Top Knitted Gift Picks of 2018 and USPS Holiday Shipping Deadlines

There's no need to panic if you haven't finished (or started) your Christmas shopping. You can order as late as December 21 and packages shipped within the continental U.S. will still make it in time for the holiday. 

The USPS has provided the following shipping deadlines for the continental U.S. (orders must be placed on the day prior):

• First-Class Mail - Dec. 20 (order by Dec. 19)
• Priority Mail - Dec. 20 (order by Dec. 19)
• Priority Mail Express - Dec. 22 (order by Dec. 21)

The shipping deadline for First-Class and Priority Mail International is Dec. 8 (order by Dec. 7) for Australia/New Zealand, Canada, and Europe.

And here are a few gift ideas for anyone and any budget. They all ship free!

green scarf | more scarves

red headband | more colors

gray mittens for adults | for kids

bag charm

wool newborn hat

white baby afghan | more blankets

burgundy baby mittens | more colors

View the Marion's Mittens Etsy shop

Still Time for Gifting: USPS 2016 Holiday Shipping Deadlines

Last minute shopper? Not to worry! Our warm, cozy, handmade gifts will ship in time for Christmas delivery in the USA. Just order by December 19 and choose USPS Priority Mail at checkout. Need it even faster? Ask about our express delivery options.

Have you seen our new headband trios? They come in a set of three. Give them as a gift, break up the set to stuff multiple stockings, or keep them all for yourself!

Need more gift ideas? We've got you covered:

Knit Mittens Adult Size

Knit Mittens Adult Small

Knit Mittens for Kids

Knit Mittens for Babies

Wool Baby Hats & Mittens

Baby Afghans & Blankets

Scarf Shop: Knit/Crochet

Pompoms & Garlands

Black Friday Weekend & New Knitted Headband Gift Sets

Have you been working on your holiday shopping this weekend? I wrapped up most of mine yesterday and it feels so good.  :)

Our Black Friday coupon code was emailed to subscribers last week. Did you miss it? You can still sign up here for coupons.

During this major shopping weekend we launched a new line: knitted headbands for her! These are soft, stretchy, cozy, and sure to be a favorite stocking stuffer.

Our headbands come in a set of three - one each purple, gray, and blue.

They are double knit in a chunky brioche style.

Give them all to one person on your list, or divide between co-workers, friends, family, teachers, dog walkers, and more from your list. One size fits most and everyone likes something soft and warm!

Shop hand knitted headbands

Marion's Mittens shop on Etsy

Happy Easter!

Spring is here! Easter is a little early this year and so is spring. In fact, we didn't have much of a winter at all. Not that I'm complaining... it's nice to see flowers and have warm weather.

Some Conclusions About Mild Weather

Our customers ordered 23 fewer pairs of mittens this season than during the polar vortex of winter 2014-2015. Obviously with this year's El Niño winter, warm hands weren't a priority!

But scarf sales were exactly the same. Scarves are just as likely to be worn as a fashion accessory as they are to keep warm.

Baby blanket orders were way, way up. Lots of you needed them, especially for baptisms and christenings.

Plans for Spring

The Marion's Mittens shop doesn't shut down when it gets warm... but it does slow down. I let some of our listings for mittens expire, take a little bit of a break, and then start working on replenishing our stock. 

(If you happen to need mittens in a certain color, but don't see them listed in the shop, contact me! I probably have them on hand.)

assorted colors of mittens

Baby afghans are good year-round gifts, and anything I have will be listed on Etsy. 

purple baby afghan

This year I'll also work on growing our line of pompom accessories and decor. So far you'll find garlands and keyrings that are perfect mini purse puffs. Next, I'm going to start creating some different sizes.

pompom bag charm

pompom garland

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Merry Christmas from Marion's Mittens!

We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year! Thanks to everyone who has ordered Marion's Mittens. I hear some chillier, snowier weather is just around the corner and I know that they will keep you warm!

The Christmas rush of orders for mittens is over and I'm nearly done preparing for our annual Christmas Eve party. I'll be back in 2016 with a little sale. Sign up for our emails to get it. You'll find the form on the upper right of this page or on our Contact us page.

