My WIPs November 2021

I could be naming this post WIP Wednesday but I am slightly too disorganised to guarantee that I'll be publishing this today (I'm starting to write this on a Wednesday 😅).

At the moment I am working on 2 main projects: the main one being the sweater I'm knitting for my son at his request:

For this sweater I'm using a free knitting pattern I found on Ravelry called Turtle Dove II, but since my son had a specific idea in his head, I'm only using the pattern as a basis, mainly for the construction method.

I really like the ribbed split hem, even though I'm not allowed to use it (as Jack wants the version with the closed rib), but whenever I get time to make myself a sweater, I will add a split hem to it.

The thing I like best about this knitting pattern is that it's all made in one piece, so no sewing apart from weaving in the ends!

I've changed the pattern stitch as the sweater needed to look bulky, and I am also finishing the sleeves differently, adding a gap for the thumbs so that the sleeves can be either folded back or used as fingerless mittens.

Because it's a big project, I was getting bored by it so I also started a crochet project on the side. I can't really say what it is until I give it to the recipient but I'm planning on writing the pattern and sharing it on this blog if anybody's interested 😉. Here's a sneak peak:

What is everyone up to these days? Let me know in your comments or on my Facebook Page 😁.

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Revamped Easy Rolled Brim Hat Knitting Pattern: Free Beanie Hat Knitting Pattern

I've decided to revamp and add more sizes to one of the first knitting patterns I published on Ravelry. The pattern is called Easy Stripes Rolled Brim Beanie Hat as the yarn I used for the original hat pattern was self-striped.

For this pattern I am using Deramore Vintage Chunky yarn which is a solid colour yarn, so let's just call this the Revamped Rolled Brim Hat.

Revamped Easy Rolled Brim Hat

This beanie pattern has been downloaded many times so because of its popularity and also its simplicity, I decided to offer it on my blog for free. If you want to learn how to knit a beanie hat, this is an excellent basic pattern you should start with.

Adding the extra hat sizes and translating the pattern in French was as usual quite a bit of work (all my paid patterns are in English and also in French), so I will be adding a paid version of the Revamped Rolled Brim Hat knitting pattern to Etsy, Ravelry and Lovecrafts once I have the PDF including both languages ready.

The curling nature of the stocking stitch gives this hat a naturally rolled brim that can be rolled up or down, depending on how you prefer wearing it. Because of this, it is necessary to add some extra length to the bottom of the hat; this is taken into account in the following pattern.

Revamped Easy Rolled Brim Hat in 3 sizes

Sizes:

Small size fits a 7 to 12 year-old child head size (47-49 cm around);

Medium size fits a teenager to medium adult head size (52-55 cm around);

Large size fits a large adult head size (56-58 cm around).

Difficulty: Easy once you know how to knit in the round.

Materials:

1 ball of Deramore Vintage Chunky - 50% merino wool, 50% acrylic (100g/153yds/140m per ball);

6mm (US size 10) circular needle, length 60cm;

This yarn is now discontinued but any chunky yarn with a mix of wool/acrylic that matches the gauge below will work.

Scissors,

Tapestry needle large enough for chunky yarn.

Notes: after you start your decreases for the top of the hat, you can switch to double-pointed needles or use the Magic Loop method to avoid stretching your work.

Gauge: 15 stitches and 21 rows make a 10cm square using stocking stitch after blocking.

Abbreviations: 

k = knit,

k2tog = knit 2 stitches together (1 decrease).

Knitting Instructions for the Revamped Rolled Brim Hat:

1 - Small size hat:

Cast on 64 sts and join both ends to start knitting in the round.

Rounds 1 to 30: knit to the end of round (64 sts).

Round 31: *k6, k2tog*, repeat from * to * 8 times (56 sts).

Round 32: knit to the end of round (56 sts).

Round 33: *k5, k2tog*, repeat from * to * 8 times (48 sts).

Round 34: knit to the end of round (48 sts).

