Kitchener stitch and patterns on Ravelry!

Between the day job and my To Be Adorned side hustle, I'm managing to cram in few sneaky rows of knitting here and there. We've moved a little further out of the city centre so my day generally includes a bus journey or two, which is prime stitching time! 

As usual, I had grand ideas about all the amazing yarny gifts I was going to make for Christmas gifts this year, but as the end of November is fast-approaching, I'm going to have to swallow the craft guilt, scale it back and make peace with working on with my WIP instead. When you think about it, it is a bit bonkers to feel guilty about your own unrealistic goals that only you knew about anyway. Currently on my needles is a pair of Edith mittens, and while I shouldn't have to justify making something for myself instead of Christmas gifts, I do actually need a pair.

I'm using the leftover red DROPS Nepal yarn from my Miette cardigan (so cosy) to knit these, and am loving the simple lace design. So far I've completed the first mitten, minus the thumb, and am well into the ribbing on the second. All plain sailing, until it got to grafting the top of the mitten together. Knitting socks isn't really my thing and I've never grafted stitches before, so this Purl Bee tutorial on Kitchener stitch came in very handy. I literally couldn't have figured it out otherwise. I'm not quite sure I've nailed it, I think it could be neater. Do you have any tips or good resources for Kitchener stitch? 

The other yarn-related news is *drumroll* two of my Simply Crochet designs are now available to buy on Ravelry! My Over the Rainbow ripple crochet blanket and Figgy Pudding festive hat topper patterns are out in the big wide world. While I've added the odd simple design to Ravelry before, this is the first time anything's gone up for sale.



It's been a while since I've chatted yarn here, so I'd love to know what's on your hook / needles right now and what's in your Ravelry queue. Fill me in!

baby bootees and a handmade legacy

We owe so much to the women who taught us to knit, don't we?

Nannie, now in her nineties, and Auntie Maureen, who we miss, would never have described themselves as knitters, but it's the skills they passed on to me that give me that identity. In their generations, almost everybody was handy with a needle and thread or ball of yarn. Now they're the kind of skills we have to seek out. 

A couple of weekends ago, I headed south to the seaside town where my parents live. I'd been invited to a baby shower for my friend Beth who's about to pop (so exciting). Naturally, I'd done the knitterly thing and stitched a pair of baby bootees – these ones by Marianna. In the past, I've knocked up little pairs of buttoned Mary Janes using the Saartje's Bootees pattern. They are very cute and it's a good excuse to raid the button stash, but I found this design a lot less fiddly.

The pattern is free (always a bonus), they're so easy to knit and look really adorable. I'll definitely be making more of these! I used DROPS Cotton Merino for this pair, which is a soft DK that's machine washable. I was keen to make them in natural fibres and this yarn fitted the bill nicely. Get all the deets on Ravelry here.

I was pretty chuffed with my handmade gift, but it was by no means the most beautiful or meaningful one given. We gathered round and Beth started unwrapping gifts for her little one. The first present was a pair of breathtaking handknitted blankets. One had a colourwork pattern with hedgehogs and a moss stitch border, the other was a delicate circular blanket in fine white lace. Both were lovingly and painstakingly stitched. The lady I was sat next to had made them. Her name was Jean. She was wearing a beautiful handknitted cardigan - periwinkle blue with complicated cables. It sounds cheesy, of course, but you could tell how much love she'd put into the making those blankets. Jean told me they had taken weeks to make and described how she'd made the round one with circular needles. She'd been knitting for years and had made many, many blankets in her time. Jean said she was even making blankets now for the children of people she'd made blankets for before they were born. That's an incredible legacy of heirloom knitted blankets.

Mama-to-be Beth is a very creative lady, so I know those beautiful blankets will be treasured for years to come. Her mum explained to me that Jean was a family friend who'd taught Beth how to knit when she was younger. It got me thinking about the impact that the older women in my life have had.

Nannie and Maureen taught me to knit. It's a simple thing, but it's had a huge impact on my career, my creativity, my identity, the people I've made connections with and how I think about my creator.

There have been some very significant pseudo-grandmas in my life too. Dodie, Nannie's best friend, gave me some vintage knitting patterns and my first tapestry needle years ago. I still use it to sew in all the ends on my projects. Mary gave me and my sister old books that her children had read, which helped kindle my love of reading at a young age. And Gwyn, who taught me about the power of prayer, even amid heartache, and how it's never too late to learn something new or find joy in an unexpected place. I'm so grateful to all of them.


