Knitvent 2017......Marzipan Leg Warmers.

Hello, I hope you've had a good week. I can't believe this week is the penultimate pattern of this year's Knitvent 2017, it's gone so quickly. Have you been knitting any of this year's patterns?

This week are the Marzipan Legwarmers, a perfect accessory which comes in three different sizes. I used Dusty Dimples Sparkle DK in Call Me Baby.

The pattern suggests a sport weight but again Helen Stewart's patterns are always so versatile and DK worked perfectly. I knit the pattern as written, the length was slightly longer using DK but that was ok, as they are supposed to have some slouch.

I knit these pretty cabled legwarmers in the toddler size, Darcie loves her ballet class and these pretty cable designs are perfect for those budding ballerinas.

These aren't just for your little dancers though, they are perfect for adults too, find your inner ballerina. They would be great for wearing with boots or just relaxing at home to keep you warm and cosy. I can't wait to cast a pair on for myself.

Happy Knitting
xxxxDebxxxx

Knitvent 2017.........Tchaikovsky Hat and Mitts.

Hello, my friends and Happy Thanksgiving to my friends in the U.S. Today is the third week of Knitvent 2017 and behind the third window are two patterns!!!

First up is the Tchaikovsky Hat, a beautiful, textured hat in four sizes, perfect for chilly, winter days. 

I knit matching, mommy and daughter hats and added some big, fluffy pompoms, you could knit one for the whole family.

They are knit with DK weight, a great stash busting project, I used John Arbon Knit by Numbers in colour KBN79. The adult size used 46g of the 100g skein and so had plenty left to knit the baby size which used 38g.

The next pattern is a pair of matching mitts, a simple, textured wristwarmer. I used Norah George MCN DK in Orchard, I can't tell you how soft this yarn is!!! It is so cosy, I can imagine myself walking around the Christmas markets with my matching hat and mitts, sipping mulled wine.

They come in two sizes, child and adult, I used 50g in total for the adult mitts so I have enough leftover for the matching hat, both of these patterns are really quick knits so perfect for gift knitting. I did go down a needle size to a 4mm to get a better fit for my hands, they are easily adaptable to get the perfect width or length.

 While I had my camera out, taking photos of my mitts, these two little monkeys wanted to get in on the act. They are my world and are growing up so quickly, both are such little characters and bring lots of laughter into our lives.

Have a great weekend and happy knitting.
xxxxDebxxxx

Nottingham Yarn Expo.........

Hello there, this time last week I was travelling to Nottingham for the very first Nottingham Yarn Expo to meet my friend Dani who I don't get to see often enough so this was a real treat to spend the day with her.

I was lucky enough to win some tickets from Amy of Stranded Dyeworks who was giving away tickets on Instagram. So when we arrived and walked through the entrance gate we were immediately hit by the large, open, extremely light, airy venue which was being held at the Nottingham Conference Centre.

There were 100 plus exhibitors, some new to me indie dyers, some of my favourites including Moel View Yarns, Norah George and Walcott Yarns.

In the above photo, you can see the Meerdaal Scarf that I sample knit for Moel View Yarns using their stunning Ethical DK.

There were so many wonderful booths filled with gorgeous yarn so we decided to do a full lap of the show to get a feel and what we might purchase. The idea was that we look first then buy but as expected that didn't happen, there was far too much temptation.

Here's my haul, I didn't go with a shopping list as such but I did want more DK as I don't have much in my stash.

Also, after trying Dani's Addi Crasy Trio's, the new small circumference knitting needles, I had to get some of those too. It's a great alternative from DPN's, you have your stitches on two needles and knit with the third so in theory, it should be much quicker than magic loop or DPN's.

One of my first purchases was this pretty pink yarn from a new to me dyer, Dusty Dimples. The colour is Call Me Baby on her DK Sparkle base, I couldn't capture the sparkle in the photo but it is gorgeous. I'm sure this will become a hat!

Though I said to myself that I wasn't going to buy any single skein sock yarn, I could resist this sock set from another new to me dyer, Beehive Yarns. She was such a lovely lady, so was her mom who was helping out and her booth was full of beautiful yarn and colour.

This is on her Audrey base in Hoggle and the mini is Fox Tales. Hoggle is a reference to the character from the film Labyrinth. I haven't seen this film for years so this set has made me want to watch it again.

I also bought some minis to add to my collection, I got some more tonal shades from River Knit Yarn who have the most amazing wall of rainbow colours, perfect for heel and toes.

