Eisteddfota

Eisteddfota is to partake in the activity of attending Eisteddfodau (singular=Eisteddfod) - a common pass time in Welsh-speaking Wales.  Last week we were at Eisteddfod yr Urdd near Bala in North Wales where my Big Girl was performing with her school in a variety of competitions.  For those who are unaware Eisteddfod yr Urdd is the biggest youth cultural festival in Europe.  Children (both Welsh speaking and Welsh learners) attend from all over Wales representing various schools and areas in a celebration of music, song, poetry and culture.  I was raised in the 'traddodiad' (tradition) but it was all a bit overwhelming for my English husband.

Contrary to popular belief he is not using Google translate as some friends have suggested!

It was very, very muddy ....

We stayed outside Dolgellau in a fabulous cottage which was quiet and secluded with the most fabulous scenery around us....

It was blissful - no phones, no TV, no interruptions and lots and lots of knitting :-)

Classic Cardigan

 I made ANOTHER baby cardigan.  This has been finished for quite a few weeks - I managed to upload the details to Ravelry but had not found the time to blog!

I was trying to destash a few weeks ago and found a couple of balls of Rowan Pure Wool Aran  in the collection.  Usually when a new baby is born I try and find a pattern I like and then buy more wool to knit it - this time I tried reversing this trend by finding a pattern for the wool I already have.  The pattern is 'Classic Cardigan' found in 'The Baby Knits Book" by Debbie Bliss.  Fabulous, simple pattern which looks lovely when done.  It's a quick knit with the aran wool on 4.5mm needles.  I found the buttons at Wonderwool :-)

We're heading to North Wales tomorrow for a few days so I'm spending this afternoon not only packing but choosing specific holiday knitting!  Our cottage is literally in the middle of nowhere so I'm considering making an item from start to finish while we're there.

Baby Ripple

I'm wondering if it is allowed to refer to this particular project as a 'commission'?  My good friend Debbie asked me if I would consider knitting or crocheting a blanket for her imminent arrival not so long ago, and of course I was very happy to oblige.  She chose the yarn and said she fancied a ripple type blanket but I had free reign with the colour arrangement.

I tried rippling the colours one after but it didn't look quite right.  After trawling Pinterest I found a couple of blankets where the most abundant colour was neutral so I tried sandwiching each colour with the oatmeal colour Debbie had bought.  We both loved the result!

The wool Debbie chose was 'Myboshi Crochet Yarn' which is available in a rainbow of colours, some of which are quite florescent!  It is sold at our local Hobbycraft store where it is almost always on offer :-).  The yarn is a merino/acrylic blend which I think is perfect for a baby - soft to touch but will wash well, especially important if you have a sick baby!

The pattern is the 'neat ripple pattern' found on the fabulous Attic 24 blog!

Seamless Cardigan

I made another seamless baby cardigan!  I love knitting for small people as the garments knit up so quickly and there is no time to lose interest.   The seamless method, of which I am a major fan,  also offers a better finish - there was no sewing at all involved in this one.  This pattern is a very popular free Ravelry download and best of all it was a stash buster using less than two balls of Rowan Pure Wool 4 ply I already had in my collection.  I thought that adding two different colours of buttons would make it a bit different and again I chose spotty dotty buttons - i love spots!  I'm trying very hard at the moment to sort through my stash and find designated projects for my accumulated wool - this is because the weekend after Easter I'm headed to 'Wonderwool' to replenish!

Pattern details here

A Finish!!

My knitting needles and crochet hooks have been working hard theses last few weeks and I've finished or very nearly finished some projects!  I've decided to stagger the unveiling of these projects over the next few days rather than do it in one go!

This is a baby cardigan I started sometime before Christmas for the then imminent arrival.

The pattern is Mini Manu by Kate Davies.  I love her designs - many of them inspired by traditional Shetland style knitwear involving fair isle and colour work.  This is a scaled down version of her pattern 'Manu'.  I absolutely loved knitting this, although it was an education.  The cardigan was worked seamlessly, a technique I've been introduced to over the last year or so.  I think it has made a big difference to my finished articles as there is no seaming or piecing involved thus gaining a better end result.  What I particularly love about Kate Davies' patterns is that they often include techniques that I've either not heard of, or never tried before.  'Mini Manu' has taught me how to do an i-cord bind off (something I'd never tried) and short row shaping (something I'd never heard of) as well as knitting pleats.  An education indeed!

The yarn I used is the recommended yarn - Orkney angora DK.  Oh my, this yarn is luxurious and divine - so soft and lovely and quite perfect for a little baby.  Kate Davies often uses British made wool in her designs and since I've been following her blog and browsing her patterns on Ravelry I've been introduced to British yarns I never knew existed, including my current favourite yarn (more of that another time!).

If you fancy knitting up your own version, I highly recommend blocking at the end.  I was concerned about how the cardi would look when finished - I learned a lot of techniques on the job and wondered if I would have a substandard finish because I wasn't initially confident with them.  Blocking truly evens out a multitude of sins!  I wasn't sure what sort of buttons would finish off this cardigan - I seriously think buttons can make or break a garment.  I'd scoured some of my favourite online haberdashery stores for appropriate buttons with no results.  Imagine my surprise when on an unscheduled visit to Hobbycraft for something completely unconnected I found some spotty dotty buttons in the most perfect colour!

Foxy Cushions

My twin niece and nephew turned one at the start of February.  I cannot get over how quickly the time has flown.  As part of their birthday gift I made them a cushion each.  I LOVE making cushions as they give fast results and are great for trying to make a dent in my fabric stash!

As they are still very little people, I made little cushions for them - 12" square with an envelope back.  One in a fox print - very apt for my nephew named Fox!

And one in a toadstool and fairy print for my niece Bronwyn:

The cushion backs were made in complimentary fabrics:

I confess here and now that the strawberry print has been in my stash for about 7 years!  I couldn't bear to cut into it before now and you've gotta love the giant strawberries!  They definitely bring a smile to the face!

Super Easy Baby Blanket

This is not a figment of your imagination - I am indeed posting a blog entry!  It's been a hectic month or so at home but things are settling into some sort of routine, albeit a sleep deprived one!  Life is good and I'm even managing some knitting :-)

I made this blanket in the weeks leading up to the baby's arrival - it's a super easy pattern by Purl Soho.  It's an ideal project if you are a new knitter looking to move beyond scarf making as it is all made in garter stitch.    

Knitting endless rows of garter stitch can be quite tedious but the colour changes helps keep the interest and it is perfect TV knitting - my blanket was largely knitted while watching the full first season of 'House of Cards'.

The blanket is knitted in one of my favourite Rowan yarns - Creative Focus Worsted.  It sheds a bit but it is lovely and soft and comes in a wide range of colours.  I chose seven colours for the blanket in various shades of pink and purple - I included one band of cream to break up the colour a little.

The whole project was knitted on 4.5mm circular needle to save my wrists and there are 22 garter ridges per colour block (44 rows).  This was a mistake on my part as the original pattern calls for only 20 garter ridges.

It's very warm and snugly - perfect on the pram in this continuing awful weather!