plarn tutorial

Use fine supermarket grocery bags.

1.Tuck in sides of bag and smooth plastic.

2. Fold bag lengthwise.

3. Fold bag lengthwise again.

4. Snip off handles and fused edge at the base of the bag. Discard these pieces.

5. Cut the bag into 1 inch (2.5cms) strips, just measure by eye.

6. Unravel strips to form loops.

7. To join loops place Loop B under Loop A.

8. To knot the two loops. Lift up the end of Loop B which has just been placed under Loop A. Insert the other end of Loop B through the lifted up end. Keep Loop A taut.

9. Gentle tug both loops to form knot. Do not pull too hard or the plastic strips will tear.

10. Make knot smaller by easing it towards the centre with fingernails.

11. Size of knot.

 

 

12. Plarn can be either rolled into a ball or can be added to, as you go along. Just add more loops to the end loop.

 



NOTES ON KNITTING PLARN

Plarn takes a bit of getting used to, it is quite stiff to knit with, although there is a little stretch to it. It is slow to knit up.

bertie bunny

I have now finished Julie's boy bunny pattern. Again he was a very enjoyable knit and the pattern was very detailed leaving nothing to guesswork
So here's Bertie the blue eyed bunny.......

 

 

 

 

was it something I said?

 

but

it's a happy ending for Roberta and Bertie
they were made for each other!

 

 

Patterns available from Little Cotton Rabbit, click here. There is also a new pattern with a wardrobe of different dresses.



All the best, Ali. 

roberta rabbit

I finished my rabbit and I'm very pleased as to how she turned out. The wee rabbit proved to be a fun, interesting knit. She assumed a definite personality as I was knitting her up and came alive when I sewed on her features.
Some photos of Roberta ......

 

 

 

 

 

 

She looks a wee bit lonely so I'm knitting a friend for her. Patterns are by the designer Little Cotton Rabbits - click here

Have a good weekend, Ali.

 

off the needles

After a marathon of a knit, I have eventually finished the Curve of Pursuit blanket. The short rows kept the knitting interesting but even so this is a definite one off project. For details of pattern, by Woolly Thoughts click here
Some photos of my finished blanket.

Now that the blanket is off the needles I've started a smaller project. On the needles is the girl bunny written by the extremely talented Julie from Little Cotton Rabbits. Hoping to do the boy bunny as well. For details of these patterns click here.

Now all I need is some nice summery weather so I can knit in the garden,
Bye for now, Ali.

school of art exhibition

Our class met up for lunch yesterday and then a visit to the Belfast School of Art Annual Exhibition.
We headed straight for the textiles - no surprise there.
Here's some photos of things which caught my eye. Apologies as I didn't get all the artists names.
I loved the map print on this dress.

This was a stunning piece by Hannah Bell.

Some hand/machine embroidery.

Some machine embroidery by Liz McCulloch with linen as the theme.

I caught a glimpse of myself in this piece by Jena Magenus

The exhibition runs until Saturday the 15th June so still time to go.
Bye for now, Ali.

 

 

 

DAISY CHAIN NECKLACE

 

THIS PATTERN IS COPYRIGHT PROTECTED

 ONLY FOR PERSONAL OR CHARITABLE USE

ITEMS KNITTED FROM THIS PATTERN CANNOT BE SOLD FOR PROFIT

 DO NOT REPRODUCE OR USE FOR ANY COMMERCIAL USE

ABBREVIATIONS

st(s): stitch(es) 

MATERIALS

2 dpns size 2.25mm (US 1)

4 ply (fingering) yarn in white, green and yellow

(I used Debbie Bliss Rialto 4 ply in white, leaf and amber)

darning needle

safety pin 

This pattern uses i-cord technique for a video tutorial see the knitting help website - click here (scroll down page)

PETALS

For the necklace in the photo, I made 8 flowers.

With white, cast on 2 sts, leaving a long yarn tail aprox 20cms.

Continue with i-cord until work measures aprox 40cms.

Break yarn and place 2 sts onto safety pin.

DAISY CENTRE and STEM

With yellow, cast on 2 sts.

Continue with i-cord until work measures 6cms.

Change to green yarn. Leave a long yarn tail for both the yellow and the green yarn (the tails should be aprox 20cms long).

