Month: January 2014

Yarn Bowls!

Posted on by Alice Neal

Who knew?!

I have a new Instagram account and through my travels encountered Wendy Fowler, aka yarnbowl987

I was instantly drawn to her beautiful yarn bowls, though having treated myself recently to a dressmaker’s dummy, I was a good girl and simply put it on my wish list.

But she stymied me 😉

I logged in to my account, and there was the prettiest bowl, a ‘slight second’ because it had become slightly misaligned in the kiln, which didn’t affect it’s functionality at all, but its price considerably.

I failed to resist.

But look!

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Can you blame me?

A capelet. Or a ponchette?

Posted on by Alice Neal

Whatever you want to call it, I made it! I am disproportionately thrilled with this one because it came out of my head.

A learning experience with (to me at least) glaring imperfections, I know just how to get it right now and, after wearing it for merely a day – I only take it off at night at the moment! 😉 – I have two commissions already, so plenty of opportunity to perfect it.

I especially love the trim: a yarn called ‘Duchessa’ by Laines du Nord, which I knitted around the top and crocheted around the bottom.

When I’ve perfected the pattern, I’ll write it up, but for now, here it is in the making:

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Beanie hats

Posted on by Alice Neal

I bought a pattern on Craftsy. We were going to see our lovely neighbours on Christmas Eve and I wanted to have something to give to little Pippa. Besides, Pip has that gorgeous, curly, wide-eyed, Shirley Hughes look to her, just like the baby in the pattern photo, so that settled it! 😉

It’s called the Backtrack Beanie.

I made it in chunky brown yarn, rather than the double-stranded approach prescribed by the pattern. It took an hour. So speedy. So I made one for me, too! And Pip’s mummy wanted one in her size, and her little cousin wanted one in pink. Pip and her mummy look fabulous in their matching hats…

Hat production!

I highly recommend this pattern, though I admit I made up my own brim… And flower embellishments… Weeellll… Who doesn’t modify? 😉

Photographic evidence:

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My very first adult jumper!

Posted on by Alice Neal

On my travels around the interweb, I discovered the challengingly entitled Three Movies Sweater, written in Swedish and English. I loved the style, and the premise, so I took the bait and ordered the wool. Drops Eskimo, for the uninitiated, is a chunky (9mm needle) 100% wool for a very reasonable £1.70 for 50g. This pattern took around 12 x 50g balls to make.

Although I was thrilled by the outcome, especially for a first-timer, my jumper came out considerably smaller than the one in the blog, unless she’s teeny, and I bigger than I thought 😉

Also, I found there were a few omissions / confusing points in the pattern where I just had to wing it.

In short, I’ve ordered the wool for my next one and it’ll be better!

One thing I was REALLY pleased with, though, was a bit of an innovation – a risk that paid off. The ribbing at the bottom was too narrow for me, and curled up a lot. I searched the Net for tips on how to pick up and continue in rib, but found none. So I winged it again, and it worked. The join is visible, but not unsightly, and I have a new knitting fix in my arsenal 🙂 I tried to photograph it, as you will see below.

So… A picture story of its creation:

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A Rather Rustic Shrug. {pattern}

Posted on by Alice Neal

I posted this picture on my Tumblr blog earlier today, and it has received a lot of attention, including requests for the pattern.

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It was a weekend project, cooked up in my head and produced in a frankly slapdash fashion which, to my surprise and delight, paid off. Knitted ‘sideways’, it really is astoundingly simple – basically a long rectangle with slits for arms – and, once you’ve got it, could be tweaked and customised endlessly. Smaller needles, lighter weight yarn and more stitches for something less bulky and more drapey, for example… Or you could make one front section longer, so you can throw it over the opposite shoulder…

I have never written a pattern before, so bear with me, and if you do decide to give this a go and find glaring faults or have any questions, please just holler.

So here goes.

You will need:
Super chunky yarn. I used James C Brett Rustic, Mega Chunky, I think around 5 x 100g balls (that may be an overestimate)
12mm, long knitting needles
9mm or 10mm crochet hook
Darning needle
Chopstick or toggle or fastening of choice

Using 12mm needles, cast on 45 stitches. This is the length of your shrug, so if you want it shorter, cast on fewer, or longer, cast on more. I am 5 feet 9 and a size 12, and have given the number of rows mine took. It’s an easy pattern to play with and adjust for your size.

1) Knit in stocking stitch: one row plain, one row purl, until the work covers your front across your chest. (About 35 rows in my case) ending with a wrong side (purl) row.
Next (right side) row: knit 10, cast off 15, knit 15
Next (wrong side) row: purl 15, cast on 15, purl 10.
You have created the first armhole.
2) Continue in stocking stitch until the work after the armhole comfortably covers your back. (About 45 rows on mine)
Create the next armhole in exactly the same way.
3) Continue in stocking stitch until it covers your front again. (About 35 again). Cast off.

Attach yarn to a corner and double crochet UK (sc US) all the way around.
I did an extra line of treble UK (double US) around the bottom of mine, for a more obvious border. But of course your border could be anything you like. Or nothing if you prefer the curling up look of the plain stocking stitch… Weave in tails.

Fasten with chopstick, in whatever style takes your fancy, or leave open and draped, like a large scarf 🙂