Saturday, December 22, 2012

Emily's Christmas Stocking

Emily's Christmas Stocking by RooKnits
Emily's Christmas Stocking, a photo by RooKnits on Flickr.

No time to knit one this year, so Miss E will have to make do with a felt stocking. Not bad for a couple of hours work.

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Christmas cardigan

Christmas cardigan by RooKnits
Christmas cardigan, a photo by RooKnits on Flickr.

A sleeping baby means I've been knitting. Emily may get a Christmas cardigan after all.

Monday, October 22, 2012

More ripples, a cardigan and tiny socks.

Yet another blanket is in progress. This time I get to keep it, as it is for baby #2, due in a week.

I started this on the 8th October, so I doubt it will be finished in time for the new arrival - unless of course it delays it's arrival for a couple of weeks!
Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino again, this is what I planned when I started....

Ripple Blanket number 2

I am using Lucy of Attic 24's Neat Ripple Pattern again, but this time using the series of integrating stripes she used with her most recent ripple. Each set of 4 rows takes about 25g of yarn. The blanket is 10 repeats of the pattern using a 4mm hook.

More ripples

It has been growing slowly... as of 17th October
More Ripples

and then today, 22nd October
More ripples

I've changed the colour sequence a little, as I needed to buy a couple more balls of yarn (not enough gold/yellow to make a set of rows and it needed the yellow), but I should have more than enough to complete it now.

I'm still not great at project monogamy, so I've also been working on a little cardigan for our Jubilee year baby. Beyond Puerperium - 0-3m in fingering weight.
Jubilee cardigan for an Autumn baby

and some matching socks

Jubilee Baby Socks 

I've 20g of yarn left, so I reckon I can squeeze a hat out of the skein of sock yarn (The Yarn Yard Toddy in Jubilee). 

Monday, October 15, 2012

African Flower Blanket for Emily

My latest crochet baby blanket is an African Flower Blanket for baby Emily who arrived a few days late at the start of October.
African Flower Blanket
Once again, I have been inspired by the amazing palette of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino.
This time coming up with a variation on a rainbow - with hexagons rather than stripes or rounds.  I used about 25 different shades (mostly from my stash) plus cream for the flower part.
 African Flower Blanket
I started making this at the beginning of August and have been working on it on and off for a couple of months. Each hexagon took me about 30 minutes. The blanket is made up of 59 hexagons and  8 half hexagons.
I joined the hexagons as I went along, loosely using the instructions here and I  made up some half hexagons to fill in the ends on the 6 hexagon rows.

I added a border of double crochet followed by a round of shells (1dc, skip 1 (or two on the long side), 5 tc into next) -the shells were meant to mirror the insides of the flowers.


 African Flower Blanket

The blanket weighs 570g and measures  85cm x 100cm - large enough to wrap around my toddler - and hopefully big enough for my good friend Lauren and baby Emily to snuggle under on the sofa. 

Monday, October 01, 2012

The end is in sight

The end is in sight by RooKnits
The end is in sight, a photo by RooKnits on Flickr.

One more hexagon to go

Thursday, August 30, 2012

More Hexagons

More Hexagons by RooKnits
More Hexagons, a photo by RooKnits on Flickr.

Blanket progress...

Monday, August 27, 2012

Pop!

This special handspun yarn has been waiting for the perfect project for quite a long time. It is a a 3ply yarn made up of 3 singles each single coming from a seperate 100g braid of The Yarn Wench Falkland:  464m / 310g - 16wpi Pop yarn
I got it in a swap with a friend on Ravelry back in 2009. I thought it might make the yoke of a cardigan for me, but when I saw Knittingtastic's Pop! Cardigan I knew it would be perfect. The patttern is from Knit Now magazine (issue 11) - (this magazine also has an amazing pair of socks also designed by Rachel) and was designed to be a quick weekend project with 100g of DK yarn.
 Pop!
 It took me 3 evenings to make the smallest size - and then another week to choose buttons! Pop!
I wasn't sure how the yarn would knit up, but now I am left hoping that my bump is a girl... as don't think I can part with it!

