Tag: knitters gonna knit

In pictures, in progress… (updated with pattern links)

Posted on by Alice Neal

Last year, I designed a sweater I called the Vintage Chic sweater, in Paintbox yarns super chunky.

This year, I’ve reworked it for their 100% wool worsted range.

And I’m loving how it’s coming out.

Pattern to follow ❤️

Update:

I finished the adult version and then made a couple of little ones. The pattern is available in many sizes, from baby to adult. Here are some more pictures and links to the corresponding patterns.

You can find the adult version of the pattern, pictured below, here,

the child’s version, pictured below, here,

and the ‘Mummy and Me’ version, which includes both patterns as pictured below, here.

Happy knitting! x

Weekend WIPs

Posted on by Alice Neal

I’m not sure I’ll ever fall out of love with grey…

This weekend, I’m working on the fluffiest tee in the whole wide world, made on 7mm circulars from a cloudy ball of wool and alpaca:

And I’ve turned the heel on my second lacy sock, on 3.25mm needles in Debbie Bliss Toast 😊

Next up… A pair of yoga socks, I think.

Happy knitting, lovelies ❤️

A Canine Round-Up and Introducing…

Posted on by Alice Neal

… Aphrodite’s Jumper (also known as The Juno’s Friend Jumper).

I thought it might be time for a round-up of all the little jumpers I have so far designed for the hairier 4-legged people in our family. It’s been a while since I did, and the woolly family has grown since then, so let’s gallop down Memory Lane with a quick refresher of the story so far. (I’ll add links to the patterns in case you fancy a go yourself).

It started with the Juno Jumper. Don’t let her looks fool you – she’s a) a princess and b) feisty as all hell. But butter wouldn’t melt in this shot, huh?

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Then I was asked by Loveknitting to design and knit some little sweaters for Simon Cowell’s pups for a Christmas ITV special, which is where the Yorkie Christmas Jumper came in. (Have the pic of the man ‘imself, just to maximise my 15 seconds of fame 😉 )

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And then, of course, I felt that Juno also needed a Christmas sweater, and the Juno Christmas Jumper was conceived.

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And look, I’d kind of got the bug, ok? But I had guilt. After all, Juno isn’t our only furbaby. We have an enormous, gentle, but seriously-terribly-not-very-bright chocolate Lab called Aphrodite, or Aphy for short.

As a speedy aside, I recall one visit to the vet when I mentioned her, ahem, shall we say, slight deficit in the brains department? And the vet said “Yes. That’s chocolate labs, for you: heads full of fluffy pink balls”. At which point I decided it was best to just accept that she would never be graceful, would always fall over her own feet, would never learn that Juno doesn’t ever want to be her best friend, and that anything edible in the house that wasn’t under lock and key would be consumed. And some things that aren’t edible, too. Like Jenga. Most expensive dog chews I ever bought…

But I digress! It was Aphy’s turn, and she got The Lab Coat. Complete with buttons because I was worried about small holes and gangly legs:

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And… because I had some of the yarn left, and because I felt a bit matchy-matchy, Juno needed one, too. But in reverse, of course. So… And Juno Too!

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AND FINALLY!

Since the original one – the Juno Jumper right at the top – has proved to be my best-selling pattern so far and is the simplest of them all, I thought it was time a bigger version, modified for bigger legs and chests, was available. And the Juno’s Friend Jumper is now published. This one is made in Paintbox wool-mix super-chunky.
Me: What colour do you think will best suit Aphy? I’ve already used a lovely yellow…
Husband: Orange.
I think we can all agree, we’re not going to lose her in the dark! 🙂

 

 

 

So: if you share pictures of your Alice in Knittingland dog sweaters on instagram or Facebook  (links at the top) and tag me or the sweaters – e.g. #thejunojumper –  they will appear in my stories and go into my highlights. I just LOVE seeing your furry friends in their new threads.

Happy knitting, lovelies <3

PS If you are interested in receiving all the patterns, tutorials or ebooks I create as soon as they are created, you might consider becoming a Patron. You can find more information over here. Aphrodite’s Juno’s Friend Jumper pattern is already there and available for download as soon as you sign up, and here is a sneak peak at two patterns which will be appearing there in the very near future:

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Teddy’s Mittens (free pattern)

Posted on by Alice Neal

And Teddy walked to school in his mittens. Delighted. But probably mostly because of the snow.

Snatching Victory from the Jaws of Defeat…

Posted on by Alice Neal

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It’s a joy and a blessing when the small people you’ve spent years running around after are at last able to begin to fend for themselves and, even better, to help around the house.

Dishwashers emptied, washing up done, sitting room tidied and hoovered… A total gift. And a blessed relief.

Buuuuuuut.

There’s a sore point about to be made and I’m sure you have already figured it out. It seems that every post I make at the moment mentions my Beauteous Boot Socks. There’s a very good reason for that. I love them. I love them so much that I knitted myself about 5 pairs over the last couple of winters.  Indeed, if you click on the link, you will see that the photograph for the pattern itself is the very pair in question.

You don’t need words, though. You just need this picture:

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Yup, that’s the very same pair. *le sigh*

See… when your darlings start putting on the laundry, it’s worth mentioning to them that wool – you know, proper wool – shrinks. It’s also worth NOT putting said wool in the family laundry basket when you’ve taught them how to use the machine, and asked them to put a load on.

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How on earth only ONE made it into the machine is another question entirely.

So now, I have one delightfully soft and fluffy boot sock, and one tiny, stiff, very thick felted… thing. Don’t get me wrong, I still find it quite beautiful, but what to do with it??

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Well, it started with a gulp, a pair of scissors and:

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It then progressed to the 1950s PFAFF sewing machine we recently acquired for peanuts on eBay:

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Next was a decorative button and magnetic popper and… voila!

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My new handbag phone-sock is born.

I think it’s a thing of beauty and I guess I’m just going to have to shrink the other sock, right?

As for my plans for the bottom of the sock, oh, yes! I have some. But I had to order something to make it work, which will take a little while to arrive, and, to quote my husband, it is a bit bonkers. (At least, he thinks so 😉 ) When the time comes, I’ll let you decide <3