Lovin’ bloglovin’

Posted in Uncategorized by

I love reading blogs – but the difficulty I’ve had has been keeping track of them. Tumblr, blogger, wordpress and many more. I figured, if I’m having trouble keeping up, I bet you are too!
I’ve just signed up to Bloglovin which solves that problem!

widget_fashion

You can follow any blog (providing the blogger has ‘claimed’ their blog* – if they haven’t, why not drop them a comment and recommend it!) and see all the ones you follow in one feed. You can comment on them too, without having to log on to all the different platforms, luckily. My password retention is not good so I find myself locked out a lot otherwise.

There’s even an app so you can follow it on your phone when out and about.

What I particularly like (or not, as it’s a real time suck!) is that other similar blogs are recommended, and you can see which blogs the people YOU follow follow, if you follow me (hahaha!!) …

Now, as I’m new to it, I’m not the best person to write a tute on it. Best thing to do is take a look at someone else’s (this one is rather good!) then click on the ‘follow me’ button over here ———-> somewhere, grab a coffee and settle down for a visit with your favourite Virtual Friends for a wee while.

Normal crafty service will be resumed shortly.

Here’s a gratuitous shot of some yarn, just because…

2014-02-22 12.14.10

pw x

* all I had to do to ‘claim’ mine was get some HTML text (<a href=”http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/11931357/?claim=4qdc34s5htg”>Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a> ) and add it to my blog. So, here it is….job done.
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Hungry for Socks

Posted in Knitting, Socks by

I love socks.

Correction…

I love knitting socks.

Any kind is alright by me. Vanilla, lace, cabled, entrelac (when I am feeling brave), colour work (ok, maybe not intarsia, but don’t tell anyone!), mini socks, welly socks and everything in between.

What I love most of all is knitting a sock in a great yarn, in a great pattern.
It makes me happy.
I cast on the Dawlish socks by Rachel Coopey last weekend, with Bat’at Hand Dyed 4ply yarn in the most amazing colour.

Dawlish Socks

Now, I have reviewed this yarn before, and I really hope I used words like

buttery
daffodil
egg yolk
creamy
& 
cheese…

…ok, maybe not cheese, but I had a real hankering for an omelette after knitting a while.

The repeats are short, there’s no risk of pooling and the twist is perfect for giving me nice, crisp cables – which is important on such a geometric pattern.

I’m throwing Caution to the Wind and cabling without a cable needle too.
I’m just that adventurous!

Dawlish Socks

I think it’s safe to say that I am having fun working this pattern in this yarn. They were meant for each other. Every time I find a Perfect Match, I feel justified in having a stash.

It’s not hoarding.
It’s a Dating Agency for Yarn.

Got to dash – my omelette is ready!

With love,

Showtime! Unravel 2014.

Posted in Yarn Shows by

It’s officially the start of Yarn Show Season here in the UK, and for the first time in several years I can have actual ‘holidays’ to go to them, which is really exciting!

My first one was Unravel at The Maltings, Farnham – it’s now in its sixth year, but it is the first time I’ve been and I really enjoyed it. The venue is a lovely Arts Centre and lots of attention has been paid to detail.

The entry was guarded by a Sentry Pigeon…

and there was Crowd Control at the ready too!
The inside was decorated with pom poms and lots of lace shawls hanging on the walls.

The first stand that caught my eye was Jennie Atkinson, who had stunning samples and these beaded scarf kits in gorgeous boxes…

Jennie Atkinson Knit Kits

Ideal for gifts – or just to spoil yourself!
I was sooo tempted, but it was the first stall and I had to pace myself.

It was so unbelievably crowded on the Saturday morning that it was very difficult to move. Great for the exhibitors, although they must have felt as if they were being mobbed!

I managed to fight my way through, although my Game Plan for visiting stalls went out of the window and I just went with the flow. I found my way to John Arbon Textiles, where I fell in love with the colours of the Exmoor Sock Yarn – they glistened and shone. I couldn’t get back to pick any up, but I hope to make it to his Spring Clean at the end of March.

