A Card for Valentine’s Day

January 29, 2015January 29, 2015 | Elanor

I made a Valentine’s Card for my lover, and I’m pleased enough with the result that I’d like to share it with you. Since it’s me making it, it’s partially knitted, of course!

Photo 29-01-2015 10 31 20 — Finished Card

Yarn
Easyknits.co.uk Deeply Wicked in Mulling (about 10g required)
100% Superwash Merino
400m/100g skein

Needles
One pair of 2.25mm needles.
Cable needle

Measurements
The finished motif is 9.5x9cm (3.75×3.5in)

Notes
All measurements are given horizontal width first, then vertical length.

Non-Knitting Materials Required
I bought my materials from Hobbycraft, but you’ll find similar products in most good stationers
1 A5 blank greetings card with pre-cut window
(If you want to make one yourself, cut some card to 44x21cm (17.25×8.25in), fold into thirds, and cut a window 9.5x12cm (3.75×4.75in) into the central panel.)
1 sheet decorative card (from the papercraft/scrapbooking aisle)
Scissors
Scalpel
Ruler
Stick glue
Glue dots
Optional: Computer & printer for interior motto

Photo 29-01-2015 11 42 54 — The back of the card with sunlight streaming through.

Abbreviations
Cdd: Slip next 2 sts knitwise, knit next st, pass 2 slipped sts over
CN: Cable needle
K: Knit
K2tog: Knit 2 sts together at the same time
LDC: Slip 1 st onto a cable needle, ssk from LH needle, K1 from CN
LH: Left hand
P: Purl
RDC: Slip 2 sts onto CN, K1 from LH needle, K2tog from CN
RS: Right side
Sl: Slip
Ssk: Slip 1 st knitwise, slip a second st knitwise, insert LH needle into front of 2 sts just slipped and knit together
St(s): Stitch(es)
WS: Wrong side
Yo: Yarn over

My lover and I skipping stones on Killiney Bay once upon a time.

Instructions
Cast on 33 sts.
Rows 1 – 7: Knit.
Row 8 and all WS rows to Row 38: K4, P25, K4.
Rows 9 & 11: Knit.
Row 13: K15, K2tog, Yo, K16.
Row 15: K14, K2tog, Yo, K, Yo, Ssk, K14.
Row 17: K13, K2tog, Yo, K3, Yo, Ssk, K13.
Row 19: K12, K2tog, Yo, K, Yo, Cdd, Yo, K, Yo, Ssk, K12.
Row 21: K11, K2tog, Yo, K7, Yo, Ssk, K11.
Row 23: K10, K2tog, [Yo, K, Yo, Cdd] twice, Yo, K, Yo, Ssk, K10.
Row 25: K9, K2tog, Yo, K11, Yo, Ssk, K9.
Row 27: K8, K2tog, [Yo, K, Yo, Cdd] 3 times, Yo, K, Yo, Ssk, K8.
Row 29: K8, LDC, Yo, K3, Yo, K2tog, K, Ssk, Yo, K3, Yo, RDC, K8.
Row 31: K9, LDC, Yo, K, Yo, RDC, K, LDC, Yo, K, Yo, RDC, K9.
Row 33: K11, P3, K5, P3, K11.
Row 35 & 37: Knit.
Rows 39 – 45: Knit.
Cast off.

This motif is also charted in full. Read RS rows from right to left, and WS rows from left to right.

Block gently, following the care instructions on ball band. Weave in ends.

Assembling the greetings card

1. Take the decorative card and cut a piece 13.5x15cm (5.5x5in).

2. On the reverse of the card, mark out a square 6.5×6.5cm (2.5×2.5in). Centre the square on the horizontal. Position the top edge of the square 4cm (1.5in) from the top of the decorative card. Use a scalpel to cut the window from the decorative card.

3. Glue the decorative card to the inside of the greetings card on the middle panel, to give a “frame-within-a-frame” effect. Take care to keep the edges straight so your frames dont look wonky!

4. Use glue dots to stick your knitted heart to the inner flap that “looks through” the window in the front of the card. Put a glue dot at each corner on the WS of knitted motif. Position it neatly at the window. Close the card, thereby sticking it to the card’s inner flap.

5. Print out a motto (save my one below, or write your own) and glue it to the inside of the card.

Photo 29-01-2015 09 37 33 — Centred frames

Photo 29-01-2015 09 39 30 — Use glue dots to stick the knitted motif to the card.

Photo 29-01-2015 09 42 22 — The knitted motif is attached to the interior flap of the card.

Photo 29-01-2015 10 32 04 — The assembled card. Note the decorative card is printed on both sides.

Download for your own use, or make up your own!

One-Row Buttonhole Video

July 12, 2014July 22, 2014 | Elanor

For my Undone Capelet, I made a video to demonstrate how to perform a one-row self-reinforcing buttonhole.

The video works row 5 of the pattern, which is:

Row 5 (RS): YO, K2tog, K1, BH, K2tog, YKY, SSK,
P1, K1, P2.

So it’ll also help if you’re unsure how to work a YO at the beginning of a row.

Seaglas on the cover of Knit Now 35!

May 28, 2014October 23, 2014 | Elanor

Images courtesy of Practical Publishing.

Seaglas is a sheer, crop top, with seafoam panels at hem and sleeve caps and a sheer stocking stitch ground. Seaglas is bang on trend for Summer, as it’s thistle-down light. It’s knit with gorgeous Fyberspates Scrumptious Lace, which is buttery smooth to work with. You only need 2 skeins, too, and only a scrap of the second! Actually, the total weight for the sample was less than 60g (for size Small), so one skein might even cut it, if you would prefer a monochrome version.

To knit Seaglas, start with the Seafoam lace hem. This is worked sideways on, and creates a column of YO’s on the very edge. Then, pick up from the edge and work straight up to the neckline in stocking stitch. The neckline is a simple YO pattern within a garter st ground. The back is worked in a very similar way. Last of all, the sleeve cap edging is picked up from the side of the top and worked all the way around the armhole, tapering at the start and end.

I was absolutely stoked when I saw Seaglas was going to be on the cover. This is my second ever cover, the first was Crystl from Issue 33. I have saved the printing proofs of these covers carefully away and I intend to get them framed for the glory wall in my “studio” – a little private space I’ve carved out for myself in the house.

Swept off my feet – Kaava Lace Shawlette

July 11, 2013October 23, 2014 | 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.

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.

Kaava Shawlette – Testers Needed!

June 21, 2013June 21, 2013 | Elanor

Here’s a shawlette that’s a little bit of a challenge, but in manageable doses.

Moody, arty shot follows:

The Kaava shawlette is knit flat, top-down, starting with a garter st tab CO. Then there are three featured sts: st st, shower st (a double-sided lace) and Lacy Rib (which is a super simple one-sided lace). Then a crochet bind-off gives the shawl edge the appearance of a clockwork cog.

I’m looking for testers now, so drop by the Free Pattern Testers group if you’re interested! I’ll put a link here when the request is approved.

Wildacres Wild!

March 3, 2013October 23, 2014 | 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.

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