Fuchsia and White Baby Blanket - Margaret Power

Fuchsia & White 

Baby Blanket  

Following up from my Daffodil inspired baby blanket, I decided to do a new design which is simple but yet is still very cute and made from a fantastic blend of yarn called Flutterby Chunky by James Brett. This yarn is so soft and warm it was lovely to work with. I Incorporated a fuchsia pink ribbon just to give it an extra bit of cuteness.  

I edged the outer part of the blanket in an acrylic yarn I had around the house, always great to have cheaper yarns especially for smaller stitching jobs like edging.

I don't know what it is about this time of year but lots of baby's are expected in the spring to summer months so I have a perfect gift ready to go should anyone give some good news.

The stitching is basic doubles which are a closer stitch giving this warm yarn a lovely thickness. Mostly, some of the blankets I make are for decorative purposes like an over blanket on a basket or pram. But this yarn is so cuddly its a perfect blanket to have as a main one. The yarn is dense and thick and the softness is really lovely. There is two stitch details in the blanket, the fold down top has a wider more loose stitch which gives a nice texture and adds interest to the design.  

As you may know from my last blanket I love to do a matching hat which I also did in this yarn. I added some crochet flowers to the front and a pom pom which is very in at the moment in crochet and knitting. I crocheted a tighter stitch in the center of the hat so as to act like an elastic to keep the hat on leaving the top and end in a looser stitch. 

For this blanket I used:

100g ball of Flutterby in white

fuchsia acrylic yarn (cheapy)

30cm Fuchsia pink ribbon  

I have lots of projects coming soon which I will be adding to the thewoolshop.ie blog so stay tuned for more lovely creations.

Regards,

Mag  

Stylecraft Malabar Aran - Easy lace knit pattern - thewoolshop.ie

Stylecraft Malabar Aran 

Cardigan Pattern 

Malabar Aran

'Malabar Aran which is a rich blend of silk and cotton in an Aran weight. The natural fibres give this yarn a wonderful drape and the rich colour palette of intense shades makes this the perfect yarn for summer knits and crochet accessories'.

At thewoolshop.ie we try to bring knitting to a whole new generation of people interested in creating their own clothing and styles, this pattern gives a perfect finish using Malabar Aran. It feels rich to hold, enough weight to feel like you have a quality cardigan. The fit is really good, also there is a little bit of a stretch to the yarn so its very comfortable to wear. The soft finish to the cotton and silk yarn gives a touch of coolness making this cardigan perfect for summer evenings.

We decided at thewoolshop.ie we would re-shoot the photographs and show you how trendy this cardigan can be. Not that there's anything wrong with the original photograph of the cardigan but just to show you the cardigan in a different setting. So rather than just looking at the pattern picture, we thought you are missing out on just how great this project can look in reality ''so to speak''

The knitting of this cardigan pattern was pretty easy to follow using 5 malabar aran 100g balls, the yarn is very nice to knit with on a 4.5mm (USA 7) 5mm (USA 8) set of needles for this particular project. The sizing guide is pretty good but keep in mind there is that little bit of stretch as we mentioned before.

You can find the pattern and sizing guide here:

 http://www.thewoolshop.ie/magento/stylecraft-malabar-aran-pattern-9140.html

Our after thought.......

Malabar Aran Headband 

Shortly after the Cardigan was knitted we decided to try something else with this great yarn. we wanted to give you an idea on how vibrant the shades are. We took an idea from a cowl pattern also Stylecraft Malabar Aran and modified it from a cowl to a head band and from crochet to knitted. 

You Can find this pattern here: http://www.thewoolshop.ie/magento/brands/stylecraft/stylecraft-crochet-patterns/stylecraft-malabar-aran-crochet-pattern-9148.html

The colours are very bright as you can see in the picture below

The yarn has great stitch definition. I am not as familiar with crochet as I am with knitting but this cowl really took my fancy. I decided I would try something similar with knitting and try to work in the stunning colours together as with the crocheted version...but as a head band. 

Here's the how to.......

Cast on 132 stitches

(colour a)    Knit 2 rows

(colour b)    Knit 5sts, Slip 1st, continue to end of row.

(colour b)    As above but Slip 1st purlwise.

(colour c)    Knit 2sts, Slip 1st, Knit 5sts, Slip 1st, continue to end 
                    of row Knit 3sts.

(colour c)    As above but Slip 1st purlwise.

I have used 8 colours and continued the pattern as above. 16 rows in total, 
casting off in the colour I started with.

