All at Sea - now available

All at Sea has been a lovely relaxing knit - perfect for the busy days leading up to the end of the school term. It's a reworking of the patterned edging on my Baby Waves sweater, but this time worked flat rather than in the round, and in a super chunky yarn rather than DK. I used King Cole Big Value Super Chunky in the colourway Airforce, which is a lovely muted blue. Instructions include 3 sizes and the pattern uses just basic knit and purl stitches, so it's also a great beginner's project. The pattern is now available on Ravelry, LoveKnitting and Etsy.

Babyccino cardigan now available

I developed a mild obsession a while ago with trying to create a yoked cardigan in which the decreases were decorative, rather than tucked away. Babyccino is the end result and Im thrilled with how it's turned out.

I'm also incredibly grateful to the amazing test knitters who helped with this project. These people are the unsung heroes of the knitting world and without their support the knitting industry would be nowhere near as diverse or rewarding. Thank you ladies!

Now the nitty gritty: Babyccino is a sport weight cardigan, worked flat from the bottom up and joined at the yoke. Instructions include 7 sizes, ranging from 0-3 months (17.5" finished chest) up to 2-3 years (24" finished chest). As usual, you can find the pattern on Ravelry and LoveKnitting.

Lazy Days cushion cover - pattern now available

As usual, the pattern is available on Ravelry and  LoveKnitting.

I felt like I needed a break from all the sweater patterns I've been working on recently, and have a stash of super chunky yarn just begging for a nice, simple project. The Lazy Days cushion cover is the result. It has a loose cable for a laidback design and an easy knit, and features three big toggles on the back so the cover can be easily removed for washing.

I used 300g of King Cole Big Value Super Chunky yarn and 10mm needles. (And here's a secret - I don't have a large cable needle so I improvised with a smooth pencil!) To stitch the sides you'll need a thinner yarn in a similar colour or a very large sewing needle. Again, I've found a way to improvise this by using one of those big plastic needles you get in kids' craft kits - works a treat!

The cover will be wide enough to fit a cushion pad up to 45cm/18".

Two weeks until Father's Day

Here in the UK, it's only two weeks until Father's Day - plenty of time to get your knit on and make a gift with your own fair hands. My Over the Line beanie uses under 100g (160 yards) of chunky yarn and knits up in just a few hours. It's worked flat and the pattern uses just basic slip, knit and purl sts and simple k2tog decreases. The only thing you have to be mindful of is keeping the tension even when you slip the stitches with the yarn in front to make the horizontal loops. My husband is even more camera shy than I am, but our daughter was happy to volunteer as model - once again!

The pattern is available on LoveKnitting and Ravelry.

First sweater pride!

If you're an avid knitter, you've probably whipped up more sweaters than you can count. But I'll bet you still remember your first one, and how excited you were when you completed it. That's why I was delighted to receive these pictures from a knitter who chose my Simplicity Sweater for her first project, and to know what a sense of achievement she's feeling right now. Here it is, knitted up in Stylecraft Life DK in Denim nepp and looking fabulous!

So if you're feeling nervous about starting a larger project, I'd say go for it - just see what you can do! If you'd like some advice about how to get started - even choosing a yarn and a pattern can be overwhelming - then please drop me a line and I'll be happy to point you in the right direction.

And in case you were wondering, my first garment was a yellow feather and fan sleeveless top and I was thrilled with it. I'd love to hear about your first sweater! Comment below...

Colours!

That feeling when your yarn order arrives and the colours fill you with joy! The blue and yellow are a linen/cotton blend, destined for a loose summery top. The grey, purple and pink are a super soft acrylic/merino blend for a long sleeve sweater. Can't wait to get started - just the small matter of actually designing the garments to take care of first...!

All in a Row - now available

Sometimes you just need a super easy, super quick, super chunky project, and All in a Row fits the bill perfectly. It has enough variation to keep you occupied, but is straightforward enough to make on semi-auto-pilot. 

The pattern is now available on Ravelry, LoveKnitting and Etsy.