More baby knits and a grown-up hat

I'm finally clicking 'publish' on a handful of posts that I wrote ages ago and failed to put live.

This one is to share a flurry of hat and scarf knits...  (I realise I may have a slight hat problem).

First up - I made this teeny little robin hat.

This was inspired by a lovely lady called Ange Smith on Ravelry, who won a Coats competition to design a Christmas jumper. Her gorgeous robins in the snow design was turned into a free pattern that you can see and download here.


Given that the chances of me knitting a whole jumper anytime soon are close to zero, I asked Ange's permission to make a baby hat inspired by her design - and she told me to go right ahead. So I recreated a down-scaled version of the chart in Excel, with decreases for the crown.

My hat is made from Drops Baby Merino, a sport-weight yarn that's lovely and soft. Knitted on 3mm needles it turned out very cute but - alas - a bit too small for my 5 mth old, so it found its way instead to a newborn who arrived in December.

Lots of people have subsequently asked for a copy of my amended chart, so I contacted Coats and they gave me permission to share it freely, on the condition that I make it clear that this is not a Coats design, but my own adapted work. If anyone wants a copy, you can download it here. (Just bear in mind that it was created for my own use and has not been through a team of pattern testers).


Next up is a little angora baby hat made from a gorgeous, floofy hand-spun angora that's been languishing in my stash for years. 

I held the yarn double to get DK weight and case on 64 stitches and knit in the round. 

The result is lovely and soft, like a fluffy cloud, but not too sneezy.

The ribbing is P2, K2 and the cable pattern is a very simple 6-row repeat of:
 -  Row 1: P2, K6 repeat to end
 -  Rows 2-5: repeat Row 1
 -  Row 6: P2, C6F repeat to end

You could easily upsize the hat by casting on additional stitches in multiples of 8 and knitting until it is as tall as you want.

Finish using 3-needle bind off and add pom poms.

Next up is this stripey baby scarf. 

Another weeny little knit that I couldn't resist making after I discovered a rainbow-hued multi-pack of tiny 10g yarn balls in Tiger.

It’s a fairly naff acrylic but what the hell. I just cast on 20 stitches and striped the colours in a K1, P1 pattern, striping every second row. 

I ended up doing 18 stripes of each colour and used the leftovers to make tiny pom-poms.

It’s being modelled here by my 8 month old but I doubt she’ll use it much until next winter, by which time she’ll be walking (and hopefully less likely to suck it to death or get tangled up in it). I might try to make a little hat to go with it - it would be so cheering on a grey, winter day.

Last, but not least, is this fair isle hat that I made for myself!

I used Drops Merino Extra Fine, which is lovely and not at all itchy (hooray!). The pattern is also based on a Drops one called Fideli, but I took a few liberties with it and amended the fair isle every now and then to show off my colours better.

I am very pleased with it and so far it's had loads of wear through the cold months.

Knitting for Thing 1 and Thing 2

Dear blog, I seem to have gone into total crafty overdrive recently. I'm not sure what's going on but, somewhere between being pregnant again and having a few reclusive days off work, I seem to have rediscovered my creative mojo and have barely restrained myself from compulsive making.

I'm using this post to share a pair of Nordic style mittens that I made for Thing 1, and a couple of little hat designs that I've been working on for Thing 2 (the girlbot who's still cooking in the oven).

First up - here are the mittens.

These were made at speed during such a cold week in January that I really wanted to get them finished and onto my son's fingers as soon as possible. I used a pattern that I found on ravelry that forced me to pay close attention to charts for a few days.

The main challenge was that the pattern is charted for a light background whereas I was working with a dark background, hence I constantly wanted to knit white when I should have been knitting grey and vice versa. In the end I had to print a negative copy of the chart, just for my own sanity!

Also the mitts turned out pretty big, so they're held on with elastic and I reckon they'll do the boylet for a few years if he manages not to lose them (suffice to say they are tied into his coat!)

