Category: Uncategorized

Warm toes, warm heart. Pair 4 of 26 pairs for 2021

Posted on by Alice Neal

So, socks number 7 and 8 of my 52 socks for 2021 are now finished.

They’re knitted in the same brand of socks as that last gorgeous stripy slouchy pair (Novita 7 Veljesta) but this time, the heels and toes are worked with 7 Veljesta Pohjola, which also contains 30% Finnish wool and is DIVINE.

This pair (hence the title) will be part of my beloved husband’s Valentines present, helping keep his tootsies toasty in this crazily snowy winter we find ourselves surviving.

The pattern is the same as the slouchy ones, without the decrease before the heel, and with a rather experimental boomerang heel that doesn’t go all the way around the sock in the middle.

I think they came out rather well! Roll on 14th ❤️

Embracing my lockdown

Posted on by Alice Neal

He says, every morning, unprompted and without fail, “I love those chickens” which is in itself quite remarkable for one with such limited speech.

Double Pattern Heaven

Posted on by Alice Neal

1

So, at long last written up and published, ladies and gents I present to you the third (and fourth, as it happens) designs in my super-chunky range using Paintbox Yarns Wool Mix Super chunky (which comes in affordable 10-ball packs and 5-ball packs, for your delight and delectation) 😉

And on my way to designing the vintage pink jacket / cardigan pictured above, I began with something a little smaller, to work out my design before I got cracking. I started with a little bolero, but I didn’t like the way it ballooned out at the bottom. Although it looked gorgeous on the hanger, on the body it gave the impression of a bit of a humpback, which was really not part of the vision. So I frogged it back a way and took it in to finish up with the rather pretty wraparound pictured below:

5

Both of these are super-quick projects, given the chunkiness of the yarn, and the patterns are available together as an instant download if you are already a patron here. (See also all the other patterns available for instant download by clicking on the tabs above).

Otherwise, you can find the double pattern here.

Happy knitting!

Super-Boxy Sweater

Posted on by Alice Neal

I have at long last written up my pattern for my dolphin blue chunky sweater.

2

It’s a super-speedy knit and, given the fact that we had snow at the beginning of this week here oop north, you might yet get some use out of it before Spring makes its presence more permanently felt!

54436616_1981888428589800_1011381355583373312_o

It’s designed to be roomy, oversized, boxy and a ‘throw on’, and can be worn up on the shoulders, or pulled down for an off-the-shoulder look. And it’s also designed to be worn mid-hip so you can pair it with jeans or a skirt very easily, or with a long tee underneath for a layered effect.

And it’s written in two oversized sizes, in Paintbox Yarns Wool Mix Super-Chunky, in my case in dolphin blue.

You can find the pattern here, or it’s available for instant download along with a growing back catalogue which is also instantly available when you join me as a patron here.

1

53902781_1974236922688284_8121768240314580992_o

February Finished.

Posted on by Alice Neal

February was wonderfully productive, I’m delighted to say. I feel like 2019 has brought me back my design mojo, which was waning a little at the end of 2018.

Clockwise from top left (click links for patterns, where available):

  1. My Dolly Socks, in wool and cashmere superwash – the perfect prettiness for Spring.
  2. My first pair of gloves, knitted exclusively for me. I haven’t bothered with the pattern as they were my first pair, but I’m already looking forward to designing some beauties, now that I have these ones under my belt. Motto? Feel the fear and do it anyway 😉
  3. Aphrodite’s new jumper: the Juno’s Friend Jumper. And apparently we’re to expect a late blast of snow in a few days’ time, so that will come in handy. My beloved husband tells me I need to make her a pink spotty one next. Watch this space…
  4. My Lilac and Lime Bobble Socks, in a not-at-all lilac and lime colourway, which I love to bits with my Duckfeet.
  5. My husband’s woodland jumper, already tried and tested in the woods, and the pattern for which I have yet to write up, but WILL. I promise <3

I’m already excited to see what March will bring.

