There is no such thing as bad weather. Only bad clothing.
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Inspired by the cold changeability that these next few months bring to Scotland. I've never seen so many rainbows...or so much rain.
These items are now all in my etsy shop, along with all other hats open now for custom orders. The patterns for the Herringbone and Intrepid Explorer hats and the owl cable welly warmers are also up on etsy. Mitten pattern, ravelry listings and folksy site to follow.
Thank you all...for your support and encouragement and, well, everything.
Come back tomorrow for a quick tutorial on the rope scarf!!
Kevin lost his beautiful cabled handwarmers made out of glorious and expensive Posh Yarn...can we have a collective "grrr"?
So I made him some new ones, inspired by the Herringbone Neck Warmer I made my mother in law for Christmas. This time, Kev's were made with cheap yarn. That knit up incredibly quickly. And then I wrote up the pattern so I wouldn't forget when he loses them again.
They are made out of Wendy DK held double. This makes a sort of heavy Aran/Chunky wool, but traps air in between the fibers making them warm and squishy. You need one ball, just pull the second end out of the middle and knit away.
Kev wanted ribbing around the thumbs, but I prefer the sleekness of just a thumbhole, but I have included optional instructions.
Herringbone handwarmers perfect for him and her, with optional thumb ribbing. Knit with DK yarn held double, these are lovely warm mitts for cold winter days.
This pattern is written for DK yarn held double which traps extra air in the stitches making the mitts lovely and warm. Aran weight yarn can also be used, but please check your gauge and size accordingly. You can size up by using larger needles or adding or subtracting stitches in multiples of 4.
The mitts are worked flat and then seamed. If you choose to add ribbing to the thumbhole, you then pick up stitches using double pointed needles (DPNs) around the opening and knit in rib for 4 rows.
Supplies
Any DK weight yarn ( 40g/125m of Wendy Mode DK held double pictured)
Darning needle
Needles
6.5mm/ size 10.5 Straight Needles (For Medium Sized Mitts)
4mm/ size 6 Double Pointed Needles (for optional thumb ribbing)
or
5mm/ size 8 Straight Needles
8mm/ size 11 Straight Needles (For Large Sized Mitts)
Gauge
For Medium: 19 stitches and 12.5 rows in 4in in herringbone stitch
For Large: 18 stitches and 12 rows in 4in in herringbone stitch
Stitches and Abbreviations
CO = Cast On
K = knit
P = purl
p2tog = purl 2 together
sl1 = slip one stitch from left to right needle as if to purl psso = Pass the Slipped Stitch Over
For Medium mitts:
Using your 5mm straight needles CO 32 Stitches
K2,P2 for 4 rows then switch to the 6.5mm/size 10.5 needles and begin herringbone pattern:
Row 1: K1, * sl1, k1, psso, knitting through back loop as you psso; repeat until 1 stitch remains on left needle *, K1. Row 2: p2tog, but keep on left needle, p 1st stitch again and drop both stitches off needle. Continue to end of row
(for a video of the herringbone stitch pattern in English style knitting, see the pattern for the Herringbone Neck Warmer:
for a video of this stitch pattern in Continental style knitting, see my video at:
Continue stitch pattern until knitting measures 5.5inches in length. On next right side row, begin K2, P2 sequence for 3 rows, then bind off in ribbing.
Final piece should measure 6.5 inches long and 6.5 inches wide.
Sewing up:
Decide which end is going to be the top. Fold over and using the seaming stitch of your choice, sew the seam closed for 2 inches. Leave a 1.5 inch gap for the thumbhole, then sew up the remaining 3 inches. Weave in ends.
Optional Thumb Ribbing:
For medium mitts, using your 4mm DPNs, pick up 12stitches around the thumb opening, distributed over 2 needles. Using a 3rd needle, K2, P2 for 4 rows. Bind off in ribbing. Sew in ends.
For a range of other patterns and handmade items, please visit my shop http://KatGoldinDesigns.etsy.com
For Large Mitts:
Using the 5mm straight needles CO 32 Stitches
K2,P2 for 4 rows then switch to the 8mm/size 11 needles begin herringbone pattern:
Row 1: K1, * sl1, k1, psso, knitting through back loop as you psso; repeat until 1 stitch remains on left needle *, K1. Row 2: p2tog, but keep on left needle, p 1st stitch again and drop both stitches off needle. Continue to end of row.
for a video of the herringbone stitch pattern in English style knitting, see the pattern for the Herringbone Neck Warmer:
for a video of this stitch pattern in Continental style knitting, see my video at:
Continue stitch pattern until the knitting measures 7inches in length. On next right side row, begin K2, P2 sequence for 3 rows, then bind off in ribbing.
