Solstice Fundraising Pop-Up 2019

Welcome to the 2019 Winter Solstice Pop-Up ~ thank you so much for stopping by.

I will be honoring my Wonder Woman, my sister-in-love, Jay, and donating 100% of the proceeds of this year's fundraiser to No Stomach For Cancer, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering and supporting people living with stomach cancer (some, like her, without stomachs), world-wide.

Thank you, thank you, thank you ~ I made a donation of $610 to No Stomach For Cancer in honor of my zen warrior queen on December 31, 2019.

A few logistical notes:
• my noggin is 22" round ~ these hats will truly and well fit most heads.
• our home is pet-free, smoke-free, and essentially fragrance-free.
• unless noted otherwise it is recommended that these items are washed by hand (instructions available by request).
• locals feel free to come by and try things on.
• domestic shipping (US) is on me, local pick up/drop off is encouraged.
• shipping/pick up/drop off to start on Wednesday, December 11.

And a note "in the spirit":
Much consideration is put into fair pricing.  And, also, to finding a balance so that my donation to the organization feels substantial in both quality and quantity.  That all being said, it is important to me to matchmake unions of joy...and to move as many of these knits to hands and homes other than my own.  I will certainly field offers below asking if you are moved to make one and I will see what I can do.

Please email me at shirleypond4@gmail.com.  Items are first come, first served.  I will communicate with you about payment with a confirmation email back to you.

Wishing you laughter, love and light this Solstice season.

With gratitude and peace,

Shirley

P.S.  My general, quite unoriginal naming system is the name of the yarn colorway(s) plus the name of the pattern.

What's left...

#4 Foliage Sugar Plum

$25

A steadfast cowl.  The crispness of this workhorse wool will mellow with each wash.  The tweedy, heathered blend of colors in this yarn made in New Hampshire is truly reminiscent of New England foliage.

#5 Malabrigo + Noro Scarf

$25

This soft and stripe-y scarf is for pink lovers.  Will coordinate excellently with a Pussy Hat.  Double looped in this photo, it is actually 78" long and 4.5" wide.

#6 Castlemilk Moorit Low Tide

$50

The beauty of this rustic shawl is that the main color yarn is undyed (yarn geek excitement)!  That's the color of the Castlemilk Moorit breed of sheep's fleece, which means this wool is minimally processed/fussed.  This yarn is produced by a British daughter of a shepherd in small, limited edition batches, from sheep she knows and loves.

#8 Turmeric Honeycomb C Train Cowl

$50

This is probably the most luxe piece I knit this year.  The fabric is a blend of two different yarns and the color is amazing.  One of the yarns is a 70% mohair/30% silk blend which gives this long cowl (worn in the photo double looped) a soft, warm halo.

What's gone...thank you so much!

Shamrock Sockhead  Claimed

Soft and light and an irresistible pop of color to brighten the dreariest of days or moods.  100% merino wool.

Joshua Tree Two By Two  Claimed

A classic look with a smooth and soft handfeel.  100% superwash merino wool (machine washable).

Solis Two By Two  Claimed

A classic look with a smooth and soft handfeel.  100% superwash merino wool (machine washable).

Riddle's Diary Vanilla Beanie  Claimed

Harry Potter/Slytherin fandom alert!  This hat was knit with sock yarn held double and has a snug feel.  80% superwash merino/20% nylon (sourced sheep to skein in the USA and hand-dyed in Portland, OR).

Purple Gray Easy Ombré Slouch  Claimed

Colorful and cushy.  The yarn used for this hat is 100% Falkland wool and made on Block Island, RI.

Milarrochy Breiwick  Claimed

The stranded colorwork technique gives this hat wonderful visual interest (the tweedy flecks of color in the strands of yarn and the way the colors blend together truly need to be seen to be believed) and added warmth.  It is very light and runs slightly big.  70% wool/30% mohair, milled in Ireland.

Cranberry Weathervane  Claimed

A warm, red beanie-style hat.  50% wool/50% alpaca bred and made in the USA.

Tobacco Honeycomb Sockhead

$25  Claimed

A study in contrast.  The Tobacco made by a Danish yarn brand (with a crisp Scottish highland wool), the Honeycomb dyed right here in New Jersey on a soft and fuzzy 70/30 mohair/silk blend.

Would pair nicely with the Turmeric Honeycomb C Train Cowl.

 Gray Purple Project Peace Shawl

$30  Claimed

A beautiful yet odd duck.  The shape is an elongated, asymmetrical triangle...with a rectangular lace edge bordering one side of the triangle.  The feather and fan lace pattern is classic and pretty.  The colors are sophisticated and the shawl is toasty.  An open and creative mind necessary to wear as suits you.

#3 Derwen Letterpress

$40  Claimed

Cozy and cuddly and cables!  A pattern for lovers of reading.  The yarn is 75% Blue-Faced Leicester/25% Masham and hand-dyed in Wales.

Tiddy Brook Fika

$50  Claimed

Light and airy yet warm.  Generous dimensions (73" wing span x 28" spine) give this piece versatility.  The yarn is the true star, a wonderful blend of the wool from five breeds.  The yarn maker is in Cornwall so I think of this as a "Poldark" shawl ~ a hybrid of Demelza and Caroline.

