Easter Bunnies

I knitted Easter friends :) I'm not sure why I always end up knitting for Easter (I don't have many young children in my family - at present!) but I do, and then find myself handing them out to adults who are always slightly baffled as to why I might have knit them a cute Easter egg cosy. These little guys are about 2 inches high, just big enough to house a Cadburys Creme or Kinder egg (being incredibly middle class and posh, I opted to fill mine with a Galaxy egg to appeal more to the adult palate...)

I have been knitting the chicken for about three years now. I found the pattern at www.knittingpatterncentral.com, and I was going to attach the specific link but I can't find it anywhere... and I'd better not write the pattern here in case I get into trouble!

The bunny, however, I did design myself - no doubt there are a dozen other similar patterns floating around the internet but this one is all mine!

You need:
3.5 mm straight needles
Small quantity white double knitting wool (Acrylic DK Nastiness TM will be fine for this)
Tiny amount pink DK
Tiny amount black DK

Method:

Body:
Cast on 26 stitches.
Rows 1 - 6: K1 P1 across row.
Rows 7 - 16: K across row.
Row 17: Ktog across row (13 stitches)
Rows 18 - 23: K across row.
Row 19: K2tog across row.
Cut yarn leaving a long tail and thread through remaining stitches, knot firmly on the wrong side.

Ears (Make 2):
Cast on 4 stitches.
Knit 9 rows.
Next row: K2tog across row.
Next row: Ktog across row.
Cut yarn and pull through remaining stitch.

Making up:
Sew down body on the wrong side. Sew ears to head (I weave the yarn which I pulled through the last stitch of the ear down the side of the ear, and then use it to stitch the ear to the head). Embroider nose using pink yarn, and embroider face with black. Simple!

Operation Baby Hat is going well - I have made three hats so far (two excellent ones and one reasonably good one - to be honest the yarn puts me more in mind of socks than hats, so I may knit socks from it next). I shall post the hats next time!

Scarf For FIL

There has been knitting in my house of late, although the regularity of blog posts does not reflect that. Just when I think I might actually get through a project, another one crops up... and this one genuinely wasn't due to my usual fickleness.

I was commissioned by my father in law (FIL) to knit him a scarf - despite the fact that we're now pretty much in Springtime here, the temperature thinks it's still winter, and the poor man has been suffering with a heavy dose of flu for about 3 weeks. So he wanted a scarf, to protect his neck (as scarves are designed to do). My only instructions were that it was to match his jacket (which is a kind of reddish brown).

I invested a full 3.00 in some acrylic nastiness which was in the sale - but it is aran denim acrylic, and actually feels a lot nicer and softer than usual cheap wool. Sadly my local yarn shop has closed down, and my only other option is a horribly expensive haberdashery - superb for nice baby knits or stuff you've actually slaved over and intend to wear as much as possible, but bad for cheap scarf wool.

I invented the pattern with the raised diamonds, and being a generous soul - here it is:

Yarn: James C. Brett Denim with Wool Aran - 80% acrylic, 20% wool
Needles: 6mm plastic needles (no idea where they came from)

Pattern:
C/o 20 stitches (I held 2 strands together)
Knit 3 rows garter stitch.
Purl 1 row.
Knit 1 row.
Pattern stitch:
Row 1. P9, k2, P9
Row 2. (and all alternate rows) K
Row 3. P7, K2, P2, K2, P7
Row 5. P5, K2, P6, K2, P5
Row 7. P3, K2, P10, K2, P3
Row 9. P1, K2, P14, K2, P1
Row 11. Repeat Row 7
Row 13. Repeat Row 5
Row 15. Repeat Row 3
Row 17. Repeat Row 1
Knit 1 row.
Repeat these 18 Rows until scarf is required length.
Purl 1 row
Knit 3 rows garter stitch.
Cast off.

I blocked it, but it still curls inward slightly on the wrong side as stockinette is wont to do. Doesn't worry me, I like it. Hopefully FIL will too.

Digby, The Biggest Sock in the World!**

**This is very witty, believe me, so long as you were a young child in Britain in the '70s.

Another free pattern! Does my generosity know no bounds?

You need: about 50g red DK weight yarn (I opted for acrylic nastiness), 25g each of yellow and white (both in DK weight) but to be honest I probably used less. Obviously you can change the colours.

Set of 5mm double pointed needles.

Using white yarn, cast on 64 stitches and divide over 3 needles (21 stitches on 1st needle, 22 stitches on 2nd needle, 21 stitches on 3rd needle). Place a marker if you need to marking the beginning of the round.

Work K1, P1 ribbing for 4cm. Join red yarn.

