Ripples Shawl Knitting Pattern

Keeping busy and a positive mind set is something to be aimed for and never more than during this time of Covid-19. Knitting is something which helps me to stay occupied and focused generally but especially so now. 

This latest pattern is a shawl which uses a variegated cotton blend yarn with contrast stitches creating ripple effects. It's a wrap to use as a cover up when sitting outside (hopefully) enjoying the unpredictable summer weather. 

The yarn is from Stylecraft and inspired by the artist Monet. This shade of blue called Giverny gives an hint of the artists work and reminiscent of his painting the Water Lilies. A definite summery  blue vibe with hints of soft pink. The ripple effects are created using two solid colour shades of Stylecraft Classique Cotton DK.

Ripples Shawl knitting pattern is available to download from Ravelry. 

Read on if you'd like further details about the pattern.

Skills required

Cast on, cast off, knit, purl, knit 2 stitches together, slip stitches, knit into the front and back of a stitch.

Yarn

(A) Main colour, x4 Stylecraft Monet aran 100g 183m/200yds shade, Giverney #3971

(B) Contrast colour, x1 Stylecraft Classique Cotton DK, 50g 92m/100yds, shade Grey Blue #3965

(C) Contrast colour, x1 Stylecraft Classique Cotton DK, 50g 92m/100yds, shade Ivory #3665

Needles

5.5mm circular knitting needle 60cm long to accommodate number of stitches

Notions 

Blunt tapestry needle for weaving in ends

Size

190cm (74inches) long x 35cm (14 inches) wide

Ripples Shawl is available to download from Ravelry.

Bambino Awesome Avocado

Awesome Avocado is the name of this warm yellow yarn. It's a new colour addition to the Bambino DK baby yarn from Stylecraft. 

Super soft and lovely to work with this premium 100% acrylic is machine washable and perfect for baby garments.

A selection of new baby knitting patterns launched with the Awesome Avocado (there's also All at Sea, a lovely teal shade added too). 

There are two hat patterns which are suitable for boys/girls and both have pompom finishing touches. (Stylecraft pattern numbers 9761 and 9757). I made a hat combining elements of both designs. I particularly enjoyed knitting the Irish Moss stitch which is a simple four row repeat and creates a lovely textured surface.

My yarn sample Awesome Avocado looks great with Purple Passion, Bellisima DK.

This was a quick and easy knitting project, loved the super soft yarn and the colours together.

SS20 Naturals Yarn

I've been testing a lovely new yarn called Stylecraft Naturals, a blend of 40% cotton and 60% bamboo. 

There are a total of 43 lovely chalky colours in the range. The yarn is DK weight in 100g balls and 250m in length. In this Spring/Summer 2020 season release there are 8 core shades with pattern support, they are Lilac, Lavender, Sea Foam, Surf, Citronelle, Spring Green, Pale Pink and Coral.

Surf and Sea Foam shades look particularly appealing to me.

Combining them to make a sweet little top down baby cardigan.

My regular 'go to' place for knitting patterns is Ravelry, on this occasion in search of a super easy pattern for a baby cardigan. The requirements of DK weight, size 0-6 months and yarn quantity of no more than 250m, the pattern ‘Baby Kina’ by Muriela fitted all the criteria.

Choosing to make the cardigan in the up to 3 month old size I used 3.25mm needles for the collar and 3.75mm for the body. The pattern sizing goes from 3, 6, 12 to 18 months.

There are instructions for both a short and long sleeved version. Having opted for the short sleeve version, I'm hoping the weather will be warmer when my intended recipient is wearing it.

The yarn is soft, smooth and easy to handle. As well as being a great cotton yarn to work with it has a lovely drape for garments. 

I loved working with this yarn and pattern. Knitting another cardi in a larger size using this yarn is a definite possibility in the future.

4 Sock Patterns by Helen Kurtz

Images courtesy Helen Kurtz and Stylecraft Yarns

Today's post features sock designs by Helen Kurtz who has the popular knitting blog called Josie Kitten. I know Helen through the Blogstars group and over time I've see the number of her lovely knitted sock designs grow, so I thought I'd share some here. 

Helen has used "Head Over Heels" sock yarn by Stylecraft. This yarn was specially developed to be durable enough for socks, but also light enough for knitters and crocheter's who like to make shawls. There are three versions of this yarn, each with at least 6 different colour ways. They are:

Head Over Heels, 

Boho Head Over Heels, 

Head Over Heels All Stars 

Composition: 75% super wash wool, 25% nylon

Ball weight: 100g

Length: 437yds/400m

Needle size: 2.25mm

Wash care: machine wash at 30 degrees

Helen's sock designs are free to download. 

Links to the downloads are at the end of each pattern description.

