I’ve been knitting A LOT recently, having completed three hats (me, Nairn, Erica) and a cardigan for Greer since January. I’ve got two secret projects on the go right now too. I’m really enjoying it again! I’ve been experimenting with knitting in the continental style but I’m still struggling with consistent tension and with keeping the working yarn where I want it. Not that I’m particularly worried about this right enough, as I keep telling my pupils in my knitting class: I never learned to ride a bike the first time I sat on it!

I think that’s one major plus point with having the shop too – I have so much opportunity to observe and subsequently learn from knitters who are far more skilled than I am. Every Monday we have a social knitting meetup at the shop and it’s great to watch what other people are creating. My friend Jenny R has got me “picking” rather than “throwing” and has corrected my inside out circular knitting. My friend Purple Jen has got me casting on using the continental longtail method (which you can learn here) which has meant that instead of taking a half hour to cast on 60 stitches it takes me two seconds and has become the cast on that I teach, too.

I’ve always been quite comfortable with new techniques in knitting, mostly because the patterns I use are pleasingly explanative so when I decided to make the short row sideways hat (about halfway down the page) I thought I’d jazz it up a little by using a provisional cast on and then grafting the cast on and cast off edges together. I’m pleased to say that it’s the best grafting I’ve ever done despite it being my first attempt grafting garter stitch! Topped with a pompon the size of a cricket ball, Erica has absolutely fallen in love with it and I think it suits her crazy personality perfectly!

Ravelry project page: here
Yarn: Colinette Skye in colourway ‘Jamboree’
Needles: Brittany Birch 5mm

Posted under knitting

I seem to have found my knitting mojo again, having completed more projects in December than I think I have done all year. It’s become almost a challenge to see what I can do and I have to admit I’ve enjoyed it, albeit at the expense of my housework. Let’s face it though, the housework will still be there next week!

I recently bought a load of new stock for the shop and amongst it was some Rowan Big Wool, a super-chunky weight 100% pure wool in a dull grey colour. Lovely wool, but not particularly inspirational colours so I dug out my trusty kool-aid to dye it. Problem was, 100g of super-chunky wool is a fair quantity and I couldn’t get good colour saturation with the kool-aid so for the first time I used Wilton’s food colouring. And it’s GREAT!

I now had six balls of brightly coloured wool to play with and next on my list was to find a project. I wanted something useful but not clothing. I wanted something interesting but simplistic. I wanted something fun but not attention intensive. I picked a log cabin blanket, a concept rather than a pattern which I’d been introduced to whilst reading the delightful Mason Dixon Knitting blog. Bright, bold, delightfully patterned without being a timesink. Perfect!

By the time I finished this, I was really finding it difficult to imagine parting with it. Unusual for me, I never ever knit anything for myself but I had such an urge to keep this blanket for Greer because I just adore it. But good Auntie Vonnie wrapped it up for baby Blake.

Alas, being in Scotland in December has meant good photographs of the whole blanket have been impossible so I’m sating you with tiny ickle 10 day old baby photos instead. What do you think?

Posted under dyeing wool, knitting

My Nana taught me how to knit when I was about the same age as Nairn is now, after years of me playing with her scrap ends and making textile sculptures which she – or my Grampa – would invariably have to clean up. Many a garter stitch scarf was cast on for me to practice with over the years before I was introduced to Jean Greenhowe’s toy patterns. I’ve knitted a lot since then, certainly moreso since having the children but it has been a habit which has centred me, relaxed me, and instilled in me the habits so familiar to me from sitting at my Nana’s knee.

I wanted this post to be about the gorgeous sweater I’ve just finished for Greer, but I have to preface it with the devastating news that my gorgeous, funny, delightfully acerbic and inspirational Nana passed away peacefully in her sleep earlier this week. Without her, I would be a completely different personality and the shop would never have come into existence. I am not sure that I can find the words to do her justice but suffice to say that she was a magnificent woman who overcame many adversities to raise a happy, healthy family and live a good life. I am going to miss her so very much.

What I can do is to continue to exercise the skills she taught me and to pass them on to my own children, so in every stitch I knit I know that she will still be with me.

I finally finished this sweater using the Owlet pattern by Kate Davies (Ravelry pattern link here), knitting with Rowan Pure Aran in Cedar. My Ravelry page for it is here.