Round 35: *k4, k2tog*, repeat from * to * 8 times (40 sts).

Round 36: knit to the end of round (40 sts).

Round 37: *k3, k2tog*, repeat from * to * 8 times (32 sts).

Round 38: *k2, k2tog*, repeat from * to * 8 times (24 sts).

Round 39: *k1, k2tog*, repeat from * to * 8 times (16 sts).

Round 40: *k2tog*, repeat from * to * 8 times (8 sts).

Round 41: *k2tog*, repeat from * to * 4 times (4 sts).

2 - Medium size hat:

Cast on 72 sts and join both ends to start knitting in the round.

Rounds 1 to 34: knit to the end of round (72 sts).

Round 35: *k7, k2tog*, repeat from * to * 8 times (64 sts).

Round 36: knit to the end of round (64 sts).

Round 37: *k6, k2tog*, repeat from * to * 8 times (56 sts).

Round 38: knit to the end of round (56 sts).

Round 39: *k5, k2tog*, repeat from * to * 8 times (48 sts).

Round 40: knit to the end of round (48 sts).

Round 41: *k4, k2tog*, repeat from * to * 8 times (40 sts).

Round 42: knit to the end of round (40 sts).

Round 43: *k3, k2tog*, repeat from * to * 8 times (32 sts).

Round 44: *k2, k2tog*, repeat from * to * 8 times (24 sts).

Round 45: *k1, k2tog*, repeat from * to * 8 times (16 sts).

Round 46: *k2tog*, repeat from * to * 8 times (8 sts).

Round 47: *k2tog*, repeat from * to * 4 times (4 sts).

3 - Large size hat:

Cast on 80 sts and join both ends to start knitting in the round.

Rounds 1 to 38: knit to the end of round (80 sts).

Round 39: *k8, k2tog*, repeat from * to * 8 times (72 sts).

Round 40: knit to the end of round (72 sts).

Round 41: *k7, k2tog*, repeat from * to * 8 times (64 sts).

Round 42: knit to the end of round (64 sts).

Round 43: *k6, k2tog*, repeat from * to * 8 times (56 sts).

Round 44: knit to the end of round (56 sts).

Round 45: *k5, k2tog*, repeat from * to * 8 times (48 sts).

Round 46: knit to the end of round (48 sts).

Round 47: *k4, k2tog*, repeat from * to * 8 times (40 sts).

Round 48: knit to the end of round (40 sts).

Round 49: *k3, k2tog*, repeat from * to * 8 times (32 sts).

Round 50: *k2, k2tog*, repeat from * to * 8 times (24 sts).

Round 51: *k1, k2tog*, repeat from * to * 8 times (16 sts).

Round 52: *k2tog*, repeat from * to * 8 times (8 sts).

Round 53: *k2tog*, repeat from * to * 4 times (4 sts).

Finishing:

Cut the yarn, leaving a 20cm tail.

Keeping those 4 stitches on your needle(s), insert the yarn tail into a large tapestry needle and weave the tail into these 4 stitches. Remove the knitting needle(s) and pull the yarn tight to close the hope at the top of the hat. Weave in any remaining yarn tails.

Wash gently in warm soapy water, roll in a clean dry towel and block your newly finished hand knit hat if you wish.

Knit the Revamped Easy Rolled Brim Hat for a quick handmade gift this season 

I hope you enjoy knitting this simple hat and since the Holiday Season is approaching, why not make a few of these easy to knit beanies to use as handmade gifts? 

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Wriggles Hooded Cowl Knitting Pattern

As I was going about my day trying to put in a few rows of sock knitting before heading to work this morning, I realised I hadn't written a blog post yet about my recently published Wriggles Hooded Cowl knitting pattern. 

This was originally supposed to be a shawl but I struggled a bit with the shawl design as you can see here. Luckily I managed to convert the design I had in mind into a cowl to which I added a hood, and I think it works quite well:

Wriggles Hooded Cowl

As you can see it's got wriggles that look like cables which are actually NOT made using a cable needle: it's an easy way to create the illusion of cables for knitters who might be uncomfortable with using cable needles.

