KnittingPony

A very productive week - 2 hats!

2012-02-05T17:00:00.000Z

There's nothing like knitting a hat to make you feel productive. These two followed me everywhere this week. I cast on Rose Red, by Ysolda Teague, on Sunday last weekend and finished it this Saturday.
Ravelry link to the pattern: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/rose-red

My only question is which colour to knit next. The yarn (Orkney Angora St Magnus DK) is gorgeous, warm and lightweight, making it perfect for most of the year in the UK. I think I'd like one in bright red, cream or silver next.

I was a bit lazy and didn't swatch properly or block the swatch because I wanted to start immediately. Lazy and impatient. Thankfully the medium turned out to be the perfect fit!

I really enjoyed knitting this hat. I love the design and it was fun to see it emerge, with a series of beautiful cables in place of the usual ribbed band. I adore the combination of the rose petals and twisting cables. I feel this hat will look great with a heavy winter coat or a lightweight spring jacket. Hence wanting more!

While I was knitting away, though, the weather turned colder and I had a sudden urge for a heavier non-beret shaped hat. So I found a wonderful free pattern called Hineri by Olga Buraya-Kefelian: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hineri-hat

I had some Rowan Coccon hanging around waiting to be used for the perfect project, and so I cast on! This is the modified version of the hat, details are on my Ravelry project page. I went up to a 7mm needle size (from a 5.5mm) as the cables make the hat quite tight - cable 12 is quite a lot of stitches to cable :)

It's nice and slouchy and very warm. And only took 2 days to knit. Perfect when you just want to knit and watch tv without having to pay too much attention to a complex pattern. I like that it's not too girly but is not too simple. Very very lovely hat .

Startitis didn't stop at two hats this week as I cast on a Snapdragon mitten too! Another Ysolda Teague pattern:

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/snapdragon-flip-tops

I'm using Dream in Color Classy yarn in Gold Experience. It's sooo squishy.

2012: Year of the Shawl?

2012-01-22T17:38:00.000Z

I finished my second Ginkgo shawl this weekend. I bloomin' love knitting that pattern. It's interesting and simple, and you can see where you are with the lace. Perfect for TV knitting. Mainly in the evenings while I watch Dog the Bounty Hunter. Can't stop watching that programme!

This time I made the larger version, and out of DK weight Rowan Baby Alpaca. It is rather large...
Link: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ginkgo-shoulderette-shawl

It turned out to be the perfect size when worn as a scarf. It has fantastic drape and is super-warm. Phew!

Very pleased with how it turned out. And no mistakes. Which is largely due to the pattern - so clear to see what you are doing.

On to the next shawl of 2012 (my knitting Year of the Shawl!). Damson, by Ysolda Teague. It's from the gorgeous Whimsical Little Knits - 2 book, which I received for Christmas. There are so many patterns I need to make from that book.

I am knitting this Damson in Juno Alice Sock, a mixture of baby alpaca, silk and cashmere. It's gorgeous. And all the colours the yarn comes in are so wonderful.

The next shawl will probably be Annis (from Knitty.com). And then I shall see. I'm not planning a shawl a month as that would be madness* (*amazing).

Knitted Christmas Round Up

2012-01-10T21:13:00.003Z

I am *almost* free of Christmas knits. Well, there is just one owl to make for a friend's baby, due in February, but I'm mentally associating the project with Christmas knits as it follows on straight after.

Soon, I shall be free to knit whatever I like. With NO deadlines. I think I'll take a year off knitting gifts this year.

I thought I'd share some of the things I made this year as gifts. I didn't get a chance to photograph a few of them due to being busy at weekends and forgetting, which is a bit annoying. Ah well!

House Socks from Rowan's Winter Warmers book. Made with Rowan Alpaca
Chunky yarn. Super-soft!

Father Christmas for my Nan. Made from Rowan Kid Classic.
My own design.

Wrist Warmers (free pattern on this blog!) for mum.

Felted Rowan Big Wool decoration I made a few years ago,
still going strong.

These slippers were supposed to be kittehs but are referred to as Critter Slippers because they are kind of dog/cat/mouse/skunkette creatures... I knitted them for my sister who makes raspy vampire/cat hiss noises if she comes into physical contact with any type of animal yarn. These slippers went a tiny bit wrong. One critter has a longer, pointier snout than the other but thankfully you can't tell once they are on. They are made from Sirdar Big Softie, and are from the DROPS Design pattern 111-29 Knitted Slippers in Eskimo.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/111-29-knitted-slippers-in-eskimo

Oh, what's this? A shawl! for me! I cast on on Christmas Day and am 1/3 through the lace portion now. I have made a Ginkgo Shoulderette by Maggie Magali before. It's a genius pattern. You can see what you are doing as there are stalks to the leaves which guide you. It's taught me what I like about knitting lace - visible markers in the pattern to reduce the risk of going wrong! Here is a link to the pattern:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ginkgo-shoulderette-shawl

Ginkgo Shawl

If I knit another Holiday Mouse, it'll be too soon! I made LOTS of these as gifts. They were fun!

Holiday Mouse (made by me, pattern by Fuzzymitten.com)

Hope you all had a good knitterly Christmas!

Cabled Wrist Warmers (Free Knitting Pattern)

2011-12-18T12:33:00.006Z

Pattern is for medium size - 21cm circumference X 26cm length.
This is the size after blocking. As knitted wrist warmers will stretch with wear, I have knitted these to be very snug before blocking; after blocking they fit perfectly.

