Knitting Short Rows

Sometimes sitting down to learn a knew technique can be a little daunting. I've heard through the old knitting network that people can be intimidated and even put off a pattern if it includes short rows, and to be honest I probably could of been included in this in the past. But I know they are a really important technique to learn, so recently I taught a simple short row class, and in planning it realised that every pattern I have on the needles at the moment Include short rows, infact the majority of everything I knit has them to some degree.

Take the heels in socks, weather it's a traditional Heel flap and gusset or a afterthought heel they all include short row shaping.

These are my free pattern Shorter days, Shortie socks which have a garter stitch short row heel. which are really hard wearing, and to not any more difficult than any other heel turn.

My son Hector has been asking for some bed socks, so I made him these which have a heel flap and gusset which I think stay on little feet better. the wool is from Fying Tiger, so it's easily the cheapest socks I've every made, it's only £1 a ball and I don't think I used half of it, not bad for wool socks, and as you can probably see from this picture they are getting a lot of wear.

You often find short rows in jumper construction either in the back of the neck, to make it higher or on the bottom hem to make it longer at the back. Or like I'm Knitting at the moment, short rows are a great way to shape shoulders rather than having to cast off stitches and have a more staggered look.

I've been wanting for ages to cast on a Stephen west pattern, as you hear so much about how great his patterns are and how interesting the construction is. So I've cast on his Dotted rays shawl. It's pretty simple, very enjoyable so far and is a great example of short row construction. 

But by far the easiest and fun introduction to short rows are all the quick dishcloth patterns you can find. And if you haven't had a go with dishcloth yarn your missing a treat. They are knit on straight needles and its the short rows that make the circular construction.

Here are a couple I've made This week the light one at the back is The Almost Lost Washcloth I knit this in the Rico design cotton, which is so soft and they have great speckles and stripes. The round one at the front is the Crazy eight dishcloth and this is made in Knit picks, Dishie. which is one of my favourites. These are so much fun to make. 

I hope you have a fun time trying something new.

Happy Knitting!!

Lost and Found Jewellery

Some of you may know from previous blogs or from my profile that my main job for the last 12 years or so has been my Jewellery collection, 'Lost and Found'. And I'm very excited to have opened an Etsy shop so you can now buy it online. 
I thought I'd take this opportunity to share a little about my back ground and history of the collection and myself as a Jeweller.  To visit my shop Just Click HERE or go to Etsy - LostAndFoundByRosie

I’m a 4th generation jeweller with my paternal grandfather having an enamelling factory in the Birmingham jewellery quarter. I studied Jewellery and Silver Smithing at Sheffield Hallam university. I have always loved art and sculpture but wanted to have skills that I could work with to express that and which was also a viable way to make money so I could always do what I loved for a living. At university I did a lot of silver smithing and ‘conceptual’ jewellery work; giant concrete bangles and such. When I left I worked for the fabulous designer Lara Bohinc and I feel that is where I really learnt to make jewellery, making multiples of single items and really learning the business.

My Lost and Found collection has been exhibiting in galleries all over the country from the Shetland Isles to Somerset. The collection was featured in the Marie Claire Hot List and Elle Collections.

The inspiration for all my work has been the story behind the piece. My father, mother and brother are actors and writers and so the idea of telling a story is very important to me. And with the ‘Lost and Found’ collection I find that people always want to know how the fragments got to the garden. Who ate from the plate or smashed the cup that ended up buried in a garden? I love that. To give people the opportunity to create their own story and look at discarded objects differently, even if they are broken.

Hope you've enjoyed this little detour from my knitting life and please visit my shop HERE!!

Autumn sock pattern

There’s nothing like the changing colours of the leaves and the nights drawing in to make me want to wrap up in hand knits and start dream knitting for the cold months ahead.  So to help us along I have a new pattern, a sock pattern, which is very exciting,  Called ‘Shorter days, shorty socks’.

