Introducing: Gráinne's Blanket

Something a little different from me this month: I love knitting socks and intarsia, but once in a while, I fancy something a little different. I knitted Grainne’s Blanket last summer, mostly sat in friends’ gardens chatting while the sun shone, filling the knitting with happy memories while getting ready for the arrival of a new family member.

I love to knit baby blankets. There is nothing quite so special as handing a blanket over to new parents, knowing that what you’ve knitted will go everywhere with that child, sharing love with them even when you cannot be near. My children still use their baby blankets, even now they are much bigger: they snuggle with them, make tents out of them, and trail them round the house.

Gráinne's (Grawn-ya) Blanket is simple to knit, featuring an easy textured pattern that uses only knit and purl stitches and is quite intuitive once you get going. I took the blanket project everywhere with me for a couple of weeks, and, as if by magic, a whole blanket had emerged. The pattern is easy to remember, and flows intuitively, making the knitting almost meditative.

The blanket is knitted from the bottom up with an integrated moss stitch border, so the only finishing this blanket needs is to have the ends woven in and a quick block!

I chose to knit the blanket in Paintbox Yarns Wool Mix Aran,** a cost-effective wool/acrylic blend that is lovely to work with, and drapes beautifully when blocked. The yarn also comes in a huge range of colours, so you can choose something that will be perfect for the new person in your life. Don’t like working with wool yarns? You can choose to use any aran weight yarn for this blanket, from basic acrylic to something soft and luxurious. If you’re making Grainne’s Blanket for a baby, choose a yarn that is machine washable – even parents who how to look after handknits can get a little overwhelmed when a new baby arrives, so machine washable is the safest choice.

The pattern is written for two sizes. Instructions are also included on how to make a custom-size blanket – perfect if you don’t have a baby and want to make something for yourself.

Ready to buy the pattern? You can find it on:

Ravelry*

PayHip

Use the code SUNSHINE for 15% off until 11.59pm BST, Tuesday 22nd June 2021 (applies on Ravelry and PayHip only). The pattern will also be available on LoveCrafts soon.

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Sizes

·        Small: 58.5 x 56 cm (23.25 x 22.25 in)

·        Large: 78.5 x 72.5 cm (31.25 x 29 in)

Instructions are also included for you to make a custom-size blanket.

 

Tension

·        18 sts and 24 rows = 10 cm (4 in) in stocking stitch

·        18 sts and 27 rows = 10 cm (4 in) in Gráinne’s pattern

worked flat on 5 mm (US 8) needles after wet blocking, or size needed to obtain correct tension.

 

One pattern repeat (18 sts x 22 rows) measures 10 x 8 cm (4 x 3.25 in)

 

Yarn

440 (760) m [485 (835) yds] of aran-weight yarn

 

This blanket is knitted using a wool-acrylic blend with the following characteristics:

• Smooth for good pattern definition
• Machine washable for easy care
• Not too loosely spun to ensure it wears well

You can use any aran-weight yarn for this pattern.

 

Needles

5 mm (US 8) circular needle at least 40 (60) cm [16 (24) in] in length

 

Notions

7 (9) stitch markers (2 markers are for the border, so you may wish to use markers that are a different colour to the other markers)

 

Pattern notes

The instructions are for the smallest size, with larger sizes in parentheses Small (Large).

The blanket is knitted flat, but a circular needle is used to accommodate the large number of sts.

The sample is knitted in Paintbox Yarns Wool Mix Aran (50% wool, 50% acrylic; 180 m per 100 g ball) in shade 821 Daffodil Yellow.

Instructions are also included for making a custom size blanket.

 

*Ravelry link: may cause issues for people with photosensitivity, proceed with caution.

**Affiliate link.

 

Little sailor vest: final day for introductory discount

I released a new pattern last week, and today is the final day for the introductory discount. Read on to find out more...

Do you like vintage-inspired children's clothing? Well, I might have just the thing: the Little sailor vest. This pattern was originally published in I Like Knitting magazine (April 2018), in baby sizes; in my newly-published version, I've expanded the sizing up to age 8, so you can make the vest for your bigger kids too.

