HATS

Have you dug your woolly hats out yet? I have been very grateful for mine on my early morning dog walks this week. There really is nothing nicer than pulling the hat right down over my ears before heading out in that misty, November morning air. Hats are quick to knit, so don’t despair if you haven’t already got yours. If you are a fast knitter a hat can even be done in one evening, ready for tomorrow’s dog walk, school run or commute! Hats can be ideal stash busters too, usually only needing one or two balls of yarn (50-100g) so have a rummage in your yarn storage and see what you can find.

If you have started thinking about gift knitting for the holiday season, hats might be just the thing you are looking for! A small project that you can be sure the recipient will love, what could be better?

All patterns are £3 each and can be found in my Ravelry Store by clicking on the links in the right hand column.

The hats featured in this blog post are
COCO (left photo) - a stunning and stylish close fitting hat with a highly decorative brim. The brim turns back on itself to create a double layer that ensures your ears are kept incredibly toasty. This hat calls for 100 g of Sports weight yarn and is knitted on 4mm circular needles.
HOLLY (top right photo) - a slouchy, relaxed hat with a pretty lace pattern. This hat is incredibly lightweight and comfortable to wear and although it has lace it is not difficult to make. Knit this hat in wool or alpaca to make sure you create a snug and warm hat. This pattern calls for 100g of sports weight yarn and is knitted on 4 and 5mm circular needles.
ADIE (bottom left photo) - this is a great unisex design. It is one of my favourites to make as it is knitted sideways! That way you can easily fit it to your own head. This is a great project if you want to try short row shaping for the first time. This pattern calls for 100g of worsted weight yarn and is knitted on 5mm needles.

SEIL

As the weather is getting colder in the northern hemisphere the need to wrap up in warm cardigans is getting stronger. I’ve absolutely loved wearing my Seil Coat these last few weeks as the overlapping fronts gives such warmth! The draped front and the A-line back makes it a comfortable and stylish piece of knitwear that will give you warmth for years to come. The pattern can be purchased on Ravelry and costs £6. The coat is worked top down with raglan sleeve shaping. The pattern includes both charts and written instructions. The coat is sized from XS to 5XL.

Through my work as a freelance knitwear designer I get to work with some truly amazing yarn producers and for my latest design, Seil Coat, I got to work with Devonia DK from John Arbon Textiles. I love the sturdy feel of the yarn, yet it is lovely and soft and the shades it comes in are really spectacular! This coat was inspired by traditional knitting from the British Isles and features cables and diamonds with incorporated shaping to give this garment a contemporary feel. The draped front and the A-line back makes it a comfortable and stylish piece of knitwear that will give you warmth for years to come.

LITZ

I am currently getting used to a new morning routine. The last two years have been a luxury of letting my daughter be my alarm clock (and she has been kind to me most days) so having to be at nursery for a certain time in the morning is new to all of us. It really helps that Alma loves nursery and that we live within easy walking distance but some mornings are a little bit of a rush. It helps that Alma absolutely loves nursery and that I am loving my hours of working time.

October has also seen the start of the cold nights and mornings so we need to wrap up warm on the nursery run. I had to knit an emergency hat from left over yarn for Alma and I am so grateful for my new Litz Beret and Gloves set.

This hat and gloves set has just been released in my Ravelry store and have already proved popular! The combination of the sharp triangles with cables makes both patterns interesting to make. The Litz Gloves have extra-long ribbing at the fingertips, perfect for flipping over on warmer days or tucking fingers behind when it’s still too chilly. The gloves have cable details and a structure that matches the Litz Beret, this makes a stylish and useful set.
The classic beret shape of this adorable hat is offset by triangular panels and beautifully twisting, braided cables.

Both patterns are prized at £3 but if you decide to purchase both patterns £2 will be automatically taken off at checkout making the prize for the set only £4.

Welcome!

In 2017 two big changes happened in my life. The first change happened in May. I decided to change my career path and left my business of ten years to start work as a freelance designer. The second change happened in June and it was the birth of my daughter, Alma. The two changes were very much interlinked and I have been very happy with both choices. For the last two years I have been at home with my daughter. We have had lots of fun days (and some incredibly dull days), but I have loved the opportunity to spend so much time with her. Three weeks ago she started nursery. It is only 15 hours a week but these 15 hours will be spent focusing on my work.

I have been working a lot over the last two years and I have constantly had to fit work in around everything else in my life. This has meant a lot of evenings and some nap times have been spent working. It’s been hard at times, but I am so thankful I have managed to create a career for myself that has given me exactly the flexibility I wanted and needed for this stage in my life. Now I have these 15 hours (well, maybe 12 when you take away essential coffee making time) I have so many plans for how I am going to move things forward. This blog and website is the first major step on this journey! There are a few other things I am planning on doing, but we’ll get to that later. For now, take a look at my new online home! I hope you like it.