Spreading Joy 3

The third offering of joy is 2 skeins of drops alpaca; one each in colours 7815 & 8903. The yarn is roughly fingering weight, & has 167m per 50g.

Want it? Please comment on this post. The deadline for commenting is 8pm Tuesday GMT. I'll be drawing names at random. 

 I will be offering more joy over the coming days, when time & kids allow. 

Spreading joy 2

The next offering of joy is some handspun yarn. 163 metres of approx aran to chunky weight yarn. This was spun by me, from batts of mixed fibre from LHogan, who is now selling hand dyed yarn as Ellie & Ada.  The contains merino, sparkly angelina & silk.

Want it? Please comment on this post. The deadline for commenting is 8pm Monday GMT. I'll be drawing names at random. 

 I will be offering more joy over the coming days, when time & kids allow. 

Spreading joy

I'm aware of some frankly horrible things going on out in the wider world. I've been hiding in my wee bubble, of knits and kids, and will mostly continue to do so for the sake of my own mental health. However, rather than merely ignoring all the horrific things going on out there, I'm going to attempt to spread just a little joy in my own little yarnie way. I figure some small act of rebellion against bigotry & hatred is worthwhile.

Here's how it will work: I'll be sharing some lovely yarn-ish things over the coming days,  one item at a time. If you want in, please comment. Names will be drawn at random & I'll contact you to arrange delivery.
Simples.

First up, 3 skeins of deliciously soft Malabrigo Lace in Lettuce colour way.
Want it? Please comment below. The deadline for commenting is 8pm on Sunday, GMT.

Further items will be offered when I can get to it (as I mentioned, kid bubble. Sometimes staying away from internet is by choice, and sometimes it's because they need attention).

New Pattern: Trillick

Trillick is a fitted cowl, worked top-down and in the round. It is shaped to fit over the shoulders using a series of increases. Short row shaping adds an asymmetric triangular wedge, suggestive of a triangular shawl. The cowl features textured stitches, and a garter stitch lace edging, loosely inspired by prehistoric gold artefacts from the National Museum of Ireland. 

The sample is knit using a single ball of Debbie Bliss Fine Donegal; the pattern uses one 400 metre skein of fingering or sock weight yarn.
The pattern includes written and charted instructions for the lace, and has been test knitted.*
It is available to buy now.

Trillick is the last of a number of patterns I had prepared while waiting for our Smallest Human to arrive. I have been swatching and sketching away with other ideas since her arrival, but haven't quite mustered the brain power or time without distraction to actually form proper things from these ideas.  Instead of being frustrated by my lack of productivity, I've decided to start the new year by knitting a garment for myself, which has been in my queue for a long while, using yarn which has been in my stash for a while. It might even fit!!

*once again, I am enormously grateful to text knitting volunteers. Their feedback has been hugely informative, and an extremely valuable learning experience.

New Pattern: Lissanover Cowl

New Year, New Pattern! Lissanover Cowl is the second pattern release which takes its inspiration from geometric surface decoration on gold lunulae in the collection of the National Museum of Ireland (Coggalbeg Cowl was the first).  The cowl came into being as a solution to keeping my neck & shoulders warm while writing at home. It has the added benefit of no dangling scarf ends to dip into multiple cups of tea, or get in the way of the odd bit of housework one tends to squeeze in here & there while working at home. 

The cowl is knit back & forth, and top down, using a combination of mosaic knitting and slipped stitch patterns, and only one colour is worked per row. It is shaped to fit over the shoulders using a series of increases, and is finished with applied button bands. The cowl can be worn buttoned as a hood or gathered around the neck, or can be partially unbuttoned to sit lower on the shoulders as a shawl or capelet.

 The sample is knit using Toft DK Wool in Charcoal, and Toft Ulysses DK in Light Grey. I *loved* knitting with this yarn; it is so woolly, and warm, and very sheepy, but still soft enough for wearing next to skin (I am a sensitive soul, and tend to find that anything not-merino and not-superwash can be a bit prickly to my skin).

The pattern includes written and charted instructions for the stitch patterns, and is available to buy now.
The pattern would not have been possible without the generosity of test knitting volunteers, who have been so generous with their time, wisdom and common sense, and have been extremely patient with my sleep deprived brain*. I am so grateful for their support, and that I have realised that 'my' work is much improved when I ask for help. **

*New baby is now 5 weeks old, and sleeps about as well as can be expected, in between working on some very chubby cheeks & thighs!

**I've realised that there is such a thing as 'too independent', that help is forthcoming when one asks for it, partly thanks to This Inspiring Book.

New Pattern: Coggalbeg Cowl

Over the past months, I have spent many hours studying, sketching, and attempting to reinterpret Shiny Gold Things* from the National Museum of Ireland. I'm particularly fascinated by the notion of taking inspirition from high-status, ceremonial and impractical objects, and applying those inspirations to everyday, comfortable and cosy woollen things.

When wandering through the exhibition of gold at Kildare St, I was rather surprised to notion that the lunalae on display featured rather similar decorations. The basic curving shape usually has simple lines along its curving edges, with a concentration of decoration near the pointed ends, featuring combinations of lines, diamond shapes & chevrons. The Coggalbeg Hoard, pictured at the following link, features one example; http://www.100objects.ie/portfolio-items/coggalbeg-gold-hoard/

Coggalbeg Cowl is the first of a number of patterns inspired by this geometric decoration. The pattern is cast on along its length; it is knit back and forth using a combination of mosaic & slipped stitches, so only one colour is worked per row. The cowl is finished with applied button bands, and can be worn as a scarf, as a long cowl or doubled-up as a short cowl by rearranging the buttons. 

The finished cowl measures 32x31cm / 12.5x51.5" and the pattern includes written and charted instructions. The sample was knit using Hedgehog Fibres Sock yarn in Crystal & Graphite. These skeins have been in my stash for some time, waiting for the perfect pattern. The cowl is finished with applied button bands, which have been reinforced with grosgrain ribbon; it could also be finished by sewing the ends closed to make a long cowl.  

Coggalbeg Cowl is available to buy now through Ravelry.

*Shiny Gold Things is our toddler-friendly term for artefacts in the museum; I do like to visit the museum when time allows, & pore over my books featuring prehistoric artefacts when time does not allow. 

A picture paints a thousand words...

Introducing our little rainbow baby who arrived 2 weeks ago. She's sleeping & feeding well, and with the help of play school for the Small Human and paternity leave for The Mister, I am actually finding time to knit, shower, and even do a little pattern writing.

After The Storm is a hat & cardigan set, sized for approximately 0-3 months and knit in Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino.

The cardigan is a top-down raglan with textured stripes in 5 almost-rainbow contrast colours and with applied button bands. The hat is a bottom-up beanie, worked in the round, featuring matching stripes.
(modelled with the hem turned up on my 8lb newborn, so there is a little room for growing). The pattern is available to download for free.
download now
Ravelry page here.