Moving onto Thing 2, if there is one certainty in this yet-to-be-seen life, it is that she will never be short of hats. Not only will she inherit a stash of hats that I made for Thing 1, but I can't seem to stop making and designing new ones for her.

First up is this simple little fair isle hat, which is a variation on a hat I designed for the boybot when he was in my tum. (His was stripey). At some point I'll put this pattern up on ravelry as a variation of the free pattern that's already there.

Secondly, I have had some fun designing and charting this rather thick and woolly farm-themed hat. This test knit has shown me that there is scope to reduce my charts a bit to make a less tall and floppy hat. So I will probably share the charts and pattern on ravelry once I've perfected them

I've popped back and edited this to show the hat on baby's head!  Still haven't got round to writing up and sharing the chart. Tsk!

Knitted fox and raccoon

Having a couple of weeks off work over our drizzly festive period, I somehow found my knitting mojo and made a couple of fun little projects for my son.

Firstly, say hello to Mr Fox....

The fox is a slightly  customised version of a pattern for an adult neck, using Sirdar Snowflake yarn. It's essentially a cross between a cuddly toy and a garment and, while arranging it around the boybot’s neck, I found myself wondering whether the effect was closer to Davy Crocket or Liberace. But he seems to like it, either way. The full details and pattern are on Ravelry here. 

Next up is Mr Raccon. He was commissioned immediately by the boy after receiving the fox "because I haven't GOT a raccoon, mummy!" 

He's based on a pattern called Backyard Bandits and, once again, the full details can be found on Ravelry, here.  He's supposed to have a cotton bandana around his neck, but a scarf seemed more in keeping with the English winter.

Happy crafting, all!

Gretel beret - knitted at last!

It's hard to believe but I actually knat something to completion last week.

We shall not talk about the HEINOUS number of UFOs that continue to languish in every cranny of my flat. It turns out that, if I want to actually complete something, hats are where it's at.

So - here be Gretel...  only 3 years later than intended.

Made using Rowan Silky Tweed in 'Bolero', purchased on a whim thanks to the highly-enabling post-Xmas sale at Black Sheep Wools.  As always, full details are on Ravelry.

When I added this pattern to my queue in 2010 I imagined I'd make it in grey, as with every other thing that I knit for myself.  But in the end I rather like it in pink.  And pink goes with grey...  right?

I decided to use some of the leftover yarn to make a curly scarf to go with it but the finished product isn't quite hitting the spot for me. I think it wants to belong to a small girl, really, so for now it's languishing on a wardrobe shelf.

News! And what I have been up to...

Yeep!  It's been ages since I updated.  But in fact I have been ludicrously busy on the craft front and I have two things to mention...

First of all, I am a lil bit excited to announce that I've been doing some handmade soap projects for another craft book that is due to come out soon.  I'll post more details once I know the release date, but for now I can say that it is going to be along the lines of a big book of mixed crafts (not dissimilar to Complete Craft)

I have to confess that there have been times in the last couple of months when I've cursed my own hubris for taking on this piece of work alongside a tiny baby.  Having to stop constantly to feed, change or entertain a baby means that things that would normally take me a day to accomplish have taken weeks... and some days have been spent in a sort of  fug of baby and soap, trying not to get bits of soap into the baby or bits of baby into the soap.  BUT - the copy is now written and last week I attended a two-day photo shoot where all of the step-by-steps were shot for the projects.  Hooray!

In other news, I am pleased to introduce Microboy's latest hat!  I knitted this months ago, but it is only now that it fits and I am entirely delighted with it.

Full details of pattern, yarn and so on are on Ravelry, here.

And now that I am done with the soap, I really must try to post here more often...

Tassel head strikes again

So... when I said that an Englishman can never have too many hats, I wasn't kidding.  This is just a fly-by to show off Microboy's latest, using the same free pattern that I published last week.  I thought he could do with some hot colours this time... and I love the fact that I can have such a thought, and a few hours later the hat is finished.  Instant gratification!  (The sharp-eyed amongst you might spot that his hat matches the cardie that was made for him by my talented knitty friend Maxine).

