A second batch of Autumn/Winter goodies has arrived in.
Nina
Some of you have probably already seen the post I put on the Facebook page about the new scarf yarn from Wendy – Nina.
The caffeine had started to take affect.
I’m a little smitten with it myself and have been seen on several occasions sporting one of the scarves.
There were new shades in some of our favourites, of course I only remembered to photograph one – this was after the photo at the top of this post.
Wendy Merino DK
A lovely new sock yarn or 4ply depending on what you prefer – Wendy Roam Fusion. It’s available in 5 lovely shades, at least 3 of which have been subliminally singing my name since they arrived.
Celtic has also come in: 8 shades of tweedy, chunky yarn with great pattern support. It’s a blend of 30% wool and 70% acrylic. Knits to a tension of 14sts x 24rows on 6.5mm, the ball is 50g/85m.
Wendy Celtic Chunky
I’m hoping to knit this up if I can find the time?
Hopefully, they’ll be a lovely delivery of Merino DK and Alpaca Silk Aran today or tomorrow. I’ll take pics and post them up for you all to see.
I have no idea where the time this week has run away to, I feel even more behind than usual and it’s only Monday? Having promised to post this pattern up a good while ago now I thought I should finally try and get round to it.
I think it is one of the simplest and most effective lace scarf patterns which lends itself so well to lots of different yarns however, I think it looks prettiest in a mohair. Rowan’s Kidsilk Haze is beautiful, but to be fair it is a little expensive. Kid Silk from Austermann is the same great yarn but a little kinder on our ever-suffering pockets.
You Will Need
1 Ball of Austermann Kid Silk
5mm Needles
Darning Needle
Scarf Dimensions (unblocked)
Length 140cm/55″
Width 20cm/7.9″
Tension
There’s no specific tension for this piece – you want it to be looser than you would usually work the yarn. For example if you’re working with a double knit and your tension is usually 22sts on 4mm (average) you would need 5mm’s. The Kid Silk has a ‘haze’ which means it will hold much more than some other yarns, allowing you to use much larger needles than you would do normally.
I have a friend who makes this same scarf but on 8mm’s and it looks really pretty so you can experiment with your needle sizes.
Abbreviations
k – knit
p – purl
st(s) – stitch(es)
ws – wrong side
y0 – yarn over
k2tog – knit the next 2 stitches together
Pattern
Cast on 40sts loosely and work 4 rows in plain knit, this creates the garter stitch border.
The garter stitch border
1st Row – Knit
2nd Row – Purl
3rd Row – Knit the first 2 stitches, (K2tog) x 3, (yo, k1) x 6, (k2tog) x 6, (yo, K1) x6, (k2tog) x3, knit last 2 stitches.
4th Row – Knit
These 4 rows form the pattern work until scarf reaches your chosen length, remembering to leave enough yarn to knit the 4 rows of plain stitch at the end of your scarf.
Cast off loosely and sew in ends.
The garter stitch edge
By knitting the first and the last 2 stitches on every row the garter stitch border runs the whole way round the scarf.
Block if desired.
As I already mentioned I love this pattern and one of my favourite scarves was made for me by my good friend Sandra. She used exactly the same pattern but knitted with Rico Essentials Cotton DK.
Old Shale Scarf in Rico’s Essential Cotton DK
This version was knitted in Baby Alpaca by King Cole.
Baby Alpaca from King Cole
Have a play with different weights of yarn remembering to keep your needles at least 1 size larger than the size given for the yarn. We’d love for you to post pictures of your finished scarves up on the Facebook page www.knitinmidleton.com
We took delivery of some of the new yarns we’ve been expecting in last week including Folksong and Faroe from Sirdar.
Folksong Chunky is a multicoloured yarn made up of 51% Wool and 49% Acrylic
There are 75metres/82 yards in every 50g ball. It’s a standard chunky and knits to a tension of 14stitches to 19 rows on 6.5mm needles.
There are 8 fantastic shades all of which are very wearable, my favourite is the orange blend.
All 8 shades of Sirdar Folksong
There are 8 lovely designs to knit with the yarn including accesories however, you could use the yarn as an alternative in most chunky patterns. Our favourite design is this great basic jumper, which really highlights the beauty of the yarn.
Faroe from Sirdar is a new super chunky made from 60% Acrylic, 25% Cotton and 15% Wool and for each 50g there are 43metres/47yards. Faroe knits to a tension of 9stitches to 12 rows on 10mm and will work as a substitute yarn for many super chunky patterns.
