Tuesday 18 June 2013

Soft wave baby mittens 

I do love making things for babies and got all carried away again because my friend is having twins. Unfortunately her babies won't need any woolly accessories as they shall land in Kuala Lumpur. I might have to knit them a fan instead :) 

My mumsy friends never tire of telling me that babies are wriggly little things that are forever shaking off their socks, hats, mits and the like. So when I was looking for a quick and cute pattern I was also looking for mittens that would stay on. Looking after little people is challenging enough as it is without the irritation of garments that keep falling off. I sourced a fab pattern that ticked all the boxes on Ravelry (where else?) called soft wave baby mittens from Sunnyknits:




I adore the little wavy cuffs - maximum cuteness achieved! I had some Merino leftovers just enough to make the mittens and a matching hat. The hat is a single colour variation on my striped baby hat and you can find the pattern here


Materials used:
  • DROPS Baby Merino Extra Fine Off White (DK)
  • Circular needles 3,5 mm
Here are my soft wave baby mittens. I'm sure some day in the near future a little person will come along who needs warm hands.  







Monday 10 June 2013

Boom! Liebster Award. 

Thank you Miss Demeanour for nominating my little blog for the Liebster Award! I am VERY honoured indeed! 




So what is the Liebster Award? It is given to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. Liebster is German and means sweetest, beloved, valued, endearing and welcome. How lovely! Blogging is about building a community and the Liebster Award is a great way to connect with other bloggers and help spread the word about newer blogs. 


The Rules:

  1. Answer 11 questions from the person that nominated you
  2. Give 11 random facts about yourself
  3. Nominate and tag 11 newer blogs 
  4. Tell them about it on their page
  5. Make 11 questions for them to answer

Miss Demeanour's 11 questions for me:

1. Who would you get to play in the story of your life? 
That would have to be Christina Hendricks. Not because I look like her (I wish!) but because her fabulous sens of style in Mad Men is just absolutely mouthwatering. Hmmmm, maybe I just want her wardrobe.

2. Career wise what would your plan B be
I have quite a stressful job and I often dream of miraculously generating an ample income by doing what I love most - making things. I also fantasise about winning the lottery which would allow me to do same.

3. Say you found yourself in a Quantum Leap type rol which enabled you to jump to any event in history, what would you choose? 
I would be in the audience of this wonderful 1964 train track concert with the incredible Sister Rosetta Tharpe: 




4. If you were coming on stage what would be your walk on tune? 
Tina Turner's Nutbush City Limits - hands down. 

5. In Grease what character would you most like to play? 
Betty Rizzo because she is a bad girl with a soft spot and a fab outfit.

6. What skill would you most like to have? 
I wish I would feel as comfortable and confident with sewing as I do with knitting, but that is a long way away yet. 

7. If you could make an outfit from a movie what would you choose? 
I would very much like to make Betty Grable's famous bathing suit and I'll have her figure too while we're at it. 




8. Do you have a recipe for something that never disappoints if so can I have it?   
My mum's Dutch vegetable soup with meatballs. Lord only knows what secret ingredients she puts in there, but it tastes amazeballs. 

9. Can you recommend a good book you've read? 
My Antonia from Willa Cather. Published in 1918 but you'd never know it - I read it the whole thing in under two days. 

10. What's guaranteed to make you laugh? 
The Calvin and Hobbes comics get me every time. I recommend a minimum of one a day to keep one's sanity in life. 

11. If you could choose another name what would you go for?
Why, Betty of course! What's not to love? Betty Boop, Betty Grable, Betty Draper - need I go on?  


11 Random Facts about myself:

Ooeff. This is a toughy but I will give it a go.


  1. I am a Dutchie! Only moved to Brighton about a year ago and have not regretted it for a single moment. 
  2. I started to knit 'properly' about two years ago and I wish I discovered it sooner. 
  3. My first project was a knitted fairisle Christmas ball. Perhaps a garter stitch scarf would have been more suitable. 
  4. We do not own a tv but I am absolutely obsessed with watching Mad Men on my laptop. 
  5. My boyfriend is a dedicated windsurfer and I hate wind as it messes up my hair.
  6. I twirl my curls every morning when my hair is wet to get the ringlet effect.
  7. Every month I write for an online music magazine about singles. Records that is, not people. 
  8. When I do not have sunshine for more than a week I start to wilt. Literally.
  9. I love spicy foods.
  10. My favourite people are my family and my darling boyfriend called Toast. 
  11. I am of the humble opinion that the English cannot make proper bread. 

