A Very Easy Shawl

 

A few years ago I chose 2 shades of Debbie Bliss Rialto Luxury Sock yarn to make a shawl but never knitted it.  One is pink and brown and the other is green and a brighter pink (Shades 17 and 02). 

Now I need some knitting to do that is very easy.  The pattern is Garter Stitch Triangle Wrap by Pat Strong which I found in an old copy of Knitting magazine.

I say it is an easy pattern but it wouldn’t be if I wasn’t knitting it in 2 shades.  The original design is one shade and it is a 4 row pattern with a different increase or decrease on alternate rows.  If I was knitting it in one colour I would lose concentration and get confused.  As it is – I know that I do the first row in one colour and the third row in the other colour. 

I am hoping that there will be a bit of time to do some knitting when I have sorted out the last few Christmas things.

A Jumper that Turned into a Shawl

 

Over the years I had collected together some shades of black, cream and grey to knit into a multi-coloured jumper.  At some point I had added a ball of cerise as a contrast colour.  This yarn has sat in a bag for years. 

The yarn is all DK – various mixtures of mainly wool and man-made fibres.  The cream is also part alpaca.  It includes some of my all-time favourite yarn - Sirdar Highlands and Islands which was a lovely mix of wool and acrylic and the equally old Hayfield’s Grampian Tweeds DK.  It also includes the more modern Stylecraft Luxury Wool Rich DK and Alpaca dk. 

During the second UK lockdown I was knitting things I was supposed to be making for other people but wanted to knit something easy  - so not a jumper – something that I didn’t notice I was knitting.  I have a couple of Jacqueline Van Dillen shawl patterns that I was going to knit one day and so I decided that “one day” had come and I would have a go at one using the yarn I had collected for the jumper. 

The design doesn’t seem to have a name but it is a biased striped shawl which was published in Designer Knitting magazine Autumn 2018.  I seem to be knitting a lot of 2018 patterns recently – probably because I have a backlog since then.  During 2019 and 2020 I didn’t really get much knitting done and my blog posts became less and less frequent.

This is the start of it.  It is knitted from point to point.

I have now finished the shawl but it needs blocking – it is still a bit curly in places.  I haven’t got the space to do it yet.   I didn’t completely stick to the pattern  - I had to make changes to fit the yarns that I had. Also when I knit the pattern again (which I intend to do) – I will make some of the sections much shorter.

I have now started another even easier shawl to make while I am working long hours in the run up to Christmas.

Two Finished Cardigans

I have finished the cardigan which is a present for my mother.  I hope she will like it.  Normally she puts a new cardigan in a drawer – to keep for best and carries on wearing her usual ones.  I am the same in a way – if I don’t immediately start wearing something new – I forget about it.

 

This second cardigan has been unfinished all year – but it is also now finished because I have sewn on the buttons. 

I found during lockdown that I had a button shortage – I have got a lot of buttons but none of them were suitable for what I was knitting.  As soon as Banbury Sewing Centre reopened – I went in and stocked up on metals buttons which can be used with any yarn.

This week I have also ordered a Christmas present for me!  During this lockdown I have had a chance to think about what I would like to knit next.   When I say next – I probably mean next year.    I choose some more shades of Rowan Felted Tweed with the idea of knitting 2 shawls and a scarf.  I did an email order to Oxford Yarn Store and my parcel arrived on Friday.  I haven’t opened it yet.  I will save that for Christmas day.

Ella by Sirdar

For the last few weeks I have been knitting a cardigan as a birthday present for my mother.  Her birthday is in December.   I have knitted this design before a few years ago.  I am not sure where the pattern comes from – it has been cut out of a magazine.  It suggests various Sirdar double knitting yarns that could be used.   My mother needs something that is machine washable which will also survive the tumble dryer.   

The yarn I chose is Stylecraft Life dk Vintage Look which is 75% acrylic and 25% wool.  This shade is called Prairie.   Unfortunately the yarn is discontinued.  When I saw it in my local yarn store – it reminded me of my mother because these are the colours she normally wears.  I only bought 4 x 100g balls.  I thought it ought to be enough – mainly because that was enough last time I knitted this design in the smallest size.

