Well... it's been a while. After several years of monthly updates of the unfinished knit and crochet projects on my coffee table, our on going home renovations led me to pack away all the clutter (dust!) and, let's be honest, forget all about them.
In preparing this blog post I tried to write a list of projects to include and I only remembered a few of them.
Obviously I remembered the most recently started - Billy, Malibu and a Horseshoe Lace Cowl.
And my small travel project and my biggest project - Soft as a Cloud cowl and Forager Blanket.
Billy is a baby jumper using Stylecraft's Bambino DK and a free pattern from WYS.
So far I've completed the back. I really like the stripe and speckle effect of this yarn.
I'm using shade 3830.
The pattern is part of a collection of free baby knitting patterns by WYS. They are written for WYS Bo Peep DK but any DK that matches the pattern gauge can be used.
Malibu by Isabell Kraemer, pattern available to buy on Ravelry
Malibu by Isabell Kraemer is an impulse cast on. I loved the two coloured black and white version I saw on Ravelry.
It's a large triangle shawl featuring a slip stitch pattern, stripes and ribbing.😍
I'm using Rowan Felted Tweed DK in shade 170 (Seafarer) and 197 (Alabaster).
The colour pattern is less complicated than it looks. You are only working with one colour per row. By using slip stitches you can make it look like you're doing stranded colourwork. And by changing where you hold the working yarn you can create even more pattern and texture.
It's quite addictive. After one week the shawl now looks like this...
This version uses our new Annfield Mohair DK. It's looking a bit crinkly at the moment... lets hope I can open up the lace holes with blocking!
Horseshoe Lace Cowl is a great beginners lace project. It uses simple yarn overs and 3 different stitch decreases:
- K2tog: knit two stitches together. A 1 stitch right leaning decrease.
- SSK: slip the stitch knitwise, slip a second stitch knitwise, insert left needle into the front of the 2 slipped stitches, wrap the yarn around the right needle and pull loop through. A 1 stitch left leaning decrease.
- sl2, k1, p2sso: slip two stitches together as if to knit together, knit one stitch, then pass the two slipped stitches over this stitch. This is a 2 stitch decrease, sometimes called a Central Double Decrease.
The pattern is both written and charted, so you can try out your chart reading skills too.
You only need about 155m of DK yarn so it's a good stashbuster.
The next remembered project is one of my smallest and my travel project (for when I can escape the dust) - Soft as a Cloud cowl in Nervus Fibres Merino Nylon 4ply.
This pattern was recommended to me by Susan in March last year (?!?!?!)
It's called Soft as a Cloud and is available for free at Purl Soho.
It's a maximalist effect for minimal effort project. If you can do a K3, P2 rib you can do this. The only additional skills you need:
- slip a stitch with the yarn at the back
- pass this slip stitch over two other stitches (this is a one stitch decrease)
- make a yarn over (this is a one stitch increase)
- work a 4 row pattern repeat
- Work in the round. Either a 40cm long circular needles or 80/100cm for magic loop or you could do it with DPNs if you prefer
The biggest project is WYS's Forager Blanket, which has stalled again. I only have one last colourwork section and the border to do.
And that's it. That's all I listed.
Reader, there are more.
I emptied out the Pouffe of Doom and looked back on old Coffee Table Updates.
The last WiP update in November reminded me of the Holiday Sweater. Where I had a bit of a shocker.
I started the Holiday Sweater in September using King Cole Explorer Super Chunky. The pattern is by Petite Knit and is available to buy on Ravelry.
It knitted up very fast. Super chunky + BIG needles.
It's worked from the top down. You start by knitting back and forth before joining in the round to complete the raglan sleeve increases. Once you have enough stitches you slip the sleeve stitches on to a holder before knitting round and round to finish the body. You then go back and finish the dramatic balloon sleeves. Finally, you pick up stitches around the neckline and knit a tall rib, shaped with increases and decreases before folding in half to make a cushy neckband.