It was a bit of a blur for a while after that. I was trapped with the tide of people and had a whistle stop tour of the ground floor, taking in Susan Crawford, Purl Alpaca (where I was delighted to see my Crochet Necklace pattern for sale!), The Natural Dye Studio, pom pom quarterly and many more.

After a quick cup of coffee (plenty of tables, good coffee, normal prices!) I was ready to go again.

It seemed to have calmed down a little, so I had time to mooch. I met the lovely ladies on the Alafoss stand, fell head over heels (excuse the pun!) for Coopknits Socks, a sock pattern book by Rachel Coopey, drooled over the old favourites and new additions to the Fyberspates Family and chatted with the gals over at The Little Grey Sheep. I hadn’t heard of them before but was told that they go to a lot of the smaller Indie shows, whereas I was usually only able to go to the big commercial events. I love bright colours in muted tones, so their entire colour palette appealed to me, and I liked that they offered smaller skeins at £4 a pop – ideal for colour work, and I think I might be visiting them soon so I can play!

All this, and I hadn’t yet finished ONE ROOM!!

So, after another coffee, a deep breath and some fresh air, I went back in.

I had to go visit some old favourites – the amazing colour ways at Easyknits (who had fab colours this year, but my camera wouldn’t play ball!), the simple shades and squishy yarns at Belinda Harris-Reid (who burst into impromptu song for me later in the day – I still have ‘Dream the Impossible Dream’ running through my head even now, thanks B!), rainbows at Skein Queen (sorry for interrupting your lunch there, Debbie!) and so much more.

There were some lovely designs on show too. Alison Ellen is a genius at construction and I will definitely be looking into her work.

It was also a treat to meet Fiona Morris  – I spotted her Tumbling Lace Cardi sample before I spotted her, and it was lovely to meet a designer I had worked with but never *seen* before! Sorry I didn’t get a photo. You can catch up with her latest news and designs on Facebook or Ravelry. All of the rooms were buzzing and it was lovely to hear so many crafty people being passionate about their art. Or should that be arty people being passionate about their craft? (Delete as applicable!)

The other rooms were filled with still more loveliness…Sparkleduck, Purlescence, Toft Alpaca, Hilltop Cloud (oh, if only I could spin) – well, my head was spinning from colour overload and…

I wanted ALL THE THINGS!!

Unfortunately, I knew my Bank Manager would not approve, so I limited myself.

I didn’t have any socks on my needles as a portable project that day (and blankets are So. Not. Portable!) so it had to be CoopKnits Socks.

And sock yarn.

Oh, and Knitting Without Tears because I don’t have that one yet…so…

My Unravel Haul!

Ta-Da!

I was a very, very good girl.

Luckily, I have a little record here of all the lovely-things so I can visit them when I have learnt how to make money grow on trees. Until then, I will content myself with warm feet.

Which won’t be long now*…

Dawlish Socks by CoopKnits

Until next time,

With love,

*although that yarn is from Bat’at, and has been patiently waiting for The Perfect Sock Pattern for several years now. I think we found it!

Learn to crochet!

Posted in courses, Crochet, workshops by

I am running a Beginner’s Crochet Course at the Wool Shop in Pewsey, Wiltshire on Saturday 8th March 2014. If you follow me on Twitter, you might have had a sneaky-peak at some of the class samples!

Granny Stripe Jar Cover

We will be covering holding the yarn and hook, how to make a chain, the treble stitch, ‘Granny’ stripes, changing colours and working in rows/rounds.

Students will go home with the skills to finish making their cowl or scarf, together with patterns for other projects using the skills they have learnt.

The course starts at 10am and finishes at 2pm – tea and biscuits are included! You will be able to select your own yarns and colours, so you can make a project you will love.

Cost: £25 – limited to 6 students only, so everyone will get individual attention. 

TO BOOK: Either use the Contact Form here to check on availability or ring 01672 564585. 

