Thursday 7 July 2016

Birthday swifts and 9 inch needles





So it was my birthday last week and I had a great time with family and friends and got spoilt with lovely knitting tools that I’ve been wanting. We had lovely food and wine and went to the woods in Kenilworth, and Rich and I actually went out together for a meal, which was amazing. 




As I said in my last blog, I’ve been exploring all the beautiful hand-dyed yarns and buying some really beautiful skeins of yarn. But the one thing missing was a yarn swift and ball winder.





Having for so long avoided buying skeins because I hate having to wind by hand (and getting in a horrible tangle), I’m so thrilled with my new toys and I just love seeing how the yarn winds up and changes. You can really see all the colours and pattern, especially in the speckled and striped yarns. It’s quite magical and got me really eager to finish projects and cast more things on so I can wind some more. 

I also got this great tote bag, (I’m not sure what company it’s from), and this sock ruler from Rosies Moments on Etsy – and she put in these really sweet stitch marker too. I’m sure I’m going to use these thing a lot. 



In another knitting exploration, I bought myself some 9-inch circulars to try some socks on. I’ve heard so much about them – totally mixed reviews but I thought I’d give them a shot. I haven’t got too far but I’m really liking them. I thought I’d try some socks for Rich first as they have more stitches cast on and thought that might be easier. 


The first two rows were a little tight but now it’s great and, compared to knitting on DPNs (double pointed needles), it seems much easier to transport and do little bits on. I’m really pleased with those – I love learning new techniques. 

I’m knitting Rich another pair of the Molly Weasely Family sock as it was so quick and easy when I knitted my own. I have for cuffs heals and toes The Women's Institute, Unique Shetland in Olive Green and for the leg and foot I have by Rico Design, Suberba Circus in Brown Mix 05 . He loves brown so I think I’m on to a winner. 


I finished my Hermione’s everyday socks and I’m so pleased with them. I was worried they were going to be massive after blocking them, as I did them in a sport weight yarn but I have a really high instep so they fit me great. I had to look up how to do the eye of partridge heal on DPNS and I don't think it came out exactly how it should, but I really like it all the same, and would do it again as it is.


I’m going to do a non-Harry-Potter themed sock next I think. I’ve never even read the books and I feel like I’m a super fan. 

I have a few other projects to cast on but I’ll share them next time when I’ve made more progress and there is actually something to show. And I also have a ‘Holes in the plot bookmark the sequel’, which is another free pattern ready for my next blog. So if you had a go at the first which was a introduction to Yarn over stitches, this is a little more challenging and a really lovely lace pattern. 




Happy Knitting!

Tuesday 14 June 2016

Falling In love again.

I’ve realised these last couple of weeks that I have a problem. Over the last 10 years or so that I have been knitting I have become a DK addict. It’s my absolute default. And I have so much of it that there hasn’t been room for much else. My opinion has been that there isn’t much you can’t knit on a good DK yarn and 4mm needles. And I think it’s put me in a slight knitting rut. 


But I’m thrilled to say I’ve come through the other side reborn and refreshed to find a new love of sock and lighter weight yarns. They’ve always made me a little nervous as I thought knitting on such fine yarn would tie me down to long projects. But it isn’t the case, a case in point being my new Mrs. Weasley's Family Socks by A Homespun House – I cast them on and had them blocked in 10 days. 
I did have to make my own sock blockers, which possibly isn’t the best, but I love making things myself if I can. 




I’ve just had such a fun couple of weeks. I’ve discovered some amazing podcasts on YouTube that I’ve been binge watching. And they are so inspiring. Since I spend a lot of my time knitting and working from home, these podcasts provide a great sense of community and open a up a whole world of knitting, with knit-alongs and Ravelry groups. 
Here are some of my favorites: 
The Grocery Girls 
The gentle knitter 
Mandarines 
Knitting in the City 

It’s a joy to sit and watch these with my knitting, taking notes on beautiful yarn brands and with patterns to try. It has led me to spend rather a lot of time (and money) online and on Etsy indulging and exploring all the wonderful independent hand dyers. 
I’ve bought a few skeins 



