Monday, 29 March 2021

Can you knit a pair of socks in a week? Introducing Sock Sprint!


Can you knit a pair of socks in a week? Do you fancy giving it a go?

This year I’m planning a sprint start for the Marathon Sock KAL, and I’m going to knit a pair of socks in a week. Well, I’m going to try to at least!

I would love you to join me. All you need to do is cast on a pair of socks on April 1st 2021 and get knitting! You have one week to knit your socks, and everyone who does will be entered into the first prize draw of the Marathon Sock KAL! To enter you need to complete your socks, then register them via the Marathon Sock KAL Google Form.

I’m going to post my sock progress daily on Instagram via @VikkiBirdDesigns using the hashtag #MarathonSockKAL2021 Will you be joining me?

Don’t worry if your socks aren’t done by the 7th – you can roll them into the main Marathon Sock KAL. Haven’t heard about the KAL? You can read all the details here.

Sunday, 28 March 2021

Fancy a bold and bright knit? Introducing the Daisy Chain blanket!

Some pattern releases are harder to stay quiet about than others, and this one has been really hard for me not to shout about! Let me introduce: Daisy Chain Blanket!


The Daisy Chain Blanket is big and bold, and perfect for Spring and Summer. Knitting it was the perfect antidote to winter as well!

The blanket is knitted from the bottom up, starting with a moss stitch border. The daisy pattern is knitted into the main body of the blanket using the intarsia technique, and the moss stitch borders up the sides of the blanket are worked at the same time as the main body. Once you’ve worked the main body of the blanket, you finish it with a top border made of moss stitch. All you need to do at the end is weave in all the loose ends (ok, that might take you a little while, but if you weave some in every few rows, by the time you finish the blanket, there won’t be many left to weave in) and you’re done.

The intarsia blocks in this blanket are nice and large, which means the colour changes aren’t too frequent, making this a good project if you’re fairly new to intarsia – just take it slowly and you’ll be amazed what you can do!


The sample blanket is knitted in Paintbox Yarns Simply Aran,* which is available exclusively from LoveCrafts. The yarn is 100% acrylic, so it’s machine washable, and therefore perfect as a baby gift, or for taking out and about for picnics this summer. If you prefer something a little woollier, you can use Paintbox Yarns Wool Mix Aran* instead, which comes in the same colour palette, but is a 50% wool/acrylic blend.

The pattern is written for three sizes: car seat, pushchair, and cot, so you can choose how large a blanket you’d like to make. Don’t have anyone to make the blanket for? Why not knit it for yourself? The blanket would be perfect for resting over your knees while out on the patio on a summer’s evening.

Want to knit the Daisy Chain Blanket? You can find the pattern in Knit Now issue 127, which goes on sale today. Can’t get to the shops? You can order a copy here to be delivered direct to your home.

Want to add the pattern to your Ravelry queue and favourites? You can find the pattern page here.**

*Affiliate link.

**Ravelry link. May cause issues for people with photosensitivity; proceed with caution.

Images copyright Practical Publishing.