Christmas countdown 2016: Days eleven to fourteen

Day eleven  

I could have sworn I had written a post for the eleventh, but apparently not. I think I spent it frantically knitting the rainbow hoodie, which is written to be rather long, so took longer than expected (and why do hoods always take more time to knit than I think they should?!).

Some slightly meh colours (read too orange for my liking) from the Opal and Paintbox Yarns advent calendars, but the blue rainbow yarn is beautiful, and I'm very much looking forward to adding it to the blanket.

Day twelve

Monday was the crazy day in the lead up to Christmas with the nursery party and the school show. I was also meant to be at my work Christmas dinner, but decided from the start that the day would be too busy if I tried to get to that as well! I also managed to whizz through some sewing of last minute gifts to people I was seeing at my Monday night knitting group. Phew! I did get to have a nice relaxing knit in the pub in the evening though, which was lovely, and I managed to get a bit more knitting done on my sock yarn blanket, so am not quite so far behind.

And I finished the rainbow hoodie, just in time to pass on to its recipient on Monday morning!

The advent calendars handed my some crazy clashing colours, including the most neon neon yarn I have ever seen. And it's sparkly! Not totally sure that one will end up in the blanket...

So neon you can see it through the bag!

Day thirteen

A much quieter day: a morning to myself to get on with some non-festive pattern writing (though the deadline is Christmas day!) and start knitting a sample. And coffee in peace!

I loved all the colours from the advent calendars - isn't the festive yarn from Felt Fusion beautiful? I won it in a competition in the summer and have been saving it for Christmas. And just for Sara Roberts, here are all my Paintbox yarns colourways in one photo. I hadn't realised quite what an assortment I have (Sara, do yours look better slung into a pile - I tried laying mine out in order and they looked rather drab), and still haven't decided what I'm going to make from them, but I'm starting to think that I'm going to wait until they're all out of the box and make something wonderfully coordinated for next Christmas.

Day fourteen

My final child-free day before Christmas, so I have spent this morning frantically trying to finish writing the Christmas cards written and get anything that needs to go in the post wrapped (largely unsuccessfully, fortunately our Post Office is in a shop and is open until late). I have also stitched the final two Christmas presents that needed doing, so I'm feeling pretty on top of things at the minute.

Today's advent calendar colours are lovely. Nicely coordinated! I added the Paintbox Yarns ball to my Advent Kilner jar, and might have to find an alternative display system for the yarn, the jar is full!

What's everyone else been up to over the past few days? Is all the Christmas prep done?

#GAL2016: Meet Ella Austin

The Indie Design GAL continues on Ravelry until the end of the year; if you'd like to join in, head over to the Ravelry group.* Today I am joined by another GAL designer, Ella Austin.

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Ella Austin lives in Devon, UK, and primarily designs toys and accessories, with the odd item of children's wear or garment included in her portfolio. Ella's standout designs are stranded colourwork and I love her fairisle toys, especially Tawny Owl. Ella's most recent collection is called Colour and Line and is a beautiful selection of accessories featuring small colourwork sections that make them very distinctive.

Tawny Owl by Ella Austin. Image copyright Ella Austin

Delta Mitts by Ella Austin. Image copyright Emma Solley

Venn by Ella Austin. Image copyright Emma Solley

 

When did you learn to knit?

I learnt to knit from my mum and grandmothers as a small child - probably around 5 years old. I have always knitted ever since, although I feel that I only flourished as a knitter in my mid twenties!

How did you getting into designing and pattern writing?

I got into pattern designing by thinking of ideas that I couldn't find patterns for. I started figuring things out for myself and making notes as I went along. I quickly found that I loved designing!

What designs do you have in the pipeline?

I've just released the final pattern from my Colour and Line collection. At the moment I'm mostly thinking about celebrating and enjoying it's completion - but there definitely are plenty more designs in the pipeline!

What's your favourite knitting technique?

Stranded colourwork! I absolutely love it - so relaxing and rewarding!

Which other GAL designers have caught your eye?

I'm pleased that Suzanne Stallard is joining in this year - she's a wonderful designer. Her Alfredo Gloves introduced me to stranded colourwork.

