Water Lilies Baby Blanket

I recently knitted this baby blanket for a new arrival.

It was quite time-consuming to knit.  It was knitted in various different balls of double knitting yarn which was 100% acrylic so it will be easy to wash. 

It is really a smaller version of the English Adventure Throw that I knitted previously.  I am calling it Water Lilies because it consists of large flat circular shapes – some of which are pale pink like water lilies.

I originally intended to add an edge all around the blanket – but in the end I just added an edge to the shapes that didn’t have one.

As well as the blanket I also knitted this little jacket – using my usual baby jacket pattern which I have used many times before.

It is a simple design and ideal for boys or girls.  Because of its simplicity – it is ideal for very patterned or multi-coloured yarn like this.

Noro Kureyon Odd Ball Throw

 

I love Noro Kureyon.  I know I have said this before – but it is one of my all-time favourite yarns.  Last time I wrote about knitting for a friend at work – but I have also been encouraging another friend to learn to knit.  She told me that her mother wanted to get back into knitting and she thought she would have a go as well.  I said I would supply her with the basics – needles and yarn.  I went home and when through all my accessible stash to see what might be suitable.

For her first project – a scarf – she chose some Colinette Prism and she told me she enjoyed the process of knitting it.  When she had finished she decided to make another scarf – for this I gave her some Noro Kureyon which I had intended to use for a jumper – but it had never got knitted.

I noticed that I have got a lot of odd bits of Kureyon – bits that very few other people would bother with – bits that could not be donated to a charity shop.  I decided to knit some of them!  I used the same sort of design as the previous throw that I knitted – simple garter stitch squares using two shades of Kureyon.   I used less stitches for each square – only 41 (20 + 1 + 20).  This was because I was using odd bits of yarn.  It is much easier to use up bits when knitting smaller squares.   I will eventually be knitting a throw with squares the size of a postage stamp!

I worked the squares in strips - across the throw – again this was due to the restrictions of the yarn – roughly if you have 2 full balls you can produce a strip which is the right width for a throw.  When I had finished knitting all the strips I organized them in a way that I thought looked best and sewed them together – adding an edging in a shade I had more of than any other.

When I say that each square/strip contains 2 shades used alternately – sometimes this was 2 whole balls and at other times it was bits of similar colours that might originally have come from other shades. 

I am pleased with the end result.  I think I might give it to the friend who caused me to knit it.  It is a bit too bright for many people but as she is an artist – she might appreciate it.

While I was knitting I was producing yet more odd bits and these made me think about knitting a cardigan in a similar way.

Odd Ball Birthday Throw

I haven’t written anything for ages - in fact I hadn't realised how long it was. I haven’t really done much knitting this year but in the last few weeks I have started again.  I have had breaks before – even for as long as a couple of years but not since I started writing a knitting blog!

Last year a friend of mine at work gave me 3 balls of yarn for my birthday.  It is very easy to buy me a present because I love odd balls of yarn.   I thought I would knit the yarn and give it back to her on her birthday in April.

During the winter I started knitting.  I used the balls that I had been given and combined them with some of the odd balls that I had left over from when I knitted tea cosies.  I decided to choose blues and pinks because these are the colours that my friend likes.    However when I gave it to her – I said that if she hated it – I didn’t want her to feel that she had to keep it – she should find someone who did like it and give it to them.  Anyway I think she does like it.

With the cost of heating being very high – I think having a throw on the sofa or in the case of knitters – knitting a throw (covering your lap) could be very popular this winter.  I was lucky this year – knitting a throw when it was chilly – I normally have to do it when it is hot.

The pattern is very simple.  All the squares are knitted in double knitting on 5mm needles and garter stitch is used throughout.  Each square is made up of 61 stitches – with the first decrease in the centre of the second row – which becomes the right side.

I did get this throw finished by the end of April and I took photos before I wrapped it up – but I have failed to write about it until now.   During May I did continue knitting using up some more of my stash.

Happy 8th Birthday Maud Tabron Blog

I am very conscious that I have not done much knitting at all this year.  I started a jumper in January but I have not knitted any more of it than when I last wrote a post.   However today it the anniversary of me starting to write this blog - so I thought I would write something about a piece of knitting that is very important to me although I didn't knit it myself.

This is a throw - which at the time was called a patchwork quilt - that was knitted for me in the 1970s by my maternal grandmother Rebecca Wade.  This is the lady who taught me to knit - I would not be writing this blog if it wasn't for her.