There are 6 gently blended colours and 8 patterns that have been designed especially for using Faroe. All of the designs are quite simple and would make very quick knits. Our favorite is this lovely waistcoat with the cable detail around the neckline.
Sirdar Faroe
In addition the the 2 new yarns from Sirdar we also received 4 new shades in Click Chunky – Brown, green, silver grey and dark grey, all have a tweedie fleck.
Sirdar Click Chunky
4 new shades of Bonus Aran
Sirdar Hayfield Bonus Aran
and 2 in Bonus Tweed
Grey Sirdar Aran Tweed
There were also 4 new shades in Snuggly Baby Double knit and we took 2 of the new shades in Baby Crofter as I wasn’t too keen on the others. There was also 3 new shades in Bonus DK and more stock came in in all of our favourite shades including the missing purple Snuggly DK that you all love.
As always there were lots of new patterns and books to come in from Sirdar too, we’re particularly fond of the 2 new books The Big Book of Little knits – Knit Christmas and Knit Pretty.
Knit ChristmasKnit Pretty
More about these books to come in a separate post. I’m sure like me you’ll be eager to get knitting with the new yarns, the only dilemma is which one to start with?
Hubby and I went over to the shop today to get everything ready for the Stash Dash, 5 hours later and this is what the shop looked like.
As you can see from the pictures everything else is covered up except for all the lovely sale yarn.
I’ve tried to be brutal and clear out a good few ranges and shades, some of them have been my favourites and the temptation to hang on to yarns I love was quite strong, but we need to make room for all the lovely wool that’s started to come in.
As you might expect this is our post summer (as in sun for those of you that have forgotten what it looks like) Stash Dash, so there are quite a few summery yarns included however, there’s also chunky, aran and super chunky. For those lace weight knitters amongst you there’s some of the finer stuff and lets not forget to mention the 4ply.
Be sure to come prepared, pull out your patterns and books, search Ravelry and make your lists. Don’t forget we’re now counting down to the ‘C’ word so if you haven’t started gift knitting yet get planning now. I’ve already pulled out a few balls myself today to make the teachers Christmas Decorations and I was also considering stripey, fuzzy legwarmers for all the little people I know, so I could be rifling through a bit more yet.
If you haven’t booked your slot. or you can’t commit to a set time you can always wander down. We’ll be taking 1 walk in per 20 minute slot so you can take your chances, otherwise send us a text or email and we’ll squeeze you in somewhere.
If possible bring a shopping bag or 2 to squeeze your purchases in to and as before I’ll be shaking the Chernobyl Children’s Trust collection box at you all to try and raise a little extra for the charity.
Hope to see as many of you as possible on Tuesday.
I thought this special edition of The Knitter would be the best way to kick off looking at the various different knitting and crochet magazines that are available to buy. At present (to my knowledge) there are six different UK publications for knitting and one for crochet, including:
Simply Knitting
Knitting
Yarnwise (formerly Knit and before that Yarn Forward)
Let’s Knit
Knit Today
The Knitter
Inside Crochet – title speaks for itself methinks
All of the magazines have something to offer and what works for one knitter might not be what another wants from a magazine. They all typically contain approximately 10 patterns and tend to have a similar format of: letters to the expert, a rundown on certain yarns and a look at ‘what’s new’ in the world of woolliness. Some of them will have an interview with a designer or perhaps a shop owner or knitting group organiser.
The Knitter is one of my personal favourites and since January 2009 when the first issue came out I haven’t missed an issue. The magazine is aimed at the intermediate to experienced knitter or for those that want to take their knitting a little further. The patterns are at first glance a little more intricate but the magazine includes both written and charted instructions.
Back to the Lace Collection – This ‘special’, as the cover highlights, contains 24 gorgeous patterns for every season. Sadly, for me, they have all been in previous issues. However it does present them all in one handy publication. In addition, if you’re new to The Knitter or missed several issues, the collection would be a good addition to library.
Of the patterns inside, some of my particular favourites are the Deco Lace Jacket by Teva Durham.
Rather unusually the lace jacket is knitted in a super chunky on 9mm. The design was originally in issue 22 from August 2010.
I’d also previously added the Mulligan Stole by Tanis Gray to my ‘to do’ list as I think it’s truly beautiful and very wearable.
It’s made in double knit using a 4.5mm needle and was previously in issue 23.
