Danie Cabled Gloves

Here’s the latest release from the Warm Hands, Warm Hearts collection. Danie is a cute but grown up glove pattern that combines twisted stitch ribs, moss stitch  and a twisting cable that wanders up the back of each hand

The design started out as an idea that became fingerless gloves for my husband Sam. In this case the cable leads upwards from the back of the hand where the 2nd and 3rd fingers are worked in rib whilst the other fingers and thumb are plain stocking stitch. (The palm of the hand is worked entirely in stocking stitch). I knitted the gloves in the Fuchsia shade of my Baby Alpaca DK and couldn’t resist tipping the rib in Chestnut as a contrast. For me it just finishes the glove off perfectly.

I must say a huge thank you to my beautiful niece Danielle after whom the pattern is named and of course Sam for the lovely photographs. The pattern for Danie is now available as a PDF download from my Raverly Pattern Store here.

Happy knitting until the next post

J x

Bramble Lace Cape, Knitting Magazine issue 123

I’ve just received my copy of the December issue of Knitting Magazine and looks what’s made the cover… my Bramble Lace Cape!

It’s knitted in my Chunky Baby Alpaca and I chose the wonderfully rich red Raspberry Twist shade because, well just because the theme for this issue was ‘Christmas Elegance’. I think that Emma and the team at Knitting have done another great job with the styling creating a festive vibe without going too over the top and having my design featured on the cover is a great way to end the year.

The cape is very simply shaped as it’s knitted flat on a circular needle (due to the width of the piece) with columns of Bramble Stitch alternating with columns of lace. Once the required length has been knitted and the centre back seam joined, the deep rib collar is added by picking up and working into the side edges. It’s knitted on 6 mm needles which means there’s still enough time left for you to make one for popping on with your party dress this Christmas.

Alternatively you could pop over to the website where readers of Knitting can get an exclusive 10% off the knitting kit. Whether you knit one to give or buy the kit I think either would make a lovely Christmas gift. Just use the code given on page 66 when you get to the checkout http://www.jeanettesloandesign.com/

Until the next post, happy knitting and keep warm

J x

Sweet Sweet Brown

This is the second design to be released from the Warm Hands, Warm Hearts mitten and glove collection. Called Sweet Brown these fingerless mitts combine a ball each of Menthe and Bitter Choc from my  Baby Alpaca DK range in an intriguing ‘Portcullis’ stitch. I love settling down with a cuppa and trawling through my many stitch dictionaries for inspiration and having decided that I wanted a stitch that created a crochet effect came across this technique in one of Barbara J Walker‘s ever brilliant ‘Treasury’ series.

The mitts are worked in the round on double pointed needles so ugly or bulky seams to worry about which is good news as they’re designed to be worn with a neat fit (in the next week ‘ll be posting pictures of them photographed on a model). A column of beaded floats on the back of each hand provides a blingy contrast to the formal stripes and whilst the colours continue to alternate on the thumbs the gussets, worked in stocking stitch, provide a plain contrast to the main texture. If you’ve worked in the round and with beads before you could probably make a pair of these mitts in a weekend so they’re the perfect project to make as gifts.

What’s in a name? Well each of the designs in the Warm Hands collection is inspired by the beautiful women in my family so whilst Mrs T’s Mittens is dedicated to Mum, this one is for my niece Michelle with just a wee nod to the hilarious and now famous Ms Brown of YouTube.

The pattern, which includes full written instructions for 3 adult sizes is now available as a PDF download for £3.00 from my Ravelry Pattern Store here

Warm Hands, Warm Hearts

Back in December of last year I wrote a blog post ‘The Inspirational Mrs T’ inspired by an amazing piece of knitwear crafted by my lovely Mum (you can read the original post here). Well not only did that dress inspire me to write  but it also sparked design ideas for a collection of gloves and mittens which I’m starting to release today.

It’s called ‘Warm Hands, Warm Hearts’ which is a play on the old adage ‘cold hands, warm heart’ which suggests that those of us with cold hands often conceal a warm heart. Despite the fact that I have such ridiculously bad circulation that my fingers have been seen to turn blue in the height of Summer (note to self don’t pick up cold cans) I’d like to think that my heart is always warm and never concealed.

The first design from the collection is released today. Mrs T’s Mittens is dedicated to Mum (the aforesaid Mrs T) and as well as taking textural themes from the dress with cables, twisted stitches and bobbles, the shade of my Baby Alpaca DK that I’ve chosen to use is Kiwi which  brilliantly echoes the dress’ original colour, don’t you think?

The palm of the mitten is worked in purl twist stitch which provides a contrast to the linear patterning and a each thumb is worked in reverse stocking stitch with a cable at it’s centre.

The gloves which come in two sizes are knitted in rows on straight needles with a grafted top and a sewn side seam and pattern instructions are given in a combination of written and charted form.

You can buy the pattern as an individual PDF download from my Ravelry Pattern Store here, don’t worry if you’re not on Ravelry yet, it’s free to sign up and you’ll not regret it.  The individual pattern for Mrs T’s Mittens is £3.00 or alternatively the pattern will be available along with the other 5 designs in ebook form (price £8.00) from December 1st. Just in time for Christmas…..