Freebie Pattern: My Heart in My Hand

It is that time of year again. February. February is my favourite month of the year. It is short; the days are getting longer; Valentine's Day means presents; my birthday means even more presents. This year we also have the Winter Olympics in Sochi to make the month seem even more colourful. So I thought I'd post a little free pattern for all your Valentine/birthday/Sochi needs.

Fuelled by coffee and my love of late 1980s synthpop, I give you..my heart in my hand. It hasn't been tech-edited, it's nothing earth-shattering, and you won't get a fancy PDF (or a glossary). On the other hand, it uses up tiny amounts of yarn, it is very quick to knit and it is versatile. I am going to wear my heart in my hand as a brooch - but you can turn it into bunting, use it as a bookmark, stick it on a card or (if you make two) a pin cushion. The last bit is particularly useful if you want to practise voodoo on an ex!

(Why am I mentioning Sochi? Why am I doing a rainbow heart? What does it all mean?)

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MY HEART IN MY HAND

Materials:

sportweight/light DK yarn (shown using Rowan Felted Tweed) - 10 yrds max 3.25mm needles tapestry needle for weaving in ends

gauge is not important but aim for roughly 25 sts over 4 inches, if you must.

(Rainbow version uses the same pattern as below but changes colour every fourth row. I used shades 150, 154, 161, 167, 181 and 186 - take care when you weave in ends)

Instructions: CO 2 sts

Row 1: Knit Row 2: Kfb into both sts. 4 sts Row 3: Knit (slipping first st of this row makes for a prettier edge)

Rep rows 2 and 3 another 6 times. 16 sts

Knit 4 rows

Row 19: k8, turn w rem sts put on waste yarn (or kept unworked on needle) Row 20: ssk, k4, k2tog. 6 sts Row 21: Knit Row 22: ssk, k2, k2tog. 4 sts Row 23: ssk, k2tog. 2 sts Row 24: k2tog and pull yarn through st.

Pick up rem 8 sts and rep rows 19-24.

Weave in ends. You can make the heart shape even more prominent if you use the end of yarn from where you rejoined yarn at the top to pull in the centre of the heart a tiny bit.

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If you really, really enjoy this pattern, please consider donating to your local LGBT charity.  Spread the love. Love is never a crime.

In Her Soft Wind I Will Whisper

Lady on the left? My great-grandmother. She would have been ninety-eight today. The photo was taken in the early 1950s outside her cottage and she is with two of her sons, K and T.

I have several photos of her; my other favourite is from the 1930s when she was approached by a travelling salesman who wanted her to become a hair model. I presume she shot him one of her withering glances. The photo shows her with long, gorgeous hair. I was told it was chestnut-coloured. The photo is black/white.

I was lucky enough to grow up around her. She looked after me when I was pre-kindergarten and I spent most of my school holidays in her cottage. Her cottage did not have running water until I was maybe seven or eight and never got central heating. I can still envision her sitting in her chair in front of the kerosene-fuelled stove. She'd knit long garter stitch strips from yarn scraps and sew them into blankets. I think she was the one who taught me to knit. She was certainly the one who taught me how to skip rope.

Happy birthday, momse. We may not always have seen eye to eye, but we loved and understood each other. And I still miss you.

Title comes from this beautiful farewell song (youtube link). Post reposted from 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012 with Momse's age amended. I continue to miss her.

QALong 2014 - What Is It?

John Lennon once said that life is what happens when you are busy making other plans. As a teenager I thought the quote so mind-blowing that I wrote it in everybody's yearbook when we graduated from secondary school. Nowadays I'd change it slightly: life is what happens when you are busy looking in other directions. To wit: I have apparently started a quilt-along in 2014 without meaning to do so. Amazing.

Some back-story, first. A close family member of mine announced over the holidays that she is expecting a baby. It was an unexpected announcement but one that was incredibly cheering.My mind immediately went to "what can I make?" - a knitting project was decided upon and some yarn was bought (this happens occasionally).

Then, I found a metre of kids' fabric on sale. The colour was pleasingly gender neutral and it had a lot of happy zoo animals on it. Oooh! Educational and non-nauseatingly cute! I knew the fabric would be perfect for a baby quilt but when I came home, I realised I have only made one quilt in my entire life and I would not have the amazing Bronwen at my side to lend moral support during the making of the quilt.

