Blankets in July

July is not the most usual month to make good progress on blankets, but this has not been the most usual July.  There have been days when being under my ripple blanket has been lovely.  Having started it last September I have now reached the half way stage, so I am not the world's fastest crocheter.  Though I am getting better, I can crochet for longer without my arm and hand hurting now which is an improvement.  I cannot wait until it is finished and I suspect neither can Willow, she has been sitting on it whenever she gets a chance and she joined me for the half way through photos.





But not content with one blanket I am making a start on a second blanket, this time in Drops Paris cotton, bought in the Drops cotton sale (ends on Friday!), using the Hexagon pattern from Attic 24.  I have gone all out brightly coloured for this one so may need sunglasses to look at it when it is finished.  Again I am prepared for this to be a long term project, but when it is I should have summer and winter blankets for my bed.  Of course, now I have blankets on the brain there are plenty more I would like to make like Vivid from TinCanKnits and a giant multi-coloured granny square blanket for the sofa.  Think I'm going to be busy for a while yet!

A Set For A Special Baby

I like knitting brightly coloured clothing for babies and I think this yarn is truly excellent for baby clothing.  It is Aire Valley DK, a 75% British wool, 25% nylon blend from West Yorkshire Spinners, soft, washable and excellent value; I could see myself using this for many more baby knits in the future.  The pattern is the classic Baby Surprise Jacket by British born, American ground breaking knitter Elizabeth Zimmermann.  As you knit the jacket looks nothing like a garment, but a neat piece of folding and two short seams later it has magically transformed itself, the closest knitting gets to origami.  This yarn is just right for showing off the mitres in the pattern - Elizabeth Zimmermann adored mitred corners - and it has made a cosy, colourful jacket, without being utterly overwhelming (to me anyhow).



To go with the jacket I made the matching bootees and bonnet, which are less startlingly made but still fun knits, I will be interested to see how well the bootees fit and crucially stay on because that seems to be the crux of the matter with baby footwear.  I would recommend these patterns, the jacket is available as a separate pattern from School House Press and in the UK from the Knitting Parlour and Knit'n'Caboodle does kits.  All three patterns appear in her book The Opinionated Knitter, well worth the price, like all her books it is an enjoyable read in its own right as well as containing lots of useful information and great patterns.  School House Press have recently brought out a more detailed version of the pattern too, for those who find the original writing style a little short on detail.

Now I want to knit another, there's something curiously moreish about garter stitch in brightly coloured wool.

Actual Knitting Content

Now we have not had much actual knitting content in a while have we?  Most neglectful on what was originally supposed to be a knitting blog.  So, on the needles, Dad's jumper very much on the back-burner, more to the forefront is a cute 1950s cardigan from a pattern I bought in a charity shop.  I am extremely pleased with this purchase, not least because it contains the pattern for the matinee jacket with hearts and embroidery featured on last year's BBC 4 programme Fabric of Britain.



The cardigan I am making is called Rogue in Raglan, a name I suspect inspired by the wonderful expression on the little model's face in the photograph.  My alteration to this neat little textured cardigan has been to lengthen the cardigan by a good few inches to make it a full length cardigan, although as it is it would make a lovely cardigan to go over a girls' empire line dress.  The pattern is fun to knit, now I have got the hang of how it works, creating a very stretchy variation on rib; it would work well on socks, something I may have to consider in the future.  I am using the delightfully soft Patons Fairytale Dreamtime 4ply, in a discontinued colour I got for £1 a ball at Black Sheep Wools ages ago, I do love a good bargain.  For authenticity and practise in making up I am making it in pieces, even though a raglan cardigan is so easy to do top down.  May Elizabeth Zimmermann forgive me!



As the summer is upon us I have resurrected the double v cardigan I put away last year after it went wrong one too many times at a point in the year when I was never going to have it ready for that summer.  Mercifully I managed to sort out the problems I was having, despite initial confusion over whether the piece on the needles was a front or a sleeve and I am powering on nicely with it.  Part of a front and one sleeve left to go, then making up and hopefully I will have a new summer cardigan.  The yarn is Nikkim by Vinni's Colours from South Africa, bought at Purlescence, the colours are gorgeous, although it is hard on the hands being 100% cotton.



If I get my act together and sew on some buttons there may soon be a Baby Surprise Jacket and attendant bonnet and bootees to show off soon.

My personal, partial guide to yarn buying in the UK

I thought it might be helpful to put together a brief guide to where I tend to buy yarn in the UK, which shops I find reliable, which yarns I've particularly liked.  Naturally this can only be a brief guide, we seem to be enjoying a time of abundance of yarn shops and yarn varieties.

