Garter Stitch Jacket by Debbie Bliss

Last weekend I was knitting a few patchwork squares and I decided that I wanted to knit a pink one – but I didn’t want to waste the ball – so I started knitting a small baby coat.  I thought I will knit a little coat and then use the left over yarn for a patchwork square.  This is the coat.

It is very easy.  I seem to be making a habit of knitting easy garter stitch items – but knitting doesn’t have to be complicated.

This pattern came from Knitting magazine and is dated July 2010 (so I have had it a while).  You knit all the pieces and then join them together at the armholes – knitting the top part as one piece.  Now I have done a pink one – I suppose I ought to do a blue one as well.  I expect I will be able to find some suitable yarn – but I have now started knitting another shawl using some of the yarn I got for Christmas.  I would like to knit the items I intended – when I chose the yarn – then I can use the left over yarn for some other projects that I have in my head.

So much yarn – so little time!!

Garter Stitch Triangle Wrap by Pat Strong

 

I have finally finished this wrap.

I used 2 shades of Debbie Bliss Rialto Luxury sock yarn – but the original pattern uses one shade of Rooster Alpaca 4 ply.  I am not sure I would recommend just using one shade unless you are very good at concentrating on increases. 

I thoroughly recommend the pattern.  I enjoyed knitting it and I like the finished result.

I have now got back to knitting squares for a patchwork blanket.  I like knitting the squares but I am not going to enjoy joining them together!  I have talked about knitting a blue and white throw – I think I will knit this in one piece.  There are pros and cons with both methods.  If you knit something in one piece – you have to plan it – you can’t just knit at random – and you can end up with a large piece of knitting which is fine in this cold weather but not so great in the summer when I often seem to be knitting blankets.

A Belated Happy New Year

 

I expect that anyone who reads this blog regularly will think that I have given up.  I haven’t – I have just had some personal problems which have taken up all of my time. 

On Christmas Day I opened the parcel of yarn which I had ordered from Oxford Yarn Store in November.

It was full of Rowan Felted Tweed in a range of colours.  I hope to use this for 3 projects – a fair-isle scarf, a Shetland shawl and a second version of the Jacqueline Van Dillen shawl that I knitted in the autumn during the lockdown.  I still haven’t blocked the first one – it is sitting waiting to be done.  

In theory I should have plenty of time again now as the UK is currently locked down – but unfortunately I have too many other things to do.  I don’t think I will get back to regular knitting until February.  However – I have lots of ideas for things that I would like to knit.  I have already mentioned some of them, but many years ago I sorted out a large bag of odd bits of blue and white yarn to knit a throw based on one of Kaffe Fassett’s fabric quilt designs.  I had mislaid the bag – but this week I found it again – maybe this is an omen that I should knit this throw next. 

I am still knitting the very easy garter stitch shawl.  I am sure that there isn’t much left to do.  It is knitted from point to point and I have now got to a part where I am completing rows very quickly (as they are so short) – so it won’t be much longer.  I may even finish it today if I sit and knit rather than find something else that I should be doing.