Month: November 2012

A Few Secret Santa Ideas

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At this time of year you can’t fail to notice the impending visit of the jolly white-haired geezer in the bright red suit.  The infection spreads like wildfire and before you know it you’re walking around singing carols and driving everyone mad (just me then?).

Anyway, across our three knitting groups we try to encourage everyone to join us for our annual Christmas get together and take part in our Secret Santa present swap.

Every year we stick to the same theme – A Christmas Decoration. The only rule is that the decoration must be handmade, preferably knitted or crocheted.  I have been posting up links to various patterns which could be used for these gifts but thought it might be an idea to put them all in one place for everyone to see.

Christmas Tree Decoration – Jill Koerner

This little tree decoration by Jill Koerner is free and is available via Ravelry on Jill’s blog. http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/christmas-tree-decoration

O Christmas Tree – Jenna Krupar

Jenna Krupar has an ebook of 4 knitted patterns available on Ravelry for $6 which include this very lovely little tree decoration – http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/o-christmas-tree

Knitted Sanat Christmas Hat Decoration – Linda Dawkins

This lovely little Santa hat by Linda Dawkins is free via Ravelry on Linda’s blog. http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/knitted-santa-hat-christmas-ornament

Mitten Ornaments WR2082

These lovely little mittens are free on the Red Heart website http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mitten-ornaments-wr2082

Yarn Basket Ornament – Scarlet Taylor

I was given one of these little bags of yarn last year by Caroline and I love it. I know she won’t mind me saying it’s a lovely, easy, little knit. http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/yarn-basket-ornament

Christmas Knitties – Linda Regel

I’m rather fond of these 4 decorations from Linda Regel for £2.50 and downloaded them much earlier in the year. http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/christmas-knitties

If you’re still stuck for ideas there are literally 1000s of them out there – there’s even my decoration that I posted last week.  Another idea if you’re not too confident is to make a felted heart or knit a little scarf and wrap it around a shop-bought snowman/reindeer or Santa ornament.  Or you can wind yarn around a polystyrene ball to make it look just like a ball of wool.

It is after all the thought that counts.

Wrapped polystyrene ball

Happy Knitting!

Heart Decoration

LeftFootDaisy2 Comments
Little hanging heart

(Bleeding awful photos again ain’t they? Sorry! Said in my South East London accent of course)

Size (approx)

Width at widest point 11cm

Height from top of curve to point 9.5cm

Materials

A pair of 4mm needles

Rico Cotton Aran any colours

Darning Needle

Toy stuffing

A 4.5mm crochet hook or ribbon

Abbreviations

St(s): Stitch(es)

K: Knit

P: Purl

Alt: Alternate

Tog: Together

S1: Slip 1 stitch

PSSO: Pass slipped stitch over

M1: Make 1 – From the front, lift loop between stitches with left needle, knit into back of the loop.

K2tog: Knit the next 2 sts together

K3tog: Knit the next 3 sts together

P2tog: Purl 2 sts together

p2togtbl: Purl 2 sts together through back loops

SSK: Slip, slip, knit slipped stitches tog.

Heart – Make 2 pieces

Ornament is knitted in stocking stitch – knit 1 row, purl one row

Using 4mm needles and shade A cast on 3sts.

Work 2 rows in stocking stitch

3rd row: – Using shade B, k1, m1, k1, m1, k1

4th row: – purl

5th row: – Switch to shade A, k1, m1, k3, m1, k1

6th row: – Purl

Continue working 2 row stripe sequence, increasing by 1 stitch at each end on the next and every alt row until there are 21 sts.  Work 3 more rows ending with a purl row.

Decreases

Continue working in 2 row stripe sequence except for the last 3 rows, work these and the cast off in the same shade.

1st row: – k1, ssk, k7, turn. (9sts)

Working on these stitches only slip the remaining 11 sts onto a small stitch holder

2nd, 4th and 6th row: purl

3rd row: k1, ssk, k6. (8sts)

5th row: k1, ssk, k2, k2tog, k1. (6sts)

7th row: k1, ssk, k2tog, k1. (4sts)

8th row: P1, p2togtbl. (3sts)

9th row: S1, k2tog, psso, cast off remaining stitch.