Elwood Hat
The Elwood hat by Kirstie McLeod combines cables and lace in a beautiful 4ply hat and takes approximately 360 meters of yarn. Elwood was originally published in issue 16 in February 2010.
Jan Sweater
Lastly, I absolutely adore Susan Crawford’s Jan Sweater. It appeared as a supplement in issue 32 but originally appears in Susan’s book ‘A Stitch in Time : Vintage Knitting Patterns 1930 – 1959, Volume 2’. I think the boat neck and the way the lace pattern forms an increasing V is simply stunning. Truly vintage.
The Lace Collection contains a review of six lace knitting books and a Who’s Who of lace designers, which gives the reader a little insight into the best lace talent from around the world. There is also a great masterclass by Jane Crowfoot on how to create flawless lacework, which gives you tips on avoiding and correcting mistakes too. I have to admit to loving the showcase review of 24 different lace weight yarns available; it’s a great resource for me when it comes to shopping for stock for the shop.
Personally I love knitting lace but I’d be the first to say it can be time consuming and usually requires more attention than other patterns. I know many accomplished knitters that can knit cables with their eyes closed, but actively avoid knitting lace.
One of the easiest and most lovely of all lace patterns is Old Shale. It works great in most weights of yarn and it’s a four row pattern, with only one of those containing any yarn overs and working stitches together. I shall pop a pattern and some examples up here in the near future.
In the meantime I’d recommend The Knitter Lace Collection to anyone that wants to try lace or would like to go a little further with lace. However, if, like me, you already have the magazines, maybe you should consider whether the €15.12 I paid for my copy in Eason might be better spent on a different knitting book?
Yes, it’s that time of year again and as loathed as I am to encourage you to become distracted from knitting for the Irish Premature Baby Charity, the hats are quick and fun to make. Best of all Innocent give 25c to Age Action for every behatted bottle sold. The campaign also runs in the UK and the funds raised go to Age UK there. To be fair the ones pictured above probably aren’t the quickest to make, as lovely as they are. It’s the basic little ones I’m on about:-
Basic Innocent Smoothie Hat Pattern
4mm needles and double knit yarn
Cast on 28 stitches
Work 2 rows of 1×1 rib (knit 1 stitch, purl 1 stitch)
Work 12 rows of stocking stitch
To decrease
K2tog to end (14sts)
P2tog to end (7sts)
Cut yarn leaving approx 20 cm tail.
Using a blunt ended needle pass the yarn through the remaining stitches and sew the hat up.
Hopefully, your little hat will measure approximately 5 – 7 cms along the bottom and be at least 5cms high.
Add a little pompom to the top
Basic Little Hat
If you fancy it you can of course make some fancy ones and even try for Innocents ‘Hat of the Week’, which means a picture of your hat gets put on the website.
At the moment there isn’t a pattern available on the innocentdrinks.ie website but there are pattern ideas everywhere.
As most of you probably know by now, we have moved premises. As it wasn’t the first time I’ve done this you’d have thought I’d have known what the relocating would consist of – yes and no is the easiest answer there.
In all honesty my previous moves have never included the sheer volume of yarn that we now stock and packs of yarn are quite big, especially when you have as much of it as we do. Then there’s the little matter of dyelots and we won’t even mention split packs – nightmare!
Anyway, we’re in and we did open as planned on the 9th August, however to be frank the lights have been on but there’s no one at home. I’ve been running on autopilot for the last fortnight and I only realised how bad it had got when I failed to notice something really important in a friends text message on Saturday evening. Fortunately, I did spot it on Sunday when I re-read the text and rather red faced I explained my predicament and her being such a good friend was cool with it (phew).
So we’ll ease back into this gently, I have some great ideas to try and bring to the blog in the future including a run down on the latest magazines, a look at the books I love and possibly even the odd video, which will carry a warning ‘unmanicured hands’ my nails are far too small and grow upwards (I’m special I know). In addition to that I still intend on trying to bring you some of my designs and keep you up-to-date on what’s happening in the shop and the greater woolly world. I’d like to try and make this blog an interactive platform too, so if there’s anything knitted related you’d like included let me know and I’ll try my very best to accommodate you.
We’ve also decided to stock the odd bit of giftware and a few fat quarters, items that I hope will compliment the yarn goodies. We intend to expand the haberdashery ranges too in the coming months and will be running a children’s knitting group and (hopefully a crochet group too.