Blogs I'd like to nominate for the Liebster Award:

I love these blogs and I have no way of knowing if they actually have under 200 followers or not. I would say some probably have a lot more than that and if not they most certainly should do. I haven't quite managed 11 blogs but am going for quality rather than quantity :)


My 11 Question for YOU:

  1. Which singer/band would you invite to sing at your wedding, if you could choose anyone?
  2. Is there a moment in your life that you would like to 'rewind' and do over differently? 
  3. What is your opinion on peanut butter and jam sandwiches? 
  4. If you could be a car, which car would you be? 
  5. What project have you always wanted to knit/crochet/sew but haven't plucked up the courage yet?
  6. Can you juggle? 
  7. What creative project are you most proud of at the moment? 
  8. Have you ever done something heroic and if so, what? 
  9. Are you a natural fibres kind of person or do you not mind a bit of acrylic? 
  10. What is your most essential appliance?
  11. Do you have an accent and if so, what is it?   



Monday 27 May 2013

Striped Baby Hat

This hat fits a baby of 0 - 3 months old. The hat is knitted in the round using five double pointed needles, but can also be knitted on a circular needle if you prefer the magic loop technique. This is a basic pattern and leaves plenty of room to personalise to your liking. 

It is a lovely quick knit and a wonderful gift for a newborn. I used Drops Baby Merino as it is soft on delicate baby skin also machine washable. 




Copyright Knitty Galore 17.11.12
All rights reserved

You may make items to sell using this pattern, but you cannot redistribute or re-sell the pattern in any form.


Materials needed:
  • DROPS Baby Merino: 1 ball Dark Grey, 1 ball Off White.
  • 5 double pointed 3 mm needles
  • Tapestry needle
  • Scissors

Basic pattern for hat:

Cast on 84 stitches with Off White and divide over 4 needles, 21 stitches per needle. Because you are working in the round there is no need to purl each second row to achieve stocking stitch. Join for working in the round while taking care not to twist the stitches.

1st to 5th round: knit 1, purl 1

Join in Dark Grey.

6th to 14th round: knit

Join in Off White.

15th and 16th round: knit

Carry up Dark Grey and join in.

17th to 25th round: knit

Join in Off White.

26th and 27th round: knit

Carry up Dark Grey and join in.

28th to 36th round: knit


The work should now measure approx. 10 cm from top to bottom.


The Crown

Join in Off White.

37th round: knit 5, knit 2 together until end of round (72)

38th round: knit

Carry up Dark Grey and join in.

39th round: knit 4, knit 2 together until end of round (60)

40th round: knit

41st round: knit 3, knit 2 together until end of round (48)

42nd round: knit

43rd round: knit 2, knit 2 together until end of round (36)

44th round: knit

45th round: knit 1, knit 2 together until end of round (24)

46th round: knit

47th round: knit 2 together until end of round (12)

48th round: knit 2 together until end of round (6)

49th round: knit 2 together until end of round (3)

Place the 3 remaining stitches on 1 double pointed needle and join in Off White.

Knit an icord of approx. 5 cm and bind off, leaving a longish tail. Knitting an icord is very simple but can seem complicated when following written instructions. The easiest way for learning to knit an icord is following a Youtube tutorial, of which there are many.


The loop

With the tapestry needle, insert the tail of the icord through the top of the crown and pull the tip slightly into the hat, making a neat little loop on the outside. Weave in the tail on the inside of the hat to secure the loop.


Weave in all ends and your Striped Baby Hat is finished!

Sunday 12 May 2013


Crochet: DIY Washable Cotton Wool Pads

Every so often I like to venture out and crochet a little. Especially when I find a lovely project such as this pattern here on Moral Fibres. These fluffy cotton wool pads are soft on the skin and perfect for removing make-up. I love it that they are washable and therefore more sustainable than pads you just throw away. They're a quick and easy crochet for yourself or for a cute little gift.  



I used up some leftover Twilley's Freedom Sincere Organic Cotton DK to make my pads and felt mighty sustainable about it. Somehow I couldn't quite get the 8 puff stitches in the middle as suggested by the pattern. I tried, but it just seemed too many to all fit next to each other. Also, I wanted my pads a bit bigger in circumference, so decided to go for less puff stitches per row but add a third row. This is how mine came out: 





Washing Instructions:

  • If you want the pads to stay pristine, rub natural plant based soft soap on the stains and let sit for an hour before throwing in with your other whites. 
  • Wash at 60 degrees C and let either dry naturally or tumble dry for extra fluff.
The pads will probably shrink a little, which makes it a good idea to make them slightly bigger than they need to be.


CRAFTY TUNE: Lady

Lady consists of two ladies who live and breathe soul. And every knitter needs some soul to put in every stitch. 'Money' is from their self titled debut album. 


Tuesday 23 April 2013


VINTAGE WORK IN PROGRESS - Lacy Jumper

It's all about the vintage patterns at the moment. I am sure it will pass someday, but for now I am going to try and conquer them until my heart is content. 

