Baby Cakes Blankets

As I may have mentioned before I don't like sewing especially not sewing in ends and while I have always fancied trying Fair Isle and stranded knitting the idea of making a whole blanket using those techniques was  a bit daunting, so when I saw a post on Instagram last year featuring the baby cakes blanket-in-ball from Cygnet yarns I was very, very tempted. I kept thinking of all the blankets I could make with this yarn and how I'd make them and what patterns I could come up with. It was only when I spent an entire mindfulness class meditating about them that I decided to just go ahead and get some.

When they first arrived I have to admit I was slightly disappointed, the colours seemed a bit more muted than they had on the internet and I had an image in my head of the blanket I wanted but no idea how to go about it. Eventually I settled on the Chevron Baby Blanket from Espace Tricot on Ravelry for the Blueberry Muffin colourway. And the more I knitted the more I loved this yarn again. It's acrylic but it feels kind of velvety, lovely and snuggly for a small baby.  

 

 I decided I wanted something a bit more lacy for the Battenburg colourway so I just used the free pattern on the ball band of the yarn. Again to start with I wasn't sure about the colours but the more I knitted the better they looked. And now that it's finished I'm really really happy with it. I think the colours and the lacy chevron effect work perfectly together.

 I've just started a third blanket using the Angel Cake colourway. I decided to use the Chevron Baby Blanket pattern from Espace Tricot but with a few variations. I cast on 149 stitches to give an extra chevron plus 2 extra stitches at the start and end of each row. I knit the first 6 rows in garter stitch and the first and last 3 stitches of each row are always knit. I've been purling the yarn overs on the wrong side rows as normal instead of through the back loop to give a more lacy effect.

 But, having finished 2 blankets and started a 3rd, I have just realised I still haven't made the one I had in mind this time last year. I know I wanted something plain and simple with a squared effect so I will keep thinking and pondering and maybe sometime soonish I will have the blanket of my imagination to share with you..

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A walk in the sunshine

Experimenting with Stranded Knitting and a Hat.

I've always been half afraid of trying stranded knitting so what better way to overcome my fear than to attempt to make a hat making the pattern up as I went along..
I've some Drops Eskimo in my stash I picked up in the Felting Fever sale earlier this year which I think could make a fabulous chunky two tone hat.
So here goes I've cast 52 stitches on 8mm circular needles and joined in the round.
8 rounds knit 1 purl 1 rib.

Knit 6 rounds.

Round 15: [knit 1 in contrast colour, knit 3 in main colour] to end of round. 

Knit 1 round.

Round 17: knit 2 in main colour, [knit 1 in contrast colour, knit 3 in main colour] till last 2 stitches of round, knit 1 in contrast colour, knit 1 in main colour.

Round 18: repeat round 13.

Round 19: [knit 1 in main colour, knit 1 in contrast colour] to end of round

Round 20: [ knit 1 in contrast colour, knit 1 in main colour] to end of round.

Round 21: [ knit 1 in main colour, knit 3 in contrast colour to end of round].

Round 22: knit 2, [ knit 1 in main colour, knit 3 in contrast colour] to last 2 stitches of round, knit 1 in main colour, knit 1 in contrast colour.

Round 23: knit in contrast colour.

Round 24: as round 21.

Knit 6 rounds in contrast colour. 

Round 31: [knit 11 knit 2 together] 4 times (48 stitches).

Round 32: [knit 4 knit 2 together] 8 times (40 stitches).

Round 33: [knit 3 knit 2 together] 8 times (32 stitches).

Round 34: [knit 2 knit 2 together] 8 times (24 stitches.

Round 35: [knit 1 knit 2 together] 8 times (16 stitches).

Round 36: knit 2 together to end of round (8 stitches).

Cut yarn leaving a long tail. Thread yarn through remaining 8 stitches and secure tightly. ( I left to thread the yarn through twice for added security). Weave in all remaining ends. Add pompom if required. Ta dah!! Hat done ☺️

Dainty Baby Dress Pattern

I'm a member of the Cygnet Yarnstars group on Facebook. Every month they challenge 5 members to design something using a ball or less of their yarn. I was lucky enough to be selected for their May competition and this is my entry.
Dainty  Baby Dress Pattern:
Using 3mm circular needles or whatever size necessary to give tension gauge of 28 stitches x 32 rows = 10cm x 10cm and 1 ball Cygnet Kiddies supersoft 4-ply.
Cast on 154 stitches and join in the round. Knit 6 rounds.
Next round: [K2 tog, yo] to end of round.
Knit 6 rounds. 
Fold the bottom edge up so the wrong sides of either side of the eyelet round are together. Knit each stitch with the corresponding stitch from the cast on edge. This will give you your picot hem.