Gauge after blocking: 10 stitches and 13 rows = 4cm x 4cm
Yarn used: Rowan Cashsoft DK in Tape (colour 515)

Materials:

4mm circular knitting needle
Cable knitting needle
DK yarn (stretchier yarn with a good twist is best)
Scissors
Yarn needle for sewing in ends
Some cardboard e.g. from a cereal packet to cut to size for blocking the wrist warmers (cut to 10cm x length required, with rounded edges). Ensure ribbing is not blocked on the cardboard but left to block naturally.

Skills required:

Knitting in the round on a set of 5 double pointed needles or magic loop knitting on a circular knitting needle
Beginner level cabling

Both these skills are suitable for a knitter with a little experience. YouTube is the best source to find out how to knit in the round or cable

K= knit
P= purl
C4Forward = slip two stitches knit-wise from the left needle onto the cable needle. Keeping the cable needle at the front of the wrist-warmer, knit the next two stitches from the left needle onto the right needle. Next, knit the two stitches from the cable needle onto the right needle.

Pattern:

Cast on 40 stitches and join in the round without twisting the stitches.
Rows 1 - 6: K2 P2 rib
Cable pattern is knit over four rows:
Row 7: *K2, P2, K4, P2* knit four times from * to *
Row 8: as row 7
Row 9: as row 7
Row 10: *K2, P2, C4Forward, P2* knit four times from * to *
After 16 cable pattern repeats, or when you have the length you like, repeat rows 1 - 6 for ribbing.
Cast off in K2 P2 rib, cut yarn and sew in the ends and block.

Copyright KnittingPony. For personal use only. Please do not sell any wrist warmers you make from this pattern, or distribute or sell this pattern. Please contact me for any other information or for any errata submissions.

Christmas Knits

2011-11-27T10:30:00.001Z

I have been knitting cute Christmassy things to distract me from having to stick to a knitting timetable in the run up to Christmas. Not that I don't want to knit gifts for my family but ... well. I've been adding to my stash. I've had to buy more storage boxes. And then I went to Liberty's on Friday night and bought yet more yarn for myself after seeing a wonderful cabled scarf in Rowan Baby Alpaca DK. But I won't be able to knit until after Christmas. GARGH. So until then, I've been making little festive treats to tide me over and keep me interested...

I designed a couple of woodland themed decorations in kid mohair and silk yarn. The first is this mushroom, adorned with iridescent spots.

And the second is this bauble with a sleepy arctic fox!

There are some amazing patterns out there and I was inspired to create an owlet (or owlpuff) based on the Tiny Owl Knits Beekeeper's Quit pattern, as the owl starts off life as a hexipuff but the increases and decreases are owl-shaped rather than hexagons.

And last but not least, this Christmas Mouse! It's from Fuzzy Mitten's free pattern on Ravelry. And it's so much fun and so quick to knit! I used 6.5mm safety eyes and 4ply yarn on 2.4mm needles.

Autumnal projects

2011-10-29T15:58:00.000+01:00

Two craft themes I adore are closely linked at this beautiful time of year: knitting in autumnal yarns and woodland-themed autumnal objects.
Today I cast on some wrist warmers which will feature these beautiful colours:

And cast off my latest hat! I am so pleased as this is the first hat I've designed and I am glad I like the end result. It is blocking at the moment, and I am longing to get those bobbles and cables on my head! I love the texture they provide, and knitting them adds interest. You can see where you are with them and avoid too much knitted doom if you watch TV at the same time as knitting. Unless you are tired and knit your cables the wrong way and then don't even look at your knitting for FIVE rows because you're watching Fresh Meat on demand and really, you're too sleepy to knit but oh! Bobbles! Fun! They'll keep me so awake!

Wrong, Pony. WRONG.

These things are frustrating. Especially when you have to plan every scrap of knitting time around commuting and eating lunch and making dinner and doing housework, so ripping back and re-knitting is very, very annoying. I know I'm not alone in this predicament. And in the grand scheme of things, it's fine. But at the time? Knitting RAGE!

I am going to make a matching set of mittens or wrist warmers too. Even though Rowan Cocoon leaves fluff behind on coats, I love it. My yarn choices for projects are usually governed by colour and texture over yarn weight/type.

Another woodland autumnal theme I love is the humble mushroom! Be it in chocolate form (Caffarel from my mum from Italy)...

...or in woolly form as a potential Christmas decoration! This lovely is made from Rowan Kidsilk Haze (the top) and Blueberry Angoras (the stalk) and adorned with some sparkly iridescent beads. I came up with the knitted pattern as I wanted to experiment with a knitted mushroom rather than the usual amigurumi crochet style.

fluffy fungus is fluffy!

Fluffy, sparkly and so autumnal! I am going to make LOTS of these. In unexpected colourways. But I really ought to get on with Christmas knitting first. But not until my ball winder arrives! I have a swift - and cannot wait to use it!

Autumn FOs

2011-10-13T20:40:00.000+01:00

I've been knitting (well, casting on) so many projects this autumn! I am determined to get Christmas presents done in time and also knit some selfish projects just for me. Here's what's just flown off the needles...

First up is another knitted cupcake, which I made for a friend's birthday. The pattern is the Spud & Chloe (free) pattern from their website. I love the construction as it's knit in one piece and this time I made 4-stitch bobbles to get them to pop more. Success! I also liked the slightly fuzzy mohair of the yarn for the top.

Just a *few* WIPs...