Continue with i-cord until the green stem measures aprox 10cms.

For the necklace in the photo, I used six stems of 10cms and two stems of 15cms to give a random look.

Any length of stem can be used, always i-cord a further 1cm to the required length as this is needed to make the “link”.

Fasten off. 

TO ASSEMBLE

PETALS

Thread the yarn tail onto a darning needle.

Measure 2cms along the i-cord and fold. Thread needle through the base of the first petal.

 Continue with concertina folding and threading the needle though the base of the petals.

 

Continue folding and sewing until there are nine petals.

Remove 2 sts from safety pin and rip back to the end of the ninth petal.

Fasten off the two sts and loose yarn in petal.

With the other yarn tail join the petals in a circle and pull the yarn tight.

Secure yarn and then loose yarn tail in one of the petals.

Pull petals into shape.

FLOWER CENTRE

Push the end of the yellow i-cord through the gap at the centre of the petals.

This can be done by threading the end yarn tail and then pushing the needle through the centre gap.
 

 

Pull the other yellow yarn tail through as well, leaving the green yarn tail on the reverse side of the petals.
 

 

Coil the yellow i-cord, sewing as you go to form the centre. Catch the petals while sewing the coil.

 

Loose both yellow yarn tails in the centre.
 

 

Turn the daisy over and with the green yarn tail sew long stitches along each petal securing the petal to the stem.
 

 

 TO MAKE THE CHAIN

Fold the end of the stem over by 1cm.
 

  

Sew stitches to make a small gap, loose the yarn tail in the stem. Then thread the next flower through.

 

 

For the final “link” sew the end of the stem around the daisy head.

 

 

Adapt the length of the stems to make a necklace, bracelet or crown.

 

copyright Alison Hogg 2013

coming up daisies

There were a lot of daisies growing through our grass, just got some photos taken before the grass was mowed.

 

I remember as a child going to the park, picking daisies and making daisy chains, which were then used as necklaces, bracelets and crowns.

 

This memory has inspired my latest pattern - a knitted daisy chain necklace. The weather was nice today so I was able to sit in the garden and knit.

 

 

Hopefully I'll have the pattern written up next week sometime.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend, Ali.

 

ballyhack

I love taking a run over to Ballyhackamore (Belfast). There are a collection of charity shops, which I enjoy a good rummage round. I was really excited when I discovered a new shop there - The Textile Studio.

 



They stock a yarn which I have never seen before, its called Drops and is from Norway. The shop also has some fabric and haberdashery. There are workshops for crocheting and sewing at the moment, for more info see the website, click here. Ill definitely be having quite a few return visits.
Of course I could not resist buying a wee bun from the home bakery across the road to have with my cup of tea.

Bye for now, Ali

exhibition

The Belfast Met. have a few exhibitions on this year..........

Our City and Guild's class have our work on display next week. So if you are in the vicinity of the Castlereagh Campus, next Monday, Wednesday or Thursday go and have a wee look. Opening times are 9 am till 4 pm. The exhibition is closed on Tuesday as that is the day the Examiner visits, my work is up for scrutiny this year, so wish me luck for that.
Some photos of my corner.....



All the best, Ali

log cabin

One of my treasured possessions is a quilt which my nanny made and gave to me. It must be sixty years old. It's in my favourite patchwork block, Log Cabin. Its a bit threadbare now and in need of a little tlc, I must take the time to do some repairs.

 

 

The blocks are a bit haphazard but for me that adds to it's charm. The back is as interesting as the front, made up of pieces of old tea towels and shirts. Comes from a definite make do and mend era.

Traditionally the middle block of the log cabin is red to represent, the hearth or the fire. The strips represent the logs used in the construction of the cabin. These strips are usually contrasting light and dark - the light ones being the side of the cabin with the windows and the dark strips being the solid side of the cabin. Here's a sample I did a few years ago...

I have been meaning to do a log cabin knit for a while and have just started one for my TV project. The pattern for my winter blankie is "Curve of Pursuit" from  Woolly Thoughts. They have a lot of mathematical/illusion type patterns to see their website click here.

 

 

Enjoy the rest of the weekend, everyone, Ali