Be my Valentine

Pass the sick bucket, it’s Valentine’s Day again. And while this year it seems you’re as likely to find loved-up couples getting their kicks from the DIY store as a Michelin-starred restaurant, the traditional February slush-fest is well and truly with us.

Of course, the crafters amongst you know that St. Valentine gives us another great excuse to get the needles and hooks out. We’re a creative bunch; so here are some of my favourite Valentine’s knitting patterns from Ravelry that hopefully won’t make you feel too queasy.

Tying in with the release of ’50 Shades of Grey’ this Valentine’s Day,
this “Spank me” heart-shaped cushion made me giggle.

For those of you weighed down by gifts and cards,
a little monster loot carrier will help you shovel them up.

A little bit broken but super cute ‘voodoo you love me?’ dolls.

The hilarious smitten – just
don’t go in different directions.

And for the doctors and scientists out there,
an anatomically correct(ish) heart.

Now go give your loved one a cuddle.

Christmas jumpers!

It's Christmas Jumper Day here in the UK today, where the nation is encouraged to don their most festive knitwear in aid of Save the Children.

In true Christmas spirit, I’m rocking a pudding jumper festooned with snowball pompoms and a few Strictly-style sparkly crystals for good measure. Meanwhile, workplaces across the country have been tweeting their seasonal selfies by the droves.

I love how Christmas jumpers have transformed from a hideous gift that your nan or a cat-loving aunt might have bestowed upon you, into something that is embraced for its kitchness.

So now that I no longer need fear the ridicule of being a crazy needle-wielding bearer of unwanted woolly presents, I’d love to have a go at knitting one. My ambition is to create one of those delicate fair isle numbers with beautifully crafted reindeer, snowflakes and the like. But I suspect I might need to start now to be ready for next year.

For now, if you're feeling inspired, here are the pick of my favourites on Ravelry.

The ultimate Christmas fair isle.

One day I'll manage something like this.

Mini Christmas jumper bunting from Save the Children.

This would look amazing hanging over my mantelpiece.

 The stylish snowflake from Rowan.
Which man in your life wouldn't want one of these?

The cutest Anders sweaters

Sophisticated Scandinavian loveliness.

Vintage fair isle sweater

Who said Christmas jumpers couldn't be glamorous?

Happy Christmas Jumper Day!

Cross country knitting

A rather wonderful weekend in Devon with precious friends and a new baby meant that I have spent some seven or so hours on trains over the last few days. It could have been a recipe for abject boredom, but thankfully, I had my Yléonore shawl to get on with, as well as being lucky enough to witness some amazing views.

The Yléonore is a lace sampler - a circular piece of lace knitting that looks incredibly complicated but is actually deceptively simple, providing you take it one little chunk at a time. The pattern is from a designer called MMario KKnits (who I discovered via the wonderful Ravelry) and is based on crochet techniques from 19th Century Eléonore Riego de la Branchardiere.

I'm using Paton's Mirage DK for this project - a variegated double knit bamboo and cotton mix which I picked up from a bargain price in Wolverhampton's House of Fraser (note to Black Country yarn lovers). It's a mix of purple, blue and green which works beautifully with the expanding circles of the shawl's design. 

Clickety-clack go the needles. Clickety-clack goes the train.

Yléonore the first

This is actually my second Yléonore. I made the first for my mother-in-law as a thank you present for all the wool she had donated to me - erm yes, that did mean she got all the wool back again, but at least she had something beautiful to show for it! (see right)

My tip for this piece is to use stitch markers to break it up into manageable pieces. As the shawl grows, it does become easy to lose your way as the rounds eventually become several hundreds of stitches in length.

Each round is made up of a pattern block repeated several times, so placing a marker after each section or pair of sections makes it much easier to count back (and realise sooner) if you make a mistake. I spent so much time going backwards and forwards again on the first shawl that I often had nothing to show at the end of an evening's knitting!

I love the perpetuity of this pattern, with just enough variation thrown into it to stop it becoming repetitive, without being overly complex. Perfect for trundling cross country on a late Sunday morning.