Zig Zag Lace Socks Pattern

I promised I would shut up about my Zig Zag Lace Socks pattern until I had published it. Well, I have finally done that. Over the last few weeks (between other projects) I have been working on the final pair for my pattern and gave it another read through. Tweaking  it here and there. Sunday night I did the final tweaking and it was ready to publish. My intention was to wait until Monday morning or until I was ready to write about it here. However, I couldn’t hold my water (as they say). I went ahead and did it. I now have my first pattern for sale on ravelry. You can find it here. Or you will notice at the top of the page I have added a new tab labelled designs. You will also find a link to it there. Please be kind as it’s my first but also do let me know if you have issues with it. I can’t fix what I don’t know about. It is fairly simple though so hopefully I have written it to show that.

For the actual pattern I decided to go with a yarn that most people will have access to or will have heard of. I picked Cascade Yarns Heritage 4ply. It has nylon in the mix which is perfect for the heels of socks. It is also beautiful to knit with. I am in love with this blue which is called turquoise. It feels very soft and knits up well. Please feel free though to use any sock yarn. You might find though that the pattern is better suited to a solid colour.

You can see above that I have knitted this pattern many times and I have used a different sock yarn in each. The bright pink is yarn by Hedgehog Fibres, the centre is the only striping yarn I used and is by Orange Jellyfish Dream. Finally the pale pink and the paler blue at the bottom are both by my favourite indie dyer For the Love of Yarn. Please have fun with it. I can’t wait to see others knitting it. Also, feel free to prove me wrong with the striping yarn. 

I have more patterns at hand but it might be a while longer before they are published. Two need tweaking and one needs written from scratch. In the meantime I am getting back to my 2020 challenge.

What's New In May

I don't have any events to direct you to this month. If there are any out there then I have missed it and I'm sorry. Here are a few things that I am looking at just now. First of all I am trying my hand at Sashiko for the first time. Well, for the first time on my own. Previously I had taken part in a class with my old knitting group. I have already said all this before on last weeks WIP post. I am constantly adding to my 'Stitch It' pinterest board but over the last few weeks it has been filling up with Sashiko images. I actually now wish I had created a board for it all on it's own, which may still happen.  Sashiko (pronounced sashko) is a traditional form of Japanese embroidery usually involving blue fabric and white thread. There is a reason behind all that but I am saving the big explanation for a post I have planned related to this one subject. The image above you will have seen last week. This was me stitching and as you can tell I decided not to stick with tradition. Again I don't want to say too much about it just yet but what I can say is that there is something a little but therapeutic about this form of embroidery.

I also treated myself recently to a new craft book. I picked up a copy of  The Knitters Book of Yarn by Clara Parkes. I reccently reviewed Parkes travel writing book and I mentioned how much I enjoyed reading a craft book that was about someone enjoying the craft rather than just being filled with patterns. I expect this to be a little of the same in that it's about an aspect of knitting. Like the last one I hope to learn something too. I am bad for not paying attention the the blends of yarn that I use. I just go ahead and start knitting with it. My sole concern is colur and will the colourway work for the pattern I have chosen. I'm looking forward to it and I will review it as soon as I have finished reading it. This book has been out for a few years and I had to order my copy. I got mine from Waterstones (I don't do a certain online book/just about everything retailer).

  I love Bloglovin just now. If I was to add to me advice to bloggers post it would be to get yourself on there and claim your blog. It can gain you more followers and it can show you some of the fantastic blogs out there. This is how I came across Homey Oh My. Homey Oh My is a design blog. Obviously given my circumstances just now I am inclined to have a look at design blogs. What makes this one so good is that it looks so fresh. I love it for it's clean look. The blogger also posts tutorials and she recently blogged about learning to knit and crochet. A fellow crafter so of course I love her blog. If you scroll down to the bottom of my craft blogs list you will find a new heading and this blog listed beneath it. If you are bloglovin yourself give me a shout. You will see a bloglovin badge to the right here.

 I also would like to give a shout out to my friend Phyllis. She started her own craft selling page called Rosebuds & Rainbows (how fab is that name). If you can't knit or crochet but love the end result you can comission her to produce something for you. Head over to her facebook page and you will see some of her lovely work. She has also taken to designing her own patterns and as some of these patterns are socks I have to share them with you. The image above is of her Rib n Roll socks and the pattern is available of ravelry along with all her other patterns. Her socks are fantastic and I think that someone wanting to move away from the basic sock would find these patterns ideal. I have also added her facebook page to my craft shop list so please go along and check her out even just to say hi.

