Knitvent 2017....... Clara's Cape

 Hello, I hope you've all had a good week. We are at the end of this year's Knitvent 2017 by Curious Handmade and what a great collection. I have loved all of this year's patterns with the most adorable Nutcracker theme.

The final pattern is Clara's Cape, a gorgeous bulky weight cape, perfect to fit over your shoulders to keep the chill away.
It's a great piece for wearing underneath a coat for that extra layer or over if you prefer, though most evening I sit at home wearing it whilst knitting. It keeps the chill off and is very cosy.

I used Drops Andes, a soft blend of alpaca and Peruvian Highland Wool as this is what I had in my stash, I would like to knit one in a more luxurious yarn maybe held with a strand of mohair silk to make it extra soft. In saying that the Drops Andes is very soft and squishy plus very economical. I used 2 balls which cost me less than £6!

I hope you all have a good weekend, it's been snowing here in the Midlands and is forecast for the next few days so I don't think I'll be moving far from the house.

Happy Knitting
xxxxDebxxxx

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

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

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.