Next off the needles was the Ginkgo shawl/shoulderette. I adored knitting this in the Blueberry Angoras yarn I bought on holiday in Wales. It's a brilliant pattern and I highly recommend it because it's relatively quick to knit (especially the smaller size) but also because it's easy to see where the lace chart repeats are as you knit, making it less likely you'll make a mistake. Well, that works for me anyway. I really hope the recipient will like it as it will be difficult to part with.

In progress; love the sheen on that yarn!

Curly pre-blocking...

The finished article!

Next up, another Featherbed beret from the Little Cake book by Lousia Harding. This is another relatively simple lace knit but it does require quite a bit of concentration as the lace repeats are small and there are a lot of them. It's a great beret, and I have one in Thistle yarn (which is amazing and warm) from last year and now this one in Alpaca Cotton (Rowan) which is a bit lighter for autumn.

The knitted sleepy owl cushion wanted to get in on some modelling too...

So, what will I make with this amazing treat I bought myself?

What will you become, oh lovely Juno Alice Sock in "Canopy" from the amazing Loop? My money's on the Annis shawl...

Owl Wrist Warmers (Free Knitting Pattern)

2011-10-02T19:01:00.001+01:00

Owl Wrist Warmer

Keep your wrists and hands warm in autumn with these sweet owl wrist warmers! Work in different colour combinations for a variety of looks.

Pattern is for medium size - 20cm circumference X 20cm length.

Materials:
3mm circular knitting needle
4ply yarn in different colours
Scissors
Yarn needle

Skills required:
Intarsia
Magic Loop

K= knit
P= purl

Pattern:
Cast on 56 stitches on circular knitting needle and divide in order to knit using the magic loop method
Rows 1-8: work in K2, P2 rib
Rows 9-13: knit in main colour
Rows 14-16: work flower chart (7 times, giving you 14 flowers in total)
Rows 17-18: Knit in main colour
Rows 19-27 work owl chart (8 times, giving you 8 owls)
Rows 28-29: knit in main colour
Rows 30-32: work flower chart (7 times, giving you 14 flowers in total)
Rows 33-40: knit in main colour
Rows 41-57: knit in main colour back and forth, not in the round as this will create the thumb hole
Rows 58-66: re-join and knit in the round in main colour
Rows 67-69: work flower chart (7 times, giving you 14 flowers in total)
Rows 70-74: work in main colour
Rows 75-83: work in K2, P2 rib
Cast off in K2, P2 rib

Charts:

Copyright KnittingPony. For personal use only. Please do not sell any Owl Wrist Warmers you make from this pattern, or distribute or sell this pattern. Please contact me for any other information or for any errata submissions.

Sock Yarn Shrug

2011-09-04T12:48:00.001+01:00

I finally got around to finishing the last few rows of the sock yarn shrug I started in May.

It is a comfy and warm shrug I hope to wear throughout the autumn and winter as it layers well with dresses and tops. I wanted to make a simple shrug, which didn't ruin or obscure the shape of a fitted dress. Some of my favourite cardigans are a bit annoying as they are hip-length and don't go in at the waist, so the overall shape of a dress is completely lost. I am knitting a cropped lace cardigan to avoid this issue, too.

Here's how I made it:
1) Make a 20cm tension square with good drape in your chosen yarn
2) Measure the circumference of your upper arm (I cross-checked this by measuring the circumference of sleeves I like the fit of)
3) Calculate how wide to make your shrug so that it fits around the top of your arm comfortably. Calculate the number of stitches you need based on the number of stitches per 5cm on your tension square.
4) Knit so that it's long enough to reach elbow-to-elbow or however long you would like the sleeves to be. I did this by holding it around me. Remember to add some ribbing at the start and finish for the two sleeve edges. If you decide to go for long sleeves, make the lower arm part narrower.
5) Seam the sleeves so that it fits comfortably in the under-arm area and isn't too tight
6) Pick up stitches around the middle section in a smaller width needle to make the ribbing. I used a circular needle that was 100cm long.

I chose the yarn to go with the Orla Kiely dress I bought in May, and fell in love with this Madelinetosh Sock Yarn. Even though this is a very simple project, it was ideal for knitting in front of the TV or on the train. I have discovered that I need the mix of complex and simple projects on the go at all times. Enter the Hexipuff!

These are a brilliant and will be a huge (hopefully!) quilt. The pattern is The Beekeeper's Quilt by Tiny Owl Knits. Addicted.

Wonderful Wales

2011-08-29T18:38:00.000+01:00

Last week we went to Wales. It was beautiful. We stayed in two amazing cottages from Under The Thatch (check out their website to see the range of wonderful accommodation). I can't get Blogger to behave tonight so excuse lack of text and captions for photos.

Shelving contains knitting and crochet books. How thoughtful ;)

Was a little nervous of the crogloft above the kitchen but loved it by the end. So cosy!

We visited lots of beautiful (and almost deserted) beaches, most of which had amazing chippies and tea rooms close by. Perfect for this Pony!

Aberporth

Pony walks on sea shells on the sea shore (Llansteffan beach -bit ouchy!)

Aberporth

Newport

Angora goat at Blueberry Angoras

The yarn from the angora goats! Lovely.

Welsh hexipuffs for the Beekeeper's Quilt.

Sleepy Owl Cushion (Free Knitting Pattern)

2011-08-17T21:50:00.000+01:00

Sleepy Owl cushion, waiting to be knitted and snuggled onto a sofa near you!

Sleepy Owl is a sofa or armchair dwelling companion for the knitter, reader or viewer of television. Sleepy Owl is unsure of his status re: whether he is a cushion or a toy. Sleepy owl is about 25cm by 25cm, excluding ears.

