Colinette Arizona Dreams – Sonaran Design Progress Report

 

I am enjoying knitting this modular knitted throw and despite having a weekend away, I have almost finished knitting all the diamond shapes.  I have just got the last four individual ones to finish off.  I have then got to work out how to knit the triangles up the sides and do the finishing. 

I will take a photo of the whole throw when it is finished.

 

Colinette Arizona Dreams Sonoran Design – First Module

 

This is the first module of the Arizona Dream throw I am knitting for Colinette.  I am always interested in how different a module can look depending on the number of stitches, the choice of yarn and how the decrease is carried out.  This decrease is done on the front using, slip 1, knit 2 together, pass the slip stitch over.  I am not sure I have done that before.  I would normally knit the centre 3 stitches together – that is what I did on my L-shaped modular knitted jumper.

Since I took this photo yesterday – I have knitted another 6 diamond shapes.  Somehow I don’t think this throw is going to take very long to knit.

Modular Knitted Jumper – Final Progress Report

 

At last I have finished my L-shaped modular knitted jumper by sewing on the buttons, but at the moment it is too hot to wear it! 

 

I am already thinking about and working on several more projects.  There is another tea cosy that I want to make and two scarves that I have the yarn for but have not yet finalised the pattern.  I have also collected the yarn for three jumpers and a cardigan!   I don’t want to find myself with no knitting to do when it is too cold to go out for long!

 

The next project that I am going to concentrate on is another throw for Colinette Yarns.  The yarn arrived yesterday and I am now winding the skeins into balls and making sure I understand the pattern.

Domino Square Tea Cosy

 

Since I designed a diamond-shaped tea cosy for the first GMC Tea Cozy book – I have wanted to make one using domino squares.  I think it looks very effective, fits the tea cosy well and is thick enough to keep the tea warm.   If you would like to make one – a pattern is recorded below.

Materials: a small amount of 2 shades of DK yarn (Cream and Blue). (50g is enough, 25g may be enough)

Needles: 4mm

Each side of the cosy is made up of 3 rows of 4 squares.  I actually knitted the squares in columns rather than squares, but you could do it either way.

First square (bottom left-hand corner)

Row 1: Using cream cast on 21sts.

Row 2: Knit.
Row 3: Change to blue yarn and K9, K3tog, K9.
Row 4: Knit.
Row 5: Change back to cream yarn and K8, K3tog, K8.
Row 6:  Knit.
Row 7: Change to blue yarn and K7, K3tog, K7.
Row 8: Knit.
Row 9: Change to cream yarn and K6. K3tog, K6.
Row 10: Knit.
Row 11: Change to blue yarn and K5, K3tog, K5.
Row 12: Knit.
Row 13: Change to cream yarn and K4, K3tog, K4.
Row 14: Knit.
Row 15: Change to blue yarn and K3, K3tog, K3.
Row 16: Knit.
Row 17: Change to cream yarn and K2, K3tog, K2.
Row 18: Knit.
Row 19: Change to blue yarn and K1, K3tog, K1.
Row 20: K3tog and fasten off.
 

Middle Row (Square above first square)

Row 1: Using cream pick up 10 sts from top of first square,  and then turn and cast on 9 sts.  (19 sts.)
Row 2: Knit.
Row 3: Change to blue yarn and K8, K3tog, K8.
Row 4:  Knit.
Row 5: Change to cream yarn and K7, K3tog, K7.
Row 6: Knit.
Row 7: Change to blue yarn and K6. K3tog, K6.
Row 8: Knit.
Row 9: Change to cream yarn and K5, K3tog, K5.
Row 10: Knit.
Row 11: Change to blue yarn and K4, K3tog, K4.
Row 12: Knit.
Row 13: Change to cream yarn and K3, K3tog, K3.
Row 14: Knit.
Row 15: Change to blue yarn and K2, K3tog, K2.
Row 16: Knit.
Row 17: Change to cream yarn and K1, K3tog, K1.
Row 18: K3tog and fasten off.