The Little sailor vest is a tank top featuring a traditional sailing boat. The vest is inspired by vintage clothing, and is the perfect traditional item for a child's wardrobe.

Image copyright I Like Knitting

The vest is knitted from the bottom up in pieces. The boat is knitted on a stocking stitch background using the intarsia technique - I've included the intarsia section as both a chart and as written instructions, so you can follow whichever you prefer. The hem, armholes and necklines are knitted using 2x2 rib and the armholes and necklines are picked up and knitted after the garment has been seamed. The shoulders are fastened using buttons to allow for easy dressing.

The vest is designed to fit ages 3 months to 8 years, with 5 cm (2 inches) of positive ease. Sizing details are given in full below. The sample is knitted in Bergere de France Ideal,* a hard-wearing sport-weight blend of acrylic, polyamide and wool, which is machine-washable, making it a perfect yarn for easy-care kids clothing.

If you want to favourite the pattern or add it to your Ravelry queue, you can find the pattern page here.

I'm offering an introductory discount of 25% with the code SAILING from now until 11.59pm BST, Thursday 5th September 2019. Just add the pattern to the shopping basket, type in the code and the discount will be taken off when you check out.

*Affiliate link.

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Want to knit your own Little sailor vest? Here's everything you need to know!

Sizes - finished chest size; recommended ease, 5 cm (2 in)
3 months: 45.5 cm (18.25 in)
6 months: 47 cm (19 in)
12 months: 50.5 cm (20.25 in)
18 months: 52 cm (20.75 in)
2 years: 57 cm (22.75 in)
4 years: 63 cm (25.25 in)
6 years: 68 cm (27.25 in)
8 years: 71 cm (28.5 in)

Tension
25 sts and 32 rows = 10 cm (4 in) in stocking stitch worked flat on 4 mm (US 6) needles after wet blocking, or size needed to obtain correct tension.

Yarn
Sport/DK-weight yarn in the following colours and amounts:
MC: navy blue, 190 (220, 245, 270, 305, 375, 430, 520) m [205 (240, 270, 295, 330, 410, 470, 565) yds]
CC1: pale blue, 10 m [10 yds]
CC2: red, 10 m [10 yds]
CC3: white, 10 m [10 yds]

Needles
3.5 mm (US 4) straight needles
3.25 mm (US 3) straight needles

Notions
Bobbins for holding the different yarn colours during colourwork
Buttons x 4 (4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 6), 15 mm (0.5 in)
Chart row marker
Stitch markers x 2
Tapestry needle

Pattern notes
The sample is knitted in Bergere de France Idéal [DK, 125 m (136 yds) per 50 g ball, 40% wool, 30% acrylic, 30% polyamide] in 21821 Alpin (MC), 20933 Linaire (CC1), 24408 Pavot (CC2) and 51220 Everest (CC3).

The sailboat motif is incorporated using the intarsia technique, but you may wish to add the finer details using duplicate stitch. Intarsia section is included as both a chart and as written instructions.

Difficulty
Intermediate (knitting, purling, simple increases and decreases, intermediate intarsia)

Pattern style
Vest pattern is written using abbreviations (all abbreviations are given). Both charted and written instructions are provided for the intarsia section.

 Buy the pattern now! Use code SAILING for 25% discount (expires 11.59pm BST, Thursday September 5th 2019

Little sailor vest: available now in my Ravelry store!

Do you like vintage-inspired children's clothing? Well, I might have just the thing: the Little sailor vest. This pattern was originally published in I Like Knitting magazine (April 2018), in baby sizes; in my newly-published version, I've expanded the sizing up to age 8, so you can make the vest for your bigger kids too.

The Little sailor vest is a tank top featuring a traditional sailing boat. The vest is inspired by vintage clothing, and is the perfect traditional item for a child's wardrobe.

Image copyright I Like Knitting

The vest is knitted from the bottom up in pieces. The boat is knitted on a stocking stitch background using the intarsia technique - I've included the intarsia section as both a chart and as written instructions, so you can follow whichever you prefer. The hem, armholes and necklines are knitted using 2x2 rib and the armholes and necklines are picked up and knitted after the garment has been seamed. The shoulders are fastened using buttons to allow for easy dressing.