We’ve already added to our giftware range since opening and have now taken delivery of some very unusual and pretty fairtrade gift items. We’re aiming to ensure that most of the items we stock will be €15 or under with many under €5 so they can be picked up as and when you see them.
Wow didn’t we do well? So well in fact that this little lot completely filled 3 black bin liners.
In total there were:-
Hats – 110
Scarves/Cowls – 86
Gloves/Mitts – 39
All of you that gave your time, energy, skill, yarn and most importantly care should be so proud of yourselves. When Deena from The Chernobyl Children’s Trust came to the shop to collect the garments she was honestly shocked to see how many items we had.
The organisers gave out as many woolly items to the visiting children as they could before they flew home and intend to send any that are left over later in the year. There are 2 lorries traveling over to Belarus later this year hopefully, full to the brim with everything the charity can collect in to help as many families as possible.
The charity are still keen on trying to get unwanted pairs of knitting needles in if possible. I know we’ve already sent a good few over but if you have anymore please let me know.
A big thank you once again to everyone that contributed.
Since we had our Stash Dash Day soooooo many people have expressed their dismay at missing it, or not being able to attend. I thought I’d been fairly proactive with the advertising and had done my very best to let everyone know, but like anything new it takes a while for these things to filter through.
So just to keep you up-to-date………
The Stash Dash Days will take place twice a year: one event in March and one in September
That means that about in about 4-6 weeks, after we’ve moved into our new premises, the second Stash Day of 2012 will take place. It will probably be on a Tuesday or Wednesday and we will be sticking to the ‘book your place’ method, although I think the time you have to shop will be increased to 20 minutes rather than 15 minutes.
How to Prepare
Most people got the hang of what we were suggesting before, but for those of you that were a little unsure here’s a little more help:-
You can see from my notes the patterns that I have in my ‘to do list’. Next to each I’ve written the approximate amount of yarn I’m going to need to complete the project and the weight of yarn I need. If I’m yarn shopping when I’m away (madness I know) I always have a rough idea of my go-to projects. I love knitting hats and baby garments although sometimes seeing what you can knit out of one ball/hank of yarn can be fun and it’s much easier with Ravelry.
The best bit of advice I can give any knitter buying yarn for a project, particularly if it’s in a sale, is to buy at least one ball extra. If you don’t end up using using it in the garment you can always use it to make a tiny item, like a baby hat, and if you’re super organised you could knit a square(s) using your remaining yarn. Collect these squares up and sew them together to make cushion covers or a blanket – great for those pesky tension squares too.
Get planning now while you have the time. The Stash Dash Days will become relatively seasonal with the lighter more summery yarns being cleared in September and the warmer ones in March. However, there are bound to be exceptions when I decide to clear a range or two based on yarns I’ve ordered for the coming season.
As you can see from my notebook the In Leaf Cardigan is up there on the top of my list, I’m sure you’ll agree it’s lovely.
After being contacted by The Irish Premature Baby Charity I went off looking for ‘basic’ knitting patterns and was bogged down by how many were out there. Many of them seem to be perfectly lovely, but some of them needed to be paid for or had a suggested donation and we’re already making them for charity aren’t we?
So I grabbed some needles and some double knit and knocked one up myself. You will discover that the hat is a little higher than we would usually knit, this is to accommodate the little babas’ heads, which can sometimes be a little oddly shaped.
Preemie Hat
Hat Dimensions
Height 5.5″/11.5cm
Width 4.5″/14cm
Tension
22sts x 28 rows
Abbreviations
k – knit
p – purl
st(s) – stitch(es)
ws – wrong side
k2tog – knit the next 2 stitches together
Materials
A little squidgy, soft double knit
4mm Needles
Darning Needle
Pattern
Using thumb method cast on 56 stitches.
Work 4 rows in 2×2 rib – (knit 2 stitches, purl 2 stitches repeat these 4 stitches )
In stocking stitch work until hat measures 10cms ending with a ws row.
Crown
1st Row – K6, k2tog across all sts (49 sts)
2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th rows – Purl all stitches
3rd Row – K5, k2tog across all sts (42 sts)
5th Row – K4, k2tog across all sts (35sts)
7th Row – K3, k2tog across all sts (28sts)
9th Row – K2, k2tog across all sts (21sts)
11th Row – K1, k2tog across all sts (14sts)
Cut yarn leaving approximately a 12″ tail, using your darning needle thread the yarn through your remaining stitches and remove them from the knitting needle. Fasten off and sew up using yarn. Sew in ends.
Confessions of a Fibre Strumpet 