Materials:

For the owl:

Chunky or bulky yarn and corresponding needles. I used Paton’s Shadow Tweed. One 100g ball made an owl cushion.

6.5mm knitting needles

Fiberfill for the owl stuffing

Yarn needle

Contrast yarn for embroidery of eyes and beak (you could also use embroidery floss or buttons for eyes)

Scissors

For the embellishments:

4ply yarn in however many colours you would like to use (I used 3 complimentary tweedy colours)

3.5mm crochet hook

Yarn needle

Scissors

Abbreviations/knitting and crochet techniques:

K2tog – knit two stitches together

Treble crochet in this pattern (for the owl tummy feathers) refers to UK treble crochet, equivalent to US double crochet.

Magic loop cast on for crocheting in the round – the tummy feathers are crocheted in rows but the magic loop is the perfect beginning as it’s for a semi-circle.

Pattern:

Body (make two)

Using 6.5mm needles, cast on 34 stitches.

Knit every row for 50 rows (or more if you would prefer a tall owl!)

Row 51: K2tog, knit to the last two stitches, K2tog (32 stitches)

Row 52: Knit (32 stitches)

Row 53: Knit 2tog, knit to the last two stitches, K2tog (30 stitches)

Row 54: Knit (30 stitches)

Row 55: K2tog, knit to the last two stitches, K2tog (28 stitches)

Row 56: Knit (28 stitches)

Row 57: K2tog, knit to the last two stitches, K2tog (26 stitches)

Row 58: Knit (26 stitches)

Row 59: K2tog, knit to the last two stitches, K2tog (24 stitches)

Row 60: Knit (24 stitches)

Cast off

Ears (make two)

Using 6.5mm needles, cast on 12 stitches

Knit 10 rows or however many rows needed with your gauge to make a square.

Cast off.

The two pieces each of owl body and ear.

Crocheted Owl tummy feathers (make 9, 3 in each colour or all in same colour – what ever you prefer!)

Using the magic ring to begin, make 3 stitches and close the loop

Row 1: Chain 2, 3 treble crochet into the first stitch, 2 treble crochet into the middle stitch, 3 treble crochet into the third stitch, turn

Row 2: Chain 2, 3 treble crochet into the first stitch, 2 treble crochet into each stitch until the final stitch, 3 treble crochet into final stitch.

Cut 20cm tail of yarn from your crocheted semi-circle (feather!) and draw through the loop on the crochet hook to cast off.

Alternatively semi-circles of fabric, ribbon or knitted semi-circles could be used as tummy feathers and of course you can use more than 9 and layer them together.

Assembly

Stitch the 2 sides of the owl body together with mattress stitch beginning with the sides and bottom of the owl. Leave the top open so you can attach the ears to the slopey side bits of the top of the owl head area.

Before attaching the ears to the owl body, fold them in half and seam down one side of the ear like this to make a triangle:

Seaming one side of the ear to make a triangle.

Attach the ears to the sides of the owl’s head with mattress stitch.

All stitched together ready to be filled with squishy Fiberfill goodness!

Sew up the owl’s head neatly so the seam doesn’t show. I did a kind of mattress stitch however I’m sure kitchener would also work.

Mattress stitch the top after stuffing with Fiberfill.

Attach the tummy feathers by stitching them to the body of the owl with the 20cm tail and weave in the cast-on end.

Embroider the eyes and beak in a contrasting colour.

Settle your owl onto the sofa for a relaxing nap!

Copyright KnittingPony. For personal use only. Please do not sell any Sleepy Owl cushions you make from this pattern, or distribute or sell this pattern. Please contact me for any other information or for any errata submissions.

Tiny Tooth Free Crochet Pattern

2011-08-01T21:42:00.004+01:00

Teeny tiny toof is teeny

This tiny tooth is a quick and easy project and requires little in the way of time or materials. Knowledge of the magic loop/adjustable ring method (search on Google) for starting crochet in the round, and experience of crocheting in the round would be helpful as it’s a tiny bit fiddly due to the size of the project.

The photos are of the slightly larger tooth (pattern at bottom of page). A tinier toof pattern follows.

Materials:

White or cream yarn and appropriate size crochet hook

Fiberfill for stuffing

Stitch marker (a hair grip/bobby pin works very well!)

Yarn needle

Scissors

Eyes: safety eyes/black yarn/embroidery floss/small buttons (I used 6mm safety eyes)

Red yarn or embroidery floss for the mouth

Abbreviations

St – stitch

Dc – double crochet. In this pattern, this is British double crochet, equivalent to American single crochet.

Sl st – slip stitch

Pattern:

Using the magic loop make a ring of 4 dc (4 st)

Round 1: 2dc in each st (8 st)

Round 2: *1dc in first st, 2 dc in following st, repeat from * around (12 st)

Round 3 – 9: dc in each st (12)

Round 10: divide for the two roots with a slip stitch and dc around those 6 st (6 st)

Round 11: dc in each st (6 st)

Round 12: decrease by putting the crochet hook through one half of three alternating st and create a slip stitch, repeat with any other stitches to close the end of the root.

The great divide...

Add the safety eyes and then stuff with Fiberfill. Using the crochet hook, pull some of the Fiberfill to the end of the root to plump it out. Due to the construction, the top of the tooth has a dip in it, like a molar:

Top of the molar

Repeat rounds 10 – 12 on the other side of the tooth to complete the second root. Using the crochet hook, pull some Fiberfill downwards to fill the root out.