Anyway you might think of this as a sort of insurance policy for when he becomes a horrible teenager...  lets just say I am building up quite a library of photos. ;-)

(Full details and pattern link here on Ravelry).

New free pattern - Baby Tassels Hat

I've been meaning to publish the pattern for this simple little baby hat for ages.  Well, today is the day that I've finally got round to it!

This hat was the very first thing that I made for my little Microboy while he was still resident in my belly.  It was an improvised project to use up some leftover aran weight yarn and to exercise my yen for tassels.  But  the resulting hat turned out so cute that I decided to write up the pattern in case anybody else fancies having a go.

I used Amy Butler Belle Organic yarn, but you could use any aran/worsted weight yarn in a baby friendly fibre.  The pattern can be downloaded as a PDF file here.  (I've also added a permanent link on the right hand column of my blog)

Knitting for Microboy

The other day I woke up in a state of certainty about one thing...  this baby needs more hats!

This was fuelled largely by the tragedy of Microboy outgrowing his owl hat (boo hoo!) but also by the realisation that my new lifestyle as full time milkmaid does not leave a lot of room for large-scale hobbying.   Thus, in order to get my frustrated creativity out of my system, I predict an influx of teeny-tiny knitwear.

Anyway this little hat was knocked up in a couple of hours in front on the TV.

Iz cute, no?

I made it from Sirdar DK Crofter yarn, using a free pattern found on Ravelry, (As always, full details of the pattern and yarn, etc. are on Ravelry, here.)

9-month craft project

Well - I thought I would pop in and show off my latest FO...
 
This one took 9 months to make and is now 11 days old.  He's called James, and he is keen to model some of his knitwear, so here goes...

Minutes after being born

Three days old, in his owl hat

Five days old, in his jiffy bag

Jiffy bag for a baby

A little while ago I blogged about my love for French knitting patterns...  

This holds especially true when it comes to patterns for children and babies.  I tend to find that French childrenswear combines an element of fun with a great sense of style.  It avoids being overly twee without going to the other extreme of trying to look like miniature adult wear and often takes the form of simple blocky shapes, adorned with pom poms, stripes or tassels, in colour palettes that veer between chic neutrals and quirky brights...   or to put to another way, you don't see many French babies clad in peach acrylic matinee jackets.  

   

Anyway... now that my own little alien is 4 days days overdue, I am pleased to announce that I have finished my small homage to French babywear in the nick of time.  Behold the baby sleep sack...  (or, if you like, the glorified jiffy bag!)

This is made using a pattern called Confortable, which originated in a French magazine and has since been translated into English by a brilliant lady on Ravelry, here.

Having taken advice from others, I made this a few inches longer and wider than the pattern recommends, in the hope that it will fit for longer.  (For now I've delayed blocking it, until I see how well it fits little master   newborn, when he arrives - but I reckon I could probably grow it a fair bit, if need be).  

Anyway I would happily recommend both the pattern and the yarn.  I used Rowan All Seasons Cotton in a silver grey colour.  It has a nice sproingy twist to it that gives it some loft and makes the knitted fabric feel soft and comfortable.  Hopefully boy will agree...

Full details of the pattern, yarn and needle size can be found on Ravelry, here

EDIT:  Since I wrote this post, baby has been born and he fits into the sack with room to spare... pic here:  http://susiefhandmade.blogspot.com/2011/07/9-month-craft-project.html


EDIT:  I have had a lot of requests to share the English translation of this pattern, so I have put it online here:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3ibivZ5ex6mMVpBeTVZY1JLLVU/view?usp=sharing  (I assume this is ok, given that the  original pattern is available online for free)

Look back in angora

Dear Knitters, this is the story of a near death experience... I could well have entitled it "blockers beware!"  However I am pleased to say that it has a happy ending...

Some may recall me blogging overexcitedly back in January about this crazily luxurious Absolu Angora yarn that I had ordered from France...

