A little knitting for me too

After a stream of knitting small gifts for others, I squeezed out a quick project for me too. Another which has been on my queue for quite sometime, and I had the yarn for in my stash. It's the wrong season here now - not that summer here in the UK has been exceptionally different from winter so far!

Its a snuggly, warm soft headband/earwarmer, perfect as I like to wear my hair up in buns which isn't a very hat friendly option. It also sits perfectly around my neck like a cowl, so I can see it being a very handy addition to my winter woollies. It will also be a bit easier to stuff in my bag than my big ear warmers on a headband.

I know it would make more sense if I modelled it, but I just didn't fancy it! There's lots of shots here on the Ravelry pattern page. The pattern is from Drops Design, '86-10 Headband in Alaska', which is available on their Website. 

I knitted mine with an equivalent yarn from my stash, and chose to use a needle size smaller than recommended which is why it has such a nice firm almost felted shape to it, and I think this will help stop it slipping on my hair too easily. As I have a head on the 'wow, really' end of the large scale, I had to add a number of extra rows to achieve a comfortable fit - which used up every last inch of the ball of yarn! 

Really must try and get some more knitting done for myself this year, socks and a shawl are on the queue. Meeting both the stashbusting, and new technique, personal goals for the year.

More Beanies!

I really have been on a knitting frenzy of late, churning out lots of small goodies, fulfilling overdue promises, and feeling the satisfaction of marking projects complete on Ravelry and marking off yarn as 'all used up'. I have all my yarn stash bagged in clip lock bags, sorted into yarn types and colours. There  was quite a little pile of empty clip locks building up at the end of the couch, and I was feeling very smug about what a dent I've made in the stash (mentally planning new purchases!). Yet somehow the large basket that stores my yarn, still seems near overflowing? Dam, no new yarn shopping yet then. Of course what has improved is there are far less project bags drifting about with half started projects!

I decided to make a couple of surprise Beanies, in the colours of a friend's favoured Football Team (Aussie Rules), for his little ones. The bonus is, it's a nice colour combination anyway, double blue. I found this Drops Merino, worsted weight, in Stockholm, gorgeously soft 100% merino. After the last couple of super stretchy beanies I made from it I was nervous, and sure enough these seem to have ended up on the large size too, despite knitting to gauge. When the yarn is washed, it 'relaxes' beyond belief. I'm just hoping they are on the grow into scale, and not the ridiculously large scale. They certainly stretch a lot though and appear they may fit for years!

small - 9-12mth

med 2-3 years old

'large' 4 - 20 I think from how it stretches!

I had enough yarn from three balls to get three beanies (using up to the last inch!). So a bonus winter beanie for another Aussie nephew facing those cold winters we have back home - where sometimes its gets as low as 10 (yes, that's 10 Celsius!). Hah, after spending a January in Stockholm,  and the a previous January in Helsinki, I'm not sure we will ever see Winter at home as cold again!

I knit these on circular needles, using magic loop technique, which has been such a revelation, and I wish now I'd learnt that years ago and just purchased long circular needles in each size. Anything that can be knitted in the round and remove the need to sew up is a bonus, but even for knitting in the flat I am finding the circulars easier - on posture and carpel tunnel, although I'm certainly still slower on them than full size straights.

Of course, all three were cast on using my new and much loved method, the tubular cast on, neat perfect edged, flexible ribbing. On a super nerdy knit smug note, I love how neat these hats are on the inside too!

how cool is that, that's the inside! *smug*

One winter late Scarf and Kerchief

Last winter a friend asked if I could knit a hat and scarf for her little girl, and finally, one year later I got around to it. One of the reasons for the delay was searching out a pattern suitable for a toddler, reducing the choking risk as much as possible. Normal tie scarves are out. After much Ravelry searching I came across the 'Man About Town Neckwarmer' which sits loosely around the neck with a large button to hold it in place. This means the young one can't make it tighter, nor will it pull tighter if they do catch it on something. On the more fun side, it won't keep falling off, and if they do want to remove it themselves they can pull it over their head easily (okay, this could be a downside?)