Weave in the ends and embroider a mouth.

Done!

For a ever so slightly larger tooth, begin with a circle of 6 stitches, then
Round 2: 2 dc in each st in each st
Round 3: *2 dc in next st, dc in following st, repeat from * around
Round 4: *2 dc in next st, dc in following 2 st, repeat from * around
Rounds 5 - 11: dc in each st
Round 12: divide for root and dc in each st
Round 13: dc in each st of the root
Round 14: dc in each st of the root
Round 15: decrease across sets of 2 or 3 st
Round 16: close end of root
Stuff, add eyes and make another root. Embroider mouth.

*ehn!* Tiny Toof gets comfy on the pillow.

Copyright KnittingPony. For personal use only. Please do not sell any tiny teeth you make from this pattern, or distribute or sell this pattern. Please contact me for any other information or for any errata submissions.

Knitted Cupcake

2011-07-28T20:42:00.000+01:00

I do love a knitted cake. I've knitted Battenburg, a slice of Victoria sponge, and crocheted numerous cupcakes and donuts in my time.

This cupcake was knitted from a free pattern by Spud & Chloe. It's a clever construction with a flat bottom and sides which keep their shape. This means your cupcake will sit squarely on a flat surface, something I struggled with when crocheting cupcakes.

My knitted bobbles. Not so bobbly.

I really like how the decreases on the frosting give the appearance of an elegant swirl of icing:

Sweet treats can contain fibre!

There is very little sewing up to do as it's knitted in one continuous piece, from the base to the cherry on the top. My only advice to other knitters would be not to make a boob with the yarn colour choices. Stay away from flesh tones...

The Chap Olympiad 2011

2011-07-17T11:02:00.000+01:00

Yesterday was the marvelous Chap Olympiad 2011. A day of vintage fun, games, dancing and rain, held in a pretty square in central London hosted by the Chap Magazine.

Bright sunlight briefly dried off some of the tweed, but before long...

..rain. Brollies at the ready!

There were some great dancers and one of my favourite games of the day was Moustache Wrestling where contestants had to pluck out an opponent's hair using a...er...lobster!

Fantastic dancers!

Clawing each other's hair out.

Despite the rain, which at times was quite heavy, it was the atmosphere which really makes the day special for me. When else do people raise their glass and doff their caps at others simply because they are all caught in a heavy downpour? Well, I threw myself face down over the picnic to protect it, but I saw other people doing it. Soggy jammy dodgers simply will not do!

Vintage Knitting Magazines

2011-07-09T14:27:00.002+01:00

I am a very lucky knitting pony. A lovely friend sent me these vintage knitting magazines!

Stitchcraft, May 1954

There are pretty tops and beautiful twin sets:

One of my favourite things about this magazine are the adverts and problem pages. First up, don't be the odd one out, ladies!

And be sure to look after your skin and set your hair properly:

There are more photos on my Flickr page (link is to the right of this blog post) but I'll leave you with my favourite and the most random: The Owl, the Pussycat and the Monster. The what? Yes. The monster. I don't remember there being a monster!? He's cute. Bit toothy, mind.

Lace Shrug, or, what I learned from knitting with cotton

2011-07-02T21:31:00.000+01:00

Just two balls of Rowan Purelife cotton DK (currently in the sale in John Lewis) and one week of commuting has produced this handy lace shrug. It was a free pattern on Ravelry ("Something Lacy Shrug" by Vera Sanon for Cascade Yarns) and very enjoyable to knit.

Basically this is a rectangle of lacy loveliness with some ribbing on the sleeve edges and around the neck/back part. It is a fantastic project for the novice lace knitter since it's clear to see which part of the pattern you are knitting as you go along. It is easy peasy to memorise the repeats and therefore safe to knit on the train or anywhere you may be distracted by, say, the strange behaviour of commuters or an exciting event in an episode of Miss Marple.

I really loved knitting this shrug. I used lifelines to safeguard from having to rip it all back if I made a mistake because unpicking lace knitting is quite tricky. Well, enraging actually. Especially if it's your first lace experience. I am scarred by memories of ripping back hours and hours of lace knitting once. Anyway...

Lacy Shrug and creased dress.

Taking a photograph of your back, while trying to make a shrug look flattering, is tricky. Ignore the creased dress. Thank you.

Lacy Shrug

Now for the learning points.

1) Cotton doesn't have much give. I was worried this garment would either be too big and therefore baggy, or too tight and all bunched up in my under-arm area and pulling at my neck. The shape of the shrug and ribbing does mean that is a risk:

Shrugs. Snug in the under-arm area.

Thankfully it seems to fit perfectly and stretches with wear. It is a little inelegant when trying to put it on, though. The only issue when knitting with cotton was that it was tricky to pick up stitches because they are not stretchy like wool. But it was fine thanks to the selvedge edge. Phew! I had never used a selvedge edge before but it's genius for sewing up.

2) Binding off loosely. Wow. I thought I had, but cotton is a stubborn fibre and even the baggiest of cast offs leaves you feeling as if you're going to have a really nasty sagging edge to your work, but nope!

Clenching and unclenching the fists helps the blood to circulate...

This sleeve is fine in reality and has stretched since wearing it for a while.

That's probably more than you ever wanted to know about this little project but there we are. I've had a lot of coffee and spent too much time indoors today.

30's Jumper "To Wear With a Summer Suit"

2011-06-25T14:09:00.000+01:00

After around 12 months and one minor disaster of the scissor kind, I have finally finished this lovely jumper from A Stitch In Time (Volume One)! Hooray!