Viking yarns  - Hand Dyed Sock Yarn - 100% Baby Alpaca Wool in 'Broken Hallelujah'

Viking yarns  - Hand Dyed Sock Yarn - Superwash Merino/Cashmere/Nylon in 'Straw into Gold' 
I love pink geraniums -Hand Dyed, Superwash, Merino, Yarn, Cashmere, Wool, Sport, Sock, 4 Ply, Twisted Cashmere, 


And this wonderful self striping sock yarn from cascade yarns in - 6 Autumn, which I knit my socks in. The cuffs, heals and toes are in a yarn called Millamia. in their Teal. I did have to take the toe out of the first sock to lengthen it a little, but it's a really easy pattern to pick up and I'm really pleased I did, as they fit great now

And I’ve just cast on Hermione’s Everyday Sock, which is a free pattern on Ravelry and looks so pretty, I’m really looking forward to doing the heel which is textured and I’ve not tried a patterned heel before. The Yarn I've used is Bergere de France, Ideal in Girolle which reminded me so much of the marigolds in my garden. the cuff is some really old yarn I had in a beautiful oatmeal.



It’s all very exciting, I thought I better channel my renewed love and enthusiasm into something productive as well as just knitting myself lots of lovely things so I have come up with some more one-off workshops for the Sewing School that I’ll be posting in the next few weeks. 

Also, I’ve just added to Knitting Patterns Galore my ‘spring flowers’ mug cosy and a holes-in-the-plot bookmark. And I wanted to say, ‘Thank you’ if you’ve had a go at knitting these as well as my Beginners’ garter stitch purse. As I seem to be getting a lot of views from them, if you have had a go, I’d love to see what you’ve done so please share them on my Ravelry project pages. You can also follow me now on Instagram - Rosie'sKnits.


I’m off to work on socks now.
Happy Knitting!!

Monday 30 May 2016

Summer colour

I'm Ready for Colour, warmth and all things Summer. So I thought I'd share a few FO's and WIP's That I've been up to recently. And a few Photo's Hector and I have been taking this weekend (the poppy is one of his Photo's), that are getting me all inspired for summer.




Below is a sneak peak at my new shawl pattern that I'm designing. It should be available next month. It's predominately in this Bergere de France, Ideal, Citronnier, which if you could have a subtle Hi Vis this would be it, I really love it and it's nice to knit with. 




This is a Purl soho, Chevron baby blanket Pattern that I knitted recently in Bergere de France, Sport, Aran weigh yarn, I wanted a boys baby blanket that wasn't all pale blue and teddy's, I was really pleased how this turned out, and the joy with this yarn is it's machine washable which is a must for little baby projects I think. 



I've gone a bit crazy on pinks for probably the first time in my life. 
I feel I should say I do have other brands of Yarn in my stash but Where I teach sells Bergere and I find it hard to leave on a Thursday evening without buying something, hence the above photo from this weeks impulse buy.
 

This is the Flower Doily pattern available through Red Heart . I knitted it on, Fingering on 2.5mm DPNs and the larger one which is dinner plate size is in an Aran weight on 4mm DPNs. It's a really well written pattern, easy to follow especially if your not a big lace knitter.

I hope this gets you a little inspired to get knitting in colour this summer. Happy Knitting!!








Monday 25 April 2016

Spring Flowers.

It's Spring at Last! (though it doesn't look like from my window right now). And what better way to celebrate than teaching the lovely ladies in my knitting class how to Create some colour work. So I came up with this pretty cosy to keep our mugs warm while we are out getting our gardens ready for Summer.



Yarn:
Special by Style craft - Parchment
                                      Meadow
                                      Matador
Robin Double Knit -     Sunflower

 It's a great pattern to use up scrap wool, But I would say predominantly use a lightweight DK, or drop to 3.25mm needles for a a heavier yarn. 




 Please click on this link to get the PDF pattern, Spring Flowers Mug Cosy PDF  If you do give it a go i'd love it if you put your finished Item on my Ravelry page http://www.ravelry.com.