I will be doing monthly follow up courses covering more skills, leading to advanced courses and specific techniques such as Irish Crochet, Broomstick crochet and more.

For regular updates, please follow the blog or catch me on Twitter/Facebook!

Snowdrops

Posted in Baking, Bilko, courses, Crochet, Designs, workshops by

Fragile flowers

I love it when the first snowdrops of the year bravely push on through frozen (or in this case, flooded!) soil – it means that the mornings are getting lighter, and Spring is on the way. I find it amazing that these delicate little flowers are the first to arrive. I thought that they must be immortalised in knitting somewhere, but was struck by the lack of Snowdrop related patterns and projects. There are some lace pieces, and a couple of charts, but for a flower that (to me) heralds a new year, a fresh start (and always makes me smile) it didn’t seem to be a lot. I am working on some lace designs at the moment, and will be studying the humble Snowdrop to see what I can add to the mix. If I like it, I might even offer it on here!

SnowdropsCreative Commons Licence: Bankhallbretherton

Granny Stripes

The Granny Stripe Delight sample worked up a treat. I really like the colour combination. It’s a nice, simple pattern and makes for a snug fitting cowl – quick to work up, warm to wear. If anyone would like the ‘pattern’ do leave me a comment/get in touch and I’ll add it on here later!

Granny Stripe Delight

(Please excuse the make-shift light box – but it works, for now!) 

The first course has now been booked – we had someone sign up within five minutes, which was lovely. It’s on March 8th (Saturday) from 10-2pm at The Wool Shop in Pewsey, if anyone in the South West/Wiltshire is interested in coming along. I’ll be covering crochet basics:

  • How to hold the yarn and hook
  • Chaining
  • Trebles
  • Turning chains
  • Changing colours
  • Weaving in as you go
  • How to swatch & translate that so you can make anything you like – a cushion cover, blanket, long scarf, skinny scarf, anything your imagination can create!
  • US/UK terminology
  • Charts

There’s a lot to cover! We are working on more classes, including Irish Crochet Lace, Crochet Motifs, Knitted socks, How to Moebius and much, much more. Drop me a line if you’d like to be added to the email list and I can keep you updated.

Aside from the Granny Stripe Delight, I’ve been all homey and house-proud this weekend (probably because I can see the dust in the sunshine!) and felt the need to bake.

Baking FeverAs I was going out with My Boy for a long walk,  some stodgy nourishment was called for, so I plumped for Toad-in-the-hole (with cabbage and mash!) to warm me up afterwards. I’d love to show you the results, but it is still in the oven and I’ll probably shcoffle it before taking a pic. Well, it was a looooong walk! We (Bozo and I) had great fun in the sun – although he did get a little confused with the ‘hitchhiker’ on his nose…

Dinner’s ready, so I’m off for some yumminess now…until next time,

pw x

Simple can be beautiful

Posted in Crochet, teaching by

The Simple Things

For a long time now, I’ve enjoyed the simple things in life – whether it’s a gorgeous sunrise (although those are just distant memories at the moment – I’m in the  office by that time!), a walk along the river or coffee with friends.

Misty morning

Who stole the sun?!

I have also sensed a move towards ‘simple’ in my crafting life too. For a long time, ‘simple’ was out of my reach as I tackled complex lace, irregular cables, freeform, taught experimental/advanced techniques, wrote tutorials or tech edited and was constantly on a personal quest for the ‘next skill’ to conquer. Recently, however, I have fallen back in love with simple and realised that simple is beautiful! Infinite texture can be created with just knit and purl stitches, stocking stitch can be stunning in stripes, and single stitch patterns in crochet can be given a new lease of life with colour.

The Humble Granny

I was playing with string earlier today, thinking I really must get round to preparing samples for classes (which I have been nagging myself to do for ages!) and wondering what to do first. I decided to go right back to basics – rather than teach crochet Granny Squares, which when you break it down includes a lot of techniques to cover in a few hours – chain, slip stitch, trebles, changing colour, fastening off and weaving in – I decided to concentrate on the stitch itself and do a Granny Stripe sample instead. I had three colours of yarn that had been discarded from other projects: orange, mushroom and white, that I honestly thought I wouldn’t find a use for, but they were taunting me, pleading to be used so I combined them and was delighted with the result!