Happy knitting, lovelies! <3

Fabulous Fair-Isle – Four Fancies

Posted on by Alice Neal

28

We’ve had a whole heap of snow up here in the North-East of England. More than we usually do (but still: not as much as some bumper years, and certainly not as much as proper SNOWY countries!) So our winter woollies have been especially necessary this year.

With that in mind, I bought a whole load of gorgeous Rooster Almerino yarn (over here, in the loveknitting sale) – 50% baby alpaca and 50% merino wool, it’s so snuggly-soft and the colours are just lovely. I went for some… oh, I don’t know. What would you call them? I quite like ‘muted candy’ colours. 4 of them. 2 balls of each. And I have four hats out of that haul, with a fifth in production.

It all began with this, and the love for the colourwork I’ve missed so much the past few months came flooding back:

31

Pretty soon, I had a second underway (trusty scribbling book at my side, making notes as I went. Planning isn’t my strong suit – I’m far more fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants, aka let’s-see-if-this-works…):

30

By this stage, I had decided that a main colour of each of the four was the way to go, and a third began:

29

Each different, each unique, each soft and snuggly and pastelly-bright.

Until there were four:

9

I went about charting them, knowing I’d got about as much use out of those beautiful colours as I could (and those of you who know me know I’m usually a bit of a greys and browns kinda gal, so this was stretching my comfort zone a bit).

Here’s an example of one of the strips of fair isle:

21

I have to say, it’s been some time – what with one thing and another… oh, you know… LIFE – since I felt quite so inspired and had quite so much fun with a project as these four. They seemed to positively fly, needles clacking and smoking, out of my head and then onto heads.

It fills me with joy when I see people I love sporting something I’ve made for them.

3

Here’s Ted, reading in his hat.

Each of the four is slightly different; not just in fairisle motifs, but also in size and pattern. The yellow one above, for example, is the smallest, snuggest, ‘beaniest’.

And this one:

5

 

is the tallest, and slouchiest.

The blue and the pink are somewhere in between.

All of them are available as patterns to buy as one download of four, if you fancy having a crack at them yourself. And if you do, please, please tag me? I so love to see other people’s interpretations of my designs. The patterns can be found here

Also, have a pop at them with a different worsted / aran. As long as you use 4mm and 5mm needles, you’ll be on track for the same look. And if winter hangs on the way it’s threatening to, you still have time!
Happy knitting 😊

Alice x

In the Pink

Posted on by Alice Neal

There are one or two advantages to not having a long, hot summer (though I’m a bit sensitive about the amount of rain we’ve had Oop North just lately, so do try not to bait me… 😉 ), the main one being longer months of wool-wearing.

Which, when you’ve just finished pretty much your favourite jumper yet, is some small consolation to offset the bloody RAIN.

*Harumph*

pink stripes3

It’s outrageously pink, but striped enough not to be candy floss, and I chose a different solid colour for the sleeves and the main body to shake things up a bit.

The neck is wonderfully wide, and is left to furl slightly, as are the sleeves. 2-stitch raglan seams (my favourites) and a K2P2 rib at the hem are the final little details.

I made it with Drops Nepal and Drops Big Delight, which I had LOADS of kicking around, given my total obsession with knitting Beauteous Boot Socks 😉 but any Aran weight yarn giving you a gauge of around 16 stitches per 10cm would do nicely.

pink stripes1

If you fancy having a crack at it, you can find the pattern here. And if you do have a go, do please think about tagging me. I totally love seeing the interpretations of others (we all know it’s impossible not to tweak a pattern, right?)

pink stripes4

The pattern is in one size (pictured) and shown here on me – 5’9″ and a UK size 12 – though the bust is a generous 42″ and there are notes in the pattern about making it bigger.

So… happy knitting! <3

Mutton Mittens

Posted on by Alice Neal

I was asked via my facebook page to make a pair of mittens – something to keep the fingers toasty whilst cheering on the footballer / hockey player in my customer’s family.

