It’s On! The MDK Giftalong Starts Now

Dear fellow knitters in search of fun and colossal productivity,

Yes, it is October 23. You know what that means: it’s time to get a plan.

Time to dig up some quick and delicious patterns.

Time to get your holiday knitting game on.

We hereby launch the Great MDK Giftalong.

From now through December 24, we invite you to join us as we crank a bunch of beautiful gifts for those we love. This is one of our very favorite group knitting projects, and we hope you’ll join us.

Starting now means that you’ll have enough time to a) knit a bounteous plenitude (or that one hat) and b) not lose sleep worrying about getting it all done.

A Fun Accelerator: Prizes!

Here’s the thing: while we firmly believe that making a gift for somebody is reward enough, we also believe that prizes make a knitalong a lot of fun.

So: The good people at Rowan are contributing a bunch of prizes that we will be giving to knitters who participate in the MDK Giftalong. To be eligible for a prize, simply post a photo of your project, using a pattern from MDK, on Instagram using the hashtag #MDKgiftalong or in the MDK Lounge. We’ll select weekly winners until December 24. And everybody will love seeing what you’re making. (See below for additional team hashtags and Lounge topics. The more hashtags, the more prizes you can enter to win.)

And if you’re not into prizes and decide to knit a pattern that’s not MDK, that’s great—the more, the merrier! Please jump in. As always, all yarns are welcome.

What to Knit?

At this point, we have built a frankly stupendous collection of patterns for you to make. We have made all of these ourselves, and lots of knitters have embraced them, too.

The gallery up top shows you some of the MDK designs that we turn to when time is short.

We decided that it would be a hoot to divide ourselves up into teams based on the projects on our needles.

Important note: you don’t have to pick just one team. You can be on ALL the teams. You can even bring in a ringer MDK pattern not mentioned here, and knit that. It’s about the love, and the joy, and about setting ourselves up for glory in the Warm ‘n’ Cozy Gift Department.

Your 2019 MDK Giftalong Teams

Team Big

Team Big members will be knitting projects from MDK Field Guide No. 12: Big Joy, in which every pattern calls for Rowan’s supersoft star, Big Wool.

Leading the way to big glory will be Team Big leader, Jen Geigley, the featured designer of Field Guide No. 12.

This is the absolute fastest set of designs to make. Rowan Big Wool calls for US size 13 needles.  You will complete these projects fast enough to join another team for part of the program.

Team Big Instagram hashtag is #MDKTeamBig. Team Big’s locker room in the MDK Lounge is right here. Stop by for a slice of pie.

Team Merry Makers

The boisterous, generous Merry Makers will be knitting projects from MDK Field Guide No. 8: Merry Making, with designs by Thea Colman.

Team Merry Makers will be led by one  of the merriest makers we know: Nell Ziroli, angel of the MDK Lounge. This Field Guide includes five designs for speedy knitting: the juicy Chalice Cowl, Appleseed Mitts, Appleseed Coasters, Slip-Stitch Cap, and Stranded Diamonds Hat. Bonus: Thea’s Merry Sangria recipe.

In case of emergency, Nell will have a virtual batch of it in a virtual barrel on her person at all times.

The Merry Makers’ Instagram hashtag is #MDKTeamMerryMakers, and they can be found carousing in the MDK Lounge right here.

Team Socks

If socks have wandered onto your gift-knitting list, you’ll be in good company with Team Socks, led by America’s sweetheart, Mrs. Ann Shayne of Nashville, Tennessee. Team Socks members will have the full arsenal of 13 stitch patterns and two sock patterns (cuff-down and toe-up) found in MDK Field Guide No. 11: Wanderlust, with designs by Wendy Bernard.

A pair of handmade socks is an emblem of true love. Team Socks members can congregate in the lovers’ lane of the MDK Lounge, which is located right here.  Their team’s Instagram hashtag is #MDKTeamSocks.

Team Kaffe

Kay is proud to have been selected (by Kay) as the Team Leader for Team Kaffe. She will be cheering her head off in the Lounge and on the Instagram hashtag #mdkTeamKaffe.

The Special Bonus Prize for Team Kaffe will be a Field Guide No. 13 project knitted and finished by Kay, plus a small sampler of Kaffe Fassett fabrics from her own long-marinated stash. And of course, Team Kaffe members will also be in the running for the amazing prizes Rowan has provided. You have to be in it to win it!

We are big believers in getting a groove on and making a batch of gifts. In this case, our gift-knitting will be enhanced by the sheer fun of playing in the fields of Kaffe Fassett. The more of these you make, the more inventive the color combinations will become.

Our suggested starter gift? The Stripe Cowl.

This manageable small project packs a wallop of color and pattern. You can knit any of the stripe patterns—solid or stranded—or combine them in a project that any of your beloveds will be delighted to wear every day and twice on Sunday.

Here we go—fun times and piles of presents ahead!