Our Favourite Woolly Christmas Gifts

Oh yes, it's that time of the year again! Christmas is almost upon us, and this year we thought it'd be fun to shine a light on the little and slightly bigger things we like to gift the people in our life who've caught the love of wool just like we have.

We're posting this quite a ways ahead of the holidays to make sure that if you decide to get one (or more) of the suggested presents for yourself or loved ones, you actually get them in the post by the time Christmas Eve rolls around. If you're overseas, ordering by the end of November is likely a good idea as postal services get swamped with parcels in the weeks leading up to Christmas! If you are based in the European Union, we recommend placing your order by the first week of December; and if you're based in the UK, mid December gives us plenty of time to pick, pack and ship your order out.

Logistics aside, are you ready for a glimpse at what we would like under the tree this year?

Appledore Heirloom Blanket

Let's start with something that almost all of us Mill Folk have at least one of at home: Our Appledore Heirloom Blankets! Lovingly made entirely in Devon from local fibre, these blankets are a truly special, 100% British-made quality product that celebrates our local textiles heritage. They are made from - you guessed it - our beloved Appledore range, i.e. 100% Devon wool, sourced locally via the British Wool Marketing Board. After we've spun the yarn, the blankets were woven at Spencer & Bates Weavers near Honiton, in East Devon.

Spencer & Bates Weavers are brothers Thomas and Daniel Bates, and their partner Rex Spencer. They collectively inherited the business from their dads, who started out rescuing vintage looms and machinery years ago, just like our Mr Arbon!

The (almost) best part? The blankets are currently on sale! So maybe throw in one for yourself too when you're ordering one as a gift? Sadly, we're not able to ship them to the EU and Northern Ireland (thank you GSPR)- but you might like to get this instead...

Spot Mr. Smoke Jigsaw Puzzle

Yes, you heard that right - we have a new jigsaw puzzle on the shelves! You all loved the last ones so much that we decided to ask the wonderful Katie Green to adapt their "Spot Mr. Smoke" illustration from the Annual (issue one) into a jigsaw-suited one.

The result is a stunning 750 piece work of art (well, after you've done the puzzling!) with Katie's signature intricate, joyful drawing style. You can see various parts of the mill, and play "Spot Mr. Smoke" (Mr. Smoke was our beloved mill cat) while and after you've completed the jigsaw.

Mill Membership

Did you know you can get the Mill Membership as a gift for someone else? We really love that - it's perfect if you know someone likes yarn or fibre, but you're not quite sure yet which base or colours they prefer. With the Mill Membership, the recipient gets a lifetime 10% off any purchase made through our website, on the phone or in person (yes, at shows too!), oodles of specials and one-off runs and early access to new products.

All of that for a one-time fee - no subscription here! - which we think is a pretty sweet thing. The recipient will get a fancy Mill Membership certificate and enamel badge too!

Benjamine the Watervole Kit

This was by far the most popular kit of the Annual (issue five) - and we can't blame you one bit! Benjamine, the Watervole, and her family (Little Mo and Grand-Ma) are just too darn cute. They're designed by Cinthia Vallet, queen of the knitted critters, and spot both bathing attire and a raincoat - you never know when the weather turns from sunny to hailing rain!

You can get Benjamine, Little Mo and Grand-Ma as stand-alone kits - or, if the one you're gifting for really loves making toys, you can also get a Family kit with all three of them!

Gift Voucher 

Last, but very certainly not least: The option if you're really not sure what someone would like – or if you've simply run out of time! Gift Vouchers are available 24 / 7 on our website and, if you choose the digital version, don't depend on prompt delivery of the postal service.

You can choose between several different values, and you can even add a little personalized note to it!

I hope that you find something you or a fellow wool lover would like in this little gift guide of ours. Tell me – what's your favourite woolly thing to gift?