The Wriggles hooded cowl knitting pattern is available from Etsy, Ravelry and Lovecrafts in English and French languages and now is the time to make some for yourself and to give as gifts for you know when 😉.

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Up Mayo! Crochet Headband Free Pattern

I'm not a huge GAA fan but when there's an opportunity to crochet, then why not?

If you live in or come from Ireland, then you'll already know that each year, there is a Gaelic Football competition that includes every Irish county (from both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland), called the All-Ireland championship, and the winning team goes home with the Sam McGuire Cup.

This year's final takes place this Saturday and this year it is a particularly big event, as the Dublin team (who previously won the cup for 6 years in a row) were beaten by the Mayo team in the semi-final a few weeks ago, meaning that Mayo could be the winners for the first time in 70 years (yes 70, you read me right, it's all got to do with a curse which I won't go into, but you can read all about here).

So my partner being from the beautiful county of Mayo (not as beautiful as Galway though😉), this year we are all very excited about this All-Ireland GAA final, which is why I made this crochet Headband in the Mayo county flag colours: red and green.

Me "sporting" my Up Mayo! Headband

I'm sharing this here for free so you can use it to make your own headbands in your own county colours. Just not the Dublin colours, nor Tyrone (Ha Ha, just kidding😉).

My head is practically child-sized, so this would probably fit anyone over 12 years old, up to women with a small to medium head (I would make it bigger for a man or a woman with a bigger head size).

Materials needed:

50gr Dk yarn, red colour,

50gr Dk yarn, green colour.

I used 100% acrylic yarn as this is what was in my stash but you can use whatever yarn you want, you may have to adjust the number of stitches if your yarn is less or more dense than mine or if you need a smaller or larger headband.

3.5 mm crochet hook (E4 in US sizes),

Tapestry needle,

Scissors.

Abbreviations:

Ch: chain;

Sl: slip stitch;

FHDC: foundation half double crochet US (foundation half treble crochet UK):

To make a row of FHDC, start with ch2, yarn over and insert your hook into the first chain stitch made, yarn over and pull up a loop, yarn over and pull up the 3 loops on the hook (1st FHDC made).

To make subsequent FHDCs, yarn over, insert your hook in the previous FHDC (it should look like a V), pull up a loop, yarn over and pull up the 3 loops on your hook.

HDC: half double crochet US (half treble crochet UK);

To make a HDC, yarn over, insert your hook in the next stitch, yarn over and pull up the 3 loops on your hook.

HHDC: Herringbone double crochet US (Herringbone treble crochet UK);

To make a HHDC, yarn over, insert your hook into the next stitch, yarn over and pull up the first 2 loops on your hook, yarn over and pull up the remaining 2 stitches on your hook.    

Additional information:

1-In order to have smooth colour changes at the end of the colour changing rows, I decided to turn and work in rows from the end of row 2 instead of working in the round. 

2-The ch2 at the beginning of the rows do not count as stitches, the first stitch of each row is made into the same stitch as the base of ch2.

3-The slip stitch to join each row is made into the first hdc or hhdc of the previous row.

4- I haven't made a swatch (Gasp!) but still got it right first time: my tip is not to make the foundation row too tight (you can try using a larger hook for this row, and to measure as you go: once your foundation row fits around your head when reasonably stretched out (don't go overboard with stretching out, think of how it will be stretched when worn), then you have enough foundation stitches.

Instructions for the Up Mayo Headband:

Row 1: Using red yarn, make 70 FHDC, sl into the first foundation stitch to join,  making a closed circle, taking care not to twist your stitches.

Row 2: ch2, HHDC in each stitch around, sl into the first FHDC to join, turn.

Row 3: ch2, HDC in each stitch around, sl into the first HHDC from previous row to join, turn.

