Tag: knitting

Toasty & Textured

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2014-12-16 15.23.01

 

 

I feel like I’ve wasted so much time this week trying to post here, Ravelry and Facebook without any success because our internet has been so poor 😡  So the first thing I did when I arrived at the shop this morning was upload lots of photos to store in my various media libraries, ready for the next few posts.  I also managed to get the pattern for my latest hat Toasty & Textured up on Ravelry at last too ⭐

The hat is knitted in 1×1 moss stitch with Rico Essentials Big on 7mm needles.  I’ve also knitted up a couple with Rico Flame and will try and persuade Dina, to let me take a photo or two 😉 at the weekend to post here.

January can be a difficult month for some after the extravagances and the build up of the festive season, even the most positive among us can feel like the wind has been knocked out of us a little.  I’m fortunate in that Dina’s birthday is on the 16th, which gives us something to enjoy and this year she’ll be 25!!!  So to ♥celebrate♥ I’ve made the pattern for Toasty & Textured free to download until the end of the month with the coupon code 25. 

Be sure to enter 25 before you checkout and remember to share you’re projects so we can see.   The hat is super speedy to knit and will work for both men and women.  I’m hoping to find a couple of sneaky hours to have a play with combining some of my stash yarns and will post photos of the results here if they work.

Happy Knitting!

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2014 & One Day

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Hello 2015

Why 2014 & one day?  Several reasons really.

1)  It was a bloody awful start to 2015 here.  It was blowing up a gale and raining and the sun was obviously nursing a post New Years Eve hangover and didn’t seem to show her face all day.  Unlike today which is a much prettier and heart warming (so far).  Don’t get me wrong, the sun’s not out there splitting the stones, this is winter in Ireland after all, but the day is full of expectation and anticipation for 2015 🌻

2)  I’m sure I’m not the only person guilty of this…. I went into a bit of a cleaning frenzy.  It’s come to my notice that I actually spend very little time in my house and thus far have been able to remain blissfully unaware of how much clutter we have accumulated.  🆗 Cards on the table time, it’s not going to change, but I do think I need to address the situation.  So yesterday I tackled the fridges and the kitchen, there’s still the oven to do, but I forgot to slather it in bicarb again last night 😖 and next it’s the living room 🆘

3)  I wanted to start as I mean to go on and cook more, so I did, at least for the men folk as I wasn’t hungry and ended up wolfing down something later.

4)  My internet connection was horrendous, probably because of item 1 on this list or maybe there were other 👽  cosmic forces at work?

5)  I went to see The Hobbit 🎥 which I thoroughly enjoyed, regardless of how true to the book it was.  Pure entertainment, although I did shed a tear or two 😢

2014 was a pretty good one, yes there were a few moments of yuck there however, I woke up every morning so it can’t have been that bad and I laughed a lot, there is always room for improvement on that front though.

2014 was a busy year though as you can see from the photos.  We had our year long charity campaign Knit Happens (more info soon), knitted Shamrocks for Age Action, the first Yarn Shop Day and made crochet critters for The Craft Club’s Guinness World Record Yarnbomb attempt in aid of The Little Haven’s Hospice add to this our refurbishment, it’s no wonder I’ve felt a little overwhelmed at times.

Happily 😄 I’ve managed to knit loads and have been trying to perfect my crochet skills too.  I think my favourites this year have been my shawls of which there have been five, one of which was for a good friend.

I won’t bore you with the list, actually lets be honest, that would mean I’d have to have stuck to my original plan at the start of the year.  Ever the positive, I did manage to upload more items on Ravelry and I kept a knitting journal until the end of April and I also posted here 60 times  (pausing to bow).

Looking forward, all of the same things apply as before

🌻 More organised

🌻 More exercise

🌻 Eat better

🌻 Feed my brain more

🌻 Relax more

🌻 Enjoy life

🌻 Laugh as much as possible.

🌻 Need to knit more socks too  🌻

Could possibly be a mini New Years Resolution…. not a pair a month though, more like a pair every 2 months maybe?

Happy 2015 to you and yours.  May all you wish for yourself and more come true ✨

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Look What Durahn Made For Me

LeftFootDaisy9 Comments

 

Top 64

As some of you know my son Durahn, has developed a love of sewing, he even saved and bought his own machine this year rather than continuing to use mine.  (note to self, maybe he’s broken it)

He has already made me a couple of things including my fabulous grey, pinstriped apron and my lovely and very useful Sew Together Bag, which goes everywhere my knitting bag goes.  I’m not even sure how I managed before without it.

I knew he was planning on making me a top for Christmas because we had to take measurements and then discuss why my back is a size 12 but my boobs are a size 16 😳

When I opened my pressie on Christmas morning I was blown away by his choice of pattern and fabric.  The pattern was from Merchant & Mills and is called Top 64.  Totally me, I’m already planning the material for my next one 😜

Tweed

He made it using beautiful Donegal Tweed, 100% herringbone wool from Donegal.  The shade is described as being ‘like a biscuit dipped in honey’ on the Merchant & Mills website.

I’ve interrogated him about making the top but, he’s not too well at the moment so the words are few….

Pattern was nice and clear, material was good to work with and the trickiest part was putting the yoke in.  Think he means on the reverse?

Apparently, he thinks it will be ideal for work as there’s a pocket for my tape measure and one for my phone – he’s deluded if he hasn’t realised by now that I’ll have to have both items spring loaded so they’re returned to the afore mentioned pockets, rather than left somewhere 😱

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I love it!

