Knitting

All things knitting and knitwear, at the heart of what Shortrounds is all about!

Stitch & Story Bounty Throw

| beth

With autumn having descended so quickly, these last couple of weeks have plunged us into cold spells. Knee high boots and wooly jumpers are the norm, and you absolutely have to carry an umbrella. At. All. Times.

So this seemed like the perfect time to indulge myself in a huge knitted throw for myself! Something that I can tuck my feet up under on these darker, colder evenings.

Stitch & Story’s Bounty Throw fit the bill perfectly. It’s a wonderfully easy pattern, but switches up the stitch patterns frequently enough to keep a seasoned knitter like myself from getting bored! I picked their lovely shade of Olive Pastel, as it’s my absolute favourite!

Stitch & Story Bounty Throw - Shortrounds Knitwear Continue reading →

Five new patterns – baby knits

| beth

Knitwear for mini humans has a special place in my heart. Baby knits often take no time at all, and always look super cute no matter the pattern!

I’ve been trawling the internet looking for the latest inspiration for my next baby knits – ready for when the next one of my lucky friends has a(nother) baby! A mixture of goodies for both boys and girls, with a bonus toy thrown into the mix – enjoy!

The Purl Bee – Super Simple Super Soft Merino Baby Hat (free knitting pattern)

Purl Bee baby hat - Shortrounds Continue reading →

Top 10 knitting Instagram accounts

| beth

Following on from my previous post on my Top 10 Instagram Accounts to follow, I felt it was only right to dedicate an entire post to my Top 10 knitting Instagram accounts.

My Instagram feed is probably 70% knitting and crafting based, with the other 30% made up of friends, family and any other lovely Instagrammers that catch my eye!

I’ve spoken about the uplifting nature of Instagram previously, and that doesn’t stop here. All of these fantastic knitting Instagrammers make up just a tiny part of the HUGE knitting community that exists on social media. Sharing finished items, works in progress, and even frustrating ‘frogged projects’!!

Here are the knitters that keep me stitching till past 1am on a school night!

WOOL AND THE GANG

WOOL AND THE GANG - Shortrounds Knitwear

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A Q&A with Baa Baa Brighouse

| beth

This week’s Q&A comes from a company that embodies everything that we should be striving for in knitting – supporting local.

Baa Baa Brighouse was set up by Elaine Jinks-Turner in early 2014, and supplies a beautiful range of British dyed and spun yarns via an online shop. From the moment you click onto the homepage Baa Baa Brighouse’s main focus is abundantly clear – supporting and upholding the traditions of Yorkshire farmers, crafters, spinners and dyers alike.

The majority of the yarns on sale are from Yorkshire based spinners and dyers including Laura’s Loom and West Yorkshire Spinners. What’s more, with local Knit and Natter events and a monthly yarn club, Baa Baa Brighouse is greatly involved in sustaining Yorkshire’s rich textile heritage. Here, among other things, Elaine talks about how and why she set up her own creative business, the importance of supporting local indie traders and explains about the monthly yarn subscription Yan Tan Tethera Yarn Club!A Q&A with Baa Baa Brighouse - Jan 2015 Yarn Club - Shortrounds Knitwear Continue reading →

A Q&A with Stitch & Story

| beth

Knitting’s been around for centuries. Literally AGES. It began with the Ancient Egyptians in the eleventh century, then burst onto the European scene in the twelfth and thirteenth century via France, Germany and Britain! So with such a long-standing, rich and varied tradition, how do you breathe new life into a craft that was at one time synonymous with ‘archaic’ and ‘old-fashioned’?!

That’s just what Jennifer Chan and Jen Hoang, Co-founders of Stitch & Story set out to do. Fed up with having to trawl the internet for a decent knitting pattern (we’ve all been there), both Jens set up shop – providing modern and fashionable knitting kits, top-quality 100% merino wool, as well as hosting their increasingly popular knitting workshops!DIY Knit Kits - Stitch & StoryAnd I’ve had the pleasure of asking Jennifer Chan a few questions this week! I’m a massive fan of this wonderful independent knitting company, whose sole mission is to bring stress-free knitting to both the ultimate beginner through to the most seasoned of experienced knitters. You can check out Stitch & Story’s amazing offering on their website, as well as follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Continue reading →

Knitwear from the movies

| beth

The silver screen is a great source of inspiration for many things…quotes to throw at your friends, travel destinations, fashion, beauty, hair and makeup….all of the things.

And we can definitely add knitwear to that list, with plenty of knitters and designer/makers providing patterns for our favourite on-screen garments. These little beauties have caught my eye over the years, so I had to share! Some are iconic, others more obscure, but these gorgeous examples of knitwear have had me scouring the internet for replica patterns/garments that I could get my hands on.

Katniss’s hunters cowl vest

Katniss hunting cowl - Shortrounds Knitwear Continue reading →