African flowers

As well as frantically knitting my mossy, zesty green cardigan for autumn, I've been making a few African Flower hexagons.

I have the back and both front pieces of my cardigan complete now - the shot above shows my placements for the buttons using pins (you can just about see) so that I know where to make corresponding button holes on the other front half.

These are the african flowers. I do love them, but I'm not sure what to do with them. I have about 20 at the moment, and I'm not sure I can summon up the motivation to make enough for a blanket. I'm also not sure I can summon up the motivation to figure out how to make half hexagons for these so that I can make squares for a cushion cover.

The thing is, all I seem to feel like doing at the moment is knitting, knitting, knitting! I think it is the change in seasons and feeling like I want to be able to surround myself in hand knitted sweaters! I don't know why, but there is something so much more comforting about wearing a sweater you have hand knitted yourself. It somehow feels like a coat of armor - and makes the day and the world a little easier to face!

I think I might finish my green cardigan soon - only the sleeves to go and they are 3/4 rather than full length, so I'm well away. I always feel like I'm in the home straights on knitting a jumper or cardi when I get to the sleeves!

I'm contemplating this pattern for my next knitty adventure. It's something I already made a few years ago and really love. Then I saw recently that Rowan have a gorgeous red shade of this yarn out now, and I think this jumper would look gorgeous in that colour.

Apart from that I have been painting chairs in preparation for my flat! But more on that next time....when the paint has dried!

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Dear Prudence

Although this blog is now mainly about crochet projects, I was a knitter long before I learnt to crochet. And, occassionally, I still like to get my knit on!

Over the past couple of weeks I have been knitting up a sweater, from a pattern called Prudence from the Kim Hargreaves book Amber. I have used Rowan Baby Merino Silk DK yarn. The Bamboo yarn used in the original pattern has long since been discontinued, and besides, it was a horrid yarn! I remember washing my first Prudence, made using that yarn, to find that it grew seemingly inches in every dimension, becoming unwearable!

I love this pattern - this is the third time I have made it now. This time I decided to try and modify the sleeves a little. The sleeves in the original pattern were a little too pouffy for my liking, a bit too over the top. I decided to try for something more subtle.

I am pretty pleased with the finished result. The sleeves still appear wider at the bottom - they are not close fitting around the wrist and lower arm, but they are much less pouffy than they were!

My modifications were as follows, for anyone interested.

Cast on 71 stitches. Work 4 rows in stocking stitch, followed by 2 rows in reverse stocking stitch, 6 rows stocking stitch and another 2 rows reverse stocking stitch. This retains some of the reverse stocking stitch design detail that was originally present in the sleeve design. Then work straight in stocking stitch until the sleeve measures 40 cm. Now simply follow the raglan shaping instructions as given in the original pattern.

For the cuff, at the cast on edge of each sleeve, pick up and knit 71 stitches (with the right side facing), using 3.25mm needles. On the next row, work knit 1, knit 2 tog, *knit 2, knit 2 tog. Repeat from * to last 3 stiches, then knit 3. Work in garter stitch for another 5 rows.

At the moment, I mainly follow blogs and Instagram accounts of other people who crochet. However, lately I have seen some of these people begin to branch out into knitting. I did it the other way around, and I have to say that some aspects of crochet (such as the way to hold the hook etc) came much more naturally to me than the equivalent aspects of knitting did (not that I am brilliant at crochet - I still struggle with some things!).

However, I still remember the difficulty I had in grasping the basics of crochet (especially working in rounds and turning chains at ends of rows!), and I imagine the experience is similar for those learning to knit. Well, if you are a crocheter learning to knit, and reading this, all I can say is - Don't Give Up! You will get there in the end and it will feel fantastic to have mastered a new skill.

xx xxx xx xxx xx xxx xx

A new year!

Happy New Year everyone! I've had a bit of a break from blog-land - I've been away at S's place to see in the new year since last week, and it has been lovely. I hope you all had a fab time whatever you did last night, and wish everyone the best for 2013.

Naturally just because I haven't been blogging doesn't mean I haven't been knitting or crocheting! On Christmas Eve, I managed to finish my most recent knitting project, Emma, from the MillaMia book Country Escape.

Country Escape is the first book of adult knitting patterns from MillaMia. I've never tried their yarn or patterns before, not having had much occassion to knit for children.

However, now that I have finished this top I can honestly say I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! I love everything about it, from yarn to pattern, to look when worn.

The pattern is brilliantly simple and easy to follow. It uses 3 needle cast off for the shoulder seams, a technique I love.

The yarn is soooo soft! It felt soft whilst I was knitting it up, but I can tell you that once I had given the finished garment its first wash, it really became baby soft. This top is a total luxury to wear. I used the recommended yarn, MillaMia Naturally Soft Merino, in midnight and snow.

The fit - well, I was a little worried whilst making it, because there is no side seam shaping in this pattern. The boxy look given by rectangular knitted garments doesn't usually work that well for me as I'm quite small and need fitted things really. But, for whatever reason it works here! It love it on - its relaxed but still a little glamorous and can be dressed up or down with accessories.

Well done MillaMia, I'll definately be on the lookout for your next adult patterns!

This isn't all I have been up to the last week or so, but I feel this is enough for one post. More tomorrow I think! Here's a sneaky preview though....

And before you wonder, no I haven't forgotten about the Vintage Pink throw I started before Christmas either - I have grand plans for a lovely frilly edging - watch this space!

Longing

It's been a couple of weeks since I was last here - longer than I normally like to leave it, but things have been so busy.

I've finally finished my course (well provided I passed the last assignment, which I am not convinced that I did). It means no more studying for me though! I can just relax and look forward to Christmas.

As you can imaging there hasn't been a lot of action on the crafting front in the last couple of weeks - I have literally been working every spare hour to try and finish my final assignment. Managed to lose about half a stone in weight doing it! Stress always does take away my apetite.

Anyway, I have managed to do a couple of things. I finished the next Kim Hargreaves sweater I was making - called Longing, also from Enchanted. The fabric is a lovely open work design, and I've chosen a dark red colour to make it.

I've only tried it on once briefly - I do like it, it just feels a little chunky. There is no side seam shaping, which is fine, its that kind of design. But, with the lack of shaping and the open work fabric it feels like the fabric should be gracefully draping. However, at the moment (probably because it hasn't been washed yet) its not draping, just being fluffy. I just feel a teeny bit too chunky - as I've said before I'm petite in size and figure (even more so than usual after the stress of the last few weeks!) so I have to be careful about clothes overwhelming. I think I'll reserve judgement on this one until after its been washed!

So, what do I do now, now that I have finished studying (at least for now)? Well I have plenty of planned crafty projects to keep me busy. Some are Christmas related, some not so much. I'll try and share them with you over the next few weeks!