Who do you owe your craft skills to? Let's celebrate them.

yarn along: The Night Circus, Elegance and a baby hat

It feels like it's been a while since we caught up, so what better way to check in than with a natter about reading and knitting? Ginny's yarn along is always a joy, but especially now it's so dark and cold that all I want to do is curl up indoors and ward off the encroaching winter with yarn and books. 

What are you making at the moment? This tiny stripy baby hat is fairly fresh off my needles. It's a Simply Knitting pattern from their Hand Knits for Baby booklet. The pattern is called Hats Off and I made it for a special little lady who hasn't been born yet! It's a pretty straightforward, knitted flat pattern and I figured out my own sassy stripe sequence. The yarn is Bessie May Smile – a squishy merino DK that is SO soft. You can see more on Ravelry here. 

I've finally finished The Night Circus (sooo good - message me if you've not read it and fancy my copy. I like to pass on good books). The colours black and red have an important presence in the story and there's an amazing bit near the end where a knitter gives one of the characters a beautiful red scarf. Check it out:

"She hands him a red wool scarf, the one she has been knitting on and off. It is longer than Bailey expected from watching her knit, with intricate patterns of knotted cables at each end.

"I can't accept this," he says, part of him deeply honored and the other part wishing people would stop giving him things. 

"Nonsense," Elizabeth says. "I make them all the time, I am at no loss for yarn. I started this one with no particular reveur in mind to wear it, so clearly it is meant for you."

"Thank you," Bailey says, wrapping the scarf around his neck despite the warmth of the train."

It's just brilliant when knitting crops up in a book you've fallen in love with. So what's next? I'm about to start on Elegance by Kathleen Tessaro. I've not read anything else by her, but I friend passed it on to me so I'm giving it a go. I'll keep you posted. 

I'd also like to share something exciting that happened earlier this month - the lovely Sarah of Crafts from the Cwtch featured me in her 'In Conversation With…' series. We had a good old chinwag about Knit Happens and my Simply Crochet day job. You can read it here. 

What are you knitting and reading at the moment? 

  

off the needles: Miette

Ta-da! She is finished!

I started Miette last Christmas as part of Andi's Selfish Sweater KAL 2016 and now the cardigan is FINALLY off the needles and on my back. Okay, so it took me a grand total of nine long months to finish, but what a journey! 

This is my first ever adult-sized knitted garment and I'd definitely recommend this pattern to anyone contemplating such a feat. I'd long admired Andi's Untangling Knots cropped sweater designs and initially I was seduced by the vintage, 1950s vibe of Miette, (and the fact that it's a free Ravelry download – let's be real), but I fell even more in love with the pattern as I stitched. It's easy to follow and the seamless top-down method meant not only could I try it on as I went along (cue jubilant mirror prancing at every stage), but I didn't have to do any sewing up at the end. Hurrah!

The zigzag lace sections look fancy when they're blocked but are simple to do and I don't think I had any points in the project where I got totally stuck. It's just a really wearable, flattering design.

My version of the cardi is knitted in Drops Nepal – an aran-weight alpaca mix yarn. Deliciously soft, really cosy and smooth to stitch with – I'm a fan! It was one of the suggested yarns for the project on Ravelry, and as it's so reasonable and I'm a sucker for alpaca, I knew it was the one. There's a great colour range, too (I shopped at Wool Warehouse). I'll be interested to see how it wears over time. Have you used it before?  

And obviously I've already decided on the garment I want to knit next. It's this sausage dog jumper by Amanda Jones, in mustard yellow of course. What on your needles at the mo? 

Cardigan: Miette; Gingham dress: old H&M (charity shopped); Bag: charity shopped; Boots: Clarks Originals (hand-me-downs)

spinning and dyeing yarn for newbies

I've known maker and lovely creative lady Marina for a little while. She's a fearless textile lover who can turn her hand to anything. Since we don't live in the same city any more, I've spent a lot of time gawping at her Instagram feed where she shares what she's been making (she's just bought a spinning wheel – living the dream!).  Basically there's a lot of gorgeous yarn and colourful fibres (swoon!). I'd been meaning to pick her brains about how she got into spinning and dyeing yarn and then thought why not share it here?

