Huge Little Skein Giveaway! Plus join the #annealong!

*All of the photos for today's post are used with permission from Little Skein in the Big Wool.

Edited to Add on Oct. 9th, 2014: Anne Vally has added one skein of the Anne's Story fingering weight yarn to the prize package!! So an additional $32 skein of Anne's Story included with the Luxe Kit!!! Thank you, Anne, for upping the ante!

Click here to find out more about this yarn! 

Hi, Knitters,

I am here today with a fantastic giveaway for you! I am so excited to be part of the team that gets to promote and host a giveaway for the newest Little Skein kit, Green Gables. I was lucky enough to be in Maine with Paula Emons-Fuessle, the designer of the shawl Balsam Hollow for the Green Gables kit, on the day the kit debuted and was released for sales. The kits are still available for purchase now but the initial kits sold out in literally a couple of minutes! It was so exciting to witness when we were together in Maine. Paula and Anne are rock stars for sure.

Anne Vally, the creative force behind the ultra-successful Little Skein in the Big Wool brand sent the kit preview along with four sample shawls knit in the yarn color choices for the kit. The entire kit is breathtaking. Anne goes all out and that's why her kits are so incredibly special.

Here are some links for you to enjoy:

Paula Emons-Fuessle of the Knitting Pipeline podcast! She's the designer of the gorgeous shawl.

Click here for the Balsam Hollow shawl on Ravelry (to be released for individual download in November).

Little Skein in the Big Wool website!

Little Skein in the Big Wool Etsy shop! You can purchase all of the kit pieces separately and together in different forms. If you are thinking of a knitting-related gift for the holiday season, any part of the kit would make a great gift.

Knitalong with Littleskein group on Ravelry! I'm a member ~ come join us.

It's hard to imagine the amount of work and thoughtfulness and love Anne pours into her kits. She is really something. So today I am giving away to one lucky blog reader the Luxe Kit! Thank you to Anne Vally for the generous giveaway opportunity.

Click here to see today's giveaway prize, the Green Gables Luxe Kit! The prize today is worth $105!

Here is Anne Vally's description of the Luxe kit:

The LUXE Green Gables shawl kit features everything you need to make "Balsam Hollow," a new (and exclusive to Little Skein) shawl design from Paula Emons-Fuessle of the Knitting Pipeline and inspired by Anne of Green Gables, and to truly reminisce about the optimistic and enchanting Anne Shirley and her forever home on Prince Edward Island.

Your LUXE kit includes:

• A PDF copy of Balsam Hollow, a beautiful new shawl design from Paula Emons-Fuessle (you will receive download instructions after placing your order)
• Two 100g skeins of Leading Men Fiber Arts' Marquee yarn in the exclusive Green Gables palette colorway of your choice, which is ample yarn to knit either the standard size or the extended size of this beautiful shawl
• A project bag in your choice of style: drawstring bag (suitable for 1 to 2 skein projects) or a larger zippered project bag (ideal for 2 to 3 skein projects)
• A Canadian Girl stitch markers (with either the Anne master marker or Canadian Maple leaf)
• Autumn Leaves impatient knitter tag
• A surprise sweet treat and all of Little Skein's signature special packaging

The yarn for the kit is custom-dyed by Leading Men Fiber Arts.

Click here for the Leading Men Fiber Arts shop!

There are four options plus an added variegated sock yarn (click here to see this one, I had to order my own it's so pretty!).  The colors are gorgeous and autumnal. I have the Green Gables color and I'm getting the Anne with an E color sent to me. I am going to cast on Paula's Balsam Hollow shawl very soon! It will be good retreat and travel knitting for me coming up.

Here is the description of the beautiful yarn from Anne Vally:

About your yarn:

Leading Men Fiber Arts' Callback base is a round and bouncy 3-ply superwash merino wool. It absorbs color beautifully and is rich, saturated, and glowing. This yarn is the perfect sportweight blend and creates a drapey yet warm fabric.

The palette of available colors evoke autumn on Prince Edward Island -- the luscious green leaves of Green Gables; the evergreens of Orchard Slope, the sloping area between Anne's home at Green Gables and Diana Barry's farm; spooky purples and dusky evening colors of the Haunted Wood; and of course, Anne's beautiful red hair.

Dyer: Leading Men Fiber Arts
Base: Callback sportweight
Colorways: Green Gables, Anne with an E, Orchard Slope, or The Haunted Wood
Fiber content: 100% superwash merino
Yardage: 328 yards per 100 grams

The Anne palette of colors is available exclusively from Little Skein in the Big Wool.

You get to choose between two bag options. Both are so beautifully handcrafted. The zipper bag is a little bigger and the drawstring bag (the one I have) is just right for a skein or two plus your project. Anne designs her own fabrics. The lining is as intriguing as the outer fabric. I think this is my favorite fabric design yet from Anne. The leaf motif with Anne of Green Gables outline in the big maple leaf is one of the best details ever. I LOVE this bag!

Here is Anne Vally's description of the bags:

About your project bag:

Prince Edward Island project bags are handcrafted from original fabrics, created by me, exclusively for the Green Gables kit.