Granny Stripe Delight

**Can you see what’s different with the image? Ohhhhhhh yes – it definitely wasn’t taken on a phone! Hurrah!**

The mushroom really makes the white pop, but seems to tone down the orange (and the shot is a pretty true representation of the colours) giving it a really autumnal but fresh feeling.

The joy of the Granny Stripe for teaching is that by starting with a long base chain (if you are working a long scarf or an infinity cowl) the student gets a feel for how to hold and tension the yarn, then (once the initial row of trebles has been worked) it it allows the student plenty of time to practise the movements of the treble crochet and really get it embedded into their Muscle Memory before tackling other stitches or stitch placement.  By changing colours and watching the colour-play, it staves off boredom. Other skills are learnt too – fastening off, changing colours, weaving in, but without all the tricksy corners. More than one student has proudly (and rightly so!) presented me with five-corner squares before now. So, back to basics it is – and while it might be simple, it’s elegant in its simplicity and a perfect beginners’ project but still a joy to work for a competent crocheter too.

I am not the first to discover the joys of the humble Granny Stripe and there are lots of ‘patterns’ available online – if you do a search for Granny Stripe images, there is a plethora of images from blankets inspired by Lucy of Attic 24, who has done an amazing job of raising the profile of ‘The Granny’! Lucy has a great eye for colour, and has chosen to work her blankets in double stripes, almost forming waves of colour. In my sample above, by working just one row of each colour, the three trebles seem to make little ‘pops’ or beads instead, creating an entirely different fabric from the same stitch pattern. The variations are endless, and I shall enjoy experimenting myself and seeing what my students create too. Once the stitch pattern has been learnt, it can be used for anything – a bedspread, a bag, hat, cushion cover, lampshade, skirt and oh-so-much-more!

I think this ‘simple’ thing will keep me occupied for some time yet and when I have finished playing I hope to share the results here too. For now, however, my crochet is calling me and I must get back to it!

Until next time,

pw x

p.s. If you love the simple things too, why not share them with me here? I’d love to hear from you.

The Philosophy of Selfish Knitting

Posted in Knitting by

An epiphany

I had a ‘eureka’ moment today, and appropriately enough it was in the bath!

Since moving to yet another new town, I have discovered the most amazing Charity Shop. I have scored some real bargains there, that have made me happy – a camel hair coat (a genuine one!), an almost knee length scottish hand-loomed cashmere cardigan, a cashmere jumper, some Boden jeans, a vintage dress-form and various other bits. This weekend I also struck gold.

Mucky Pup

There was a bin bag labelled ‘dog blankets’ going for £2.50. Now, My Boy is a real mucky pup, especially with the rain we’ve had lately which has turned the fields near me into mud baths and lakes, so I thought the dog blankets would be perfect to keep in the back of my car just-in-case.

2013-12-08 09.36.20

I really want a cute little boat!

When I got home, after a lovely walk by the canal with family (followed by the most incredible home-made cakes and a pot of tea) I investigated the ‘dog blankets’ only to discover that there were TWO Pure New Wool blankets in there, one of which was by Charles Early of Witney, Oxford. Early’s was started in the 17th Century and was considered to make the finest blankets in England. They were a very prosperous company, making blankets for the Royal Navy in the late 19th Century, but with the increasing popularity of the duvet cover (a Swedish invention, I believe?) they struggled to compete and eventually closed in 2002. There are still some companies that sell their blankets, which go for a small fortune. Anyway, the ‘dog blanket’ I got was in perfect condition and, as I have been after a wool blanket for some time now, there is no way that My Boy will get his mucky paws on it!

How did this lead me to a Eureka Moment, you might ask? I was pondering on the things I have been lucky enough to ‘rehome’, the things people donate – like my ‘new’ cashmere cardi, and then I recalled a hand-knit garment I ‘rescued’ several weeks ago.

