Sunday, February 28, 2010

Tea Time

Thanks to Sandra *Jill* and her blog I found this Tea Time competition:


"Bei der tollen Idee von  Mias Mama & Casa di Falcone mache ich natürlich gerne mit. 
Zeigt Ihnen Eure schönsten Tea Time/Tortenbilder und mit etwas Glück kann man ein “Tee-Glücklichmach-Überraschungspäckchen” gewinnen."


Here is my contribution -  the cupcakes I knitted for Gillian back in March 2009

Hier ist mein Beitrag - die Törtchen, die ich im März 2009 für Gillian gestrickt habe:





Saturday, February 27, 2010

Free pattern - child's jumper



I have just started some charity knitting to use up some of last year's stash.

My present charity is Algerian Action.


Please help yourself to the pattern, print is, use it, share it ...!

Any queries or comments about the pattern, please just let me know


Child's Jumper


Needles:

3 ¼ and 4mm


Material required:

DK, approx:

150g; 180g; 200g; 230g; 250g

For sizes, approx:

18 ; 20 ; 22 ; 24 ; 26

For years, approx:

1 ; 2 ; 3-4 ; 5-6 ; 7


Abbreviations:

STST = stocking stitch

sts = stitches



Front:

Using 3 ¼mm needles cast on 60(66;72;78;80) sts; work in rib for 12(12;12;14;14) rows.

Change to 4mm needles and proceed in STST **until piece measures 55(61;70;80;84) rows** from beg. of STST.

Shape neck:

Knit 24(26;29;32;33) sts; turn and proceed as follows. Knit 1 row, then decrease 1 st at neck edge in next and every following alternate row to 20(22;25;27;28) sts; then continue without further shaping to 70(76;86;96;102) rows. Right side facing cast off.

Slip middle 12(14;14;14;14) sts onto stitch holder, rejoin yarn and work the other side accordingly.


Back:

As Front until **, then knit instead **until piece measures 60(66;75;85;89) rows**.

Then continue as for Front.


Sleeves (make 2):

Using 3 ¼ mm needles cast on 28(30;34;36;40) sts and rib for 12(12;12;14;14) sts. In next row change to needles 4, continue in STST and increase to 32(34;38;40;44) sts; then increase 1 st on each end in every 4th row to 50(56;62;66;72) sts. Then continue without further shaping to 46(52;60;66;74) rows from beg. of STST.


Neckband:

Join right shoulder seam. With right side facing and 3 ¼mm needles pick up and knit as follows: 14(15;15;16;16) sts along left side of neck (front);

12(14;14;14;14) sts from stitch holder;

14(15;15;16;16) sts along right side of neck (front);

10(10;12;12;14) sts along right side of neck (back);

12(14;14;14;14) sts from stitch holder;

10(10;12;12;14) sts along left side of neck (back).

= 72(78;82;84;88) sts.

Work in rib for 8 rows. Purl 9th row to make a fold ridge, then rib another 8 rows. Cast off in rib loosely, turn neckband in and loosely stitch to the inside.


Join left shoulder seam. Sew sleeves to the shoulders and join remaining side and sleeve seams. Darn in all ends.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

The K Factor

My family challenged me to enter the Harry Hill K Factor knitting competition.

So I decided to knit a Harry-Hill-look-a-like balaclava. Here it is:






For anybody who doesn't know what Harry Hill looks like:




Sunday, February 14, 2010

Unicorn

My sister asked me if I could knit a unicorn for my little niece Marie for Christmas.

I had the pattern for the donkey from the nativity set (see previous post), and managed to convert it to turn into this unicorn:


Nativity

After a long time of not writing in my blog, here is an update on what I spent six months last year knitting: two nativity sets (following the Sirdar patter by Alan Dart) for two friends at church.

The characters were quite fiddly and took a long time to knit, but it was also a great joy to create them with my own hands!

Here are some pictures of one of the sets (taken on a sunny summer's day in our garden):