Patterns

Swept off my feet – Kaava Lace Shawlette

| Elanor
Kaava - swept off my feet
Kaava – swept off my feet

This light little lace shawlette is quick to start, with just enough challenge to keep you interested. It uses up as much yarn as possible from that special skein of hand-dye you’ve been saving.
Kaava features a beautiful open band of Shower Stitch, an old French lace pattern. The lacy rib section frames the shawl and a nifty crochet bind-off adds the final castellated touch.

Kaava Shawlette
Kaava Shawlette (Moody shot!)

Get it now for £3

I love the phrase “to be swept off one’s feet”. It’s been running through my head since I was at the wedding of a beautiful Irish girl (whose name I’ve jumbled up for this pattern) and a very witty man earlier this year. I couldn’t tell you who did the feet-sweeping between the pair of them, but this shawl is what I plan to be wearing when my own feet next get swept under!

A wide, crescent-shaped shawl that is ideal for showing off a skein of glorious hand-dyed 4-ply yarn. The shawl features Shower Stitch, which is a beautiful old French Lace stitch.

A wool-rich yarn is recommended as this shawl needs to be blocked aggressively to bloom to best advantage.

Size
Shape: Crescent
Wingspan: 148cm / 58in
Depth: 50cm / 20in

Yarn
Shamu Makes Hand-dyed British Blue-Faced Leicester (4-ply; 100% wool; 400m/438yds/100g skein). Colour: mauve/denim, 1 skein.

Needles and Accessories
1 set 4mm (UK 8/US 6) circular needles, 80cm / 32in long
4mm crochet hook
Blunt tapestry needle
Optional, but recommended:
Stitch markers
T-pins and blocking wires

Tension
20 sts and 36 rows to 10cm/4in over stocking stitch, relaxed after hard blocking.

Win, win, win! “In the Loop” goodies and Knit Now 22!

| Elanor

Competition time!

To celebrate my first published pattern, I’m having a giveaway!

Win yarn, needles and a copy of Knit Now 22!

In the Loop Cowl
Josephine Anderson for BOSS models is wearing my latest pattern “In the Loop”. This cowl features a funky 3D stitch pattern that creates leaning holes and loops, all without  breaking the yarn. It’s knit with Wendy Roam Fusion and the pattern is available in Knit Now 22  – which goes on sale May 30th.  Photos by Dan Walmsley and reproduced here with kind permission from Practical Publishing.

All you have to do is comment below describing or linking to your favourite 3D or innovative stitch pattern. Leave me a way to get back in touch! (i.e. don’t be anonymous!)

Yarn and Needles and Mag!
Win yarn and needles to make my “In the Loop” cowl from Knit Now 22.

The prize is a ball of Wendy Roam 4 ply, Knitpro 100cm circular needles, size 2.75mm and a copy of Knit Now 22, which goes on sale on May 30th.

The competition is open to residents in the UK and Ireland. I reserve the right to add further competition caveats and rules as I go along.

Also, thought you should know, I made and frogged a small (tiny) tension swatch with the first few yards of the yarn. Soz!

Wildacres Wild!

| Elanor

It’s here, it’s here, it’s here!

That’s me lookin’ like a twit, cos I can’t model for toffee.

I’m so excited about this pattern. I spent AGES calculating yardage(metreage) estimates. I’ve had 11(!!!) testers try it out and the pattern is lookin’ goooooood.

This baby will eliminate your DK stash. You’re going to be buying MORE DK so you can make extra capelets. It’s warm, practical, and it’ll go with everything. Cos you can make it in one colour, three colours or as many colours as you like!

I’m so enthusiastic about this one, I’ve even taken out ads!

So go on, give it a whirl, ‘cos honest to betsy, this pattern is so well written (I’ve had such great help), you’ll be using it for years.

Hugs ‘n’ kisses for my lovely tech editor Steph Boardman and testers rwilliams, ting-ting, gothknitty, msoyster, shan79m, whatifknits, winemakerssister, marjos, podruha, puddleduckproduce, and anniepuffin.

X e

Uppingham Hats

| Elanor

 

Uppinghats with Bows
Uppinghats with Bows

Welcome to the world, little hats!