Now I know that if you are used to colour work, you may wonder why I've flipped the chart 90 degrees. It's so in class we can get to adding the colours and following the chart before our time is up. Feel free to use the chart which ever way up you like. It also helps with being able to determine how long the piece should be compared to your mug.


And.. If you like making charts yourself there is a BRILLIANT knitting website: http://www.tricksyknitter.com/shop/page/2/ where I created this chart.

Happy Knitting!!

Monday 21 March 2016

Knitting for others.

Recently I've been doing a lot of knitting for a charity called 'Hand in Hand for Syria', They are a fantastic Charity that take supplies into Syria and offer help and support to those who so desperately need it.




So I thought I'd share with you a few links to the charity's, groups and some of the patterns I've used. Because if your like me and you've got a lot of wool, it's great way to help provide warmth and comfort.


Charity's 

www.handinhandforsyria.org.uk
Hats and more for war torn Syria - Facebook and Ravelry group.


Patterns

These are a few patterns I have used.
Adult Hat - http://www.garnstudio.com/pattern.
                   http://www.yarnspirations.com/patterns
Baby comforter - http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/kitty-baby-blanket-buddy

Baby Booties - http://patternduchess.com/no-sew-knitted-baby-booties-pattern/

Saturday 6 February 2016

Holes In The Plot.




Knitting Lace for me has either been a fantastic triumph or a colossal fail. I have many dormant projects that I just can’t face. But I love it, and these packed away nemeses of mine never seem to put me off tackling something new. I think partly because the lace stitches have such great names like; Feather and fan, Fern lace, Indian cross and Ostrich plume. And even the simple stitches look very impressive.


So this week in my knitting class I’ve come up with a really simple pattern to teach my lovely ladies the joys of Yarn over’s.  I’ve chose the not so romantically named, Eyelet lattice insertion stitch, it looks great and it is a really easy introduction to Lace and eyelet stitches.


Fantastic work created in class this Thursday.



So here it is:

HOLES IN THE PLOT- BOOKMARK

What you will Need:
4mm needles
Double knit wool
Wool needle

Abbreviations:
K2tog- knit 2 stitches together
YO- Yarn over, bring yarn to the front as if to purl but knit the following stitch.
S1- slip 1 stitch on to the right hand needle without knitting.
PSSO- pass the slipped stitch over the stitch you have just knitted, as if casting off.


 Let’s Get Started:
Cast on 12 stitches
Row 1 & 2 - Knit all stitches

Lace Pattern - This section is to be repeated 11 times.
Row 3 - K3, (K2tog YO) 3 times, K3
Row 4 - K2, P8, K2
Row 5 - K4, (K2tog YO) 2 times, K4
Row 6 - K2, P8, K2

Row 47 & 48- Knit all stitches
Row 49 - K1, K2tog, K6, K2tog, K1
Row 50 - Knit all stitches
Row 51 - K1, K2tog, K4, K2tog, K1
Row 52 - Knit all stitches
Row 53 - K1, K2tog, K2, K2tog, K1
Row 54 - Knit all stitches
Row 55 - K1, K2tog, K2tog, K1
Row 56 - Knit all stitches
Row 57 - K1, K2tog, K1
Row 58 - Knit all stitches
Row 59 - S1, K2tog, PSSO

Cut yarn, leave approx. 15cm and thread through final stitch.
Make tassel and attach using the15cm thread.

Note:
If you do not want to do the tassel, cast off after Row 48.
The finished bookmark will need blocking, as it does curl up. I simply wet it slightly and put it in between 2 chopping boards and left to dry.

This Pattern is available through my Ravelry page, so if you do have a go please let me see by sharing it on the pattern page

And of course the more adventurous you get you can add a different lace pattern in to the book mark, the eyelet pattern is repeated over 8 stitches, I’ve added 2 knit stitches either side. For example: Row 3- K2, K1, (K2tog YO) 3 times, K1, K2.

Little Fountain lace stitch.


Happy Knitting!