Rejoin yarn to remaining sts

1st row: k2tog, k until there are 7 sts on right hand needle, k2tog, k1. (9sts)

2nd, 4th and 6th row: purl

3rd row: k6, k2tog, k1. (8sts)

5th row: k1, ssk, k2, k2tog, k1. (6sts)

7th row: k1, ssk, k2tog, k1. (4sts)

8th row: p1, p2tog, p1. (3sts)

9th row: k3tog, cast off last stitch.

You need to make a braid to hang the ornament.  I crochet 18 chains on a 4.5mm crochet hook, but you could knit a braid, plait some wool or use a piece of ribbon.

Place the hearts right sides together and sew up using a backstitch, remember to sew over your braid in order to hang your ornament.  Sew 90% of the way round, sew in and trim ends except the one you’re using to sew up.

Turn heart right sides out, stuff, if you insert the filling a little at a time you will achieve a more even fill.

Sew up remaining opening.

Christmas Wreath

They look great on a plain tinsel wreath like this.  Those of you that know me will know I prefer odd numbers so there is one missing!!!!!  The wreath was from a euro shop and cost €7 I think.

I love using Rico Creative Cotton Aran for these decorations as it comes in such a wide range of colours and it’s easy on the pocket;however, I’ve also made a good few of these little hearts in sock wool with 2.5mm needles.  Once made I omitted the hanging braid, opting instead to put them in a little felted bowl as a gift.  They work equally well for Christmas, Valentines or for when you just want to let someone know you appreciate them.  They’re quick and easy to knit and can be decorated with buttons and sequins to jazz them up a bit if you like.

They look pretty in plain colours too.

What have you been knitting?

LeftFootDaisyLeave a comment
Wendy 5672

Autumn/Winter in the shop tends to mean we’re much busier, which is great, and after all sales are what we need and I’m grateful for every time the till drawer closes, especially with the amount of stock we carry.  I just have one tiny, ickle grumble, it’s not a big one but ……..

I HAVE NO TIME TO KNIT!!!!!!!!!!

It’s really rather tragic, projects that would take me no time seem to be taking forever, and to add insult to injury, my list of unfinished items is ever increasing, as is my ‘to-do list’.

At present I’m over halfway through making a lightweight poncho/top; I have a Christmas elf body and hat completed but features, etc. still to complete.  There’s at least one all-but-finished scarf for the shop but I made it in a discontinued shade, so I need to knit it again in a current shade before displaying it (it will also help as a test knit before writing up the pattern).  Then there’s the list of knitting I’m supposed to have started – yes I did say started, for Christmas presents.  I do have two scarfs underway, both of which are quite a long way off being finished.

On the plus side I did take back the neck on the poncho I’d been making in Celtic Chunky from Wendy after having made it as per the pattern instructions.  I picked up 20 less stitches than suggested and used a 6.5mm needle instead of the 7mm.

Dina looks beautiful in it and says it’s so warm it’s like wearing a blanket, and she’s always cold.  It has dropped a little around the neck despite my alterations, so was I to make it again I’d actually cast off less stitches at the neck too, which would hopefully rectify this.

The modified version

Our Latest Charity Collection Is………..

LeftFootDaisy1 Comment

OK, so I know we’ve already been busy knitting and crocheting for this charity however, the charity is involved with so many different projects (all as needy as the rest), that I feel sure I’m not asking too much of you all again.

This time we’re hoping to help the 500 residents that live on 5 floors of the Kyl asylum.  Many of the children that the charity work with in the orphanages out in Belarus end up going to Kyl asylum when they turn 18.  Conditions are hard with the total allowance for clothes and shoes per patient being €3 annually.  The Chernobyl Children’s trust have been working with another group The Bureen Chernobyl Project and have recently managed to collect in approximately 1000 pairs of secondhand shoes as the residents had been using cardboard on their feet whilst working out in the fields.

