Pattern: Birthday Present Frilled Apron

Hi Everyone!!! Happy Monday!! So today instead of a pattern of the day like I normally do, I am going to publish one of my own designs for you all to knit. I knit this for my mum's birthday and it is a great apron. My mum loves waist aprons- so no bib, and I always buy, or make, or knit one for her at least once a year. I have sewn them and knit them, and this is the pattern for my frilled apron. Here it is- being fetchingly modelled by my mum- now I know she doesn't like this photo so I apologise now, but its the only one I've got, so I'll replace it when she takes a new one!! (nothing like a bit of parental bribery!!)

So this is knit in Sirdar Juicy, a DK yarn made from 80% Bamboo and 20% cotton. It is therefore pretty absorbent and of course washable- which really is a good thing for an apron. I used some cotton fabric for the ties and sewed the apron to the cotton across the top. There are plenty of other absorbent and washable yarns, I would recommend anything with a cotton content, they have a good drape like this one too. 

You knit the main piece and frill in one go and then sew on a pocket and pocket frill separately. You could miss out the pocket if you don't need/want one.

So You Will Need

Approximately 4 balls of Sirdar Juicy (95m per ball) in orange, and 1 ball in a contrast colour, here it is pink.

4mm needles

Cotton Fabric for ties

Needle for sewing up.

Abbreviations

sts- Stitches

K- Knit

gt st- garter stitch (knit every row)

kfb- knit into the front and back of the stitch, to increase

Pattern

Main Piece

Cast on 80 stitches in main colour

Garter Stitch (Knit every row) until piece measures 14 inches or 35cm or until your desired length. (14 inches came to my mum's mid thigh and she has long legs so you might want to go a bit longer)

Change to second/contrast colour**

Row 1: Knit

Row 2: Knit

Row 3: K

Row 4: K

Row 5: Kfb in every stitch (160 sts)

Rows 6-8: K

Row 9: *K1, kfb* to end (240 sts)

Rows 10-12: K

Cast off K wise

Pocket- Optional

Cast on 40 stitches in main colour

Garter Stitch (knit every row) to desired length for your pocket (on the one above it was 6 inches)

Cast off

Sew to front of apron

Frill for Pocket

Cast on 40 sts

Follow the main pattern from ** to end to create frill.

Sew the frill to the front of the pocket.

For the ties, I used a strip of gingham cotton and sewed it to the back of the apron to give long ties. You can knit ties by casting on the number of stitches you need for width- around 10-15 should be perfect, and then garter stitch until they are the right length for you. If you do make sure you strengthen the ties with some cotton fabric to prevent them over stretching.

I hope you like the pattern and enjoy knitting it. It is a beginners pattern, and should be easy to do. Email or comment if you have any problems, and I'll do my best to sort them out. I have not had this pattern tested, so let me know if there are any problems.

Techniques: Using Stitch Markers

Happy Saturday Everyone!!! Hope you are all well.

This is the return of Techniques Saturday, and today I am sharing with you all on how to use Stitch markers. Stitch markers are pretty useful in quite a lot of the patterns for the little clothes that I have been showing you. All of my stitch markers have come free from magazines. They are available in most knitting shops and also on Etsy, if you would like more handmade and different ones. Deramores have these split ring style ones in stock and they are fairly reasonable. Mine, that I am using below, look like little padlocks, and I also have ones that look like keyrings. They all do the same job.

Now the photograph above also shows how to put a stitch marker on a needle, You simple slip the marker on where it says in the pattern in between the stitches. Normally in the pattern, the abbreviation is PM which means Place Marker. Simply slip it on between the stitches. Simple as that. Normally you will increase or decrease either side of the marker.

This photograph shows how they are on the needle. You are also looking at my lovely rosewood Knit-Pro circulars- I love them!!! As you are knitting, and increasing or decreasing as the pattern says, you simply slip the stitch marker from one needle to the other as you knit. You will normally see the abbreviation SM, or Slip Marker. As the pattern changes and the markers are removed, you will be told to do so.

Stitch markers can also be used even if you are not told to. They are great if you need to keep a border on an item. For example, if you are knitting a dishcloth with a 4 stitch garter stitch border, you can use stitch markers to ensure that you don't forget- which I do, and have to go back and unpick it-yuck!!! Also a lot of patterns won't include these stitches and just tell you to keep the borders even. Stitch markers can help you remember.

You can also use a stitch marker to mark a particular stitch. In this case, you don't put the marker on the needle, but actually on the stitch itself. You normally use these to mark a particular row or stitch for when you are sewing up or seaming at the end.

I hope this post has been useful, and please tell me what you want to know about and what techniques you are confused about.

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!