Change to green yarn.

Row 4: ch2, HHDC in each stitch around, sl into the first HDC from previous row to join, turn.

Row 5: ch2, HDC in each stitch around, sl into the first HHDC from previous row to join, turn.

Row 6: ch2, HHDC in each stitch around, sl into the first HDC from previous row to join, turn.

Row 7: ch2, HDC in each stitch around, sl into the first HHDC from previous row to join, turn.

Change to red yarn.

Row 8: ch2, HHDC in each stitch around, sl into the first hdc from previous row to join, turn.

Row 9: ch2, HDC in each stitch around, sl into the first HHDC from previous row to join, turn.

Row 10: ch2, HHDC in each stitch around, sl into the first HDC from previous row to join, turn.

Voilà! You can now support your favourite team in Sophie's Knit Stuff style and I can go back to knitting my socks off!

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Besides Knitting

While I'm slowly working on publishing my new knitting pattern,I thought I might share some other things going on in my life, just so you know I am a human being and not completely obsessed with knitting (even though that remains to be proved😉)

I've been know to do a bit of baking: I don't particularly enjoy baking, it's mostly the eating part I love. I made my first slow-cooker banana cake recently: slow cooked cakes are the best, very difficult to burn 😂.

My yummy banana cake

Speaking of baking, I managed to grow a healthy enough blueberry bush in my backyard and since I'm the only one who seems to want to eat them, I froze the few blueberries I picked so far this season and planning to make a batch of either blueberry muffins or blueberry tartlets (my mum made some once when I was a kid and they were delicious!).

As for gardening, I wouldn't call myself a keen gardener but I enjoy having pretty plants and edible things in my garden (the less maintenance the better). Here's a pretty picture of my hydrangea now in full bloom, it's not as pretty when the flowers die off:

Close -up of my beautiful hydrangea

But what I really love doing is knitting so I thought I'd share a sneak peak of my new hooded cowl:

Wriggles Hooded Cowl fresh off the blocking mat

I just couldn't help myself, could I?

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I Failed... But Not Giving Up

Today I'm sharing my latest knitting fail with you.

You see I had this grand idea of a new shawl design using a method I hadn't seen anywhere before, so I thought this could be my Million Dollar idea as well as my contribution to the Knitting World, I thought I had at last found the reason why I had been put onto this Earth... 

Well my search will go on for a little bit longer as I now know why nobody out there was using that great new-found knitting technique: it's because IT DOES NOT WORK!!!

This was going to look great

I was trying to make a triangle with increases made from the middle instead of the sides but as the shawl grew, it got increasingly curvy because the middle grew faster than the sides:

Excuse the poor drawing skills!

I was going to fix it later using short rows but then the sides started growing straight and if I kept going, my triangle would have become a very wonky triangle at the bottom with straight sides at the top:

I had to admit my failure and undo about 2 weeks worth of knitting.

I did get a new idea slowly crop into my head when I started to see that design wasn't going to work.

This might not work either but I'll try it anyway... How else am I going to find out?

My Million Dollar idea is still out there somewhere, I just know it 😂. 

Knitting Weather (Not)

As we're just coming to the end of our mini-heatwave in Ireland, this is definitely not weather for knitting or crochet. Well, that hasn't really stopped me as I've been indulging myself in a CAL (Crochet Along): the Overcomer Shawl. You can read about it on A Knotty Habits Designs blog.

Blocking the Overcomer Shawl

With a shawl like this, I'm ready for anything this autumn, rain, hail, snow or frost!

Ready for the next cold snap

I loved making this shawl, I've learned some new stitches and this CAL taught me a little more about mixing various crochet stitches in order to get beautiful results, and judging by the comments from the other participants in this CAL, this one gets 5/5 😊.

Lace Hearts Fingerless Gloves Knitting Pattern Is Live!

I've finally managed to publish my latest knitting pattern 😁.

