Little Cotton Rabbits

Tiled blanket

Isn't it strange how things sometimes go?  I have been coveting the blanket that I mentioned in the previous post for a few months now, but it was on a site that at the time had no link to the source - it does now :)

Then coincidence (in the form of a special joint project with some other lovely crafty people, Ros Badger included, which I'll tell you about another day) led me to her blog where I found the original picture. And now thanks to mentioning it in the last post I've discovered that the pattern has just been published in the latest issue of Mollie Makes magazine (thanks to everyone who left a comment or emailed to let me know) and I've also been told it is in Ros's latest book Homemade: knit, sew and crochet. I do love coincidence and it makes me certain that I was supposed to make this blanket (that's what I'm telling H anyway)

I began working on this at the beginning of December before finding out there was a pattern and I've therefore used the original design as an inspiration rather than replicating it exactly. The main design elements that I admire most in the original are the 'oriental carpetish' colours and the lighter surround to each square that makes it look like a little tile. Those are the two elements that I'm incorporating into this blanket and here's where I am so far ...

 

I've been playing around with colour combinations and have ruled out using the deeper indigo (pictured in the basket at the end of the previous post) which seems to overpower the other colours. I'm also not quite sure yet whether to randomly order the squares or whether to be more structured. I'm leaning towards structure at the moment, but am keeping my options open (having learned my lesson with 'the old china blanket' when I had to unpick a load of squares because one of the colours didn't make me happy).

 

This time I'm being un-characteristically patient and won't start sewing the squares together until I've got a plan.

 

Unlike my previous blanket projects I'm not going to commit to one square a day - more 'one when I feel like it' and will just go with the flow and see how big it grows. Though I have a feeling that this will end up being a big blanket :)

Some blankety details:

Based on the Granny Square Blanket originally published in Homemade: Gorgeous things to make with love by Ros Badger and Elspeth Thompson (April 2009, republished May 2010).

using a 3.25mm hook

Yarn: Cascade 220 Heathers yarn in:

2425 provence, 2427 Glamour, 2431 chocolate, 2435 Japanese maple, 2437 kansas, 2440 vinci, 2442 fog hatt, 2444 flame, 2453 pumpkin spice, 4010 straw, 8013 walnut, 9332 sapphire, 9491 greystone, 9562 coffee bean, plus some oddments of yarn from my stash    

and Cascade 220 8011 aspen heather as the surround for each square.

I've added the pattern to ravelry. I've also ordered a copy of Ros Badger's book so when it arrives I'll update the ravelry page with the yarn details and hook size that she recommends.

Meanwhile it has been snowing here all day today and we now have quite a covering.

 

 

H cleared the driveway earlier but it's covered over again. If it continues to snow overnight we will no doubt have a snow day tomorrow and the children will be off from school. The perfect excuse for a day of cosy cuddling and crochet!

 

cosying

It has been so cold here this week. We started the week with snow, have carried on with sub zero temperatures and it looks like we'll be finishing off with another snowfall tomorrow.

 

 

Not that I'm complaining. I like snow, a lot, especially when I don't actually have to go anywhere and can use it as an excuse to park myself on the sofa with some wool and stay warm and cosy!

 

It's given me time to finish those gloves, (full details on ravelry)

 

and wear them! I'm really pleased with how comfy they are.

And some time for bunny knitting too. But the thing that is really entrancing my fingers at the moment is another crochet blanket. At the end of last year I became slightly obsessed with this wonderful blanket that I'd found on my travels around the internet. It really bugs me to not know the source of an image and therefore give proper credit and appreciation to the creator (and often tumblr and pinterest don't link back to the source **) but by happy coincidence I did actually discover the original over on Ros Badger's site.

I am so in love with this blanket - the colours are wonderful and remind me of old oriental carpets with their natural dyes like madder root, larkspur, weld, oak bark and indigo. I also love the way that each square looks like a little tile with that rim of lighter yarn looking like the grouting inbetween. Although I am informed by H (in slightly testy tones) that we really don't need another blanket I have bought the yarn and made a start on a blanket inspired by these particular details.

 

I'll show you where I am with it next time! In the meantime have a lovely weekend and if you're in the snow zone - keep warm and cosy x

** Update: Happily, Solange has kindly updated the tumblr page and linked to the source. I've also had messages to let me know that the pattern is available in the current issue of Mollie Makes magazine and Ros's book 'Homemade: Gorgeous Things to Make with love'

 

workshops

Well, I'm getting back into my term-time stride again: I've caught up with the washing, tidied up the house from the Christmas bits, started bunny making again in earnest and am now feeling settled after the flurry of unsettledness that dominates during school holidays. I'm also feeling excited at the thought of some new things that are happening here this year. We are planning big changes to the garden which will hopefully make family life a lot easier when Toby is having meltdowns, but more of that another time because today my head is full of thoughts about workshops.

 

Towards the end of last year a wonderful new craft shop opened in one of my local towns and after chatting with Angela the lovely owner I am now going to be teaching a couple of workshops there. I'm really looking forward to passing on some of my tips for neat finishing techniques. I know I'm a bit unusual in loving seaming and the like but hopefully some of my enthusiasm will help others to enjoy the more fiddly bits of knitting.

