Friday 20 September 2013

Snowman



Awwwh! I just wanted to show you this little cutie. Yeah, I know it's early, but I needed a quick softie to knit and the first stash yarn I grabbed was white so, I had to knit him!

I knit him last week whilst watching Raw and his scarf & hat whilst watching Iron Man 3, so he didn't take long at all.

I used the Angus the Attic Monster pattern for the body and made the rest up myself. The hat and scarf is knit out of GnomeAcres Superfine SW Merino, Silk and Stellina DK Sparkle in the Mistletoe colourway from last years Christmas collection. I'm quite excited to see if there'll be more this year.

All knit on 3mm needles.

And now he's just being cute, sat on top of a clock, waiting, waiting for those Cola Lorries to appear!

Friday 13 September 2013

Happy September!

An August Review

It's been a pretty decent knitting month for me, the stupidly hot weather has died down and a designing bug has bitten me, not to mention a sewing one [that's sewing, not grafting!].

I've mostly been knitting on socks, finishing up 2nd socks so that single ones don't go friendless.

Designing

This month I've designed / knit up from my head a few things. I am thinking of writing up the patterns and having a little e-book or something like a pattern collection.

Happy Hoppy
When a pregnancy was announced I came up with a little character who could be in some cute little stories that could be told to future-child. When out in town I came across some gorgeous self striping baby yarn that was sweetly gender neutral and set about creating a secure baby toy with no small pieces and very little sewing.
I think I'll be writing up a pattern for this one definitely.  I am completely in love with it, my husband even did a quick drawing of it, which has inspired me!

She Sells Sea Shells
A sweet top down sock pattern which is so much fun to knit. I love the little garter sections, which aren't tedious at all, and they frame the main stitch pattern is simple yet effective.

A Basket Full
I've wanted to knit a toe up sock for a while now, but I actually rather enjoy grafting the toes on my socks, so I worked out a way that I could do both. It also gave me a better sense of how much yarn I can use in my socks to make them longer. It knits up to a pretty dense and toasty sock. It's a great pattern for self striping yarns too.

Snug
A great little cowl to make the most of that random ball of chunky yarn in your stash. So simple you can knit it with your eyes closed (trust me, I did).

Wonderhat
An interesting knit, steady repeating diamond pattern and a reverse stocking stitch crown makes a comfy, slouchy hat.

A Shawl a Day
The easiest, most simple triangle shawl to use up a random ball of gradient aran weight.

Monday 29 July 2013

The Sock Yarn Sweaters

Last year, whilst branching out into more luxury yarns, I bought two skeins of Araucania Lonco Multy with absolutely no idea what I was going to knit with them. They were reduced to clear and I couldn't resist myself. 
I hand wound one skein as it was knotty, which cause a few expletives to come out of my mouth. As I couldn't face the other skein, I cast on for a shawl with it, but ended up frogging it as I didn't like how it pooled.

I came across the Kaleidoscope pattern and knew it would be perfect, but it needed an accent, which had me frog a sock from the this-will-never-get-finished pile so I could use my  Knitting Goddess 4ply merino/nylon sock.

I extended the ribbing, omitted the waist shaping, worked my first garment with a provisional cast on for the sleeves! Hell, I even worked magic loop on the sleeves for the first time, go me!

I just love it. I love the colours, the shape, even the buttons (bamboo and not sewn on when I took the photos).

I loved knitting it so much that I decided I needed a tunic from the same pattern. I grabbed a ball of King Cole Zigzag from my stash in what I thought was a variegated colourway. Nope. Just a very thin self-stripe, but given that it would be on a project larger than socks I let it do it's thing. I had to buy a 2nd ball of it, but more on that later.
 
I cast on 10 stitches more than what I required using a provisional cast on, as I didn't know how I wanted the bottom to look. I knit for a while, gently decreased to the number of stitches that I required and knit for a while longer.
I worked out where the cast on would have been on what I'd knitted and placed a stitch marker so I could follow the pattern for the waist shaping.
I joined in the provisional cast ons for the sleeves, then I worked out the neckline I wanted. So some stitches went on a holder and I started the back and forth with the decreases for the shoulder shapings. I carried on decreases more than the pattern says so that it'd stay on my shoulders.
I grabbed my leftover yarn from my colour affection to knit the contrasting ribbing. I love the green against the pinks and yellow.
I had to join in the 2nd ball at the neckline, only I had checked before hand which way the pattern went, it started reversing, but given that that section was worked flat I didn't think that it would matter too much.