Until this week I had not seen this throw for about 30 years.  In my memory it was blue and white.  I was surprised at how many other colours are in it.  It has threads hanging off it, holes, darns, curly edges and it has been very eccentrically knitted - but I still love it!  My grandmother was just using up all the odd bits of yarn that she had.  When I do that - I try to organize it in some way - but she hasn't - some of it is blocks of one colour - but in other sections it looks as if she has just pulled out the next colour and knitted with that.  

Grandma has used crochet to make some of the shapes fit together and has done a crocheted edge.  I don't remember ever seeing her crochet.  My other grandma preferred crochet to knitting.  

Now I have found this throw again - I think I am going to put in on my sofa so that I see it every day. I can see its imperfections but I don't care about them because Grandma knitted it for me. You can see where I got my love of knitting quilts and throws.  I am currently working on one as another present for a friend.   More about that next time.

Catastrophe Throw - Finished Version

It has been weeks since I have written anything on this blog.  I have been knitting the Catastrophe Throw and have just got it finished in time for Christmas.  It still needs to be blocked and the edges are not how I would like them to be - but I have run out of time.  

I had intended to write something about each strip of knitting or about particular blocks but I haven't got around to it.  Almost every block contains a least one cat and those that don't have a whole cat -  have a tail or dirty paw prints.  The whole throw must have hundreds of cats on it.

No two blocks are the same but some are the same design knitted in different colourways - as shown below

I particularly liked this "outline" design of a cat licking its paw because it was easy to knit - but also because the ladies I have knitted the throw for are professional cleaners.  There are other subtle references to their lives which makes the design more personal.  

Even the repetition of the word "meow" is appropriate as they were telling me only the other day - that one of their cats is constantly "meowing".  

I hope I can get back to writing this blog more regularly but I intend to start 2022 by working on my family tree.  

Catastrophe Throw

At this time of the year I am normally looking for Christmas presents.  I often try to buy something with a cat on it for some friends of mine who love the furry creatures.  It is hard to find something new that they haven’t got – so I decided that I would knit them one of my throws.

I have lots of books of patterns – including designs that have cats on them – so I have collected together some of them and added a few ideas of my own.   I spent ages thinking and not enough time knitting – but I think I am sorted now – and I can just get on with the knitting.

I am using Rowan Pure Wool Superwash Worsted in various colours – but I have tried to pick – “cat colours” and a few contrast colours that my friends like – particularly blues and burgundy.    I think I am using 5.5 mm needles – I am actually not sure – but it doesn’t matter as long as I keep using the same circular needle to knit the whole throw.

I thought about knitting individual squares – but I remembered how much I dislike sewing squares together – so I have decided to knit 6 strips of 6 squares.  This means that I have to pay attention to the placement of the colours – so the same colour is not used in 2 adjoining squares (or squares that will be adjoining when the strips are sewn together).  I am also trying to spread out the colours across the throw – so that the design looks balanced.

The first square come from the book Cat Knits by Marna Gilligan.  It is a repeat pattern which is used in the book on hats and a jumper.  

The second square I invented but it was inspired by a design in the book Cats Knits by Melinda Coss.  

The third square comes from The Sasha Kagan Sweater Book. 

The fourth square is inspired by a design in Melinda Coss’s book.

And the fifth square is largely copied from Nicky Epstein’s book Knitting Block by Block.

I have knitted many more squares but I haven’t photographed them yet.  I will try to show you more of this throw later in the month.  I have decided to call it “Catastrophe” – let’s hope it doesn’t turn out to be one!

Modular Knitted Throw - Finished Version

I have finally got around to finishing the large version of the multi-coloured modular knitted throw.

I am quite pleased with the result.  It is a bit garish but that was the intention.  

The plan was to use up my oddments of double-knitting yarn but I still have loads left.  

I have thought about making another throw with smaller squares so I can use up some of the smaller balls.  However - that will have to wait because at the moment I am knitting hats and then I have a couple of Christmas presents to get on with.

Miniature Version of the Modular Knitted Throw

 

At the beginning of the month I was told that the lady I had made the flowered cushion for – is expecting a baby.  Whenever I hear about a new baby I tend to enquire about what I can knit for the little one.  I decided to make a miniature version of the modular knitted throw which I am still working on.  I am only half way through the large one. The small one is now finished.

It is intended as a baby blanket for a couple who like bright colours.  I hope the baby likes it.  All the yarn is acrylic so it will be hard-wearing and easy to wash.  I hope it will be able to be used for a bit longer than the little coats that I usually knit.  I will knit one of those as well though.

