Think Pink!!

Hi Everyone!! Happy Bank Holiday Tuesday!! How many times do you get to say that? I'd like to be able to report that a wonderful heat wave has swept the South East but no, that would be wishful thinking. But still, it was nice enough for a flypast, and that's good in my book. I will never get fed up with the Red Arrows. No better way to be patriotic!

Love this picture- I took it at Biggin Hill 2009 and it is me being all arty (when you read arty- read my camera battery was dying, the sun was shining and I was guessing and hoping I got them in the shot)

As most of you know, me and Ravelry are great friends, in fact it might possibly be love. I use it daily for patterns and yarns, and catch up with friends all over the world. As part of Ravelry, you can join groups of like minded people and in certain groups we have challenges. In one of the groups I belong to, Babyalong, we knit and crochet baby clothes, blankets, well anything for little people. This months KAL (Knit-A-Long) is for the Fantasy Naturale Cardigan. So a trip to the wool shop was in order, and I bought this.

And here is my little cardigan- minus buttons- for all of you to see. It is rainy and grey outside hence the rainy and grey photo below. The colour is perfect in the photo above. And this cardy only took up 1.5 of the balls above so I have lots more to play with.

Which is absolutely perfect for the June Challenge in the Trash from Treasures group. We love to recycle and use all sorts to create things with, not just knitting and crocheting. We have challenges we vote on every month and there are two this month. The first is clean and purge, which has come over from May's challenge. We are focusing on organising our lives and our homes and all the areas we work in and getting rid of all the rubbish. The garden makeover worked into this, as well as a lot of my other organising over the last month. Also this month, the June Challenge is Pink. 23rd June is Pink day, and we are making lots of things in pink. So to go along with both of these challenges, I have sorted out my stash, got out all the pink, and this month I am going to work on busting this.

I have actually decided, that should this month go well, I am going to do this every month with a different colour each month to work that stash down, and create cute and useful things.

Have a great day all, and look out for the review of the yarn for the cardigan and the pattern posts soon

POTD: Feather and Fan Baby Hat (and Booties)

Happy Wednesday Everyone!! Not such a happy Wednesday for the Blattcave thanks to the people at British Gas!!! I will be using the good old comparison sites today to sort them out!!

Today's POTD is Feather and Fan Baby Hat, and you get the bonus matching booties pattern too on the same page. I have knit this in a pink variegated Peter Pan DK that was in my stash. It is a knit flat pattern, unlike a lot of my others that I just knit flat anyway!! It is also a top down pattern that I haven't really come across much in hat knitting, so it was something different for me to work with. It also includes a very simple feather and fan pattern which is fantastic for any new lace knitters, there is only a 4 row pattern repeat and only one of those is a lace row.

There is also a bootie pattern that matches this little hat, and that pattern is free too so if anything that is a great thing. You can make a matching set for a new baby, and it will take less than a ball of yarn to do so. Find one of my amazing £1 odd ball bin finds and that is one seriously cheap, but absolutely amazing present. The hand knitted ones are always the best. (I know I know, I'm Bias!!)

Have a great day everyone!!

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!!!

POTD: Easy-Peasy Baby Bibs

Hi Everyone!!! Happy Thursday!! Sorry there wasn't a post yesterday, but I had a meeting for publicity photographs yesterday morning (that sounds a whole lot more professional than it was I assure you) and then we helped my step-brother and his partner and my baby nephew move home. We worked non-stop and they were all moved in and could actually sit down on the sofa and sleep in their bed so that is a winner in my book! It was a hard days work, but worth it and we are finally even now for my step-brother painting my living room!!

I'm keeping with what would be the pattern for these posts so today will be a POTD, and the YOTD will wait until Sunday. So today's pattern of the day will be Easy-Peasy Baby Bibs. These are perfect for going out, and for using up those leftover bits of cotton. They don't take much yarn to make and only one button, so they are great little stash busters.

I used the Rowan Purelife cotton for these and they have come out really well. I am really pleased with the finished result. For this particular pattern I used 4mm needles and I cast on 35 sts rather than the 25 in the pattern because I wanted them to be a bit wider. If you are using bigger needles and a more aran/worsted weight yarn then stick with the pattern. I also added another buttonhole on the neck strap. So those are my changes to the pattern which made the one above mostly because I was using a thinner cotton than the recommended.