Bronwen used to run quilting classes at my local craft shop. I went on her beginners' course a few years back and she was the best. She was patient, fun, and incredibly knowledgeable about patchwork and quilting. I knew that if I stood any chance of making a second quilt ( for lo! I have made but one in my entire life), I'd need Bronwen to be there. I am not incompetent nor am I bad at sewing - I just panic easily whenever a rotary cutter is involved!

Thankfully Bronwen is on Twitter, heard my lament and she suggested a casual quilt-along starting this spring. Bronwen wanted to finish a couple of WIPs and would I care to join her? Before I knew what happened about ten or eleven people had joined us.

Would you like to join us too?

#QAlong is mainly going to run on Twitter. Starting March, we'll have a monthly* informal show & tell/chat/support group night on Twitter.(*possibly more often depending on how it goes!)

There is NO set pattern, NO set fabric, NO set timeline (other than it'll really kick off in March), and NO skill level required. 

We have experienced people on-board and we have complete beginners (like me) on-board. #QALong is about having fun with no pressure and no rules. You work at your own pace with your own chosen project - but with the added bonus of having a virtual quilting group at your disposal!

Bronwen has agreed to answer a few of my questions here on Fourth Edition. We'll talk fabric choices, how to deal with rotary cutters, and how to choose a pattern that suits your skill level.

There is NO sign-up for #QALong either - that's all part of the whole idea. However, if you do have questions for Bronwen (or anybody else - I can help with colour selection, for instance), do leave a comment and your question will be included in one of the help posts here and we'll also discuss on Twitter. 

I am personally a bit daunted by the thought of doing a quilt but I cannot wait to get started.

2013: My Year in Knitting

If 2012 was my year of 'throwing out the oughts', 2013 was my year of discovering what happens when I try to 'do what I love doing'. And the answer? A lot of things happen.

The Edinburgh Yarn Festival was an early highlight for me. I was teaching a class and also helped Ms Old Maiden Aunt on her stall. I met a lot of fantastic people; most importantly I met a lot of you lovely blog readers (hello!) but I was also happy to meet fellow industry people. Working in the knitting industry can feel almost isolated at times so events like EYF are fantastic for meeting "colleagues". And a huge thank you to L. for bringing me breakfast at 2pm!

I also went to Woolfest in Cumbria at the beginning of June and the PomPom Magazine PopUp Xmas Party in December. Again, meeting a lot of great people and marvelling at people's creativity and talents.

2013 was the year of working crazily hard.

+ I published Gatsby Hat, Gatsby Mitts, Eyre Shawl, Botanical Gardens Shawl, the Kilsyth scarf and Chinese Kites in Knit Now magazine.

+ the Doggerland collection was launched: Ronaes, Hoxne, Gillean Hat, Gillean Wristwarmers and Ythan were all released this year. Three more to come in 2014, phew.

+ I also found time to do a limited edition kit, the Tenement Tiles gloves, with Ms Old Maiden Aunt.

+ I also worked on several other designs that are yet to be published.

+ I also did a nice amount of teaching, copy editing, tech editing, and knitterly translations throughout the year as well as keeping up with my part-time job as a design consultant for a well-known UK yarn company.

(Note to self: this is why you needed a holiday in December!)

Selfish knitting? There was a tiny bit.

+ I discovered how much I love fair-isle by knitting the Orkney & Bute cardigans (both from Rowan 52). Neither are finished at this stage but I loved every single stitch.

+ I finished the Stevie cardigan by Sarah Hatton. I absolutely love it and it became my go-to cardigan immediately. I'd love to knit another one. I also knitted Sarah's Edith shawl in one of my favourite shades of Rowan Kidsilk Haze.

+ I am currently knitting the Castiel hat by Woolly Wormhead in some yarn I bought in Copenhagen. It's a nice, easy pattern that's great for when my head's tired and I need some comfort knitting.

2013 saw a lot of patterns that I loved on sight but haven't had time to knit.

+ Blanche Too by Susan Crawford made it to my queue the minute I saw it. It is a classic jumper with those tiny Susan-touches that just makes it stand out. It's next on my needles. + Cinnamon Girl Cardigan by Amy Christoffers. It's the shape of the garment that makes this cardigan such a stand-out for me. It is a contemporary take on the classic Aran cardigan - and how much do I love the reverse stocking stitch sleeves? + Rock Candy Pullover by Talitha Kuomi is the quitessential Karie jumper. It is a classic shape but has clever touches and details that make it special. + Happy Triangles by Kiyomi Burgin is one pattern I'll probably never make but it is so perfect for right here & now that it is ridiculous.

