Book of the Week: Jean Greenhowe JiffyKnits

Happy Friday everyone!!! Shock Horror it is actually sunny out. Wow! And I'm at work. Oh well, never mind, the sun might bring the customers in. So how are we all today? I am still knitting my feather and fan blanket, but the end is nigh everyone, and I am most definitely heaving a great sigh of relief. Don't get me wrong, I do love knitting, but a 2 row lace pattern repeat for nearly a metre is somewhat tedious after the 60cm I've done so far. I am hoping to get it finished today and then I can share the great yarn I am using to knit it tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Today was then the perfect time to introduce a new section of the blog, Book of the Week. I use Ravelry all the time for my patterns. I love its search feature and the ability to block out all the stuff I don't want and look up patterns for the exact yarn I have in front of me. But I do rely on a few books I have bought, been given and donated, and get at the library when I can. So these reviews are for these, the books I couldn't do without.

Today I am starting with a very cute toy book from a designer that has been in my life a lot longer than when I was just knitting. These pattern books have been around long before me, and I remember them being around when I was a child, and my granny, great aunt and mum knitting from them. I remember looking at the pictures in the Knitted Toys book for hours, espoecially the detailed dinosaur set-up in there. But enough about that book. JiffyKnits is the one that I am reviewing today. So why JiffyKnits? Well, Jiffyknits is probably the best one for beginner knitters young and old, and everything in it is made from garter stitch strips

This book is the best one for beginners as it is perfect for learning to knit garter stitch strips and then learning to sew them up, and shape the finished objects into the toys in the book. You need very small pieces of yarn to knit most of these, and there are patterns for every season of the year. Patterns include Christmas snowmen, penguins and father christmas, Easter Bunnies, a whole halloween scene of characters which is where my cute little frogs come from, a whole range of play food and even a tin of beans-which is the cutest thing, and when I can find the perfect shade of Heinz blue, my mum will be getting one as she has been hankering after a tin for ages!!!

So what have I mostly knit from this one? Frogs. And lots of them. Over 50 in fact.

 
Every one has its own character and I love them so much.
This particular book has 45 different patterns and costs around £5.30 for the book. Good Old Deramores have it on offer at the moment for £4.76.

Have a great day all, and have a lovely weekend too. Keep your fingers crossed for my lace!

POTD: Baby Eyelet Cardigan

Happy Tuesday everyone!! I'm playing nurse today because the Blattman has hurt his knee- doing something silly no doubt, but he is on the sofa with his knee up and an ice pack, moaning and generally feeling sorry for himself. I'm giving him zero sympathy outwardly, but do feel a bit sorry for him- Bless!!

POTD today is the very first Raglan cardigan I knit, and is a great pattern for newbies for Raglan, and circular needles too, and is all knit flat. It has a really cute eyelet pattern, and it is very simple, so great for lace newbies too. It is only 8 pattern repeats too so it is over before you know it, and so very easy. Here is the link for the Baby Eyelet Cardigan. 

Both of these cute little cardigans took one ball of yarn, Peter Pan DK (above in brown) and Peter Pan Sweetheart (below in blue). They are lovely little knits, and also use up one of your leftover cute buttons. The pattern is easy, and worth a go. It is a small one, uses basic increases, and basic lace.

This was the first cardigan I knit all in one go, and I have now knit 16 different cardigans using the raglan increases. I love them and I am hooked completely. I actually turn down patterns that are made up of fronts and back and sleeves. I love doing it all in one go.
Just had a look at the pattern page, and there is now a new link to a crew neck version of this little cardy and I may just have to cast on one of those today- here's the link for the Crew Neck Instructions.

Have a great day everyone, and Happy Knitting!!!

POTD: Paxton Cardigan

Happy Sunday Everyone!! We are off up to my In-Laws today to celebrate a birthday, my Sister in Law is 24 on Tuesday so we will be having a nice Roast Dinner to celebrate. Hope you are all going to have a nice relaxing day or if you are at work, then I hope you have a good day too, not too stressful and all that.

Today is another of my new little cardigans, and today's pattern is, unlike most, created for little people as well as newborns. This Paxton Cardigan has an offset front and two buttons. It can be made for preemies, small babies and newborns. Mine I must admit is a bit bigger than newborn, but lets be honest, babies grow so someone is going to wear it.

I really like this cute little cardy, and I've only knit one of these so far. I'm not sure why, but I just havent gone back to this pattern like I have with the eyelet cardys and the Puerperium. I still like it. It is another of the stitch marker jumpers, and makes use of the raglan increases like the hooded cardigans I showed you on Friday. These are great to learn new skills like the raglan increases and using circulars. This is simple too, you can follow the lines on the pattern and it comes out great. I love the fact too you can knit it in three sizes, and it goes down to little babies as well as newborns. You can also knit short sleeves and long sleeves, and it is very customisable. You can make more buttonholes if you want.

This is a perfect cardigan for a new raglan knitter. It is very simple, uses garter and stocking stitches, easy increases and creates a great piece. Give this little one a go, its a rewarding little knit.

The Blattscarf- Our first knitting pattern

Hi All,
welcome to the blog again, this is going to be our first knitting pattern, its not overly technical or very difficult, it was in fact the first thing that the Blattman knitted, and is fantastic for the beginner knitter. It takes one ball of wool and you just keep knitting until the ball is finished. You can make it as long and as wide as you want as you get more experienced.

Needles: 10mm
Yarn: Stylecraft Life Superchunky 100g ball

Cast on 15 stitches
Garter Stitch (knit every row) for 80cm or 31 inches.
Cast off knitwise

Wear it out and about. This is a nice thick scarf and great for men, the Blattman has made a few of these now for the fussy men in our family and it has gone down really well

Happy Knitting