Alfredo Gloves by Suzanne Stallard. Image copyright Suzanne Stallard

 

Do you knit Christmas gifts? What are your favourite gift knits?

I only knit a very few Christmas gifts, not nearly as many as I would like to. My children always plead for more knitted toys!

Ella can be found on Ravelry, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. She also blogs at https://bombellablog.wordpress.com/

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*Note that you will have to signed in to Ravelry for this link to work. Joining Ravelry is free and Ravelry is an excellent resource for knitters and crocheters.

Christmas countdown: Days nine and ten

Day nine

Having got the simpler of the two hats to knit for this weekend finished, I was a woman on a mission yesterday, my primary objective being to finish the dragon hat. I managed to finish the hat part on Thursday, and made a decent start on the body section before going to sleep, so thought I had a decent chance of finishing it on time. I didn't. I did however, manage to get all the bits crocheted and started to assemble them.

The advent calendars provided some nicely muted tones for Friday.

I also bought myself a chameleon kit from Toft to knit for myself between Christmas and New Year. I wanted one when they were launched in the summer in a kit with a skein of hand dyed but the price was out of reach. Toft have re-released the kits, but with their wool, which has brought the cost down rather. He's going to look fab!

Day ten

Up early with the children (who never seem to want a lie in when I do), I got up and set about completing the dragon hat. And I did, by 9.40 (except for the braids, which I added after our guests had arrived, as I figured they would prefer it if I was finishing off the hat in front of them, over my answering the door in my dressing gown).

The hat is a feat of engineering. Lots of pieces that are cleverly constructed, then stitched together with the aid of *a lot* of pins. I also used a wooden bowl to mount the hat on while I was stitching the bits together. It looks great finished, and the recipient loves it!

We spent the part of this morning that wasn't spent frantically sewing entertaining friends we've known since my son was tiny. It was lovely to catch up, and we got to enjoy lots of wonderful festive treats.

And the advent calendar came up with a beautiful ball of blue from Opal and some 'woah orange' from Unbelievawool. They clash horrendously and I am not certain I can let them sit next to each other in the blanket! I also noticed when I was fishing for bag 10 that bag 12 will be yielding some neon yellow yarn. apparently this will be the crazy bright section!

#GAL2016: Meet Kerri Blumer

The knit and crochet along portion of the Indie Desgin GAL is running in the Indie Design GAL group on Ravelry* and continues to the end of the month. Today I'm bringing you an interview with fellow GAL designer, Kerri Blumer.

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Kerri Blumer works in the fashion industry by day and is an independent knitwear designer by night. I first became aware of Kerri a few years ago when she offered to help me edit the photos for my Rudi sweater, and have been following her work ever since. Kerri primarily designs small, highly textured, accessories, which are perfect for gift-knitting, as well as a small selection of flattering garments.

Dewdrop Mitts, image copyright Kerri Blumer

Silver Fir Shawl, image copyright Kerri Blumer

When did you learn to knit?

My grandma was a knitter, but I was too young to learn to knit when she passed. I still saw and appreciated her work - my mom still wears many pieces that my grandma knit for her, and it was several years after her passing that the last pair of slippers she had knit for us kids had finally worn through. I was always fascinated by her cable work, and I desperately wanted to learn how to make cables! I finally learned to knit about eight years ago during my freshman year of college. My mom knits a little bit, but hadn’t in a while so she put me in touch with a neighbor to teach me the knit stitch. I figured out most everything else via books or online tutorials and I haven’t stopped knitting (or cabling) since!

How did you getting into designing and pattern writing?

I studied Fashion Design in college, so designing started rather organically for me. I started altering patterns I was working on to better suit me, and that evolved into making things from scratch. For my senior collection, I included hand-knit details on all of my pieces, and included one hand knit top. I have yet to write the pattern for that actually, but I have plans to do so one day! Pattern writing came pretty quickly after college; I’ve always been math-minded and I love the challenge of grading a design across a range of sizes. Now I work as a Technical Designer as my day job, where I am dealing with fit, garment construction, and grading on a day-to-day basis. It’s great being able to come home and work on the more creative side of things too – sketching ideas, working up swatches, choosing the perfect yarn for a design. I think the best part of designing and pattern writing is watching projects pop up on Ravelry & the knitters looking amazing in their FO’s!