The other set of minis were from Ovis Et Cetera, naturally dyed yarn from Holland, though it was milled in England. She had the most amazing yarn and could have bought so much more but I was restrained.

Last but not least, I went back to Moel View Yarn, I had a voucher to spend so bought some stunning DK on the BFL/Silk base, naturally dyed with Logwood. I also bought a double stranded sock blank and a yarn bundle to knit the Leighton House Handwarmers by Ella Austin, a pretty colourwork pattern.

The day went so quick but it was lovely to catch up with Dani, we both said we'd definitely go back next year if they do it again.

Have a great week and I'll be back on Thursday with the third pattern from Knitvent 2017.

Happy Knitting
xxxxDebxxxx

Tulle Shawl........Knitvent 2017.

 Hello my friends, I hope you've all had a good week. I've updated the look of my blog since last week, it has stayed the same for many years so thought it could do with a change. I really like it and think it suits my style more now that I'm more of a knitting blog, I hope you agree.

I'm back to tell you that the second window from Knitvent 2017 is now open, it is a stunning one skein shawl with the most perfect name, the Tulle Shawl.

I used The Wool Barn in Ballet Slipper, I knew straight away that  I'd be using this for the Tulle Shawl, with the colourway name and The Nutcracker theme, it had to be done. There is also the option of adding beads, just for that extra sparkle over the holiday season.

This shawl was such a pleasure to knit with a simple garter stitch body and then a delicate lace border. A little tip, when knitting on the garter stitch section, use a progress keeper just so you know which is the right side of your work. I used this gorgeous, beaded Christmas tree from Eva Faith Etsy shop. She has so many beautiful handmade stitch markers and progress keepers, each one perfectly handcrafted and the quality is superb.

I did add the beads to my shawl, I used clear so it's very understated but still has that bit of sparkle. I used size 6 beads with a 1mm crochet hook. Helen gives a very clear explanation on how to add beads so don't be intimidated with beadwork.

How pretty is the border? The lace isn't too complicated and is very intuitive, after the first row you will know if you've made a mistake before getting too far as it all lines up. I think this would be a perfect first project for those who want to give lace and bead knitting a go.

I think this will make the prettiest accessory over the Christmas festivities, it would also make a great gift for someone special.

Last week, Helen Stewart released this amazing Nutcracker kit with a bag from Louleigh, a skein of yarn from the The Wool Kitchen and a progress keeper from Eva Faith.

The kit sold out within minutes but there are pre-orders over at The Wool Kitchen for this delightful yarn, also Eva Faith has some of the toy soldier progress keepers and coordinating stitch markers in her shop update on Friday 17th. Both are them are perfect for this shawl project.

Thanks for stopping by and happy knitting.
xxxxDebxxxxx

Land of Sweets..........Knitvent 2017

Today's the day that the much anticipated Knitvent 2017-The Nutcracker has been released and it was well worth the wait. If you've not heard of Knitvent before, it is a mix of advent calendar and mystery knit-along. It contains six accessories and each week you will receive a new pattern in your Ravelry library. They are perfect designs for quick, hand knitted gifts or as a little treat to yourself.

The first pattern in this wonderful collection is the Land of Sweets Cowl, a stunning design that utilises all those mini's that we have or the yarn advent calendars that we'll be eagerly opening through December.

This fun design is perfect for those cold, winter days worn with a cosy jumper indoors or tucked inside your winter coat when you go for a crisp, winter walk.

With twenty-four sections of lace, rib and stockinette, you won't lose interest in this pretty design, you will always want to get to the next colour. Such a brilliant design for using up all that leftover yarn that we don't know what to do with.

 If you haven't got that many mini skeins or leftovers, not a problem. This pattern is very versatile, find two skeins of yarn and colour block or stripe them, maybe one skein and five minis, knit a fade that is so popular at the minute or even just one colour. You could use fewer colours and make it shorter, whatever you decide, it will look fabulous.

I picked out twenty-four mini skeins weighing approximately 8g each and put them in a project bag, randomly pulling out the next colour. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this knit, when I had some knitting time through the day, this is what I wanted to knit on. I was always really excited to get to the next section and loved each stitch I knit on my cowl.

Some of the sections did use nearly all of the 8g but I mostly used between 5-7g. Each section took me about 30-45 minutes so even during this busy season, you can take some time out for yourself with a cuppa and knit a section or two.

