Finally, last weekend, I finished knitting E’s scarf and hat. In plenty of time for Winter!

Here is a picture of E in the scarf. Look how long it is – that took ages! I actually love this picture because the red in the scarf matches the red under the umbrella.

And here is the hat. This was actually quite quick:

They are both so cozy and warm. These patterns came from Knit Knack Kit: Simple Instructions and Tools for 25 Terrific Projects by Kris Percival. E gave it to me for my birthday two years ago!

Last weekend the organisers of the Knitting & Stitching Show graciously gave me and my friend L press tickets and we had a great afternoon wandering around about a million stalls full of gorgeous yarns and fabrics at Alexandra Palace.

The show was incredibly popular. I was told Sunday was the slowest day but it was busy to the point of being a bit exhausting. I’ve never seen so many knitting and sewing lovers in one place!

In addition to the shopping there were classes (which unfortunately were mostly full by the time I heard about the show) and galleries. But mainly I wanted to shop!

Here is the floor plan so you can see the incredible scope of the show.

We were first drawn to Fibres Exotica, which had the most vibrant silk yarns I’ve ever seen. This picture just does not do it justice at all. I bought some AMAZING cobalt blue yarn here and I thinking I’m going to make a neck cozy something like this.

Next we went a bit crazy for the designs of Purl Alpaca Designs.Don’t you just love that jumper?

We also fell for the incredibly soft, rich colours of Manos Maxima from Crafty Yarn. I bought the fiery red and I don’t know what I’ll do with it yet. Maybe socks?

We were also really impressed with the Toft Alpaca Shop. What is it about alpaca? I didn’t buy anything here yet but I’d love to make this jumper. You can buy the yarn with the pattern online.

I was over the moon to find Eternal Maker, a West Sussex fabric shop that imports fabrics from some of my favourites, including Anna Maria Horner. They have an online shop too!

Coats Crafts is also a brilliant shop, with FreeSpirit Fabrics. They have a great site with loads of free patterns.

We also found Loop, an Islington knitting store I haven’t been to yet, which had some gorgeous yarns as well.

And are these the biggest knitting needles you’ve ever seen? I’ve never seen anything like it!

The show is coming to Dublin and Harrogate if you’d like to go!

As it is apparently National Knitting Week (thanks to Hobbycraft for letting me know…) I thought I’d republish some tips for knitting on a budget that I originally posted on 11 September 2009 (plus a new one). Enjoy!

• NEW TIP: Read knitting blogs! Helpful and friendly knitters and knitting shops out there will share free patterns and inspirations. I’m currently spend a lot of time on the Purl Bee but there are oh so many more out there once you look.
• Join local knitting circles—when you have friends who knit you can borrow needles and books or swap yarns. In London, try Stitch and Bitch London or the knitting group and Sunday knit roast with iKnit.
• Use Google video search to find free online demonstrations when you’re trying to learn a new stitch.
• Sign up with Ravelry, the online social network for knitters, for free (and not free) patterns, advice and tips.
• Recycle yarn, either by taking apart your old clothes or shopping thrift stores for items that can be easily deconstructed. Look for pieces with seams that are woven rather than sewn, so the yarn can be pulled apart in one long piece.
• Check your council’s libraries for knitting books rather than buying them.
• Make friends with your local knitting store (or local John Lewis) so you’ll find out ahead of any sales or discounts.
• Consider substitutions. For example silk can be expensive and a silk blend or even an acrylic yarn could be just fine.
• Don’t throw anything away. Bits and bobs of extra yarn can be used to make doll clothes or in quilts, or small projects like oven mitts.
• Skip the fancy accessories. We’d all love to have a Cath Kidston knitting bag but that free tote you got in last month’s Marie Claire will do the trick and you know it!

Happy knitting!

I was really excited to see the range of sewing and knitting kits on the Crafts4kids website and the company was kind enough to issue a voucher code for my readers to buy kits at a 10% discount. Just use code VMSK10 at checkout to claim. The code is good until 31 October.

Nottinghamshire-based Crafts4kids is one of the UK’s leading online retailers of educational toys and crafts for children and they have launched their autumn / winter range of sewing & kniting kits for kids. There are two new brands in their range, Buttonbag and Sparrowkids.

I love to knit and sew and I do a lot of projects with DSD to help her learn. When I was looking for knitting supplies for children for her last birthday I struggled to figure out what would be easy for her to hold in her small hands so it is great to see companies putting together these kinds of kits.

Here are a few of my favourites from Crafts4kids range. There are loads more projects and kits on the site!