I have to say that although I like the way this sweater looks, I’m really not keen on the fit. This is a clingy, tight sweater and even though I lengthened the arms and body significantly I don’t feel that the style is one that suits Greer. I prefer sweaters to be quite loose and baggy so I think when I knit this for Erica, I’ll go up 2-3 sizes and simply shorten the arms & body. That said, Greer loves this sweater and I barely had it off the needles before she demanded it on and promptly fell asleep in it. A great compliment, I think. If and when I get it back off her, I may apply the buttons as eyes but I think I like it as it is. What do you think?

Posted under family, knitting

The lovely folk over at Quadrille publishing got in touch with me recently, offering to send me Erika Knight’s latest knitting book called ‘Simple Knitting‘ and asked me if I’d review it here. I’ve had this book for weeks now, desperate to do it justice so here we go.

Firstly I should own up and say that I was aware of Erika Knight as a knitting author already as my friend Midwife Katie had used one of her patterns from ‘Simple Knits for Cherished Babies‘ to knit a sweater for Nairn. I’ve been a knitter for a long time and as someone who spends a lot of time on the internet, I’m used to the easy availability of free patterns but I still ordered that book based on the one sweater I’d seen designed by this author.

Erika Knight’s style is very distinctive – it’s perhaps obvious to state that she goes for simple designs – so it wasn’t a surprise to me at all to discover that she has consulted with high street brands with instantly recognisable clothing ranges like Gap and M&S. This new book builds on her ‘simple’ look with 20 projects that really appeal to a broad spectrum of abilities and tastes all set out in a workshop fashion.

It’s slightly difficult for me to review this book as it is very much aimed at complete novices but suffice to say if I was learning to knit right now, this is the book I’d pick to teach myself. Beautifully photographed and illustrated instructions combined with Knight’s clean and simple style make this book easy-to-follow. Particularly appealing for me is that the author does not assume that her learners will be ‘afraid’ of their new hobby so alongside the usual explanations of different yarn types and weights there is also indepth instruction in understanding pattern construction, knitting in the round and reading charts – three elements of knitting that I didn’t understand until fairly recently and I’ve been knitting for over 20 years now.

Better yet, despite this book’s clear focus on instructing newbies each workshop ends with a completed project that is actually both desirable and useful whilst the learner has unwittingly developed new skills and techniques. The very first project provides the new knitter with a fashionable muffler and the others are just as creative – my personal favourite being the notebooks made as project #4 – between socks, a hot water bottle cover and a sweater I was truly spoiled for what to choose to work on first. I strongly suspect this is going to be the book I buy for any of my friends who express an interest in knitting from now on and I highly recommend it!

Simple Knitting by Erika Knight – RRP £16.99 – is published by Quadrille publishing

Posted under reviews

I look back on some of my earliest entries in this blog and cringe to death at my first projects. My writing was abysmal, my crafting even worse and I was proud of this stuff?! You lot should have given me a slap

As I look over my progress – especially last year when I completed the ’50 things in 2009′ challenge – it’s empowering to have visual proof that I’m getting moderately better at the crafts I choose to turn my hand to, which is why I am so proud of this bookmark. Almost as proud as I was with Erica’s sweater, but in a different way. This is the first project I’ve completed following a knitting chart and blocking my work and I’m astonished at the difference this simple process makes. Any of you wondering what ‘blocking’ constitutes should run to Eunny Jang’s guide to blocking, it’s a fab step-by-step guide with lots of idiotproof pictures to guide you.

I wish I’d taken a before photograph of this sad, crumpled lump of knots because watching it become a thing of beauty as the lace opened up was just beyond words. It was like watching a flower bloom.

This is a nice little pattern (free, and available here) which I knocked out in a couple of hours in front of the TV. I did have a bit of confusion at the end of the project due to the chart – I’m not sure if I was reading the chart incorrectly as I thought knitting charts were read right-to-left – but I managed to skirt round it and still come out with a lovely finish. Isn’t it gorgeous?

Needless to say, this little bookmark has given me a boost of confidence in my own abilities especially since the last time I attempted a bookmark I failed dismally. I am truly awestruck at the transformation post-blocking and I feel somewhat embarrassed that I have never blocked before. I’m a convert!

Posted under knitting, Uncategorized

There is nothing worse for me than the last dregs of a project. The sewing in ends when knitting, the trimming and hiding of loose threads in sewing. The TIDYING UP part of any crafting – by the time I get to that stage, I’m just over it. I have very few semi-completed projects because I really hate having things left unfinished and I also have a mad drive once I’ve started something – I must get this finished ASAP!