Top Row (Square above second square)

Row 1:  Using cream pick up 9 sts from top of second square and then turn and cast on 8 sts.  (17sts.)
Row 2: Knit.
Row 3: Change to blue yarn and K7, K3tog, K7.
Row 4: Knit.
Row 5: Change to cream yarn and K6. K3tog, K6.
Row 6: Knit.
Row 7: Change to blue yarn and K5, K3tog, K5.
Row 8: Knit.
Row 9: Change to cream yarn and K4, K3tog, K4.
Row 10: Knit.
Row 11: Change to blue yarn and K3, K3tog, K3.
Row 12: Knit.
Row 13: Change to cream yarn and K2, K3tog, K2.
Row 14: Knit.
Row 15: Change to blue yarn and K1, K3tog, K1.
Row 16: K3tog and fasten off.

Repeat these 3 squares picking up or casting on as appropriate until you have knitted 2 sides of a tea cosy each consisting of 12 squares.

To tidy up the bottom of the cosy – using blue yarn, pick up 44 sts along the bottom edge and then immediately cast them off.

To finish the top of the cosy:

 

On the first side
Row 1: Using cream yarn pick up 32 sts along the top edge.
Row 2: *K2tog; repeat from * across the row. (16 sts).
Row 3: Change to blue yarn and knit.
Row 4: Knit.
Row 5: Change to cream yarn and knit.
Row 6: Knit.
Row 7: Change to blue yarn.  *K2tog; repeat from * across the row. (8 sts).
Row 8: Knit.
Leave stitches on a spare needle.

Repeat the above for the top of the second side.

Knit the 2 sides together.

Sew in ends.

Sew down the sides, above the handle and the spout.

Join the sides at the bottom leaving openings large enough for the handle and spout.

Make a pompom and sew it on the top.

More Tea Vicar Tea Cosies

I have been told that no one uses tea cosies anymore and so no one sells them!  In fact people want to buy tea cosies but not many people sell them.  My local newsagent sells hand-knitted tea cosies and they never keep one in their window for long – someone has come in and bought it.

During the summer I have been making tea cosies for the London-based business - All the Fun of the Fair.

 

If you are interested in buying them – they are available from www.allthefunofthefair.bigcartel.com or www.ravelry.com/stores/all-the-fun-of-the-fair-designs  You can also buy a pattern if you would like to knit one yourself.

Oxford Yarn Store

Yesterday I visited Oxford Yarn Store for the first time.  It is a lovely shop stuffed full of yarns of every colour and thickness. I had come across an advert for the store in one of the knitting magazines and I have been meaning to make the effort to travel to Oxford.  If you are visiting Oxford and love yarn – it is well work a walk along the Banbury Road to the store.

 

I had seen pictures of the outside of the store (there is one in the latest edition of Simply Knitting magazine), but I wanted to show you the inside.  The photo above shows what it looks like.  The owner, Karen, was apologising because she thought it looks untidy – but I thought it looked wonderful.  You can buy Rowan, Colinette, Artesano and Noro as well as lots of brands of yarn that I had not heard of.

What I have so far avoided mentioning is how much yarn I bought!  It was a good thing I took my birthday money with me.  I actually bought enough for two projects which you will hear more about in the coming weeks when I start working on them.

If you are interested in visiting Oxford Yarn Store it is located at 3 North Parade Avenue, Oxford, OX2 6LX or you can have a look at the website: www.oxfordyarnstore.co.uk

Modular Knitted Jumper – Third Progress Report

 

I have been away visiting my mother, but I took my L-shaped jumper with me and I have now done most of the modules.  I have only got to do the second half of one of the sleeves. 

I like to shape the under-arms and the top of the front by using small triangles – I need to do 6 of these – 2 for each under-arm and one each side of the neck-opening.

After that I need to do the button-hole and button bands at the front, neaten the neck-line, and adjust the length and sleeve length so they fit.  The last bit of knitting will be adding some ribs.

I would like to think that I might finish this jumper this week as I have another week off work, but I also have a long list of other things to do around the house.