Tag: chunky

The Madness Has Been & Gone

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By the madness I mean the build up to Christmas Day, which I convince myself every year that I’m not going to buy into, only to find on Christmas Day that I have 😞 Maybe though, that’s part of the fun?

Unlike previous years I really didn’t manage to get as many presents knitted or even generally handmade as I would have liked to.  The year seemed to rush by faster than a speeding car and before I realised it it was the end of November and I’d only knitted the one gift, a Hitchhiker for a friend of mine.  Of course I’d forgotten to take a proper picture of it before I’d mailed it, so this is one I’d posted on Instagram whilst I was knitting it.

hitchhikerI used a ball of Rico Poem Superba in green and a ball of King Cole Merino 4ply.  The Poems Superba is variegated, so the greens change as the scarf grows.  I found it a really lovely pattern to follow, with only 8 rows and by using 2 colours, the stripe effect meant I really didn’t have to concentrate on which of the rows I was on.  A lovely happy accident.

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Nearly everyone that would wear one received a knitted hat of some kind, mostly these ones though.  The pattern is very basic and I should be able to get it up on here over the next couple of days.

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Nostrils shouldn’t be that big should they? It’s obscene 😬

 

I liked them so much that I’ve even made one for me.

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Tate looks rather fetching in Leann’s one too, bless him.

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Some friends including my Secret Santa recipient received my crochet baubles, which I loved making once I’d figured out what to do.  I used several resources to help me, but the circles kept getting bigger because of the trebles.  After trying a few different things I decided double crochet was the way to go.  A couple of you have asked for a pattern already, but I’m not sure if I can write it up as a ‘proper’ crochet pattern, so it might end up being more of an instruction sheet?

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Last but not least was the jumper I’d been making for my hubby Con in secret.  Many of you will have seen me trying to get a few rows done in the shop; especially if you popped in the few days before Christmas when I was frantically trying to get the sleeves finished.  I’ll write up a separate post to tell you all about it and I might even be able to get a photo of the man himself wearing it 👨

Cobblestone

Since finishing the jumper I’ve cast on and started knitting Cobblestone by Jared Flood for Durahn my son.  I’ve also been sticking to my morning walk everyday, regardless of how cold it is and both Kye and myself have been going a bit photography mad with our phones.  This morning’s walk produced some beautiful snaps, all with no filter too 📷

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He pinched my hat.

 

 

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2 of my dogs trying to drink from one of the frozen troughs. The black one usually dunks her head in, but even she’s not daft enough to do it when it’s this cold, right?

 

 

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No wait…. She really is that daft.

 

I’ve also been watching far too many cheesy movies including the must see Guardians of the Galaxy which inspired me to make my own mix tape on Spotify.  If you fancy having a look at what tracks I’ve included my profile is lmillar72.  More mix tapes to come me thinks 🖭

Happy Knitting!

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December Chill

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Following on from my Ophelia post, a good few of you asked about the pattern for the hat Dina was wearing.  Ever organised 😕 I obviously had the pattern written up.  To be fair I did, but it was on Post-it Notes rather than on the computer and it was no where near ready for anyone else to have a look at.

Since then it’s been typed up, test knitted and corrected and is now up on Ravelry Here for €2 but it’s free to download on Ravelry until Midnight on Christmas Day with the checkout code Ophelia.  (Enter it before you checkout.)

It only took the one ball and a couple of hours to knit up and should work with most chunky yarns or even 2 strands of double knit yarn held together like this one.

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I used 2 strands of King Cole Galaxy Double Knit.

Happy Knitting!

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Sirdar Ophelia

LeftFootDaisy6 Comments

 

ophelia ball

I’m not usually too much of a fan of furry yarns, but of late I’ve noticed there are changes underfoot.  I even caught myself pondering colours for a project and warming to mint?  Those of you that know me, will know I’m not really a pastel kind of girl, quite the opposite usually, but combine the mint and my new found amour with fur and it’s fair to say I’m concerned 😮

In fairness to myself the fur I’m alluding to is in colours more to my usual taste and it is so incredibly soft, that I’d defy any of you not to be smitten too.

The yarn I’m referring to is Ophelia from Sirdar.

Each 50g ball contains 95metres/104yards of this yummy yarn which also has a glimpse of lustre from it due to the metallic thread running through it.  Ophelia knits to a tension of 14 stitches by 19 rows on 6.5mm needles and is perfect for making garments and accessories, as well as gifts.  Ophelia is machine washable and easy care.

opheliaOphelia is available in 10 shades including white and cream which could also be useful to those of you considering making cardigans for Communion and while we’re thinking along those lines, what about a cover up for a Winter wedding too?

Despite how busy things get round here when Winter hits, I did manage to find the time to have a play and whipped up a really quick hat – beautifully modelled by Dina my ever suffering daughter.

Her co-operation, as you can see was very forthcoming….

I’d caught her off guard when she was sweeping after we’d closed on Saturday, hence the broom.