Gray Low Tide

$40  Claimed

A lovely light gray color that will coordinate with just about anything.  This soothing piece is 100% alpaca which = soft and warm.

Montana Wind

$50  Claimed

This wonderful shawl has a wingspan of 85" ~ plenty of Montana woolly goodness to wrap oneself in for a ramble, a book, a nap.  90% merino/10% mohair.

#7 Willow Bark Hurdle Stitch Scarf

$50  Claimed

This scarf is long (84" x 7"), soft, light, and warm.  The yarn is a higher end blend of 50% alpaca, 25% yak and 25% silk.

#2 Moonstone Pesto Boneyard

$30  Claimed

Soft and buttery with a touch of silk and cashmere.  Will tuck under a jacket/coat nicely.

Solstice Fundraising Pop-Up 2018

~ Welcome and Happy Solstice Season! ~

This year I am raising funds for Project Graduation at Montclair High School.  It is a loving year-long effort by the local community to level the playing field by raising funds so that a class of about 500 kids can celebrate graduation alcohol- and drug-free with one less thing (paying for the night's activities/transportation) to worry about.

100% of the proceeds from this sale will go to Project Graduation at Montclair High School, now in its 30th year, for the Class of 2019.

Update: Thank you for helping me raise $480 for Project Graduation at Montclair High School!  It has been a grueling year for students and staff with cascading physical plant issues this year and my wish is that the seniors have a wonderful graduation to remember.

My hand knits come from a pet-free and smoke-free home that is also, essentially, fragrance-free.  A select few of these pieces are very gently used, having been worn by me a handful of times (and subsequently washed).

Knitted wool fabric is quite forgiving and most of these hats should fit most adult heads, just fine.  (The model's noggin measures 23".)

The knits were photographed both indoors and outdoors this year due to weather constraints.  (A few of the photos were taken at the time a project was completed.  The length of my hair will give those away.)  The colors can look quite different photo to photo and some colors behaved better than others.  Please bear in mind also, that colors can vary somewhat monitor to monitor.

I will be covering the cost of domestic (USA) shipping, when applicable, this year.  Local friends, please feel free to shop in-house, in-person, if your time and energy allows.  I would love to see you!

Please e-mail me (shirleypond4@gmail.com) with your interest in an item/items, or with any questions.  Inquiries regarding bulk discounts welcome.  Also new this year, any item priced at $30 may be combined with another priced at $30 for a two for $50 deal.

~ Hats ~

#3: Handspun / Shackleton

For the explorer.  The nubby handspun wool used for this hat was made by a ceramicist in northern California and was a gift.  The lanolin-rich wool feels almost like a pelt and will keep you warm on your expeditions.  It should soften with wear.  This hat is comfortably large.

(not sure if it's) 100% wool (but I think it is)

$30

#13: Rowan Purelife British Sheep Breeds / Brassica

For those who want to serve up Old Man Winter...a bit of Old Man Winter.  I love the undyed natural color of this hat.  The lanolin left in the minimally processed yarn gives it an unmistakable sheepiness perfect for outerwear.  You'll want to keep this function-over-form hat close during blizzard conditions.

$30

#14: Twirl Natural Colors / Barley

For those who dig plants, especially succulents.  This beanie is knit in Twirl Yarn, supported by the folks at Fibershed.  I am really into names and "Euphorbia" sounded otherworldly and had me googling as soon as I could get to some internet.  The colorway has tonal warmth and is a blend of brown and gray with the faintest aura of yellow-green.  It is a color that both makes sense and is unusual.  This hat has an undeniably scratchy hand and will soften with wear.  It is light and will easily scrunch into a coat pocket.

wool/alpaca/mohair

$30

~ Cowls ~

#3: Harrisville Designs Highland / Sugar Plum

For those who love a good leaf peepin'.  Harrisville Designs Highland yarn, from New Hampshire, is engineered to last and will soften with wear.  This stunning colorway is called Foliage.

100% wool

$30

~ Shawls/Scarves ~

#2: Malabrigo Worsted; Noro Silk Garden / Striped Scarf

For those about to rock (the pink), we salute you.  This scarf practically glows.  The pink stripes are the buttery soft Malabrigo Worsted that I used to make a number of Pussy Hats.  The other stripes are Noro Silk Garden and range from red to purple to orange to brown to gray to periwinkle.  The scarf is 78" long and 4.5" wide and soft, warm and comfortable.

$30

~ Next Level ~

#1: Blacker Yarns Cornish Tin II / Gloria

Poldark alert!  This yarn was a limited special edition and all the colors were named after Cornish Tin mines.  (These are: Gorland Grey and Wheal Kitty Orange.)  All the fibre was sourced in the UK.  I feel a nerdy rhapsody about fibers and colors coming on so will just say that this yarn and resulting fabric were a delight.  This is a double loop cowl that can be more snugly secured with a pin if desired.

  

40% wool/20% alpaca/10% merino/10% Shetland/10% Jacob/10% mohair

$50

~ The Super Special One ~

Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light / Inchworm

$100/SOLD (!!!)

Last year's fundraiser raised $600 for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation (with philanthropic matching funds doubled the amount received by the foundation).  It was a profound honor and privilege to be able to give.  Thank you for taking the time to come take a look ~ I could not be of service without you.

Wishing you light and peace as we head into the darkest time of year here in the northern hemisphere.

Much love,

Shirley