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Tuesday 29 May 2012

One evening slippers free pattern

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What I really mean is not slippers FOR one evening, it's slippers MADE IN one evening. :)
As it looks like the weather is changing into it's usuall cloudy and rainy type again, and because I've got a huge hole in my old slippers I just had to make another ones. While knitting I really wanted not only to make some nice slippers for myself, but to create a super easy pattern that even a beginner could follow. Hope I really did it :) Try it and let me know!

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This slippers are size 7, but they are quite stretchy, so I would say it's 5 - 8.

The yarn was just something from my stash, but it's DK and it didn't take too much yarn to make the slippers. Less than 100g definetly. And you will need 5mm needles, a tapestry needle and a spare evening.

So, let's start?

Tension: 10st x 10 rows = 5,4 cm x 3,3 cm

Slipper body:
Cast on 33 st, knit 50 rows, put stich markers on the both ends of the 50th row, knit 4 more rows,
the next row: k2tog, knit 7, k2tog, k2tog, knit 7, k2tog, k2tog, knit 7, k2tog
knit 4 rows with no decreases
the next row: k2tog, knit 5, k2tog, k2tog, knit 5, k2tog, k2tog, knit 5, k2tog
knit 4 rows with no decreases
the next row: k2tog, knit 3, k2tog, k2tog, knit 3, k2tog, k2tog, knit 3, k2tog
knit 4 rows with no decreases
the next row: k2tog, knit 1, k2tog, k2tog, knit 1, k2tog, k2tog, knit 1, k2tog
knit 4 rows with no decreases
cut the yarn, leaving a long end (we'll need it to sew the slipper), bring the yarn through the remaining 9 stiches, pull up firmly. Then fold the slipper in half and sew it from the toes to the stich markers on row 50. Sew slipper back seam.

For the flower:
cast on 90,
Row 1: purl 90,
Row 2: knit decreasing each 10th st,
Row 3: purl 81,
Row 4: knit decreasing each 9th st
Row 5: purl 72
Row 6: knit decreasing each 8th st
cut the yarn, leaving a long end, bring the yarn through the remaining stiches, pull up firmly. Start rolling up the flower in a spiral shape, starting with the center. When you've shaped the flower sew it to the front part of the slipper. Add a bead in the center of your flower to make it more glam and shiny.

Repeat for the second slipper and enjoy your new pair.

Saturday 26 May 2012

Mike the Monkey - my big crochet project

A while ago I mentioned a big project I made this month and now it's time to show it, so I'm proudly presenting you all MIKE THE MONKEY!

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This crocheted monkey was an order. I was asked to make a monkey for a little boy aged 1,5 who has been on a safari and liked the monkeys more than anything else.
I never made monkeys before so it was quite a challenge for me. I've spent acouple of days just trying to figure out how a monkey should look like and then it took me about a week to crochet (I've changed the arms 3 times, and the legs 2 times) and I can say that in the end I'm kind of proud of myself.

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The design and crocheting is 100% my, the yarn is cotton & acrilic, no little bits, no beads or buttons, so it's complitely safe for the babies under 3.
And here I'm with the monkey, so you can see how big it actually is.

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And here is the monkey and My Little Man. His firs reaction was amazing - give it to me, mummy, give it! Well, I didn't let him to chew and soak it, so I had to mamage to make a quick photo and take the monkey away.

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And I'm glad and proud of myself (again!) because the little one I was making it for really enjoyed it!

Now I should make a pattern for it, as my friend in the wool shop aslo fell in love with the monkey and immediatly asked me if I've written it all down. Shure I did! So the pattern will be available in a while at Knitters World Scarborough.

Wednesday 23 May 2012

My little Man's half-birthday

It is unbelievable, but yesturday My Little Man had his half-birthday! Yes, he is 6 months old now! And to me it still feels like he was born just a couple of weeks ago. but in the same time it feels like he's been with me all my life and all the years before him seem like an old movie about someone else, someone i used to know, but now barely can remember...
Anyway, yesturday we spent a lovely time out, sitting on the grass, watching duck families and ladybugs. Little Man had no cake as he is too young for it, but he had some giftshe seems to enjoy. We bought him a highchair so now he can join us while we have our dinner. And I also made a crochet garland with his name on for his room (photos will follow a bit later) and some soft crochet cubes for him to play with. I started a couple of days before, as it is not as quick to crochet all 6 sides for each cube and then join them together. Here are some colourfull pics of the process:

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Love the light an this picture, but it doesn't show how really bright the colours are. This one is more precise:
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Then I had to decide in what order to put them before joining it all into a cube:

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And they all looked so bright and fun that I could not resist and made a couple more pictures:

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The last one is my favourite.

And then, finaly, when it was all finished and presented to My Little Man I definetly could say he likes them all!

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Well, I know he looks serious on this picture, but all the funny faces were blured as he was moving and trying to eat his gifts all the way long while I was playing a photographer. But he still is gorgeous, isn't he?

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Tuesday 22 May 2012

Baby sleeveless jacket free pattern. Size 0-3 months.

I know, it's getting worm out there, but still some little babies might need a sleeveless jacket for more windy days. Plus the weather in England is changing every day and you never know what it;s gonna be like tomorrow. So here I made a little sleeveless jacket for a 0-3 months old baby and decided to share a pattern for those who want to make one for their babies.

