I wanted to share some pictures with you all from my own world of knitting, give you an idea of what knitting is like in the modern world, that it doesnt have to be all about grannies (but it can be if you want it to be). The things that i make, the things i see at shows that inspire me and stuff my friend's have made, even the clothes we wear. (A particular highlight are my see-through converse trainers!)
No apology for the volume of pictures- If you are a knitter too feel free to add your own stuff!
So to kick things off here is me and here are some of my own knitting projects- im a particular fan of knitting socks.
Here are some pictures of homewares and accessories that i've made, starting with my hierloom patchwork memories blanket, which i have been working on for 10 years now, is knitted on 2.5mm needles using thin 4ply "sock yarn", using left overs from my other projects, left overs given to me by friends and strangers online, yarn i have bought on holidays and at special events, from commercial companies and independent yarn dyers,and i have knitted squares from all kinds of events/milestones, such as births, deaths, royal weddings, to remember people i have met and places i have been, even a set of squares to mark each set of olympics that passes whilst i am working on the blanket. Its my pride and joy.
this is my cat's girlfriend- prescilla the "purrmaid"
Cloud cushions
Winston the Worm
My kitten basket, which my cat Ida quickly outgrew but loved so much she insisted on still using for several years!
Phineas loves his chicken girlfriend Hetty the Hen and sleeps next to her at night
One of mu favourite gifts was this faux fox head wall plaque kit, knitted with really chunky yarn
Things that my friends have knitted- sometimes for me, sometimes for themselves, plus things i have seen at knitting shows/shops that have inspired me.
Wabbit and Winston the Wonky (W)Aardvark that my friend crocheted for my birthday last year
unicorn scarf
rainbow shawl
caterpilar baby
the most beautiful and intricate laceweight shawl, the size of a tablecloth
the work that went in to it was breathtaking
i love these socks and the yarn is hand dyed 23 different colours so that the socks are self striping as you knit them- i have this yarn in my stash...
funky fairisle socks
my friend's crochet/knitting hut in her garden
a hand woven rug using super chunky yarn
a bit of yarn bombing with shaun the sheep...
babwear is just adorable, always
there are so many cute baby items to knit, and never enough time to make them all!
gorgeous homewares
crochet hearts as decorations
more yarn bombing at a show
little birds on a branch
crochet bunting
rug pictures as wall decor
edwards menagerie is a whole collection of designs to make crochet animals which i absolutely ADORE and is incredibly popular- thousands of edwards cuddly toys have been made all over the world
hank the sheep, is one of my favourite designs
animal themed knits are also incredibly popular, especially the quirky chunky designs from sincerely louise
i adore her faux taxidermy knits designs for animal heads which she sells as kits
red poppies that were used in a WW1 rememberenace display in austrailia that my friend posted out to me.
it was a a lovely community project that thousands of people took part in to make them
modern knitwear can be really bold, like this jumper
Tools of the job- these are some of the things i use and ways i store my knitting, types of yarn etc.
how hand dyed yarn is often sold- in skeins, which have to be rewound in to balls or "cakes" to be knitted- in this case to make a pair of socks.
this is a yarn winder (left) and yarn swift (right) that are used to turn a skein in to a cake of yarn
the finished cake
knitting socks on special bendy needle
knitting a chunky hat on giant double pointed needles
i wash my hand knits in the bath
dry them outside flat or on special "sock blockers" shaped like feet
and then i store my socks in my special "sock box"
i store my yarn in big plastic boxes to protect them from moths mostly, but my storage for my mini skeins and mini balls of yarn for my blanket are more novel
i store my projects in a variety of ways such as bags, open tubs etc
anything that is handy for taking your knitting out in to the real world (pubs)
but my cutest project holder is my yarn ball, complete with moustache
Every knitter carries "notions" a variety of tools, scissors, needles, a row counter, a pencil, a measuring tape and some stitch markers are the most common ones, with them all the time. I personally like to keep my notions in a silicone banana, just because.
stitch markers come in a huge variety of designs and types and can be really quirky. i particularly love fimo/polymer clay designs.
my friend makes these gorgeous little mushrooms as pin cushions which i think are adorable
Yarn comes in such wonderful designs nowadays- some of my favourites are things like opal sock yarn- this is an ombre effect yarn with silver sparkles
this is yarn that i actually hand dyed myself in some wonderful fire effects due to the different treatments applied to the yarn when it was manufactured meaning the dye takes differently to each strand
this yarn is a combination of baby camel hair and silk! its like knitting with a golden shiny cloud - the softest yarn i have ever touched
the spectrum of colours of hand dyed yarn available is just mouth watering
one of the things i love most about knitting is the textures it can create
and the sheer beauty of yarn...
part of the process of knitting is something you do after you have finished a project- it is called blocking, where you stretch out the work whilst it is wet and pin it down on to foam boards to stretch it to the correct size and shape- this makes any lace or cable work stand out, neatens out inperfections and makes things fit properly!
when you get in to knitting its innevitable that one day you might want to try and spin some of your own wool- you dont need a massive spinning wheel to do this, you can use a drop spindle instead- its quite addictive once you start...
and ofcourse drop spindles come in every colour, with or without added sparkles...
and ofcourse the one thing we never speak of... the nightmare that is "yarn barf" (where your ball of yarn just tangles itself up on the inside for no reason at all and it takes hours to undo all the knots= even with help!!!)
talking of help- phineas is my helper and likes to hold my yarn for me...
finally- what do knitters wear? well the real answer is ANYTHING but there are a few fan favourites out there...
my see through converse are a hit with everone- it took me years to track down a pair in my size in the uk because they were a US special one off
shawls worn as scarves around your neck are also very popular
certain patterns really take off on social media and sites like www.ravelry.com - one such pattern is the hitchiker shawl. it is a simple design but easy to wear and so has been made thousands and thousands of times.
