Tag: knitting

My Other Half

Posted on by Alice Neal

I got two beautiful skeins of The Yarn Collective’s Pembroke Worsted in Smoky Quartz and Copper Agate.

It’s gorgeous stuff. I mean gorgeous. Beautiful shifting colour, delightfully squishy, and lovely to knit with.

So, what to make with it?

A pair of Valentine’s boot socks for my husband. And, since Valentine’s Day was fast approaching, they needed LOTS of hearts.

my-other-half3

Oh, and in the spirit of different but similar halves of a whole, I thought they’d be rather beautiful mirroring each other: mismatched but matching.

So here they are in all their glory:

my-other-half7

And, as ever, if you fancy a crack at them yourself, you can find the pattern here.

my-other-half4

my-other-half5

(Oh, and because he’s a Wool-Widower and such an obliging sock model, I let him keep them early 🙂 )

my-other-half6

Happy knitting! <3

Stripes and Swirls

Posted on by Alice Neal

stripes-and-swirls3

I’m a sucker for a sale.

Well, actually, let’s rephrase that. I’m a sucker for a YARN sale.

And I’ve been bombarded with emails telling me how much cheaper it all is since Christmas, so when this stuff – Sublime Luxurious Aran Tweed, 40% wool, 40% cotton, 20% llama –  was about half price, it was obviously irresistible.

Even though… erm… I didn’t exactly have a plan.

But I’ve been completely bonkers about stripes lately. So, obviously, there had to be stripes.

sublime1

And nothing is complete these days without a bit of a motif… When I told my beloved husband my plan to mix ’em up he looked, let’s say, a little skeptical. But he did have the good grace to follow the look with “But what do I know?”

sublime2

One of the most positive side-effects of this journey through my woollen world is this: for many years, an expression of doubt or uncertainty would have put me off continuing along my trajectory but at this grand old age and with the experiences I have under my belt (which I hesitate to label ‘good’ or ‘bad’ since they all led me here, after all) I don’t care. I have the courage of my conviction, and I’m going to do it anyway. Sometimes, of course, it doesn’t work.

This time, I’m relieved to report, I believe it did.

So, the Stripes and Swirls Sweater was born and I love it:

stripes-and-swirls1

If you fancy a crack at it, you can find the pattern here.

And beloved husband?

“I think it’s your best yet.”

See?

Happy knitting!

stripes-and-swirls2

 

The Owl and the Pussycat

Posted on by Alice Neal

I tried.

I really did.

And it really did start off as a hat for ‘Imself:

owls12

And, I am very happy to report, he tells me it is “the hat he always wanted”. So, TICK that one off the list!

But it has, of course, evolved into something a little more delicate, something a bit more feminine, something a bit less…. big and we now have The Owl and the Pussycat mark II

owls11

Or, if you’d like to see it on:

owls15.jpg

And yes, it is actually now, as we speak, beginning its fourth incarnation with the pattern in relief:

owls16.jpg

(I’ll post a pic of the completed relief hat when it’s finished 🙂 )

I used 4mm needles for the rib, 5mm for the body of the hat and two varieties of aran-weight wool: solid colour and graduating.

If you fancy a go yourself, you can find the pattern here. After all, it’s still chilly enough to warrant something woolly on your bonce, n’est-ce pas?

Happy knitting!

 

The Molly Socks 

Posted on by Alice Neal

Just as autumn began, and my knitting ramped up with the onset of chilly evenings, I had a request.

Lover of all things Nordic, and liver in white and grey, my very stylish sister asked if I would make her some slipper socks, and The Molly Socks were born.

Here they are on her lovely London legs.

If your feet need a little classy warming as winter asserts its grip, and you fancy whipping yourself up a pair, you can find the pattern here. 

Oh, and not to be left out, my lovely bro-in-law now has a pair of equally monochrome Beauteous Gents’ Socks (click for pattern)

Right.

Think it’s time I had a pair myself. Now… where are those needles…

*tootles off humming happily*
(Photo credit for last 2 pics: @paintandhaven instagram)

His & Hers Stripes

Posted on by Alice Neal

Well… it seemed only fair.

I still haven’t finished his crochet blanket.

I still haven’t finished his Christmas jumper.

So isn’t it time I started and finished something for him?!

After the gazillionth pair of Beauteous Boot Socks:

striped-socks1

and using the same yarns (Drops Nepal in White and Drops Big Delight in Marina), my beloved partner-in-crime at last has his own pair: the Beauteous Gents’ Socks

man-socks2

If you are interested in the patterns, you can click on the links above the pictures, OR, you can find them both together here: the His and Hers Beauteous Socks.

his-n-hers

Happy Knitting and may your toes be ever toasty, and your heels ever cushioned.

<3

London Sophistication

Posted on by Alice Neal

I’ve been longing to share these… but, y’know, it was Christmas, and they were for Christmas, and she’d’ve seen.

So I’ve had to sit on them (not literally, though I guess that’s a potential new way of blocking?)

The story.

My sister, an artist (amongst other things, in a multi-talented, envy-provoking fashion), London-dweller and she of the chilly wrists, asked me for some fingerless gloves for Christmas.

I knew they had to be delicate, as is she. And she wanted long cuffs.

Being newly in possession of some Bloomsbury DK, I figured it would be perfect for the job.

A spot of horseshoe lace, some hand-dyed merino wool, a few eyelets, and voila! The Sophisticate Mitts were born.

molls-mitts6

And just because I can, here are a gazillion more pictures:

If you  fancy a crack at them, the pattern is here.

I hope everyone has had a fabulous Christmas and that the New Year holds love, laughter and prosperity for you all <3

A passionate affair

Posted on by Alice Neal

Once again, please forgive the knees 😉

But look…

I mean, LOOK.

Stripes, pure wool, bursting with colour…

What’s not to love?

striped boot socks2.jpg

And once again, they are just perfect with my old faves, the Duckfeet.

striped boot socks1.jpg

And just in case you were worried…. there are more on the needles. I am too in love to stop just yet.

Drops Big Delight provides those beautiful undulating colours, and Drops Nepal provides the striped relief.


Bliss

And the next ones….? Expect greens…. pinks…. browns…. *wistful sigh*

If you fancy a pop at knitting them, the pattern is here 💜

A dog is for Christmas 

Posted on by Alice Neal

….

No. Wait. Life.

A dog is for life.

But since Christmas is nearly upon us, how about she gets to join in with the festivities?

Juno, our  little Jack Russell princess, remember? The one who pokes her nose out of the door as a barometer? Then swivels on her heel (so to speak) and hides behind the sofa if conditions are less than perfect?

Well, in an effort to drag her from her grump and into the great outdoors…

… she has a new Christmas jumper.

If you have a petite pooch of your own, who feels the cold and needs some festive cheer, you can find the pattern on the Loveknitting.com blog over here (and it’s free till 18th December)

Now… back to the Christmas knitting !

(And yes, I gave her the biscuit 😂)

Cozy Toes

Posted on by Alice Neal

And snuggly calves.

And knobbly knees.

It’s all a bit frantic around here just now, with Christmas wool coming out of my ears…

But I took about 120g of Drops Big Delight, a pair of 5.5mm circulars and a few hours out over the last few days and made myself a long yearned for pair of boot socks.

Forgive the knees and marvel at the beautiful self-striping magic…


See you on the Yule flip-side (and may it be merry and bright) 💜