Hi Marina! I know you've been a knitter for some time, but what inspired you to take the plunge and get into dyeing and spinning?

I started both spinning and dyeing around the same time. I had always assumed you needed a spinning wheel to make yarn, so never really looked into it. Then I found out that drop spindles exist, and are an inexpensive, easy way to start spinning - I went to a local yarn shop the next day, picked up a spindle kit and got started! Once I was thinking creatively about the yarn itself, rather than simply looking for existing yarn for my projects, I knew that I wanted to play with colour. I happened to have some pure undyed wool in my stash, and some dyes from some tie-dye attempts a couple of years ago. As with the spinning, I decided I would give it a go, then spent all of the next day dyeing yarn and was immediately hooked!

Do you have any advice for newbies who'd like to give spinning or dyeing a go?

Don’t be scared! Both things can be intimidating, but are really good fun. Spinning can require a fair bit of practice to get the hang of it, but is then a really relaxing process. I’m still working on my spinning technique, and have just bought a spinning wheel, so am constantly improving. Dyeing is very different and makes me feel like a crazy chemist sometimes! I like to mix my own colours from primary colours, rather than buying pre-mixed colours. Working from primaries (usually yellow, magenta, and blue) is a good way to get into it if you are confident in your colour mixing and want to try out a wide range of colours without buying lots of different dyes.

Have you had any spinning or dyeing disasters?

Of course! My first handspun yarn was genuinely comical. It was neon yellow, chunky and lumpy, and so thick it would have been the width of my thumb if I’d bothered to ply it. I called it a practice run and carried on! Each successive spin was then a bit better, looking a bit more like ‘real’ yarn, and more consistent. As for dyeing, sometimes results can be a bit unexpected. The closest I’ve had to a disaster was when I started trying out a new type of dye. I was going for a nice teal and warm brown combo - it came out turquoise and pink and black and all sorts of colours! I realised I needed to make a lot of tweaks to my technique to make that type of dye give the colours I want. 

What bits of kit do you swear by?

Because I want to spend as much time possible doing the creative, fun bits, I ended up resenting the amount of time I was spending ‘reformatting’ yarn. The two things that have been lifesavers are a ball winder, which just clamps onto the edge of a table or surface, and winds a lovely cake of yarn so quickly. The other is a niddy noddy, which I mostly wanted because it’s the best, most made-up sounding name for anything I’ve ever come across. I had previously been winding skeins either between my hand and elbow, or round chair backs, both of which work, but neither is ideal. The niddy noddy makes such short work of making a skein that I barely notice I’ve started winding by the time it’s all done!

What's your favourite thing that you've made?

A couple of months ago I knitted a chunky grey and orange brioche cowl; it was the first thing I made completely from my hand spun, hand dyed yarn. I loved the colour combination and the fact that I’d taken it from colourless fluff to a unique, beautiful, wearable item. I have made other things from my handmade yarn since then, but am still so proud of that one. 

What can you tell us about your favourite fibres and techniques?

I really love Shetland wool to spin and knit; it’s so lovely and soft, and pleasant to work with, and I love the range of natural colours it comes in. Brioche is currently my favourite knitting technique (and I don't think I’m alone in that!) as it’s a relatively easy way to create textured contrast between two yarns. I’m going to try out some more complex variations soon, and am excited for that! 

Your colour combinations are amazing! Where do you find inspiration?

Thank you; I love colour! There are certain combinations that I love; any mix of brown and blue will win me over. I like to have a specific image in mind when creating colour ways; sometimes a scene from nature, or the feeling of a particular day. It can get a bit abstract! I have a Pinterest board that I use to pin any photos I find with interesting colours, which I can use as inspiration if I’m a bit stuck for my next dye lot. Usually my plan changes between looking at the screen and mixing the dyes, but it’s a starting point.

Who are your favourite yarn crafters and where can we find you online?

Stephen West is a huge inspiration in looking at knitwear design from a totally new, unique perspective, and Meghan Shimek’s beautiful weavings make me want to roll around in soft wool all day. I’m on Instagram @marinaskua, where you can see the behind-the-scenes work as I create and continue to learn, and my online shop is www.marinaskua.etsy.com.

it's a gift: knitted

Here they are – the last of the 2015 Christmas knits! 

