Ravelry has become a trending topic on Twitter today – just use #ravelry in your posts! How cool is this- knitters and crocheters find fame! You can also join the Ravelry twibe.
Recently, I wanted to send a friend a card for her wedding but couldn’t find anything I liked in the shops that didn’t cost the Earth. So, I thought I’d knit a little heart motif.
I searched for a pattern, but couldn’t really find what I was after so I thought I’d have a go at creating my own.
This is a pattern for a little heart motif, which measures approximately 4 x 4cm depending on your gauge. You can make it in all colours. The idea is that the motif is used to decorate a card but it probably can be used for whatever catches your imagination – decorated jeans, t-shirts, bags etc. The idea was originally for a wedding card, but can also be used for christenings, birthdays, anniversaries, births and anything else you can think of!
Have fun, and let me see your pictures! Feel free to knit this for personal use or for charity, but as with any of the patterns we’re posting on this site please don’t use the pattern for personal profit or reproduce without permission.
The Ravelry pattern link is here. You can see my one knitted up on Ravelry here.
A Little Knitted Heart Motif
A Little Knitted Heart Motif
Equipment:
Small amounts of DK wool in chosen colour
2.75mm knitting needles (UK12, US2)
Stitch holder
Needles
Cotton (in matching colour)
Beads or other decoration
Method
Cast on 1 stitch in chosen wool
Rows 1-19:
Row 1 and all odd-number rows: purl to end
Row 2: Make a stitch by knitting into the front and back of the stitch (kfb) (2 stitches)
Row 4: kfb, k1 (3 stitches)
Row 6: kfb, k1, kfb (5 stitches)
Row 8: kfb, k3, kfb (7 stitches)
Row 10: kfb, k5, kfb (9 stitches)
Row 12: kfb, k7, kfb (11 stitches)
Row 14: kfb, k9, kfb (13 stitches)
Row 16: knit
Row 18: knit
Rows 20-end:
Row 20: k1, k2tog, k2tog, k1 (4 stitches on the right needle. Put the remaining stitches on the stitch holder and continue knitting with the stitches on the right needle only)
Row 21: purl to end
Row 22: k1, k2tog, k1 (3 stitches)
Row 23: purl to end
Row 24: knit to end (3 stitches)
Thread yarn through remaining stitches and bind off, taking care not to distort the shape.
Take the remaining stiches off the stitch holder and put back onto the needle.
Row 25: cast off one stitch, k2tog, k2tog, k1 (4 stitches)
Repeat rows 21-25.
Tie in loose ends, taking care to keep the shape of the heart. Cover with a damp cloth and lightly press with a warm iron. Do not press too hard, or the stitch detail will be lost.
Using the cotton and a needle, decorate with beads.
Your heart is now ready for use. I use a few dabs of a strong glue to stick it to a card.
theknittedcupcake x
Good Evening!
As I was browsing through Ravelry recently, I came across a very interestingly designed throw in someone’s project page. It was called An African Adventure and designed by a gentleman called Horst Schulz. I was very interested in this pattern, and came across a whole group on Ravelry, dedicated to his work. It is called the Horst Schulz Fans.
On their group page discussion board, I began to learn a little more about Horst Schulz. When he was a boy, he lived during World War 2 at a refugee camp in Denmark. An old lady there taught him to to knit with yarn from old sacks. He later worked as a decorator in Berlin and began to knit in patchwork style, putting little pieces of knitting together in any direction – modular knitting. He calls it Patchwork Knitting. He holds workshops in many different countries, and An African Adventure was created during a workshop in South Africa in 2000.
Many people are making this wonderful throw on Ravelry and it is amazing to see all the gorgeous colourways used. It is really more a work of art than a throw!
I am not planning to start making this at the moment (I already have a throw that needs finishing), but it looks really interesting and hopefully I’ll be able to create it in the future. Hopefully, this blogpost will inspire those of you that don’t already know about this pattern to give it a go. If you join the group on Ravelry, have a look at the notes page for useful tips and advice. There is no ‘pattern’ as such.
Here are some wonderful pictures that dolliewollie very kindly let me post on here:
theknittedcupcake x
Happy Valentine’s Day!
A while ago I saw a thread in a forum on Ravelry about making a beaded row counter bracelet. It seemed a nice idea so I thought I’d make one for my friend Claire (and co-author of this blog). Claire, if you’re reading this – act surprised when you receive the bracelet! I’m never made an item of jewellery before, so it seemed a little daunting. However, the instructions given seemed relatively straightforward so I thought I’d give it a go.