Final piece should measure 8 inches long and 7 inches wide.
Sewing up:
Decide which end is going to be the top. Fold in half lengthwise and using the seaming stitch of your choice, sew the seam closed for 2 inches. Leave a 2 inch gap for the thumbhole, then sew up the remaining 4 inches. Weave in ends.
Optional Thumb Ribbing:
For large mitts, using your 4mm DPNs, pick up 16 stitches around the thumb opening, distributed over 2 needles. Using a 3rd needle, K2, P2 for 4 rows. Bind off in ribbing. Sew in ends.
Generally speaking, I am not one of those crafters who starts something and doesn't finish it. With the noticable exception of Jasper, any project I've begun has either been seen through to completetion, or frogged immediately.
However, last Christmas in the US, with time and an awesome yarn store available, I whipped up a little cardigan from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. I'd gotten to the point of sewing it up when we left for the UK, packed it up and promptly forgot about it...
...until last week when I stumbled across it while tidying up my studio. How sad, I thought, that such a sweet little thing didn't have a baby to wear it.
As luck would have it, a few days later, I received news that a friend was coming to Stirling to visit with her new baby girl. Queue frantic blocking, sewing up and button choosing (which of course necessitated the dumping out of the entire button jar).
Looking at it this morning, mere hours before it was due to be handed over, I decided it needed a little something extra.
A few weeks ago, Kevin found this Crochet Inspiration book at the library. It is my new essential crochet book, just packet with, well, inspiration. I know there is another book of similar fashion doing the rounds in the blogosphere at the moment and I'd be interested to see how they compare, but for now this one will be on permanent loan to us.
A flower pattern was chosen and sewn on at the exact moment Ellis was supposed to be at nursery.
But it was perfectly worth it. A sweet little thing for a VERY sweet little thing.
Yes, I know. Another Milo vest. But they are my favourite. And I needed something that didn't require much thought to finish.
Lately, I've been struggling to find any inspiration. I look at my sizable stash and can't put any of it together to work. I have a long list of people to make for and half finished projects, but everything was leaving me feeling blah.
With the strong advice to just start something to get over my hump, I thought an old favourite would be a good place to start. Poor little Theo hadn't had anything mama-made, so it was as good an excuse as any to get going.
This was my first time writing my own colour chart. I really liked this milo, so I sought to make a version of it, but simpler.
I love the way it turned out, but its not going to fit him for long. So I will cast on another in the next size up. And maybe some booties. And a hat. And...well, we'll see.
(yarn is Sirdar Snuggly Baby Bamboo, my favourite for baby items)
This little pebble vest was knit for Theo before he was born. Pregnancy seriously messed with my guage and EVERYTHING has come out way to big. The second arm on the long-on-my-needles Jasper cardigan was a full inch bigger than the other arm knit while Georgia was tiny. This little vest was knit on needles a full size smaller than I usually knit them and it still fits, G.
At least I finished it, right? And she does look good in yellow.
Ellis calls Georgia "Georgious" as in Gorgeous Georgia. We think he picked it up from his dad, who has also been known to refer to her as such. Either way, it does cause a bit of confusion when he introduces her to people.
But then, its entirely understandable as she is rather gorgeous. Even when, like today, she is technically sick (I say "technically" because she was up every half hour for the last two nights, upset and clingy. She has a terribly stuffy nose and a low grade temperature). But, being the chipper person she is, its hardly bothering her -- except, of course, when mama goes more than a few steps away from her and then the floodgates open.
With first my, then her sicknesses, knitting has been slow this week. I did manage to finish another spring cardi for her though. I had seen the pattern on Annie's queue and wanted a bit of spring time stripes to brighten the quarentine ward.
Other than completely messing up the guage and making it to fit at least a 2 year old, its a rather cute little knit.
Georgia, being "technically sick," refused to pose. So I have no decent pictures of her in the cardigan. However, she wanted to show you her new favourite activity.
Being a rather grumpy, moody person and having my first born take after me in that respect, I never would have thought there could be such a thing as a baby that was too happy.