Yesterday I was doing that favourite knitter’s habit of knitting faster because you think you are running out of yarn.   It was very close. When I finished the second sleeve – having already done to neck and front bands -  I had about 2 metres of yarn left!

I did have a plan B for if I ran out of yarn.  The first plan B was to unravel the whole cardigan and knit a design which used less yarn - but that was  bit drastic if it could be avoided.  My second plan B (or plan C) was to reknit the sleeves making them slightly narrower.  I always find that shop bought cardigans have much narrower sleeves than handknit patterns – so there is always scope to do this without the sleeves being too narrow.  However – I am really glad that I haven’t got to do it. 

All I have got to do now is sew it up.  I had better get on with it rather than start knitting anything else. 

Vanessa by Marie Wallin

Vanessa is a cardigan that I have been working on for more than a year.  I first noticed the pattern in November 2018 when I was in Oxford Yarn Store with my World War 1 Memorial Quilt.  I wanted to have another go at knitting a fair-isle cardigan. I still haven’t actually finished it.  I have finished the knitting unless I need to alter the sleeves but the garment is still in bits.

The cardigan is knitted in several shades of Rowan Felted Tweed – which is a lovely yarn.  I made a mistake and used the purple colour for the diamonds when I was supposed to use blue.  The chart is so small – I misread the symbol.  However I think it looks more cohesive to use the purple twice.  Also it demonstrates a point that Kaffe Fassett makes that colour look different depending on the colours that they are next to.  I think the purple looks like a different shade further down the pattern when it is next to the pink.

I don’t think I have ever finished a fair-isle cardigan  for an adult – I remember trying to knit a Debbie Bliss design in cotton.  I never finished that.  I have knitted lots of little fair-isle cardigans for babies and small children and I have knitted a fair-isle jumper that I don’t think I ever wore. 

In order to make this cardigan more wearable I have knitted the sleeves downwards (so I didn’t exactly follow the pattern - I knitted the instructions backwards).  This means that if the sleeves are too long (or too short) I can unravel or knit more rib.  I know I should measure them and I do but somehow I often still have problems. 

I have been to my local yarn stores more recently – and on one of my last visits to the nearest one (Banbury Sewing Centre) – I bought a lot of buttons.  For many years I have said I must start a cardigan with the buttons and then get the yarn to go with them because I always have problems the other way around.  Also although I have a lot of yarn and lots of odd buttons – if we have another lockdown – it would be good to be able to finish garments because I had already bought the buttons.  I still haven’t finished a jacket I knitted during lockdown because although I have now bought some buttons – I haven’t sewn them on.  I need to keep up the momentum on a project or it just drifts.

I have started knitting a few things for Christmas.  I did do some in April but now the deadline is a bit closer.  This is good because it does focus the mind on finishing them.  I hope I am doing better this year because – at least it isn’t December yet.  Unlike some knitters who are still knitting on Christmas Eve – I have to be more organized because most things need to be posted – so I have to complete them before the last posting date!

Afternoon Tea Throw – Butterfly Cake and Flapjacks

I know it is ages again since I wrote anything – I have been working on a fair-isle cardigan which I hope to finish soon.  Now it is getting chilly – it would be good to wear it.   However I also took a break from that project and knitted 2 more blocks for my Afternoon Tea Throw.  

This first block represents a Butterfly Cake.

 

My mother used to make Butterfly Cakes.  I remember when I was small being fascinated that by just cutting off the top and cutting that piece in half – a cake could have wings!

The second block represents 2 flapjacks – probably not a feature of a posh afternoon tea – but we used to have them whenever we visited my mother’s sister. 

I have a few more ideas for edible blocks – but I also want to include some that represent china.  I also ought to include tea and sugar – and even a tea-cosy!   However – I think before I do any more for this throw – I had better finish the cardigan I am working on and make a few Christmas presents. 