My next victim is the Greenock Lacy Jumper. I purchased the pattern for just 1,50 GBP of the great www.fab40s.co.uk, somewhere here. I love it because it just looks so gorgeous and wearable, not to mention the fab neckline. Don't know about the cat and the hairdo though, might leave those out. 





Materials:

Yarn: Jamieson & Smith 2 Ply Jumper Weight
Colourway: Shade 095
Needles: 3mm (ribbing) and 3,5mm circular needle (lace)

Knitting log:


14/4: Vintage pattern purchased from www.fab40s.co.ukfor 1,50 GBP.
14/4: Shetland wool (2 ply jumper weight) ordered from Jamieson & Smith. Hopefully the lovely shade of pink on the photo resembles the actual colour.
16/4: Yarn has arrived and the colour is lovely. The texture of the wool is VERY scratchy though. I’m a bit princess on the pea with what I like to wear next to my skin but I am going to give it a go. Knitted a swatch, washed it with shampoo and soaked it in conditioner which did soften the fabric. Then blocked.
19/4: The blocked swatch seems to indicate that the gauge of this yarn is pretty much the same as the original Greenock yarn (6,5 to 7 stitches to the inch on lace pattern). I have decided to go for the medium size.
20/4: Cast on 240 stitches on a circular needle to knit the bodice in the round as front and back are  the same until the armholes. I calculated 240 stitches because: 121 stitches x 2, but minus one stitch at the beginning of both front and back as I will not be seaming them together.
The yarn catches on itself like velcro while knitting with it. For that reason I have decided to replace the twisted rib with half moss stitch because it was hard to keep any momentum going while having to knit in the back of the stitch all the time.


CRAFTY TUNE: L.A. Salami

Lookman Adekunle Salami has quite a story behind his name (and what a name it is)! If you're ever not knitting, read it here.




CRAFTY TUNE: Fats Waller

If you're doing vintage knitting it most definitely adds to the experience to listen to some vintage music. Your Feet's Too Big is a Fats Waller hit from 1939. 

Funny story: Waller was kidnapped in Chicage leaving a performance in 1926. Four men bundled him into a car and took him to the Hawthorne Inn, owned by Al Capone. Waller was ordered inside the building, and found a party in full swing. Gun to his back, he was pushed towrds a piano, and told to play. A terrified Waller realised he was the 'surprise guest' at Capone's birthday party, and took comfort that the gangsters did not intend to kill him. When he left the Hawthorne Inn, he was very drunk, extremely tired, and had earned thousands of dollars in cash from Capone and other party-goers as tips. 





CRAFTY TUNE: The 2 Bears

It's lovely to be indoors crafting with a hot beverage on the table while the rain is hitting your windows. Wintery weather adds to the overall cosiness, especially when there is also a log fire involved. However, after 6 months of winter I am now completely over it and would like to take my knitting to the beach, with Warm & Easy by The 2 Bears on the headphones. 






Friday 19 April 2013


1947 WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR FOR KNITTING

Nothing quite brings the past to life like vintage knitting. The designs are often beautiful and delicate, the patterns fascinating and intricate. Yarn was fine and needles were thin, making knitting a very time consuming way to make your own clothes. However, in a time without TV or social media a lady had plenty of time to invest in stitching a garment that would be loved for years. In those days clothes were a precious asset, and making your own was sometimes the only way to get your hands on a fashionable item. 





I can totally see where these girls were coming from. To wear a jumper that you knitted yourself gives an intense amount of satisfaction and joy. Every stitch you put in it makes it personal to you. Out of all the garments in my wardrobe these are the ones that are treated with the most care and respect. 

Anyway, let's not get carried away. But there really is something quite special about knitting from a pattern that so many women have knitted before you, all those years ago. Not to put too morbid a point on it, but these women are probably no longer with us. Just like the designers, the models, the yarns and the garments themselves. Everything has disappeared but the pattern and YOU can bring it back to life again. There are purists out there who knit the exact original, and there certainly is a lot to be said for that. That is, if you have a figure that allows you to do that. But if you're taller, bigger or bustier than most pre or post war girls (which we usually are nowadays) you will probably need to make some amendments. For example, I always make the bodice 10 cm longer because I prefer the ribbing to rest on my hips rather than in my middle. 

I was totally in love with the tie neck jumper in the photo. It just had to be mine. I was quite intimidated by the adjustments I needed to make to make it fit my figure, but I embarked on it anyway. You can find the free pattern here. While you're at it, do check these Vintage Knitting Pattern Tips & Tricks from Geraldine Warner, they helped me a LOT. 