To Wear With a Summer Suit

This was my first ever pattern incorporating lace. I loved knitting the lace portion of the front and back of the jumper; it felt like each pattern repeat was a mini-goal and therefore made for a satisfying knit. The moss stitch sleeves were quite slow in comparison but worth it - moss stitch is just beautiful in this yarn (Rowan Pure Wool 4-ply).

Vintage buttons and pearls to set it off!

One of my favourite things about knitting garments is buying vintage buttons to put on them. Etsy has so many great ones it is difficult to buy just one set... I'm a button glutton.

Vintage buttons from Etsy

This week I bought some Rowan Purelife Organic Cotton (DK) on sale in John Lewis to knit a lacy shrug for summer. Strangely, the colour of the yarn is very gray in natural light. I was hoping it would be more brown. I'm quite enjoying knitting with cotton. I'm also shocked at how restrained I was in that sale. How I walked away without bags of other goodies I don't know!

Something Lacy Shrug, Cascade Yarns pattern by Vera Sanon

Have a lovely weekend!

Sock yarn shrug for spring

2011-06-05T17:49:00.000+01:00

So... a trip to the lovely Orla Kiely sample sale last weekend led to my plan to knit a shrug to wear with dresses. Inspired by the mustardy-chartreusey centre of the flowers on an Orla Kiely dress I bought, I headed to Loop to get some Madelinetosh sock yarn with which to knit a simple shrug...

Knitting in Madelinetosh Sock "Olivia", dress by Orla Kiely.

After knitting about 30cm of the shrug I realised it was too heavy to be a summer shrug, so I did the sensible thing and bought another skein to make it into a longer sleeved shrug. I'll investigate some lighter cotton yarns for a lacy shrug perhaps. I should be finishing the jumper I've been knitting forever. Ah well! Who can resist the allure of a new project? Not me!

Knitted brooch ice cream display idea and other stories

2011-05-22T11:32:00.000+01:00

I'm still knitting away at the sleeves of the jumper I'm making and so have not managed to do much except for some secret knitting:

Other secret knitting will need to remain secret for now! I turned some knitting which I had tried to felt (unsuccessfully) into a scoop of ice cream to display brooches. Make do and mend! It's Rowan Pure Wool DK and does NOT felt at 90 degrees in the washing machine. FeltFail!

I've had a lovely week, starting with a trip to the seaside. The weather turned out to be against us, which I actually liked because we were snug in a beach hut, knitting, eating lunch and drinking tea:

This afternoon I am inspired by two recent gifts (doilies and cupcake liners which I have added to my growing collection!) to bake some cakes:

Hope you are all having a lovely weekend!

The Chill Pill (Free Knitting Pattern)

2011-05-15T16:52:00.001+01:00

The Chill Pill. Copyright KnittingPony.

This squishy woollen pill with a serene smile fits in the palm of your hand.

Materials:

Two colours of the same weight yarn (I used Rowan 4ply wool)
Fiberfill for stuffing
A circular needle or double pointed needles in the recommended size for the yarn you are using (the instructions below are for circular needles using the magic loop method OR a pair of straight needles - 2 needle version of the pattern follows the dpn version at the bottom of this post
A yarn needle
Scissors
Eyes: safety eyes/black yarn/embroidery floss/small buttons (I used 6mm safety eyes)
Red yarn or embroidery floss for the mouth

Abbreviations:

K: knit
P: purl
Inc: invisible increase by picking up the yarn between the stitches and knitting it to make an extra stitch.
K2tog: Knit 2 stitches together
DPN: double pointed needle

Pattern:

Using a circular knitting needle cast on 10 stitches in colour A.

Divide so 5 stitches are on each needle. Proceed using the magic loop method. There are many good videos to explain how to do this online. If using DPNs, divide the stitches evenly on three needles.

Row 1: K all stitches (10)

Row 2: K all stitches (this is an extra row which doesn’t feature at the other end of the pill and is to ensure making increases in the next row is easier as there is more give due to more rows of knitting) (10)

Row 3: Inc between the stitches on the needle. As you have 5 stitches on each needle when using circulars, you will end up with 9 stitches on both needles.(18)

Row 4: K all stitches (18)

Row 5: Inc between the stitches on the needle. As you have 9 stitches on each needle when using circulars, you will end up with 17 stitches on both needles. (34)

Row 6 – 21: K all stitches (34)

Change to colour B and knit 16 rows.

If using safety eyes, add eyes (and mouth if desired) and stuff with Fiberfill. If embroidering the eyes and mouth or sewing on button eyes, this can be done at the end.

Eyes and smile added before the stuffing goes in

Row 37: K2tog until one stitch remains on needle, knit last stitch (repeat on other needle) (18)

Row 38: K all stitches (18)

Row 39: K2tog until one stitch remains on needle, knit last stitch (repeat on other needle) (10)

Row 40: K all stitches (10)

Cut yarn leaving a 20cm tail and thread yarn needle. Thread the tail through the stitches on the needle, once all stitches are threaded on, pull tight and secure yarn by weaving the end into the pill.

Yarn needle threading the tail through the stitches.

Weave in any ends. If you have a hole where the colours join, take the tail of one of the colours and make a little stitch to disguise it.

Using the tail of the yarn to disguise the hole at join of second colour.

Little hole from colour join has been disguised with a fake stitch!

2 needle version

This version has two fewer rows so that the increases and decreases are worked on knit rows which I believe is easier to do than on the purl rows.