Lastly I promised to tell you a few things that I plan for my blog. I actually have a few plans but I realise that I can't do all of them at once and so I have decided to stick with one or two at a time. First off, as well as adding the bloglovin badge to the right I have plans for some themed posts. If you follow me on pinterest (and if you do say hello so I can give you a follow back) then you will have seen that as well as Sashiko I am quickly filling up a board just on colour inspiration. Actually I have lots of boards for specific colours but the colour inspiration board hosts everything else. The above collage is an example of some of the things I have posted there. I think that you can't be a crafter without enjoying colour. There may be some that you detest but you will still love colour and you will have favourite combinations. Am I right? Well each month for the rest of the year I plan to have a themed post around one colour. I will post different ideas and inspiration around that colour. I have chosen the colour this month round about three or four times but I have finally settled on the first. Since it's the anniversary of my mum's passing this month it feels apt that I should pick her favourite colour, red. So I hope you look out for that and I hope that you enjoy these new themed posts.

I am sure that I will have more ideas in the future but I will keep you updated as they come. One last thing before I go. I have also added a new list to the right of the screen. It's a list of top 10 most popular posts in the last 30 days. I can never tell which posts are going to be the most popular so it will be interesting to look at this evolving.

If any of you are trying something new this month then let me know. I would love to hear about it. Or if you would like to host a What's New post then drop me a message.

What's New In March

I am a little late with this one. I should have posted about this last month. Truth is I didn't realise how big a deal this was until recently. It's a huge event in the yarn world and this is only it's third year. Three days of classes from famous designers and teachers as well as a market with all your favourite yarns and designers. I am extremely envious of anyone who is going. It's actually very similar to the one I went to in Stirling at the start of my blog. It was called Knit Camp and I did a class in fair isle with Liz Lovick and another class with Jared Flood (one of my favourite designers).  There were a lot of problems in the organisation (where teachers had problems getting into the country) and they didn't do another one. The Edinburgh Yarn Festival has had no such problems and so many more classes that I would have had trouble restricting myself. Next year people! Next year! I have signed myself up to their mailing list so that I won't miss it again. This year, I will be working. If any of you who are going want to share your experiences here please do and I will try not to turn green with envy.

Brioche is a thing and I don't mean the bread. I mean the knitting stitch and I love it. I have loaded several patterns from ravelry and I have a plan to knit some of them. Brioche was initially made popular by designer Nancy Marchant. You can see her beautiful designs on website Brioche Stitch. It involves knitting with two contrasting yarns and you create this beautiful raised pattern. This has since grown and Stephen West of WestKnits has run with it. American born designer has lots of beautiful patterns based on this stitch. I have a few and ordered his most recent collection Bundled in Brioche. It's been fun getting updates when a new pattern has been loaded on to it. The above image is actually from another collection that I also have in my library. This is by Knit Graffiti a designer I came across thanks to Instagram. The good thing about these designs is that they look fantastic with a variegated yarn and a contrasting solid colour.

 Wool and the Gang is a company I came across via Instagram (Instagram has a lot to answer to). It was started by textile designers who were fed up with factory reproductions in fashion. They wanted to help encourage individuality in fashion and this is how it came about. You should go to their About page and read more on it. It makes for an interesting read. It appealed to me because of the images of chunky knits and their pop up stores in London over the Christmas period. I haven't purchased any of their yarn but heard only good things about it. Would be interested though to hear if any of you have knitted with their yarn.

Lastly I leave you with one for those who love crochet and colour. This person isn't selling anything. She doesn't appear to have a blog or facebook page or even and etsy page. Instead she shares beautiful images of her work. I have long been an admirer of her beautiful work and her colour choices. It isn't often that I don't ooh and ahh over her images. She's another person that I found thanks to Instagram.

Apart from that last one you can find all of the above list in one of my pages. Either Craft Blogs, Craft tutorials (brioche) or Craft Shopping. In fact I have created a section for events on the blogs page just for the yarn festival and yarndale.