This is why I’m quite surprised at my latest endeavour. You may have noticed that I’m on a bit of a knitting bent right now and after finishing up a bookmark earlier in the week I decided to try something a little more experimental.

That there is yarn made from plastic bags (also known by the hideously cutesy term “plarn”), a process which I promise to document with a tutorial this week sometime. I don’t know what it’s going to be yet but I’m rather enjoying the novelty of doing something a bit wacky and out there. The orange at the bottom is Sainsbury’s carrier bags and the green at the top is the wrapper from a pack of pampers. To be honest the pampers pack didn’t work so well, it’s very thick and not stretchy so it was difficult to manipulate and has become a far heavier fabric than the orange bags, but this is a learning curve and this knowledge in itself is handy to know.

So tell me – have you crafted with any supplies that are not exactly the norm? And do you enjoy the process of crafting more or the end result?

A reminder too that the sign-ups for the Little and Large swap are still open – it would be great to have some more participants!

Posted under knitting

A few weeks ago Erica asked me to knit her a sweater and I decided that I might as well go for it. In the interests of full disclosure at this juncture I should point out that I haven’t really knit anything large, ever. You can see my completed projects over the last four years here. I do hats and gloves and toys. I don’t do sweaters. But when Erica asked I couldn’t say no, so I started on the lacy sweater pattern from Adorable Knits for Tiny Tots by Zoe Mellor using some Sirdar luxury soft cotton DK that I’ve had in my stash for years.

Overall, this was a pretty simple knit and I’m really very happy with how it turned out. My sole gripe is that the neck is a bit wider than I’d have preferred but this is actually the 3-4y size and is really just a nice size for Erica to grow into.

It seems to suit her personality perfectly. I’m very pleased with how well the colour has worked because to be frank, I’m sick to the back teeth of pink right now and green isn’t a colour I’d have normally picked for her. She seems to like it anyway and every crafter knows that the sign of a good project is whether you get a chance to wash it before it’s stolen away to be used!

I don’t think I’m getting it back in a hurry

Posted under knitting

I can’t do it, and it’s a rare thing indeed for me to admit that I can’t do something. But I can’t do crochet! It just does not make sense to me.

Over on Ravelry, I noticed one of my friends had knit this bookmark and I decided that after two weeks of solid stocking stitch with DK cotton I’d try something a little more delicate. I managed four rows before I was foiled by crochet instructions.

Ah well. I’ll show you the aforementioned two weeks worth of work as soon as I get good photos – I’m remarkably proud of it

Posted under knitting

Wee Willie Winkie runs through the town,
Upstairs and downstairs in his nightgown,
Tapping at the window and crying through the lock,
Are all the children in their beds? It’s past eight o’clock!

I have knitted three of these hats now and I still think they are cute as a button. Or maybe it’s the little model that makes it cute? No matter, after seeing Greer modelling the orange version of this hat I decided to throw together one for her.

This pattern is called the Candy Cane Hat (Ravelry link here) and calls for red and white stripes but since I’m still working on my Craft Neutral year I decided to use the lovely green cotton I had to hand and I’m glad I did. Green isn’t usually a colour I’d think to put on the children but it really suits Greer. See?

And we had four comments at our swimming class this morning, all positive and expressing adoration for my lovely baby in her supercute hat. Let me tell you something, see us Mummys? We don’t ever hear enough praise for our gorgeous spawn so keep it coming!

What do you think?

Posted under knitting

I know that it’s a mother’s job to see her own children as the most gorgeous children in the world. But seriously, I could just look at this face all day.

Look at those cheeks! And those eyes! Isn’t she just gorgeous? Can you guys believe it’s been nine and a half months since she arrived? It feels like yesterday.

Anyway, I’m not cruel enough to put an orange hat on a ginger child – she’s simply modelling for me! I made this hat for my wonderful friend Jenn who had a lovely little girl in January. Jenn’s elder daughter is Nairn’s Canadian birth twin – they were born on the same day 3000 miles apart – and both celebrate their 4th birthday tomorrow. Isn’t that sweet?

This hat is made from the candy cane pattern in Itty-Bitty Hats by Susan B. Anderson and knitted in a lovely Debbie Bliss DK cotton in a beautiful bright orange. Isn’t it cute? Greer certainly seems to think so.

Does this photo remind you of anyone..?

I defy anyone to say my girls don’t look alike

Posted under knitting