After the huge success of last year’s ‘Castle Gardens’ Advent, I’m delighted to let you all know that I’ll be producing another yarn Advent Calendar this year!

I know it’s still only April but this kind of project is a massive undertaking and by launching now, it gives me plenty time to break it down and gives you the chance to pay in instalments too.

I thoroughly enjoyed dyeing last years advent. I drew inspiration from lots of the colour pops in the flower beds and the greys of the stone walls. It has been so lovely to see some of your finished advent projects appearing. Mine is still languishing in the naughty corner but I hope to be able to share it with you soon.

The production of an advent calendar is an all consuming labour of love! The dyeing is the easy bit. The ideas and planning before hand take quite a while, then the actual yarn preparation and winding - well let’s just say each mini takes approximately 1 minute to wind then multiply that by hundreds!

This years advent will be based on the colours of these succulent plants. It will fade this year from soft greens and yellows into the pink and lilac tones you see in these mood boards. Expect a more muted palette than in previous years.

Now some Frequently Asked Questions:

What yarn options will there be?

I like to keep things simple - I’ll be doing my 75% merino / 25% nylon base and will have both fingering and double knit options. This year I’ll also be adding a NEW yarn base! It is a blend of Alpaca, Silk and Cashmere for a touch of added luxury. This is such a dreamy non superwash base which takes the colours in a slightly paler way, with speckles being a more blended, watercolour rather that crisp pops like with the superwash merino. This base will only be available as a 20gram fingering weight option.

Will you have a 10 gram option?

I’ll have a very limited number of 10 gram advents available in both weights but these are likely to go quickly. They are actually even more work than the 20 gram ones and because the issue with advents are labour not product costs, they are a little more expensive.

What will the colour palette be?

I’ve created some mood boards to represent some of the colours you can expect. This year will be a soft pastel fade. I’ll put them in a fade order but you may wish to use them in a different combination in your own project.

When will they launch?

Sunday 7th April at 12 noon BST

I upped my numbers last year so it was available to order for a couple of weeks until I reached that limit. The 10g advents go very quickly. I like to keep this project manageable and pride myself on producing a high quality item which is shipped out on time. I always make extra boxes and these are made available mid November once I can be sure all the others have arrived. Make sure you are on the mailing list to hear when they are ready.

When will they ship?

I aim for the first week in November and a little earlier than that for international orders to ensure then are there in plenty time.

Can I pay in instalments?

Yes. I use the subscription service on my website to take 5 equal payments in April, May, June, July, August. Please note, this will include UK shipping. Any international orders will be invoiced a separate amount in September to allow for the additional shipping costs.

How much will they be?

24 x 10g merino nylon will be £90

24 x 20g merino nylon will be £150

24 x 20g alpaca silk cashmere will be £170

The instalment option is £10 higher than this overall but this includes UK shipping and covers the extra payment processing fees.

Will there be extras in the box?

There will be some small extras but the yarn will be the main focus.

Will you do an additional Christmas day skein?

I’ve been asked by a few customers to offer a separate Christmas day skein for those of you who don’t want an advent and I’ll do this separately and will offer this up later in the year. It will be one skein taking in all of the colour inspiration in the advent.

What can I make with an advent?

Why not have a look at the pinterest board I made for some ideas….