I made four super-chunky hats for various family members and this might just be the easiest, quickest hat pattern EVER. It's the Casie Hat by Robyn Devine – a perfect basic design that you can put your own spin on. I improvised some colours and worked extra length on a couple of the hats for bonus slouch. I didn't have the needles (or expertise) to do a three needle bind off, so I sort magic looped/ fudged the top of the hats. A pompom can hide a multitude of sins. 

Incidentally, the hat with the pompom was for my sister, who requested a slouchy beanie "like something Jake Gyllenhaal might wear!" Erm. Not sure what he'd make of it, but the sis seemed pleased nonetheless. Have you ever had any weird knitting requests? 

This is Cowl a la Mode, made for the other Mother-in-Law (there are two!). Straightforward and speedy, but with enough texture and stitch changes going on to keep things interesting. I used Stylecraft Alpaca Tweed Chunky for this, and while I wasn't crazy abut the acrylicy (yep, that's a word now - phrase coined) feel of it, it gave fairly good stitch definition to this make and was quite cosy. I have some lovely memories of knitting this during our trip to Paris in September *sighs wistfully*. All in all, a fab free pattern by Ellen that I'd definitely recommend for gift knitting as it's so quick, simple and fun to knit. 

Selfish Sweater KAL Miette update

I've been knitting and knitting and knitting and now Miette has started to look like an actual thing! My Selfish Sweater KAL 2016 project is still on the needles, of course, but the sleeve bits are waiting patiently on their waste yarn, the bust shaping is done and the stitch markers are off. It's brilliant that I can try it on as I work as well, though Mr P is none too impressed with the related trying-on capering, which obviously involves much silly whooping and excitement. Well, it is my first garment after all. 

I did have a hiccup earlier on in the pattern when my stitch count mysteriously went a bit squiggly, but the incomparable Faye did some sums and got me back on the straight and narrow.     

The achievability and simplicity of the project are what I've really been enjoying, as well as how quickly it's been growing. If I'd known garments could be this straightforward, I'd have knitted one long before now! So far the yarn has been behaving, too - smooth and not splitty at all. I've just started on the fourth ball.  

I must confess I am a bit apprehensive about the neckband and buttonbands that are to follow. I've only ever done these once and that was on a baby cardi. But this is how we learn, right? Gotta get stuck in there and give it a go. Having said that, please do share any neckband/buttonband wisdom!

What are you working on at the mo? 

Doing any special makes for yourself now we're into the new year?

Also, I LOVE these socks. For real. 

when knit becomes crochet

*Sings blog post title to the tune of When 2 Become 1*

Anyway. You know I started knitting an orange jumper absolutely AGES ago? Well, it didn't last. I finished the back then lost momentum altogether. I became convinced I'd gone wrong, then I couldn't even remember which size I'd started making or which needles I'd used. It was clear the project just wasn't going anywhere. 

Oh, knitted jumper, we were never meant to be. 

When we moved (not that I've mentioned that AT ALL), I came across all the delicious orange Merino I'd bought for the jumper. Sigh. It then occurred to me that it might be a whole lot simpler to frog the back of the jumper and make a whole different garment with the yarn. Maybe a really easy crochet garment? Yay - new project excitement! So here's what I'm making instead. And it's a joy. I've learnt how to work three treble clusters and (with some help) I kind of understand the pattern. Does this make me crafty bilingual? 

I'll keep you updated with my progress. In fact, I've got a few train (or replacement bus) journeys ahead of me and I want to get my blue shawl done next month. Hopefully there'll be another FO around these parts soon! 

Have you had any frogging/ yarn reincarnation experiences of late? 

Worldwide Knitting in Public Day 2015

Saturday was Worldwide Knitting in Public Day and I must admit I have a soft spot for these sort of things. In fact, I started writing this blog (way back in 2009) as a way to chronicle my knitting in public adventures. 

These days, knitting in public is a daily occurrence for me. It's become pretty standard. My commute is a great time to get a few rows or rounds in and accordingly I always have a yarny project with me wherever I go. Train knitting, pub knitting, bank knitting, queueing for anything under the sun knitting - that's my whole deal.  But a special day when yarn crafters all over the globe can unite in a shameless attempt to publicly make the world a little more woolly? I'll be there with bells on.

Bath's Fashion Museum was hosting knitters for the morning to celebrate WWKIPD and to launch the Bath branch of the Knitting and Crochet Guild. I grabbed my WIP (Helen Stewart's Pebble Beach Shawlette in Shilasdair Luxury 4ply) and headed over. 