These yummy looking fingerless gloves are now live on Etsy, Ravelry and Lovecrafts.

My New Lace Hearts Fingerless Gloves

As always, they are in both English and French languages, so if you happen to buy them, you may want to only print the pages in the language you want to read the knitting pattern in as the PDF is 22 pages long. Both languages are on the same PDF as currently the Lovecrafts website only accepts 1 PDF per pattern.

Why so long? you may ask: that's because I have the pattern written in 3 different sizes this time (my previous mittens knitting patterns are only written in a Medium size as the medium size is designed to fit from teen to female adult size (that includes me;)

3 sizes: Small, Medium and Large

This time I decided that a child may want to wear these cute heart fingerless gloves, and also why not large adult as I know some women may have a larger hand than standard and also some men or trans-female might want to wear more feminine accessories that fit a larger size.

There was a lot of testing, knitting and frogging involved as usual before I was finally happy with the basic pattern, and then some more in order to get all 3 sizes right, but I'm hoping it was worth the extra effort as this means I should now have a basic knitting pattern template for more gloves and mitten designs.

The knitting pattern is written for to any DK yarn (light worsted no.3) but it looks and feels much better in merino wool; just don't forget to block your sample gauge as I find merino can stretch quite a bit after washing!

Close-up of the Hearts Design: I love this!

You can purchase the knitting pattern or my Hearts Fingerless Gloves from the following websites:

- Etsy;

- Ravelry;

- Lovecrafts.

I hope you enjoy knitting these hearts fingerless gloves as much as I do.

Be sure to follow me on my knitting journey while I'll be off thinking of more exciting patterns to share, but first I'll be taking a short break from knitting to do a bit of crochet 😉.

Funky Crochet Hat

It may look like I've made this for Pride Month but this was actually a request from a friend of my son's:

He saw the navy hat I had made for my son and asked if I could make him the same in rainbow colors. 

I haven't seen the recipient wearing his colourful hat as my son did all the wheeling and dealing (I actually made it for free as I used wool that had been in my son's stash and that he was willing to give me for the cause 😅), but I've been told he loves his new hat, which goes to show there's a market for everything 😂.

I have to mention my son is struggling mentally, partly due to the fact that he recently came out as a trans-male (born a girl but feeling he is a boy); luckily he is blessed with a good network of fun and supportive friends, but even then, some days are tougher than others 😢.

That's all for today, I am still working on my new knitting pattern for fingerless gloves, I've had to start from scratch more than once as I wasn't happy with the result, oh why did I have to be born such a perfectionist? 😂

FO: Finished Knitted Summer Top

My summer top is now finished and I can't wait to get the weather to wear it ☺.

Knitted Summer Top Waiting for Warm Weather

I am pretty happy with how it turned out, especially since as usual I wasn't strictly following the exact knitting pattern: Since my gauge was smaller than the pattern instructions for the width only, I was following the instructions for a size larger than my own, but sticking to my own size for the height measurements. 

In my last post I explained how I was a bit tight on the turquoise yarn so I was thinking of maybe having to add a different colour stripe: well I chickened out as I was too close to finishing it by the time I ran out! Luckily I found a store that still had the same yarn (Amazon was going to charge me over £10.00 for shipping only, probably blaming Brexit for that even though I found it elsewhere still in the UK at a similar price for the yarn but only about £5.00 for shipping).

Of course now I have more leftover of my 4-ply bamboo cotton yarn, I now have a nearly full ball in 4 different colours so I'll try and find a stripy knitting or crochet top pattern, or maybe a few pairs of summer socks...😔

Back to my top: when I put it on it feels great, I had never knitted with 4-ply bamboo cotton before (I usually knit using DK or worsted yarn), I am very happy with the drape and how it feels warm and cool at the same time. I could knit myself another one, maybe with short sleeves and stripes to use up more of that amazing bamboo cotton leftover yarn 😁.