The vest is designed to fit ages 3 months to 8 years, with 5 cm (2 inches) of positive ease. Sizing details are given in full below. The sample is knitted in Bergere de France Ideal,* a hard-wearing sport-weight blend of acrylic, polyamide and wool, which is machine-washable, making it a perfect yarn for easy-care kids clothing.

If you want to favourite the pattern or add it to your Ravelry queue, you can find the pattern page here.

I'm offering an introductory discount of 25% with the code SAILING from now until 11.59pm BST, Thursday 5th September 2019. Just add the pattern to the shopping basket, type in the code and the discount will be taken off when you check out.

*Affiliate link.

********

Want to knit your own Little sailor vest? Here's everything you need to know!

Sizes - finished chest size; recommended ease, 5 cm (2 in)
3 months: 45.5 cm (18.25 in)
6 months: 47 cm (19 in)
12 months: 50.5 cm (20.25 in)
18 months: 52 cm (20.75 in)
2 years: 57 cm (22.75 in)
4 years: 63 cm (25.25 in)
6 years: 68 cm (27.25 in)
8 years: 71 cm (28.5 in)

Tension
25 sts and 32 rows = 10 cm (4 in) in stocking stitch worked flat on 4 mm (US 6) needles after wet blocking, or size needed to obtain correct tension.

Yarn
Sport/DK-weight yarn in the following colours and amounts:
MC: navy blue, 190 (220, 245, 270, 305, 375, 430, 520) m [205 (240, 270, 295, 330, 410, 470, 565) yds]
CC1: pale blue, 10 m [10 yds]
CC2: red, 10 m [10 yds]
CC3: white, 10 m [10 yds]

Needles
3.5 mm (US 4) straight needles
3.25 mm (US 3) straight needles

Notions
Bobbins for holding the different yarn colours during colourwork
Buttons x 4 (4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 6), 15 mm (0.5 in)
Chart row marker
Stitch markers x 2
Tapestry needle

Pattern notes
The sample is knitted in Bergere de France Idéal [DK, 125 m (136 yds) per 50 g ball, 40% wool, 30% acrylic, 30% polyamide] in 21821 Alpin (MC), 20933 Linaire (CC1), 24408 Pavot (CC2) and 51220 Everest (CC3).

The sailboat motif is incorporated using the intarsia technique, but you may wish to add the finer details using duplicate stitch. Intarsia section is included as both a chart and as written instructions.

Difficulty
Intermediate (knitting, purling, simple increases and decreases, intermediate intarsia)

Pattern style
Vest pattern is written using abbreviations (all abbreviations are given). Both charted and written instructions are provided for the intarsia section.

 Buy the pattern now!

Four squirrels and a sock: over-ambitious holiday-knitting plans

Every time I go away on holiday, I put a huge amount of thought into the knitting that I pack. In my head, I'll have plenty of time to knit, but in reality, holidays always end up being busier or more tiring than I anticipate, and I end up doing almost no knitting.

When I pack, I look at all my works in progress (WIPs), and put them into the following categories:

• Vanilla socks (socks that require no pattern beyond their heels and toes)
• Work projects with deadlines that mean I have to take them on holiday (I try and avoid these!)
• Easy projects (projects that can be worked on easily while talking to people: bodies of jumpers, blanket squares, etc.)
• Complicated projects (lace, intarsia and cables, or things that have complex shaping; obviously not projects that are easy to work on while talking to people, or having had a glass or two of wine)

I lie them all out in front of me, then pack one from each category. I often assess the progress on the vanilla sock, then add an extra ball of sock yarn for when the socks are finished.