Here are two hats, knit flat, for those who like it that way. The first is a very simple hat that’s quick to work up, yet snuggly warm to wear. The second is similar, but has a flirty peekaboo lace panel to spice up chilly days. They come in sizes from New born to Men’s. These babies are designed to knit up from a single ball of Artesano Superwash Merino (DK)… except for the largest size, if you’ll forgive me.

Available now!

Plain Uppingham Hat
Plain Uppingham Hat
Uppingham Hat with Lace Panel
Uppingham Hat with Lace Panel

 

Bow Ties Are Decorative

| Elanor

In keeping with the recent bow ties theme on this blog, here are some simple little bow ties that you can use to decorate your work.

skinny bows
skinny bows
knitted bows
Knitted bows

These cute little bows add a lovely little decorative touch to almost any project. Sew onto hats, scarves, jumpers, anything wearable. Make them into brooches or hairpins, put them on gift tags or greeting cards, the list really is endless. And the best thing is you can work up several in an evening in front of the TV!

Yarn

Artesano Superwash Merino (DK; 100% Merino; 122 yds/112m/50g ball)

Scraps of

  • A: Mustard/old gold (7254)
  • B: Teal (6701)

Needles and Accessories

1 pair 4mm (UK 8/US 6) knitting needles

Tension

22 sts and 30 rows to 4in/10cm over stocking stitch

knitted bows
Knitted bows

Squat Bow

 Shown: one each in colours A and B.

Bow: Cast on 16 sts. Work 18 rows in garter st and bind off.

Tie: Cast on 4sts. Work 10 rows in st st and bind off.

Wrap the tie around the centre of the bow and pull it tight so the bow crumples at the centre. Stitch the tie in place.

Striped Bow

Bow: With colour A, cast on 16 sts. *Work 2 rows in garter st, then change colour. Repeat from * 8 more times. Bind off.

Tie: Using colour A, work as for Squat Bow.

skinny bows
skinny bows

Skinny Bow

Cast on 94 sts. Knit one row. Bind off. Tie it into a bow.

Tip: Sew a flat button onto the back of a skinny bow and you can then attach it to your garment through a buttonhole or a lace hole.

Finishing

Weave in ends.

Block gently to measurements, following any yarn care instructions on the ball band.

Uppingham Hat with Blue Skinny Bow
Uppingham Hat with Blue Skinny Bow
Uppingham Hat with Yellow Skinny Bow
Uppingham Hat with Yellow Skinny Bow
Uppingham Hat with knitted bows
Uppingham Hat with knitted bows

Bow Ties Are Cool

| Elanor

I’m pleased to introduce my latest pattern, Bow Ties Are Cool, lots of puns intended.

This cosy cowl will keep you warm any time you feel like running away with a madman in a box. The funky 3D pattern is created by casting stitches on and off in the middle of a row.

The pattern uses 100g of DK weight yarn.

Available to buy for £2.95 from my ravelry store

Bow Ties Are Cool Cowl
Bow Ties Are Cool Cowl
Bow Ties Are Cool Cowl
Keep stylishly warm!
Bow Ties Are Cool Cowl and Uppingham Hat
Coming soon: Uppingham Hat

Roxbourne

| Elanor

Well, it’s live! My first pattern for sale that I’ll actually earn money from! (Fingers crossed) (and toes and legs and hair and teeth)

 

 

Roxbourne Hat, now available for download!
Roxbourne Hat, now available for download!

Kildare Beret

Kildare Beret - Back View
| Elanor

My first self-published design is up on rav!

Buy the Kildare Beret pattern through Ravelry!

This is the hat that I designed in the WoollyWormhead hat design workshop, so I’m uncomfortable about accepting money for it. On the other hand, I put a lot of work into it, so  I don’t want to give it away either. Greater exposure or not! So therefore I’m putting it up for sale, but I’m giving all proceeds to Tommy’s, who will make better use of it than I.

Tommy’s funds research into pregnancy problems and provides information to parents. We believe it is unacceptable that one in four women will lose a baby during pregnancy and birth.

I learned to knit when I was first expecting. Unfortunately, the pregnancy turned out to be what the docs call a “blighted ovum”, as my husband and I found out at the 12-week scan. Afterwards I was astounded by the number of women around me that had also had miscarriages. How come it’s not talked about? J and I felt like we were all alone in the world at the time. I finished knitting the little baby blanket I had started and my daughter has it on her bed now.