Continuing with trying to bust my yarn stash, I had some beautiful bright pink Debbie Bliss Prima (80% Bamboo 20% wool), which is lovely and soft and has a nice sheen to it. Ironically it was in my stash as it was purchased, along with other yarns, for a dress to make for this same little one that I never got around too!

'Man about town neckwarmer with button' pattern by Alison Crutchley

I decided I wanted to add a crochet covered button, as this would be firmer in place, and I thought it might be a long mission to find a button of the right size and coordinating colour. I did have a chunky button with a shank in the button jar though, that worked perfectly for me to crochet a cover for. 

In place of a winter hat, I went with a head scarf, which will keep the ears warm but allow for little girl pigtails, and look oh so cute I think! Ravelry pattern searching to the rescue again.

Aisha's Kerchief by Katrin Sommerfeld

I've been busy reading my 'Knitting Masterclass' book, amazed at how much I don't know about knitting, and chose this as the perfect project to learn tubular cast on. OMG, that's it, I'm going to use this cast on for everything I can in the future, it makes such a neat professional looking edge, and makes the ribbing sit beautifully. It takes up a bit of time, as you start by knitting about four rows in waste yarn first, but the finish is so worth the extra time. It's difficult to show in a photo, but you end up with a neat, almost rolled edge, near identical on both sides (so much so I kept getting confused about which was my right side)

Can't wait to see a picture of this being worn. I'm still trying to decide if I could get away with one of the head scarves, I think it would be a much more hairdo friendly version of a winter hat.

Welcome little Alexander

I always have to knit something for any friends that have a baby, just can't help myself. My preference is to always use Debbie Bliss Cashmerino, but in a continued effort to reduce my yarn stash, this time I used what I had on hand - Patons Dreamtime Fairytale 4 ply.

'Striped Hat' by Debbie Bliss, from Cashmerino 2

Patons Dreamtime Fairytale 4ply wool

I chose a bootie pattern from Caroline de Hugo's book 'Baby Booties - Eighteen Pretty Pairs to knit', I've used this pattern before, and although I like it, mine never look as good as the book - to be fair I've never made them from the same yarn so that could be a factor. I also seem to go wrong every time I make them too and have to pull back rows here and there. Despite their wonky look though, I still like them, mostly because they are not too frilly nor too old fashioned.

'Tiny Dancer' - by Caroline De Hugo

I'm sure there will be more knitting for little Mr Alexander, but for now these and the Crochet Garland are on their way to Australia as a 'Welcome' gift.

Crochet Garland

After conquering the old Granny squares again, I decided to step up to the next challenge. Sometime last year I had a moment of craft serendipity, when I saw a crochet garland for sale in the gift shop of a Helsinki Art Gallery, and had that typical crafters response of "ooh I really like that, but I can make that for much less" (it is typical isn't it, or is it just me?) Certainly the garland was selling for around £20 for 15  flowers, which is expensive compared to the materials to make one, but cheap labour for all that hand crochet.

I think within the week we were back in the UK, and the new issue of Mollie Makes was in the Newsagent, with a crochet flower garland pattern in it. Perfect! At that point I just filed the thought away to try and remember when I was looking for a gift, or a new project.

A couple of trips later, and we had a string of flights and train trips to take, so I bought a few balls of mercerised cotton, and used the Mollie Makes gift crochet hook from an earlier edition and decided to give the flower patterns a whirl, as something I should be able to manage in the confines of planes, trains and trams. I copied out a few of the patterns into my notebook so I always had them, some yarn and the hook in my handbag, and by the end of the trip I had started to build a nice little stash of flowers and shapes.

I decided the first gift I would make from one would be to go in to the Baby Gift for a friend, and thought the silver, red and blue would be sweet as a decoration somewhere in a newborn baby boys room.

I'm really happy with it, and have enough yarn to make thousands more of the things! I'm going to try out a few more shapes and patterns from Ravelry and maybe make some for Christmas Gifts. Certainly seems like its a winner for a tiny WIP bag to always have in my handbag, car trip here, train ride there and I should have a few ready for Christmas easily.