Currents W.I.P @ 30th April 2021

I'm a long way off my unofficial original plan of releasing 1 knitting pattern per month but not stressing too much about that; after all, I need to remember that knitting is a hobby, so no need to stress over deadlines as I already have a full time job that puts bread (and sometimes cake too 😉) on the table!

I started designing a pair of mittens with a lace hearts design (to change from the cable hearts 😅), but I got a bit sidetracked as the sun came out while I was at the boring stage (i.e. writing 2 more sizes and putting everything down on Word before testing the knitting pattern), so this will have to wait for a while.

As the sun came out I decided to knit myself a light summer top using some leftover bamboo/cotton yard from my stash (I'm hoping I will have enough of the turquoise yarn as I only have 2 balls of this colour, if I run out I will have to frog some and add a white band in the middle using the ball of yarn of the same type that I also have in my stash: I don't want to do the upper part in white as that may be a bit see through 😅).

The pattern for this top is called Strawberry Summer; it's a free knitting pattern from Drops and I am using 2 balls (maybe 3 depending on how this progresses) of King Cole Bamboo Cotton 4 Ply in Turquoise. This yarn is very soft and has good drape, I hope my top turns out as lovely as it feels knitting with this yarn 🤗

The bottom of my top 🤪.

Also, not really a Work In Progress as it's finished, but since it was made in less than a week I didn't get the chance to show it here yet. This is a hat I made for my son, as since I was guilty of botching his hair (his sister gave him a nearly bowl cut and I was trying to rectify it, I should have left it as it was: damn these YouTube videos that give you the confidence to try something you should never go near 😖).

So now my son is proudly wearing the 2 hats I made him, I needed to wash the one I made last winter so made him another one made of cotton for Spring, as he claims these are the only hats that will cover his hair and hide my awful haircut 😳.

The pattern for the hat is the Crochet Easy Ripple Hat, free crochet pattern from The Crochet Crowd, using 2 balls of Rico Cotton Aran in navy.

My son loves his new hat but wouldn't model for me 👀

My next project will be the Wild Bees Socks, the 3rd pattern from the Handmade Sock Society 4 by Helen Stewart, which I am planning to knit in the lovely looking Unicorn yarn I ordered especially for this and that came in the post earlier this week, but I will try and finish my mittens knitting pattern first, I am nearly hoping for bad weather so that I can get more time to focus on that rather than the sunny weather 😅

My yummy new sock yarn

May Day Pocket Shawl: Free Crochet Pattern

It has been at least a year since I started my pocket shawl, which was initially started as a poncho, and for all the work I had to put into it, I decided to call it the May Day Pocket Shawl:

The May Day Pocket Shawl

You can scroll down to see the full pattern, the good news is is it's free* :)

First I need to share the Sunset Poncho pattern (available free from crochetdreamz.com), as this was how the idea of making it a pocket shawl came to me.

Even though the original Sunset Poncho pattern is for a worsted (Aran) weight yarn, the yarn I used for this was 3 cakes of Sirdar Colourwheel, shade 206 (well I used a bit less as I've had to cut some when I was undoing the poncho that was already assembled, so there was some waste), and 2 balls of Quality Yarn, shade 06, all in DK (you can use a thicker yarn, if you reduce the stitch number accordingly).

If you crochet the borders using the main yarn, you will need an extra cake.

I used a 4mm crochet hook for the main part and the pockets, and a 3.5mm for the borders, as the Quality Yarn must have been slightly thicker than the Sirdar Colourwheel and using the 4mm hook for the border made it bunch a little, but if you are using different yarns, you'll have to see what works best for you.

I recommend making the pockets first if you are using the main colour as I did, just to make sure you don't run out of yarn before you get to that stage.

Pocket Shawl Wrong Side Out

Final dimensions for the May Day Pocket Shawl:

One size fits most adults: 

Length 64 inches x width 23 inches;

Width not including borders: 19 inches;

Each border is 2 inches wide;

Each pockets is approx. 8.5 inches high x 8 inches wide.