Pins I Love - More Socks

Since this week has been all about socks I thought I would keep the theme going. I realise that we have already had a socks themed pinterest post. But that was a little over two years ago and I am always looking out for new sock patterns via pinterest.

This first pattern is probably the simplest of the five but it's one of my favourites. I had replied to a comment earlier saying that I wasn't sure what I would do for March but this might be it. look how effective it is with the striping of the yarn. This doesn't actually come with a pattern but is a series of notes. There is no instructions for the heel or toe but you could use your favourite way of doing either or a way that you think would best compliment the sock. The notes are by Hanna Levaniemi and can be found on ravelry for free (just click on the image). She has decided to use a different yarn entirely for the cuffs, heels and toes. 

Another free pattern on ravelry but slightly more complicated. This one is by Natalia Vasilieva and is called Semki. I have this pattern in my library but haven't looked at it properly yet. Might have to leave this one until I have more time on my hands. I do love the look of it though. It's almost like little owls and would be perfect for a solid yarn. I also like the fact that the pattern travels all the way down to the tips of the toes.

Of course I was always going to have a pattern with a cable in there. Can't get much cabley than this pair by Patons. Again this is available for free on ravelry. I find it hard to believe that this yarn is knitted in 4ply only. The cables make it look a lot thicker. I think I will have to add this to my to do list. Another sock that would be better in a solid yarn. To be honest, I quite like it in the white.

This pattern and the next one are not for free. I think though you can see why the designer would expect to be paid for the pattern. Look how complex this is. It puts me in mind of sock designer Cookie A. This pair is called Summer Sliding and is by Jeannie Cartmel. She actually has a few lovely patterns to her name which I am going to investigate later.  I love the lime green of the yarn she used. The striping of the yarn is very subtle so it still shows off both the yarn and the pattern. Definitely one for the expert knitter I think.

Last but not least is a pair of lovely socks done in colourwork. I picked this pair because I recently came across it and it's kind of fitting since it's Valentines Day on Sunday (I will be celebrating with a 12 hour shift). Actually, my mum would have loved these. They are called ElinPelin socks and are by JennyPenny also on ravelry. She appears to be a talented designer as she has quite a lot of colour work patterns on there. Definitely worth going to have a look.

If you knit any of these let me know. I would love to see them. Love a knitted sock!

Winter Is Coming.

I never knit myself anything for winter. I always say that I am going to and every year I pin away of pinterest lots of lovely cabled woollies. But I never get round to it. I'm good at that. Plan and plan and then it's spring. Everyone tells me I'm good at the planning. Well, I bought some double knit tweed yarn by Sublime. I had intended on using it to finish off the lap blanket that I was making for my gran. Sadly this double knit was a lot finer than the lovely donegal based yarn by Lisa. I would ruin the blanket and waste both yarns by using it. So now I have 6 balls of this yarn and no idea what to do with it. I did consider getting a pale pink and making a blanket with it but I didn't like the pink this yarn came in. So I decided to knit something for myself that would keep me warm on the way into work.

Hence this hat. I managed to knit it using just one 50g ball and just a tiny bit to spare.

I saw the pattern on pinterest (all those hours are not wasted after all). It's called The Woods Hat by Po Lena and you can purchase it from ravelry.  It stood out to me mainly because the images in the pattern show the hat knitted up in teal which (as you know) is a favourite of mine. It also has lots of cables which I also loved. While you look at the cables please ignore my tired face. Post night shift isn't the most flattering of looks.

I had hoped it would be more like a slouchy hat but it is meant to be a beanie style and it fits perfectly as such. I didn't think I would suit the beanie but I actually quite like it. I would be very tempted to knit this in other colours. It didn't take me long at all and only work got in the way of finishing it sooner. Isn't that always the way? It's a fairly easy pattern and the cables aren't too complicated. I think someone who wanted to move on to cables would find this as a good beginning. The pattern itself works over a 6row repeat and as I said knits up quickly. I did add an extra repeat and I think if I was doing it again I would maybe use larger needles.

I have 5 more balls of the tweed left. I plan to knit a scarf with that. Just need to find a pattern that I like. Any recommendations? Must have cables.

Pins I Love - Shawl Obsession!

