For the month of July, all of our delectable Koigu Kersti is on sale. It’s $14 NZ per hank (calculate your currency here)

Kersti is the sister of the more famous KPPPM and KPM. It was named after a little girl, the daughter and granddaughter of Taiu and Maie Landra of Koigu Wool Designs, two women who live on a secluded  farm in Ontario, Canada. Their unparalleled sense of colour is the result of good taste and years of experimentation and discovery from which we knitters are allowed to benefit. Lucky us.

It’s easy to see why this yarn was given a child’s name. Although playfully colourful and beautiful, it is a hardy, crepe yarn suitable to much wear and tear.

Here are some of my favourite colours:

Above, perfect for children’s garments, K207, K103, and K450

Below, 2 gorgeous solid colours, left to right, 1193 and 2300 

Two duskier beauties, 105D and 118L

an unusual combination of orange, coral, blue, and lavender, K523

Dark and beautiful with the zest and sweetness of berries, K859

and the subtle, sepia toned shade that could have been dipped in tea, 2392…. 

But what to make with these beauties?

Here are some suggestions of patterns suitable for this very special dk yarn……

First, for the fashion conscious (it’s not just children who deserve to wear Kersti)

Carli, from Coco Knits….

Frostbite, from Jacquelyne Landry

How about Wicked, a popular pick from the girls at Zephyr Style…..

or a variation on the classic v-neck cardy from Knitting Pure and Simple…….

and lastly, for those adorable little pumpkins in your life, spoil them with

Ted, by Knitting at KNoon….

or the irresistible Blossom……

and what little girl, two or ten, wouldn’t love this shrug to keep her cozy?……

Happy knitting!

–Mel

Here’s one of the new designs I’ve been working on. It’s called “Swing”. I wanted to achieve a chunky, cozy, feminine jacket that could be worn over a blouse or a long sleeve t-shirt in this unusually brisk weather we’re having.The flared sleeves come to just below elbow length, to make it a little dressy and give it afternoon tea party potential.The inspiration was the smock shape, and the short jackets of yesteryear that I happen to think are flattering on anyone, not just the sylph-like among us.

I was inspired by the smock of the 19th century country gentleman on the left below, from Marken, the Netherlands.

and the jacket on the 19th century lady from Tyrol, left below. I also covet her hat and shoes……….

After finishing Swing with great gusto I tried it on and realized that I had, once again, made it for my fantasy self, rather than my real self. Why I do this is fodder for another conversation, but I do it often. Disappointing though it was (yes, I made several swatches and thought I had the sizing correct) at least I know the smaller size works, and I can now forge ahead with writing the larger sizes for myself and others.I confess that it’s not my favourite task. I love the knitting, and the excitement of  completing a new design, but adjusting the pattern for various sizes can be tricky and I’m known to procrastinate. But I will do it this week so that I can make the pattern available via PDF download within the month.

Swing is knitted on 5.5mm needles in one of my favourite yarns, Blue Sky Worsted, a scrumptiously soft and velvety 50/50 alpaca merino blend. It’s hand dyed, so the colours have a subtle variegation, which I love. I’ve found it very durable due to it’s crepe-like construction. It doesn’t pill and keeps its good looks.

For example, I’ve worn this cozy Grown Up Bonnet (below) from my book many times, washed it in the machine (on hand wash cycle) and it still looks fresh.

I hope you’re knitting!

–Mel

A throng of passionate knitters descended on Auckland Museum last Saturday to Knit in Public in the Atrium. At last count it was 46, not bad for an under-the-radar event! There were young and old, from Naomi in her 80’s who never uses a pattern, to our youngest future knitter seen here (below) learning to wind her yarn into a ball.

Here (below) are Amanda and Neesha, our fabulous knitter celebs from TVNZ’s “Shortland Street”,  proving once and for all what we all know, that knitting is glamorous as well as practical and that knitters are hot!

We should do it more often….

Yes, please!

Anyone who has come to my door lately will have seen the happy little line of felt slippers waiting to be worn by visitors. Far be it from me to complain about knitting cold weather, but it was a bit of a shock for us hot house flowers aka “Aucklanders” to look out the window each morning last week and see frost on the ground! 

Hooray for wool slippers.These are knit from the pattern on page 49 of my book. I made a few of them in different colour combinations back in 2005 when I was figuring out the pattern, so I can vouch for the fact that they’re a quick and relatively easy knit.One pair takes 3 hanks of Manos Wool Clasica. I’ve been asked if the bottoms are slippery and how to remedy this, but I don’t find them so. You might want to sew some suede patches on the soles but I haven’t needed to. I just don’t try to run up and down our wooden stairs. 

This year I gave them all face lifts with new embellishments. The pair above are my favourites. I used a Liberty fabric sent to me by my lovely India in a gorgeous package from New York, timed with expert precision to arrive on my birthday! 

Here’s another pair worn by me lounging on my sofa, engrossed in Judith Thurman’s biography of Isak Dinesen, who was a knitter and a lover of gardens as well as a brilliant  writer and story teller. 