I wasn’t sure where to go to buy the necessary things to make the bracelet, but on recommendation from a friend I made a trip to The Spellbound Bead Company in Lichfield. Upon entering the shop, I was quite overwhelmed. I’d never seen so many beads before in my life and the shop was packed full of people (including a fair few grumpy male counterparts). I had no idea where to start. I grabbed my shopping list and spent ages wandering around the shop, trying to find the right bits and bobs. Anyway, I think I have everything I need now.
I’m going to try and start making the bracelet tomorrow, so I will keep you posted on how it goes. I think I’m going to make one for myself too. I hope it turns out ok. I’m looking forward to showing you all the pictures!
Has anyone else tried to make one of these? I would love to see your pictures!
Love from
theknittedcupcake x
NEWSFLASH
15/02/2009
I have finished a row counter bracelet! I thought I’d make one for myself first, to try it out. It was very fiddly and I don’t think I have natural jewellery making ability! Still, I finished it. Haven’t ried it out yet though. Just got to make Claire’s now!
The bracelet reads 68… I think!
I hope you like it. I will post pictures of Claire’s one when I have given it to her (and when I have made it!)
theknittedcupcake x
Hi Guys,
We noticed that a lot of the threads in the Ravelry forums were about Local Yarn Stores. So we thought we’d make a page as a resource for people looking for wool shops. We’ve only got a few basic details on two small areas at the moment, but with your help we hope to make it bigger and more useful for fellow knitters/crocheters. It only intends to cover the UK, but if people from elsewhere want to list their LYS we don’t mind.
It covers a few shops in Staffordshire and North Wales/Chester, UK at present but there are lots missing at the moment. If you know details of any yarn stores in the areas we are covering, please comment and let us know and we’ll update the page. In addition, if you have compiled a list for your area and want to add it just let us know. wi
Hope you find this useful.
theknittedcupcake x
Hi Everyone,
Just thought I’d let you know that I’ve finally finished the knitted Sackboy. He was really good fun to knit, I particularly liked the arms. He’s a little smaller than the pattern intended (the link for the pattern is on the previous post and on the yummy recipes page), but just as cute. Hope you like him!
The Knitted Sackboy
Hi Everyone and Happy New Year. We hope that 2009 brings lots of lovely knitted things. We got some good books/knitting notions for Christmas and are looking forward to putting them to good use! Hope you all had a fantastic Christmas also. This blog has been slacking in the last month or so – we’re putting it down to the rush of the festivities – but it is our New Year’s Resolution to try harder in 2009 (I give it a week!).
I’m currently knitting a lovely ski hat with a spiral pattern in a charcoal and pink wool. It’s not a pattern of my own, you can find it on Ravelry, but I had to adapt it as the sizing was a little odd. It’s knitting up pretty quickly on a lovely pair of bamboo circular needles, but I’m really desperate to get it finished as I’m off skiing a week on Sunday! It’s done in two colours, which makes it really thick and warm. I made it in colours to co-ordinate with my skiwear, so I’m hoping the final FO fits ok!
This is the spiral ski hat in its early stages!
Sackboy - how cute is he?
Hey guys, the new Ravelry poll is up – check it out!
My website of the week this week is The Little Knitting Company. It’s a great little site where you can buy great yarn, great bags, etc. It has some lovely ideas for Christmas. There’s a knitting club and workshops, based in Oxfordshire, UK. The site looks really good and is very easy to navigate.
The Little Knitting Company
Hello, I hope everyone had a good weekend. I was trawling the internet today, and found this lovely website, Farm Yarn, which sells natural wool without any nasty dyes and things.
I especially like this wool, which has come from baby alpaca. Unfortunately, the wool is expensive and quite a lot of products are out of stock. However, I like the principles of this company.
Farm Yarn Baby Alpaca
technical information: Our lighter weight of alpaca knitting yarn is spun with three strands of alpaca and knits up as a 4ply with a tension of 28 stitches and 34 rows to 10cm/4 inches on 4mm (UK number 8/US number 6) needles. It comes in 50g (1.76 ounce) balls and has approx 120yds (110m) per ball.
As I’m writing this, I’m realising that we actually need a joint yarn of the week this week, as I’m so keen to display my favourite wool and it kinda follows on from the Farm Yarn theme. I say favourite but I haven’t actually ever purchased any or knitted with it but I just love it. Maybe I’ll treat myself after Christmas! Anyway, the yarn I’m rambling on about is the Sirdar Eco Wool range, yum! Like the Farm Yarn products, nothing unnatural has touched this wool and it looks beautiful. It comes in different colours and I think it would be lovely to knit up a special present for someone.
Sirdar Eco Wool DK
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