In the last week – I may not have written this blog but I have been to all 3 of my local shops which sell yarn and have ordered some online.  I always say I am going to use up some of my yarn mountain but then I haven’t quite got the right yarn – so I have to buy some more.

Jewelspun Tea Cosy

I am aware that I haven’t written anything for weeks.  I haven’t done much knitting recently. My cousin asked me if I would knit her a tea cosy for her tiny teapot.  This is what I have come up with.

It is double-sided.  It is 2 tea cosies in one.  This means it is very thick to keep the tea warm and she can decide which side she likes the most.   The teapot is about a 2 cup size.  I made the pattern up as I went along.  I used 4mm needles and Sirdar Jewelspun yarn  which is aran weight.  The shade is 844 which is blue and pink, and green and orange.   The balls are 200g in size – so I have quite a lot left over for something else.

The tea cosy is mainly made up of diamond modules.  I cast on 17 sts and the first row was K8, P1, K8.  I then decreased in the centre on the front facing rows maintaining the centre line on each diamond.  I fill the base with triangles which I made up as I went along.  I shaped the top by using a 3-needle cast off to join the diamonds together.

I am now going to knit some more blocks for my Afternoon Tea throw.

Afternoon Tea Throw – Fondant Fancy, Chocolate Tiffin and 3 More Sandwiches

I am supposed to be knitting other things but I have knitted a few more blocks for this throw.  The first was inspired by a pink fondant fancy.

I like the fact that it has a random wavy line across the knitting.  There is an idea that knitting has to be regimented – it doesn’t - it can be random and wavy!  The Chocolate Tiffin block has a much more regular pattern.

I was eating some Chocolate Tiffin when I decided to knit this block.  It isn’t a very traditional “afternoon tea” ingredient – but I like it and I wanted to include some more chocolate in the throw.

The last 3 blocks represent different kinds of sandwiches.  The first one is Tuna and Cucumber, the second Ham and Mustard and the third one is Cheese and Tomato. 

I did think about Coronation Chicken and other more sophisticated fillings but they are not very interesting colour-wise.  I also wanted to pay tribute to the sort of sandwiches I used to eat. 

I am now going to have a short break from the throw and knit a tea cosy for my cousin.

Afternoon Tea Throw – Iced Bun, Viennese Whirl and Sandwich

Last week I knitted two blocks inspired by my grandparents.  When we used to visit them – which was not that often as it was quite a long journey – my grandma used to give us iced buns.  They were her favourite. 

 

Then we used to go into my granddad’s room and he would open a box of Viennese Whirls which were his favourites. 

 

Both of these are not very typical afternoon tea ingredients but I have included them because of the personal connection.  The background represents a Cornish ware plate which can be found in many English households.

The third block is inspired by 2 sandwiches.  The turquoise background is similar to the Poole pottery plates that my parents had.

 

This design has been very difficult.  Originally I thought of a striped block representing a pile of sandwiches – but I thought that was boring.  Then I thought I could just divide the block with a diagonal line representing the filling but this does not work out because the block is not square.  I also tried making the sandwiches smaller and having 4 – but that looked very odd when I knitted it.  My second attempt at actually knitting a block inspired by a sandwich – had just one sandwich – but that looked odd as well.  In this version the sandwich and the filling are thicker which I think looks better.

The filling was originally intended to represent cucumber, then I changed it to lettuce (which is not very traditional but the sort of filling I had at home) and now it is more egg and cress!  I will now knit a few other varieties.

Afternoon Tea Throw – Scotch Egg

I have finished the Scotch Egg block for my throw.  It was very easy to knit and I am happy with it.

I had meant to knit a block inspired by cucumber sandwiches and I will produce one eventually.  I have tried 2 different versions this week and I didn’t like either of them so they have been unravelled.  I will think of something but for now it is better to have a break from that idea and try something else.  I may even go back to the fair-isle cardigan that I am supposed to be knitting.