This summer, we've been away for two weeks, with a week at home between the two. For those holidays, I packed the following projects:

• The Zebra-striped sock snake
• A new, un-started pair of vanilla socks
• My Lush cardigan
• A blanket with intarsia squirrels on for my friend's baby, whose arrival is imminent

To my credit, I did work on all the projects, but the sock snake is still a snake (I probably didn't need to pack the contrast yarn - I did an inch or two of knitting on it at most); I have completed the first of the vanilla socks (hooray! They were the work project that needed working on most-urgently, so double-yay for that); I've made it to the waist-shaping on the Lush cardigan; and I am up to four squirrels on the blanket (of 16; the blanket also needs a border, so that's probably 20% of the blanket. I think each squirrel takes about 1 hour to knit, so I thought I would have completed at least eight squirrels by now...). Not a total failure!

Maybe it's time to rein in my holiday-knitting packing? Possibly just a pair of vanilla socks and another more complicated project for when the mood suits? I have tried packing less knitting before, but always seem to throw in a couple of extra projects at the last minute! How do you pack for holidays? Are you minimalist or optimistic?

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Want to know more about the projects mentioned? You can find the Revelry project pages for each project here:

• The Zebra-striped sock snake
• A new, un-started pair of vanilla socks
• My Lush cardigan
• A blanket with intarsia squirrels on for my friend's baby

Tessellate baby blanket

Hello! I'm back into full-swing with work (well, as full-swing as is possible around three children during the summer term – a lot of my time seems to be taken up with sports days!), and have been starting to work through the pile of third-party designs that need adding to my Ravelry store.

The Tessellate baby blanket (originally published in Knit Now issue 86) is a bold, high contrast design, inspired by patchwork and quilting. The blanket features a strong geometric design created using simple two colour squares that are knitted on the diagonal – this blanket makes excellent TV knitting, and is a great portable project. You could work the blanket in pastels, as shown, for a really pretty baby blanket, or you could use something brighter and bolder for a more contemporary look.

Unusually for me, this pattern is completely suitable for beginners. All you need to be able to do is knit garter stitch, work simple increases and decreases, and pick up stitches! The project is also perfect for those of you that want an easy project to take along on days out over the summer – as it's worked as individual squares, it'll fit perfectly in your bag among all the other stuff you need for a day out.

The pattern is written for the baby-sized blanket, as shown, but I've also included details on how to make a larger or smaller blanket, and provided diagrams for alternative seaming arrangements, so this blanket is fully customisable.

The original blanket is knitted in Three Bears Yarn Affection 100% Cotton Aran, which is spun in Lancashire by English Fine Cottons, but you can use any aran weight yarn that is suitable for babies (ideally chose something smooth and machine washable to make it easy for new parents to care for).

The pattern is available now on Ravelry. From now until 11.59pm BST, Sunday 7th July 2019, you can get 20% off with the code TESSELLATE, just add the code before you check out.

The pattern will also be available shortly on Love Crafts* (the new name for Love Knitting) - just search for Tessellate baby blanket (note that discount codes do not apply on Love Crafts).

Happy knitting!

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Pattern details

Sizes

One size: 93 cm (36.5 in) square

Tension

17 sts and 34 rows = 10 cm (4 in) in garter stitch worked flat on 5 mm (US 8) needles after wet blocking, or size needed to obtain correct tension.

Yarn

Aran-weight yarn in the following colours and amounts (for the blanket as shown; options are included to make a larger or smaller blanket):

A (white): 285 m (310 yds)

B (light blue): 285 m (310 yds)

C (light purple): 160 m (175 yds)

Needles

5 mm (US 8) straight needles at least 25 cm (10 in) in length

5 mm (US 8) circular needle at least 60 cm (24 in) in length

Notions

Tapestry needle

Sample details

The sample is knitted in Three Bears Yarn Affection Aran (aran, 85 m per 50 g ball, 100% cotton) in Pure White (A), Baby Blue (B) and Purple Delight (C).

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*Affiliate link.

Yarn Along: Tiny windows

It's the first Wednesday of November, so today is Yarn Along day (on time for once!).

The knitting I've done since my daughter arrived has been done in tiny windows: a row or two in a waiting room; a few rows during a feed; the odd slightly longer period in the evenings when she sleeps (those are a little few and far between at the minute!). And I'm actually starting to see progress on a few things.