Buttonbag Knitting Kit – £19.50 (age 9+)

Alex Toys My First Sewing Kit – £19.95 (age 7-13)

The Little Experience Stitch It Dolly Kit – £9.50 (age 6+)

What a busy, busy, BUSY week! I want to write more and get more GREAT DEALS up on the site, especially when I have so many new visitors dropping by because of the Disney on Ice contest! But work has been a bit crazy and time has been short and life goes on.

I did want to throw up a quick post though to talk about some things that are making me happy this week! First up, my shipment of gorgeous Anna Maria Horner fabrics arrived. These didn’t come cheap (especially after customs fees that I completely failed to factor into the equation) but it is hard to get them here. Aren’t they stunning? There are cotton voiles and flannels from the Little Folks range and cottons from the Good Folks range. I can’t wait to start sewing with them!

I also learned today about the knitting and stitching show next week at Alexander Palace. I’m really excited about this. Most of the classes are sold out but I think it will still be really fun to wander around and do a little shopping! I’m going to be a bit cheeky and see if they’ll give me a free pass as press (unlikely) but I plan to go either way.

Finally tomorrow I and I are going to a fun event I’ve been invited to by Mission Foods called We Will Wrap You. The event is promoting their new range of wraps developed by the cast of the musical We Will Rock You. I think it will be really fun because we get to see the show!

Okay, I’m now off to send a couple of work emails (bah!) and then to bed. Two days to Friday thank goodness!

Well I’m finally working on it again. I started this scarf/hat/gloves(?) project around the end of last winter and I’m just now making real traction! E doesn’t believe it will happen but I’m promising to finish everything before it gets really cold!

I suppose I got distracted when I started sewing again, but either way I’m back in the knitting game and excited about this project. Here is E modeling the scarf in its partial state. Halfway there, wouldn’t you say??

Yay for knitting! And yay for HobbyCraft putting their knitting range online. There are some great deals to be found on the site plus you don’t pay shipping on orders over £30.

This lovely wooly Patons Fairytale Colour 4 Me Mixed plus loads of other colours in the range are on sale for under £3 per ball.

You can also stock up on adorable patterns like this Sirdar Snuggly Snowflake Chunky.

I’m starting a new knitting project! E is after a chunky warm scarf and hat so I’m ambitiously embarking on both. However, given that I’m writing this blog instead of knitting, I fear the snow will all be long gone before I finish.

Oh well! I thought I’d let you all know I’ve started so you can keep me accountable!

I finally finished knitting the jumper dress I’ve been working on for ages. I started it round the same time as I started this blog, so I’m sure you can understand why it has taken me so long!

It has also taken forever because it was initially just a top, which was then turned into a dress. I don’t really know how to make my own patterns so it took several tries before I got it right.

Here is the full view of the dress:

I got this pattern for free from the knitting social network site Ravelry from Soulful Hues Knits. I previously mentioned the site in my post Knitting on a Budget.

Here it is if you’d like to try:

Girls’ cap-sleeved spring top

Size is roughly 3-5 years

tools:
size 6, 8 and 10 circs
250ish yards of recycled light worsted or dk weight cotton yarn

gauge on 6′s in st stitch 5.5 st/in
gauge on 8′s in st stitch 4.5 st/in

approximate finished measurements:
chest: 19 in
underarm to waist: 9in

We’ll be working top down, never breaking the yarn, when you bind off, this item will be ready to wear!

neck/yoke:

CO 80 st on size 6 circs using the long tail co method
place marker, join and work 1×1 rib for 18 rounds
k one round
k1 yo, repeat til end of round (160 sts)
k stockinette st for 15 rounds

arm holes:
starting at your marker, bind off 4o sts (loosely on size 8 circs), k 40, bo 40 (again on size 8′s), k to end

joining under arms:
co 3 sts (using backward loop co method), join, knit to next join, co 3 sts, k to end

body:
k stockinette for 6ish rounds, switch to size 8 circs, knit to length, remember you can try the garment on the kid to make sure it’s long enough.

Bind off very loosely on size 10 circs, weave in co and bo tails.

**If you’d like to try turning it into a dress, the method I used was when it gets to just about under the ribcage start slowly adding directly down the sides using the Make 1 (M1) technique.

I first added one stitch and then every five rows after that I added two–M1 K1 M1. Any proper knitters that disagree with this method or my description, I apologise!

The dress looks like this on the sides, which I think looks nice and neat.

Quite excited about the progress of the jumper that I’ve been knitting for ages. Despite getting a bit confused joining under the arms, I’m back on track. Now I just have to pop it on and see how long it should be!