Afternoon Tea Throw – Chocolate Cake and Swiss Roll

This week I have finished 3 more squares for my afternoon tea throw.  The first one is supposed to be chocolate cake.  In real life I think the filling would probably be a similar colour to the sponge – but that would not make for a good design.  Alternatively my mother used to make a delicious chocolate cake with cream on the top – this would not make a very interesting design either.

The block is the same a one I have knitted before only in different colours.  I have repeated this idea for the Swiss Roll blocks.  The first one is chocolate like the cake and the second one uses red and yellow like the Victoria sponge block.

It is not going to be all cake.  I have thought about some savoury blocks.  I am currently knitting a Scotch egg – that is not a phrase you come across very often!  I am supposed to be finishing a cardigan but I keep getting ideas for my throw and wanting to try them out.

Afternoon Tea Throw – Jam Tart and Cherry Bakewell

After much trial and error – I have managed to come up with a shape that is sort of round.  It is the best I can do in the space available.  The first block I have knitted is inspired by a jam tart.

 

I then knitted the same design again using different colours and added a “cherry”.

 

I am now going to adapt these designs to knit some Swiss Roll!  When I started knitting these blocks – I started to get cravings for cake but fortunately I managed to avoid buying any.

I still don’t know what the final throw will look like – I am just knitting blocks as the ideas occur to me.

Afternoon Tea Throw – Second and Third Steps

I have mainly been working on a fair-isle cardigan which I keep forgetting to photograph.  This week I have also knitted 2 more blocks for my throw.  As I hinted last time – the Angel Cake was an obvious next step.  

I debated a bit about which colours to use but in the end I decided to use the same pink and yellow that I had used in the main part of the Battenburg block. 

The third block is inspired by a Victoria Sandwich cake.  

I do not do baking myself and when I have bought this type of cake – it tends to have a cream filling as well as jam, but I remember hearing that this was incorrect and that a Victoria Sandwich should only include Jam!  Alternatively you could just look at it as a block made up of 3 stripes. 

I am now thinking about how to create some blocks with circular shapes on them – I think I need to find my pattern for the Japanese flag which is always a good starting point.    With knitting - the design has to be oval to turn out circular due to the fact that the stitches are taller than they are wide. 

Afternoon Tea Throw – First Steps

For a while I have been thinking about knitting a throw based on cakes or desserts – the idea being that it is healthier to knit them than eat them.  Unfortunately I think that if I spend a lot of time thinking about cake – I might be tempted to eat some!  The first step in the design process is to write down some ideas.  When the VE day celebrations were happening – I thought I would broaden the idea to include other things which are associated with afternoon tea – such as cake-stands and sugar lumps.  I haven’t come up with a proper design – I just have ideas swirling around in my head.

I often tend to make things up as I go along and I like painting with wool – so the next step was to order some yarn.  Karen Draisey at Oxford Yarn store is operating a mail order service – so I sent her an email with my requirements.  I do love Rowan Felted Tweed and so intend to use that yarn.  This is what she sent me.

I already have some other colours.  I am not exactly sure which colours I will use but I needed some pastry and cake colours. 

The next consideration was the size of needles to use and the number of rows and stitches.  I have already decided to knit separate squares to sew together afterwards and so I will cast on and off with a main colour.  When I have knitted the squares that I want to – I can then knit some more to pull the design together.  I don’t like heavy throws and I don’t want it to be too big  - so I have decided to use 5mm needles (so much larger than normal for this yarn), and I am casting on 34sts and knitting 48 rows.  Knowing how things turn out  - I expect the squares will still not all be the same size.

Anyway when I was talking about this idea to my sister – we somehow got on to talking about Battenburg cake – I think our father liked it – so I decided to use that for my sample square.

I think it has turned out well.  I think this piece of knitting does say “Battenburg”!  I am supposed to be finishing a cardigan but I am now itching to knit a slice of Angel cake.

