Category Archives: Lace

November 22, 2013 · 10:38 am

Annie Gray – my first pattern

A few months ago I had a knitting design pop into my head while on school holidays. I saw a little girls hip wee top and thought that would be cool to replicate into a knitting pattern. Well, that idea sat bouncing around in my head while I rushed other test knits and projects. I sat down eventually and nutted things out and then another idea worked it’s way out onto paper. Annie Gray is the babydoll/singlet top that is now a reality and is in the process of being test knitted by a group of knitter’s to iron out kinks and make it an easy to read pattern with a great result. It is a nerve wracking time!

Here is a sneak peak of Annie Gray:

Right, off I go to knit another sample for Makayla. Be back later.

Kate

2 Comments

Filed under Annie Gray, Cotton knits, Knitting, Lace

Tagged as knitting pattern

March 4, 2013 · 7:12 pm

Princesses and Pirates!

I am partaking in my first showcase on facebook and it has been somewhat fun! My friend Julia who runs Booti Tutu has organised a showcase on her FB page in the theme of Princesses and Pirates. It is a way of show casing other creative people in face book land. It is amazing what other ladies have made in the theme.

Booti Tutu Princesses and Pirates Showcase

I enjoyed making the items for this showcase. I had a huge 1kg skein of wool to divide up and then hand dye with some items in mind.

and then a wee Pirate contribution ♥

Gosh the milo took some work with adapting the chart to the number of stitches and then doing it upside down! It was made for a hat knitted bottom up but the Milo vest is knitted top down! Anyway I won! I got the skulls and crossbones chart from here.

Please check out the showcase offerings as there are some wonderful items available! The items are available from 7.30pm on Friday March 8th.

I am going to be doing some rainbow inspired items for another friend’s “Rainbow” Showcase in April…

Keep an eye out!

3 Comments

Filed under Custom Knitting, Elizabeth Tunic, Knitting, Lace, Mangere Bridge Beanie, Milo vest, Potae Hat, Primrose, Rainbow, Showcases on Facebook, tiKKi designs, Wool dying

December 1, 2012 · 9:31 am

Primrose – the little sister to Katniss

My good friend Julia from Just One WIP has released her newest pattern that I helped test knit, called “Primrose”.

Blurb from the pattern:

Primrose – The Little Sister Pattern To Katniss.
Pretty. Feminine. Delicate.

Primrose is a stylishly simple and seamless pattern, featuring sweet lace panels in the raglans, waist and hem.

Great for layering with leggings or jeans in winter as a tunic, or knit in cotton for a pretty summer dress.

Primrose is written in 11 sizes (NB – 10 years) and looks just as gorgeous on older children as it does on babies. It comes with three easy to follow options within the pattern for the empire waist band – lace, lace eyelet (looks lovely with a ribbon threaded through) and a no lace option.

Designed to be knitted with a solid or semi solid yarn colour and all sizes use 3 feature buttons. Knitted top down and all in one piece.

It can be knitted with either 8 ply/DK or 10 ply/worsted, however the fabric of the finished garment depends upon the yarn you choose.

I really enjoyed knitting Holy’s Primrose dress and used some yarn I hand dyed in Orchid Pink.

Here are some photos of Holly in her Primrose:

Ever so cute!

primrose 2

primrose 5

Contact me if you would like to book a custom knit spot for this dress. Email me at [email protected].

If you are a knitter, go and get yourself a copy of the pattern!!!!

Kate

♥

Swallowtail Shawl

Gosh it has been a while since I have posted. Five months! Sorry.

Lots has been happening with little munchkin turning one and now 16 months and 16 teeth and the middle munchkin over four years and the eldest about to turn seven!