It’s not cashmere, it’s not soft and luxurious, but someone spent a long time making it, possibly for someone they loved very much, only for it to end up cast aside in a charity shop. Ok, so I might be being a little unfair – after all, I don’t know the reason why it ended up there – but such a small value was given to the work the knitter put into it (I paid just £3.99) that it made me a little sad.

So, my Eureka Moment? That I am proud to be a Selfish Knitter and to only knit for myself and those I know who love and appreciate my handmade gifts. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t make them to be applauded and showered with praise.

The Gift of Time

I make them because I love the recipient enough to give them the Gift of Time and Thought. I haven’t simply gone to a shop and purchased something that has been ready-boxed and prettified, or the latest ‘must-have’ that will be obsolete shortly. I don’t make them as a ‘cheap’ alternative. True, the yarn cost money (lots, sometimes!) but I am really giving time. I am giving the 30 hours it took me to knit the shawl (and to hook on every.single.bead); the 15 hours it took me to knit the scarf; the 9 hours it took me to make the amigurumi toy; the 12 hours it took to crochet the hat, because the whole thing was Slip Stitch (can you believe that?) so it looked like it was knitted. I should just have KNIT the flaming thing! If I were to attach an hourly rate to the gifts, they would work out very expensive indeed. But I don’t make them because of that.

I make them because I love who I am creating for. I make them because I know they appreciate the thousands of hand movements that went into each item, because they know that the colour was picked (in some cases dyed) just for them, that the fibre was chosen specifically because it’s their favourite or I want to wrap them in something exquisite, and that I sometime design a one-off just for them that won’t be repeated, ever again. I know that they will cherish the gift, won’t think it’s ‘cheap’ because it’s hand-made, and will never, ever, let it be cast aside to be rescued by someone like me.

Or, at least I hope they won’t!

Multi-tasking made easy

Posted in Knitting, reading by

Over The Moon!

I got a little (ok, a lot) excited yesterday over a gadget. It doesn’t happen often – the last time I went all ga-ga for tech was when I got my shiny new macbook pro. I even took photos of the unboxing. I didn’t go quite that far this time, but only because I don’t have a decent camera (yet – but soon, oh so very soon!). So, what got me dancing round my front room (and confusing My Boy in the process!)?

Over the Moon!

An E-Reader!

Bookworm

I honestly never thought I would be tempted, as I am a book-loving book-worm. I like holding something tangible, tactile. I love the smell of the pages, the sound of them turning, the fact that my oldest and most treasured books have been read so often the are falling apart (or, in some cases have fallen apart and are held together with tape!). I have books I turn to when I am happy, when I am sad, when I am feeling nostalgic. I have moved a lot over the years, and have had to ‘downsize’ my collection time after time, so the books I have kept are like family to me. So, why get an e-reader?

It was all down to a chance comment. A knitter I know got an e-reader as a gift. She reads. A lot! Nothing unusual there. However, because she liked reading so much, not a lot of knitting was being done – most projects cast on for ‘deadline’ knitting (usually gifts) were passed over to me in a blind panic for finishing asap. Since getting the e-reader she was delighted to tell me (and I was delighted to hear) that she could read and knit at the same time – she even had a rare FO (Finished Object) as proof!

I frequently combine knitting with something else. Usually, when knitting or crocheting, I can be found spending  quality time with My Boy, watching a film or listening to the radio, an audio book  or catching up with friends in person or on the phone. It’s rare that I just ‘sit and knit’ but no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t read. It was too tricksy – balancing the book, trying to turn the pages, moving my knitting to see the other page…all sorts of issues!  I needed more hands. So, it got me thinking – should I give in and get one too, so I was no longer limited to just reading in bed?

reading in bed

The decision was made for me when I spotted one on offer for under £30! It’s not an all singing, all dancing model, and it is tiny, but I did some research and went for it. What really sold it to me is that (unlike some other well known brands!) you can ‘borrow’ e-books from your local library – at least, you can in the UK and US – and there is a great selection available. I would be able to feed my love of reading without taking up any more space and keep my book collection to my three favourite authors and my Old Faithfuls.