Wednesday, August 08, 2012

African Flower beginnings

African Flower beginnings WIP Wednesday - another blanket started

Thursday, August 02, 2012

Ripples for Sophie

The latest big project has been a crochet ripple blanket made from Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino using the Attic 24 instructions.
I dug out all of the scraps and half balls of this yarn I had accumulated over the past few years and started rippling in the middle of May using a 4mm hook.Ripples After a few rows I decided to use a random stripe generator to make my yarn selection easier. I'm still not 100% happy with the way the colours work together, but it got better as it went along.Sophie's Ripples I finished this on the 9th July by adding a border of trebles in cream and then a row of double crochets in purple.
 Sophie's Ripples
 It measures 75cm x 95cm and is making new baby Sophie very cosy!
 Sophie and her ripple blanket

July

July 2012 1. Big track, 2. Rockin', 3. Big boy bed, 4. All I need now is a cake!, 5. Building inspector, 6. Tired boys, 7. Birthday Boy, 8. King Thomas, 9. Brown clothes from Uncle Bodger, 10. Boys, 11. Tiger PJs, 12. Ripples, 13. Lilian the Engine, 14. Bude beach in summer!, 15. Sunflowers at The Eden Project, 16. Making pancakes, 17. White Lady Waterfall, Lydford Gorge, 18. SAND!, 19. Nose stealing, 20. My first haircut, 21. Monkey, 22. Hat for Grace, 23. Sliding, 24. Baktus, 25. Jul 12 050, 26. The Tiger Who Came to Tea

Sunday, June 24, 2012

In threes

In threes by RooKnits
In threes, a photo by RooKnits on Flickr.

A cardigan for Thomas' best friend Katy who is two the day after. he is.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

WIP Wednesday

Here comes trouble
So, this is what I've been working on for the last 4 months, and the reason I am capable of nothing other than ripples and garter stitch at the moment.
The amazing picture above was taken on Monday and I am 21 weeks pregnant as of yesterday. All is well with the next little Baby H and I am starting to feel more human again.
A winter baby this time, due on 30th October, so a good excuse to cast on something tiny for the wee one to wear.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

So many ripples

So many ripples by RooKnits
So many ripples, a photo by RooKnits on Flickr.

It is growing steadily...

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Kingfisher Baktus scarf

Kingfisher Baktus scarf by RooKnits
Kingfisher Baktus scarf, a photo by RooKnits on Flickr.

Knit in Sparkleduck silk/merino laceweight held double on 3.5mm needles. I'm going to add a beaded crochet edging when finished for a bit of sparkle

Tuesday, June 05, 2012

Tuesday night ripples

Tuesday night ripples by RooKnits
Tuesday night ripples, a photo by RooKnits on Flickr.

Progressing nicely.

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Jubilee Crafting

Jubilee Crafting by RooKnits
Jubilee Crafting, a photo by RooKnits on Flickr.

Getting into the spirit of things. A felt necklace, corsage and a button bracelet.

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Ripples

Ripples by RooKnits
Ripples, a photo by RooKnits on Flickr.

WIP Wednesday.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

A wedding shrug for Lauren

My best friend got married this weekend and I had the honour of making something for her big day.
Back in February we started to look at patterns and shortlisted a few things. We looked at shrugs and shawls, knitted, crocheted and sewn. In the end we took this beautiful crochet shrug as our inspiration.

I started with lots of swatches,
Wedding shrug beginnings

and ended up going down to a 2mm crochet hook to get the right size squares with my Zephyr Laceweight (in ivory, the same yarn I used for my wedding shawl).

By Easter I had this
Crochet

and knew I needed to crack on.

4th May and nearly there -
Lauren's Wedding Shrug

I made a u shape with 10 squares in total. I joined the squares on the last round of each square and blocked the shape flat before joining the side seams.

I added edging and finally blocked the entire piece on the Thursday before the wedding!
Lauren's Wedding Shrug

Lauren's Wedding Shrug

Luckily it fit perfectly and was worn with pride on Saturday.
Lauren's Wedding Shrug
I am sure there will be better photos, but here are a few to give you an idea of the fit (and the beautiful bride).
Lauren's Wedding Shrug
Thanks Lauren, for letting me be such a big part of your special day.
Lauren's Wedding Shrug

Sunday, March 04, 2012

York 3 monkey socks

York 3 monkey socks by RooKnits
York 3 monkey socks, a photo by RooKnits on Flickr.

Monkey socks. Knit in The Yarn Yard Toddy in the York 3 colourway.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Christmas 2007 in February 2012

If ever a pair of socks deserved a "Ta Daaaah!" it is these.
Highland Schottische Kilt Hose by Nancy Bush from Folk Socks.
Kilt Hose for Kerry
They were started way way back in November 2007, finished on the 10th February 2012, arrived in their new home today and will be off on Honeymoon to Scandinavia soon! 
Here are some shots I took before I parcelled them up (they are a little too small for me).
Kilt Hose for Kerry
For two socks knit 4 years apart they aren't that bad!
Kilt Hose for Kerry
There is one place they are definitely fraternal - the calf shaping - but no one is perfect...
Kilt Hose for Kerry
I am so glad they are finally finished!

Monday, February 20, 2012

Making Monday - Welly socks

The first pair of socks from the Regia College "bargainballs" is complete.

Thomas' Welly Socks

36 stitches, on 3mm needles fit my 19 month old.

Thomas' Welly Socks