I can’t believe where the last five years have gone. It feels like just yesterday that my friend Claire and I tentatively picked up a pair of knitting needles.
Quince & Co.
Quince & Co. Scarborough Shrug
This is one of my most favourite knitting patterns that I’ve ever had the pleasure to knit. Simple and effective sequences of yarn overs and dropped stitches create the beautiful lace knit pattern that makes up the Scarborough Shrug by Quince & Co. The end result has been better than I could have ever imagined (having never tackled lace knitting before I was worried about the consistency of my stitches and heaven-forbid dropping a stitch somewhere).
Christmas and New Year 2015
Happy New Year! And here’s to a fantastic 2016.
Last year was a fantastic year for me and Mr Shortrounds. Not only did we shirk 90% of our DIY projects in favour of days and nights out with friends (oops must do better this year!), we travelled to some amazing countries and met some wonderful people!
Christmas was spent cosily with just Mum, Dad and Lil Bro this year. After a walk around the village, we settled in for a fantastic dinner prepared by Michelin star chef – Mum (ok well, she deserves at least two stars in my opinion). Presents were opening, champagne was quaffed and I don’t think I’ve laughed so hard in a long time! These pictures capture the perfect moment when my Mum turned her nose up at the champagne (saved for this very special occasion) – needless to say, we drank it anyway, and very nice it was too!
Stockard Cardi by Quince & Co.
Is it just me or was Christmas over in a flash this year? And let’s not even mention how unprepared I was for the festive season 2015!
Luckily, when it comes to my lovely Mum I had been planning her Christmas present months in advance. Together we’d selected the Stockard Cardi by Quince & Co. as my gift to her, in the soft red wine colourway, Syrah.
What I’ve been knitting lately…
It’s Christmas Eve!!!!! And after a few weeks of flying low under the radar, I’ve had some time to finish off a lot of knitting projects that were niggling at me to be completed (you know the ones, projects that keep you awake at night or torment you when you should be concentrating on life admin).
Knitted Christmas presents have been gifted, Etsy orders have been all tied up and commissions are complete. Since I started this little endeavour, I don’t think I’ve ever had a moment when I’ve not had something that I should be knitting for someone else. So now, I have all this free time over the holidays to knit for me – what a novelty! And one I’m not taking at all for granted. As much as I love knitting things for other people, I’m really looking forward to casting off on some knitwear that I’ve been working on for myself.
Knitwear designers 101
Google ‘knitwear designers’ and you get thousands of links directing you to mega fashion houses and large retailers. The large brands that pop into your head every day of the week. Not what I really wanted to see.
When I think of knitwear designers, names like Pam Allen, Jared Flood and Olga Buraya-Kefelian come to mind. Knitwear designers that inspire me to pick up my needles, purchase their wonderful patterns, or even get creating my own. Sadly, Google didn’t agree with me.
I’m not-so-secretly waiting for the day when slow fashion really takes over and these become household names not just for knitters. It’s slowly bubbling under the surface. Non-knitters are beginning to see the influence making-your-own is having over our generation, that even ready-to-wear companies are getting on board. Knowing where your fibres have come from, the farm where the sheep were reared, the dyer that dipped the skeins of wool…the list goes on. And whether I buy my yarn or patterns in the UK or across the pond, provenance is increasingly important for me.
The reward I get from taking time over my own clothing and homewares is entirely the reason I knit. And I’ve rounded up the list of knitwear designers who are (for me) synonymous with the slow-fashion movement.
Michelle Wang
Five new patterns – baby knits
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)
Top 10 knitting Instagram accounts
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
Knitwear faves from this week – 17/08
Whether you make your own, commission it handmade, or nip down the shops to get your knitwear fix…this collection of knitwear faves from this week will whet your appetite!
A few more favourite knitting patterns
I’ve had a little Spring/Summer break from the blog recently. But I’m back! And after a few (countless) hours perusing the internet for my next knitting pattern purchase I finally came up with a shortlist of hot contenders. It’s a very serious business, choosing my next project. Some knitting projects (some still ongoing) have lasted longer than some of my relationships!
My longest standing project is the Feather Sweater by Pickles, which I started over a year ago, put down, picked up, put down, picked up. It’s the perfect companion really. There when I really need it, yet patiently waiting when I (rather unfaithfully) drop it for another enticing project!