I went for it, and today I was really glad that I didn’t get a whooshy one with a back light, or I would still have been reading when the alarm went off this morning. It is so light that I could read for much longer, I was spoilt for choice with books and it fits in my pocket. Perhaps I can  downsize my handbag now too?

Did I get any knitting done while I was reading? Of course not! I was ‘bonding’ with my New Toy, but I know that it will be easy to knit and crochet with it when I get a chance.

Extreme multi-tasking

You can see that most of my multi-tasking while crafting is sedentary – what about you? Do you knit or crochet while doing something else? How about while working out on an exercise bike? It’s probably not a good idea to try to knit while on a treadmill – although David Babcock, possible holder of the Guiness Record for knitting the longest scarf while running a marathon, might disagree with me there!

Marathon Knitter

(c) David Babcock

Right, the kettle has boiled, My Boy needs a hug and I might just give knitting and reading at the same time a go this evening!

Until next time,

pw x

Rewind, please!

Posted in Knitting, photography by

Can I have a rewind on this weekend, please? It’s not been bad, per se (in fact, I’m feeling rather chipper!) it’s just that the things I wanted to achieve have been a little tricksy. Take this post, for example. I’ve already written it once, but half of it disappeared. The strange thing is that it was the FIRST half! So, I’m writing it all again….

The other thing I wanted to achieve was a tutorial on Log Cabin squares. I have wanted to do a log cabin blanket for a long time, but ‘work’  meant that I just didn’t have the time for any ‘me’ projects. I’ve decided that I need to take time out to knit for myself, for relaxation, for stress relief, or just to reconnect and so when I received some Hayfield DK with Wool, that’s exactly what I did! I had one ball of every shade, so I had a lot to choose from and the Log Cabin was an ideal project. I looked at all the colours together as a whole, and knew that some wouldn’t work in the blanket – white and cream were ‘shouty’ and the orange clashed a little; the black and grey pulled the colours back a little, so I was left with 9 colours in total.

I decided to do a square with 9 ‘logs’, so I could use each yarn equally (I hope!), to maximise the size of the blanket. To achieve this, I picked an order for the colours and did the first square as follows: light pink, purple, rose, maroon, teal, light blue, navy, olive and brown. For the second square, I started on the second colour, adding the first colour to the end, so it went: purple, rose, maroon, teal, light blue, navy, olive, brown and light pink. The third square started on rose, the fourth on maroon, and so on. Once I have completed all the squares, I am planning to edge them in black, then seam them together for a blanket.

Anyway, today I sat down to prepare for a tutorial and duly prepared the fabric, shot it and wrote out the steps, all of which took the best part of the afternoon, made a coffee then sat down here.

Which is where it all fell apart. Unsurprisingly, it seems that sheets of A4 paper, a desk lamp and the lid of a plastic container for a light box and a (very old) i-phone do not emulate professional photography equipment, which is what I am used to using! Here’s the painful evidence:

And, believe me, these were some of the better shots.

So, instead of writing up the tutorial I have spent HOURS preparing, I am off to stalk DSLR kits on ebay, and will (thankfully, I hear you say!) save the tutorial for another day.

Knitting without guilt

Having finally ‘given’ myself permission to knit without guilt, I have had a great time looking through patterns on Ravelry – there are some beauties there! I have, for a long time now, had my eye on ‘Pretty as a Peacock‘ by Jae Koscierzynski (aka Some Knitting Required), and while it’s stunning, I am not sure that I am ready to spend THAT much time knitting without guilt just yet – especially when a friend reminded me that I should be working on my own patterns, not someone else’s! But sometimes I just want to kick back and let someone else take control. Yes, really, I do. It’s nice to just follow a pattern, trust that it works and enjoy the knitting. Not to be disheartened, I found ‘His Golden Lair‘ by Kourtney Robinson, which is much more feasible and ticks all the boxes!