Today I am working on some recycling fabric. I have some fleece pjs that are hardly worn because they are too short in the leg. So I am taking them apart for the fabric and will be using them for fabric for all sorts of things. They will be perfect blanket backs too.
Have a lovely day everyone!!

Techniques: Substitution

Happy Saturday everyone!!! Bit late today, I know, but the Blattman is starting work a little later today, so it has been nice to get some time together before he goes. I am also having epic issues with my computer being the slowest thing in the world!!! I have also been trying to work out what to knit. Does anyone else get that? Where you keep looking at patterns and the yarn you have and just never manage to pick one? This happens to me on a big scale. I have knit so many patterns and sometimes I just need a bit of a kick. I wanted to do a techniques post on using stitch markers, but I haven't picked up a pattern to knit using stitch markers so I'll do that next Saturday.

On today's techniques post I am going to be talking about Substitution. These things are kinda basic for all you advanced knitters but I think its worth talking about. I was confused initially about this when I started knitting and relied on my Mum to talk me through it and help me out. Hopefully I can explain a bit about it as well as she does.

All patterns are knit or tested with a particular yarn. You will find this especially in magazines, because they use one yarn for their pattern and for the samples for the photographs. But in a lot of magazines the yarn they use is either so difficult to find or so blooming expensive that there is no way you can afford to knit it. I am definitely a great believer in Substitution. I love to check out my stash and use what is in there rather than have to go out and buy more. There are a few things to remember when it comes to Substitution.

1. Use Same or Similar Fibres. Each yarn is made from a different combination of fibres and each one knits differently. If you knit a pattern designed for a pure wool yarn in cotton, it probably isn't going to work out!

2. Work out How much you will need. When you buy yarn, on the label it will tell you how much is on a ball. Find out how many balls of the pattern yarn will be used for your size. Check how many yards or metres are on each of the original balls and then add it up to work out how much is recommended. When you buy your preferred choice, check on the ball band there how many yards or metres is on one of those, and work out how many you will need.

3. Check Tension. Tension Square= Tension Headache. Not really. Each thickness of yarn has its own tension, and each ball will have its own tension. A pure wool yarn will have a different tension to a cotton yarn. Some yarns will require bigger needles but still be a chunky weight yarn. Check out the tension square on the ball band to show this.

Here we go, here is an example of a ball band. This particular one is from Robin Picasso DK. You can see from this that there are the washing instructions, the tension square there, the recommended needle size, and the 270 metres on the ball there.

For internet patterns this can be the same as the magazine patterns, but with Ravelry you tend to find that the test knitters use all sorts of yarn, and with the great project gallery you can normally find the yarn that you want to use!!

Only 2 more days for the competition before it closes so make sure all you followers that you enter for a chance to win!! Have a great weekend all!!

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!!!

In Stash we Bust

I can safely say...Yes! Lots of it for that matter!! This week has most definately been a productive one, especially where my stash is coming from because I had an organising week. I sorted it all out into its new homes (a laundry bin for the DK and a box covered in airplanes for the rest of it) and now I have a great list of all of it, weights and amounts. Fabulous.

Now what I am going to do with it? Well I was originally knitting a lot of baby bits and pieces, being inspired by my baby nephew (who is over the 8 pound mark now-yay) and our first cuddle two weeks ago. But this has been put on hold for stash busting, and later this week, shawl and veil knitting. 

I used this pattern yesterday to knit a hat for the Blattman, and he wore it all night so Im guessing he likes it. This is a ravelry pattern so you have to sign up to see it, and frankly you need to. If you are a knitter and not on ravelry, you have problems!! The picture below is from the pattern itself and not mine, mine is knit in Life Aran in Parchment.

Hats are great for stash busting, you can get one or two from a skein and normally three from 2 skeins and they are quick knits and you feel really productive which is always a winner.

This week for our Lent Prayer shawl KAL/CAL I am intending on knitting the half lace chapel veil in black for our trip to Rome hopefully this year, so I can cover in the presence of the Pope. Its going to be a nightmare I think but Im going full Lace, and hopefully the prayers in it won't just be for me to finish the row without a mistake!

