2012: Year of the Shawl?

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). 

Cabled Wrist Warmers (Free Knitting Pattern)

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.

Owl Wrist Warmers (Free Knitting Pattern)

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.

Sleepy Owl Cushion (Free Knitting Pattern)

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

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

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... 

Vintage Knitting Magazines

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.