Tuesday 26 October 2010

Non-Historical October Knitting



October is my favourite month of the year. I love autumnal colours and I usually end up knitting something that reflects the season. Pumpkin Man was this year’s project. His head and leaf is from Autumn Pumpkins by Jan Lewis (a free Ravelry Download.) I embroidered the eyes and mouth. The bat on the pullover is from Monica Gausen’s Bathat
(http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bathat.) I had to place it sideways as the bat would not fit across the chest. The pullover and body parts are my own design which I made up as I knit.



The body is stuffed with a Soft Touch Polyfil Supreme. Every part was knit on 2.50mm/1 ½ US size needles except for the pullover which was knit on 2.0mm/0 US needles. The wools were Brown Sheep Nature Spun Fingering (Pepper), Dale of Norway/Dalegarn Baby Ull (Bright Orange, Green and Dark Brown, Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool (Gold), Knit One Crochet Too Gourmet Collection (Creme Brulee), Morehouse Farm Merino Merino Lace (Henna.) . I used a vintage, unknown crewel yarn for the leaf.



Pumpkin Man stands 6 3/4” high, not counting the stem.

A friend who has one year old twin girls asked me to make the hats below and I was happy to oblige – more autumnal knitting! The pattern for the hats is my own - just a simple ribbing and a knit 6/seed stitch repeat. I decreased at the top with the brown and knit an I-cord stem. I used Julie Dietz’s Leaf Knitting Pattern For Pumpkin Hat (http://www.knittingonthenet.com/patterns/holpumpkinleaf.htm)
for the leaves on 4mm/6 US needles, and added an I-cord vine from the crocheted edge around the leaves to wrap and sew around the stem. The wool was Plymouth Yarn Encore Worsted 1233 (green) and 1383 (orange), Brown Sheep Nature Spun Worsted (Butterscotch.)

Monday 11 October 2010

Godey's Knitted Garters



This pattern comes from Godey's Lady;s Book, June 1862 and came out 10” long in the cream part, stretched out. I need ones a tad longer to go around my leg twice and then slip through the loop and then have enough length left to tie, so I will be making a second pair, possibly in grey and red. The pattern is very, very easy, and the tassels can be made in five minutes.

I knit these in Morehouse Natural and Wedgewood on 0.75mm/US 6/0 needles.