''We hope you like what we have created with Stylecraft Malabar Aran''

www.thewoolshop.ie

Credits

Model: Charlotte Power

Daffodil Day 2015 & Spring Inspired baby blanket by Margaret Power

Daffodil Day 2015

Supporting Ireland's Longest running charity

Free pattern

Daffodil Day is the biggest and longest running fundraising day for the Irish Cancer Society, Ireland’s national cancer charity. On Daffodil Day thousands of volunteers around Ireland sell daffodil pins and flowers (on streets, in businesses, homes and shopping centres) to raise money for the Society’s free, nationwide services for those with, and affected by, cancer in Ireland.

Enjoy this free pattern from Sirdar & thewoolshop.ie 

 ''Support Daffodil day 2015''

 

Click on the Pattern to view Larger image 

Spring Baby Blanket

''inspired by Daffodil Pattern from the woolshop.ie and Sirdar''

I was very intrigued by the free pattern for daffodil day 2015. This is a great cause and also a lovely pattern. I am not a knitter by any means I never took to it as I find it goes on forever and time is something I don't have with all my other crafts I have popping out of my head. 

I started crochet when I was 12 in primary school I knew it was something I would always do throughout my life. When my son was born I took advantage of crocheting baby wear and blankets, some elaborate designs to quite simple but still beautiful patterns.

Crochet is a fast craft, I can crochet a blanket in no time at all while watching the TV or just relaxing in a quite room. I find it so nice to start a project from choosing the materials to the design. Unfortunitly I am a crochet crafter who never learned about graphing patterns or putting them on paper all my ideas are in my head and I work always from my mind. Its something I should start learning to do but I have been going years now without problems so I'll continue as I go.

I use colours and designes based on the time of the year and what exactly I'm crocheting it for. In this case, I wanted to work around a crochet design based on the daffodil day pattern, which took me to the spring time baby blanket I came up with. How lovely it was to design a very in season blanket and raise awareness at the same time. I mostly used the visual of the pattern to crochet my own daffodils as you can see in the pictures.

I also made a hat to match, I love the old style baby bonnets and hats with the woven ribbons like I had as a baby.

I choose the same yellows in the pattern from Sirdar hayfield bonusDK. For the main parts of the blanket I used a cheap and cheerful acrylic yarn I had lots of in a store box. It was interesting to use because it had a sparkle strand running through it ,for some reason it symblised springtime so much more.

I hope you enjoyed reading and taking a look at my crafting of this blanket and hat set, perhaps you will be inspired to create something that not only is beautiful but will raise awareness and support an excellent charity as we have all been touched somehow by cancer.

Regards,

Mags 

Daffodil Day 2015:  www.cancer.ie

Knitted St Patrick (Tutorial) - Sue McLoughlin

Knitted St Patrick

Materials

Pair of 3.25mm,3.5mm or 3.75mm knitting needles.

2 x double pointed needles (choose from the sizes above)

50gm green DK yarn.

Oddments in skintone, pink or beige, white DK.

Oddment grey eyelash yarn.

18“ narrow white ribbon, Black & gold embroidery thread

Jam jar lid, wooden skewer, cooking foil

Toy Stuffing

Knitting Pattern to make ‘St Patrick’Using DK yarn and worked on two needles

BODY 

Using 3.25mm/3.5mm or 3.75mm needles, cast on 40 sts in a skintone/pink yarn/beige coloured yarn

Work 8” in st st, 1 row knit, 1 row purl, ending after working a purl row.

Shaping – for the base

Row 1 (k8, k2tog) 4 times. 36 sts

Row 2 (p2tog, p7) 4times. 32 sts

Row 3 (k6, k2tog) 4 times. 28 sts

Row 4 (p2tog, p5) 4 times. 24 sts

Continue decreasing in this way until 8 sts remain. ext Row (k2tog) 4times. Cut yarn and draw through sts and fasten off. Sew up seam. Stuff firmly. TIP Put a jam jar lid in the bottom of the body before stuffing. This will help with stability. 

HEAD

Cast on 24 sts in pink, skintone or beige.

Row 1 Knit

Row 2 Purl

Row 3 Increase in first st, knit to last 2 sts. 

Increase in next st and k the last stitch.

Row 4 Purl

Repeat the last two rows twice more. 30sts.

Continue in st st until work measures 2.5”.Next Row (k2tog) 15 times. 15 sts.

Next Row P1 (p2tog) 7 times. 8 sts.

Cut yarn leaving a long tail. Pull yarn through stitches and fasten off.

Join the seam and stuff piece firmly.

Stitch the head on to the body, lining the seams up at the back.

UNDER SKIRT

Using white yarn, cast on 81 sts and work 4” in moss stitch, every rowk1, p1 to end.

Cast off all sts and join the side edges. Sew a running stitch all the way along the cast off edge. DO NOT FASTEN OFF OR CUT THREAD.

