Tag: socks

Dots and Stripes. Dotty Stripes.

Posted on by Alice Neal

wp-1482559243071.jpg

No. This post is not about socks.

Although, I have to confess, I could gaze upon the beauty of the beauteous boot socks in perpetuity. I enjoy looking at them almost as much as I enjoy wearing them. And this very frosty northern morning, they are peeping above the tops of my boots and keeping my toes toasty. Over tights, no less. Yes. That’s how I roll.

Oh, and I enjoy wearing them almost as much as I enjoy knitting them.

But I digress.

There is of course a limit as to the number of boot socks you can possess (although as previous posts have explained – teenaged boys + washing machine + wool socks = unmitigated disaster) and I still have quite a lot of scraps of the various yarns I used for creating them.

Added to which, my wardrobe of preloved goodness has expanded this winter, and my colours are all rather autumnal.

I  needed a hat to match.

So I made one.

fbt

After which, beloved son number 2 requested one (he has a very chilly wait at the bus stop on his way to college in the mornings).

20200125105644_IMG_9316

And I really love the colours he chose (and banana cake. And coffee).

After which, I made another one just because I could.

2020-01-27-10-46-08

(I also made the lebkuchen because they’re my favourite and the blooming shops have stopped selling them now that Christmas is over. If you love them too, go and check out this recipe. It’s really simple and they’re bloody delicious).

If you have 100g or so of aran weight wool in a few colours and fancy a spotted, dotted, striped hat of your own, you can find the pattern here. And if you do make it, give me a tag? I do love to see it!

Happy Hump Day <3

Scraps

Posted on by Alice Neal

I never really understood scrap yarn until I started knitting socks. Anything I had left over ended up in a big bag of many-weighted mis-matched colours, which usually ended up going to a knitting group, being used for holding the sleeve stitches in top-down sweaters, or being stuffed out of sight at the back of my stash.

Until I started knitting socks. And, more specifically, until I discovered the insanely beautiful yarns available for socks. And the fact that a 100g skein would usually leave enough yarn to make a substantial contribution to another project.

Enter this oh-so-simple triangle shawl-in-the-making.

2020-02-04-11-14-43

Each stripe is identifiable as a sock that I have created, and each colour brings me deep joy. I especially love the little glittery flashes from the two Fondant Fibre glitter sock yarns, which give it a whole extra aspect of beauty. To me, that is.

It’s taking an age, but that is largely because of the (as mentioned on Insta) 48,000 other WIPs I have, incapable as I am of sticking to one at a time. I have great admiration for people who can start one, work on it, finish it, and start the next. But that’s just not how I roll.

Anyway, I can’t wait to finish it.

And as I know I have also mentioned before, in a bid to make my own small difference to the consumer overwhelm, these days I refuse to buy any new clothes, so everything (other than my smalls, obviously) that enters my wardrobe these days is either pre-loved, or created stitch by stitch by my own fair hand.

fbt

This picture is a case in point.

I was particularly smug to discover that my new socks, and my old-favourite sweater matched my ‘new’ eBay skirt perfectly.

And on I go, with plans for more woolly delights to match my preloved wardrobe.

It feels good <3

Tumbling Vines Sock Pattern

Posted on by Alice Neal

Good morning!

Monday.

Awfully windy out there, up here in the North-East. Today is a day for ALL the knits. And there’s very little that brings me more gentle pleasure than knowing that the majority of what I’m wearing was fashioned with my own fingers.

Today, it’ll be boot socks, sweater, hat, mittens, cowl… The works.

And I’ve found myself thinking… it might be time to knit a skirt? Does that work? Any experiences you’ve had with successes or failures would be greatly appreciated. Will you spur me on to try it? Or will you tell me I’m a madwoman for even thinking of it? I can’t decide if it’d be a neat thing to have, or end up looking like a baggy nappy (or diaper for our friends across the Pond)…

Anyway, enough ramblings and to the point of being here today (I haven’t had my coffee yet, and last night was not the greatest in terms of unbroken sleep, so forgive me if I seem to meander into side-roads with little regard for having lost my way). If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you’ll know I’ve recently come up with a new sock pattern, which I have now created both in Drops Nord yarn, and in Fondant Fibre glittery sock yarn. I’m littering this post with pictures so you can see how they came out, and if you fancy giving them a go yourself, you can find the pattern over here. Or from Yarn Canada here.