The fabric features hand-painted watercolors from Polish artist Agnieska Swiejkowska and adapted by me to create a portrait of leaves and the natural world in beautiful autumnal colors, with a wistful silhouette of Anne Shirley. The exterior fabric has been digitally-printed for me on my favorite blend of cotton-linen fabric, which is wonderfully durable and has a slight nubbly rustic texture to it. For the zippered project bags, I've upsized the design to create a larger motif of Anne, and the drawstring bag's fabric is likewise sized to that particular design.

The interior fabric for Prince Edward Island is a warm autumn green, featuring some of my favorite quotes from this classic heroine, like secret and optimistic messages from Anne to you.

My drawstring bags have been sized for 1 to 2 skein projects, and my shawl-sized zipper bags are quite roomy and are sized to fit 2 to 3 skeins of yarn and your work in progress.

The Little Skein stitch markers have long been one of my favorites. They are so well-made and pretty. In the Luxe kit you win a set of markers and the choice of one of two charms. Here is Anne Vally's description of the stitch markers:

{ ABOUT YOUR STITCH MARKERS }

You'll receive a set of 8 stitch markers with a master marker of either the Anne silhouette or a Canadian maple leaf. Let me know in the notes section of your order if you have a preference; otherwise I'll surprise you!

Paula picked a leaf motif because trees play such a big role in the setting for Anne of Green Gables. It's perfect. The shawl is so simple, triangle shaped garter stitch with a simple leaf lace motif at the border. A first time lace knitter could knit this shawl. It is lovely. There are two sizes, the original and then one with an extended lace section. Great work, Paula! I love the way the shawl design ties in with the bag and stitch markers and yarn. 

Leslie Wind also contributed and designed the most beautiful shawl pin I have ever seen to go along with the kit. It is a simple leaf shape and it is effective and stunning. The leaf silhouette shawl pin is called Kindred Spirit. It is light as air and a real piece of art.

The shawl pin is NOT included in today's giveaway but you may want to order one to go with your gorgeous new shawl. I have one and I can't wait to wear it all together, and carry my bag while using my stitch markers and knitting my Anne's Story sock yarn...... while reading my new Anne of Green Gables book!

Click here to see the shawl pin!

Click here to see Leslie Wind's Etsy shop!

Anne's patterns are always beautifully photographed and have a clear and easy to follow layout. The pattern for the Balsam Hollow shawl has been tech edited and test knit. 

The other part of the Green Gables kit is the #annealong that is running from September 23 to December 21st! You'll want to join because it is so simple to enter and there will be fantastic prizes along the way with a big grand prize given at the end. Here are the Grand Prize details......

And: the grand prize is totally awesome, and it will be announced on December 22. 

At the end of the #annealong, on December 22, I’ll choose a grand prize winner who will receive the NEXT Little Skein kit which will be released in January and features a new (upcoming) shawl design from Susan B. Anderson and two skeins of Plucky Knitter yarn.

Yes, that's me! You get the chance to win my upcoming new kit with Little Skein!!! It is going to be spectacular and fun. And yes, the yarn is exclusively dyed for the kit by the Plucky Knitter. You'll want to try to win this one so enter the #annealong by posting anything Green Gables related along with the hashtag. It's so simple!

The #annealong is a wide open -along that includes not only knitting Paula's shawl but also reading, sharing a photo, starting an Anne Shirley-related or inspired project.... well, here is Anne Vally's great description of the #annealong:

Click here to read about the #annealong on Anne Vally's website!

I am so excited to announce that Little Skein in the Big Wool, together with my co-hosts Susan B. Anderson, Amanda Jennings (heyporkchop of the Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery), and Paula Emons-Fuessle of the Knitting Pipeline, will be hosting a fall #annealong on Instagram to celebrate fall with Anne Shirley!

Here's how it works:

The #annealong is an Instagram contest, readalong, watchalong, and knitalong. To join in, make sure you have anInstagram account and then:

1. Start an Anne project ...

• Knit the Balsam Hollow shawl from Little Skein’s “Green Gables” kit -- kits will be available for sale beginning September 22 at 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time in both the Little Skein Etsy shop and in the new Little Skein pop-up shop
• Knit any pattern that reminds you of Anne of Green Gables
• Knit with yarn that reminds you of Anne, Prince Edward Island, etc.
• Read one of the Anne of Green Gables books (maybe read along with the awesome Juniper Grace?!)
• Watch the fabulous Anne of Green Gables miniseries
• Do anything else that reminds you of Anne Shirley, Green Gables, Prince Edward Island …. make it work, double dip, have fun

2. Share a picture on Instagram that shows what you're doing

3. Enjoy the community

• Like an #annealong photo
• Comment on an #annealong photo
• Become inspired and uplifted

4. Maybe win a prize!

Now, to win the Luxe Kit worth $105 please leave ONE comment on this blog post (please do not email me to enter) that includes your email address OR your Ravelry ID! Please be patient for your comment to appear and don't post repeatedly. I approve all comments to avoid spam and sometimes it takes me awhile to approve the comments so there is a delay. In your comment I'd love to hear your connections to Anne of Green Gables or your favorite part of the kit if you'd like or just say hello. I will randomly select one winner next week when I return from teaching at Webs in Massachusetts.

Don't miss out on this fantastic giveaway opportunity... yarn, bag, pattern & stitch markers worth $105! That's a huge and beautiful prize.

Good luck and let the comments begin!

xo ~ susan