I love knitting shorty socks and as it’s not quite cold enough yet for the big wool socks I thought these were perfect. They are easily adaptable for longer socks and could be made as children’s or men’s also.

As a general guide when I knit socks on 2.25mm needles, US 1. I cast on 36 stitches for a baby, 48 for a young child , 64 for a woman, and for men I’m casting on 68 at the moment. A lot of patterns suggest 72 stitches for a man but I think that is slightly too many for my tension.

In this pattern I have used a garter short row heel. Predominantly for aesthetics but also it fits my heel really well and I don’t have to switch to DPNs  for the heel as I like to knit socks on 9inch circulars. Also with this heel I have knit the short rows over 36st rather than 32st. I find this fits my foot better as I have a wide foot with a high instep.

This Pattern is knit in Rico Design, Superba Circus in the Brown Mix, and some Life in the Long Grass, Starman, for the cuffs and toes. I have been staring at these two colour ways together for months waiting to find a pattern, and what better than to come up with your own, so you have exactly what you envisioned.

So here it is your  ‘Shorter days, shorty socks’ Pattern,

You will need

2.25mm needles

4ply sock yarn

1 darning needle

• ·      Cast on 64 stitches in the round, place marker for BOR.

• ·      Knit 2x2 Rib (knit 2st, Purl 2st) for 14 Rows,

• 
  

• ·      Knit 7 rounds

• 
  

• ·      Purl 2 rounds

• 
  

• ·      Knit 4 rounds

• 
  

• ·      Repeat last 2 rounds twice more so you have 3 garter bumps.

• 
  

• ·      Knit 17 rounds

• 
  

• ·      Knit across 35 stitches, slip the next stitch, wrap and Turn.

• ·      Knit to 1 stitch before the BOR marker, wrap and turn.

• ·      Continue to knit to 1 stitch before the last wrapped stitch, and wrap and turn, until you have 8 unwrapped stitches, (14 wrapped stitches either side)

• ·      Knit these 8 unwrapped stitches and then Knit the first wrapped stitch, wrap and turn.

• ·      Knit back to the first wrapped stitch on the other side knit this  then wrap and turn.

• ·      Continue till all the wrapper stitch have been knit.

•  

• ·      Begin to work in the round again. I like to add an extra stitch marker to devide my stitches in half now so I know where I am when decreasing for the toe.

• ·      Knit till your sock measures approx. 2inches short of you foot length.

Garter Short Row Heal

*remember I knit my heel over 36stitches rather than the usual 32stitchs.

There are tons of great tutorials that explain the garter short row heel really well, I find it really helpful to watch tutorial videos. Here’s one I found really helpful, the knitpurlhunter.com 

                           And of course Very pink knits has a great wrap and turn video.

                          

But here is how I knit mine.

The Toe knit on DPNs

      Round 1:

·      Needle 1: K to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1.


·      Needle 2: K1, ssk, k to end of needle.


·      Needle 3: K to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1.


·      Needle 4: K1, ssk, k to end of needle.

·      Round 2: Knit all stitches

·      Repeat these 2 rounds until there are 8 stitches (or half  the amount you started with) on each needle.

·      Now repeat round 1 until there are 4 stitches on each needle or until the toe measures 2 inches.

·      Seam up using the kitchener stitch method.

 I hope you Like them, If you do give them ago please share Ravelry on my page.

Happy knitting!!

Birthday swifts and 9 inch needles

So it was my birthday last week and I had a great time with family and friends and got spoilt with lovely knitting tools that I’ve been wanting. We had lovely food and wine and went to the woods in Kenilworth, and Rich and I actually went out together for a meal, which was amazing. 

As I said in my last blog, I’ve been exploring all the beautiful hand-dyed yarns and buying some really beautiful skeins of yarn. But the one thing missing was a yarn swift and ball winder.