Three Tea Cosies

I have finally got around to finishing 3 tea cosies which I started knitting about 5 years ago.  It was silly really the first one is based on a  Fondant Fancy and it may be that it was longer than 5 years ago that I started knitting this.  When I say “started” – I mean I knitted it all apart from putting the decoration on the top and sewing it up.

I could not decide how to do the decoration – whether to do embroidery or crochet.  This month – it still took my ages to decide what to do.  In the end I made a crocheted chain using 2 strands of yarn and sewed it onto the top of the cosy.  I then sewed up the sides and it was finished.

The second cosy was inspired by the Tower of London – so it is meant to be a Keep.  All it needed was sewing up.  I had started doing it years ago – there were pins in it – but for some reason – long forgotten – I abandoned it unfinished until now.

The third cosy was inspired by a bus.  I hope that is obvious.  It was much more complicated than the other 2 cosies and much less finished.

It is padded and lined.  I had only knitted one side of the lining and one of the end pieces was too short so needed to be lengthened.   I know why I stopped working on it – I had run out of yarn – but the new ball was there – so why didn’t I carry on a finish it after I had bought the new yarn?  The answer is – that I got interested in something else and just stuffed it into a bag with all the other unfinished tea cosies.  It took a bit longer to sew all the bits together, attach the padding, and then attach the lining to the outer knitting.  I am quite pleased with it because it does stand up on its own.  In the photos – there is a teapot under it but that is not obvious.

I have now drafted a design for a fourth tea cosy.  I wonder if I will knit it before I get distracted by something else.  I mean I have some old yarn that would make a nice summer jumper!  I bought the yarn about 15 years ago – and have no idea what I intended to use it for but now I have found a pattern…

Eyelet Infinity Scarf by Sarah Radow

Last week I decided I wanted to knit something easy.  This is the result.

It is the Eyelet Infinity Scarf by Sarah Radow which is included in the book celebrating the 20^th anniversary of Noro Silk Garden yarn.

There are lots of lovely patterns in this book and I did consider knitting some of the other cowl patterns but they are knitted in the round which put me off.  I started one – I tried it but I don’t like it.  I wanted to enjoy knitting not find it a struggle.  This pattern I recommend.  It is easy and interesting.  

I did use Silk Garden.  The pattern needs 3 balls.  I had 4 balls of Shade 418 which is sort of orange/brown/green and red.   

While I was knitting I thought about a new throw that I want to knit.  I can’t make a start on it until I have finished a few more projects.  However – the way I design things – I need to think about them for weeks before I make a start – the design process takes much longer than the actual knitting.

Baby Surprise Jacket

Every knitter probably has a bucket list of things they would like to knit if they had more time or more skill.  Ever since I had heard about Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Baby Surprise Jacket I have wanted to knit one.

In 2016 Cully Swansen published a book called The Complete Surprise which includes a step-by-step pattern for the Baby Surprise Jacket and lots of variations.

I had this book for Christmas in 2018 and added the Baby Surprise Jacket to my list of things to knit one day.  Towards the end of last year – I started to knit one but soon realised that I did not have enough yarn – so I unravelled it and used the yarn to knit a different baby’s jacket.  However I did go to my local yarn store and buy 2 balls of multi-coloured yarn for another attempt.

Last week I decided to have another go at the Baby Surprise Jacket.  This is the jacket as it appeared when I was knitting it – blindly following the instructions.

This is what it looks like now it is finished.

I am not sure that I would have chosen green buttons - but I have got green buttons.  They don’t look too bad.  Also I think when I folded the knitting I have got the wrong side outwards but I thought it looked the better side of the two.  

The only seams in this pattern are along the top of the sleeves – so it is ideal for those of us who hate sewing up (probably everyone) – and I also like the fact that you knit button-holes on both sides of the front and then sew buttons over one side.  This eliminates a problem I often have of how to space the buttons and where to sew them so that they line up with the button-holes.

Now I have finished this little jacket – I am hoping that I will be able to finish several other partly finished items that I have found.  Several of them I had forgotten about completely.