I love a shawl and just now I have a small obsession with images on pinterest. There are a few shawl boards that I follow and as a result my 'All things knitty' board is filling up with shawls (also stripes but that's a different story). I have made a couple of shawls in my time. One was a gift to my gran which is lying in her cupboard somewhere (anything she believes to be too nice to use gets put in her cupboard - I should be flattered but would rather she used it). I also made another for a friend and a granny triangle shawl which for myself which is really more of a scarf. The truth is I don't think I suit shawls. I would look like an idiot and I can't imagine me wearing one unless it's snuggled up at home. I do have a friend though who suits them and could get away with wearing them anywhere. Perhaps because, unlike me, she is tall and graceful.

Regardless I am still obsessed and our summer is starting to cool off a little which seems like the perfect time to make one. This first shawl I love simply because it is so stripey (knew I would get those stripes in somewhere). I also love it for the use of garter stitch. I also like it because it doesn't use lace and you could combine any colours that you wanted. While all of the shawls on this weeks post are available on ravelry none of them are free. I would definitely pay for this pattern though. It's by designer Danielle Chalson who seems to have a few designs available on ravelry.

 This particular shawl was knitted by Boo Knits who again has a fair few designs worth checking out. There is also a blog but I haven't linked it as it didn't seem to last long. The pattern says to use worsted weight yarn which is slightly chunkier than DK but not as heavy as Aran. However, this particular image looks to me like it was done in 4ply. I think that's what makes this pattern so versatile is that you could change the yarn and needle size if you wished. It would make for a slightly different shawl. I also like it because it looks like it would drape well and has some length to it. Although I haven't seen the pattern I imaging that you could add additional repeats of the pattern to make it longer if you wished. Also, I do like a pattern that has a wave to it.

 This pattern is called Nangou and was designed by Melanie Berg. This image is by a ravelry user called Florentine and she used her own spun yarn to knit this. I have to say that it was the colour and the yarn that caught my attention in this one. I also love the use of a white stripe to accentuate the pattern. That aspect of it is part of the original pattern mind you. If you look to the pattern itself you will see that it is one of those shawls that you could use as a scarf too. This one though is just my colour.

 This one is designed by Ambah and the shawl is called the Oyster shawl. It drew my eye not just because of the contrast between the colours but also because of the combination of complicated lace and simple lace. It really is very effective and I love the edging. If you go the pattern page though (as always just click on the image) you will see some of the lovely colour combinations other knitters have used. Some of which are very striking.

This shawl is by far my favourite and I think I may even purchase the pattern. It has everything I love, stripes, teal and a grey yarn to highlight the colour. I love the delicate edging and I love the contrast between a simple knit and a more complex border. I think if (when) I knit this I will be using the same colours. However, again the possibilities are endless but I am in love with this one. This was designed by Sarah Jordan who seems to have a few other lovely designs on there. She also has a blog worth checking out called knit/wit.

I just realised that these are all knits. However, there are some lovely crochet shawls out there and maybe they will get their own pinterest post.

Pins I Love - Gotta Love a Stripe!

As promised, some stripe love in this weeks pins I love post. I actually didn't have as many stripey items on pinterest as I thought. I will rectify this in the future. However, I still had plenty to chose from for the purposes of this post.

The one I am starting with is kind of a cheat. Does pinstripe count? It's still a stripe if a subtle one so I am going to say yes. Plus I love this skirt. There is no pattern sadly but you can purchase it from etsy seller  Ma chemise d'homme. She upcycles menswear into women's clothing and sells them on her online store. This skirt (in case you can't tell) has been made from a pair of men's trousers. I think it looks better as a skirt.

I love this baby blanket. It's more of a wave but it's so sweet. I love the yarn used. It looks like a cotton from the image but it's actually merino. I also quite like the colours. I wouldn't have though gold to be a great choice but it works. Plus it's also not your stereotypical baby colours which give it extra appeal. This pattern is free to download on ravelry and was designed by Laurence Meriat.

I saw this on pinterest last night and instantly fell in love with it. So much so I immediately went to ravelry to see if I could download the pattern. It didn't have to be free I would have happily paid for it. Alas this is a test knit so there is no pattern available as yet. It was designed by Mairlynd who has sent it out to various knitters for testing. I will most definitely be watching for it. The designer also has a blog which I am linking.