Having for so long avoided buying skeins because I hate having to wind by hand (and getting in a horrible tangle), I’m so thrilled with my new toys and I just love seeing how the yarn winds up and changes. You can really see all the colours and pattern, especially in the speckled and striped yarns. It’s quite magical and got me really eager to finish projects and cast more things on so I can wind some more. 

I also got this great tote bag, (I’m not sure what company it’s from), and this sock ruler from Rosies Moments on Etsy – and she put in these really sweet stitch marker too. I’m sure I’m going to use these thing a lot. 

In another knitting exploration, I bought myself some 9-inch circulars to try some socks on. I’ve heard so much about them – totally mixed reviews but I thought I’d give them a shot. I haven’t got too far but I’m really liking them. I thought I’d try some socks for Rich first as they have more stitches cast on and thought that might be easier. 

The first two rows were a little tight but now it’s great and, compared to knitting on DPNs (double pointed needles), it seems much easier to transport and do little bits on. I’m really pleased with those – I love learning new techniques. 

I’m knitting Rich another pair of the Molly Weasely Family sock as it was so quick and easy when I knitted my own. I have for cuffs heals and toes The Women's Institute, Unique Shetland in Olive Green and for the leg and foot I have by Rico Design, Suberba Circus in Brown Mix 05 . He loves brown so I think I’m on to a winner. 


I finished my Hermione’s everyday socks and I’m so pleased with them. I was worried they were going to be massive after blocking them, as I did them in a sport weight yarn but I have a really high instep so they fit me great. I had to look up how to do the eye of partridge heal on DPNS and I don't think it came out exactly how it should, but I really like it all the same, and would do it again as it is.

I’m going to do a non-Harry-Potter themed sock next I think. I’ve never even read the books and I feel like I’m a super fan. 

I have a few other projects to cast on but I’ll share them next time when I’ve made more progress and there is actually something to show. And I also have a ‘Holes in the plot bookmark the sequel’, which is another free pattern ready for my next blog. So if you had a go at the first which was a introduction to Yarn over stitches, this is a little more challenging and a really lovely lace pattern. 

Happy Knitting!

Falling In love again.

I’ve realised these last couple of weeks that I have a problem. Over the last 10 years or so that I have been knitting I have become a DK addict. It’s my absolute default. And I have so much of it that there hasn’t been room for much else. My opinion has been that there isn’t much you can’t knit on a good DK yarn and 4mm needles. And I think it’s put me in a slight knitting rut. 


But I’m thrilled to say I’ve come through the other side reborn and refreshed to find a new love of sock and lighter weight yarns. They’ve always made me a little nervous as I thought knitting on such fine yarn would tie me down to long projects. But it isn’t the case, a case in point being my new Mrs. Weasley's Family Socks by A Homespun House – I cast them on and had them blocked in 10 days. 
I did have to make my own sock blockers, which possibly isn’t the best, but I love making things myself if I can. 

I’ve just had such a fun couple of weeks. I’ve discovered some amazing podcasts on YouTube that I’ve been binge watching. And they are so inspiring. Since I spend a lot of my time knitting and working from home, these podcasts provide a great sense of community and open a up a whole world of knitting, with knit-alongs and Ravelry groups. 
Here are some of my favorites: 
The Grocery Girls 
The gentle knitter 
Mandarines 
Knitting in the City 

It’s a joy to sit and watch these with my knitting, taking notes on beautiful yarn brands and with patterns to try. It has led me to spend rather a lot of time (and money) online and on Etsy indulging and exploring all the wonderful independent hand dyers. 
I’ve bought a few skeins 

Viking yarns  - Hand Dyed Sock Yarn - 100% Baby Alpaca Wool in 'Broken Hallelujah'

Viking yarns  - Hand Dyed Sock Yarn - Superwash Merino/Cashmere/Nylon in 'Straw into Gold' 

I love pink geraniums -Hand Dyed, Superwash, Merino, Yarn, Cashmere, Wool, Sport, Sock, 4 Ply, Twisted Cashmere, 

