You can read last month's update here.
This month I swept the coffee table projects into a big bag and put it in another room. 😆
Well. I felt like dramatically sweeping them but I neatly folded them making sure the stitches were secure and the attached yarn ball was neatly wound.
My projects were all taking up too much room.
There were too many BIG ones.
Mainly because they were nearly finished, which is a positive, but I've not been knitting them as I was focused on hand warmers (small tidy projects that barely take up any room) and shop samples ahead of the launch of our new Mini Ball Bag collection.
So the coffee table is now looking quite empty, because of course... I didn't put the projects back... instead I started new ones.
First, a recap of the finished projects.
As shown last month, with a new free knitting pattern download, I made myself another pair of handwarmers. This time using our Simple Mitts pattern with a ball of Rowan Felted Tweed Colour.
I'm on a mission this year to have several pairs of fingerless mitts on hand. I shared my Align Mitts last month.
And in preparation for the new collection of Mini Ball Bags I knitted a shop sample of our Simple Mitts pattern using mini balls of Opal 4ply sock yarn.
I knitted this mitt holding two strands of Opal 4ply sock yarn held together. Marling is a fun way to use patterned yarn. For a pair of mitts you’ll need at least five 10g mini balls. To make a pair of mitts that look similar split the 10g balls into two balls so each colour is used in both mitts. If you make the balls different lengths (I did it by weight using my kitchen scales) then the colours will blend more rather than the two strands running out at the same time.
(You can of course just use about 50g of leftover 4ply yarn).
Bitten by the marling bug I also whipped up a hat for the shop.
This hat uses Hedgehog Fibres Scrappy Marl hat pattern. You can download it here.
I used about 5 - 6 mini balls, holding together two strands of yarn. I tried to choose colours that looked different to each other for maximum marl.
I also finished the chunky version of our Simple Blanket. I imaginatively called it the Simple Blanket XL and there's a pattern and kit available in the Pittenweem shop and online. Really happy how squishy and warm it is and the price is very attractive too.
I haven't made much progress on any of my other WiPs. The Teen is becoming impatient for their tank top and I really should get the Wonderball Scarf done to showcase our new Rico Wonderball Aran (it's currently sitting in the Pittenweem shop if you fancy checking it out).
But I have made some progress on the Desert Ripple Wrap!
This rectangle wrap starts as a triangle then you knit the sides out to make a rectangle. I'm about to start the decrease section on the last side.
I'm using Love Your Wallpaper in Don't Talk Back.and undyed Tibetan 4ply
It's going to need a good block when it's finished to smooth out the different stitch patterns and it's going to look amazing!
This past month I did start three new projects:
- a pair of socks for a friend
- a sock for the shop
- a baby romper (a total impulse project)
This is Opal Hundertwasser 4ply in shade 1435. I'm using my favourite 'vanilla' pattern, you can find it on Ravelry.
For these socks I started at a specific point in the colour sequence so the cuff was knitted in the speckly bit. I knitted the leg until I reached the thicker stripes. For the second sock I am starting with the thicker stripes on the cuff and hopefully the heel flap will be speckly. This doesn't always work but that's part of the fun of these sock yarns!
Dustlands by Stephen West, available to buy on Ravelry and Westknits
The other sock cast on is for the shop. It's Dustland by Stephen West and I'm using Socks Yeah 4ply in shade 127.
Really like the look of this sock. The different stitch patterns are simple but effective and make a one colour sock more interesting to knit. It will benefit from a good blocking though.
This sock has a fold back cuff. The pattern has you casting on as normal and then knitting for 13cm (this took me aaaagggggesss) and you then fold in half and knit the stitch on the needle with a picked up stitch from the cast on edge. I love the effect of a folded cuff. Very squishy. But I found the method a bit of a phaff and I think I would have been better doing a provisional cast on instead. At least then I wouldn't have to question if I was picking up the correct stitch. The stitches on the cast on edge are quite tiny.
The third new project was an impulse cast on... a rainbow baby romper!
We got two new shades of Rico Dream DK in the shop and some new patterns too. Pattern 1245 caught my eye...
I used new shade 021 and knitted the smallest size, 0-3 months.
I didn't quite the follow the pattern. I didn't fold over the neckband as instructed - mine was too small to do that... perhaps I missed a few rows of rib? 😆
Of course I had to add some rainbow buttons. These are our 'blouse' buttons. They've been part of our button collection for a while but I've only just listed them online. They're great buttons for small items (only 13mm big) and they have two different effects. One side is pearlescent and the other is solid. I choose the solid side for the romper (in pale green, yellow, orange, pink and purple). I love it!
The two unopened balls on the table are for new shop samples. I'm supposed to be swatching for:
Chances of that actually happening before the next WiP update?
