Magazine of the Week: Woman's Weekly

Hi Everyone!! Happy Friday!! I hope you are all well!!

Today's book/magazine of the week is Woman's Weekly. After People's Friend last week, I wanted to show another of the great weekly magazines that come with knitting patterns. Woman's Weekly is a great example of this. Each week, there is normally a pattern for knitting or crochet, and they have been known to get great licensing deals so there are lots of popular childrens characters in them. To name just a few from recent magazines- Hello Kitty, Fireman Sam, Rory, Peppa Pig. This is also normally the only time you can get these patterns too because many of them are only available for a short amount of time, so you can definitely find most of these on ebay!!!

As well as each magazine having a pattern in, every three months or so Woman's weekly publishes a knitting and crochet special. These have so many patterns in, from many popular designers such as Alan Dart and Debbie Bliss. I actually found these particular magazines in our local Cancer Research shop at the same time as it is published and at over half the price, so it is always good to check out your local charity shops for old magazines and knitting pattern books

The mitts from this little baby set were created from a pattern from one of these magazines, and I have always found them to be great magazines and I check out woman's weekly on my trip to the newsagents every week along with People's Friend. Its worth a quick flick, who knows what pattern you might come across?

Have a great day all!!

Magazine of The Week: People's Friend

Hi Everyone and Happy Friday!! Hope you are all well. Now I know, Its Friday, and surely that should be book of the week. Well to take a break from that I am also including magazine of the week on Fridays, because I have a lot of magazines as well as books, and this way I can include a few of the lesser known magazines that include knitting patterns.

Today I am going to focus on People's Friend. Now this magazine has got a bit of an old person's stigma about it. If I say People's Friend, most people look at me like I am a bit crazy, and should get a few cats and start talking weird. But actually, they have some brilliant knitting patterns and for only 90p, you can't go wrong. The stories aren't too bad either if you get a bit bored!!!!

Normally, every week in each issue of People's Friend is a pattern or two. The first magazine I bought was for the glove pattern that I have shown below. I really enjoyed this pattern and therefore now, every week I check out the pattern. I have seen vintage cardigans, tea cosies, blankets, scarves and all sorts in the magazine and I always go to it to see what is coming up. There are also many crochet patterns if they take your fancy, and other crafts to pick up too.

I do have a pair of these gloves but the other one has gone into hiding- or maybe its more camera shy than this one!!! Look out for People's Friend and get yourself new, cheap patterns and the odd competition too.

Have a great day all!!

Book of the Week: Jean Greenhowe Bazaar Knits

Hi Everyone!! Happy Friday to you all!! Today is another Jean Greenhowe book, but I can never get enough of them, and hope to get the newest one soon, so I will still be showing her work off on this blog. I've knit so many of her patterns over the years, as has my granny before me, and she is sure to go on in generations again! I grew up loving her patterns that were knitted for me, and my family now love the patterns I can knit for them. So all in all, it is a winner.

This book, Bazaar Knits, was one of my later acquisitions in her range, and I love all the cute patterns in this book. This book was originally created as fund raising ideas, and all the patterns are perfect for any stall or fundraising event, they are quick and easy patterns and very popular too. There are 20 patterns in this book, but each one has many different versions within so you are getting a good amount of patterns for the £5.29 price tag. I bought mine in a shop, and it cost me £3.99 so have a look around to see where you can get it.

The patterns included in this book are message medals (I've made one of these before for my Step-Dad), Baby face brooches, the Cactus (see Senor Prickly below), watch pincushions, flower brooches, liquorice allsorts jewellery, egg cosies, hand bag accessories (of which I have knit the tissue holder) scented sachets, picture frames, hot air balloons, bugs, bracelets, airplane toys and mobiles, pincushion cakes, money banks and desk tidies, and finally the Pedlar doll from the front cover, with all the little pieces she has in her basket.