So feast yer eyes on the lacy creations.

Now.

Kids at school.

Coffee and time to finish writing up my Stashbusting Hats (which most definitely need a new name).

Have a glorious week. Once you’ve got over the fact that Monday has rolled around way too fast.

<3

For the intolerant…

Posted on by Alice Neal

… well, for those who struggle to wear wool, to be more precise.

Like my ma.

She loves jumpers and cardis of all descriptions, but wool sends her horribly itchy. Which, as you can imagine, is massively frustrating for her. And for ME! When I want to make her pretty things but so little acts with as much versatility as wool.

However… All is not lost.

2019-02-24-09-56-36

 

 

Following hot on the heels of my Dolly Socks, designed and knitted with Debbie Bliss Toast in mind (oh, *hello* cashmere!), I was determined to make her a birthday present of similar intricacy and beauty.

 

 

 

So imagine my delight when this bundle of squishiness appeared on my doorstep (and I say appeared because that it precisely what happened. This particular delivery company doesn’t bother knocking. They just try your door and stick it on your doormat if it’s open. Which is both a lovely surprise and somewhat alarming).

2.jpg

The yarn is by Knit One Crochet Too and is called Cozette. It is 62% silk, 30% cotton and 8% polyamide and it just OOZES that luxurious raw silk feel.

If I tell you I started this pair of lacy socks two days before her birthday, I don’t think you’ll need informing that they didn’t get there on time. They should, in fact, be arriving today – 11 days late. But since I also owe her a jumper from her birthday 2 years ago, with this one I’m already winning, right??

1

You can see how beautifully the texture of the raw silk holds and emphasises the stitches, and makes the lace pattern stand out.

7

But best of all, the colourway is called ‘Seaglass’, which is most beautifully synchronous since it combines my two most favourite things: knitting, and making jewellery with the seaglass I comb the beaches up here in the North-East for (click the pics below if you are interested in more information).

 

I think they came out rather beautifully, but we’ll let mum be the judge of that 😉

The Dolly Socks pattern is available by clicking the link above, but it is also one of February’s Patreon subscriber patterns – for more information on instant access to all those patterns, click the link or look at the Patreon pages above).

Happy knitting, fellow yarnies <3

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

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?

juno-jumper

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 😉 )

yorkies

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

wp-1481515853740.jpg

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:

Aphy9

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!

juno3

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:

3.jpg

A Socking Success

Posted on by Alice Neal

Could it really be my third (is it third, or is it fourth??) post on the same pattern? I guess it could. But the thing is, you see, once you’ve designed it, knitted it, written it up… then the pressure’s off and you get to play.

So, as you saw in my last post, I’ve been playing with some bold and striking combos. This grey-black gradient, with the red-orange-brown has produced something I think is rather spectacular…

You saw the first sock, last time:

11

but before I post the next picture, check out the colours on those balls of wool – the point I’d got to before casting on the next.

What I think is rather spectacularly beautiful is that as striking as the first sock is, the second looks like its long-lost brother – left on a windowsill for a decade until its rediscovering has reunited it with its counterpart, still as fresh as a daisy. Whilst our windowsill sock looks like a sepia photograph of the original.

So, now that I’m done with the waxing lyrical, take a peek:

15

Also, gasp in wonder at how wonderfully well they match my kitchen table. 😉

Of course, they still look awesome with my Duckfeet boots

btf

So… which are your favourites? I have to confess, I’m pretty hard-pushed to decide:

And, as always, if you fancy a pop at them yourself, the pattern is here.

And the yarn is here. I used colours 5 and 68 for mine.

Happy knitting! <3

Luscious LongSocks

Posted on by Alice Neal

You might be forgiven for confusing these with the Beauteous Boot Socks for they are, in fact, enormously similar…

wp-1482559243071.jpg

However, the BBS are rather too thick to continue to wear through the Spring – early Summer and the late Summer – early Autumn seasons.

So!

The Luscious LongSocks are born.

Knitted with Cascade 220 for the solid colour and Lang Yarns Tosca Light for the graded colour, they are soft, light and still snuggly for chillier days under boots or with shoes, or chilly weekend mornings with your jammies 😉

If you fancy a go at them, you can find the pattern here.

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