Pocket Shawl before blocking

Sample: 

6 repeats of the main shawl pattern (6 ch3 loops) and 16 rows (8 pattern repeats as the main pattern repeat is made up of 2 rows) for a 4 inch sample square. 

Abbreviations:
The pattern is written in US/[UK] terms.
ch- chain
sc- single crochet/[double crochet]
dc- double crochet/[treble crochet]
sk- skip
fpsc- front post single crochet/[front post double crochet]
YO- yarn over
hdsl - half double slip stitch

Some of these stitches may be new for some, so I found some video tutorials that are easy to follow (I haven't quite got around to filming my own!):

Front post single crochet video tutorial;

Half double slip stitch video tutorial;

1- Pockets: make 2 (my 2 pockets are actually slightly different from each other as I wasn't writing down what I was doing, variations are very forgiving, especially if using variegated yarn):

Ch 36;

Row 1: dc in 2nd ch from the hook, sc in each following ch across, turn (35 dc);  

Rows 2 & 3: ch3 (counts as 1 dc), dc in each following ch across, turn (35 dc);

Rows 4 & 5: ch2 (counts as 1 dc), dc in each following ch across (back loops only), turn (35 dc);

Rows 6, 7, 8 & 9: ch3 (counts as 1 dc), dc in each following ch across (both loops), turn (35 dc);

Rows 10 & 11: ch2 (counts as 1 dc), dc in each following ch across (back loops only), turn (35 dc);

Rows 12,13,14 & 15: ch3 (counts as 1 dc), dc in each following ch across (both loops), turn (35 dc);

Rows 16, 17 & 18: ch2 (counts as 1 sdc), dc in each following ch across (back loops only), turn (35 dc);

Rows 19, 20 & 21: ch3 (counts as 1 dc), dc in each following ch across (both loops), turn (35 dc);

Row 22: ch1, sc in each dc across (35 sc), fasten off.

I recommend either leaving a long enough tail in order to have enough yarn to attach the pockets when finishing the pocket shawl, or make sure you keep some yarn once you finish using this colour for the rest of the shawl.

2- Main part: 

Ch 434 (yes I know, but it will be worth it in the end);

Row 1: 1 sc in 2nd chain from hook, *(ch3, sk next 3 chs, 1sc in next ch), repeat from * across to end of row, turn (108 ch3 loops);

Row 2: Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in same st as beginning ch3, sk next ch3 loop, *(3 dc in next sc, sk next ch3 loop), repeat from * across, finish this row with 2 dc instead of 3 in the last sc, turn (107 3dc groups with 2 dc on each end);

Row 3: Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in same st as beginning ch1, *(ch 3, 1 fpsc around the middle dc of the next 3dc group), repeat from * across until you work a fpsc in the last 3dc group, ch3, 1 sc in last dc, turn (108 ch3 loops);

Row 4: Ch 3, 1 dc in same st as beginning ch3, sk next ch3 loop, *(3 dc in next fpsc, sk next ch3 loop), repeat from * across, finish this row with 2 dc instead of 3 in the last sc, turn (107 3dc groups with 2 dc on each end);

Repeat Rows 3 and 4 until your work measures the desired width (mine measures 19 inches but you can do more, with a smaller border if you wish). Finish on a row 4, do not fasten off. 

3- Top Border:

Join your border yarn, if using a different yarn, or continue using the same yarn for the border; 

Ch1, 1 sc in each dc across;

Rows 2 to 11: (you can adjust the number of rows to your own preference): ch1(does not count as a stitch), hdsl in each st across (back loops only).

Fasten off.

4- Bottom Border:

For the second border, join the yarn at either end of the bottom of the shawl (for a more symetrical look, start on the WS.

Row 1: Ch1, work 1 sc in each sc from the first row of the shawl (including first and last stitch), and 2 sc in each ch3 loops

Rows 2 to 11: (you can adjust the number of rows to your own preference): ch1(does not count as a stitch), hdsl in each st across (back loops only).

