#YarnFriendsRock 2021 - week one

 Hello! I hope you're well. September is here, and the air has turned distinctly autumnal. This month I'm joining the #YarnFriendsRock challenge, hosted by @unicornpuffsandrainbows, @brightbag and
@sewing_the_seeds_of_love Every day in September, I'll be posting a picture to my intarsia Instagram account (@VikkiBirdDesigns_Intarsia) around a theme. Head over there to follow along. In case you missed it, here's a catch-up for week one.

Day 1: This is me

Hello! 👋🏻 I’m Vikki. I’m a mum of three, and while I’m not wrangling kids, I write and design knitting patterns. Looking forward to meeting lots of yarnies this month via the #YarnFriendsRock challenge!


Day 2: How I became yarny

I’ve always lived surrounded by yarn. My mum is a prolific knitter, so there was always yarn about when I was a child. I learnt to knit when I was seven, taught by a family friend. I caught the bug immediately, and haven’t really stopped since. As a teenager I made a lot of toys designed by Jean Greenhowe. Most of them are long gone, but this ballerina doll was knitted by me many years ago, and is cherished by my daughter.



Day 3: Favourite stitch

You might have noticed that I quite like intarsia… what is intarsia? Well, it’s pretty simple - you change colour mid-way through a row to create a picture. I love that you can use the technique to make any image you like. At first you might find intarsia a bit tricky, and that you get in a tangle, but with practice it gets much easier!

Day 4: Rainbow

Do you remember in Spring 2020, when everyone’s windows were adorned with rainbows? Well, I thought I’d design my own knitted rainbow banner! There aren’t so many rainbows in windows anymore, but this banner would look lovely as a wall hanging too. Want to make your own? The pattern is available for free in my LoveCrafts store; link in profile.


Day 5: Sunday share

Want to know my favourite yarn for intarsia? It’s @PaintboxYarns Simply range, which comes in a great array of colours, three yarn weights (DK, aran and chunky) and is machine washable. I use it a lot!

Day 6: Black & white

When I knit I am all about colour, but once in a while a design works best in simple black and white. Meet my little ghost with no name, a simple white ghost on a black background. What would you call the ghost?

Day 7: Yarny home

I like to start kids early with yarn! All three of my children have had their own knitted or crocheted blankets. Now they’re getting a bit bigger, you’re more likely to find the blankets being used to make tents in the living room than tucked over their knees in a pushchair, but either way, it fills me with joy to see my house full of blankets that have been made with love!