I have mixed feelings about “advent” sets. First, I LOVE mini skeins, I LOVE mini skein sets, I LOVE fades, speckles, and surprises. I get pleasure in supporting small businesses, indie dyers who put their hearts and souls into these carefully curated bundles of squishy joy. But then comes the feelings about the not-so-inclusive word “advent” and the idea of an advent calendar leading up to a religious holiday. Followed by my feelings about consumerism and the privilege that comes with the cost of these sets.
It was the combination of all these feelings that birthed Second Chance Shawl. Have you ever finished a project with more yarn left over than you used to knit the project? I have! Don’t get me wrong, I love my past mini skein projects. They have all been worth the money, time knitting, and time weaving in those ends 😭 but the leftover yarn usually just sits there as I move on to the next project. Second Chance Shawl only requires scraps (the last section of CC is 6.2g/27yrds at the largest size shawl) and depending on the size you knit either 3 or 4 100g skeins of a main color. I knit the shlanket size using 25 minis from a past advent set from Asylum Fibers and 4 skeins of very economical Cascade Heritage – 2 skeins I already had in my stash! So for an extra $22 I was able to knit a massive shawl that provides warmth and style.
My second, smaller size was knit using 24 minis from a past advent from Autumn & Indigo Fibers and 3 skeins of Hookers Corner Yarn Squish Sock. I had also had a skein of the main color in my stash so for an extra $56 I knit a beautiful shawl. The best part is after I finished knitting my shawl I packaged my minis back up and sent them to a friend for her to knit her own version in reverse color order. That single advent set will have created THREE shawls!
The combined total cost of the two samples is less than any advent set I’ve seen. For those who order sets from their favorite dyer – mine this year is from Hookers Corner – First Chance Shawl allows you to knit the inverse of Second Chance Shawl, the main color serves as the eyelet rows and the daily minis serve as the garter rows.
Other suggestions, come from my test knitters. One tester used a 12 skein mini set (knitting each color twice) to knit a beautiful shawl. Another tester used one 100g skein for the eyelet sections and 3 100g skeins for her main color – and I must admit, this one may be my favorite!
The options are ENDLESS!
CharKnit 
These shawls are all ready great!
As a person who celebrates Christmas, I have always gotten slightly annoyed that “Advent” sets are 24 days and not coordinated with actual Advent lol! But i totally get what you mean, I have generally found them kind of unnecessary. I’ve done an “advent” mystery knit along a few years, and that for me has always felt like a slightly better way to do something yarny every day in December.
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