I was conscious when I was taking the photos – that it was not obvious that the throw was very small – so I have included a bit of the large one for contrast.   Each small square starts with 33 sts whereas the large one has 61sts.   I used double knitting yarn and 5.5mm needles so it is much lighter weight than it would have been if I had used the normal size of 4mm.

I am now working on a little red coat.  I don’t know if the baby is a boy or a girl – so red seemed appropriate.

Modular Knitted Throw

Earlier in the year I knitted a modular knitted throw which was predominantly blue and white.  While I was knitting it – I thought that I could knit it in another colour way – using bright or even garish colours.   I have lots of odd balls left over from various projects.

I have made a start on it.  There is no planning – I am just picking the colours for the next square as I go along.  The only 2 “rules” I use – is firstly to spread the colours out across the throw and secondly to use strongly contrasting colours next to each other so that the stripes stand out.  As with the previous version – I intend that every square will be different.

The result so far reminds me of one of the first things I ever knitted – which was a blanket knitted in garter stitch stripes.  I only knitted some of the blocks, my mother, grandmother and aunt knitted the others.  In those days I wouldn’t have believed that I could ever knit a whole throw on my own in a couple of weeks.    I should manage to do it – if I carry on knitting in front of the sport on TV.

Odd Squares Throw - Finished Version

 

During my review of the year in February – I included a photo of some of the squares that I had knitted for this throw.  I basically knitted 6” squares in lots of different colours of double knitting. I then arranged them on my bed – and sewed them together into strips and then joined the strips together. 

I had thought about putting an edge on the throw but I tried it and the edge pulled the knitting too tight.  I am not entirely happy with the throw – it looks OK and it is OK when flat but the squares are not made from the same yarn and although I knitted more rows or less rows to try to make them all the same size – the yarn still behaves differently - for example some squares are more “stretchy” than others.

Note to self – next time I knit a throw – knit it in one piece!  This is harder while you are knitting because it needs to be planned in advance but there is no sewing up. 

I am actually still knitting my Afternoon Tea throw which is made up of individual squares but they will be easier to fit together because they are all made from the same yarn.

I am going to have a break from throws – although I do like knitting them.  I have a jumper and a cushion to knit during the next 2 weeks while the snooker is on.

Shirt Fabric Throw - Finished Version

 

Last week I finished off this throw.  It didn’t take very long to put a simple garter stitch edging on it.  Sewing in the ends took a bit longer. 

I am happy with the end result – it is all man-made double knitting yarn – so it will be easy to wash.  I used 5mm needles which makes the finished knitting more light-weight.  Each square is made up of 61sts (30 = 1 = 30).  There are 8 different striped patterns and no squares are the same.   The throw is 8 squares long and 6 squares wide.

While I was knitting I was thinking about other colourways and other striped patterns which I had not used because I was restricted by the amount of yarn I had. 

This week I have been working on the throw which is made up of 96 individual squares.   This is much harder than the throw I have just finished and when I have finished – I have all that joining to look forward to.

Shirt Fabric Throw

 

Instead of writing blog posts – I have been knitting in front of old detective programmes.  A few years ago I saw a fabric quilt by Kaffe Fassett made out of shirt material – and thought “I could knit that”.  I know that he would appreciate me using that idea and knitting something instead.  In fact he has probably done it.  Anyway I had a lot of golf ball sized balls of blue yarn  - left over from knitting tea cosies.  They are too large to throw away – but too small to do much with.  I collected them all together in a bag with some larger balls of blue, cream and white.

At the beginning of 2020 – I tidied up and I put the bag inside a suitcase and promptly forgot about it – otherwise I may have knitted this throw last year.  A month or so ago – I opened the suitcase and found the bag and decided that it was time I knitted this yarn into the throw that I had imagined when I collected it together.

When I started knitting – I changed my mind.  I had originally intended to knit full-squares that need a seam to complete them or squares of different sizes to accommodate the small balls of yarn – but instead I decided on simple modular squares which are all the same size (30 + 1 + 30 = 61 stitches).  There are 8 different combinations of stripes and so far no square is the same.

I have taken some photos of some of the squares that I have knitted.  I am now on what I think may be the last column of squares.  When I have done the last 8 squares – I will spread it out and see whether the throw needs another column.   When I have knitted all the squares – I will add a simple border.  This is a really easy design.  It has no sewing up – although I will have quite a few ends to darn in and it will have taken about a fortnight to knit.    I can then get back to knitting the central section of the shawl that I have been working on.  I have got half-way with a diamond lace pattern but it is very boring and requires more concentration that I am prepared to give it at the moment.

 

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.