Copyright: Kourtney Robinson (with permission and thanks!)

But, someone else pointed out that I still have my Sylvi to finish (yes, thank you for the reminder!) so perhaps I could work on that instead?

I clearly have too many choices, and know I have too-little-brain to decide at the moment, so for now I am just content to work on my blanket. I guess I am still happy in Garter St territory after all!

Until next time,

pw x

New Year, New Start?

Posted in Designs, Free pattern, Knitting by

I was catching up with a lovely friend earlier today, Sharon of fivemoons, when she pondered whether anything ‘new’ decided  today is doomed to failure, simply because it could be construed as a ‘new year’s resolution’. We haven’t spoken in a while though, so my ‘new’ news and plans, although they are starting now aren’t really ‘new’ to me as I have been planning them for a while so I figure they don’t count as resolutions! I am, however, really rather looking forward to what the New year has in store for me – lots of hard work, but hopefully a smoother ride.

My last post, counting my blessings, was somewhat appropriate. The following week, My Boy was startled on a pavement and leapt into the path of an oncoming car. He bounced off and ran away so fast I couldn’t catch up with him. I had only just started  working in the village where he went missing, but word quickly spread and everyone was out on foot and horseback looking for him. He was found, six or so hours later, waiting at my office. The vet gave him the all clear and I definitely counted my blessings that day.

Anyway, this is seriously at risk of this becoming the Diary of My Dog (perhaps he should get a blog!) so I guess I’d better crack on with the crafts! I have been rather good at finishing projects these past few weeks, but not so good at photographing them. With all this rain, the light has been appalling! I will get them shot as soon as I can. What I have photographed (rather badly today) was some fingerless mitts I had great fun putting together. I purchased the yarn from ebay, from kingcraigfabrics – £3 for a 100g ball, 95% merino, 5% cashmere. It was project specific – my father had asked for an autumn coloured scarf, and the brown flecked yarn was ideal. I must admit to being a little hesitant when placing the order as I’d never ordered from an unknown (to me) supplier before, not without seeing the yarn first anyway, but was pleasantly surprised when it arrived! It was lovely to work with, so when I’d finished the scarf (photos to follow!) I cast on straight away for my ‘Rustic Chorus’ fingerless mitts. I have wanted a pair of ‘oversized’ fingerless mitts for a while, with rolled edges and simple cuffs, so here they are:

And here is the (very basic, un tech edited and originally written in my almost illegible scribble!) pattern for the ……

RUSTIC CHORUS FINGERLESS MITTS

To fit: Adult

Using a light aran yarn (I used less than 100g, you could probably work it with 50g!) and 4.5mm circulars (long enough for magic loop) cast on 32 sts; join to work in the round, taking care not to twist sts.
PM (place marker) if desired – personally, I just use the tail to let me know when I’m at the beginning of a new round.
Place half the sts on each side of the magic loop. Knit 40 rounds.
Next rnd: K15 sts, yo, k1; k1, yo, k15.
Next rnd: Knit.
Rep last two rounds (increasing the number of sts after/before each yo as set) until there are 21 sts on each ‘side’ of the magic loop.
Next rnd: Knit to last 6 sts before the tail/marker; place 6 sts on waste yarn. Place the next 6 sts (from the next ‘side’) on waste yarn.
Pull yarn tight to close gaps/minimise laddering and continue knitting to the end of the next round.
Working on the live sts only, knit another 12 rnds.
Cast off loosely.
Thumb:
Replace the 12 thumb sts on the needle; pick up 1 st at ‘hand’ end, k6; k6, pick up another st.
Next rnd: K2tog, k to last 2 sts, ask.
Knit 5 more rnds.
Cast off – I found a suspended cast off helped to prevent the thumb from being too tight.
Weave in ends.

This style gives yo ‘ladders’ at the thumb join. If you want to have solid gloves, work a m1l/m1r increase instead. However you work it, make the second mitt the same.

Enjoy!