Saturday 18 November 2017

Tiny gift knitting...


Tiny gift knitting has been underway...

These cute gifts are made from the pattern Home Sweet Home Wee House Brooch and Key Ring.

Knitted on straight needles with sewn on embellishments. The brooch and key rings are similar in design but constructed slightly differently. Detailed instructions are given for both.




These gifts were made with Jamieson’s of Shetland DK but you could use other DK weight yarn. 


Small amounts of contrast yarn are needed for the roof and walls along with additional colours for windows and doors, 5 colours in total to complete each of the projects as shown.




Knitting skills required: cast on, cast off, knit stitch, purl stitch, working with changes of colour, picking up stitches. Some basic sewing skills.


Examples of the brooch version....


Here's one in action so to speak...think I'll be keeping one of these for myself.



Monday 6 November 2017

What makes British sheep breeds special

Book titles and authors: The Fleece and Fibre Source Book Deborah Robson and Carol Ekarius
Beautiful Sheep Kathryn Dun
British Sheep & Wool The British Wool Marketing Board

Britain has a rich heritage when it comes to sheep husbandry and fibre crafts. It’s wonderful to see so much renewed interest in the traditional breeds. 

With so many breeds however, it can be hard to know which fibre is right for a given project: some are hard wearing but rough against the skin, while others are among the softest in the world, but can’t take much wear. 

I’ve rounded up a beginner’s guide to some of my favourites, to help you get your bearings and shed a bit of light on what makes British breeds so special. 

If you read to the end, there’s a giveaway too if you'd like to win a box of knitting goodies!

Some of you may already know that I kept a small flock of Shetland sheep, so it’s no surprise that this breed is at the top of my list. 

Shetland

Description: A small hardy hill breed with fine bone structure. Rams usually have rounded horns.
Uses: A Shetland’s fleece can be used to produce fine yarns suitable for lacework, most famous for it's use in beautiful fair isle sweaters. The fineness and the wide range of natural shades has led to Shetland being the wool of choice for sweaters through to traditional tweed.
Characteristics: With an average fibre diameter in the range of 20-30 microns, Shetland wool can be exceedingly fine for a British breed. Known for the wide range of colours. Staple length for coloured fleece is between 6 to 12 cm.

Wensleydale

Description: A distinctive sheep, the Wensleydale has blue legs, ears and face, with a long, curly lustrous fleece. It is a large, bold sheep, but it is one of the UK’s rarest breeds.  
Uses: The wool from this particular breed is often blended with finer, but shorter stapled wools for a stronger yarn. Ideal for hand-spinning and hand-felting, it is used in a number of crafts, including rug making, knitting and crochet.
Characteristics: Wensleydale wool is arguably the finest, most lustrous long wool in the world. This is because the breed has an unusual feature in their DNA known as “central checking”, which prevents kemp, or coarse fibres, from being produced. This means that purebred sheep will produce completely kemp-free fleece. The staple length is between 15 -30 cm.

Masham

Description: Mashams are a cross breed originating in North Yorkshire. The progeny of a Teeswater ram and a Dalebred or a Swaledale ewe.
Uses: Masham wool is good for those who want to get started spinning their own yarn due to its good staple length. Despite this, Masham isn’t the softest wool around, so you’ll usually find it used in a blend with softer fibres, or used in carpets.  
Characteristics: The Masham is a hardy sheep, with a lustrous  soft fleece and a staple length of between 12 and 25 cm.

Herdwick

Description: Perhaps the hardiest British breed, the Herdwick can survive on high ground, like the Lake District fells. Born with a black fleece, they go grey as they get older, but they usually have a white head and legs. 
Uses: Herdwick wool is best suited for woven outerwear, hard-wearing carpets, and for filling furniture and mattresses. It does have a reputation for being harsh against the skin, but it’s great for accessories.
Characteristics: Their kemp fibres increase with age, making the wool brittle and coarse, so it’s never been too popular with knitters and dyers. Staple length is between 10 and 20 cm.

