“A Warm Hug” for Eldest Mudlet

This is what a knitted hug looks like!

Back in October, with Christmas only 2 months away, I began searching for the perfect yarn to use for Eldest Mudlets’ Christmas present. I had already found an unusual pattern that I wanted to use and, as an added bonus, it was available as a free download from the Deramores website (pattern here) but I wasn’t convinced about the choice of colours in the suggested yarn. Eventually I found a lovely James C. Brett Marble Chunky yarn, which came in some really nice colour ways, in one of our local shops and chose a beautiful blue/purple/aqua, simply called shade 8. Handling a ball of the yarn in the shop, I was taken with how soft and warm it felt to touch, just right for the chunky top I was planning to make. It was 100% acrylic, was available in 200g/315m balls and so I purchased the amount needed for the project and went home.

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A bug, a butterfly and an Ironage raft

Painting with glass and porcelain pens, meant very little mess.

Yesterday morning (Saturday) saw the second of the three crafting sessions I had booked the Mudlets in for, at a local Heritage Centre. Following on from the piggy bank and campervan moneybox painting two weeks ago, today was “sun catcher wind chimes” painting which as the session title says, involved painting a sun catcher with wind chimes attached. There was a suggested donation of £2 each which I was quite happy to pay.

Sirdar Summer Stripes cardigan: the back, an update

I think this is a stunningly pretty pattern and yarn – but then I’m biased

As promised to My Home Makes, here is a very short update on the progress of this very pretty little cardigan. I love the way the yarn is knitting up almost as much as Little Mudlet does and she is very impatient for me to get it finished.

I have just decreased for the armholes and have nearly finished the first ball of yarn. I was quite surprised at the depth of contrast between the three colour stripes but it still isn’t anywhere near as bright as the colour swatch shown on the Sirdar website.

Little Mudlets Sirdar Summer Stripes cardigan

4 rows of garter stitch edging and 2 sets of pattern rows

After careful consideration, I made the decision to order the pattern and yarn for Little Mudlets cardigan from Deramores online shop. It was a difficult decision because I do like to support my local shop where possible.

You see the problem is the yarn! My local shop only stocks a very limited selection of yarns and a significant number of these are baby yarns which is great if you are knitting for new arrivals but not so good for older children and adults.

Recording project progress

My tally cahrt helps me keep track of where I am

Having finished my King Cole Cobalt top (post to follow tomorrow after blocking), I prepared to pack my stuff away, until I have the yarn and pattern for my next project. I picked up the notebook in which I record my progress and glanced down at my notations and I began to wonder how other crafters record their progress through a pattern?

King Cole top in Cobalt: front finished

The finished scooped neck front piece.

After a slow start in terms of progress on the front section, I’ve actually managed to rattle on at a faster pace and I finished the front yesterday.

As this pattern is for a top with neckline, it meant that part way through the front section I needed to split one row, so that I could knit up one side of the neckline to the shoulder, first. Once the first side was finished, I had to rejoin the yarn to the split row and knit up the other side.

King Cole top in Cobalt: Back finished, front started

The back section is finished.

I actually finished the back section of the top last week and I am quietly pleased with how nice it looks. It really is a bonus being able to knit the sleeves up with the back section. So with the back piece safely folded away for safe keeping, I was able to start on the front section.

King Cole top in Cobalt: back

I love the fact that the sleeves are knitted with the back and front panels

Sunday afternoon and I have been busy knitting away at the back of my top for several hours over the last couple of days and I have made good headway. Using the Creme Egg scale of measure that Claire from Mollie&Claire invented (patent pending), I can now demonstrate that one round of the 10 row pattern is, in fact, equivalent to the length of a standard sized Creme Egg, more or less.

King Cole top in Cobalt

Simple but effective, the textured yarn makes all the difference

The problem with following the blogs of other crafty types such as Love, Lucie, Mollie & Claire and Thegrangerange, is that all their exciting projects make my hands start to itch with the need to join in and make something, especially at this stage of the gardening year when there is little to be done in the garden during the day and the nights are very, very long. Since Christmas they have all been busy beavering away at various projects and Claire has several on the go at the moment which has really made me twitch with the need to be clicking away on the needles.

Top in Sirdar Americana DK: Eldest Mudlets Christmas present

Unveiled: Eldest Mudlets Christmas gift

Well here it is, the oft mentioned but not as yet seen knitted project which was destined for Eldest Mudlets Christmas box. It is actually the 21st as I write this and so I don’t yet know what reaction I will get from her in respect of this particular gift but I do so hope she likes it.