Here's my result. Apologies for the self-congratulating look :)




Materials

Yarn: Rico Design Essentials Merino DK
Colourway: anthracite (no 99)
Needle Size: 3,5 mm and 4 mm (circular needle)

Knitting Log

Started project on 17/3: Because I just adore moss stitch, I've decided to do ribbing in half moss and the body in moss stitch instead of half moss. Made a couple of swatches until I was happy with the feel of the fabric. It also helped me adapt the number of stitches to cast on as the DK I am using is chunkier than the yarn weight the pattern suggests. Scary - fingers crossed!

18/3: Cast on 180 stitches on 3,5 mm circular needles to knit body in the round. Switched to 4 mm needles after ribbing. 

24/3: Still doing the body as with moss stitch this takes forever. Although I have taken this opportunity to practise my k1 p1 continental style which really knits up a lot quicker. I am tallish and would like the ribbing to reach hips, so will probably be doing about 40 cm before armhole shaping instead of the suggested 30 cm. Watching 'Bomb Girls' while knitting to keep in forties atmosphere :)

11/4: Not a fan of lots of seams so after seaming up the shoulders and the tie I decided to pick up the stitches for the sleeves. Picked up 69 stitches (almost) evenly around each armhole. Decided against puff sleeves because I thought it would make my shoulders probably look too broad. Using the Magic Loop technique I did wrap and turn short rows in moss stitch between 11 stitches from the top left and 11 stitches from the top right, continuing until I had 12 stitches on each side from the bottom of the armhole. Then I worked in the round and completed the sleeves just above the elbow. 

12/4: Finished!! I am sooooooo happy with it. Now secretively hoping that the weather will not warm up for a while so I can keep wearing it :D


CRAFTY TUNE: MAVIS STAPLES

Creativity and music go hand in hand - I love to listen to music when I knit. There are those songs in the world that make a person a better knitter, such as this little gem from Mavis Staples. I absolutely adore Mavis, she is the Queen of Soul (sorry Aretha). I saw her live once and all I can say is that she is a force of nature. 'Can You Get To That' is a superb Funkadelic cover and is on her new album One True Vine, out on 25th June. 








THE PRESTONVILLE KNITTERS

I am lucky enough to have found an amazingly lovely group of girls to knit with every Thursday evening. Us knitters do love to huddle together, natter and partake in the occasional alcoholic beverage. 

We convene in The Prestonville Arms in Brighton on Thursdays any time between 8 and 10pm. We love to help each other out with our projects, but pub lighting is not very suitable to teach anyone to knit from scratch. So if you can cast on, knit, purl and lift a glass of wine you are very welcome to join us :)







Welcome! My name is Knitty Galore.

A few years ago I learned how to knit and absolutely loved it. It has since become an all encompassing life-size obsession. When I should be sleeping, I am knitting. Or sieving through the internets trying to discover more knitting. It is astounding how many people selflessly share their patterns, projects, reviews, experience, knowledge and tips & tricks. If it wasn't for those people I would still be making my wonky garter stitch scarf. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but I've noticed the bigger the challenge the bigger the reward. I now love saying 'I made that' while trying to look all modest (but looking annoyingly smug instead).

There is only one thing I love just as much as knitting, and that is talking about it. What a happy coincidence that it's quite possible to do both at the same time. But still not able to fully satisfy my perpetual desire to think, talk and breath knitting I decided to blog about it. That way, I don't have to have a real pair of ears in the vicinity to share around my woolly blurbs. 

This blog is about knitting and whatever else you might dig up here. I hope some little gems. 

Happy knitting!

Knitty X

SOME BABY BOOTIES

As this is still a baby blog I shall be throwing in some baby booties for my first post. I love knitting baby shoes. There is a superior level of cuteness involved that makes me want to have babies for the sole purpose of showing off their footwear. Unfortunately I am not maternal, so instead I knit booties for other people's little people. They make an ideal gift as the wow factor is high AND they fit in a bubble envelope. This means I can delay having to visit the little squirts until they have reached the age where projectile vomiting is no longer on their repertoire. Everybody happy. 

There are some lovely patterns available on Ravelry, some free, some not. I have listed a few of my projects below, with a link under the image to the Ravelry Page where the pattern can be sourced.  



Schoolboy Baby Booties

Yarn choice: Drops Merino Turquoise and Off White
Buttons: Some left overs I had knocking about
Needle Size: 3,25 mm


Schoolboy Baby Booties



Mary Janes Garter Stitch

Yarn choice: Drops Merino Cerise and Off White
Buttons: Left Overs Again
Needle Size: 3,25 mm

Baby Janes Garter Stitch



Mary Janes Stocking Stitch

Yarn choice: Drops Merino Off White
Buttons: Left Overs 
Thread Choice: Pink
Needle Size: 4 mm

Baby Janes Stocking Stitch