28 April 2009

wee dolls

Sue makes amazing sculptures including her "wee dolls". Have a look at her website Kitty Cooper Designs. I was all chuffed when she asked me to knit dresses for her ladies. I haven't had so much fun, dressing them up ............since I was 6!
Many thanks, Sue, for letting me keep one of the ladies...

Lila

MUMS TAXI..... fast reliable not to mention - cheap taxi service. Theres a lot of waiting about for my pick up, so I always have my Knitting Nancy in the car to put the time in with a bit of French knitting. Producing endless colourful knitted tubes I came up with the idea of making them into brooch corsages. Instructions are listed below for the Crazy Daisy Brooch also a knitting pattern for a leaf, which can be added to the brooch for an extra flourish.

26 April 2009





 CRAZY DAISY KNITTED BROOCH

THIS PATTERN IS COPYRIGHT PROTECTED.
 DO NOT REPRODUCE PATTERN.
 DO NOT SELL ITEMS KNITTED FROM THIS PATTERN FOR PROFIT - ONLY FOR PERSONAL OR CHARITABLE USE

DAISY INSTRUCTIONS
Use a knitting nancy and DK/8ply wool.

1. Leaving a long yarn for sewing up, knit a tube aprox 60cms long in a colour of your choice for the petals. Change to green yarn and knit a further 6cms.
2. Using a contrasting colour of yarn for the centre of the flower, knit a tube aprox 20 cm long, leaving a long piece of yarn at the start for sewing up.
3. Darn loose yarns away on the petal / stem piece except the yarn at the petal end. To make the flower and stem shape, staring after the green stem make two figure of "8" shapes one on top of the other. This forms four petals and the stem.
4. Using the end yarn, sew the centre together, bring the needle through all the layers, back and forward, several times.
5. With the tip of the iron, press the centre to flatten, making it less bulky.
6. Make a flat coil with the flower centre tube piece and stitch together with the end yarns.
7. Attach flower center to the front, leaf (see pattern below) to the reverse and then the brooch back.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



 LEAF PATTERN


Abbreviations
k : knit
p : purl
inc : increase (k into front and back of stitch)
sl : slip
psso : pass slip stitch over
tog : together
st : stitch

NB: stitch count for the increase rows is based on the bars produced by the kfb increase, rather than the number of stitches on the needles.
 
LEAF
Using size UK 3.25 / US 3 needles and DK/8ply wool.
Cast on 3 sts.
If a stalk is required, i-cord four rows, then slide work to end of needle and continue to work flat.
ROW 1 : k.
ROW 2 : p.
ROW 3 : inc1, inc1, k1 (5 sts). (recommended inc - kfb)
ROW 4 : sl1 purlwise, p to end of row.
ROW 5 : sl1 knitwise, inc1, inc1, k2 (7 sts).
ROW 6 : sl1 p'wise, purl to end of row.
ROW 7 : sl1 k'wise, k1, inc1, inc1, k3 (9 sts).
ROW 8 : sl1 p'wise, p to end of row.
ROW 9 : sl1 k'wise, k2, inc1, inc1, k4 (11 sts).
ROW 10 : sl1 p'wise, p to end of row.
ROW 11 : sl1 k'wise, k3, inc1, inc1, k5 (13 sts).
ROW 12 : sl1 p'wise p to end of row.
ROW 13 : sl1 k'wise, k4, inc1, inc1, k6 (15 sts).
ROW 14 : sl1 p'wise, p to end of row.
ROW 15 : sl1 k'wise, k5, p1, k1, p1, k6.
ROW 16 : sl1 p'wise, p to end of row.
ROW 17 : sl1 k'wise, k1, psso, k4, p1, k1, p1, k4, k2tog (13 sts).
ROW 18 : sl1 p'wise, p to end of row.
ROW 19 : sl1 k'wise, k1, psso, k3, p1, k1, p1, k3, k2tog (11 sts).
ROW 20 : sl1 p'wise, p to end of row.
ROW 21 : sl1 k'wise, k1, psso, k2, p1, k1, p1, k2, k2tog (9 sts).
ROW 22 : sl1 p'wise p to end of row.
ROW 23 : sl1 k'wise, k1, psso, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, k2tog (7 sts).
ROW 24 : sl1 p'wise p to end of row.
ROW 25 : sl1, k'wise, k1, psso, p1, k1, p1, k2tog (5 sts).
ROW 26 : sl1 p'wise p to end of row.
ROW 27 : sl1 k'wise, k1, psso, k1, k2tog (3 sts).
ROW 28 : sl1 p'wise, p to end of row.
ROW 29 : sl1 k'wise, k1, psso, slip st on right needle back onto left needle and then pass last st of the row over this one.
Fasten off.
copyright Alison Hogg 2009



25 April 2009

new knitting pattern

I eventually got round to finishing off my latest pattern I have been working on - the Fondant Fancy and Iced Diamond. It is available for sale on my etsy shop.