In other news, I knit and designed a shawl using a Crazy Zauberball, I call it "Monster Hugs" on my rav page, but now I've knitted it it's certainly more "Mike Goes To University" as in Monsters University. I also knit 4 hats and a pair of gloves last week, but they're Christmas presents and can't be shown.

And now I've been rummaging through my project box and have chosen a sweater and a pair of gloves to get finished, so [hopefully] they'll be shown soon.

Ciao.

Sunday 14 July 2013

Hot hot hot

Hello peoples!

I don't know about you but I can't seem to finish anything lately, I just keep casting on! I think it must have something to do with this glorious weather we're having. I'm talking uncharacteristically hot.

Yesterday was the hottest day of the year, and oh boy I felt it. A walk that usually takes us 10 minutes from Ikea to home had us take a 10 minute pit-stop in the shade. So it's no real surprise that knitting hasn't been a top priority, although I have tried!.

I have 1.5 sleeves left to knit on a sock yarn cardigan, ribbing and cap sleeves on a sock yarn top. I had started the ribbing on a sweater that is the majority ribbing, but that's in DK and far too hot to work on right now. Socks are without partners, which I really ought to get off the needles so I can play with my Japanese stitch pattern book.

But my lovely husband hit me right in my weak spot, he bought me a Zauberball, not only that but a blue & green Crazy Zauberball that reminds me of Mike & Sulley from Monster's Inc and Monsters University (which we're going to see in an hour [yay]).

And, well, I've cast on a shawl with it, a little lace with garter and stockinette, so far I like it!

So, enjoy the uncharacteristically hot weather if you're in the United Kingdom, and I've heard of heat waves in other places! Remember to keep hydrated.

Until next time! xo

Monday 24 June 2013

Weasley Blanket & Wedding Blanket

I am one of those insane people who think casting on for a blanket is a good idea. I keep thinking that it'll decrease my stash, and yet I don't think I've completely used up a ball of yarn in one of these projects. In fact I think I may have added to my yarn stash because of these. Add to the fact that I've learned to do granny squares in crochet *insert a victory dance here* and that I still haven't finished my bee keeper's quilt, well I may be drowning in blankets.

And yet I have finished two of these stash busting projects!

The Weasley Blanket

It will come as a surprise to no-one but I am a huge Harry Potter fan. I went on the studio tour with my husband as part of our honeymoon week.
So for me to have something Potter without outwardly screaming; "HARRYPOTTERHARRYPOTTER"  is a good thing. And it's a replica.



It's the Ron Weasley Blanket by Penguineer and here is my version.

I have loved knitting this, each square has been lovingly researched and you can knit it up with stash! I loved that aspect so stash was used.

I used 5mm needles and DK yarn. I even managed a neat single crochet border.

It's great to be curled up underneath it with my husband.

And talking of husbands! [What a great transition].

Wedding Blanket

My friend recently got married!



So since they announced their engagement I've been knitting log cabin squares to make into a colourful blanket. Pretty, huh? I almost didn't want to part with it.

You can see it's project page as there's no pattern for it.

It's been knit out of various DK yarns on 4.5mm needles.

Wednesday 15 May 2013

My Peggy Sue

I've knit a few sweaters/cardigans now, my husband [yeah, we got married last month] has 4 now, my nephew has one, my mom has one and I've knit myself one in the past. They've all been bottom-up. Well, I've recently cast off my first top-down cardigan!

Woohoo!

P-A-R-T-Y? Because I gotta!

I chose to knit the Peggy Sue, with my own modifications of course. Here's My Peggy Sue (links to my project page).
It's a free pattern on Ravelry, a delightful little 1950's style cropped sweater, very feminine, very flattering. The neckline follows your collar bone whilst the cabled ribbing accentuates your waist.
And you'll notice that mine has no such effect, well except the neckline, I like that neckline. There's also the stripes, I haven't seen anyone else do stripes yet.

I did omit the shaping in the body as I was extending it.

I based the stripe pattern on one of my favourite cardigans, which is blue/brown/yellow, and I really wanted a green one.


So, below are my modifications.

Let's start with the yarns. I have 5 colourways in my cardigan. All being from the Stylecraft DK ranges.

