Sunday, January 24, 2010

Dropping Stitches

I learnt a new stitch - and I am very excited by how it looks. Its called a 'drop stitch'.


Combining the drop stitch with a garter stitch formed this toasty tube scarf !!

Its super easy to do - knit each stitch as normal, but instead of wrapping the wool around the needle once, wrap it 3 times. Repeat on all the stitches across the row. On the next row, knit each stitch, dropping the extra wrap off the needle as you complete the stitch.

To make the tube scarf as seen, I used size 15 mm straight needles (US 19), garter stitch for 8 rows and then one row of drop stitch, repeating this sequence until in was long enough to wrap around my neck twice. I then cast off using the 'three needle bind off technique'. Dropping stitches has never been so fun !!

Wear it long or wear it wrapped multiple times around your neck to keep you extra snug !!!

Monday, January 11, 2010

ETSY Shredwear Team Member

Etsy Shredwear has officially become an Etsy team - and immidesigns is an official member!!

Check out the blog - and learn about the other members who are handmaking clothing & accessories for all you snowboarders and skiers out there. I'm loving the bandanas from Cyanide Stitches - too cool !!

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Florence

My beautiful niece Florence Grace Bellairs was born on December 3rd 2009 !!!! I was lucky enough to spend her first Christmas with her in the UK, and it really was the best Christmas in a very long time !!!

Flo in her festive Christmas outfit with Auntie Hels

I decided the birth of my very first niece was a great excuse to knit a really awesome baby outfit and perhaps follow a complicated knitting pattern for the first time too !!!!!! I found an adorable pattern in Pipsqueak Knits. This wonderful 'Sleepy time - sleep sac' pattern looked great. Ideal for little Flo to kick her legs around in, whilst still keeping nice and snug in her very own sleeping bag.

This is how it looked in the book

.........and this is the finished product with Flo looking delicious !!


The knifty knitter hat, which I also made, kept her lovely little noggin warm - albeit with a bobble that I might even have to agree was a little too big !!!!!

So darn cute it almost makes me want to have one - and then I remember my poor sister being a sleep deprived, 24 hour milk bar, with those poor swollen ankles............and I'm swiftly reminded that there REALLY is plenty of time for all that !!!!!!!