In case you’re now under the impression that I spend all my days in blissful enjoyment of a delicious book, I must be off now to photograph yarn (Hemp LUX, a new arrival) and a host of exciting new patterns that will soon appear on South Seas Knitting.

Oh, one more thing about these slippers. They’re designed to be mules, or “scuffs” as my mother used to call them, but they have a small lip (as seen below) at the heel to help keep them on.They don’t always cling to my heels, but I find that the proportion of sole-to-upper keeps the soles from floppiness.I had to wash mine three or four times to achieve enough shrinkage.

Happy knitting!

–Mel

I love knitting projects that make me smile. Sometimes a small dose of silliness is just what the doctor ordered, isn’t it?

Xanthe is a new knitter. After making a beautiful, carefully planned two-tone scarf in our knitting class she had the inspired idea of making this stunning tongue-in-cheek riding helmet to match her Amsterdam bicycle. Not for her those modern, streamlined, aerodynamic but pointy helmets. 

She bought a Bell BMX safety helmet, knitted a large beanie with Manos Del Uruguay Wool Clasica (Shade 48-Cherry). Next she crocheted five rounds at the base of the beanie to tighten the edge so that it would stay on the helmet. A peak shape was made in thin pliable plastic, then covered in crochet, which was then sewn to the rim of the beanie (it’s best to have the beanie on the helmet when you attach the peak). The final and essential touch is the “button” on top, made by a crocheting a circle over a little fibre filling.

Giddy Up Xanthe!

P.S. Thank you to those who left the heartfelt messages of condolence last week.  I very much appreciated your kind thoughts and words –xxMel

 

I’m very sad to say that my inspirational Mum passed away a few days ago, which is why I’ve not posted anything here for a couple of weeks.

Daphne gave me my love of textiles, and a passion for knitting and sewing. Of the many beautiful things she made for my children, most, like the gorgeous Fair Isle ensemble and the knitted toddler skirt above, are still in good condition despite lots of wear. I attribute this to her always using natural fibres and teaching me the patience required to wash them by hand.

Most knitters know how to hand wash but in her honour I’d like to share her method:

•  Turn the garment inside out.
•  Fill a tub with luke warm water and mild soap.
•  Immerse the garment and lightly agitate with your hands. Do not rub too hard. If you want to remove a stain, let it soak for an hour to loosen the dirt.
• Rinse until the water runs clear.
• Lightly squeeze.
• Take a dry,clean towel.Lay the garment on the towel and roll it into a tube.
• Twist the tube.You can wring it by having a second person hold the opposite end, or you can place it in your washing machine and turn on the spin cycle for just a few seconds. The towel will absorb the excess water.
• To dry, lay the garment flat or hang it on a rack away from direct sunlight.

Daphne always folded her laundry and placed it on the shelves in the hot water cupboard for an extra airing, important in Auckland’s damp climate. Everything washed by her had a special freshness that I’ve never quite been able to achieve myself.

After working hard at her job for many years, she made full use of her retirement to indulge her love of making things. Smocking was a favourite, and we now have a wardrobe full of little girls’ frocks and some delightful boy’s shirts like the one below (my son Pete wore this as a baby).

Before discovering the designs of Kenzo Takada in the early 80’s, I was a closeted flamboyant, stifled by some imaginary rule that in order to be tasteful one had to avoid bright colours or too much pattern.  [note to self and others: flamboyant does not appear in the dictionary as a noun, but it should.]

Kenzo combined bright plaids, paisleys and florals in stunning combinations. Peering in the colourful window of his Sloane Street shop in 1983 I was given permission to wear my red tartan pant suit with a floral scarf and hold my head high! 

Since then my colour choices have toned down a little, but I still love mixing patterns.

Knitting multi-coloured patterns is not popular these days. The perils of intarsia tangles put most people off.

This past summer I made these pillows for my sofa. I wanted a bold pattern worked Armenian style with two colours carried at all times (I confess, to avoid intarsia).

I knitted the fronts only, hoping to find just the right floral linen to use for the backs, Kenzo-style, but I had to settle for muted green linen that worked well with both. They’re quite large (I filled them with 50cm square pillow inserts) and are comfy on my floppy sofa, but they make excellent floor pillows, too.

I’m showing the back side of the hounds tooth pillow (below) because I like to “weave’ my strands and not carry across more than 2 stitches. It makes for a tidier back side without the loose floats, and more important, the knitting doesn’t pucker, but lays nice and flat.

Not being in the mood for sewing a zipper, or for buttons, which I find annoying on the back of a pillow, I found that Gros grain ribbon hand sewn to the inside edges worked well, with snap fasteners. Large snaps are best, because they hold together more firmly than small ones.

Since mine were summer pillows I used Blue Sky Alpacas Dyed Organic Cotton. The hounds tooth pattern shows up well if you use complementary colours with just enough contrast for each to stand out.

You could also use wool. Manos Wool Clasica or Cascade 220 would work wonderfully, and you might even want to felt them. 

I love yarns that offer a beautiful range of colours that have been thoughtfully designed. Blue Sky Dyed Cotton is one of those, offering lots of choices. Here are some other combinations I’d like to use.