What designs do you have in the pipeline?

I’m hoping to get two more accessory patterns released before the end of the year – the patterns are mostly written, I just need to finish up the knitting and photograph my samples! For next year, I am looking to expand further into garment design. I am currently working on a new sweater to match my newest design, Aguacero Shawl, and I’d like to release that early next year. Lately I’ve been releasing about one sweater per year, and I’d love to be able to increase that to maybe one per quarter. I always have so many sweater ideas and I’d love to start bringing them out into the world.

What’s your favourite knitting technique? What knitting techniques would you like to try in 2017?

I don’t think I can pick a favorite! I always love learning new things in knitting. There’s always something new to try out! I’d love to learn more cast-on techniques in 2017. I have a couple of go-to cast ons that I use all the time, but I’d like to increase my repertoire – sometimes, you know the cast on isn’t quite right for what you’re making, but you’re not sure what the right one is!

Which other GAL designers have caught your eye?

There are quite a few designers who have caught my eye this year! I’m still working a little bit on my shopping list, but here’s just a few who I love:
For shawls, check out Sarah Jordan of Knit/Wit and Amanda Scheuzger.

Leventry by Sarah Jordan. Image copyright Sarah Jordan.

Sagitta by Amanda Scheuzger. Image copyright Amanda Scheuzger.

For fun & quick hats & mitts check out Beverly S. of Yarn Intercept and Katy H. Carroll of Katinka Designs.

Middle School Mitts by Beverly S. Image copyright Beverly S.

Plummy Mitts by Katy H. Carroll. Image copyroght Katy H. Carroll.

For great sweaters, check out Meiju K-P and Hanna Maciejewska of Hada Knits.

Someday Sunday by Meiju K-P. Image copyright Meiju K-P.

Maisie by Hanna Maciejewska. Image copyright David Maciejewska.

And a few more of my favorites are: Emma Welford, Kristen Jancuk of MediaPeruana Designs, and Hunter Hammersen.

Do you knit Christmas gifts? What are your favourite gift knits?

I do occasionally knit Christmas gifts for friends and family members. I don’t usually plan out gifts, but sometimes I’ll realize that my current project is just perfect for someone I know, and I’ll tuck it away until Christmas! I love knitting fingerless mitts, and I always knit more than I can reasonably wear myself, so those are always great gifts for loved ones who appreciate handmade items!

About two years ago, my great aunt gave me and my mom the rest of my grandma’s stash after learning that I was an avid knitter. She knits here and there, but she thought that we might be able to use and enjoy it more. Among the many skeins, needles, magazines, and books, there was a pair of my grandma’s slippers – just needing a bit of darning at the heels and toes. I looked through the books to see if I could find a pattern, but came up short. So, I carefully looked at the construction and reverse engineered the design. Everyone got slippers for Christmas that year!

Kerry can be found on Ravelry and Instagram as kerriknits, and blogs at kerriknits.tumblr.com.

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*Note that you will have to signed in to Ravelry for this link to work. Joining Ravelry is free and Ravelry is an excellent resource for knitters and crocheters.

Christmas countdown 2016: Days seven and eight

Day seven

Pre-Christmas panic has started to set in, so while I've done the shopping aspect of presents, the making aspect still has a way to go. Yesterday I decided to tackle this, and whipped up a hat for my friend's daughter. Handily there were no specific requests, so I decided to try out a ball of DMC Top This!, which is a yarn and pom pom set, but the pom pom is actually a tiny soft toy. I enjoyed knitting the hat, and will post a review of the yarn in the next few days.

The Christmas tree went up yesterday, much to my children's delight. We have previously had two trees, with one featuring the precious ornaments, and a second for the more generic ornaments. This year I have gone for one tree with all the decorations, and it looks lovely.

The advent calendars keep on giving, and I really like yesterday's offerings from the Opal and Paintbox yarns calendars.

