Catch up with previous coffee table updates here.
This month I have one finished project, two on going projects and four new ones!
First up is Sami. A shop sample using WYS ColourLab DK and a pattern from the book Life in Colour. Really happy how this turned out, although I should consider sleeve lengths when displaying on my armless shop mannequin!
You can read more about Sami in the Gallery. I've included some potential pattern mods too.
I’ve been working hard on my Jessica Jones Cowl. After that week of warm weather I really felt the need for a lighter weight neck warmer!
But the linen stitch pattern takes forever… it may be next spring before it is finished.
The cowl is inspired by the one worn by Jessica Jones in the Netflix show. The pattern is by Handmade by Smine on Ravelry or Etsy. I've added more stitches as I wanted a looser single loop. I'm using Fyberspates Vivacious 4ply in Denim. It's a semi-solid hand dyed merino. Combined with linen stitch, you get a lovely effect as colours overlap imitating a woven fabric.
I’ve got to the half way point of my Rowan Kidsilk Haze Colour scarf.
Rowan Kidsilk Haze Colour is a colour effect version of their iconic Kidsilk Haze.
Colour has a watercolour effect as it moves between deep and lighter shades. It doesn't look like much on the ball and really needs a shop sample to show it off.
The scarf pattern I am using is our free Colour Block Scarf pattern. A garter stitch asymmetrical scarf written for DK yarn and knitted on 4mm needles.
Kidsilk Haze Colour comes in 50g balls so I thought it would be good to show how big the scarf looks at 25g (which is the size of the one colour Kidsilk Haze).
I am going to continue and knit the full 50g ball… showing all the colour transitions it has.
The first new project is another shop sample.
Melody is a sleeveless top knitted in our newest yarn, West Yorkshire Spinners Elements DK.
It’s a blend of Falkland Islands Wool and Lyocell and is a lightweight lustrous yarn that is fully traceable from sustainable sources and it is biodegradable too.
I'm really enjoying working with this yarn. It has a sheen but it's not slippy so it's moving fast on my aluminium Zing needles but not so fast it's out of control.
I just need to get the front done (and it's exactly the same as the back) and some edging... should be finished soon...😆
Melody is part of the Timeless Summer pattern book. Lots of lovely warm weather tops that are great for layering too.
My second new project is for Feathered Friends, this year's Pittenweem Community Craft Project.
You can read more about this annual project on the blog here but basically people make items inspired by a theme that are sold during the Pittenweem Arts Festival in August and the money is donated to charity.
This year the theme is Feathered Friends. All the fibre handcrafts like knitting, crochet, patchwork, sewing, embroidery, cross stitch and felting are welcome and you can donate items inspired by birds and feathers.
All experience levels can join in and you can hand in or send items to the Pittenweem shop.
In previous years I've usually made shawls (no surprise as it's one of my favourite things to knit) but this year I'm making a baby jumper!
Little Hootlete is designed by Taiga Hilliard and is availbale to buy on Raverly.
Sized for 0 to 4 years this little jumper features a simple 'owl' cable on the hem. Knitted in a worsted/aran weight yarn it's a quick knit at such a small size. The open neckline will fit over large baby heads too.
It's knitted from the top down. At first you knit back and forth, creating the open neck and increasing your stitches for sleeves. You can see in the photo how I've separated each part of the jumper with stitch markers. These stitch markers tell me when to increase. Once I get to the correct number of stitches I will put those sleeve stitches onto a spare piece of yarn for finishing later and I will then start knitting round and round for the body of the jumper.
Once finished this item will be on sale (with the designers permission) at the community craft exhibition at the Coastline Community Church from Saturday 6th to Saturday 13th August 2022.
I am using a now discontinued stash yarn for my jumper but any worsted/aran weight yarn would work.
My third new project are toe up socks!
I normally knit my socks from the cuff down. Starting with the top of the sock before moving onto the leg, heel, gusset, foot, toe and grafting. This is how I learnt to knit my first socks and it's remained my preferred way to knit them simply because I can now do it from memory and they fit my feet well. And since socks are often my go to project for a quick cast on I don't want to be phaffing about learning something new.
Most of the techniques used to knit a sock from the toe upwards are not unfamiliar to me but I have only knit 2 pairs of toe up socks. I don't have the numbers in my head and I certainly haven't got a go to way to knit a heel.
So, in the interest of professional development I decided to make my next sock cast on a toe up sock. I'm using Crazy Zauberball in shade 2429 and Trusty Toe Up Socks, a free pattern from Tanis Lavallee on Ravelry.
First of all... I LOVE this shade! Do you notice that the colour pattern hasn't repeated yet?
You may also notice that there is no heel. 😆
The Trusty pattern gives two options for a heel - short row or afterthought. I have opted for the afterthought heel mainly as I was enjoying knitting the tube and I didn't want to stop to think to put a heel in. I did put a piece a waste yarn in. Later, I will pick up stitches above and below this waste yarn and then pull the waste yarn out, leaving a hole in the tube and live stitches that I can construct a heel with.
I have done afterthought thumbs before (handy when doing stranded colourwork mitts as you don't need to accommodate a thumb gusset into the colourwork pattern) and I've done one afterthought heel before. So it should be ok... 😬
I will take plenty of photos and share them next month!
One key technique you do need to use is Judy's Magic Cast On which gives a seamless start to the toe. This video from Very Pink Knits and this video by Judy Becker shows you how to do it.
My fourth new project is a pair of mitts for me using a very special hand dyed yarn from a young hand dyer - Little Wing Creates. Gorgeous shades of blue and grey on one of my favourite yarn bases - Choufunga 4ply from My Mama Knits. And yes the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. 😆
I'm using a free pattern called Align Mitts by Courtney Spainhower available on Ravelry.
And finally... an Embroidery Journal update for March.
The background - inspired by Sophie at Stir Crazy Crafter I decided to make an embroidery journal in 2022.
The goal is to stitch one image that reflects your day. Sophie provides lots of tips on her website and I'm pretty much following her guidance.
I'm using a 10" hoop and some linen, possibly 32 count. I've decided to go for a bright colour scheme and black thread.
To give me some incentive (and accountability) I'm sharing each month on this blog.
This month I am especially pleased with my trainer and hot water bottle!