First off, a guide to yarn weights, which can vary from country to country, a guide to substituting yarns, and the importance of swatching (checking that your gauge or tension matches that of the pattern so that it turns out the right size - not something to miss out).

I do not tend to use acrylic or artificial fibres, except in blends, as I prefer natural fibres, so I will focus on them.  Natural fibres (wool, cotton etc.) do not have to be significantly more expensive than many of the acrylic yarns and I prefer knitting with them and wearing them.

Good all round shops

Modern Knitting - good for having its yarns organised well, sells a wide range of yarns from cheap basics to some higher end yarns; especially good for sock yarn.  My particular favourites from here are Cygnet Superwash dk and the King Cole Merino Blend range of yarns, both of which are good quality pure superwash wool yarns.

Wool Warehouse - good wide range of yarns including the full range of Drops yarns, a Norwegian company, who are excellent value for money and very good quality natural fibres or blends.  Drops have regular discount times when a range or type of yarns will be on sale, which are well worth looking out for.  Also do a good range of German company Rico's yarns, which are at the good value end of yarn buying.  My favourites here include Drops Alpaca, a light, soft, drapey yarn, one of my favourites ever, their other alpaca based yarns are good too; Drops Karisma superwash, another good quality superwash wool yarn and Drops Fabel, their sock yarn.  Drops Paris and Rico Creative Aran cottons both deserve a mention as they are good for dishcloths and crocheted blankets as well as baby clothing and are very easy care.

West Yorkshire Spinners - buying direct from the manufacturer, this is a comparatively new find for me but I have just made three projects in their yarn one after the other and am impressed.  Good value for money, I especially liked the Aire Valley DK, a wool/acrylic blend which is machine washable and uses British wool.  I really want to try their newly released sock yarn, I have long thought that a British wool standard sock yarn was missing from the market so hopefully this will fill the gap.

MCA Direct - an established Scottish company who sell a good range of yarns including a wide range of Rowan yarns.

Pavi Yarns - has a good range of Cascade 220, an American brand of worsted weight yarn, often described as a "good work horse yarn", was for a long time Ravelry's most popular yarn, among other yarns and some good buttons.

Get Knitted - an established Bristol yarn shop selling a whole range of yarns, good for sock yarn, although their lack of stock control system (things appear to be in stock on the website but then turn out not to be) has put me off lately I will admit.

Stash Fine Yarns - good wide range of yarns, mostly big brand names, some good sales and discount codes, their bargain section is always worth a look.

Deramores - fast gaining ground thanks to aggressive marketing, stocks a wide range of yarns but are often more expensive than other shops for the same product.  They have a lot of voucher codes which make the yarns more affordable, but on the whole I do not shop here much, but thought they were worth mentioning.

Addicted2Knitting - I should declare an interest as this shop is owned by a friend, particularly good for Zauberballs, good range of clover accessories and Knitpro needles.

Kemps of Sunderland - great for bargains, sell yarns companies are clearing out, really worth keeping an eye on

Black Sheep Wools - the other good shop for bargains and clear outs of stock

Sock Yarn Shop - does what it says on the tin, mostly sells sock yarns

Great British Yarn Shop - stocks a range of yarns including some exclusively spun for them, as well as being the sole UK stockist of popular US yarns Knitpicks

Purple Linda Crafts - specialise in crochet, great range of crochet hooks

Higher end shops

Meadow Yarns - a well curated range of interesting yarns from the everyday basics to true luxuries and exotic yarns not sold elsewhere.  Also has the widest range of my favourite Knitpro knitting needles, I like the symfonies (the spelling makes me shudder), which are wooden.  I would like to try the Hjertegarn Lima, a good value worsted weight wool.

Tangled Yarns - lots of lovely yarns, including the luscious Malabrigo yarns, they do a 10% off jumper quantities of yarn too

Loop of London - sells mostly luxury yarns from overseas, can be pricey, sole UK retailers for some US brands like Quince Yarns and Brooklyn Tweed

British Yarns

The Woolsack website lists retailers of British yarns far more comprehensively than I could ever hope to, but I will briefly mention:
Blacker yarns who sell rare breed yarns
John Arbon, an expert spinner with some gorgeous yarns
Maple Tree Yarns (again owned by a friend) for a wide range of British yarns
Jamieson of Shetland and Jamieson and Smith both specialise in Shetland yarns (amazing stuff)
New Lanark, brilliant value British yarn spun at the world heritage site of New Lanark mill, not the softest but very hard wearing

I hope that helps as a start, I will add to this and do a post at some point on my favourite independent yarn dyers.  I accept no responsibility for yarn bought as a result of this post!