Striped Afghan for ILC

 Ilikecrochet is an quarterly  online subscription magazine with great patterns.I made this striped afghan using a hairpin loom in colourful acrylic DK for their august edition. It was quite labour intensive and for anyone thinking of making it I would advise having it as a long term project so you dont get RSI.

I like how they styled it!

Scrappy Scarves

 There's a great pattern for a 'thrifty shawl' by Kerry Allman of hipknits in 'The Knitting Collection' Volume 1 Bookazine. It works in one kind of yarn as well as using odds and ends, which is what I did.I had some acrylic dk and aran and it was very quick to make.

I like it so much I might try and do something similar in crochet.

BIBA and Mary Quant

 I belong to the above Facebook Group. A member posted the following picture:

Which is the equivalent of a red rag to a bull. Several hours , some yarn and a 4.5mm crochet hook later...

A prototype, the flower is maybe a little big. Now for the knit version! The Mary Quant brand lives on as a make up line very popular in Japan.The logo, as someone pointed out, resembles the cherry blossom, so its not surprising really.

In the 1970s, as a very precocious pre-teen, I had a T shirt like this one, bought at Biba in London for me by my sister.Would make a nice jumper. methinks.....watch this space

Knitted Frog

 With a little help from my friends in the Norbury Knitters Group, I am currently working on a pattern for a knitted version of the crochet frog, for the Chartwell Childrens Cancer Trust.

Body and head in one piece, garter stitch on two needles. Arms and legs are knitted i-cord.

I think that's a thumbs up from a young friend!

An alternative design

This is my latest pattern for a knitted frog.

Knitted Frog Mk 2 – Jo and Mallika of Knit Norbury Together

Green DK yarn

Size 12 Knitting needles

Size 12 Double pointed needles

Tapestry needle

Pipe cleaners (optional)

Arms (make 2)

With dpns, cast on 3 sts. Knit 3 sts, *then without turning work, slide sts on needle to other end of needle and k3 sts again. Repeat from *until arm measures about 6cm.

Increase for paws

Row 1: Knit into front and back of each st (6sts).

Row 2: Knit

Row 3:Knit into front and back of each st(12sts).

Row 4:Knit

 Row 5: Knit

Row 6: Cast off leaving a long end.

Shape paws by sewing close to end of icord and around increased part in two places, pulling yarn tight and fastening it off, so it looks as if frog has 3 digits.

Legs(Make 2)

Make icord as for arms, but for 10-12 cm.Repear paw increases and complete in same way for toes.

Eyes(make 2)

Cast on 10sts, knit 1 row.Cast off.

Head/Body

Cast on 4sts.

Row 1:Knit

Row 2:Inc on every st by knitting into front and back (8sts.)

Row 3:Knit

Row 4:Rep row 2 (16sts)

Row 5: Knit

Row 6: Inc 1^st at beginning and end of row.(18sts).

Rows 7-11: Knit

Row 12: Knit 2 tog to end (9sts)

Row 13: Rep row 2.(18sts).

Rows14-22: Knit

Row 23: Dec 1^st at beginning and end of row (16sts).

Row 24: Knit

Row 25:K2tog to end (8sts)

Row 26: Knit

Row 27: Rep Row 25 (4sts)

Row 28:Knit

Leaving a long end, break off yarn and thread through remaining stitches and pull tight. Sew body of frog together by making horizontal stitches through edges, then stuff. Make a row off running stitches around neck decreases and pull tight. Sew sides of head together and stuff.

To make up

Attach arms and legs to body, approximately lined up with each other.

Gather around one long edge of eye piece and pull tight, sew to top  of head- experiment!

With black yarn make a smile or a frown, embroider pupils with satin st. With white make a circle around pupils.

Being careful to bend ends of pipe cleaners over to hide sharp edges, limbs may be stuffed-use 1  pipe cleaner to go through each set of arms and legs.

Latest crop. Spot the odd one out!