Cast on 10 stitches in colour A

1: K all stitches (10)

2: P all stitches (10)

3: K1, *K1, Inc; repeat from * until last st, K1. (18)

4: P all stitches (18)

5: K1, *K1, Inc; repeat from * until last st, K1. (34)

6: P all stitches (34)

7: K all stitches (34)

8: P all stitches (34)

Repeat rows 7 and 8 (so you are working in stockinette stitch) until row 20 which is a purl row.

Change to colour B and work the other half of the pill as follows:

21: K all stitches (34)

22: P all stitches (34)

Repeat rows 21 and 22 (so you are working in stockinette stitch) until row 36 which is a purl row.

37: K1, *K2tog; repeat from * until last st, K1 (18)

38: P all stitches (18)

39: K1, *K2tog; repeat from * until last st, K1 (10)

40: P all stitches (10)

Cast off and seam the pill along one end and up the middle using mattress stitch. Make sure you add the eyes (if you are using safety eyes) and stuffing before you’ve done too much seaming!

Copyright KnittingPony. For personal use only. Please do not sell any chill pills you make from this pattern, or distribute or sell this pattern. Please contact me for any other information or for any errata submissions.

Knitters aren't quitters!

2011-05-08T11:17:00.000+01:00

Last Saturday I finished a jumper I had been knitting for many months. It had taken a long time to knit because it has moss stitch sleeves, which are pretty and labour intensive and I already knew I'd made a mistake reading the pattern with them, and thought I'd fixed that... Hmm.

I merrily sewed up the jumper and then decided that the sleeves I had loved so much in the picture just didn't suit me. Now, I do love vintage clothes, but a puffy knitted sleeve is different to a puffy chiffon sleeve. Duh! Why did this not occur to me before? Looking through the vintage knitting patterns on Ravelry I can now see the difference between knitted sleeves in lighter, fluffier yarns; they can handle the puff. Solid, yet lovely moss stitch in 4ply was just a bit dense. Especially when you mis-read the pattern and they are too big! So I am knitting them again, just smaller.

The saddest part of this tale is yet to come. When I was trying to remove the sleeves from the jumper, a bad thing happened. I used scissors. Naughty scissors which snipped at a stitch in the front of the jumper, making me frog half the front section of moss stitch :S

Gah! So much frogging. The silly thing is, while I knitted the jumper, I was worried about messing up the lace as it was my first lace project. Couldn't wait to get to the moss stitch part. Easy, I thought.

The other two projects I'm working on are big. No instant gratification around here, so I went shopping and bought new shoes and a purse, as you do. Especially because I need some nice shoes for an outing to the Dorchester for afternoon tea in a couple of weeks ;)


Saroyan shawl knitted in Madelinetosh lace


Granny Square blanket crocheted in various DK yarns

Add caption

Tiny knits for Easter

2011-04-24T17:40:00.000+01:00

After knitting the tiny baby bunny from the lovely Mochimochi Land free pattern, I was inspired to knit some mini gifts to take to my family this Easter.


Tiny baby bunny pattern from Mochimochi Land made by KnittingPony

I don't know why the knitted pirate olive *needed* to be invented and knitted, but that is simply what happens when I knit random things for my father. He loved the olive and has requested an arrrr-tichoke.

Designed and knitted by KnittingPony

I'll leave you to investigate the strange hamster-ewok hybrid I made for my sister over on my Flickr page if you fancy freaking yourselves out. Just don't look into its eyes. Happy Easter!

Knitted Royal Wedding

2011-04-17T09:50:00.000+01:00

I have been busy working on a variety of projects over the last couple of weeks. The most fun project is the Footman for the Royal Wedding knitted display in the lovely yarn and gift shop, Rose & Dylan in St Albans.

I finished him last night - there was lots of sewing involved and it was very interesting to knit something like this and understand the construction of the project, since I'd usually crochet (amigurumi) people/animals.

Here he is with his very neat hairstyle:

Above is the book, in case you haven't a clue what I'm talking about!

In other knitting news, I am just finishing up these lovely vintage-inspired fairisle wrist warmers, just in time for the wrong time of year. I'll pack them away for the autumn.

I'll leave you with an picture of some tulips, which last a lot longer than daffodils. Love springtime flowers! Oh, and some knitted corgis, although I'm not sure why the knitted Queen looks like she's doing a jig.

Scotland and owl wrist warmers

2011-03-27T12:02:00.000+01:00

I have returned from a week in lovely Scotland and instead of cleaning/dyeing my hair/getting on with sensible things, I'm looking at my photos and knitting.

We were very lucky with the weather and just drove around (so little traffic!), stopping for walks and meals in pretty places. Annoyingly, most of my favourite views were when we were driving and we couldn't really stop so I could take pictures. I did manage some car photography though...

We only saw a small part of Scotland and we both want to return to see more. I hadn't been since childhood and couldn't really remember much about it. The rugged landscapes and sweet little towns were wonderful. These photos are from the area between the Trossachs and Ben Nevis. Speaking of which:

We only climbed a small part of Ben Nevis. Reading about how quickly some people manage to get to the top and back down again is insane - 1 hour 25 minutes is the current race record! HOW!? Most people complete it in 4-6 hours at normal pace.

I took a small knitting project with me, and designed the owl pattern on the plane since knitting needles are not allowed on the flight.

It's for a series of fairisle patterns coming soon!

Sleepy Owl

2011-03-08T16:25:00.000Z

Just finished off this sleepy owl cushion and thought I'd take the opportunity to photograph him while there is still some natural sunshine coming in through the window.