Colour 1 - Fern (Collar, button band & stripe) (100g ball)
Colour 2 - Daffodil (Stripe) (100g ball)
Colour 3 - Zingy (Ribbing & stripe) (Will need 2x 100g balls)
Colour 4 - Charcoal (100g ball)
Colour 5 - Pebble (100g ball)

Cast on with Fern and work the collar and raglan set up row.
Change to Daffodil for 14 rows.
Change to Zingy for 18 rows.
Change to Charcoal for 18 rows.
Change to Fern for 18 rows.
Change to Zingy for 18 rows.
Change to Pebble for 18 rows.
Change to Daffodil for 18 rows.
Change to Zingy for 30 rows of 2x2 ribbing.
Cast off and rejoin for sleeves, and keep the stripe pattern (above) the same as the body.

When you rejoin for the sleeves, pick up 5 stitches on the under-arm and decrease them down the next few rounds. I chose the slp1, k2tog, psso method.

The sleeves are bracelet length on me, though still a little baggy. I decreased 6 stitches in the Pebble section as it's where my forearm starts to get narrow.

There are 8 buttons which are 15mm wide and spaced evenly along the button band which is followed by the pattern only with more stitches picked up and a little maths which meant the button holes were being worked after every 19 stitches.



I hope these notes are helpful, or just of interest to you.

Wednesday 24 April 2013

Knitting and Crochet Blog Week 2013 - Day Three: Infographic


Ah, I do like to start projects, I don't tend to finish them very quickly though. I'm terrible with blankets though, usually with the thought of "Oh, this'll decrease my stash!" but you know what? It never bloody does!

Log Cabin Blanket (not yet on Ravelry)
Sock Yarn Blanket (not yet on Ravelry)

Tuesday 23 April 2013

Knitting and Crochet Blog Week 2013- Day Two: A Mascot Project

I quite like that I'm a bee. I love bees. I love the internet meme's about bees, well I say "about" I think I mean more along the lines of "mention". Be it Batman saying "Bees. My God." in Amazons Attack or Nic Cage screaming "Not the bees!". I love it.




Now knitting? Well obviously there's the Bee Keeper's Quilt, which I've been working on for over a year. All those delicious little hexipuffs that go together like honeycomb.

In my quilt, I've been adding things I love in bit by bit. There's a hexipuff in there with the Deathly Hallows symbol on it. There's two hexipuffs with butterflies on it, to look like Fluttershy's cutie mark.
There's even an owl in there! I love owls.


Monday 22 April 2013

Knitting and Crochet Blog Week 2013- Day One: The House Cup



After reading through the choices on Eskimimimakes (and donning my Gryffindor hat) I think it's fair to say I'm at home in House Bee.

There's always a new pattern I want to cast on, or a yarn I want to use, a look through my project bags and my Ravelry page can tell you that.

Hey, I haven't finished my Bee keeper's quilt yet, but I do a few hexipuffs here and there, it'll get done soon enough. I have a few scrap blankets on the go, one for sock yarn and two (or three) dk ones. A couple of lonely socks without partners, hanging out together. A teddy bear, a couple of shawls. They'll get finished when they get finished.

To be honest, life can be crappy, so if I feel like casting on something new I'm going to cast on something new.

I'm a bee.

Monday 25 March 2013

Hey, it's okay;

You know, being a perfectionist could drive a person crazy. So I've decided to let things happen as they will with my knitting, loosen my gauge.

Hey, it's okay;

  • If my stripes don't match when knitting that second sock.
  • To cast on new projects without finishing old ones.
  • To buy another skein/ball of yarn without a project in mind.
  • To not follow a pattern to the letter.
  • To substitute yarns.
  • If knitting with lace weight mohair isn't your thing, even if it did cost more than that aran jumper did.

There's a few of mine for you, I'd love to know yours.

Wednesday 13 February 2013

Inspiration Shall Strike

Forgive me for being such an absentee blogger, my karma for this? Well I'm feeling a little rusty on the writing front. So before I jump back into frequent blogging, I thought I'd do a post on something other than knitting. "Something other than knitting?" I hear you cry, yes, dear reader, I'm afraid so!

Knitting is all well and good, but what is the point of creating if you aren't inspired? Given that inspiration can strike at any moment, where do I begin? I figure with my reading material as of late and then proceed to films I've seen lately, though in some cases these may intermingle.