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Me being me, couldn’t resist popping it on her head – oops, I slipped 😉

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Not sure exactly what she was about to say, maybe it was Festive or Fluffy? 

2014-11-29 16.38.51♥Beautiful♥

Come to think of it I’m rather lucky she didn’t bop me with the broom.

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Still smitten I used another colour to knit my Heart Decorations

One ball for all 3 and they’ve already been referred to as boudoir hearts.  Wonder if I’ll get away with giving them to my Secret Santa recipient?

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Happy Knitting!

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Red the Hedgehog

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As you’ve probably come to expect from us now, Dina and I have named this little fellow Red.

He’s joined the ranks of sparkly hedgehogs that seem to be taking over the world of knitting due to the popularity of Tinsel Chunky from King Cole.

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Tinsel Chunky is 100% novelty and as the name suggests it’s been developed with Christmas in mind, think Christmas decorations, hats, boot toppers and of course hedgehogs.

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This little guy took a very small amount of the ball and I used white double knit yarn from my stash, with a touch of grey for his eyes and nose.

tinsel

At the moment we’ve only had 5 of the shades available arrive in because it’s completely sold out at the mill as hedgehog mania takes hold.  Each 50g ball contains 70 metres of yarn and the recommended needle size is a 6mm, however, the hedgehogs body is knit on 5mm’s to make it more dense to keep the toy stuffing securely within.

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Cute and fun, what’s not to like and in case you’re wondering Red is the smallest hedgehog.  Hand on heart he took around 3 hours in total (if not less) to knit, stuff and sew making him great for a last minute gift.

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Happy Knitting!

Rico Glo Worm

LeftFootDaisy2 Comments

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It’s definitely knitting season here in the shop, with everyone eagerly awaiting the new stock. One of the more unusual yarns to have come in so far is Glo Worm from Rico.

Glo Worm is a slightly off standard yarn, somewhere between a chunky and a super chunky weight with a twist. The twist being a separate reflective thread that is wrapped around the main coloured strand. The yarn has been developed just in time for the darker mornings and evenings and it’s super soft so even the fussiest of children can be persuaded to wear it.

The recommended needle size is a 7/8mm with a tension of 11 stitches to 14 rows. The fibre content is 54%acrylic/30% wool/16% glass fibre and each 100g ball contains 110 metres for €8 each.

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We are still awaiting delivery of a couple of the colours but so far there have been 5 arrive in and I couldn’t resist knitting up a quick hat for the shop.

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Not the best photograph but I was trying to show the reflectivity of the yarn (think it’s worked a bit).

The pattern is called the Teo Hat and it’s available free on Ravelry and includes sizes newborn, small and large.  It’s a lovely quick knit and I have loads of yarn left to knit a quick neck warmer up too.

 

Happy knitting!

 

 

 

Wendy Serenity Chunky

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Wendy yarns have really pulled out all the stops this season, first there was the rather lovely Ramsdale double knit yarn that I spoke about in my last post and now there’s Serenity Chunky.

As the name would imply the yarn is a standard chunky weight and suitable for patterns using a tension of 14 stitches to 20 rows on 6.5mm needles.  Made from 20% Fine Alpaca, 10% Wool and 70% Premium Acrylic the yarn is super, squidgy soft and due to a some kind of manufacturing process the Alpaca is thrown to the surface of the yarn which gives it a fantastic lustrous look.

sernity colours

There are 13 autumnal shades to ‘oo’ and ‘ahh’ over, if you’re anything like me that is?  Each 100g ball contains a generous 140 metres and costs €5.90 making it a very reasonably priced yarn for al your chunky projects.

As you might have already guessed I’ve been frantically knitting garments to display the new yarns in the shop and at this time of year there tends to be a good few of them to get through.  As a result I looked around for a small persons garment to knit using the Serenity Chunky and decided to go with Snug by Hinke.  The pattern costs €4.50 to download however, there is also an aran weight version of the pattern available and you can purchase both versions as an eBook for €6.

(I should point out I haven’t blocked my little Snug cardi in these photos)

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The cardigan has been cleverly constructed to have minimal seaming at the back of the neck and over the shoulders and contains references to all of the techniques included, which include using a provisional cast on and grafting.  There are 4 sizes – newborn to 4 years and the stretchiness of garter stitch knit sideways will ensure the cardigan is nice and roomy, so it will last for some time.  The design element of the fold back cuffs also means they can be rolled down as little arms grow.

I made the second size and used about 2 and a half balls of the Serenity Chunky.  There is a little finishing up along the front borders in crochet which I took up and around the hood because I like the look of it..

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Last but not least are the oversize toggles, which I couldn’t resist sewing on with lime green yarn for a little bit of extra interest (not that it’s very clear in the photos).

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Overall it’s an interesting little pattern, great for learning new techniques if you’ve never used them before and as there are over 1500 projects on Ravelry it’s obviously quite a popular choice too.

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Happy Knitting!

