you know needs warming this winter, all you have to do is be a follower of this blog (over there on the right with Google Friend Connect), check out the shop, then come back here and leave me a comment to let me know what colour you would choose if you won, or what colour you think is missing (yes, I know there is no pinky pink there.)

For extra chances to win:

1) Like Typically Red on Facebook

2) Share this giveaway on your blog, Facebook page or even Twitter, I guess, though I still don't know what that is...

Leave a separate comment for each entry, please. I'll draw the winner by random number thingo at the end of next week.

Good luck! 

Entries have closed. Thanks to all who entered. The winners are number 44, Little Wild Moose, and number 8, Bettina Rae.

Yarn Along: The Holiday Edition (and a winner)

I'm between books and between knitting projects, and something tells me things will stay that way till I'm on the plane. Please, don't ruin the elaborate fantasy I've woven in which I knit and read all the way to Singapore while three small children sleep the trip away, behaving immaculately in the 27 minutes they're awake. 

The two books in the photo above represent my holiday reading. They've been waiting patiently for their time. The two handknit hats are winging their way to a little girl in Queensland, who's about to embark on a very exciting adventure to New York. 

Stella and Pearl did a little modelling before I packaged them up. They know woollen bonnets won't be required where we're going.

My holiday knitting plans are a bit fluid at the moment. Initially I thought I'd just keep working on the hats, but I've decided to leave them at home and indulge in something fresh and different (for me). On the radar is this lovely shawl which would be the perfect gift for a dear friend whose birthday is fast approaching. I may have even gone so far as to order some beautiful squishy organic yarn today, because, of course, there was nothing appropriate in the stash. 

And the lucky winner of last week's giveaway, 'How Tea Cosies Changed the World', is Kylie from Canada. Congratulations, Kylie. Email me your address and I'll ship it off to you. I look forward to seeing an elaborately adorned teapot on your blog sometime soon! 

Joining in with the Yarn Along because it's Wednesday and that's just the way it goes.

Yarn Along and a Giveaway!!!

One tiny summer baby knit complete! It's in lovely, soft, drapey organic cotton, and I took a gamble and made it in the 6 month size, based on prior knowledge of the above-average height of both parents and rather hefty birth weights of his older siblings. He's only a couple of weeks old, this boy, but I reckon he'll be able to wear his new vest all summer long, even if it does reach all the way down to his skinny little knees.

Almost as exciting as a new baby in a handknit is a giveaway! I was lucky enough to be given a second copy of this gorgeous book after buying my own copy at the launch back in May. If you haven't heard of Loani Prior, she wrote 'Wild Tea Cosies' and 'Really Wild Tea Cosies', and this book, 'How Tea Cosies Changed the World', is the third in the series. It's not just a book of knitting patterns but a hilarious and wonderful read as well. I chuckled my way through it, I admit. I've heard of knitting patterns that make you cry, but how often does one make you laugh? There are 18 spectacular tea cosy patterns as well as a scarf, a beret, a bag and more. Just in time for Christmas, these would make wonderful gifts for tea-loving friends.

So I've got one copy to give away, and I hope all of you knitters, and even you mysterious and strange non-knitters, will love it. All you need to do is be a follower of Typically Red (click over there on the right) and leave me a comment here before next Wednesday. I'll happily post worldwide. Good luck!

Ravelry notes for the tiny vest here.

Yarn Along here.

My dear friend Briony, mother of Max, if you have read this far, surprise! The vest is on its way x

Announcing...

Pearl pulled her cardboard crown down over her eyes, we spun her around a few times and then she picked a winner out of a hat* - Sascedar! Congrats. I hope there's a place for 'Naturally Fun Parties For Kids' on a shelf in your lovely new home.

*Actually, this photo is entirely unrelated and Pearl had nothing to do with the draw. I used the random number generator... 

A Book Review and a Giveaway

A little while ago, I was sent a gorgeous book to review here on the blog. It's called Naturally Fun Parties For Kids. Written by Anni Daulter, it's about "creating handmade, earth-friendly celebrations for all seasons and occasions."

As you know, we had a birthday in this house recently. Lola has enjoyed a party for each of her birthdays so I know how much work is involved - you can check out last year's spectacular rainbow pirate party here. I had every intention of dipping into this new book for ideas and recipes for her fifth birthday party, but in the end she elected to have a day in Sydney catching up with her old friends, enjoying yum cha and bouncing about in an indoor gym in lieu of a party here at home. We were allowed a birthday party every  second year as kids - my sensible mother of four knew how to set limits. Looks like the "every second year" policy might kick in here now too.

Anyway, all of that aside, how lovely to come across a book that moves away from the sort of parties we've become used to throwing and attending - hire-a-fairy, jumpy castles, McDonald's, bowling, lollies galore. I'm all for outsourcing, but it's the mass consumption of sugar and plastic that I find a bit depressing. While I'm not convinced every kid will go for some of the recipes and ideas in the book, I would be thrilled to serve up roasted corn on the cob, homemade donuts and ginger spiced cookies in lieu of chips and lollipops. At any rate I'd enjoy the leftovers!

The book is broken up into seasons with three party ideas for each. And even though it's targeted at the Northern Hemisphere, ie Easter in spring, Christmas in winter, there's still plenty of inspiration for us Southern folk.

Each theme is broken up into a list of projects and materials, as well as a timeline to help you get organised. This will be especially helpful for people like me who find themselves frantically baking cupcakes and making costumes at midnight the night before the big day. There are suggestions for everything from the invitations right through to the decorations, activities and food.

So if you fancy a summer beach party with grilled flatbread pizza and herbed chicken, and creating necklaces out of sea glass, or an upcycled art party with thyme potato chips and pumpkin bread, making recycled crayons and sewing pillows out of wool jumpers, it's all here. 

And better yet, many of the ideas and recipes would be equally great for a rainy day or lazy afternoon at home. I'm not going to wait for the next birthday party to try the egg dyeing or upcycled sweater aprons with my girls.

I've enjoyed Naturally Fun Parties For Kids thoroughly, and I'd love to pass it on to someone else. If you'd like a chance to win my copy, just leave me a comment and your email and I'll draw a winner randomly later in the week. (Australian and New Zealanders only, sorry. It would go against the eco ethos of the book to send it on a second long-haul flight...)