And this wonderful self striping sock yarn from cascade yarns in - 6 Autumn, which I knit my socks in. The cuffs, heals and toes are in a yarn called Millamia. in their Teal. I did have to take the toe out of the first sock to lengthen it a little, but it's a really easy pattern to pick up and I'm really pleased I did, as they fit great now

And I’ve just cast on Hermione’s Everyday Sock, which is a free pattern on Ravelry and looks so pretty, I’m really looking forward to doing the heel which is textured and I’ve not tried a patterned heel before. The Yarn I've used is Bergere de France, Ideal in Girolle which reminded me so much of the marigolds in my garden. the cuff is some really old yarn I had in a beautiful oatmeal.

It’s all very exciting, I thought I better channel my renewed love and enthusiasm into something productive as well as just knitting myself lots of lovely things so I have come up with some more one-off workshops for the Sewing School that I’ll be posting in the next few weeks. 

Also, I’ve just added to Knitting Patterns Galore my ‘spring flowers’ mug cosy and a holes-in-the-plot bookmark. And I wanted to say, ‘Thank you’ if you’ve had a go at knitting these as well as my Beginners’ garter stitch purse. As I seem to be getting a lot of views from them, if you have had a go, I’d love to see what you’ve done so please share them on my Ravelry project pages. You can also follow me now on Instagram - Rosie'sKnits.


I’m off to work on socks now.
Happy Knitting!!

Summer colour

I'm Ready for Colour, warmth and all things Summer. So I thought I'd share a few FO's and WIP's That I've been up to recently. And a few Photo's Hector and I have been taking this weekend (the poppy is one of his Photo's), that are getting me all inspired for summer.

Below is a sneak peak at my new shawl pattern that I'm designing. It should be available next month. It's predominately in this Bergere de France, Ideal, Citronnier, which if you could have a subtle Hi Vis this would be it, I really love it and it's nice to knit with. 

This is a Purl soho, Chevron baby blanket Pattern that I knitted recently in Bergere de France, Sport, Aran weigh yarn, I wanted a boys baby blanket that wasn't all pale blue and teddy's, I was really pleased how this turned out, and the joy with this yarn is it's machine washable which is a must for little baby projects I think. 

I've gone a bit crazy on pinks for probably the first time in my life. 

I feel I should say I do have other brands of Yarn in my stash but Where I teach sells Bergere and I find it hard to leave on a Thursday evening without buying something, hence the above photo from this weeks impulse buy.

 

This is the Flower Doily pattern available through Red Heart . I knitted it on, Fingering on 2.5mm DPNs and the larger one which is dinner plate size is in an Aran weight on 4mm DPNs. It's a really well written pattern, easy to follow especially if your not a big lace knitter.

I hope this gets you a little inspired to get knitting in colour this summer. Happy Knitting!!

Spring Flowers.

It's Spring at Last! (though it doesn't look like from my window right now). And what better way to celebrate than teaching the lovely ladies in my knitting class how to Create some colour work. So I came up with this pretty cosy to keep our mugs warm while we are out getting our gardens ready for Summer.

Yarn:

Special by Style craft - Parchment

                                      Meadow

                                      Matador

Robin Double Knit -     Sunflower

 It's a great pattern to use up scrap wool, But I would say predominantly use a lightweight DK, or drop to 3.25mm needles for a a heavier yarn. 

 Please click on this link to get the PDF pattern, Spring Flowers Mug Cosy PDF  If you do give it a go i'd love it if you put your finished Item on my Ravelry page http://www.ravelry.com.

Now I know that if you are used to colour work, you may wonder why I've flipped the chart 90 degrees. It's so in class we can get to adding the colours and following the chart before our time is up. Feel free to use the chart which ever way up you like. It also helps with being able to determine how long the piece should be compared to your mug.


And.. If you like making charts yourself there is a BRILLIANT knitting website: http://www.tricksyknitter.com/shop/page/2/ where I created this chart.

Happy Knitting!!