The museum was appropriately decked out in knitted bunting and inside there were already groups of friendly stitchers getting stuck in. I saw some familiar faces and met some new knitters, too. There were experienced knitters on hand to share purls of wisdom with newbies, lots of info about the Guild and a stack of rather awesome vintage patterns up for grabs from the museum's exhaustive archive. We merrily knitted away in the elegant Card Room until noon. It was the perfect way to spend a rainy Saturday morning. I'll be keeping an eye on the museum's Twitter account to make sure I hear about future knitty events.

How did you celebrate WWKIPD?

on the needles: that orange sweater

Hey. Hey guys. I've finally cast on my first ever garment! Better late than never, eh? I went to the yarn shop, bought lots of orange yarn and started making the most basic jumper I could find. (details on Ravelry here, as usual). Man, are garments a whole different ball game. I'm only a little way through the back piece, but I've already learnt a lot. 

1. Tension be crazy. It seems that every time I sit down to knit, my tension is a little tighter. What's that all about? I'm making a conscious effort to really relax and work a little looser so it evens out. 

2. There's a time and a place for attempting continental. This ain't it. I thought it would be a bright idea to experiment with changing my hand position and knitting with the yarn in the opposite hand so I could work faster. It wasn't a bright idea. I've ended up with a weird tight row that really stands out. Turns out if you knit differently, it makes your knitting look different. Who'da thunk it? I've learnt my lesson and am now sticking to my usual, comfy-but-awkward-looking technique. 

3. It's all about the process. After working on smaller projects and lots of speedy crochet things, I'm actually enjoying the slow, leisurely process of slogging away with a garment, focussing on enjoying the knitting itself rather than racing along towards the outcome. 

4. Movies and long journeys are my new BFFs. So far I've knitted my way to the Midlands and back, and through a few episodes of this and that. Can you recommend any great movies/series to knit through? Also, any garment-making wisdom would be much appreciated. 

off the needles: cable hat and mitts

Now we're stuck into January I can share some of my Christmas knitting triumphs with you. Yes, triumphs. For once I actually challenged myself and attempted some new things, namely cables. I'd practiced cabling before but never made anything substantial with them. A couple of ladies at work had made these mitts and, after being reassured they were quick and simple, I gave them a go. 

Ta da! Pumpkin mitts for sweet friend. I'm gaga for this yarn by the way - it's Grace silk and wool by Louisa Harding. I made two pairs of these and might just have to treat myself to some, too. 

And the piece de resistance? The mock cable hat I made for my sister. I used two shades of Louisa Harding's butter-soft Thistle yarn. I knitted an odd mash up of the medium and large sizes, due to a lack of yarn. Really, I could have done with a third ball. The hat ended up wide enough but a little short. It did grow a little when I blocked it though. 

I have to say, cables look impressive but can be far easier than you imagine. If you haven't taken the plunge yet, go for it!

Handmade Christmas

Penguin power!

Last Friday I put on that jumper (it was Save the Children's Christmas Jumper Day! Did you get involved? I saw a lot of people rocking awesome holiday knitwear that day)...

I packed my hook and yarn, got on the train and went here...

Yup, Handmade Christmas at London's 02! A Christmas market packed full of British handmade goodies, and only handmade goodies. I got my granny square on, helping out at a crochet workshop in the afternoon, had a much-needed cuppa, and then went to explore! There was a lot of amazing stuff, and once again I took some embarrassingly poor quality pics of a few things. Wanna see?

Pretty paper things

Delicious knitted lambswool creations from Catherine Tough. I love their colour palette. And those pom-poms, man.

Munki Make's feltie creatures

Scrabble, Lego, need I say more?

Books from beer mats, like you do.

Also, I didn't get a snap of their stall, but Ashanti Lou's brilliantly bonkers couture shoes were stunning. Seriously, there was a jungle pair with a lizard crawling up the heel. I mean, what?! Plus, the Ashanti Lou ladies were super-friendly. 

I live far enough away from London that's it's still pretty exciting to go there. That's normal, right? By far the coolest, non-handmade thing that happened while I was there was that I heard Two Door Cinema Club warming up for their gig that evening - genius!

I'd already done most of my Christmas shopping and making, but I did snap up a couple of gorgeous typewriter notebooks from Blank Inside. Have you been to any craft fairs this year? What goodies have you been making for Christmas?