Knit straight round until work measures 8cm in total. Join yellow yarn.

Follow the following chart for the stars - the chart is worked over 11 stitches and 11 rows. Basically, you work 1 row of the chart, then knit 5 "separator" stitches (in red) before working the chart again. This is the case for each row of the chart. You end up with 4 snowflakes round the sock.

Once the chart is complete, cut yellow yarn and secure. Continue in red (knitting straight every round) until work measures 15cm in total.

Join yellow yarn, and knit straight until work measures 19cm in total. Change to red yarn.

Continue in red (knitting straight every round) until work measures 21cm in total. Change to white yarn.

Continue in white (knitting straight every round) until work measures 25cm in total. Change to red yarn.

Continue in red (knitting straight every round) until work measures 30cm in total.

Knit across the 21 stitches of the first needle, turn and purl across these stitches and those on the third needle. Join yellow and white yarn at this stage. These 42 stitches will be the heel.

Work 14 rows in stocking stitch (starting with a knit row), alternating colours every 2 rows. Stick with one colour (I chose yellow) for turning the heel:

Turn Heel:

1st row: K30, sl1, k1, psso, turn.

2nd row: sl1, P18, P2tog, turn.

3rd row: sl1, K18, sl1, k1, psso, turn. Repeat rows 2 and 3 8 times, then 2nd row again. (There should now be 22 stitches on the needle). Change to red yarn.

Sl1, k to end, then pick up and knit 11 stitches evenly across the first side of the heel flap.

Using a 2nd needle, knit across 22 stitches of the second needle (instep), then using a third needle, pick up and k11 stitches evenly across the 2nd side of the heel. Knit across 11 stitches from the end of the first needle. You should now have 66 stitches over the three needles (22 on each).

K1 round straight.

Knit to last 2 stitches on first needle, k2tog, k1. Knit across second needle, then on 3rd needle, k1, sl1, k1, pss0, knit to end. Repeat the last 2 rounds until 44 stitches remain. Change to yellow yarn, and knit 2 rounds straight.

Knit to last 2 stitches on first needle, k2tog, on 2nd needle sl1, k1, pss0, knit to last 2 stitches and k2tog, then on 3rd needle sl1, k1, psso, knit to end.

Knit 1 round.

Repeat the last 2 rounds until 28 stitches remain, join red then decrease as before on every round for 2 rounds. Change to white, and continuing the decrease on every round, work until 8 stitches remain. Cut yarn leaving a long tail. Turn work inside out to cast off.

Casting off: (this is the easiest method that I use).

Useful tip: I find it's easiest to turn the whole thing inside out if I transfer the remaining stitches onto safety pins first - the whole they have to fit through is tiny so I don't trust myself to try and get a needle through there or just take the stitches off the needle altogether. Once the sock is inside out, put the stitches back on two needles.

Knit together 1 stitch from each needle twice (so 2 stitches on the right hand needle), pass first stitch over 2nd to cast off as usual. Repeat until everything is cast off.

Maybe that should've been Digby the biggest blog post in the world....

Blooming Bag Pattern

Yarn: Ry Soft Lux in Clover, 64% extra fine merino wool, 10% angora, 24% nylon, 2% metallic fibre.

Needles: 6mm
Finished Size: 14" by 9"
How to make it:

Cast on 56 st
K 5 rows
Row 1: K5, P to last 5 st, K5
Row 2: K
Repeat rows 1 & 2 until 55 rows have been worked.
K the next 19 rows
Repeat rows 1 & 2 until a further 95 rows have been worked (I find placing a stitch marker at either end of the 60th row helps with seaming)
K 5 rows
Bind off.
Fold and seam (inside out) from beginning to stitch markers.

Strap: Cast on 6 stitches and knit until strap measures 50 inches, sew to side seams inside bag.

Felting: Fill sink with hottest tap water - submerge bag. Start agitating bag with hands. Scream in agony due to hotness of water. Attack bag in fit of rage with potato masher. Mash bag in hot water, screaming obscenities for about 15 mins or until it looks felted. Squeeze out excess water, stuff with a towel, leave to dry.

Flowers: I got the pattern from this nice lady (link below) - I made three and just sewed them on after felting it.

http://www.fortheloveofyarn.com/Issues/Spring06/patterns/spring06_stashbust_knit.shtml

I didn't line the bag, but I only intend to use it for light use (ie. transporting some cash to the pub, and less cash back). I was pleased with how this turned out, feel free to make it if you can follow my crap directions.

Following yesterday's post, I spent all of about 2 seconds deciding on the next project - the sock won. I've got to commute to London for a week next week, and double pointed needles appear to be a bit more train friendly than hulking great straights.