Just one more row...

Just one more row - is the eternal cry of knitters everywhere. Or in my case - crochet - as this week my crochet blanket square is nearing completion and I'm keen to finish it up and get started on the next one. We are going away at the weekend for a family holiday and the next square in the series will be perfect to take along with me.

In the case of this blanket though it isn't just the 'one more row' which is appealing but also the 'one more colour'. I'm normally a big fan of grey and neutral shades as you well know but I'm really enjoying playing with the pretty seasonal pastels and pinks for this square. I can't decide whether to keep the same colours for the next 3 panels or whether to change them up a bit as we move from spring into early summer. I can't decide yet but I think I will just keep working and see how the colours flow.

One thing I'm not looking forward to is the Weaving In Of All The Ends and part of me is wishing that I had been doing them as I went along. Obviously this now seems like a blindingly good idea but at the beginning, in the full throes of blanket enthusiasm this wasn't something that occurred to be as I gleefully seized on pretty colour after pretty colour.

Thinking ahead to my next square I have been looking at other ways of ends management and I see that some people are big advocates of crocheting over the ends as you go - Lucy of Attic24 has a tutorial on it here. I know that some people also do a version of a magic join but I am a little wary of this as I don't want it to pop open.

If you have any tried and tested ways of avoiding the dreaded Ends please do let me know. And if anyone wants me today I'll be in front of Netflix with a dwindling pack of sweeties and a (hopefully) growing pile of little woolly ends.

Monday Motivation

If you've been reading my blog for any length of time you will know that I'm a huge fan of a to-do list for helping me to get stuff done. Whilst that's great for the normal chores and business tasks it doesn't help much on the crafting front where my attempts at steely focus are easily distracted by the new, the shiny and the pretty.

What has been working recently though is the Mojo Monday thread over on the Everyday Knitter Facebook group. Every Monday we pick a WIP to make progress on and then on the Friday we show our finished object (FO). I have to say that it is proving to be a great source of motivation for me. Obviously life happens sometimes and plans change. Sometimes knitting has to come second to other life events (shocking but true) but in that case you simply award yourself some consolatory cake and admire the FOs of others.

What really helps is seeing the motivation and enthusiasm of others and there is the gentle accountability of having publicly stated your goals out loud which I find does wonders for your focus and determination.

What helps motivate you? Do let me know. And if you have any spare motivation hanging around please send it my way. This mountain of WIPs isn't going to knit itself.

All the shawls

Fuss Free Festival Shawl in yarn from Countess Ablaze 

There has been a lot of discussion over on the Everyday Knitters Facebook group about shawls and shawl patterns and I'm finding it so inspirational seeing everyone's choices and shawls in progress.

If you are looking for inspiration there is another facebook group recently started by Victoria of Eden Cottage Yarns. I know that some people aren't huge Facebook fans but there is an app - called Facebook groups appropriately enough - which allows you to not have Facebook at all on your phone or device. You can use the app to access groups but nothing else - perfect for getting your daily dose of knitting.

Anyway, there are several threads over on The ECY Garden all about recommendations for 2-colour and 3-colour shawls. Perfect if you are looking for a bit of shawl inspiration.

If you are completely new to shawls and looking for some ideas I've put together a few suggestions to get you started:

Hitchhiker by Martina Behm: a long, wrappable garter stitch shawl knit on the bias.

Knit Me by Louise Zass-Bangham: more wrappable garter stitch with a different construction.

Spindrift by Curious Handmade - beautifully simple shawl with super clear instructions.

Fuss Free Festival Shawl by Me - a garter stitch shawl knit on the bias.

Of course you are more than welcome to choose whichever pattern you want for our April shawl challenge but these are just some to start with. If you would rather pick up a WIP and work on that, that's absolutely fine. And if you really aren't into shawls then why not try a cowl instead?

There's something for everyone. The most important thing is that you pick up some fun yarn and enjoy the process.

Yewbarrow Socks

It makes me very happy to be able to send my latest sock design out into the world today.

Yewbarrow is a fabulous, accessible mountain in Wasdale in the Lake District. Perfect for our boys when they were smaller to stretch their mountain legs and get used to steep rock scrambles and uneven terrain.

Viewed from the lakeside Yewbarrow looks formidable but once the first rocky ascent is done it is actually a pretty easy walk. Likewise these toe-up socks look complicated but the cable pattern is actually a very easy repeat to memorise.

You can purchase the pattern and find all the details on Ravelry - please use code YEWBARROW20 for a 20% discount. If you are a newsletter subscriber though please check your email for an exclusive code.

Making something out of nothing

The art of creating something from nothing: otherwise known as Judy’s magic cast on

No matter how many pairs of socks I make I never fail to be amazed by the sheer ingenuity, the brilliance and the downright magic of Judy’s magic cast on.

First popularised in the now-famous Knitty article the simple series of steps has revolutionised the world of the toe-up knitter and brought joy to the heart of all those knitters who secretly wish that Lord Kitchener had never dreamt up the eponymous stitch for closing a toe.

The beauty of the JMCO is that it magically creates two rows of live stitches from nothing with no need for a provisional cast on or other fibre faffing.

Hold the two yarn ends with finger and thumb, wrap the yarn around the needles just so, knit 2 tiny rows and there you have it - a perfect, seamless, baby sock toe. 5 minutes ago it didn’t exist and now it does. Sheer magic which never fails to amaze me as I stop to admire the stitches that have appeared between my needles.

It’s true that it does take a little while to get to grips with the wrapping, and the first 2 rows can be a little fiddly but once you have those mastered it you can cast on a pair of socks in less time than it takes to boil the kettle. And in the time it takes for your coffee to reach an acceptable drinking temperature you can have a fully fledged sock toe, ready to shove in your handbag and keep you company on your daily travels.

The original article is well worth reading on this subject - it explains everything brilliantly and far better than I can. If you want to see a demo in action I can highly recommend Clare Devine of Knit Share Love who has a fantastic video. Alternatively, check out this link for an video tutorial.

Like anything worthwhile it can take a few goes before you have the technique down pat, but once you do you can whip out your needles and a cake of yarn and before you know it - you’ll be knitting a sock.

A celebration requires cake

Unbelievably I had no cake on hand yesterday and when I noticed that membership of the Everyday Knitter Facebook group had crept past the 2000 mark I felt as though a small celebration was called for. 

Still, a yarn cake was almost the same thing and I promise that no yarn was harmed in the making of this photo.

I am really thrilled and genuinely delighted that so many like minded people have joined in the online community that we have created. Focussing on inspiration, education and fun it's the group I go to first thing every morning and it has undoubtedly made my Facebook feed a lot more fun.

Thank you to all who have helped to make the group what it is, and if you haven't joined yet why not pop over there and give us a try.

All are welcome...just bring cake