I would love to kick off my blog catch up with this recent finished knit. I started this when my Mum was visiting and finished it while at the in laws for the long weekend. The pattern is Swallowtail Shawl and is a free pattern on Ravelry.com so check it out and give it a go. 🙂 I did learn a new lace skill while doing this called nupps which is basically bobbles. You make one stitch become five by knitting it and not taking it off the left needle and yarn over, repeat and then knit it one last time. The next row you purl all of the five stitches you created together. It is a touch tricky as there is a yarn over each side of it! Sounds fun huh? 😉 😆

I won this yarn through the Ravelry version of the Olympics called The Ravellenics. I was part of the New Zealand Aotearoa team. The yarn is Kaunui and is from Denmark. To be honest it is not the softest of wool to touch. The end result is just so damn awesome though! Brilliant and brillant and shows off the lace so well. I wore it this morning to an appointment and got loads of comments, just what a knitter needs to hear!

Swallowtail Shawl

All out flat.

I loved watching the colours appear….

Early stages.

Up to the nupps stage

Getting there.

Now to get a decent photo of it on me!

ETA here is a photo from yesterday I snapped on my phone.

3 Comments

Filed under Knitting, Lace, Selfish Knit, Shawl

January 28, 2012 · 2:30 pm

Summer knitting inspired by Knit So Quaint!

I find myself in a marathon of sorts as I am onto my 6th project by the same designer all in a row! I didn’t plan it this way it just happened :lol

Kelly Brooker from Knit so quaint has been designing some awesome patterns of late and has also been hosting a summer pattern club which has been mega fun.

The blue shrug and two hats have been from the Southern Summer Pattern Club and with one more being released in February. The Shrug is called Cornwall Park Shrug and is a beautiful item for a wee girl that’s for sure. I knitted this item in some lying in stash cream wool and then when I had finished knitting I asked Miss 3 what colour shall I make it and she decided on blue. So blue it became 🙂 Looks fab doesn’t it?! 🙂

The hats are awesome with the beanie being knit in many sizes and yarn weights plus two different lace patterns so can match other patterns from Kelly. Clever huh? The sunhat knitted in cotton is called Half Moon Bay Sunhat and the beanie is called Mangere Bridge Beanie

The purple cardigan (Vertebrae Cardigan) at the top left I have already linked about however the small top at the bottom on Holly is called Hine. This has the same pattern as the two hats here as well. The very pink vibrant photo is of a work in progress for DD2 in a size 4. It is the Tama pattern so like the one on Holly but minus the lace pattern on the sleeves.

Bloom!

Gosh I must admit once I have finished a project like bloom by tiKKi I can see why it is worth the effort. After the 1×1 ribbing that never ends and the frogging and what-not that went into this dress it looks amazing! Another major plus is that it grows with the wearer from being a dress to a top due to the stretch the rib gives the garment. The diamond lace is very feminine and easy to knit.

This is the 3rd bloom thus far so have knitted a sky blue, raspberry and now a teal one. I used my brother & sister in laws camera to capture the true colour of this bloom as it is so yummy! My 1 year old niece was my cute model and the bloom itself is going to another niece of mine who has just turned two years old.

Bloom in size medium in Teal with coloured ribbon

This is a knit I can do for custom orders however it is a time consuming knit for me at the moment with a 3 month old to entertain and a very active pre schooler! The amount of times I have fallen asleep knitting recently is a bit embarrassing! 😆

5 Comments

Filed under bloom, Gifts, Knitting, Lace, tiKKi designs

September 7, 2011 · 8:32 pm

Knitting with L♥ve

I have been busy with some secret gift knitting. It has been been fun planning and seeing these projects take shape. Two of the patterns I haven’t done before and I thoroughly enjoyed knitting them. ♥

All Season’s Cardigan designed by Kelly Brooker

It is a versatile item for any girl wardrobe as it adds a layer of warmth over a tshirt or singlet with a skirt or shorts for the warmer months and when it is cooler with jeans and a long sleeve top. I knitted this for our neighbour’s daughter who has just turned 5 years old. The colour should suit her to a T. Thanks to my friend Julia for the awesome hand dyed yarn.

Size 4 All Season's Cardigan in hand dyed 10ply 100% wool

Pretty as a flower

Hanging and waiting to be gifted to a birthday girl

I totally receommend this pattern as it is a quick knit and interesting enough to keep you going. The pattern can be knit in 8ply to a light worsted & heavy worsted weight 10ply. The sizes range from 12 – 18 months to size 6 years. I will be knitting this for my 6yo soon as she just adored it.

