Vertical stripes bangles

Recently I have discovered the joys of simple one-stitch vertical stripe knitting, but with a crochet hook! Came across this technique totally by chance in my friend's ‘Stitch ’n Bitch’ pattern book.

Knitting single-stitch vertical stripes can be a real nuisance, if you use fairisle techniques the stitch will pucker, if you use intarsia you will have loads of spools of yarn getting in the way, not to mention the ends to weave in. So here comes the genius of this technique!

You knit the piece as normal, but in place of where the one-stitch stripe should be you work those stitches in reverse stocking stitch. So you will end up with a column of purl stitches running up your fabric. When the item is done, holding your contrasting yarn at the back, insert your crochet hook from front to back and slip stitch the contrasting thread through the purl stitches, working under every purl stitch continue slip stitching until the whole column is done! Brilliant!

Knit your piece as normal, but work a purl column where you want your stripe to be.

With contrasting color at the back, insert your hook from front to back under the bump of your first purl stitch (in this picture I have worked few stitches already), yarn around hook and pull the loop through.  Make sure you use the correct hook for your yarn.

Insert your hook into next stitch (under the bump of next purl stitch), yarn around the hook, and pull loop through, you should have two stitches on your hook, slip the first stitch through the second stitch and hey presto! Continue repeating until the every stitch in the column has been worked.

I have designed some funky bangles to try out this technique. It’s so simple! Have a go

I'm sure you will love it!

Materials

Range of different coloured yarn in worsted weight (light aran). I have used one of my all-time favourite yarn, Rowan Creative Focus Worsted. 

4mm (US 6/ UK8) needles

4mm (US G/6) crochet hook

Two-stripe bangle (pictured grey)

With your main colour, cast on 12sts.

Row 1: K4, p1, k2, p1, k4.

Row 2: P4, k1, p2, k1, p4.

Those two rows form the pattern.

Continue repeating the pattern until work measures 28cm, or your desired length.

Cast off

Now using the technique described above work two stripes in contrasting colours in the purl columns.

Three-stripe bangle (pictured pink)

With your main colour, cast on 13 sts.

Row 1: K4, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k4.

Row 2: P4, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p4.

Those two rows form the pattern.

Continue repeating the pattern until work measures 28cm, or your desired length.

Cast off

Now using the technique described above work three stripes in contrasting colours in the purl columns.

Making up

Weave in ends. Fold the side edges of bangle at the back and stitch together to form a tube, join two ends together and wrap a length of yarn around the joint to cover it, weave in yarn to secure.

Happy knitting with a bit of crocheting!

Anna x

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 :)

Elm Gloves

Mable Shawl

Raspberry Snood

Holly Scarf

 Fay Shawl

Tablet cover

Creative Cable Gloves  

Space Invader's Kindle Cover

Pet Bed

Emily Collar

  Isla Shawl

Cassia Bag

Laurel Shawl

Woodland Breakfast Set

Elliot Blanket

Mia Cushion Cover

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

Anna x

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:

http://moochka.co.uk/collections/knitting-patterns/products/holly

And my Ravelry store:

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/holly-27

Happy knitting!

Anna x

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