I love cables! My last post on the ‘Honeymaker‘ may tell you otherwise, but I do really love a good cabled knit.
One of the first things I ever knitted for my mum was this cowl by Pickles with lovely cables to twist the entire fabric, creating a really elegant effect! But this post isn’t about that cowl (maybe another time)…
Three years on, and I found this little gem of a pattern on Ravelry. And bonus…. it’s free!
Natural fibres will always pill and bobble to a certain extent, it’s simply an unavoidable fact. Some mistakenly believe that the more you spend on clothing, the less you’d expect this to happen. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but regardless of how much you spend on woollen clothing or accessories, this will still occur where certain fibres are concerned. From designer to high street, from mass produced to handmade, it’s universal.
Don’t despair! Luckily there are plenty of things you can do stop this from happening. You can even revive tired, old worn out garments with the help of some handy wool care tips and a few fantastic products.
Pilling and bobbling occurs when fibres rub together, so think underarm areas and perhaps where you sling your shoulder bag over your knitwear. This is particularly common with softer, chunkier yarns and fibres that are often spun more loosely. When pilling happens, this can make your knitwear look shabby and ready to throw out. But I’m pleased to say, with the right wool care and a little preening your garments can look good as new.
Here’s how I go about reviving my knitwear. I hope you find at least one of these recommendations helpful! And please comment if you have any handy tips to share 🙂 sharing’s caring!
Last week I shared my ‘Top 5 Luxury Yarn Buys’ with you, now this week I’m looking at the opposite end of the spectrum and indulging in my ‘Top 5 Budget Yarns’. Don’t assume low cost means cheap and nasty. Think more cheap and cheerful – as the yarns I’ve selected (in my opinion anyway) combine both value for money and quality. There’s absolutely no point in paying next to nothing for yarn if it’s not going to do the job.
And on the flipside, let’s be honest – I know I’m not alone in having paid a small fortune for supposed ‘high-quality yarns’ before and been bitterly disappointed with the outcome. It’s good to get the balance right, so these two blog posts are all about finding the best yarn for the job!
If you feel differently to me on any of these yarns, or have any other suggestions, have your say and please comment – I’d love to know what your favourite yarns are!
Love is in the air….and I want to share with you my brand new FREE knitting pattern!
The virtual doors are open and all of my handmade knitwear is available to buy on Etsy right now! Standard sizes are available to purchase immediately and custom orders are more than welcome. I’d love to hear from you, so please get in touch with me right here if you have any feedback or you’d like to conjure up your very own, unique, hand knitted piece.
The designs you see are just the beginning, there’ll be more to follow over the next few months, available in a range of styles, sizes and ages. So fill your boots and take a peek at what’s online now, and keep your eyes peeled for more Shortrounds Knitwear to come!
Where does a self-confessed knitaholic choose to go on holiday? Why, Iceland of course!
No relaxing on the beach for me and Mr Shortrounds this time round. Early in February we scooted off to Reykjavik and southwest Iceland to explore and take in the natural beauty that this stunning landscape has to offer! From geysirs and waterfalls, to black beaches and glacier walking – we weren’t disappointed. We were so lucky, we even got to see the Northern Lights!
It also offered the perfect opportunity to product test my soon to be available knitwear. Because what’s the point of making something that doesn’t work, right?! I’m pleased to report, that in temperatures of down to -10°C I kept wonderfully toasty. I may have had a freezing nose but I don’t suit a balaclava, so I had to make do.
Now I’m back, it’s full steam ahead to get Shortrounds Knitwear up and running. I’m just getting the final pieces together, so look out for an announcement on the launch very soon! In the meantime, without further delay, here’s a few snaps from our sub-zero mini break. See you soon!
In January, I posted about the Raspberry Stitch Mittens I had made for my friend Su. These winter warmers were made using Debbie Bliss Paloma chunky yarn. They have been so well received and I’ve had some lovely comments about them (which was a nice surprise). So much so I had a request to make them in aran weight yarn, with a bright contrast thumb!
Leon wanted ‘his and hers’ fingerless mittens, a pair for him and a pair for his wife. The only difference, the colour on the thumb! So I set about recrafting my pattern to suit the different yarn weight. Here’s the free knitting pattern for you to try…
I’ll be selling beautiful, affordable knitwear made to a high standard and lovingly hand knitted. I promise to use only the best wools and yarns, and offer you an individual, personal service from casting on to your hand-wrapped package finally arriving on your doorstep. I will stock standard pieces of knitwear on Etsy in a wide range of colours, but if you have allergies or sensitivity to certain wools or would like to commission a one-of-a-kind piece, please drop me a line either on Etsy or via my contact page and we can have a chat about creating your unique Shortrounds knitwear!
So last weekend, I high-tailed it down to London with my lovely Mum and partner in knitting crime Claire. Our main aim was to visit the Fashion and Textile Museum to see the KNITWEAR Chanel to Westwood exhibition, but let’s not pretend that the opportunity for shopping didn’t play a part in this dastardly plan at all.
I was thrilled to be asked to make another garter stitch hat for my friend Sarah. But as well as a hat, she wanted a matching infinity scarf to be paired with it. Challenge on!
As much as I love garter stitch, you can have too much of a good thing, and I wanted to create something a little more interesting than a plain garter stitch hat and scarf set. Inspired by this pin on Pinterest back in 2014, I set about recreating a bulkier ‘half-and-half’ pattern myself. It’s a lovely mixture of basketweave and garter stitch, which look like they were made to be knitted together in my opinion. The original pin has me yearning for a mint green scarf now, but I have to push that thought to the back of my mind and get on with more pressing things!