I hope he doesn’t object to making me a load of them in different materials and different colours now 😇

Happy Knitting!

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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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2014-11-29 16.38.51

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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Drum Roll Please ……. Smudge Yarns Have Arrived

LeftFootDaisy2 Comments

2014-12-05 10.15.48

Look at the lovely parcel that arrived yesterday.  (Actually there were 4 more but lets look at this one now)

OK so from the outside it doesn’t look so great and you’d never know what was inside, unless of course you’ve spotted the sticker?

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Can you make out what it is now?

The anticipation is actually killing me, all this photo taking lark is completely against my inner self screaming ‘just open the damn thing’.

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Gorgeous, hand dyed here in Cork, Smudge Superwash Sock Yarn is €23 per 100g.  There’s five shades to choose from at the moment and each beautiful 100g hank contains 300 metres of blended 4ply yarn, 70% wool/30% nylon.  Not just for socks, I’m thinking a shawl maybe, but I do ♥love♥ my socks…..

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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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It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

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2014-11-22 17.06.27

I’m ♥loving♥ this pair and they’re doing an excellent job of adding a festive feel to the shop counter.  I do have a confession though…..my friends Noreen and Liz made them for me along with the Tinsel Owl below.  Big thanks to both of them, they are without a doubt, skilled when it comes to making knitted toys.

The snowmen are made using Sirdar Snowflake (dk for the smaller of the two, chunky for the larger) and Stylecraft Special DK for the accessories  The biggest chap stands approximately 11 inches tall whilst the shorter one is about 8 inches high.

snowman sirdar

The design has been created by Sue Jobson for Sirdar, pattern 4513 and the girls assure me they’re a fairly straightforward knit.  As with all toys, it can be easier to sew as you go, otherwise the task can seem a little daunting if you leave it all to the end.

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Loving the addition of the red on the robin’s breast, much more appropriate me thinks 💡

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Here’s the afore mentioned owl, he’s a rather big boy and is the largest size on the pattern.  He still only took the one ball of King Cole Tinsel and he’s proving even more popular than the hedgehog at the moment.

Owls

As you can see it’s pattern 9022 I think they’d make a lovely little present for someone, especially as owls are so popular at the moment.  I think I’d rather like a little white Snowy Owl perched on our Christmas Tree.

Happy knitting!

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The Bear With No Name

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2014-11-20 13.52.05

This is Knit’s latest addition to the Knit Family Menagerie, there’s only one problem though – he doesn’t have a name yet 😯

 

Bears

I knitted him up using pattern 9019 from King Cole Yarns, however the wool Luxe Fur,  is impossible to purchase because it’s completely sold out EVERYWHERE 😦  Undeterred, I decided to try knitting the design up using Tivoli Husk as a substitute instead and I think you’ll agree he’s turned out great?

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He’s the baby bear and there’s also a mummy and a daddy bear (medium and large) on the pattern.  He was fairly simple to knit up and the trick is not to stuff him to firmly with toy filling, otherwise he won’t be so cuddly.

The pretty knitted garment hanging behind our friend the bear is called The Pheasant Shawl by Julie Ferguson which I’d spotted in issue 73 of The Knitter in June and instantly fell in love with.  A naughty purchase of yarn for said garment happened on a trip to York during the summer and I managed to find some time in amongst knitting all the other projects to get it made up.  The yarn used is a double knit from West Yorkshire Spinners from the New Country Birds Collection and  is 100% Blue Faced Leicester.

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Unfortunately, I ran out of the multicoloured yarn several rows before I’d completed the main part of the shawl, which means the shawl is slightly smaller than the size specified on the pattern.

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The colours are beautifully autumnal, unlike most of the clothes I own O_o

2014-11-20 14.03.55Nigel maybe?

Happy Knitting!

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So Much Yarn

LeftFootDaisy3 Comments

There have been so many yummy yarnny deliveries of late that the stock rooms are fit to burst and there’s a danger that I’ll go in one day and never return o_O

There were 2 deliveries last week, 2 the week before and there have been 3 so far this week, with at least one more due.  Sadly, this does mean that I’m a little behind when it comes to telling you all what’s in and even more behind with knitting my samples for the shop 😳

Cracking on then –

Last week was a good week for those sock knitters among us with several different items arriving in to help keep your toes toasty.  The Knitpro Karbonz in 2.5mm are back and I’ve also stocked up on the 2.5mm Knitpro circulars too.

Now for some yarn porn

2014-11-14 09.29.043 delightful shades in Opal Beachcoming

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The almost complete range of Opal Solids

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Something we haven’t had for a while now – 6ply sock yarn.  It’s the Daydreaming range from Opal.  Can’t wait to give 6ply (double knit to you and me) socks a go 💡

Another new addition and one completely at the other side of the woolly spectrum is Flame from Rico Yarns.

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Flame from Rico, is a lightweight super chunky yarn, note I said lightweight.  Each 50g ball contains a whopping 90 metres and knits to a tension of 10 stitches to 14 rows on 10mm needles.  it’s a wool blend, 40% wool/60% acrylic and I’ve opted for 6 of the available 7 variegated shades (2 of them were very similar).  Reasonably priced too at €4.99 per ball – Bargain!

flame

We have patterns too and I’ve promised Dina a cardi but I have to cast on a jumper I’ve been promising Durahn first.  In the meantime I think I might get a hat knitted up for the shop and possibly the odd Christmas gift too.

flame hat

Happy Knitting!

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