1. Tiptoe Sock Pattern

Image courtesy Stylecraft Yarns

These socks were designed for the ‘Head over Heels All Stars’ sock yarn. Rows of pretty tulips, a colourful reminder of the bulb fields of The Netherlands, make this a dainty design, suitable for both self-striping and gradient sock yarns.

The simple floral motif is an easy introduction to lace knitting, making these a great choice for the next step on from some plain vanilla socks.

Download Tiptoe free pattern leaflet. 

      

            

Image courtesy Stylecraft Yarns

2. Miss Parminter sock pattern

    

Image courtesy Stylecraft Yarns

These socks were designed for the Boho Head over Heels range. The ribbing gives a comfortable fit while the lace adds a delicate touch to the pattern. 

They are named after Miss Parminter, the first recorded woman climber, who in 1799 was climbing in the Alps. The pattern works well with self striping yarns and gradient yarns. It is easy to memorise so would make a good sock to knit once you’ve tried a couple of plain pairs. The pattern is available in three sizes - small, medium and large adult - and a 100g ball of sock yarn will easily knit any of these sizes.

Download Miss Parminter free pattern leaflet.

3. Foot Hold Socks

Image courtesy Helen Kurtz

This pattern was released to coincide with the launch of two  colours in Stylecraft Yarn’s Head over Heels sock yarn in March 2017 - Etna and Sugar Loaf. The yarns in this range are all named after mountains and inspiration for the pattern from the ridges that climbers use to get a foothold when climbing. These ridges gently ripple their way down the leg and foot, giving an interesting texture to the socks. 

The pattern works well with striping yarns, but would look equally good in a solid or semi-solid yarn. The pattern is easy to memorise so it’s perfect for both new sock knitters and those wanting to knit something other than a plain sock. 

Available in three sizes - small, medium and large adult.

Download Foot Hold free pattern leaflet.

4. First Tracks Socks

Image courtesy Helen Kurtz

So you’ve knitted a pair of plain vanilla socks and want to try something a little more spicy? First Tracks is the perfect introduction to patterned socks. The easy to memorise pattern adds a little interest to a plain sock. Like making the first tracks on newly fallen snow, 'First Tracks' will ease you into the world of patterned socks as you make your own tracks down the rows of knitting! Released in September 2016, this pattern would also look great in any self-striping sock yarn. 

The pattern has lots of negative ease so it’s a great pattern for gift knitting too! The ribbed pattern works well as an everyday sock for both men and women.

Download First Tracks free pattern leaflet.

More details about Helen's sock designs can be found on her Ravelry designers page.

Find Helen on the web here:

Blog The Woolly Adventures of a Knitting Kitty

Instagram @josiekitten

Transitions Shawl

The words "Life Changes" could bring to mind so many meanings. For this shawl it's a new variegated DK weight yarn from Stylecraft. There are 8 shades in the range and for this shawl project I chose three, Roses, Berries and Ashes. The yarn is a mix of 25% wool and 75% acrylic, 100g balls, 298m /326 yds long.

The shawl is a triangular shape knitted in garter stitch (knit each row). The shaping is very easy to achieve with an increase and decrease on every other row. Small stripes occur when a new colour is added. The main interest is provided by the colour variations with in each shade. I particularly like the Berries shade which incorporates a purple plum colour through to cherry red. The final edge is finished off with an eyelet and picot cast off detail. 

Projects pegged to the fence with a scenic background are becoming a regular feature. A sunny morning (before the rain started again) resulted in this light and not too breezy shot.

I've enjoyed working with this yarn very much. It feels very soft to handle and I love the way the colour variations have developed along the length of the shawl. The colour changes and stripes were the inspiration for the name 'Transitions Shawl' and the pattern can be found on Ravelry.

Stylecraft Blog Tour - Scallop Scarf and Mittens

I'm delighted to be participating again in Stylecraft's annual Blogtour. For this tour I chose the Autumn Leaves yarn pack which includes 5 shades of the newly released Bellissima. It's a DK weight yarn in 100% acrylic. The image below shows the 5 shades I've been working with (there are 14 shades in the new range).

Left to right: mellow yellow, sugar snap, clotted cream, ash rose, rio rose.

One of the many qualities I like about Bellissima is the good stitch definition.  I had the idea to make a long scarf, using an all over lacy pattern called "scallop" with bands of colour separated by the neutral cream. The bold colours increase in length from one end to the other.

Knitted on straight needles, the lacy bands of colour increase gradually in length along the scarf beginning with 3 pattern repeats and ending with six repeats. The generous length allows for a wrap around the neck and plenty for an extra tie in a knot, if required.

When I decided the scarf was long enough, there was about half the yarn left over in each colour. 

After debating what to do with the surplus yarn, a pair of scallop cuff mittens were developed. These mittens are knitted flat on straight needles. I started off making a pair in mellow yellow. 

But given I like the  other colours too! It's always useful to have a spare pair or two...

The Scallop Scarf pattern is free to download until 15th October 2018.