So. 2014? It will look quite a bit like 2013, I imagine.

I have things on my desk right now that I need to sign off by end of next week. I am back doing things with Glasgow University in early 2014. Doggerland will be wrapped up (and how I will miss it) and a new big project launched. More patterns will be released. I will be teaching classes - and I'll probably get all stressed out by mid-June!

However, Sarah has issued me with two challenges. Can I design a pair of socks? Can I design a garment? Of course I can.

2013 was insanely busy, so I do need to work on my work-life balance, but it has also been very rewarding on a personal level.

I think I have finally found my feet and I have a better understanding what I have to say as a designer. I have also met some really amazing people along the way and I certainly leave this year feeling stronger and happier as a result. It has been rough along the way but it has been worth it.

Thank you for 2013. Godt nytår - happy new year.

Seasonal Greetings

2013 was an odd year for me. It started out in spectacular fashion with the Edinburgh Yarn Fest and the year never slowed down for me. In years to come I think I'll look back upon 2013 with much more clarity than I am able to muster right now.

I took some time off recently. I went to London for work purposes and ended up at the Pom Pom Magazine's Pop-Up Xmas Party. It was an appropriate book-end to my year - sipping festive G&Ts with knitting friends and us trying to make sense of it all. I am not sure that we managed to do so but the cheese board was excellent. Onwards to Denmark where I visited family before spending five days in lovely Copenhagen (where I took the photo of the florists on Kultorvet). I spent time with close friends and relaxed for the first time in almost a year.

And now I am back in Glasgow and it is Christmas. 2013 is almost at an end. What an odd year. So brilliant in so many ways and so spectacularly different from everything I had imagined.

Seasonal greetings to you - no matter who you are, where you are, and how/if you choose to celebrate the next few days.

With Love from Glasgow

When you read this, I am currently on a much-needed break. The past year has been a whirlwind of activity and I was startled when I realised I hadn't had any time off since Christmas 2012 (when I had the flu so I am not sure it counts). I have spent some days on Aberdeen with family and now I am making my way towards London (where I'll be at the Pompom Magazine Christmas Party - hope to see you there?) and then Denmark. Hopefully I'll return with my batteries recharged and some major decisions made. I will be knitting whilst I am away - I am currently collaborating with Quail Books on an exciting project and I'm also working with Knit Now magazine on what promises to be their best issue yet - but I am not stressing about deadlines for once. But first I am really happy to unveil a collaboration with my original partner-in-crime, Ms Old Maiden Aunt. We had so much fun running our Sherlock-inspired project in 2012 that we wanted to do something similar this year. Instead of doing a three-month long club, we decided to do a one-off kit that combined our love of Scotland, local history, and Art Nouveau. We began working on this some eight months ago  so when Lilith received the small booklets last week, I whooped.

The Tenement Tiles pattern is inspired by the late 19th century tiles found throughout the Victorian apartment blocks ("tenements") in Glasgow. The pattern booklet includes a small essay about the tiles and Glasgow - the story of the tenement tiles is absolutely fascinating (it involves both cholera and false teeth!) and I have also included photographs of some of the tiles in my neighbourhood.

I see these late 19th century tiles every single time I leave my home - the entry way to my tenement is tiled with deep green titles depicting stylised lilies. Lilith and I began working on how to work the tiles into a design and the obvious solution was colourwork.

The Tenement Tiles gloves come in three sizes and the kit includes an exclusive Old Maiden Aunt colourway that won't be available anywhere else. We were really passionate about trying to capture a slightly weathered green-grey and Lilith came up with a colour that just blew me away. It is the exact shade I had in my head when I first started sketching all those months.

(An addendum: Glasgow's the first place I have really felt at home and it feels so very poignant to have worked on something so quintessentially Glaswegian at a time when Glasgow has been hit by tragedy.  It feels even stranger to be writing about my beloved home when I know this blog post will be posted when I am not here. Glasgow has a reputation of a hard, tough city but it is a city of beautiful architecture, amazing art and (most importantly) an incredible community spirit. )

Many thanks to the overwhelming response to my post about appreciating hand-knitting. I have much I want to say in response to your response but first I have some travelling to do. Also, in lieu of a big gift guide for the knitters in your life, I have compiled a small Pinterest board of some good gift ideas.