A monthly update of all the projects piling up on and under my coffee table. You can read last month's update here and all previous months here.
I don't have much to report this month apart from one huge and bright reveal - we have a new colour collection from My Mama Knits.
It's exclusive to us as these colours are inspired by the Pom Pom Tree that sits in the shop window. As you can imagine, they are gloriously bright.
We'll have a 100g speckled yarn and a bundle of mini skeins in 6 semi-solid shades. All on the super smooth and soft Choufunga 4ply merino base.
I've been busy knitting 3 samples showing off these amazing colours. Two aren't finished yet and I need to write a (free) pattern for one too. But all will be revealed on the 10th July when the yarn goes on sale.
One that is finished is a striped sock using 6 mini skeins...
It is glorious!
I used my usual basic sock pattern - My Favorite Vanilla Socks by Meaghan Schmaltz and randomly striped the colours together - varying the number of rows.
I striped the cuff but kept the heel and toes one colour.
Now you're probably thinking, "that's a lot of ends Fiona" and I'm not going to lie: it is a lot of ends.
Scroll past if you hate ends.
The eagle eyed will notice I used two different techniques in dealing with these ends.
On the leg of the sock I used Summer Lee Knits technique of knitting in your ends as you go - catching the ends at the end of the previous row and at the beginning of a new row whenever a new colour is introduced. She has a YouTube video here. Once you've finished the sock you can pull those ends to neaten and tighten up the join and then you trim the ends.
On the foot of the sock I did it my usual way - simply start knitting with the new colour and weave in all the ends at the end.
I do prefer this second method. For me it gives a neater join but you might get a different effect. I have quite a loose knitting style and sometimes things don't work so well for me.
Also when 'knitting the ends in as you go' you need to remember to do it at the end of the previous row. I usually forgot!
When striping a sock I find washing and drying it on a sock blocker really helps to even out the joins.
This is the sock on the join side before blocking.
And the sock after a soak in Eucalan and dried on a sock blocker.
The foot section really is much neater.
Oh. I also didn't bother trying to fix/hide the jogs at the beginning of the rounds. When you knit in the round you are really knitting a spiral. So with a new round you have a step up. There are various ways to conceal this. You can see an easy method here.
You'll notice another striped thing on the coffee table. That still needs a wee bit of work but should be finished for next week's big reveal. And the pile of knitting above it will also be finished. I have been working on that religiously for the past week (so unlike me) and it will showcase the second part of the Pom Pom range - a speckled 100g skein.
I've really enjoyed working on these projects - a combination of my favourite yarn and glorious colours.
Other projects I've been working on this month - a hat in our new Balmerino DK and a sleeve for the Sorgenfri baby cardigan.
Barley DK by Tin Can Knits - Available for free on Ravelry and at Tin Can Knits
Barley DK is a free hat pattern by Tin Can Knits. It's a beanie style hat with a garter stitch panel. It's a good beginner's pattern as you'll learn:
- how to work in the round using circular needles and/or DPNs
- how to use stitch markers
- how to use knit and purl stitch in the round
- decreasing at the crown
I knitted the adult small hat. It uses less than a ball of Balmerino DK.
Balmerino is a merino and Shetland sheep breed. So you get the softness of merino from a sheep that can live happily and healthily in Scotland - whatever the weather.
A 50g ball has a generous meterage of 173m so it's perfect for one ball souvenir projects like hats and handwarmers.
Barley DK, like all Tin Can Knit patterns, comes in multiple sizes.
I'd also highly recommend Tin Can Knits App.
It offers a new way to view their patterns - allowing you to only see the instructions and numbers you need. Especially useful for Barley as it's available in 3 yarn weights and 8 sizes.
The next one ball project I'll do is a pair of our popular Simple Mitts. That's what the yellow ball at the top of the coffee table is for.
And finally Sorgenfri. This baby cardigan is designed by Guri Pedersen and is available to buy on Ravelry.
It's a DK weight pattern and I'm using King Cole Comfort DK in shade 1729 Glacier.
Knitted seamlessly from the top down. I've just got two sleeves to do. I really do need to get this done. I started it in March and it's only a 3-6mths size!
Sue has already finished her Comfort DK sample.
This is Bubble Stitch Cardigan by Julie Taylor. The pattern is available to buy on Ravelry and Etsy. You can also buy a digital copy in the shop.
The pattern is sized from 0 to 4years. Our sample is 6-12mths.
We used King Cole Comfort DK in shade 1732 - Basil.
The cardigan is knitted seamlessly from the top down. There are full colour photos in the pattern explaining how it's made including how to work the bubble stitch pattern.
We have a printed copy of the pattern in the shop if you fancy checking it out. It would make a great next steps beginner project.