 

 

The Creative Sanctuary, Hertford, SG14 1AS

 

My first workshop is on Tuesday February 5th and will be a 3 hour session making mini bunnies*. I'll be covering various finishing techniques including mirrored/paired decreasing, mattress stitch seaming, i-cords and anchored french knots and hopefully everyone will go away with a finished mini bunny ready for Easter. If you are interested in booking a place the link is here: Finishing techniques workshop.

 

 

The next workshop is in March and I'm planning to make knitted Easter eggs and there will hopefully be a hedgehog workshop in May, but I'll post details about them nearer the time.

If you are in Hertford any time please pop into the Creative Sanctuary and say hello to Angela. She's so knowledgable and entusiastic about crafts and always gives a very friendly welcome to any visitors. You may even bump into me browsing yarn or buying new needles!

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*  My free pattern for a mini bunny is here and if you use different weights of yarn and needle sizes you can make a family of different sized ones. The three above were made from chunky yarn on 4mm needles, DK yarn on 3.25mm needles and 4ply yarn on 2.25mm needles.

 

ingredients of a happy morning

 

the bright, clear light of a cold winter's day,

smelling the woodsmoke from the fire in the stove,

knitting up a pattern that is well written and clever*,

 

listening to Chill on my radio

eating hot buttered toast with tangerine marmalade

and drinking a good strong cup of English Breakfast tea, with one sugar please.

 

Added together, these equal a happy morning for me.

 

What are the things that add up to equal your kind of happy?

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* The pattern is Alfredo Gloves by Suzanne Stallard and with its well positioned thumb and neatly integrated shaping it's the nicest pattern for fingerless gloves that I've knitted.

PS: the pattern is written for knitting in the round but I much prefer knitting things flat and seaming them with mattress stitch afterwards, so if you're a clever in-the-round knitter please don't let my pictures put you off giving a lovely pattern a go.

PPS: the yarn used for this pair was Madeline Tosh sock yarn in 'mare' and 'smokestack' full details on my ravelry page.

 

 

packing

Well, the last batch of little cotton rabbits (and friends) for this year are being bedded down in their tissue paper and wrapping and getting ready to be sent off to new homes.

 

I think the annual Christmas batch with their nordic clothing are the ones that I most enjoy working on and I really like playing around with new dress designs. This year my favourite is the dress with the little robins - it was a bit fiddly to knit but I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. I'll also find it hard to say goodbye to Henning with his fat tum and baggy shorts - he reminds me a little of Toby!

 

 Anyway, if you're interested in rehoming any of these 8 animals then please pop on over to my 'shop blog' and leave a comment on any that you like. I'm closing comments and using the random number generator on Thursday morning.

Then I'll be taking a wee bunny knitting break (I'm a little bunnied out) and instead I'm planning on making more wristwarmers. I've just cast on yet another pair, this time using a lovely pattern from Suzanne Stallard, but more of those another time.

Christmas Jumper Day

Thanks for all the kind comments about Amy's singing in the previous post - she is suitably embarrassed and actually not giving me too much grief (which might have something to do with me reminding her that I could have published the picture of her sitting on her potty in just a princess crown!)

Anyway, on the Thursday before last when I was sat in the audience watching her sing in the school talent showcase (and feeling that unique-to-mums emotional mix of pride, weepiness and nerves) there was a little part of me that wished it was possible to be in two places at once. I had been really flattered to be invited to a very exciting event taking place in London at the same time - the launch of Christmas Jumper Day hosted by Debbie Bliss and Trisha Malcolm, Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Knitting, at the Save the Children Living & Giving shop in Primrose Hill. Fifteen other knitty bloggers did make it there and had a great time knitting up Debbie's cute egg cosy patterns, you can make your own from the free pattern here.

Since I wasn't able to be at the 'knitterati party', I promised that I'd give the campaign a mention here, afterall who could resist the chance to wear a fun Christmas jumper to raise money for a very worthy cause?

 

Here are the details:

"On 14th December, more than 250,000 people (and counting!) will be wearing a festive woolly to school, offices and workplaces all across the UK, with everyone taking part donating £1 to Save the Children.

Think fluffy nosed reindeer and cross-stitched snowmen! Anyone can take part – you can decorate an everyday jumper with tinsel and baubles, rescue an old one bought in a moment of festive joy, or even knit one if you've got the skills – it's completely up to you.

Money raised from Christmas Jumper Day will help bring life-saving care to some of the world’s most vulnerable children. In the world's poorest countries almost 7 million children die every year from easily preventable causes like diarrhoea and malnutrition. Simple solutions, like vaccines and mosquito nets, save lives – so your knitted jolly jumper could make a real difference.

We want to spread the word far and wide to get as many people as possible involved in a day of jumper joy on 14th December."

 

So dig out your winter woollies - or whip one up if you have time - there are even some free patterns provided by Debbie Bliss and T Bramsden.

Please join in by donating £1 and wearing a woolly on Christmas Jumper day and urge your workmates, housemates, in fact anyone you know to join in too and lets all get in the Christmas spirit on Friday December 14th.

Thanks x

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Edited to add: The Save The Children website seems to be down at the moment - it is now back up.

Their facebook page is here.