I actually saw these mitts about a year ago. However, I pinned them again today as I couldn't find them on any of my boards. Which makes me think I saw them on facebook. Anyway. These are lovely crochet fingerless mitts. There are a few things I love about them. First of all it looks like it uses fairly simple stitches. Second the stripes and third the buttons. I would make these just for the buttons alone. The good news is that this is a free pattern and the author has even provided a tutorial on her blog.  Her blog is called Cherry Heart and there are lots of yummy crochet images on there.

Of course I am going to have a stripey sock on here. I wouldn't be me if I didn't. These are actually boys socks but I am sure that they can be adapted to fit an adult.You can't see it here but the leg of the sock is done entirely in rib (rather than just the cuff). I imaging this is to stop them falling down but it does have a nice effect on the pattern. Also the stripes are done in single rounds (the ones I am doing are in double). It gives it a nice effect and I have to admit at first I wasn't sure if it was a self striping yarn because of it. The patter itself is on Purl Bee which I am sure I have linked to before.

So that's my ode to the stripe. I have done a few stripey things myself in the past and there are loads of stripey possibilities on pinterest. So I have no doubt that somewhere down the line there will be more.

Pins I Love - Knitty Goodness

So this week I bring you some knitty goodness from pinterest. This time there are no knitty socks or mittens at all. I had difficulty leaving them out but since they have each had a post to themselves I felt that it would be too greedy of them.

I had planned on doing a knitty post. I just hadn't decided when. I then saw this beautiful Trellis scarf on facebook and knew I had to go direct to the site and pin it. I also had to share it and so doing a knitty post was a must. It comes from the Purl Bee blog. I am positive I have discussed this blog before but I can't find it. Maybe I imagined it. I love this blog for it's patterns. Very occasionally they aren't to my taste but only very occasionally. I love them for their simple use of colour. They tend to use neutral colours with maybe one stripe of bright colour to make it pop. They also use simple stitches which looks so beautiful and effective.

This scarf is a prime example of their use of neutral colour (no pops in there mind you). I love it for that. If you click on the image it will take you direct to the pattern. This one is knitted in 6ply cashmere but I imagine it's a pattern that can easily be adapted. It also looks easier to do that the image suggests. Simply stunning! I can imagine that it would fit all colours but if I was to do it I would have to do it in ivory the same as the image.

I am a little bit in love with Brooklyn Tweed. The patterns always look so beautifully done. I doubt I could do it justice. I did do a baby blanket once and while I liked it it wasn't a patch on the original. I have even attended a class by founder Jared Flood. It was for his Garisole pattern. I loved the class but have yet to knit it as I have yet to find that perfect yarn for the pattern. I will one day.

Anyway, this is a circular shawl which reminds me a little of the Garisole. You can buy it from the Brooklyn Tweed website (just click on the image). Can I just say I hate brown. Almost as much as I hate orange. Two colours I would never consider knitting with EVER. Yet, an image of a Brooklyn Tweed garment knitted in brown would have me considering it. That's the power it has over me. Like the Purl Bee blog I mentioned I love these patterns not just for their beauty but for the use of natural colours. In my mind it highlights the beauty and complexity of them.

I should also be congratulated for my will power here. With no self control this knitty post would be entirely Brooklyn Tweed. Well done me (I am not ruling out doing that in the future though).

This one reminds me of Brooklyn Tweed. It's the use of grey as well as the beautifully knitted cables. In actual fact it is a pattern called Flavia by Beth King. It's not free but you can purchase it from Ravelry.

This one is more complicated. The pattern is called Shaelyn by Leila Raabe and you can purchase it from Ravelry. The original pattern is knitted up in one colour. Crafty Tails has added her own touch to it. A bright colour striped in with grey. I love it. I think the lace could have become lost in the grey but the bright green really brings it out. You can click on the image and it will take you to her blog post about the garment.

This pattern is free on Ravelry and is called the Honeycomb Stroller blanket. I love it because it is so versatile. It's one of those patterns which will look different as each person uses their own colour scheme. This is highlighted by the image I have chosen. The rainbow blanket was knitted by another ravelry user called Duschinka. I am trying to not think of all those ends that would have to be threaded in. However, if this was what you ended up with it would be safe to say that it was worth it.