Well - after a minor dither about what to use it for, I eventually cast on for the Cedar Leaf Shawlette by Alana Dakos.  Left to my own devices, I would never have thought of  this pattern, but I got the idea from someone else on Ravelry and it turned out to be very well matched indeed.  Two balls of the Absolu is *just* enough to complete the project, with the main part of the shawl taking one ball and the lace border using up almost all of the second.  

The knitting proved to be rather a delicious sensory experience.  Although the yarn did shed a little during knitting, it was not as bad as you'd normally expect from angora - (e.g. it didn't shed as much as the Sublime Angora Merino blend that I've used in the past, or waft constantly up my nose).  On the whole it is simply very very soft and as light as air as it slips through your fingers.

I finally bound off the edging a few days ago and spent an hour or so wafting around the house draped in it, pre-blocking, before declaring it to be the softest, finest and most beautiful thing I'd ever made...  and then I almost ruined everything with an act of crazy hubris.  

Here is the cautionary tale.  Because I fancied blocking the lace edging, I decided to risk putting the shawl through the handwash cycle on my washing machine.  I've used this cycle many times before on fine yarns, including cashmere, wool and angora blends - effectively it simulates the act of hand washing and has never let me down before.  In this case I even double-bagged the shawl inside a pair of lingerie bags for safety.  And then I tried to ignore the niggly voice in my head questioning whether I really wanted to press the 'start' switch...

Suffice to say, when it came out of the machine - it felt like a moment of tragedy.  I was convinced that I had felted the item to oblivion.  The main symptom was that it appeared to have shrunk, and the stitches in the main body of the scarf had melded together into a more tight fabric than before.  As for the lace edging... lets just say that it didn't look as lacey as I remembered it.  The only glimmer of hope was that the shawl seemed to have retained its softness and mobility, and hadn't become stiffened or thick.  So I went into damage limitation mode and blocked it as vigorously as I dared, stretching it as far as possible and trying to open out the lace edging again.  

After a night on the boards, I am pleased (or make that delighted) to say that it seems to have survived by the skin of its teeth.  It is a pheonix risen from the ashes!  Yes - it has shrunk a little bit and is probably now more of a scarf than a shawl.  However it still flops and drapes as softly as before - and, best of all, the lace edging is still lace!   

As a finished scarf, it remains extremely soft to wear - as light as air and not remotely itchy.  In fact I have even discovered a small bonus from the shrinkage...  thanks to the closer melding of the stitches, the scarf no longer sheds and can be worn over my black clothing!   

So here are a few pics...

More pictures and full project details can be seen on Ravelry, here

If you'd like a moral to the story - then my suggestion to anyone using this yarn is that you might want to refrain from washing it at all - either prior to blocking or afterwards.  I suspect a light spritz with cool water would be sufficient for blocking, and then perhaps resort to dry clean only.   (Unless you want to felt it, of course... in which case, um, I don't think you'll have to try very hard!)

knitted menagerie - Part 2

Some of you may be relieved that I'm not going on about soap and candles today... it's time for a return to knitting!  

This is just a quickie to share Part 2 of my Knitted Menagerie...  or, in other words, three more random knitted creatures that I have been making for the baby that is due next week.  I blogged the first three animals here (Frog, Owl and Bunny)  and now it is time to introduce Pig, Bear and Caterpillar.

These have mainly been a way to keep my mind and fingers busy in the last couple of weeks, on days when my body has been too achey and inflated to move.


The caterpillar and the bear are adapted from a range of excellent little patterns that I found on Ravelry, by  Sarah Gasson, aka Knitables.   She has designed a whole range of small animal patterns which are very nicely priced and easy to follow.  I made a few adaptations of my own, the main change being to knit everything in the round, and to convert the bear from a finger puppet into a stuffed toy - (e.g. I improvised his lower body and gave him arms and legs adapted from a lion pattern by the same designer).

As with the first three animals, the pig was adapted from this book of knitted egg cosies by Susie Johns.  Again I had to improvise the lower body and legs, and also dressed him in a t-shirt, as is my whim.