He is a bit of a decadent owl. He is made from 100% merino wool and his tummy feathers are made from VV Rouleaux velvet ribbon and hand stitched with embroidery floss. His eyes and beak are embroidered with Mirasol K'acha yarn, a mix of alpaca, silk and merino from Peru.

He's not haughty about it though. Just sleepy. Like me. I was up very early to go to the Focus on Imgaging exhibition in Birmingham today. It was interesting, with some great demonstrations but a few too many stands selling picture frames and photo albums for my taste. Lovely to have a day off and an outing though :D

Pearl and Fred

2011-02-27T13:26:00.000Z

This is Pearl. She is a bookworm and enjoys 1950's fashions. These cateye spectacles and purple beret are her favourite outfit.

This is Fred. He is a sweet tooth. Fred has enjoyed too many cakes and now has a patch of plaque on his head. He's not too happy about it.

It's raining and gloomy right now, after being a splendid sunny morning. I hate it when that happens! There is only one thing for it: cosy tv and fairy lights.

Tweed Owl Cushion

2011-02-20T17:48:00.000Z

I've come home from the drizzle and damp to bake some chocolate cupcakes and watch some comfort TV. I finished this owl cushion this afternoon and thought I'd share him! Not sure of his name yet...

He is destined for the shop (when it opens!) and is knitted from a tweed wool blend yarn, with pure wool tummy and eyes. He is a little bit vintage-inspired. I love his stubby ears :D

I am working on another owl who will be distinctly taller, and wiser.

Amigurumi love

2011-02-19T11:51:00.000Z

I first started crafting when I discovered Amigurumi about 6 years ago. Amigurumi is a type of crochet where small animals or creatures are crocheted in the round to give a spherical 3D hollow shape, and the head is usually slightly larger than the body. I immediately got my mum to teach me to crochet, and went online to find patterns and inspiration.

This is Pierre, a sweet tooth I crocheted this week. I think he will go to live with my sister who has expressed her love for him!

I am also working on a gnome, for another project.

Today will bring knitting and maybe chocolate brownies... The constant rain has put me off leaving the house. Happy Saturday!

Sunshine

2011-02-12T11:27:00.000Z

On such a gloomy week it is perhaps not surprising that when I went to buy some yarn to knit the lovely Saroyan scarf with pretty leaf edging, I was drawn to the vibrant mustard yellow yarn by Mirasol. That, and the fact it is a super-soft mixture of merino wool, suri alpaca and silk. Yum.

I have been craving some mustard and ochre colours lately, and have been noticing them, along with orangey reds more and more...

Always optimistic spring is on the way. Tomorrow it's going to rain so I am making plans now to go to the cinema. For now, though, knitting is on the agenda, as is more tea and America's Next Top Model. I have plans for another owl. This time much bigger and tweedier. Let's see if I can translate my design on graph paper to yarny owly goodness. Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Meet the Ancestors

2011-02-06T15:58:00.000Z

I received some exciting post from my mum yesterday; scanned copies of photographs of my Italian ancestors. I love how stern my great-great-grandmother looks, and her hair is unbelievable! And look at my great-great-grandfather with his proud hand-on-hip stance! Gorgeous.

It is a very gloomy and blustery Sunday. Having been out for a full English breakfast (my first non-vegetarian full English in 17 years!), done the shopping, descaled the kettle and done the washing up, I feel I can stay inside for the rest of the day and take some time to do a bit of designing. I plan to knit a vintage-inspired hot water bottle cosy and hope to adapt the finished pattern for cushion covers too.

Yesterday I completed a basic tea cosy in moss rib but I don't know exactly what I will do to embellish it. There are too many appealing yarns in my stash and I can't choose. I'm quite pleased with it, since it is my own pattern and worked quite well first time!

Happy Sunday!

Vintage teatime

2011-01-29T14:58:00.000Z

Hello!

I've been working away on a new project, inspired by a desire for a unique yet good quality tea cosy and my love of vintage style. I thought I'd combine the too; I certainly have enough teapots around the place!

My inspiration for this tea cosy is the 1930's and 1940's. The moss stitch pattern, as well as the colours of the crocheted flowers and leaves, were inspired by vintage books and in particular a jumper I'm knitting (slowly) at the moment.

I'm also working on some other little projects, often on my commute if I can get a seat on the train. More about those later.

On a more practical note, one thing I have learned recently is the importance of blocking your work. Another vintage tea cosy I'm working on illustrates this nicely ;)

Half the cosy (at the top of the picture) has been swooshed in warm water, rolled gently in a towel to get the water out and then pinned down, ready to dry in an even and flat shape. This is essential for neat sewing-up. The other half of the cosy, at the bottom of the picture, is curly around the edges, as lots of knitting is when it's fresh off the needles. I learned (too late for some of my knitting) that to get the best finish it is really important to block your knitting. It's quite satisfying to do... even for someone who is always eager to finish and then start the next project.

Hope you have a super weekend. I'm off to buy milk for a cup of tea, before more knitting!

Testing! Testing!

2011-01-20T10:53:00.000Z

Hello and welcome to my knitting and crafting blog!

This is just a little post to see what things look like...

hoot!

I designed and crocheted this amigurumi owl recently and thought I'd use him as a test photo.

He used to live in my flat and loved jigsaws, but now lives in an office. He's very good with a stapler.

Please check back to my blog for free patterns, knitting and crafting inspiration and random bits and bobs!