The big breakthrough in the past week is that I have suddenly worked out how to do intarsia round a feeding baby, and have actually finished a multi-coloured project apart from a little bit of finishing. I can't share that project at the minute, but will be able to soon. My new-found intarsia skills do bode well for getting the blankets for my nieces finished* - they were meant to be new-baby presents (the girls arrived in the summer), but have been reassigned as Christmas presents. If I get my act together they might actually be ready for Christmas Day!

I've also seen good progress on my Marie Curie socks. I'm knitting these for the Marie Curie Sock Quest 2018 being organised by Sarah Holmes. These socks will be a gift for a patient in a Marie Curie centre over Christmas.** I chose to knit size 12 socks as Sarah said that most people knit smaller socks. These socks have 80 sts per round, so are rather slower than my usual 64 st socks! I am determined to get these finished on time.

My Vinterskov sweater has been growing too. I'm still on the body as each round takes ages (220 sts per round), but it's definitely getting bigger. I have decided on the contrast colour for the yoke: the main colour is Purple Heather and the contrast colour will be Lavender. I've gone for a pale purple as I thought a cream or white would be too stark and I couldn't find a shade of grey I liked. Hopefully I'll be on the sleeves by the time I write again.

I've been really enjoying the #showoffyourwoollysocks challenge on Instagram (I'll post the summary for days 1-7 on the blog tomorrow), and it's been inspiring me to cast on some more socks! I have resisted so far as I'd really like the satisfaction of completing something. I do have a lot of Christmas sock yarn though, and would love to have a new pair of festive socks ready for Christmas...

And what have I been reading recently?

My Teenage Diary

I was reading this collection of excerpts from celebrity teenage diaries last time I wrote, but moved to something else while I was travelling last month. I’m not totally sure I’ll get back to reading it in full, as I did find some of the chapters a bit boring. I might dip back in and read the chapters written by the celebrities I’m more interested in, then return the book to the library!

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

I’d seen a few recommendations for this book on social media, and chose it to read while I was away last month. The book (based on a true story) tells the story of Lale, a prisoner in Auschwitz, and his improbable survival. The key question in this book is ‘how far would you go to ensure your own survival?’ As most of the story is set in Auschwitz, it is harrowing in many places, but also filled with an optimism provided by the main characters, Lale and Gita, who become lovers while in the concentration camp. I’d definitely recommend this.

Eve of Man by Giovanna and Tom Fletcher

I fancied reading this having enjoyed books by both authors, but am no quite yet far enough through it to tell you what I think. So far the plot can be summarised as follows: For many years, no boys have been born, until one day Eve arrives and finally there is hope for the human race.

That's all for now. What are you working on this month? Are you all about the festive knits, gift knitting, or making something lovely for yourself? Whatever it is, tell me all about it in the comments below.

Linking up with Ginny for Yarn Along.

*Peter Rabbit blanket by me.

**They also count for the Festive Cheer KAL!

Yarn along: Not nesting

It's been ages since I wrote a Yarn Along post, so hello! How have you all been?

I really haven't had much time to read recently - I've been preparing for our new arrival mostly by doing a lot of laundry, almost always on the days when it's decided to rain unexpectedly, and getting a few things down from the loft - but am really enjoying the current book I'm reading: The Lido by Libby Page. The book is about a local reporter (Kate) who is asked to write about a community lido that is closing in the near future to be replaced by tennis courts for a private development. Kate hasn't come across the lido before, but soon falls in love with the lido and the community that surrounds it, and sets about making it her mission to save the lido. This book came highly recommended to me, and I think I'm the fourth or fifth person to read the copy I'm reading. I'll be passing it on to a friend once I'm done, and would really recommend it too if you're after a light but thought-provoking read.

"What's on the needles at the minute?", I hear you ask. Well, lots of things, sort of. The second blanket for my twin nieces is still a WIP, as it's been too hot to contemplate working with chunky-weight yarn, but now the weather is a little cooler I really ought to get on with it (especially as while I am confident I can knit while feeding a baby, intarsia is a whole other kettle of fish. It is further on than this picture suggests - I have completed the first row of bunnies).