We’ve been asked for hats, scarves and mitts again and in addition maybe some socks and legwarmers, anything to help to try and keep out the cold.

Bureen Chernobyl Project

A lot of the links I put up for our previous collection will still be valid as are

Easy hat pattern

http://knitmidleton.com/2012/07/06/quick-chunky-hat-great-for-charity-knits/

Easy scarf pattern

http://knitmidleton.com/2012/06/02/easy-rib-scarf-for-chernobyl/

Previous blog post with links to more patterns

http://knitmidleton.com/2012/06/01/knitting-for-chernobyl-childrens-trust/
Our collection will run until the end of March when the next containers will be traveling to the area, so you’ve plenty of time to get cracking.  Items will be accepted in all colours of the rainbow, so break out the stash and use up your leftovers.  The residents are both male and female and all are over 18 although they will be slight for their ages.
We’ve also been asked to collect any unwanted needles and wool in for the residents some of whom love knitting.  If you can’t knit or crochet maybe you could be persuaded to drop off some personal hygiene products like soap, shampoo, etc. which we will also be collecting in (all new and unopened please, with as long a ‘use by’ date on)

A big thanks in advance for all of your help AGAIN.

Happy Knitting!

Time for a Little Feedback

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Having just sent off two rather large boxes full of knitted and crocheted garments for preemies it’s great to be able to come back to you all with a little feedback from one of our previous collections.

Our collection for the Chernobyl Children’s Trust earlier in the year for knitted hats, scarves and gloves was extremely successful thanks to the fine brigade of people that gave up their yarn, time and skills to ensure that we were able to hand over several black sacks full of winter woolies.

Deena at the charity has very kindly got back to me with a couple of photos of the children wearing some of the items.  The photos were taken earlier in the summer at the holiday camp the charity arrange for disabled children and their families to attend.

Vika modelling one of the knitted hats.

This is one of the little girls Vika modelling one of the knitted hats on a balmy summer’s day; however I’m sure she’ll be grateful of it now it’s much colder in Belarus.

Sveta and her mum Galina

Sveta and her mother Galina are in the picture above sporting their scarves, with a little help from Deena on the left.

I hope, like myself, you enjoy knowing the items crafted by all of us are actually going where they’re supposed to and that the right people are benefiting from our work.  The charity itself is wonderful and everyone involved are so generous of spirit, time and resources that I find them totally inspirational.  I know they are presently looking for more people to become host families, and if any of you are interested, or know someone who would be, please get in touch.

Our next collection (details to come) will be for another project The Chernobyl Children’s Trust is involved in too, so I hope we can rely on your continuing support.

Happy Knitting!

They’re Off!

LeftFootDaisy2 Comments

 

After months of knitting and crochet it’s now time to send off our teeny, tiny creations to the Irish Premature Babies Charity.

Didn’t we do well?

Our Preemie Collection

In addition to all of the items pictured there are still some to collect and add at the shop but for now our totals are as follows –

Hats & Bonnets = 228

Cardigans = 180

Blankets & Sleep Sacks = 140

Booties & Socks = 13 pairs

There is also a little Paxton sitting on the side here knitted by Dina, awaiting sleeves which will be completed by the end of the day (yes I’ll be doing it).

I’m so very proud of how many items we’ve managed to collect and want to extend a huge message of thanks to all of you that gave your time, your creativity and your yarn to make the delicate, little creations.  It’s great to see how much the collection has inspired so many of you and I know there have been a good few ‘retired’ knitters that have been persuaded to pick up their needles once again and knit for this charity.

I’d also like to say a big Thank You to the East Cork Journal for promoting our collection in their newspaper, the article really helped to highlight the charity.

I understand the charity are sending all of the donations to one warehouse, where they plan to sort through them and divide them up into hampers.  These will then be sent to the hospitals around the country.  The charity intend on having the parcels to the hospitals for World Premature Baby Day on November 17th.

A big thanks once again to all of you that helped with this collection and if you couldn’t do something this time, maybe we could persuade you to pick up you hook or needles for our next collection?  (more info to come very soon)

Happy Knitting!