Knitting Needles

I've been doing a lot of knitting in the last week, I really enjoy it, but wish I could make faster progress sometimes! I started this project at Christmas and I should be (finally) finished in the next week or so. I thought I'd share with you my favourite knitting needles as they are so lovely to knit with (and pretty!), perhaps you might even get a bit of needle envy? Maybe?!

Anyhow...They are KnitPro interchangeable circular needles. I love the smooth feel of the wood and the little clack sound as you knit a stitch.

I am very lucky because my lovely husband bought me the full interchangeable needle set, they range in size from 3.5mm to 8mm. You just screw the tips into the provided cables to create a circular needle. What makes them so handy is they come with a variety of lengths of cable so you can knit in the round to numerous proportions. The join between the tip and the cable is also totally smooth so your knitting doesn't get snagged as it passes over the join - I hate most circular needles for that reason, totally useless.

 

Before I go, here is a sneaky peak at what I've been making. Loving the diamonds!

 





It's Freezing!

It is so cold tonight. York looked pretty eerie this evening as it was veiled in freezing fog. Brrr. Its definitely a night for knitting under a quilt. So that's what I'm doing!

Christmas Project

Well that's me done for another year at work. Yippee. I've had plans for a knitting project on the back burner for a while, so the holidays seem like the perfect time to get started.

Ooh what's this? Is it a lovely parcel for me? Yes I've been ordering wool from Pickles again.

 

It's going to be the Golden Child Dress - a Pickles pattern for my niece Emma (who else?!). I got my sister Vicky to help choose as there are lots of yarn kits available in various colours. This is the one she picked...
...hello Missy!

The body of the dress is Pickle Pure Alpaca. So lovely and snuggly soft.

The yoke of the dress has some lovely detailing, highlighted by the use of Pickles Bling! I know so fab!

 

 

I feel festive just looking at it.

Cute Cardie

You might have caught a sneak peak of this cardigan in the Christmas Stocking post. It's another knit for my niece Emma. Here is my favourite model posing in the most amazing pair of bright pink tights - tee hee!

My younger sister Anna (Minnie Loves...) originally found the pattern online and informed me that I must make it for Emma (she can't knit!). It really is the most gorgeous pattern, I love the stripey design on the yoke. The pattern is the Petra Cardigan from Pickles, every time they release a pattern one size is free, so I was lucky this time. The pattern requires an aran weight yarn, I used Abuelita Merino Worsted in Grey Kitten and Multi. The wool is hand wash only but it is so soft and lovely to work with. I also couldn't resist these fab large plastic buttons. So cute.

Walking To Work

The lovely Tim and I walk into work every day, it's about 3 miles and takes FOREVER. Ooh I hate it, especially in winter when the cold hurts my ears. Tim's had the same complaint so I've been knitting him a Monmouth Cap. Today was it's grand inauguration - he loves it so I suppose that's all that matters. I'm not quite sure it's the most stylish thing I've ever produced! Anyhow, here it is.

Enough of the hat, here is the real highlight of todays walk in! Christmas elves! My favourite coffee shop, The Perky Peacock 2, Gillygate, seller of the best coffee in York is bedecked with 4 of these Christmas elves. How can a girl resist? Best Christmas decorations ever.

 

Ho Ho Ho!

Monmouth Cap For Oddball Husband

Tim has been waffling on about me making him a Monmouth Cap for so long, that I have finally given in and cast on. What is a Monmouth Cap I hear you ask?

'The Monmouth Cap was an item of woollen headgear fashionable between the 15th and 18th centuries, and associated with the town of Monmouth in south east Wales. The knitted round caps were used by both soldiers and sailors, and they were widely exported.' (Wikipedia)

Cripes, what have I done? He's going to look like some oddball reenactor type.

Anyway this is the wool he has chosen, it's Debbie Bliss Donegal Luxury Tweed Aran in colourway 360025 . It's a nice rich colour, but if I'm honest the wool is a bit too itchy for my liking.

The pattern I'm using is another freebie from Ravelry -  The Historical Knitted Cap by Nina Bates.

It's not my favourite craft project at the moment. Tim owes me big time!

Bauble

I've finished a quick knitting project this evening - a knitted bauble for my Christmas tree! It probably took an hour from start to finish. I'm not sure whether I'll felt it, what do you think?

 

I hope to make a few more in time for decorating my tree at the start of December. I know it's a little early for all this talk of Christmas but it comes early in our house, the lovely Tim and I get very excited. I've had my advent calendar since September.

 

I got the pattern as a freebie from Ravely, if you are a member it's the Knitted and Felted Ornaments and Garland Pattern by Leigh Radford. The pattern calls for aran (worsted) wool and luckily I had some fab stripey Abuelita Merino Worsted Multi leftover from a cardigan I knitted for my lovely niece. The wool is available from Pickles, a Norwegian shop but they ship worldwide. They have some really lovely knitting patterns and wool.

Socks!

I have knitted my first pair socks. I must confess it has taken an age because after finishing one I kind of lost interest halfway through the second! I suppose that is what happens when you have mahoosive feet like mine! Anyway, they are complete now and keeping my tootsies lovely and snuggly as I type this.

I know, swit swoo!

 

These socks are 'Toe-Up Traditional Socks'. The pattern is available in the pattern book 'Knitting 24/7' by Veronik Avery and features some stunning patterns and photography. Happily, this book was a Christmas present from last year - I am a lucky lady, thank you Angharad!

The wool I used was Regia Color 4-ply (a sock yarn). The multi-colour was wonderful to knit with as each stitch came out a different colour. I think the finished effect is like a Monet painting. Beautiful.

Lovely Little Lady

I actually knitted this cardigan a while ago, it was only the second thing I ever knitted (I took a beginners knitting evening class last year). I made it for my niece whilst my sister was still pregnant with her. Looking back I think I must have known she was having a girl because everything I knitted was totally girlie! Maybe?!

Anyway the reason I'm posting about it today is that it finally fits and doesn't she look as cute as a button?

Oh I could just eat her up!

The pattern was a freebie from Ravelry. If you are a member of Ravelry the pattern is Tulip Yoke Baby Cardigan, by Jennifer Little. I used Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino which comes in lots of colours. It was really lovely to knit with, very soft, which is good as I cannot stand itchy wool. Yuck. Anyway I am certainly no expert knitter but this pattern was fairly straightforward - whenever I get stuck I just look on YouTube, somebody has always done a tutorial.