Come Into Our Crochet Garden

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At this stage I have a good few of you plagued with my constant pushing of The Craft Club’s Guinness World Record Yarnbomb attempt in aid of The Little Haven’s Hospice.  If any of you have missed pop over here to my previous post to find out all about it.

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The final project goes on display in the gardens of the hospice on the 25th August so I sent over a shoe box stuffed with items earlier this week  and this photo heavy post is to share the the lovely little items dropped off by some of you and which will contribute to the spectacular efforts of The Craft Club to raise a good few smiles and highlight a very worthy cause.

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Happy Knitting!

(should that be crochet?)

Exploits in Crochet

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Following on from the crochet madness of Dina’s scarf I thought I’d have a go at making something else and as you might have seen on the Facebook Page or Instagram I decided to have a go at The Chunky Crochet Basket by Elizabeth Trantham.

Heading outside to crochet in the sun, I was grateful I’d managed to get the bottom of the basket made before the rain clouds appeared and chased me inside.  Thankfully Elizabeth has put photo tutorials to accompany the pattern up on her blog, great if you’re like me and assume because you can ‘do a little crochet’ you must be able to conquer the most complicated of patterns.

In her original basket, Elizabeth uses 2 strands of a super chunky yarn held together and an 8mm hook.  This means the resulting basket is sturdy and stands up independently like you might expect a basket to do.

2014-06-07 10.46.19Cue my attempt

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It’s general state of floppy isn’t really that bad.

I followed Elizabeth’s pattern but used 3 strands of Rico’s Country Aran held together and a 7mm hook.  This meant the base of the basket when I’d reached the suggested 48 stitches was a little on the small side so I continued increasing my stitches until I had 72. My basket is approximately 10″/26cm’s across it’s diameter.

The basket is a very usable height at /19cm7.5″and as you can see I decided not to add the handles.  I did work them up, but didn’t like the way mine turned out and my yarn was running a little short, so I completed 14 rounds of the half trebles.

 

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Perfect for my current crochet project, one of them anyway.

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I’m thinking ideal gifts for friends?  Ones that don’t crochet though because I’m pretty sure I had more than my original 72 stitches when it came to finishing off the basket with double crochet (ahem).

Happy Knitting or crochet.

 

World Wide Knit In Public Day

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wwkipday

 

It’s come around rather quickly again this year, technically it’s actually a  week but we’re celebrating on Saturday 21st.  The Saturday knitting group is scheduled to take place on the 21st anyway, so it would be lovely to think the sun might be shining.  Sunshine or not we can still knit can’t we?

As a little incentive to get a few more of you into the shop armed with your knitting and crochet we’ll have the market stall set outside as we did for Yarn Shop Day.  For those of you that missed it before, there will be packs of yarn, books and maybe some other bits and bobs all at discounted prices.

Come and join us for a for a bit of open air knitting fun (fingers crossed anyway).

Happy Knitting!

wwkip

 

 

All Good Fun

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So for those of you that missed it Saturday 3rd of May was Yarn Shop Day.  It was great to see so many of you out to support us and good fun was had by all (I hope) despite the rain 😦

After all the fun and games I have some competition and raffle winners to announce.

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The raffle winners are as follows –

Sock Yarn – Mary Healy

Scrumptious Lace Weight Yarn – Fiona Ryan

Snuggly Dk & Pattern – Deidre McArdle

Bambeanies by Woolly Wormhead – Edwina Cole

Erika Knight – Molly McSweeny

Lucy Neatby, The Brand New Knitter DVD – Sadie Foley

Knitpro Symphonie Interchangeable Starter Set – Susan Macfarlane

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We also had a ‘Guess the Number of Buttons in the Jar’ for our younger visitors on the day.  The winner receives a €5 gift voucher for Auntie Nellies Sweet Shop and a woolly goody bag donated by the good folks over at Stylecraft Yarns, for the knitter in their life.

Can you guess?????

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None of the children guessed correctly, but the nearest was Jasmine Jennings with 258.  Well done Jasmine the Auntie Nellies Gift Voucher is yours and I’m guessing your mum or your sister might like to receive the goody bag.

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Last but not least.

There was the competition to find our fastest Knit Happens stocking knitter.

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The stocking had to be knitted in two colours and this mind blowing time was achieved by Mary Murphy, who wins 4 balls of Sirdar Bonus Dk for her effort, which she whipped up with smoke rising from her needles in a little over 10 minutes..

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The second fastest stocking knitter was Mary O’Donovan with a little over 12 minutes.  Mary wins a ball of King Cole Splash for her speedy needles.

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Those of you that didn’t make it won’t have had a chance to see our yarnbombed rocking chair, which definitely helped entice passers by in.  We’ll be taking it with us, along with lots of our Knit happens stockings to the Midleton Mid May Festival on Sunday 18th at The Square (near The Granary).  Why not come and see it and lend your support to this new festival

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You can find out more about what’s happening over the weekend here 

Happy knitting!