I've just finished a Wonder Woman Wrap (by Carissa Browning), which I sped through and enjoyed immensely. The project was an absolute joy - the perfect combination of mindless garter stitch and beautiful short rows. I loved how intuitive I found the construction, and the beautiful yarn was a bonus. I still need to darn the ends in, which I would have done earlier in the week, but was hampered by having mislaid every single appropriate sewing needle. I have no idea where any of them have gone, so bought two new packets at the weekend. I shall probably mislay those too within a week.

The final commission before maternity leave went in the post yesterday, and I'm pleased that all my deadline knitting is off the needles. There are a couple of self-published designs I would love to have finished before maternity leave, but sometimes I have to admit that I may have over-stretched myself and take a step back.

The other projects I'm enjoying at the minute are socks. I'm knitting a pair for my daughter, and have a pair for the Yarndale sock line on the go too (they're the socks in the photo with the book - it's a very worthy cause if you can knit up a pair by the end of the month; if the end of the month is too soon for you, but you fancy doing some charity knitting you could knit a pair for the Flower Power Fund; those socks are needed in time for Christmas. I plan to knit a pair in last year's colourway as I ran out of time last year). The Marathon sock KAL is still ongoing in my Ravelry group,* and we're nearly there, which is so exciting! I was expecting it to take much longer, so am really pleased that it looks like we'll be done by the end of September at the latest.

But yes, the elephant in the room: why are there no knits for my baby on the WIP list? Well, I haven't really felt like it. I'm not a nester by nature, and we already have all the things I knitted for my older children that this baby can wear. I also have very generous knitterly friends who I know have been knitting things for the new baby (I've already been gifted two beautiful blankets!), so I don't feel a need to knit anything. I do have a skein of yarn that has been earmarked for a baby knit, and some ladybird buttons that are shouting at me to be added to something small and cute, so I might knit a Newborn Vertebrae or Puerperium cardigan in the next few days (baby knits are quick), but it's been warm here recently, so there's a strong possibility that baby knits might get even less use that the usually would. We shall see...

What have you been working on recently? And do you have any easy sleep-deprived-appropriate reading to recommend?

Linking up with Ginny for Yarn Along.

*This is a ravelry link. You need to be logged in to Ravelry for it to work. Membership is free.

Yarnometer: June 2018

We're halfway through the year already! And there might have been quite a lot of yarn coming in and out of my stash...

Projects finished

A hat and mitt set for a magazine
I am really excited to share these with you in the near future, but unfortunately they're top secret at the minute.

An adult-sized jumper
And I'm even more excited about this one. Keep your eyes peeled for something appearing around Christmas...

Hats for twins
I got to meet my shiny new twin nieces in June and they are tiny. So tiny in fact that my sister requested smaller hats for them. I made this cute little pair, which might have gone to live on their teddies!

Socks for a friend
The Marathon sock KAL is still going in my Ravelry group, and this is this month's contribution. I finished the first sock in four days, the second took three and a half weeks (at least in part because I managed to burn my finger, which took a few weeks to heal).

The ins and outs of yarn

Yarn in

• 150g of yarn for the baby hats
• 300g of sock yarn from Love Knitting, at least 200g of that is for pattern samples, the other one is one I could not resist!
• 1300g of yarn for a festive commission
• 100g of self-striping sock yarn a friend was destashing
  
• 200g of sock yarn from a visit to Ringarosie
• 200g of beautiful sock yarn that came in a Peacock-themed box from Unbelievawool

Self-striping goodness

Peacock yarn from Unbelievawool

Assorted sock yarns. I couldn't say no to the stripey one!

Yarn out

Destashed

• Another 940g went to new homes via eBay
• 116g of leftovers from the Dance on the Beach CAL went to charity
• 526g of leftovers were returned to a publisher once I'd finished a commission
• 100g was sent out as a prize for the Marathon sock KAL 

Knitted

• 129g for a hat
• 54g for a pair of mitts
• 403g for an adult-sized jumper
• 26g for the hats for the twins
• 56g for the socks
  

Total

Yarn in: 2250g
Yarn out or used: 2350g
Total: –100g - yes, that's right, more yarn left the house than arrived!