Pins I Love - Mittens

Since it was snowing last week and very stormy in lots of places both in the UK and outside I thought having a mittens post would be apt. I love mittens, especially those with colour work. The closest I have came to this is fingerless mitts and it was all in one colour. So I don't think that counts.As always click on the images for the links. I should also warn you that the last image contains bad language.

I love daisies and so these immediately caught my eye. I think it's a combination of the daisies and the blue. It stands out against the white and blue is my favourite colour.  Sadly, I'm not sure how you get a hold of the pattern. I've linked it to the ravelry page of the original designer, Eva-Lotta Staffas, It looks like it might be from a Norwegian book. I wouldn't normally share it in that case but these are too pretty not to.

For those who don't know me I am a self confessed geek. I immediately fell in love with these Doctor Who gloves. Any self-respecting Doctor Who fan would (unless of course you are terrified of the Weeping Angels). This pattern was designed by Therese Sharp and is available on her etsy store, Geekyness Galore. Worth checking out if you are a geek like me.

How cute are these owls? I love an owl and added with the blue it's instant love. I love the look of the yarn too. Looks almost like a cotton to me (I don't recognise the brand). These are available for purchase on ravelry and were designed by Barbara Gregory. Oh, and the pattern even has a cute title - Horatio and Oren.

Well, fingerless mitts were going to have to make an appearance in here somehow. This is a beautiful star pattern and I think the possibilities are endless with all those variegated yarns out there. Better yet, this pattern is available of ravelry and is free. They were designed by Sybil R. I can see myself knitting these at the end of the year.

Okay, so these mittens aren't for the faint hearted. I wouldn't wear them round to your grans (well, maybe my gran, I think she would love them). They amused me though as there are some days when the weather can only be described as such. Am I right? These are available for purchase on ravelry and were designed by the appropriately titled, Drunk Girl Designs.

Not a Fashionista

Most people who know me will not know me for my fashion sense. I am never going to be a fashionista and I'm okay with that. I do like pretty things but mainly I go for practical. Especially in the footwear department and especially in the winter. I am genetically clumsy and so me and ice just don't go. So my winter foot wear is chosen by their likelihood of preventing me from landing on my backside. For a year I had Ugg boots. I hate Ugg boots. No offence to those who love them but I think they are just so ugly (told you I was never going to be a fashionista. The Ugg boots I picked out were leather and were short ones so could be worn under my trousers. I was told they would last me years and would be perfect for our horrible wintery weather (we don't get pretty snow, we get slush and ice). They leaked, my trainers were better on the ice and they lasted a year. This time I have went for Hunter boots. I actually quite like them so that's a plus already. I am hoping they won't leak. Sadly though, I have read that they are next to useless at ice walking. I remain hopeful though.

They don't keep you warm though which means I get to wear some of my handknit socks underneath. That's never a bad thing. They do rub on the backs of my legs though and so I decided to make something that would solve that.

So I made these boot cuffs or boot liners. Whatever you want to call them. I realise you can buy them but where is the fun in that? Confession, I have seen people knitting up boot cuffs on instagram and I honestly thought they were just for the pretty. As a person who has always worn her boots underneath her trousers I didn't see the point. Now it appeals to my practical side.

I got the pattern from ravelry. They are called 'Nautical But Nice' Boot Warmer by Raquel Gaskell and it's a free pattern. I don't take advantage of the free patterns on ravelry often enough. You can usually find little gems like this one. I call it a gem because I am sure people would gladly pay for this pattern. I was immediately taken by the cables. I love a cable. I love knitting them and I love the look. This is probably one of the more complex cable patterns I have used. The knitting on the round part is easy enough but one cable is worked over 8 row repeats and the other over 24. This just meant that I had to track the two so that I remembered where I was at. I love how it turned out.

The yarn used in the initial pattern is done in white (and fits in with the nautical theme). I decided to use a yarn that has been sitting for the last 6 months just waiting to be used. It's by Wendy and is called Roam Fushion. For anyone interested the colourway is called Fosse. I had picked it up in John Lewis when I really only went in for a crochet hook. It feels thicker than your normal sock yarn which is why I chose it for this. It also knits up lovely. I thought the variegated pattern of the yarn would drown out the cables (as often happens with variegated yarn) but I am pleased to say that I think they actually work well together.

On the other side of this I can now finally wear my new boots!