Given the film's release this winter, I chose to reread The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien. The thrill of going back to the Middle Earth of my imagination was wonderful! I can see Bilbo's perfectly round green door, his homely hobbit hole, the landscapes and the caves, for me it was like going home. Then I went on an adventure of my own; to the cinema to see The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, though my journey there wasn't unexpected, I've been anticipating it for years now. That first glimpse of Hobbiton, along with the score, actually brought tears to my eyes!
After seeing this again I chose to cast on my Hitchhiker in the green and yellow of Bilbo's front door.


Another book I've recently finished reading is Jam by Yahtzee Croshaw, an internet reviewer of video games and rather hilarious. It's about a Jampocalypse, really, strawberry-scented-man-eating-jam. I urge you to read it. It's rather refreshing, in a sticky-jammy way, given the recent rise of zombies in the media to have an apocalypse so sweet!


The weekend just passed I took Craig to see Wreck it Ralph at the cinema as an early Valentine's gift [it's only just opened in cinemas here in the UK]. My love of video games comes from character, story, history and art, and I am nowhere near the gamer my other half is, but that isn't to say I didn't grow up with Lara Croft, Pokemon and Sonic the Hedgehog. So this film was a real treat for the both of us, getting the in jokes, noticing characters in the background, being amazed at everything/everywhere in general, of course it had it's Disneyisms but that was easy to put aside. It really reminded me of what I was knitting when I started; pokemon characters and using 8-bit sprites as colour work charts. I miss doing that. One of my New Years goals is to knit what I feel, and I feel nostalgic.


It's no surprise that I'm inspired by Deadpool, I get so excited waiting for each new issue, I even knit a doll of him recently. I adore the merc. with a mouth, he's my favourite in the Marvel roster.


 Yesterday I watched Midnight in Paris. My stars! This film is magical! Given that I adore the 1920's anyway, it made me want to visit Paris more now than ever. I loved seeing all the notable figures of that era, and the clothes and the music. That's the magic of film, you can bring anything to life. I am on a Tom Hiddleston kick as of late, but he's such a fantastic actor! He's so eloquent and has a voice meant to listen to. He acts with such a passion that I find myself so inspired by his performance. Doesn't hurt that he plays Loki, either.


So, this is my inspiration lately.

Until next time. xo

Thursday 7 February 2013

Festive knitting, sadness and kindness

Note: I wrote this a while ago but never posted it for some unknown reason, though I thought I'd post it non the less to get it out into the world.

I have to begin this post, like so many others have, with a tribute to KnitPurlGurl. Karrie was a lovely lady and a pretty prominent figure in the online knitting community. Although I didn't know her as well as others did, I did enjoy our tweet exchanges. She had such a sunny personality that made watching her podcasts so enjoyable, so kind too, starting the RAP movement (Random Acts of Pattern) which has been continuing in her memory and it is wonderful to behold.

I received my first RAP last week from LittleRiaHen which was the Hitch-hiker, which got cast on as soon as I got it. It's brilliant, thank you again!
I've knit up my first skein but at the moment I'm too lazy focused on finishing other WIPs before the new year to wind up the 2nd skein. It's a really enjoyable knit too.

Hitch-hiker wip

This may actually be a picture heavy post, woohoo! Okay, titular subject, Festive knitting. The two sweaters I was knitting as gifts have been completed! I am very happy with how they look, I love them!

Craig's sweater is knit out of Hayfield Bonus Aran and is a size Large. Accomplishment achieved, he said he wouldn't wear cables until he was 30 (ha!) but now he buys them of his own accord. He looks very handsome in cables, I can't wait for him to wear this sweater.






Brandon's sweater is knit out of Stylecraft Life DK and is a size Small. I hope he likes this when he gets it, I mean teenagers are choosy, right? I know I was. He chose the orange shade when he saw it in my stash, but it had to be softened with the brown else he'd look like an Oompa Loompa [doobidy doo].


I've knit myself some more socks! These are also my first after thought heel socks, fit great so I'm proud. They're knit out of Regia World Color in Italy, though I bought it because it looks Christmassy. I don't think I'll ever be bothered by mismatched socks, I'd rather let the yarn do it's thing. 'Happy accidents' I used to call things like this at art college.





There are a few other things I've finished, but these are my favourites. So I'll leave you with Gort, the biggest monster I've knit so far. He's knit out of Robin Paintbox DK on 4mm double pointed needles.