Lolember's Past and Future: Last Year and What’s To Come

Last year, was a December like no other with Lolember, my alter-ego Lola's first annual countdown calendar. It was a month filled with goodies, hilarity, surprises, and a bunch of knitting. 

AND HERE WE ARE: Signups are now open for year #2! 

I’m sure some of you are still like, “...what are we talking about here??” So I’ve compiled a little recap of last year along with some exciting new developments and some staples that are staying the same. Read on for all the info!

The first year of Lolember

Last year's LOLEMBER package was chock full of knitting goodies and surprises. We kicked things off with not just one, but two fabulous knitting patterns for download — a simpler version (Da Light) and a more complex one (Da Luxe). 

Some folks dove into their stash at home and others treated themselves to an Emma's Yarn 25-day Smallidays mini-skein set. (I just saw a sneak peek of 2023's gradient and it is FIRE!)

Each day, we opened a new package— stitch markers, end stoppers, knitting tools, locally made soap, treats, a whimsical thong cookie cutter, and dang-tasty recipes for rum balls and ginger snaps. 

The goodies from the first year

To top it all off, all 25 envelopes were wrapped up in a bespoke organic cotton dishcloth, hand-printed by an Ithaca artisan.

 

The contents of the first-year Lolember package

Things that will stay the SAME

1. Lots of LOLS: Get ready for lots o’ laughter throughout LOLember. From hilarious surprises to goofy online banter, there’ll be a new reason to crack up every day.
2. Price: Lolember is designed to be affordable and accessible for all knitting enthusiasts. I want to provide a fun and memorable experience for everyone - without breaking the bank.
3. General Structure: Each day brings a new surprise, building anticipation and keeping the excitement alive. From the opening of goodies to the shared experiences and discussions, it’s designed to create a cohesive and engaging experience.
4. Forums & Friends: One of the highlights of Lolember is the community that comes together to share their love for knitting and holiday cheer. We’ll be hanging out in my Facebook Group and on Ravelry. 
5. Opening Day Zoom Reveal: Connect with Lola and fellow Lol-members in a real-time launch of Lolember. 
6. Patterns: This year's Lolember will deliver an exclusive pattern specifically designed for a mini-skein advent calendar. The pattern will be available for download on December 1st!
7. Emma’s Yarn Smallidays Set: I’m psyched to be designing with Emma's Yarn again this year. I got a sneak peek of Emma’s 2023 palette and Lola and I are in love.  The set is available in both DK and Fingering weights, so you can choose the yarn weight that suits your knitting preferences. I have a limited number of yarn sets available, and those must be purchased by July 31st. You can certainly go stash diving or use another advent yarn set… it was a blast to see what people did last year!
8. Shipping by mid-November: All packages will be shipped by mid-November, giving you ample time to prepare and open your goodies starting on December 1st. You WILL have your Lolember package in hand before the festivities begin. 

Things that will CHANGE

1. 21 Days: This year, Lolember will be a 21-day countdown calendar, instead of 25 days. Lola has a plan and I needed to give her the space to SHINE! 
2. Cohesion: I’m making this experience even more cohesive and immersive this time around. There will be multi-day “themes”. For example, last year, Day 6 had a handmade bar of soap (with an alpaca end stopper inside), followed by a skein of cotton yarn, and finally, the Da Tong dishcloth pattern. This year, we're taking that concept to a whole new level!
3. Something beaded: There will be a fun beaded project designed to be a perfect gift (or to keep for yourself). While I won't spoil the surprise by revealing exactly what it is, I can assure you that it will be an instant classic.

Da Tong

What will be in the box this year?

1. This year's countdown calendar DESIGN: I'm designing with an Emma's Yarn Smalliday Set again, and there will be one EPIC design with it.  Purchasing a Smalliday Set from me is optional, you can also go stash diving... but know that Smalliday Sets are only available through pre-order, you won't be able to change your mind and get one later. The deadline for ordering them is July 31st!
   
2. VIDEO TUTORIAL: This year's Lolember design(s) will include one of my long form pattern tutorials... prepare to learn and have your needles be highly amused!
3. WRAPPING: I loved the sustainability of last year's wrapping... no one needs to spend money on a fancy box they are never going to use again. So get ready for a functional wrap for your goodies!
4. ZOOM PARTIES: Lol-members will have a unboxing/reveal party on Nov 30th where I'll show you what we are knitting together during Lolember! Then we'll have a wrap-up Zoom on the 21st to celebrate the darkest day of the year with our knitting.
   
5. 21 GOODIES: Some of these will be notions needed for the EPIC design, some will be for your knitting in general, one or two will be smaller bite sized patterns, beads, findings, a recipe, let's just say I've had a WHOLE year to plan...
   

The thong joke is so 2022! I’m thinking….beaded pasties, cause who doesn’t need a pair of those? Or maybe a nutritional pair of edible undies, something sensible like that.

Thong cookies made with last year's cookie cutter!

What do you want to see in the Lolember countdown??? Lola is open to ideas! Comment below! 

And signup here!