What's New with Marion's Mittens in December

It seems like I just wrote a November post! How is December here? And we are just 11 days away from Christmas... Luckily, I finished my shopping yesterday. I have a good start on wrapping although it seems like that never ends.

Social Activities

Yesterday kicked off the #12DaysofMittens on Twitter @MarionsMittens and Instagram @MarionsMittens (which is also going to Facebook @MarionsMittens).

What's the #12DaysofMittens? I'm sharing a picture of a different pair of mittens each day until Christmas! It will be too late to shop for some of them for Christmas gifts, but the gift of warmth is welcome all winter long.

Holiday Shipping Deadlines

Speaking of getting things in time for Christmas, the USPS holiday shipping deadlines are fast approaching!

Although the USPS says that packages shipped first class mail by December 19 will arrive on time, I will be disabling that shipping option on Wednesday, December 17. The mail seems to be moving particularly slowly this season due to the recent closure of some distribution centers. Even priority mail packages are taking longer than usual.

I cannot guarantee when the Post Office will deliver packages. I try to track and follow up with all deliveries, but I have no control once a package is in the hands of the Post Office.

What's Popular

I will do a round-up of the most popular colors and sizes in early 2016. (It's weird to type 2016! I feel like we just started using 2015.) But here's a sneak peek for you: the front runner for the most popular mitten color of the year is BLACK! Can't go wrong with a classic, I guess!

Black mittens have sold out every time I've listed them in our shop. Marion has given me two or four pairs at a time and out the door they go within a few days of being listed! I'm hoping to have them back in stock in January.

Sales

In January or February there will be a sale or free shipping promotion in our shop. In order to find out what it is, you will have to be signed up for our email list! You can sign up on our contact page.

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Want Black Friday & Cyber Monday Deals? Sign Up Now!

I hope you have a great Thanksgiving! After the big feast, holiday shopping begins for many people.

The Black Friday / Cyber Monday time of year is when we offer our biggest discounts. This year you can take up to 40% off your purchase from Marion's Mittens!

It's not too late to receive our coupon codes. They're going out in our email newsletter TOMORROW!

Click to sign up. We never spam, and only email a few times each year.

green infinity scarf

red mittens on a string

white baby afghan

Shop Marion's Mittens

Halloween Decor: Yarn Pompom Garlands in Orange and Black

We're only one day into fall but I'm already planning how I want to decorate my home for Halloween. Having two fireplaces is fun, so I created a new decor item for this year: a yarn pompom garland.

This garland is made up of 9 pompoms in alternating orange and black. It paired perfectly with some of the festive decor I already have!

Each pompom is created and then shaped and trimmed by hand. It can take up to 15 minutes to make each pompom! The pompoms are then strung on natural twine.

I think this garland would also look great strung above the trick or treater's candy bowl. Watch our Instagram account for a photo of that, coming soon!

Shop yarn pompom garlands on Marion's Mittens

Accessorizing 2015 Halloween Costumes

Frozen, Minions, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, LEGOs... trends in kids' Halloween costumes are often dictated by recent movie releases.

LEGO characters were certainly popular last year. Check out this blog post with some customer costumes. Based on what people are searching for in my Etsy shop, I'm pretty sure they'll be popular once again!

Our sunshine yellow mittens are a perfect option for replicating LEGO character hands. And they're a functional piece that can be worn through the rest of the winter, too.

sunshine mittens in all sizes

Frozen continues to be popular. We offer mittens in several shades of blue that could pass for Anna's mittens. Ocean was one of the most popular colors sold last year.

ocean blue mittens

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Holiday Happenings at the Marion's Mittens HQ

As Christmas gets closer I've been finalizing preparations for the holiday week ahead. My decorating has been mostly done for a while (see it here and here) but I added a few things. And of course, baking season is in full swing!

I had more of my grandparents' glass ornaments but not a lot of tree space. So, I tied clear thread to some of the ornaments and hung them from the dining room chandelier.

Other ornaments went into a hurricane vase along with some peacocks.

Here are sugar cookies made from an ancient Betty Crocker cookbook recipe plus some almond icing. Of course, I also baked rolls from my grandmother's orange crescent recipe.

I've had some visitors at the bird feeder... mostly chickadees, woodpeckers, titmice, bluejays, and a furry guy that doesn't really fit in.