Place marker at beginning of round and another after 77 stitches.
Knit 7 rounds.
Next round: K1, K2 tog, knit to last 3 stitches before marker, K1,s1,psso, k1, slip marker, k1, k2 tog
knit to last 3 stitches of round, k1, s1, psso, k1. (Dec round)
Knit 7 rounds 
Decrease round.
Knit 7 rounds
Decrease round.
Continue as set with a decrease round every 8th round until 126 stitches remain.
Knit 4 more rounds. 
On the next round knit 25 stitches, knit 1st row of chart, knit to end of round. (The chart, which is in my previous blog post, is over 13 stitches so for the first row of the heart pattern you would knit 25 stitches, then knit the 13 stitches of the chart - knit 6, purl 1, knit 6 - then knit 25 stitches to the marker.) 
Knit a further 5 rounds continuing with the chart.
Next round cast off 1 stitch, knit 24, knit next row of chart, knit 24 cast off next 2 stitches knit 61 cast off final stitch of round.

From now on we will be working the front and back separately.

Front: Starting with a purl row decrease 1 stitch at each end of the next 6 rows, while continuing to work the chart across the middle 13 stitches. Complete the chart. Knit 7 more rows of stocking stitch. 

Knit 18 stitches. Turn (working on these 18 stitches only) purl 2 together, purl to end of row.

Knit to last 2 stitches, Knit 2 together.                                                                                        

Repeat these two rows.                                                                                                                

Purl 1 row.                                                                                                                                   

Knit to last 2 stitches, Knit 2 together.                                                                                        

Repeat these 2 rows 4 times.                                                                                                        

Knit 2 rows stocking stitch. Cast off.                                                                                           

Slip 13 stitches onto stitch holder.                                                                                               

Rejoin yarn and knit remaining 18 stitches.                                                                                 

Purl to last 2 stitches, purl 2 together,                                                                                          

Knit 2 together, knit to end of round.                                                                                           

Repeat these two rows.                                                                                                                 

Purl 1 row.                                                                                                                                    

Knit 2 together, knit to end of round.                                                                                           

Repeat these 2 rows 4 times.                                                                                                         

Knit 2 rows stocking stitch. Cast off.                                                                                            

Back: Rejoin yarn to back,and starting with a purl row decrease one stitch at each end of the next 6 rows (49 stitches).
Continue to work in stocking stitch until the arm holes measure 3 inches (for me this was 18 rows) ending with a WS row.
Knit 13 turn,
Purl 2 together, purl to end.
Knit to last 2 stitches, knit 2 together.
Purl 2 together, purl to end.
Knit 3 rows stocking stitch.
Cast off remaining 10 stitches.
Place centre 21 stitches onto a stitchholder. Knit to end of row.
Working on last 13 stitches, purl 11, purl 2 together.
Knit 2 together, knit to end,
Purl to last 2 stitches, purl 2 together.
Knit 3 rows stocking stitch.
Cast off remaining 10 stitches.

Join shoulder seams together.
Neckline: Knit across the 21 stitches on the stitchholder at the back, pick up and knit 6 stitches along the back shoulder shaping, 12 stitches down the front, knit across the 13 stitches on the stitchholder at the front, pick up and knit 12 stitches up the front and another 6 stitches down the back, place marker and join in the round. (70 stitches)
Knit 3 rounds.
Next round: [knit 2 together, yarn over] to end of round.
Knit 3 rounds.
I'm lazy and I hate sewing so I folded over my rounds to give the picot edging and I knitted each stitch with the corresponding stitch I picked up from the base of the neckline and cast off. If that sounds too tricky or you don't mind sewing just cast off as normal, fold down the last three rounds to give a picot effect and sew the cast off edge in place.

Armholes: Pick up and knit 52 stitches evenly around the armhole. Place marker and join in the round. Knit 3 rounds. Next round: [k2tog, yo] to end of round. Knit 3 rounds. As before either cast off and sew cast off edge in place or pick up and knit stitches from the base with the current stitch and cast off.

If anything doesn't make sense please leave a comment and I'll try and explain a bit better.

Heart chart

This is the heart chart for my Dainty Baby Dress pattern. You'll have to excuse the rough and ready-ness of it, I'm very much learning my way around this as I go.