Lincoln Longwool

Description: A rare native sheep, the Lincoln Longwool is the largest British breed. It was bred, way back in the 1700s as a wool sheep, but it later became a dual-purpose breed. It is a docile sheep with a white face, dark ears and a broad forelock of wool that falls in it's face. 
Uses:  It has a strong and durable fibre, making it suitable for use in rugs, bags, cushions and outerwear.
Characteristics: Popular with hand spinners, especially the wool from Lincoln lambs. It is naturally a marbled grey, so is great for creating naturally variegated yarns and fabrics. It has a staple length between 15 -30 cm.

Romney

Description: Named after the Romney Marsh area in south east England. The Romney is a large sheep with a calm disposition.

Uses: Fleeces vary in fineness from next to the skin softness to courser more suited to upholstery purposes and floor coverings. This demi-lustrous fibre is a very popular and versatile fibre and works well for knitting, spinning, and weaving.  

Characteristics: Romney fleeces are generally of a uniform and consistent quality from top to tail. The staple length is between 10 and 20.5 cm.
********
If you’re a wool lover, the kind people over at herdy®sleep are giving away a bundle of knitting goodies! As keen supporters of traditional British crafts and breeds, they use a full herdwick fleece in each of their handmade luxury mattresses. 


This giveaway includes the following:

Herdy Pattern Booklet which includes the following 5 patterns: 
rucksack 
cushion cover
hot water bottle cover 
childs jumper
a beanie hat

x4 balls of Herdy chunky 100% British wool


x1 pair of bamboo knitting needles


x1 Herdy tape measure



To have a chance to win this lovely knitting kit simply click on the link belowA winner will be drawn at random and announced here.



The giveaway is open to UK entries only 
(sorry to all overseas readers) 
and runs from 
6th - 30th November 2017.

*******
The Giveaway has ended.








Wednesday 1 November 2017

Weekend Gloves Revised



First published on Ravelry in 2010 the Weekend Gloves are knitted flat on straight needles and have a sewn inset thumb. 

The pattern has now been revised to including additional instructions, knitting the glove and thumb all in one piece,  though still retaining the knit on straight needles technique. Also new yarn suggestions have been included, as some of the originals are discontinued. 

Testing out the new pattern Stylecraft Alpaca Tweed Chunky was used, in shades: (from left to right) Duck Egg, Emperor, Mole, Blush, Midnight, Aran (see also above), Cherry and Ocean. This yarn comes in x100g balls of length 135m. It's a blend of 3% viscose, 77% acrylic and 20% alpaca. 

This is a quick knit that can be completed over a weekend. Make longer for arm warmers or keep short for hand warmers. A cable detail on the front of the glove is suitable as a first cable stitch project. 






Pattern instructions included are

Hand warmers all in one piece
Arm warmers all in one piece
Hand warmers with sewn in thumb
Arm warmers with sewn in thumb
Cable c6f instructions


Knitting skills needed for this pattern

Sewn in thumb option: cast on, cast off, knit, purl, knit two stitches together, cable forward.


All in one piece option: cast on, cast off, knit, purl, make one stitch, cable forward

Suggested yarns

x1 100g ball Stylecraft Alpaca Tweed Chunky
x1 100g ball Stylecraft Special Chunky


You will need

x1 pair 6.5mm straight knitting needles
x1 cable needle
spare yarn for holding stitches and making markers
blunt tapestry needle for sewing seams


Tension

19 rows x 14 sts over 10cm x 10cm (4x4 ins)

Sizes

Hand warmers 18cm long x 9cm (7ins x 3.5 ins) to fit small to medium women hand approx. 19cm (7.5 ins) around knuckles

Arm warmers 33cm long x 9cm (7ins x 3.5 ins) to fit small to medium women hand approx. 19cm (7.5 ins) stretching to fit approx. 25cm (10ins) around arm below elbow.

Abbreviations used in the pattern

k knit
p purl
st(s) stitch(es)
c6f cable 6 forward
pm place marker
m1 make one stitch
sm  slip marker
k2tog knit two stitches together
RS right side