This is where I went wrong. I didn't pick up enough stitches around the neckline which made it skew, distorting the stripe.
yikes
I did rip this back and I redid the neckband, picking up more stitches so the neckband doesn't pull in. But unfortunately I have the same problem!
But slightly better?
less yikes?
I'm going to have another go... third time lucky?
Another project I'd forgotten about from the September update were my crochet cloths! Remember my grand plan to make a beginner's knit and crochet kit?
Still keen to do this as the cloths are very nice but they now seem quite small and not as square as I remembered. 😆
Moving on to August WiPs I found Take it All.
Take It All is designed by Lisa Hannes and available to buy on Ravelry.
I'm not sure why I packed this away as it's good fun to knit. I love knitting garter stitch and blocks of colour and stitch patterns AND asymmetrical is my favourite shawl shape to knit. The blocks of colour and stitch patterns will look great when worn wrapped, with the sections overlapping each other.
It's great for mini skeins and leftovers. I'm using Choufunga 4ply in Smitten Kitten as my main colour and our Pom Pom Party mini skein pack for the contrast colours.
The August blog also reminded me of my pile of baby knits.
Apart from the new Stylecraft Bambino jumper I also have an almost finished baby jacket in King Cole Comfort DK (1729 Glacier) and one in Opal 4ply.
Sorgenfri designed by Guri Pedersen, available to buy on Ravelry.
Aimee's Rainbow by Nadia Crétin-Léchenne (available to buy on Ravelry)
Both of these cardigans are stuck on sleeve island. Which is no excuse. The sleeves are small and wouldn't take much time.
Other random projects languishing in the Pouffe of Doom:
Last year's version of our free Eyelet Shawl knitting pattern.
I started it in April 2024!
This is a lovely fabric. I'm using Wool Addicts Footprints in shade 001.
It's a wool and cotton 4ply so it's got masses of drape and feels cool to touch.
The eyelet pattern is one of our first free patterns. It's a classic top down triangle with a deep eyelet border. It's relatively straightforward to work and a great way to improve your stitch reading and stitch marker skills too - you have to maintain the centre spine of the triangle and work your eyelets evenly.
Of course the eyelet shawl isn't my oldest project.
I have my mitred blanket from February 2023.
I'm sort of following the Purl Soho pattern.
I am holding two strands of 4ply held together and using 4.5mm needles. I am using stash yarn that I've acquired over the years and only using single or semi-solid shades. Nothing too variegated or patterned. I'm mostly holding similar shades together.
And I have a couple of smaller project which were stashed away in project bags.
I started the socks in December 2022.
I'm using Opal Hundertwasser 4ply in shade 1435 and my favourite 'vanilla' sock pattern, you can find it on Ravelry.
The pair of mitts is a version of our own Simple Mitts pattern. I'm using a yarn I bought at the Scottish Yarn Festival.
But the oldest project is this...
CoCo Vest by Bana Kavanagh, available to buy on Ravelry
I started it in July 2022.😲
CoCo Vest is a v-neck tank top. I'm using Socks Yeah DK in Danubrite and Xenon.
The pattern is written for a sportweight yarn so I adjusted my needle size and I am knitting a smaller size as it will come out slightly bigger than the designer intended. It will also be heavier but I really like the socks yeah DK in the stranded colourwork of the Moonwake Cowl so I'm confident it'll be ok.
It's worked in the round from the bottom up. And then you split the stitches and work the front and back separately.
I really enjoyed working the stranded colourwork in the round but I slowed down when I split for the front and back.
My concern going back to this project after nearly 3 years is a change in my tension and/or knitting style. After all, I've now done lots more stranded colourwork flat. 😆
Lots of these projects are nearly finished. I wonder if I should create some themed weeks for myself to focus on getting them finished?
I could have a sleeve fortnight and finish the two baby cardigans.
Or a shawl month and finish Take it All and the Eyelet Shawl.
Or how about I just knuckle down and get the Holiday Sweater neckline sorted.
Or I could just go off travelling, leaving the dust behind, and finish the Soft as a Cloud cowl, Hundertwasser sock and DK mitts. 😆
