Lacy Fingerless Mitts

Way back in February the online wool store Deramores created a knit-a-long through Ravelry. They wafted THIS easy lace patterned snood/cowl designed by Jemma Weston using Rowan yarn.

So I gave it a whirl and it knitted up really quick. Then another KAL member created a pattern for lazy lace like hat to match the scarf. Not being a much of an in-the-round knitter I used her instructions as a start and made a straight needle version instead.

After all that I had a cowl and a hat and some yarn left over ... and this is how these simple fingerless mitts came about. SO pattern time...

Materials

Double Knitting yarn approx 25 grams (allow 30g for length for sewing up etc)

4mm and 5mm straight needles

a tapestry needle to sew up the seam

and the 10 row pattern from Deramores (no longer available so edited into this pattern)

Method

Using 4mm needles cast on 36 stitches, and work 19 rows in K1, P1 rib

Change to 5mm needles and Purl 1 row

Work though the 10 row pattern below twice (20 rows), you will end with the purl row 10.

 

Row 1 (RS): K1 *yfwd, K2togtbl, K3, rep from * to end.
Row 2 and every alt row: K1, P to last st, K1.
Row 3: K2, *yfwd, K2togtbl, K3, rep from * to last 4 sts, yfwd, K2togtbl, K2.

Row 5: K3 *yfwd, K2togtbl, K3, rep from * to last 3 sts, yfwd, K2togtbl, K1.
Row 7: K4 *yfwd, K2togtbl, K3, rep from * to last 2 sts, yfwd, K2 togtbl.
Row 9: K5 *yfwd, K2togtbl, K3, rep from * to last st, K1.
Row 10: K1, P to last st, K1.

 

Change to 4mm needles and work a further 10 rows in K1, P1 rib.

Cast off rib wise.

To Make Up

You need to fold in half and sew the seam matching the rib bands and leaving a space for the thumb. I have added the picture below to show where I feel the thumb is comfortable, in this case a joined from the longer rib band up to the 10th row of the pattern (the eyelet hole) and then another row to created a firm seam edge, and from the smaller rib band for only a couple of rows. Neaten yarn ends and ta-da some easy lace fingerless mitts

These lilac ones match the cowl and hat I made. The rib band at the wrist was done using only 15 rib rows rather than the 19 I used making the light yellow pair for the pattern. If you want a quick charity knit these would be perfect using the 15 row band... you could easily get 4 pairs from a 100g ball of cheap acylic DK.

The lace pattern is in my opinion a good introduction into lace knitting for someone who has the basic skills but wants to expand slightly

If you do make any I would love to see and have a pattern page for them HERE on Ravelry you can link to.

Thank you :D

 

Banana Bread

total time to make about 50 mins including baking

preheat oven to 180C/gas4

grease a 1lb loaf tin (about 22cmx12cm) line base with greaseproof if your not using a non-stick tin or for ease of removal

in a large bowl mash up 2 large browning bananas,

add in 1 egg,130g self raising flour,1tsp baking powder,55g softened butter,100g caster sugar and mix well...if bananas aren't overly ripe you may need to add in a little milk for a dropping consistency

pour mixture into tin and bake center oven for 35-40 mins or till a skewer in the middle comes out clean

allow to mostly cool in tin then turn onto wire rack to cool completely

Hallowe'en 2011

Here we have 2 Knights...One of the Camelot-esque variety, and one Jedi 

knitted chailmail shirt and coif, sewn undershirt

as for the Jedi...he looks like a mini Luke in the middle pic :D... sewing again for underrobes and main teracotta one (had to dye it as i didnt have anything big enough that was darker than the cream) and a twisted cord for the belt.

snake pattern

copy/pasted from another blog...will edit for pics and mistakes later

gauge isn't really important, you just need to make sure the hook and wool give a close enough finish so as not to leave big holes. I used a 4mm hook and a double knitting wool that handled quite heavy...it definitely wasnt a baby weighted DK. Used maybe about 25g of main colour with oddments of red and black for detail

sc single crochet
ch chain
inc increase (work 2 sc in single stitch)
dec decrease (insert hook, pull thru thread, insert hook in next stitch, pull thru yarn, then pull yarn thru all 3 loops to make one stitch)

the main body is worked in spirals

Start off by making the tongue, this way it can be fastened off well inside before stuffing the head and prevents any small bits getting eaten off (i have two small boys, so eaten off IS the correct term lol)

With red chain 12, turn and sc in 2nd chain from hook and following 5chain, this makes one half of the forked tongue, make another 7 chain coming off from the last sc, sc down these new chain for the other side of the fork, then sc down the rest of the base chain and fasten off...you should have what now looks like a forked tongue

Using main colour work 2 ch
1st row work 6sc in 2nd ch from hook (6st)
2nd row (inc) in each sc (12st)
3rd row (inc, 1sc) to end (18st)
4th row (inc) in first 3 sc, then sc to end (21st)
5th row (inc, sc, inc) twice, then sc to end (25st)
work 3 rounds straight
9th row (dec, sc,sc,sc) repeat to end (20st)
10th row(dec, sc,sc, sc) to end (16st)

at this point attach tongue by bringing ends thru the starter loop and sewing in ends and knotting off well. Make eyes using knotted wool, i used 2 strands held together bringing wool thru 6 times then pulling tight to make a large sized knot, attaching as picture at the bump in the head. Stuff head then continue on with spirals.

Work for as long as you feel you need to, stuffing as you go, to make a long sausage. I made him long enough to allow a knot, but he could easily be longer or shorter as you wish...this makes him a great stash buster as long as you remeber to leave enough to decrease for the tail as follows...

before decreasing stuff end only very well so the stuffing can move out and fill the tail end when finished.

continue in rounds working a decrease the 5sc round until it gets too close to work comfortably...i had about 5 sts left by that stage, break yarn and stitch thru end to close.

et voila...a little snake 

headband tester

pattern test toddler hat

I'll link pattern when available

Tiny Beanie

6mm crochet hook and DK wool

2chain, work 6hdc in 1st chain, do not join,work in spirals

(inc) in each - 12hdc

(work 1, inc in next) around - 18hdc

work 1hdc in each for 4 rounds

work 1 round in sc, fasten off and sew in ends

for the flower

3chain slip into 1st chain.

working into loop work (sc,dc,dc) 6times then slip to close. 

attach to hat as shown with optional button for decoration