Belfast Landmark You couldn't have a blog from Belfast without having a photo of the famous Harland and Wolf crane, not to mention my father used to work in the shipyard. Here's one taken from Victoria Park.....

view from Vicky Park
 
Many years ago, I did a dissertation on graffiti and territoriality.....ample study material in Belfast!. Here's a new mural (and sculpture) recently painted to celebrate the life of D. Ervine. With its poignant message for all to read.


Mural and Sulpture East Belfast.

9 April 2009

north coast

Last week I spent a few days up on the North Coast. I think the beaches there are the best that ever was...and no I don't work for the Northern Ireland Tourist Board.
Of course my camera came too........
East Strand, Portrush
 
By day, the pedestrian bridge over the River Bann, by night the hideaway for the baddy in a James Bond movie......
 
New Bridge,Coleraine
 
This being Easter, I made one of my Yolk Folk for my son, complete with a beanie hat in school colours. For the egg cozy beanie pattern and also a pattern for a ski hat or football supporters hat.... see below.
 

Schoolboy Yolk Folk
Happy Easter, Ali

8 April 2009

YOLK FOLK PATTERN



THIS PATTERN IS COPYRIGHT PROTECTED. DO NOT REPRODUCE PATTERN. DO NOT SELL ITEMS KNITTED FROM THIS PATTERN FOR PROFIT ONLY FOR PERSONAL OR CHARITABLE USE
 
MATERIALS
2.75mm dpns
scraps of double knitting wool
tapestry needle
pompom maker or card for template
a marker can be used to indicate beg of round – I keep an eye on the cast on yarn to see when the round starts
 

BEANIE HAT
Cast on 44 sts (cable casting on)
Divide sts between three needles.
Rds 1 – 3 : Rib, (k1, p1) rpt to end of rd.
Change yarn to contrasting colour
Rd 4 : k.
Continue another 15 rds : k.
Rd 20 : k2tog, (k7, sl1, k1, psso, k2tog) rpt twice to last 9 sts – k7, sl1, k1, psso (36 sts).
Rd 21 : k.
Rd 22 : k2tog, (k5, sl1, k1, psso, k2tog) rpt twice to last 7 sts – k5, sl1, k1, psso. (28 sts).
Rd 23 : k.
Rd 24 : k2tog, (k3, sl1, k1, psso, k2tog) rpt twice to last 5 sts – k3, sl1, k1, psso. (20 sts).
Rd 25 : k.
Rd 26 : k2tog, (k1, sl1, k1, psso, k2tog) rpt twice to last 3 sts – k1, sl1, k1, psso. (12 sts).
Rd 27 : k.
Rd 28 : (k2tog) 6 times (6 sts).
pwt - pull wool through - break off yarn and thread onto tapestry needle. Then thread wool through stitches beginning at the start of the row, pull wool tightly and make a few stitches to complete circle.


SKI HAT
Cast on 42 sts (cable casting on).
Divide sts between three needles.
For yarn colours in the ski hat featured in the photo below : rib is knit in blue.
Knit rounds : yarn is changed every two rows to form stripe pattern.
Rds 1 – 6 : Rib, (k1, p1) rpt to end of rd.

Rd 7 : k.
Continue another 22 rds : k.
Rd 30 : (k4, k2tog) rpt to end of rd (35 sts).
Rd 31 : k.
Rd 32 : (k3, k2tog) rpt to end of rd (28 sts).
Rd 33 : k.
pwt - see above.

Make pompom – if using a card template the diameter of outer circle of pompom is 3cms, diameter of inner circle of pompom is 1 cm. Darn loose yarns on reverse side and attach pompom. Turn rib section upwards to form brim.
Knit in football team colours or school colours.

copyright Alison Hogg 2009