I just think this design is amazing, most of us love these scrappy yarn projects, the most popular being a blanket. I love that this a fairly quick knit and we get this beautiful cowl to wear.

So how will you knit yours? Are you casting on straight away or waiting until December and use your advent calendar? I will definitely be casting on another one using my "yarny" advent calendar, I'd love to hear what you decide to do.

Thank you for stopping by and happy knitting.

xxxxDebxxxx

The Fibre Co Foundations - Road to China Light....Cable Wristwarmers and Giveaway Winner.

The clocks have gone back, the nights are drawing in and the temperatures are dropping quickly, there is a definite nip in the air.

It's time to pull out my needles and some soft, cosy yarn and knit myself a pair of mitts and a hat. The Fibre Co have recently released a collection of patterns using the luxurious Road to China Light, this sport weight yarn is a mix of baby alpaca, silk, camel and cashmere and has the most sumptuous colour palette.

The ebook is called The Fibre Co Foundations - Road to China Light, with a collection of four accessories, two hats, a pair of wristwarmers and a cowl. The patterns are ideal for knitters of all abilities but perfect for beginner knitters who want to expand their skills.

The first project on my needles from the collection is the Cable Wristwarmers in a beautiful, rich garnet colour called Rhodolite. There are two different lengths to chose from with a couple of simple cable stitches, they are a joy to knit with the combination of the yarn and design. I can't wait to have them finished and on my hands!

They have recently released the second design collection using Tundra, an extremely warm, squishy, bulky yarn, perfect for the cold winter months. The Foundation-Tundra has the most gorgeous colourwork hat called the Flurry Hat which I'm very excited to cast on once the mitts are off the needles. This design would be perfect for a first colourwork project with only two colours and a simple one stitch colour change.

Talking about cold days and cosy knitwear, I thought I'd also share my hot drink of choice at the moment, a Vanilla Chai Latte. I have them occasionally from the big chain coffee shops but I'm never very satisfied with them. I thought I'd try making my own as I love the flavour of chai tea. 

I don't do anything fancy, I just add a Pukka Vanilla Chai teabag into a mug of almond milk.  I then warm the milk in the microwave for two minutes, take out the teabag and froth the milk with a handheld milk frother. Sprinkle on some nutmeg and voila, a quick, delicious Vanilla Chai Latte.

Thank you to everyone who entered the Knitvent 2017 giveaway, I have picked a winner by numbering the comments in the order they were written and asked Siri to pick a number between 1-16.

The lucky winner is................... LettyB.

Congratulations, I will let Helen know and she'll send it to your Ravelry library.

I'll be back tomorrow to share my first Knitvnt 2017 project.

Happy Knitting

Deb xxx

Knitvent 2017 Giveaway......The Nutcracker.

It's that time of year again when Helen Stewart of  Curious Handmade releases the very popular Knitvent. The buzz and excitement is already strong on the Ravelry group, all awaiting in anticipation for the first pattern to be released.

"The unmistakable strains of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker conjures up dreamy images and heartfelt emotion for children and adults alike: the sparkle of the Sugar Plum Fairy, the boundless energy of the gallant Nutcracker, Clara’s wistful journey and final triumph. Each of the six mystery patterns this season draw from the spirit of the Nutcracker’s enchanted dreamworld, dancing between the elegant beauty of a prima ballerina and the wide-eyed wonder of a child lost in the Land of Sweets."

How could we resist, I'm especially excited this year with the theme, The Nutcracker, which never loses it's magic however many times you watch this wonderful ballet. Knitters from all over the world will gather together to share their love of knitting with plenty encouragement, sharing their work and a helping hand if needed.

If you're not familiar with Knitvent, it is a collection of six patterns that is a mix between an advent calendar and a mystery knitalong. Each week you will receive a pattern in your Ravelry library, the patterns will be a fairly quick knit, ideal for gifting or a little something for yourself.

There is an Early Bird price of £7.85 until the 9th November when the first pattern is released, it will then go up to the regular price of £9.80, (note: Prices do not include any VAT applicable in your country).
Helen has very kindly given me a copy to giveaway to one lucky person, so if you want to leave a comment and tell me which is you favourite Helen Stewart pattern. If you could also leave me your IG name or Ravelry name so I can contact you if you're the winner.

Good luck and I will draw a winner on Wednesday so you will receive the first pattern on Thursday.


Happy Knitting
Deb x

THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.