Crochet tops are also fun to make and a common sight at yarn shows
rainbow knitwear is so popular even the shops are catching on
certain patterns cause a craze- this design started out as a hat pattern to celebrate shetland wool week, but has been turned in to cowls, mittens and baby jumpers because everyone loves it- this design was called 'the baaable hat'.
Comments
this is my cat's girlfriend- prescilla the "purrmaid"
Cloud cushions
Winston the Worm
My kitten basket, which my cat Ida quickly outgrew but loved so much she insisted on still using for several years!
Phineas loves his chicken girlfriend Hetty the Hen and sleeps next to her at night
One of mu favourite gifts was this faux fox head wall plaque kit, knitted with really chunky yarn
Wabbit and Winston the Wonky (W)Aardvark that my friend crocheted for my birthday last year
unicorn scarf
rainbow shawl
caterpilar baby
the most beautiful and intricate laceweight shawl, the size of a tablecloth
the work that went in to it was breathtaking
i love these socks and the yarn is hand dyed 23 different colours so that the socks are self striping as you knit them- i have this yarn in my stash...
funky fairisle socks
my friend's crochet/knitting hut in her garden
a hand woven rug using super chunky yarn
a bit of yarn bombing with shaun the sheep...
babwear is just adorable, always
there are so many cute baby items to knit, and never enough time to make them all!
gorgeous homewares
crochet hearts as decorations
more yarn bombing at a show
little birds on a branch
crochet bunting
rug pictures as wall decor
edwards menagerie is a whole collection of designs to make crochet animals which i absolutely ADORE and is incredibly popular- thousands of edwards cuddly toys have been made all over the world
hank the sheep, is one of my favourite designs
animal themed knits are also incredibly popular, especially the quirky chunky designs from sincerely louise
i adore her faux taxidermy knits designs for animal heads which she sells as kits
red poppies that were used in a WW1 rememberenace display in austrailia that my friend posted out to me.
it was a a lovely community project that thousands of people took part in to make them
modern knitwear can be really bold, like this jumper
Shawls are very popular items
this one i particularly like
how hand dyed yarn is often sold- in skeins, which have to be rewound in to balls or "cakes" to be knitted- in this case to make a pair of socks.
this is a yarn winder (left) and yarn swift (right) that are used to turn a skein in to a cake of yarn
the finished cake
knitting socks on special bendy needle
knitting a chunky hat on giant double pointed needles
i wash my hand knits in the bath
dry them outside flat or on special "sock blockers" shaped like feet
and then i store my socks in my special "sock box"
i store my yarn in big plastic boxes to protect them from moths mostly, but my storage for my mini skeins and mini balls of yarn for my blanket are more novel
i store my projects in a variety of ways such as bags, open tubs etc
anything that is handy for taking your knitting out in to the real world (pubs)
but my cutest project holder is my yarn ball, complete with moustache
Every knitter carries "notions" a variety of tools, scissors, needles, a row counter, a pencil, a measuring tape and some stitch markers are the most common ones, with them all the time. I personally like to keep my notions in a silicone banana, just because.
stitch markers come in a huge variety of designs and types and can be really quirky. i particularly love fimo/polymer clay designs.
my friend makes these gorgeous little mushrooms as pin cushions which i think are adorable
Yarn comes in such wonderful designs nowadays- some of my favourites are things like opal sock yarn- this is an ombre effect yarn with silver sparkles
this is yarn that i actually hand dyed myself in some wonderful fire effects due to the different treatments applied to the yarn when it was manufactured meaning the dye takes differently to each strand
this yarn is a combination of baby camel hair and silk! its like knitting with a golden shiny cloud - the softest yarn i have ever touched
the spectrum of colours of hand dyed yarn available is just mouth watering
one of the things i love most about knitting is the textures it can create
and the sheer beauty of yarn...
part of the process of knitting is something you do after you have finished a project- it is called blocking, where you stretch out the work whilst it is wet and pin it down on to foam boards to stretch it to the correct size and shape- this makes any lace or cable work stand out, neatens out inperfections and makes things fit properly!
when you get in to knitting its innevitable that one day you might want to try and spin some of your own wool- you dont need a massive spinning wheel to do this, you can use a drop spindle instead- its quite addictive once you start...
and ofcourse drop spindles come in every colour, with or without added sparkles...
and ofcourse the one thing we never speak of... the nightmare that is "yarn barf" (where your ball of yarn just tangles itself up on the inside for no reason at all and it takes hours to undo all the knots= even with help!!!)
talking of help- phineas is my helper and likes to hold my yarn for me...
my see through converse are a hit with everone- it took me years to track down a pair in my size in the uk because they were a US special one off
shawls worn as scarves around your neck are also very popular
certain patterns really take off on social media and sites like www.ravelry.com - one such pattern is the hitchiker shawl. it is a simple design but easy to wear and so has been made thousands and thousands of times.
Crochet tops are also fun to make and a common sight at yarn shows
rainbow knitwear is so popular even the shops are catching on
certain patterns cause a craze- this design started out as a hat pattern to celebrate shetland wool week, but has been turned in to cowls, mittens and baby jumpers because everyone loves it- this design was called 'the baaable hat'.