Year to date (halfway through the year!)
Yarn in: 18667g
Yarn out: 6643g
Yarn used: 4384g
Total: 7640g

A much better month in terms of yarn leaving rather than entering the house. I'm hoping to have lots of FOs to show off in next month's Yarnometer, but they'll all be tiny as it's been way too hot so far in July and the concept of knitting anything heavier than socks is a bit alien... I have quite a lot of work to do if I want to get to zero by the end of the year (hint, it's not happening!).

New design: Soft Sky Baby Cardigan

Another week, another new design! This one is slightly autumnal in feel, which seems a little surreal bearing in mind the crazy warm temperatures we've been experiencing in the past few weeks!

I love preppy-style clothing on small children, and cardigans make a perfect additional layer during the transitional period from summer to autumn (cast it on now to be ready for autumn!). The Soft Sky Baby Cardigan* is a gorgeous little cabled cardigan that features classic raglan shaping combined with intricate cabled panels that run down the two fronts of the garment. The cardigan is knitted from the bottom up, with the sleeves and body joined at the base of the yoke.

The Soft Sky Baby Cardigan is designed in five sizes (to fit ages 3 months to 2 years, with finished chest sizes of 19 to 23.5 inches).

The sample is knitted in Sublime Yarns Extra Fine Merino Wool DK* (100% Extra Fine Merino; 127 yards [116 meters]/50 grams), which is, as the name suggests, a pretty luxurious option; it's wonderfully soft and has beautiful stitch definition. It also comes in a lovely array of colours, both bold and subtle, so I'm sure you'll be able to find a shade you like.

If you'd like to knit the Soft Sky Baby Cardigan, you can find the pattern in the August 2018 issue of I Like Knitting magazine.* I Like Knitting magazine is a digital magazine that can be purchased via subscription. More information can be found here.

Want to favourite or queue the pattern on Ravelry? The Ravelry listing can be found here.

*Affiliate link.

All images are copyright I Like Knitting.

FO Friday: Double Entrechat

A few weeks ago I spent a lovely day in Whitley Bay, one of my favourite northern coastal towns, at least in part because of the lovely yarn shop there: Ringarosie. A classic yarn shop, filled with haberdashery cabinets, yarns in all colours and weights, and tables displaying the finest wares, it really is a little yarn paradise. While I spent a lovely time browsing, I was aware that I probably didn’t need any more yarn so resisted the beautiful table of hand-dyed gems and the huge array of sock yarn. Is it possible to visit a beautiful yarn shop without leaving with something? I always find it a struggle, so decided that I could justify purchasing a couple of balls of aran weight yarn to knit two of my favourite Entrechat baby cardigans for upcoming arrivals.

The Entrechat cardigan by Lisa Chemery (Frogginette Knits) has to be one of my all-time favourite knitting patterns: I’ve knitted several as they are super-cute, super-quick and the smaller sizes can be knitted using a single 100g ball of aran weight yarn, which makes them pretty much the perfect gift for new baby girls.

If I’m gift-knitting for newborns I tend to chose machine-washable, easy-care yarns (I am a knitter and am aware how many newborn items I have destroyed by washing them incorrectly...), so decided to use Stylecraft Special Aran,* which comes in a decent array of colours, is machine washable and wears really well. As the cardigan is inherently girly, I decided to go overboard and knit one in purple and one in pink.

I knitted both in the 3-6 month size, and completed each within a few hours. I finished them off with gorgeous daisy buttons that made me think of the Mr Men and Little Miss characters. I cannot wait to see these on their intended recipients!

Each cardigan took 60 g of yarn, so I don’t have enough leftovers to make a second in either colour, but Lisa has a handy blog post about knitting a two-colour version that I’m thinking of making with the leftovers.

If you fancy making your own Entrechat cardigan, Lisa has patterns for an adult version, as well as baby and children’s versions in fingering, DK and aran weights, there’s also a matching bonnet pattern that is adorable (you can find them all in the Frogginette Ravelry store)! Lisa is running a KAL for all her Entrechat patterns over in her Ravelry group until the end of June 2018,** and until June 10th you can get 30% off any of the Entrechat patterns by using the code entrechatKAL

Do you have a go-to baby gift knit?