Not too pale, because they’re likely to get grubby. Not brown. And the rest was up to me.

Thus were born the Mutton Mittens (*snort*)

In Drops Nepal pure wool, in dark and light grey, on 5mm needles. Chunky and with the added warmth provided by the layers from the fairisle. I’m plotting many more…

sheep-mittens

sheep-mittens2

sheep-mittens3

Chunky FTW! (a free pattern)

Posted on by Alice Neal

I have made (it’s official) the chunkiest hat in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD.

chunky1

I wanted to make a hat for my Beloved. He feels the cold a bit more than he used to, and of all the hats I have made, none is quite right.

I have a micro-stash of the chunkiest wool on the planet. Well…. it’s not. But it’s very chunky and it’s in my possession, and frankly, anything that needs knitting up on 15mm needles is pretty goshdarned chunky in my humble.

I’ve uploaded quite a few patterns for sale recently, so I thought I’d give the readers of my blog this piece of squishiness as a token of my appreciation.

Here’s what you need.
(Click the name at the top for a printable download)

The Chunk

2 x 100g balls Drops Polaris
15mm circular needles
A tapestry needle for weaving in ends
A large pompom maker (it’s so much less fiddly than all that faffing around with cardboard doughnuts!)

Method:
(This makes an adult-sized hat, which fits my 15 year old son rather too well. I may have to hide it).

Cast on 36 stitches and place marker for the beginning of the round.

Knit 1 Purl 1 rib for 14 rows. This gives a really chunky squishy turn-up around the base of your hat.

Knit 5 rows.

Make your decreases as follows:

[Knit 5, K2tog] around. (36 remaining)

[Knit 4, K2tog] around. (30)

[Knit 3, K2tog] around. (24)

[Knit 2, K2tog] around. (18)

[Knit1, K2tog] around. (12)

K2tog around. (6)

K2tog around. (3)

Cut the tail long enough to thread through the last 3 stitches, pull tight and weave in.

Make a large pompom, leaving the ends long enough to thread through the top of the hat and tie in a tight double knot underneath, inside the top of the hat.

Weave in all ends.

Ta-dah!

Enjoy keeping warm <3

In the meantime, if you’re looking for other patterns, you can now find these ones both in my Etsy shop and on the loveknitting.com website:

ponchette1
The Ponchette pattern can be found here.

JJ10
The Juno Jumper pattern can be found here.

snake5
The Ssssidney Snake pattern can be found here.

cream2
The Snuggly Slippers pattern can be found here.

CJ16
The Simon Cowell Yorkie Christmas Jumper pattern can be found here.

 

PS I have always wanted a really chunky hat. Apparently, this one is a bit ‘too girly’ for my beloved. Imagine my chagrin… 😉

A Fairisle Frenzy

Posted on by Alice Neal

Can’t stay away from it.

So, top down, in the round, circular yoke experiment #1

I am, suffice to say, chuffed to bits.

Knitted on 4mm circular needles, except for the last half of the bottom ribbing where I switched to 3.5mm for a snugger fit. In Drops Nepal for the body and Karisma for the sleeves, and using some of the beautiful stash of Finnish Riihivilla hand-dyed wool given to me last Christmas by my rather clever husband.

Here it is, in picture story form:

finnish-wool

This is the absolutely delicious Finnish wool I used for the motifs.

swatch.jpg

This is the swatch I knitted to ascertain whether the Drops would provide the right match with the Riihivilla.

fairisle1

And thus it began.

Confession: I didn’t really leave enough of a margin before starting the first motif – the little owls. So, when it came to finishing off, I had to find a way to deal with the neck. In the end, I folded it back on itself and sewed the top down, creating a funnel neck, rather than the little roll I had originally intended. I’m very relieved it turned out ok!

fairisle6

fairisle7

fairisle3-wm

fairisle5

fairisle10.jpg

A little one for Ted next, I think 🙂