Slip the underskirt over the body of ‘St Patrick’ and pull the thread to gather loosely. Position the underskirt about half way up the body and stitch into place keeping the gathers even all the way around.

CLOAK

Using green yarn, cast on 21 sts and purl 1 row.

Next Row k1, m1 to last st. K1. 41sts (M1 = insert your right hand needle point through the loop that lays between the next 2sts and lift it. Now put your left hand needle into this loop and transfer it to your left hand needle, then knit into the back of it. Work in the opposite way (if you are left handed.)

Next row Purl

Repeat last two rows twice more. 161 sts. NOTE: Your stitches will be fairly tight at this point, however, they will ease off. Continue straight in st st, without increasing, until work measures 7”. Work 6 rows in moss/seed stitch. Cast off.

Sew up the seam and put piece to one side for later

ARMS – Make 2

Using your double pointed needles and a double strand of yarn, cast on 5sts in your skintone/pink/beige colour. 

You are going to make an I-Cord. Without turning your work, slide your stitches to the working end of your needle, the working yarn will be at the opposite end to normal. Put your free needle into the first st and pull your working yarn across the back of the stitches and over the top of the other needle, this pulls the edges together, DO NOT WRAP IT AROUND YOUR NEEDLE, now pull this through the stitch.

Knit the other 4 sts. Repeat this row for 4”.

Cast off. Stuff lightly and close up the ends.

Position the arms on the body and stitch into place.

Go back to the cloak and run a gathering stitch around the neck but do not pull closed just yet. Slip the cloak over ‘St Patricks’ head with the seam down the back, and pull the gathers to fit close to the neck and fasten off. No need to stitch into place, the gathers will hold it.

BEARD

Using an eyelash yarn, cast on 5sts.

Row 1 Purl

Row 2 Inc once in first st. Knit to last 2 sts, inc in next st, knit the last st. 7 sts

Row 3 Purl

Row 4 As row 2. 9 sts

Row 5 Purl

Row 6 As row 2. 11 sts

Row 7 Purl

Cast off. You may have to trim the ‘beard’ depending on the length of the fibers of the yarn.

Stitch the beard into place with the WRONG side facing out, this is the hairiest side..

HAIR

Cast on 26 sts and work 1.5” in st st. Castg off. Stitch the hair into place, with the wrong side of your work facing out, using the picture as a guide. As with the beard, you may need to give him a haircut.

HAT – Make 2 pieces

Using your green yarn, cast on 20 sts. Work 2 rows in st st.

Next row Inc in 1^st st, knit to last 2 sts. Increase in next st and knit the last one. 22 sts.

Next Row Purl

Next Row Inc in each of first 2 sts. Knit to last 3 sts. Inc in each of next 2 sts and knit the last one.

26 sts.

Next Row Purl

Row 1 K2tog twice, k to last 4 sts, k2tog twice. 22 sts

Row 2 P2tog, p to last 2 sts, p2tog. 20 sts

Row 3 K2tog twice, k to last 4 sts, k2tog twice. 16 sts

Row 4 as row 2. 14 sts

Row 5 as row 3. 10 sts

Row 6 as row 4. 8 sts

Row 7 K2tog, k to last 2 sts, k2tog. 6 sts

Row 8 Purl

Row 9 as row 7. 4 sts

Row 10 Purl

Row 11 K2tog twice

Row 12 P2tog. Fasten off.

With right sides facing, seam around the two sides of the hat, leaving the bottom open. Turn the hat the right way out and stuff making sure to keep the point at the top of the hat.

Pin the hat on to the head at the back, this is just for stability, making sure to cover the stitching line for the hair. Stitch the hat down making sure that the hair stitching is covered and the stuffing stays inside the hat.

Finishing Off

Using a gold/yellow embroidery thread, embroider a border all around the edges of the hat. Embroider a ‘cross’ on the front of the hat in gold/yellow thread.

Embroider eyes nose and a mouth on to the face, hope yours is better than mine.

Stitch ribbon down at the back of the neck and embroider gold ‘buttons’ along the whole length.

Wrap the skewer in foil fairly thickly and slide it off again. This makes a narrow tube. Bend this tube into shape to make the top of the sceptre. Make a foil ‘ball’ and slide it on to the top of the skewer about 3” down from the top. Attach the top of the sceptre with a bit of tape.

Bend the arms into the position that you want them and secure with a couple of stitches. Pull the cloak into it’s final position and sew the edges together below the arms for about 1”. Now attach the sceptre to the other hand with a few stitches. Attach the sceptre with a few stitches at the bottom on the skintone body. St Patrick is now complete. 

Enjoy.

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www.babystitches.net