And of course I've been squeezing in some knitting in between wrapping presents and checking the oven. Mini mittens for toddlers ages 18-24 months are back in stock in sparkle white and sage green. I'm also finishing up the thumbs on a pair of watermelon hot pink mittens for kids ages 3-4.

I won't be on the blog again until next Monday, so I hope you have a very Merry Christmas!

Holiday Shipping Deadlines + Gift Ideas from Marion's Mittens

Did you know that the holiday shipping deadlines for the USPS are Saturday, December 20? This year the deadline is the same for both first class and priority mail packages. If you plan on ordering something online to be wrapped and under the tree by Christmas, you'd better get to it!

I'm just about done with my own shopping but still have a few gifts to track down. I'd better get to it to make sure they make it to their destinations on time!

Although a big order wiped out some of our supply of mittens for adults, there are still lots of pairs to choose from. Scarves, too! Shop Marion's Mittens on Etsy.

Why are Red and Green Christmas Colors? And a Selection of Marion's Mittens in Red and Green.

Red and green mittens are always popular color choices for mittens this time of year. I know that

these are traditional Christmas colors but I didn't know why until I did a little research. Here's what I found out:

Green is a Christmas color because evergreen plants (holly and mistletoe) were used to decorate indoor spaces in the wintertime. This goes back to Egyptian and Roman times! During the Middle Ages, Paradise plays featuring green trees decorated with red apples were performed on Christmas Eve.

Red is also tied into those apples and to the berries on holly. It was also the color of bishops' robes that were worn by St. Nicholas, and by extension, Santa Claus! 

Here's a selection of the red and green items that are available right now.

red mittens for... adults | kids 7-8 | kids 5-6 | kids 3-4

kelly green mittens for... kids 7-8 | kids 5-6 | kids 3-4 | 6-12 months

marsala red mittens for... adults | 12-18 months

sage green mittens for... adults | kids 5-6 | 18-24 months

sunset mittens for... adults

soft green mittens for... preemies

red striped scarf

green zigzag scarf

There's still plenty of time to order and receive these before Christmas. The US Post Office's deadline is December 20; orders need to be in to me by December 19. Shop the full Marion's Mittens store on Etsy.

Christmas colors resource.

Marion's Mittens & Handmadeology Encourage You to Shop Unique for the Holidays!

I've joined Handmadeology's Shop Unique initiative to encourage you to choose handmade gifts this holiday season. While it's important to shop locally, ordering from artisans on Etsy also supports small businesses and individuals all over the world.

photo courtesy of Handmadeology

The folks at Handmadeology explain it best:

"We are the real sellers on Etsy – some of us are running our shop as a side-business, while others are selling full-time. We are moms, dads, sons, daughters. You see us selling at craft shows and boutiques. We are entrepreneurs, risk-takers, and passion-sharers. We want to share our creativity with the world and help connect you to real-life makers – not a robot or a disconnected manufacturer."

Check out Handmadeology's website for a blog post about this idea and to see a list of hundreds of places where you can purchase handmade gifts. I'm sure you'll find something you like!

And if you're looking for cozy gifts to keep your friends and family warm, Marion's Mittens are always a perfect fit. We offer hand knitted mittens in four sizes for babies, four sizes for kids, and one size for adults. We've also got scarves, baby sweaters, baby afghans, and some vintage items. Visit us on Etsy to find your perfect gift today!

Happy Halloween from Marion's Mittens! Featuring Customer Photos.

It's almost Halloween and I haven't even bought candy yet! Who knows if we'll get trick-or-treaters, so it'll have to be a kind we like to eat, just in case...

One of my favorite parts of Halloween (besides all of the spooky decorations) is seeing what costumes the kids are wearing when they come to the door. If sales of our yellow mittens were any indication I think that LEGO costumes will be popular this year! And of course, Frozen, too.

Anyway, I thought I'd share a couple of Halloween costume photos that were sent in by Marion's Mittens customers. Feel free to share your costumes featuring our mittens in the comments, or on Facebook.

This first photo is a family of traditional LEGO figures! The bodies and heads are absolutely great. The color of the mittens seems to be a good match. Way to go!

And here's Emmett the construction worker from the LEGO movie. I added the LEGO face for privacy.  ;)

Shop Marion's Mittens on Etsy.