Day eight

This morning I started on a hat for a friend's son. The request was very specific: a dragon hat in red, green, blue and turquoise. I am following the Dragon Hat pattern by BriAbby, which fits the bill perfectly. I need a hat by the end of today and it must be finished by the end of tomorrow. I have swatched and used five hooks and two different yarns before hitting gauge, which doesn't bode well. Fingers crossed I have something to show you by Saturday...

The advent calendar yarns today clash spectacularly. Which had to happen eventually!

*This post contains affiliate links. See my disclaimer page for more details.*

#GAL2016: Meet Doreen Blask

The Indie Design GAL is ongoing on Ravelry, with the knit and crochet along portion already boasting over 600 finshed objects. If you'd like to join in, head over to the Ravelry group.* Today I'm bringing you an interview with Doreen Blask, a fellow GAL designer.

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Doreen Blask is a knitwear designer who specialises in quirky accessories and toy designs. Her designs are bright and bold, with a bit of a sense of humour. I love her Hot Air Balloons Mobile, and Sally the Squirrel is really cute! She also has designs for several uniquely styled pairs of mitts; her Pointy Mitts and Black and White Mitts look really unusual and striking.

Top to bottom: Hot Air Balloons Mobile, Sally the Squirrel, Pointy Mitts, Black and White Mitts. All images copyright Doreen Blask.

When did you learn to knit? 

My mom taught me the basics when I was 5 or 6 years old. I haven’t stopped since.

How did you getting into designing and pattern writing?

Before my first nephew was born, more than ten years ago, I wanted to make something special for him, as I had a handmade cat that I got from my aunt when I was born. But I just couldn’t find patterns that were cute, easy, AND didn’t require an awful lot of sewing (I HATE sewing). So I made up my own pattern and got hooked :)

What designs do you have in the pipeline?

I’m working on a new baby mobile design for a yarnie-designer-cooperation with a dyer from Australia and I also have two new shawl ideas.

What’s your favourite knitting technique?

Knitting in the round and German short rows :)

What knitting techniques would you like to try in 2017?

I always wanted to try double knitting and hope I can bring myself to do it next year!

Which other GAL designers have caught your eye?

Loli Fox Design with her quirky mini knits and Slate Falls Press with the cutest kids patterns ever!

Henry's Letter Sweater, image copyright Slate Falls Press

Do you knit Christmas gifts? What are your favourite gift knits?

I make almost all my gifts myself. I knit some, but I also do photography. I love unique gifts and am lucky to have friends and family who never get tired of toys and knitted love :)

Doreen can be found on Ravelry as Mrsmumpitz, blogging at www.mumpitz.design, on Facebook, and on Pinterest.

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*Note that you will have to signed in to Ravelry for this link to work. Joining Ravelry is free and Ravelry is an excellent resource for knitters and crocheters.

Christmas countdown 2016: Days four–six

Day four

Some pretty bright yarns from my sock yarn advent calendars, and I finally got to go to the cinema (late on day three) to watch Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which I had been very excited about going to see. Unfortunately it didn't quite live up to my (excessively high) expectations, with not quite enough plot to fill the length of the film, but it did look very impressive. I might go back and re-watch all the Harry Potter films over Christmas to reminisce.

Day five

A really very cold day. There was frost on the ground when we woke up, and it was still there when we went to bed! I also had to brave the Metro Centre to get the last of the purchased presents bought, which is never fun in December, but is at least better on a Monday during the day that it is at the weekend.

Day six

I had coffee with Lucy (lucylocketpocket1 on Instagram) this morning, and managed to get some more squares added to my sock yarn blanket. I have now completed the knitting for day four, so am only a couple of days behind; anything is better than nothing! She also gifted me a couple of DPN cosies that she'd made so that my needles do not escape while they're in my bag.

My Paintbox Yarns Advent Calendar finally gave me a bright colour! Not that I know what I'm doing with all the tiny balls. At the minute they're looking rather pretty in a Kilner jar.

I finally feel like I'm making some progress on my Christmas knitting. This cardigan has to be done by Monday, and I have two hats to do for the weekend; I suspect this is not possible! The bright cardigan is an excellent antedote for the dull weather today - I took the photo of the advent calendar bits at about 4pm, and the light had totally gone.

What's everyone else been up to this week?