May was a real patchwork of moments. Some gentle, some absolutely gutting, some that still feel rather raw. Quite frankly I’m glad the month is over, so I can make a fresh start, but as I’m writing this blog it’s bringing all of the lovely highlights back into focus, which over the last few weeks had been overshadowed – thank goodness for the therapy of writing!
Oh, this is one I’m all too familiar with. I did so much knitting when I was pregnant with my son. Endless hours of calm(ish) clicking needles, daydreaming about tiny cardigans and booties. And then life delivered a squishy newborn into my arms and I’ve been chasing that glorious knitting downtime ever since. Newborn stage, baby stage, toddler stage. Each phase brings its own delightful set of problems to navigate.
And outside of motherhood? Well, we’re also somehow supposed to juggle work, life admin, relationships, other hobbies… not to mention the occasional attempt at sitting still for five minutes without someone asking for a snack.
So, how do we find the space to keep knitting when real life is elbowing us in the ribs?
Continue readingI’ve been knitting for more years than I care to count, let alone commit to writing where someone might quote me on it. Over the years, I’ve adopted the knitter’s vernacular so wholeheartedly that I sometimes forget that normies have absolutely no idea what I’m on about. Friends stare at me like I’ve sprouted dpns from my forehead when I say I had to frog my latest cardigan back eight inches, or when I breezily announce, “I’ve only got to block it and then it’s done.”
But every now and again, the English Literature student in me stirs and I start questioning the curious language we knitters toss around without a second thought. When did we start saying “purl” or “notions” or “frogging”… and why, exactly?
Continue readingWhen I first got into knitting, I assumed it was strictly a winter sport. Best enjoyed under six layers of soft, squishy merino, ideally with a biscuit. But no! Summer knitting is a whole different game. The summer knitting pattern scene has exploded in the last few years: there’s a whole host of lightweight yarns, breezy silhouettes and sharp, modern shapes. All this means you can have a (slightly smug) handmade wardrobe staple for each season of the year. And quite frankly, I’m here for it.
Here’s my handpicked list of 10 stunning summer knitting patterns that have me reaching for my needles.
Continue readingApril felt like one of those months that moves in quiet surges between the good and bad. The sort of month where time moves fast but your needles don’t. We had long lunches with old friends (one with a deliciously squishy six-month-old), asked two of our favourite people to be our best man and celebrant at our wedding (they said yes!) and packed the calendar with visits to the park, National Trust wanders and ice-cream catch-ups with the Fantastic Aunties (no Great Aunties in this house, only the Fantastic kind.)
After an embarrassingly long hiatus (no really, let’s not count), I’m gently tiptoeing back into the Shortrounds blog. The past few years have been a lot, and that’s not to say I haven’t been knitting through it, but life most definitely got in the way. As it tends to. As it probably will again. But for now, I’m feeling the urge to write and share my little corner of this knitting world – I’ve got stories to tell, yarns to squish and knitspiration to share.
It’s a brand new year. And it’s been a while since I’ve been around! So what better way to leap back onto the blog but with a new knitting pattern release. The Embellish Baby Blanket is live on Ravelry now! Continue reading
I’m so excited to share my latest pattern with you. The Cirrostratus Shawl goes live on Ravelry today! Continue reading
I was in two minds as to whether I should share yet another reading challenge for fear of running over old ground. But I had such success with my 2017 reading challenge, I had no reservations continuing in the same vein for 2018. Once again Popsugar released yet another inspiring list of 40 book prompts to broaden your literary horizons and I jumped thoroughly on board at the start of the year.
It’s been a whole 18 months since I last shared a ‘Who I’m following on Instagram’ post. So I thought it was high time I ran through a few new accounts I’ve been loving lately. I still follow these top knitting accounts I shared way back in July 2016, but in the last year and a half I’ve added these 10 inspirational hand knitters and yarn dyers to my list!