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I used some aran weight yarn from my stash, a bit more than 50 grams. I think it was Filati, some wool and acrilic mix, but I'm really not shure. Anyway, you will need a bit more than 50g of aran veight yarn, 5mm needles, 5 buttons and a tapestry needle to complete this project. It is supereasy!

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Gauge 10 st x 10 rows = 6 x 4,5 cm. My friend from the wool shop measured the finished project and said the tension should be 15sts/21 rows in st st.

In the beginning and till the armholes body front and back are knitted as one pease. Cast on 65 st.
1 row: purl
2 row: knit
3 row: purl 61 st, p2tog, yarn over, purl 2
4 row: knit
5 row: purl 3, knit 26, purl 5, knit 26, purl 5
6 row: knit 5, purl 26, knit 5, purl 26, knit 3
7 - 10 row: repeat rows 5 and 6 two times
11 row: purl 3, knit 26, purl 5, knit 26, purl 1, p2tog, yarn over, purl 2
12 row: knit 5, purl 26, knit 5, purl 26, knit 3
13 row: purl 3, knit 26, purl 5, knit 26, purl 5
14 - 17 row: repeat rows 12 and 13 two times
18 row: knit 2, yarn over, k2tog, knit 1, purl 26, knit 5, purl 26, knit 3
19 row: purl 3, knit 26, purl 5, knit 26, purl 5
20 row: knit 5, purl 26, knit 5, purl 26, knit 3
21 - 24 row: repeat row 19 and 20 two times
25 row: purl 3, knit 26, purl 5, knit 26, purl 1, p2tog, yarn over, purl 2
26 row: knit 5, purl 26, knit 5, purl 26, knit 3
27 row: purl 3, knit 26, purl 5, knit 26, purl 5
28 row: cast off first 5 st, purl 25, cast off 5, purl 25, knit 3
29 row: cast off 3, p2tog, purl 20, p2tog, purl 1, turn
leave the rest of the stiches as they are for now. We'll return to them later. Now we will continue working on the back of our sleeveless jacket
30 row: knit
31 row: p2tog, purl 20, p2tog
32 row: knit
33 row: purl
34 row: knit
35 row: purl
36 row: knit
37 row: purl
38 row: knit 6, cast off 10, knit 5,
39 row: purl 6
40 row: knit 6
41 row: purl 6
42 row: knit 6
43 row: purl 6
cast off 6 and cut the yarn. Now work with the 6 st on the other side of the back, rejoin the yarn and repeat rows 39 - 43. Cast off. And you're done with the back.
For the front:
return to the stiches left on the needles, Rejoin the yarn then
purl 1, p2tog, purl 20, p2tog, purl 1
then repeat rows 30 - 35:
36 row: knit 6, cast off 10, knit 5,
37 row: purl 6
38 row: knit 6
39 row: purl 6
40 row: knit 6
41 row: purl 6
42 row: knit 6
43 row: purl 6
Cast off. Now work with the 6 st on the other side of the front, rejoin the yarn:
37 row: purl 6
38 row: knit 6
39 row: purl 6
40 row: knit 6
41 row: purl 6
42 row: knit 6
43 row: purl 6
44 row: knit 6
45 row: purl 1, p2tog, yo, purl 3
46 row: knit
47 row: purl
cast off. And you've done the front!

Now hide all the yarn ends, sew the left shoulder stripes together, sew the buttons according to your buttonholes (every time we made yo it was actually a buttonhole), steam press and try it on your young man! Or a young lady. :)

Sunday 20 May 2012

So many things going on

Omg, so many things happened in the last month! I've been really busy with some of my new projects and My Little Man who decided to totally chande his sleeping routine twice this month so when I had some time that could be a moment for my blog I just felt far too tired to write something.
But now it feels like I just should write something, should share all the things I've done.

First of all, after I made little socks for my nephew a few people just totally fell in love with them and I was offered to make some for sale in a local wool shop. Of course I felt excited! So I picked up some pure merino wool, used a bit of yarn scraps from my own stash and made 10 (!!!) pairs of baby socks. Here they are, my little lovelies:

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Now we are thinking of presentation boxes and lables and after a while this little socks will be sold in Knitters World Scarborough as Baby First Socks in a nice gift boxes. And everyone can order some really special ones from me, just let me know in comments.

The next thing this month was the gifts for two ladies in our knitting club, who expect their babies in August and September. I made a little sleeveless jacket, hat and socks for one, and a cotton jacket for another one. You will see the similar sleeveless jacket in the next post where I will share a free pattern of it and I still need to make a picture of the cotton jacket, but it definetly will be done and I will tell you it's special story.
But I can show you the little hat and socks:

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Then I made two little toys as an example for the owner of our wool shop as he has an idea of making crochet workshop, where we could teach people to crochet toys using my patterns. I will not show you the toys I made, I used really odd scraps of wool for them, because I just needed to show the form of the toy and yarn didn't matter, it just had to be double knitt. I will make some normal samples and show them here a bit later.

And the biggest project I had this month was a crocheted monkey that will have a separate post about it as it took me the whole week to figure out how to make it and to crochet it all.

That is how it goes and it's really exciting and interesting. I just wish I had more time for sleeping :)