Tuesday, 16 September 2014

Special offer to celebrate summer

To celebrate Summer and how good it's been so far, I'm running a special offer on my website. 

Until Friday 19th September all patterns are 25% off!! All you have to do is enter the code Summer14 at stage 2 of checkout. 

Also, just a reminder that all the patterns are PDF downloads and there is no delivery charge. The pattern will be emailed to you as soon as the payment is processed. 

Visit my website: www.moochka.co.uk

Let's celebrate!! Happy knitting and crocheting :)















Just some of my designs, more on my website :)

Anna x










Thursday, 4 September 2014

Holly and Swiss darning




I finally did it! It only took a year, but the pattern for Holly is now available!

Holly was first created last year around Christmas, when a very good friend
asked me if I can design a vintage inspired scarf. I wanted something delicate, interesting, but above all it had to be warm, I turned to the style of the 50s as it was my favourite fashion era, full of feminine looks. After few sketches Holly was made. 



There's a reason why the writing of pattern took so long.
I originally made the scarf in Rowan Pure Wool Aran, but just after Christmas it has been discontinued. I was assured by Rowan that its replacement will be out soon. Of course, I could have done the scarf in different aran weight yarn, but Pure Wool Aran is a dream to knit with and had a very good meterage, making the scarf quite economical, requiring only 2 balls. But my wait was certainly worth it! Its replacement Pure Wool Worsted is amazing and with 50 shades on offer, the only thing I had to worry about was which colour to choose.

Holly is made in four parts: Front is in one piece and the back in three. The reason is that it is stocking stitch and even with garter stitch edging the scarf still curled, with the dots being Swiss darned on top, I wanted to cover the back of the front. 

Front


Back 

A bit about Swiss darning or duplicate stitch as it's sometimes known; it’s a fantastic way of adding embroidery to your knitting. It looks like a knit stitch that’s why it’s perfect for knitted fabrics. It can be used horizontally or vertically.

Working with blunt needles and from the wrong-side to the right-side, insert needle at the base of the first stitch.



Follow the line of the stitch, insert the needle back in at the top of the stitch, in the row above the stitch you are duplicating.





Put the needle back in the stitch it came out of. 




And hey presto! A stitch is made.



Pattern for Holly contains a full chart on where the stitches should be positioned and an explanation on Swiss darning.

The pattern is available on my website:


And my Ravelry store:


Happy knitting!

Anna x







Thursday, 17 July 2014

Transformation



I have knitted this sweater last year, it was from Kim Hargreaves book ‘Spirit’. I have truly no idea why! It is a style of a garment that does not suite me, I would never buy a sweater like this and in fact I never had! So why spend time knitting it?? I do not know!! I’m not sure what exactly went through my head when I decided that making it would be a fab idea. Don’t get me wrong it’s a beautiful jumper, very flattering, I’m sure, just not on my body time. I wore it once and then it went to live at the back of a wardrobe, destined to never see the light of day……but then I had an idea! (Well after a year has passed, my ideas take a long time)  What if I made it into a dress?? 



I bought 2 meters of lovely Rowan fabric on sale. The pattern on the fabric is of sweet pansies that reminds me of my Granma’s garden.



I wanted the sweater part to end at my waist, and as it was knitted bottom up, unravelling was not an option so I cut it! I measured at what point I wanted the sweater part to end. I turned the sweater up side down and picked up the right leg of the stitch (the right leg of the V) and cut the row directly underneath.





I needed the edge of the jumper to be a bit narrower so I decreased by: K2, K2tog, all around, then cast off. 


 The fabric part was very easy, I just hemmed it, join the two sides and gathered the top, pinned to the edge of the jumper and sewn on the sewing machine.

 
Hey presto!! I’ve got a new dress!! I will eventually re-knit the sleeves to be quarter length, but for now this will do.




Anna x

Thursday, 10 July 2014

Silver screen


I'm feeling slightly melancholy lately.  The past two months have been full of difficult decisions and changes, not sure if the changes and decisions I made are good yet, only time will tell. 

Changes are always difficult no matter how small they are. Everyone says that when one door closes other ones opens, which is true but it's still very hard to close the door behind you without feeling sad for the things that you are leaving. So before I go all soppy and start crying for the days gone by let me share with you some of my favourite pictures of silver screen stars that are long gone but doing the thing I love most......Knitting!! Let this be a kind of metaphor; things may change, eras pass, but some things will stay around forever.

 








Betty Davis
 
 







Katherine Hepburn







 
Elizabeth Taylor
  
 
 




Audrey Hepburn
 
 
 
Doris Day
 
 
 
 Greer Garson
 
 



 
Lucile Watson
 
 



 
Ingrid Bergman getting little help form Alfred Hitchcock
 
 
 
Vivien Leigh
 
 



 
Merlin Monroe 
 
 



 
Vivian Leigh putting her husband, Laurence Olivier, to good use.
 
 



 
Ava Gardner
 
 



 
Judy Garland
  
  


 
And one more of Betty Davies as she is my favourite!
 
 


Anna xx