The next item is the In Plume Shrug designed by Christine Jeffery. This is a seamless shrug that is sized from NB up to size 12 years. The lace sections are easy enough to work and look awesome once blocked. I made this for my neighbour’s daughter in a size 10years. This was also my first time knitting this pattern.

In Plume Shrug

Loving the lace!

The third and most beautiful piece (well I would say that! :lol:) is the Travelling Woman Shawl by Liz Abinante. I have done this one before so knew it was an awesome knit. It is a great beginner shawl pattern as the repeats are predictable. The first time I knitted this pattern I had a stitch marker along the row marking each pattern repeat so I could easily glance and count stitches and see if I had made a mistake. This time around I didn’t do that as I can now read the stitches easier now.

I used some delish hand dyed yarn from Red Riding Hood yarns dyed by my friend Hannah. This is a 10ply luxury 100% wool in a colourway called “Silver Shadow”.

Travelling Woman Shawl

Lace detail

In the light of day

Check out my previous post from January 2010 linking to a blog post I found about the many ways to wear a shawl other than the old granny style over your shoulders: How to wear a shawl.

2 Comments

Filed under Gifts, Knitting, Lace, Shawl

August 28, 2011 · 8:19 pm

Friendship Shawlette

I have completed another selfish knit and I just adore it. On a forum there was a swap where we gifted some wool and a pattern to our recipient. I had my dear friend Rochelle gift to me. I was given a beautiful gift with hand dyed semi solid purple yarn that was Rochelle’s first attempt at hand dyeing yarn. I must say you did awesome!!!! ♥♥♥♥♥

My selfish gift

The pattern is was gifted was the Cedar Leaf Shawlette which I had had in my Ravelry queue for a while and hadn’t yet bought the pattern. Amazingly it only took two weeks to knit even with a new born baby.

In action

2 Comments

Filed under Knitting, Lace, Selfish Knit, Wool dying

May 22, 2011 · 12:26 am

Update time….

I have been busy creating things but also being a Mum and wife as well as growing #3 baby girl! Hard life I tell you! 🙂

I have been on a girls weekend to the Coromandel and had some lovely time out with some fab friends (3 out of the 6 of us are in the last trimester with our 3rd babies!) and I managed to get some knitting done & dusted while away.

Here are some new knits for Baby Girl #3 due in a few weeks time. 🙂

Cable Baby hat

Cable Baby hat in 4ply in some hand dyed yarn from a swap a few years ago.

NB Elizabeth Tunic

Here is a wee little dress for bubs – The Elizabeth Tunic in 100Purewool which is so soft. Click here for more photos on my ravelry page.

Little Butterflies in size 12 months

Ok I am getting ahead of myself but I have been itching to use this wool. It has been in my stash for 2 years at a guess. Doing a bigger sized Little Butterflies seemed the perfect match. It is gorgeous Jolly Jumbuck 8ply bought in co-op. The colour is divine and it is called Mermaid’s Lair with hints of other colours in it. Click here for more photos of this project on my Ravelry page.

Baby Chalice Blanket

This Baby Chalice Blanket went on hold for a bit and then in a few days I did most of it! I also have realized through this that I was doing YO’s so wrong! How daft was I!?! Anyway, all has been rectified and it started looking more open as it should be. Check out the link here for more photos on the blanket on my Ravelry page.

Current WIP (works in progress):

Puerperium Cardigan

This is a new cardigan designed by Kelly Brooker called Puerperium Cardigan. The word puerperium means the first six weeks of a baby’s life. I am doing the free NB version but there are testers busy trying other ply’s and bigger sizes so it should be a great pattern to have on hand.

Swirl Hat

Hats will be needed for baby since she will be a true winter babe! This hat is to match the NB 4ply Little Butterflies I have already made in the same wool. It is called the Swirl Hat and is from premmie to adult so very versatile and FREE! This project is on hold but I hope to get it done soon….

I have also done some custom knits so will reveal those once the recipient has them. 🙂

1 Comment

Filed under Baby Knitting/crochet, Baby#3, Elizabeth Tunic, Knitting, Lace, Stash, tiKKi designs