Also on my mind this week... The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir and new Revlon Scented Nail Varnish in Watermelon Fizz

Breakfast Set Pattern- Tea Cosy

Here is my brand new pattern I have been working on for a couple of days, for a breakfast set. It consists of a tea cosy and egg cosy pattern. I am working on a different version of the tea cosy pattern too so there will probably be another pattern up soon for that one too. I am pretty sure there arent any problems with the pattern, but since I am only human after all there may be one or two. Let me know if there are and I can change them. Hope you all like it

Ok, so here goes. You will need approx 30 grams of two different colours in DK yarn. I used the free yarn that came with Lets Knit this month, but any DK will do. You may need more than 30g.
So I used a peppermint green and a candy pink for my set. First up the pattern for the tea cosy

Needles:3.25mm and 4mm
Yarn: 2 colours of DK yarn, yarn A and yarn B (for me green was A, and pink was B)
Gauge: 22 sts over 30 rows on 4mm needles, make a 10x10cm square

Abbrevations:
Gt st- Garter stitch, knit every row
St st- Stocking Stitch, knit 1 row, purl one row
K2tog- knit two stitches together
Rep- repeat

Cast On 44 sts using yarn A and 3.25mm needles
Gt St 4 rows
Change to 4mm needles and change to yarn B
Starting with a K row, st st 4 rows
Change to yarn A
Starting with a K row, st st 4 rows.
These 8 rows make up the stripe pattern. Continue throughout the instructions using this stripe pattern.
Continue this pattern for another 20 rows. (this is the part where you can add extra length to the cosy, make it match your tea pot)

Start decrease (continue in stripe pattern)
Next row: *K2, K2tog, K3, K2tog, K2 rep from * to end
St st 5 rows in stripe pattern
Next Row: *K4, K2tog, K3 rep from * to end
St st 5 rows in stripe pattern
Next row: *K3, K2tog, K3 rep from * to end
St st 5 rows in stripe pattern
Next Row: *K2, K2tog, K3 rep from * to end
St st 3 rows in stripe pattern
Next Row: *K2,K2tog, K2 rep from * to end
St st 3 rows in stripe pattern
Next Row: *K2, K2tog, K1 rep from * to end
Purl 1 row in stripe pattern
Cast Off

Making up
Place right sides together. Sew up the sides of the cosy, leaving sides where handle and spout will be. Use your own tea pot as a guide, or leave the sides as open as you want. Do not sew up the top of the cosy. Turn the cosy the right side out. It looks very much like a cone, but bear with it at this point, it gets prettier, I promise!!!! Put it on your teapot, and using the same colour as the row you are going to gather, gather the top part of the cosy tight to create the top.

Egg cosy pattern in next post!!

Camera Cosy Pattern

So my mum is one lucky lady and won a new camera just before christmas, but as we all know in winter they can get all kinds of chilly, plus my mum's handbag is most definately one that may belong in Mary Poppins wardrobe so it had to be very bright so here is what I came up with.

So this is pretty much a great stashbuster, as you knit only 4 rows in each colour, so you can use any colours you fancy. So if your little camera is a bit chilly, or for that matter any small gadget, (it also fits my husbands blackberry, and my blackberry style phone!) then this is a great little knit. So here goes

You will be needing:
4mm needles
3.75 crochet hook (for button hole, if you cant crochet then Gaugeplait some strands to make the button hole)
7 different colours of DK wool (you can use less and make a pattern instead, totally up to you)
Tapestry needle

Abbreviations
sts- stitches
st st- stocking stitch (knit one row, purl the next)


Cast On 28 sts on 4mm needles
St st 4 rows in each of the 7 colours ( this gives you a total of 28 rows)
Cast off in the last colour you used.

Making up
Fold in half with the wrong side facing out.
Sew up the main seam using the colours you have used (I leave quite a bit when I change colours and then use these ends to sew up)
Sew in the ends
Sew up the bottom seam with the long seam in the centre back
Turn the right side out

Button
Crochet a chain of 15 links with a 3.75mm hook (or make a plait with 3 strands of about 3 inches)
Sew to the inside seam at the back of the work
Sew a button ono the bottom of the second colour stripe from the top.
Put your camera in and do the button up

Hope you all have nice cosy cameras!