 619-Tomato & 609-Shrimp

626-Stone & 623-Toffee

628-Azul & 632-Mediterranean

You’ll need 1 hank each of two colours for the hounds tooth pillow, and 1 hank each of three colours for the striped pillow.The pattern is free with yarn purchase. Just leave a message at check out and we will include it with your order.

Please note that in a few weeks my patterns will be available for sale as pdf downloads on South Seas Knitting. I’m working on it.

–Mel

Look what arrived at my door this week– a box of Mac & Me knitting patterns and this cute bag that quickly became my new knitting basket.

Designed by Leslie Scanlan (some of whose designs are favourites in the Blue Sky Alpacas Collection), Mac & Me patterns are suitable for all kinds of knitters, beginners included, and most importantly, they have the sometimes elusive “where did you get that!” appeal that we knitters require from our finished projects. Here are a couple of my favourites. I want to make the Elizabeth Scarf (below) in GGH Soft-Kid mohair, and Gilded Lily (second below) in Royal Alpaca. Both yarns are currently on sale. 

Winter has arrived, even in Auckland, so it’s time to make something glam to cheer ourselves up during the next few months! 

Happy knitting

–Mel

Having decided to make good use of my buttons, I’ve now made three of these simple clutches. I think I’ll take one out to afternoon tea at Agnes Curran, my favourite tea shop.

As well as being lovely purses, they’d also be useful for keeping knitting and crochet tools. The underside of the flap could hold sewing needles while dpns, crochet hooks and scissors would fit nicely into the approx 25cm length (height 24cm). Each took one evening and one hank of Manos Wool Clasica. 

They’re easy to make and the really fun part is going to be deciding who their new owners will be. There are many more ways you could embellish: applique, embroidery or beads, for example. 

Inspired by Pearly Kings and Queens, I went a little wild with pearl buttons on the Lapis bag(below). The twinkling pearls against the dark blue seemed perfect for the evening bag I’ve been yearning for. I’m keeping this one for myself. The buttons weigh down the flap so that it’s not necessary to have a closure although you could use a snap if you like.

The bag is worked in the round, with a provisional cast on so that you can graft the stitches at the base, and there is a small v-shaped gusset to give it some depth. If you don’t like doing Kitchener Stitch, a three needle bind off would work, too, or you could simply cast on normally and sew the bag together at the base. You’ll need size 8mm [US11] 60cm circular needles. 

Here they are before felting. I used colours 17-cheek and 37-thrush

As usual I had to wash them twice to achieve the right amount of shrinkage, and I used a large towel for friction. I try not to panic at the end of the first wash when my projects emerge floppy and not nearly felted enough. It’s the second wash that does the trick. Stuff your bag with some newsprint while it dries, to hold the shape.

The pattern is free with yarn purchase. Just send a message when you order and we’ll include it.

OR you can purchase the pattern here.

Happy knitting!

Mel

 
We have new books! Some are replenishments of old favourites like Barbara Walker and Elizabeth Zimmerman, but there are several exciting new titles, two of which have me wondering how I can possibly arrange time to knit the many projects that leap out at me from their divine pages. I don’t often rave about knitting books, but these two have already found their way onto my bedside table.

The first is  “Knitting and Tea” by Jane Gottelier, founder of the fashion knitwear label ARTWORK. It’s a shimmering celebration of two of our favourite pleasures, and a gorgeous travelogue with stunning photographs by Jane’s husband, Patrick, taking you from the tea plantations of Sri Lanka to a workmen’s tea in an English truck stop. Each chapter has a recipe for a treat to accompany your tea. All this and knitting too! The patterns are gorgeous, chic items to wear for any kind of event, tea party or otherwise. There’s a special bonus for anyone who’s ever wanted to knit a cricket sweater (there have been requests), even a playful knitted cricket blazer for women that is pure Artwork. I could sink into this book and stay buried for a year, humming my way through the scrumptious patterns and recipes.

I can’t wait to kick off my shoes, put the kettle on, and start knitting….

 Another book that has my mouth watering is Mother-Daughter Knits, by Sally Melville and her daughter Caddy.

By designing patterns that they both like to wear (the authors modeling their own designs is a delightful treat) they’ve managed to create sophisticated knits for women of all ages. Thumbing through the book I immediately spied something that’s been on my to knit list for ages: the Classic Shirt, a fine mohair version of the ever- practical linen number. Then there’s a lovely, shaped hoodie that you want to throw on for your early morning walk, an Austenesque high waisted short sleeved cardigan, a beautiful cabled dress to flatter any figure (yes, flattering cables!), and my favourite, the “Mother of the Bride Cardigan” (Sally is wearing it on the cover) a floaty cardigan for mothers AND brides. There’s also a very handy chapter of advice on how to figure out the ideal dimensions to flatter your body shape and change a pattern accordingly. This is a very sophisticated, timeless knitting book for women.

Both these books are keepers. They’re inspiring, entertaining and full of practical patterns and recipes that will enrich your life. What more could you want?

–Mel