Hottie Cover

A few months back while away on a trip, I ran out of knitting. I decided to call into a local yarn store and pick up a few balls of wool and a crochet hook and 'relearn' how to create granny squares. As with knitting, my Mum taught me to crochet when I was young, but I've never been terribly proficient in it. I've certainly never followed a pattern, other than one for a granny square. I learnt enough to be able to freestyle outfits for my barbies, and that was where crochet and I parted!

So after fiddling around for the week, most of it had come back to me, and I was left with a (small) pile of granny squares, which have sat in a bag ever since returning from that trip.

I had an outstanding promise of making a new cover for our  microwave heat bag, so as step one of cleaning up the outstanding projects, and starting on that stash, I grabbed out the granny squares, and figured they would work as the start of a cover.

I simply double crocheted the squares together, and did an extra row around the total. Then picked up the knitting needles and picked up a row of stitches from the dc along the bottom, and knitted up the back. Used dc again to attach the knitting to the crotchet front, along the sides, which was great as it was quicker than stitching and I'm sure will be stronger. At the top I only stitched in an inch at either side, then picked up stitches again from the crochet edge and knitted a rib neck opening.

By sheer dumb luck, the cover fits perfectly, seems very strong (it gets used multiple times daily, so the cover gets removed and replaced a lot for reheating), and exactly used up the three balls of inexpensive wool I bought to practise the crochet.

One WIP finished, and three balls busted from the stash - and a needed item made!

Now what can I finish or de-stash next....?

Tuck in for Mum

Wanted to make a neck cover for my Mum, but not be too warm. She likes to cover up a scar on her neck, and even in the warmest weather tends to overdress to do it. I thought I would try making a Tuck in, or Dickie as we used to call them, from a nice cotton yarn.

I found Drops Cotton Viscose in Stockholm on my last visit, and purchased two balls for this. Using the ever faithful old Patons Accessories Book number 215. I had to go down a needle size to acheive the desired tension (usual for me with cotton). This yarn has a lovely sheen, but is very 'splitty' and easily becomes untwisted too.

Works in progress

Time to take stock and make a plan

I've never been a great one for finishing everything I start. I'm thinking perhaps an occasional Work in Progress round up might start giving me more focus on getting things finished, just when I feel like project bags are breeding. Hopefully it might help make a proper dent in my stash!

So where to start, I have projects stashed all over the place!

1. crochet bits and bobs towards making crochet garlands

2. Microwave heat bag cover

3. Wisp scarf, this ones been on the needles for um over a year...

4. Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino Vest - this is for a two year old, the intended recipient just turned four! Luckily my friends keeps supplying new under two year old boys. One day it will be finished, I'm really not sure how it got left behind.

5. Ugh it's still there, most drama filled knit ever. A splintered cheap needle meant a change of needle brands half way through, and it dramatically changed the tension. I blogged about that frustration here. Frogged and started over, travelled all the way back to Aus with it, knitting with intentions of finishing while I was there - had too much fun, not finished....and I trod on a needle and broke it! After a blitz of Christmas knitting I found an old Carpel Tunnel problem returned and I couldn't complete even a row without a totally numb left hand. So the recipients grown another six months by now, and my interest in this is closer to revulsion now. Nothing for it but frog it I think, when I can bear to look at it again.

6. My first socks. I had grand plans last year of learning to knit socks and making a pair for everyone for Christmas. Big fail, I've only completed half of one sock! Am spurred on again though with my new book purchase, and determined to learn '2 at a time, toe up socks, using magic loop', and until last year that phrase meant absolutely nothing to me, so I'm going to count that as progress.


7. The tapestry that I laughingly thought I would finish in a year, four years ago. Haven't touched it for a while, the extended Winter we are having here instead of Spring is keeping me in knitting mode. If we ever get some warmer weather I'll be back to it.

8. The most shameful of all - most of this is still with me, this year really needs to be a year of destashing!

Of course that's just the textile 'to do' list, I'll have to do a painting round up soon - I fear that's a longer list of unfinished objects.