Scallop Scarf Download

Scallop Mittens Download

Image courtesy of Stylecraft

Thank you everyone who entered the giveaway.
The giveaway is now closed.

You could win a yarn pack of Autumn Leaves by clicking on the link below

Autumn Leaves Yarn Pack Giveaway

Begins 10am BST Monday 8th October 2018
and ends  
10am BST Tuesday 9th October 2018

Thank you to the wonderful Catherine's Crochet Corner for yesterday's stop off. Tomorrow the tour visits Sarah from Annaboo's House, check out her fabulous crochet blog. To round off, here's a list of all the blogs on this years tour...

Crystals and Crochet
Josie Kitten

Crochet Between Worlds

Cherry Heart

The Twisted Yarn

Polly Plum

Emma Varnum

Lucias Fig Tree

Catherines Crochet Corner

Hand Knitted Things

Annaboo's House

Crafternoon Treats

The Patchwork Heart

Get Knotted Yarncraft

Zooty Owl

Stylecraft

Jane Crowfoot

Head Over Heels All Stars

New yarns in Head over Heels All Stars have arrived from Stylecraft. All 6 shades have been  chosen by Stylecraft Blogstars and inspired by the artist David Hockney. Earlier this year knitters and crocheter's voted in their thousands for their favourite combinations of colours to add to the yarn range. There's a post about the competition on the Stylecraft blog. I was amazed and thrilled to find out my combination was one of the winners.

Influenced by this picture on the cover of the book by Chris Stephens about the artist I chose muted shades of blue, green and a splash of pink. The picture is called 'Pool with two figures'.

Six shades from the special dk range went into my yarn combination.

Here are some details about the yarn:
75% super wash wool
25% nylon
100g ball weight
400m/437yrds
needle size 2.25mm
machine washable at 30 degrees

This is how the final 'Pool' yarn looks close up. The wool blend is durable for socks but light enough for making knitted or crochet shawls.

Below is the shawl I designed specially for Head Over Heels All Stars 'Pool'. The pattern is available from Stylecraft bricks and mortar stockists and is free with the yarn purchases.

The 6 new All Star colour combinations and designers are from top left 

Saltaire by The Twisted Yarn,  Ossie by Cherry Heart, Woldgate by Josie Kitten, 

bottom row from the left:

Pool by (yours truly) Hand Knitted Things, Splash by Zooty Owl, Red Pots by Attic 24.

Trio of Owls

Inspired by things autumnal, 'Trio of Owls' is the latest toy pattern from Hand Knitted Things in seasonal muted colours. This cute little family is easy to make with knit and purl stitches in contrasting colours and textures, with the addition of large rustic buttons creating the whimsical character features. 

The colourful body and wings are made with a recent addition to the Batik Elements yarn range called magnesium. This is combined with two solid shades, biscuit and gold. 

Here's some pattern details for this project:

Yarn
x2 50g ball Stylecraft Batik Elements Magnesuim 
x1 50g ball Batik dk Biscuit
x1 50g ball Batik dk Gold

Needles

x1 pair 3mm (US3) knitting needles (small owl)

x1 pair 3.25mm (US3) knitting needles (medium and large owl)

x1 pair 5mm (US8) knitting needles (large owl)

Notions 

x1 3.5mm (US3) crochet hook for making the feet only

x2 x 20mm diameter buttons (small owl)

x2 x 30mm diameter buttons (medium owl)

x2 40mm diameter buttons (large owl)

x6 decorative 10mm diameter buttons (these are optional added to the front of the larger buttons)

Sewing needle suitable for the buttons

Blunt tapestry needle for sewing and weaving yarn ends

x2 large hands full of toy filling

Finished sizes

small owl - 9cm x 10cm x 6cm (3.5 x 4 x 2.5 ins)

medium owl - 14cm x 14cm x 8cm (5.5 x 5.5 x 3 ins)

large owl - 16cm x 20cm x 4cm (5.5 x 8 x 4 ins)

Skills required to make the owls
knit
purl
cast on 
cast off
make a chain of crochet
basic sewing on buttons and seams

Pattern is available on Ravelry called 'Trio of Owls'.

Buttons were sourced from a selection from The Textile Garden and some already in my collection.

Update: The giveaway is now closed, a winner has been chosen and notified by email. 

Thank you to everyone who entered.


The Giveaway runs from 

Tuesday 4th September to Monday 10th September 2018 

and includes the following:

Digital pattern 'Trio of Owls'

Yarn Pack from Stylecraft containing the following:

x2 50g ball Batik Elements Magnesuim 

x1 50g ball Batik dk Biscuit

x1 50g ball Batik dk Gold

(the buttons are not included in the giveaway)

To enter the giveaway follow the link below, 
enter an email address 
so we can contact you if you win. 
The winner will be randomly selected and notified by email. 

***GIVEAWAY***

Good luck!