********

Pattern: Entrechat by Lisa Chemery

Yarn: Stylecraft Special Aran* in Lavender (1188) and Magenta (1084)

Ravelry project page 1 (Lavender version)

Ravelry project page 2 (Magenta version)

*Affiliate link.

**You need to be a member of Ravelry to read this thread. Membership is free. 

The Yarnometer: April 2018

March wasn't the best for finishing things, or for not buying yarn.  So what did April bring?

Well, first up, I had a birthday, and birthdays always equate to yarn (or they do here anyway!), so there might be slightly more yarn than you would otherwise guess (unless you've already established that I do acquire quite a lot of yarn, which you probably have...).

Projects finished

April was an excellent month for getting things off the needles, with seven projects completed!

A baby blanket for good friends
A friend and her husband are currently expecting their first baby, so I made them a gorgeous rainbow baby blanket. I loved this project and can't wait to gift it in a couple of months. The FO post will have to wait until it's been gifted, but until then, here's a sneak peak, and you can find out more by looking at the project page.

Witches Brew socks
My son had been requesting socks for a while, so I knitted him a pair at the start of the month. You can read all about them here.

Two baby cardigans
The babies really do keep on coming at the minute, so I whipped up a couple of Entrechat cardigans. This is one of my favourite patterns for baby girls, and they only take a few hours to knit. There will be a FO post in time, but for now, here they are together. I'm hoping to make a third (two-colour version) from the leftovers.

Blanket for a magazine
A lovely quick project that I'm looking forward to sharing in a month or two...

Socks for a magazine
I haven't designed any socks in a bit, and these were a lovely bit of variety. They'll be coming soon.

A children's jumper
You'll have to wait until the autumn for me to share this one with you, but I'm sure you'll all love it!

The ins and outs of yarn

Yarn in

This is quite a large section this month. And quite large numbers. I'm pretty certain May will be better...

• 2600g (!) for a Mr Men and Little Miss themed blanket that was published in Crochet Now. I could absolutely not resist this, and my siblings kindly obliged with the yarn as a birthday present!
• 100 g of Suffragette sock yarn. This was a birthday present for me as it's in green and purple, which are my favourite colours. Maybe I can cast them on for Wimbledon (the colours are a perfect match!)
• 200 g of yarn for socks for my husband. He has been waiting patiently for socks for ages and I think he'll like good old Opal over something softer. His socks take two balls of yarn, so stash-diving was a bit trickier for these
• 300 g of neutral Stylecraft Special DK* to go with the leftovers from the baby blanket I finished this month. I'll be making, guess what? Another baby blanket!
• 800 g of assorted yarn that I won in a competition. I fished out the bits I want and will eBay the rest
• 20 g mini skein that I got for my birthday. It's the perfect shade to go with the leftovers from the Witches Brew socks
• 200 g of yarn for the Entrechat baby cardigans
• 100 g of yarn for a baby cardigan. The baby will be arriving in the summer, so I thought I'd try a cotton-acrylic blend*
• 800g of yarn for the Durumi sweater. Another birthday present; I can't wait to cast this on. I went for Drops Cotton Merino as it was on offer and comes in fab colours
• 50 g sample of super chunky yarn* from Love Knitting for review purposes

Yarn out

Destashed

• 337 g of leftovers returned to a publisher
• 350 g of leftovers to Knit for Peace

Knitted

• 284 g for the magazine blanket
• 480 g for the baby blanket
• 50 g for the Witches Brew socks
• 163 g for the children's jumper
• 67 g for the magazine socks
• 60 g for Entrechat 1
• 60 g for Entrechat 2

So many FOs this month. So satisfying!

Total

Yarn in: 5170 g
Yarn out or used: 1851 g
Total: 3319 g

Fortunately May is all about finishing things, and there will be a little bit of eBaying to move on a few things that aren't going to get used.

Year to date (end of quarter one)
Yarn in: 12267 g
Yarn out: 3161 g
Yarn used: 3141 g
Total: 5965 g

*Affiliate link.