I made this cactus for a Mexican dinner night we had at our house, he sat on the table and it just decorated perfectly. This book is great and I cannot recommend it enough. I love her patterns, they are so easy to follow, as are the instructions for making up. They are fun and different patterns.

Have a great day all!!!

Book of the Week: Jean Greenhowe Christmas Special

Happy Friday everyone!!! Hope you are all well. Today I am definitely feeling that getting out of bed is grossly overrated. So I'm going festive in a bid to cheer me up!! I am sure some of you will moan about the fact that I am about to review a Christmas book, but for all of you who, like me, love Christmas and also really want to knit a nativity then you will probably want to start early. I started mine around this time of the year, and it was finished and ready for Christmas. If you are bah humbug, then fine!!!

The book has 16 patterns, but  there are much more than that because the nativity has many parts, as has many of the others. I have knit so many patterns from this book, and I love all of them. There are a few of the patterns below that I have knit, and they are all so cute. I love the basic patterns that Jean Greenhowe creates that can be customised. The stockings below really show this customisation. I have added a pocket to each of them, and used the little dolls from the book for each one too. The Blattman's stocking is the really cute Tardis one and has a K-9 in the pocket.

Another favourite has to be the nativity- I just love it so much, and it is sure to be a family heirloom as well as one of my favourite patterns.

This is a great book for all you christmas lovers out there, and want to decorate your house with knits, as well as gift a lot too. Other patterns include the last minute dolls that I've put in the stockings, a bear and reindeer, a large Santa and Mrs Claus, Robins and a Cinderella topsy turvy doll. There are also tea cosies and tree decorations. I love this book so much and cannot recommend it enough. Imagine all the fun you can have knitting for yourself and your family.

Book of the Week: Jean Greenhowe's Knitted Toys

Hi Everyone!! Happy Friday!! I am at work today, and that means for my competition winners, your parcels have been sent to you today so not long now!!!

I know I've done a lot of Jean Greenhowe books, and this one is even discontinued, but you can find them in charity shops and all over, and in libraries, so it is available and Jean Greenhowe is my absolute favourite toy designer. I've also given one away to my lucky reader Sara this week so this seemed to be the perfect week to show this book off. I've also knit a couple of things from the book too, and loved it.

These are the two covers that I know of so keep a good look out in your local charity shops for either of them. I paid £2.50 for my copy so they are a good buy for the amount of patterns. 

There are over 50 patterns in the book, and I have knit the penguins and some of the witty knits. I love the different patterns and there are so many that can be customised too for your own toys. My favourite has to be the witty knits for this, you can literally make anything you want with the basic pattern. I have knit the ghost from the witty knits. He has bells inside him in a matchbox (all the instructions are in the book) so that his chains rattle!!!!

There is a basic topsy turvey doll in the book, as well as the humpty dolls and the christmas decorations. Just lovely patterns. I love this book and they are so easy to knit. 

I hope you all have a lovely day, and the sun shines on all of you!!!

Book of the Week: Jean Greenhowe's Little Gift Dolls

Happy Friday Everyone!! I am in a good mood today, I am at work, and singing along to the radio, Good Old Ken Bruce!! The Blattman woke up to a puncture this morning so he is totally Not Happy, but we have tracked him down a new tyre and he is off to get that sorted before he goes to work. Today is Book Review Friday and I am going to review a book that has been a staple in my knitting arsenal for ages and I have knit so many different versions now I can almost remember the pattern now!!

Here is the book and it has the patterns for a selection of little dolls. Little is a bit misleading, they are about 6 inches tall and there are so many differing patterns including a witch for halloween, a snowman- see below, a bride and groom, chimney sweep, nurse, and a bunch of really cute jelly babies too. The pattern is great and they are really quick to do, and make great gifts. I may add more pictures later for you but as I am at work I don't have many here. I've knit a witch and a couple of versions of the groom with various attachments. I even made a Blattman too- which I will find when I am at home and edit this post

Hvae a lovely day everyone, its a bit chilly here but it could always be worse!!

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!