I was wrong. She is simply psychotically chipper. Which is just lovely during the day. She sings, talks to herself, laughs, screeches, flirts, chats all day long.
The problem arises when the sun sets. Any and every night waking is not met with the plaintive cries of her brother. Oh no, Georgia wakes up laughing and cooing and yelling "Hiya, Da da da da da da". Co-sleeping is out of the question, because any time one of us moves, Georgia wakes up and then the yelling is accompanyined by bouncing and climbing and kissing. Charming from a distance, I am sure, but frequent night wakings do nothing for the curmudgeon in me.
A decision was taken that the happy clappy one should move to a place where she couldn't command such a nighttime audience. Her bed was moved and she was settled in after her bath in her new accomodation with her brother (who sleeps safely out of her eyeline).
Weren't we pleased with ourselves when she slept through until Midnight? Fantastic, we thought. The best decision ever, we patted ourselves on the back.
At 12:02am she awoke and refused to sleep. She wanted to see her mama AT ALL TIMES. A furtive attempt was made to put her in our bed, but there was only so much climbing and giggling we could take and so the dance ensued. Her being put in her bed, nodding off, then HOWLING the minute I attempted to leave her sight. I knew I was in for the long haul.
And so I did the only thing I could do, dug around in my basket and on ravelry and cast on something that could be knit in the dark.
This plain vest was perfect...big wool, big needles, nothing fancy. Two nighttimes of being more awake than asleep finished it off in less than 24 hours. Perfect. The yarn is Malabrigo Worsted in Vaa that I had planned for a scarf for a gift, but never had time to finish. Its a lovely yarn to work with, though I am worried it will pill quite badly. Oh well, saved sanity can be forgiven for a bit of pilling.
And so at the very least she is cute and warm during the day, even if she was up 8 times last night. Happy, clappy every single time.
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And it appears I am not the onlyone making this for my baby!
It was with a big, heaving sigh that I finished the last of my Christmas gifts on Friday night. Well, it was actually Saturday morning...1:30am. If there was any piece of advice I have for knitters (not that I have much, considering I've not been knitting very long), it would be DO NOT GRAFT 134 stitches together using the kitchener stitch at 1:30am. It will involve swearing, forcing your husband to sit perfectly still (lest he distract you) and more swearing. For non-knitters who don't know what the kitchener stitch is, just count yourself lucky that you don't have to endure this particular form of torture.
Anyway, its done. And its lovely. In fact, so lovely, I almost couldn't part with it. If the recipient hadn't known it was coming, I might have kept it for myself. But, being the kind hearted (read: easily suseptable to guilt) kind of person I am, it was wrapped and given on Saturday to a grateful recipeint.
The piece is the Autumn Leaves Stole, knit in Misti Alpaca Hand Paint worsted. The colourway is called copper penny and it was found in the sale bin of the yarn store near my mother. Its really a perfect yarn and colour and I would say it was a joy to knit with, first paragraph aside.
The other night, after the children were in bed, I sat down and picked up my knitting. "I haven't knit since yesterday!" I gasped to Kevin in amazement...that it had been that long!!
I have often heard that if you do something for 2 weeks, it becomes a habit. Well, the three weeks in November when I had Etsy and Folksy shops certainly created a habit for making. My near constant crocheting has lead to near constant knitting. In the time since, I have hardly sat down without needles or hooks in my hands. In fact, knitting books and supplies were my only Christmas request and I visited my mother's local yarn store no less than 5 times.
Hey ho, my addiction could be something less wholesome. Yes, my mental to knit list is a bit cluttered and my yarn stash has grown to rather unhealthy levels, but at least I don't yet require intervention by the National Health Service.
But as my to do list grows, I realised that in the last year, I have knit NOTHING for myself. Any hand knits I seem to find myself in are generally the cast offs of another project: a hat that doesn't fit Kevin, my first (badly knit) pair of hand warmers, if it wasn't for my friend Kerstin's crocheting, I wouldn't have a scarf for the cold.
How remarkably apt, the mother does for everyone BUT herself...
Not one to be a stereotype, I immediately cast on a pair of mittens for me. Over the Christmas break, I learned to knit with two coloured yarns, one in each hand. This ambidexterity fills me with as much pride as Ellis finally learning to doggy paddle on his own. And so, my first thing just for me began...
...and was put aside to finish left over Christmas gifts and baby gifts and hat commissions.