  

When I started this gang of six critters, I was planning to turn them into a dangly cot mobile.  But I'm now wondering if they may be a little on the large size for a mobile and might actually be nicer as hands-on toys to be played with.  

In fact, a couple of friends have already begun to think up adventure stories for Frog and Owl...  (and I suspect I might add to the menagerie over time, especially now that I've discovered Sarah Gasson's patterns).   

As ever, full project details (yarns, needle sizes, etc) can be found on ravelry, here

knitted menagerie - Part 1

Hello, knitty friends.  I thought I might pop in and mention that the 'craft project' in my belly is due to complete in 3 weeks' time (eek!)  

Since I stopped work I've been hideously busy trying to prepare the house - and myself - for a new baby boy.  But I have managed to find a few hours here and there to make the first few pieces for a knitted menagerie that I plan to dangle over baby’s cot as a mobile.  

Each animal is around 5-6” tall, including the legs.  The patterns are more or less adapted from a book of twenty knitted egg cosies by Susie Johns, which I came across in John Lewis.  The heads are knitted as per the patterns but the lower bodies and legs have been improvised and stuffed.

I have to confess I have a special soft spot for the owl... 

I made the feet using experimental icord and am quite pleased with them.  I'm now thinking of making an owl hat for the poor boy too...  (there shall be no escape for babies!)

The frog is also quite a cute pattern...  the stripey top is my addition, and again, his legs are simply made from icord.

For the rabbit, I again added a stripey t-shirt and adapted the legs from the arm instructions.  You can't see it here, but I also added a pop-pom bunny tail. 

I've yet to decide on the animals that will make up the rest of the menagerie... but I suspect it might include a pig and a bear - and maybe an octopus.

I've mainly used cotton DK yarns from Sirdar's Simply Recycled range and  Freedom Sincere Organic. (But I've also bolstered with a bit of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino here and there where I had a suitable colour available).

Full project details are on Ravelry here. 

Fast and chunky

I spent last week bimbling around the heavenly lanes of Venice, with yarn far from my mind.... until I happened to pass a shop whose window display was a veritable shrine to the colour grey. (Those who know me well are aware that showing me grey yarn is like offering me crack... in fact I probably own enough grey yarn of varying fibres to knit myself a pack of life-sized huskies.)

So - even the presence of a belligerent, tourist-hating shop owner having a fag outside the shop and doing all in her power to block my entrance was not enough to hold me back from the grey fondley goodness. (And in fact she cheered up considerably once she spotted me breezing past the 'fun fibres' and heading straight for the cashmere).

But I was very good and managed to be quite restrained, coming out with nothing other than with two balls of Casma yarn - an Italian branded baby alpaca that is gloriously soft and, in this case, marled in lovely shades of grey.

It was just the thing I needed to make a birthday gift for an old friend of mine and, once I returned home, I found an excellent free pattern on ravelry to complete the project. It's called "simple braided cable scarf", by Madeleine Berrevoets.



The scarf knits quickly on 8mm needles and uses a simple cable pattern to result in an undulating shape. It's ideal for people who like a long, narrow scarf that can be wrapped around the neck several times or one that can be worn long, in the style of a lariat.

Click here for full ravelry details.

And here are a few more pics...

Skinny Scarf for Sis

My second FO of the weekend is this skinny scarf for big sis. This was an informal little project to use up some leftover alpaca from the Flapper Hat I made for her last month.



To get a skinny scarf, I cast on 16 stitches and knit loosely in stocking stitch, striping every second row with a double strand of Kidsilk Haze & Kidsilk Night. The gradual colour effects were achieved by changing the two colours being held at any one time - starting with two strands of magenta, then magenta + purple, then Purple + blue, then two strands of blue.

Things I like about this include the thick & thin effect cause dby varied yarn weight and the natural, tubular curling-in of the sticking stitch. I also quite like the look of it with the ends tied in knots.

Hope sis likes it...









Full details of the yarns, needles etc. are on ravelry here