Fasten off.

Assemble the pockets on each side of the shawl (you can sew or attach using slip stitches), don't forget to leave the top part of the pockets open (it would be typical of me to do something like sewing all 4 sides instead of 3 😅).

Et voilà: May Day Pocket Shawl finished!

*Free pattern means that you can use it for your own personal use and even sell your own finished items from it, but you are not authorised to sell the pattern, and if you use it for anything, please link back to this blog post.

My Finished Curling Mist Socks

I finished the Curling Mist Socks that I was knitting for my partner a few weeks ago. I think they look very pretty, too pretty to use on a working day (his work involves a lot of driving but also physical activity and wearing safety boots that are not really breathable), also too delicate to use on a hike (whenever we are all allowed to go back hiking more than 5 km away from home 😅, so he's only allowed to wear them on nights out (that, too, looks like a long time to wait for 😂).

         curling mist socks from THSS4.

I used the sock blockers I bought on Etsy from a seller based in Turkey since I couldn't find a pair I liked from Ireland unfortunately. It was the first time I used proper sock blockers and they looked huge at first (the blockers, not the socks) but they worked out great.

I wasn't too crazy about the second pattern from  The Handmade Sock Society 4 (I'm still hoping it will grow on me so I'm keeping it), so I was going to wait for the third one: the third sock pattern was released last week and looks beautiful but I think it would suit a plain colour yarn better than the stripy multicolour yarn I want to use for my next socks, so it may be May before I start knitting my own socks, or else I might just buy some new sock yarn (More yarn? 😉).

My Crochet Poncho Repurposed As Pocket Shawl.

Last year there was a big trend on some Facebook groups I follow for crochet pocket shawls: one particular design, The Perfect Pocket Shawl, became very popular, and soon after that, other designers shared their own modified versions of the pocket shawl.

While I was in the middle of crocheting the Sunset Poncho, I first made it too small (that happens when you use a thinner yarn and then you run out of yarn 😅), then decided that I wasn't a "poncho person", so I let my own poncho sit in a corner for a while, until I decided to unravel it and repurpose it as... a pocket shawl!

I really liked the stitch used for the Sunset Poncho and I thought it would be a shame to let such a pretty stitch got to waste so I reused it for my own pocket shawl.

Now my "Sunset Pocket Shawl" has also been taking a break as it used more yarn than I thought it would, so I've also run out, but I think I've found an alternative, which is a plain coloured yarn in a matching shade that I found in a local shop (I couldn't find the same yarn locally and I didn't have the energy to search online), so I've decided to just use the plain yarn for the 2 outside borders (this will make it wider and I'm hoping it will look good when finished 😅 ).

For main part and pockets I have used most of 2 cakes of Sirdar Colourwheel, and the borders will be made out of Quality Double Knitting (100% acrylic, it may not be the best quality yarn but it feels very soft, so I'm happy enough using it for myself).

I will try and share instructions for this very aggravating pocket shawl (maybe that should be its name 😂), and if you're not afraid of running out of yarn like I did, you'll be welcome to try and crochet your own. As for me, I have so many new projects I want to make that I'm not even sure this thing will be ready on time for next winter, but here's hoping 😁.

Socks On My Needles: Curling Mist Socks

For the last few years I've been looking at handknit socks as a luxury item: I dabbed into it a little with a pair or two of plain knitted socks (with my first ever pair miserably shrinking in the wash), but I lacked the patience for the beautiful patterns that fill some Instagram and Ravelry pages.

Last September, right before lockdown no. 2, I went on a short break to Northern Ireland and found some funky sock knitting yarn. I could have found the same locally, but as I was on holiday mode I found it obligatory to visit a wool shop and easier to spend money than if I had stayed home (sorry, local yarn stores, I'll make it up to you!).

The yarn in question is Funny Feetz by James C. Brett, it's not a luxury yarn as I had hoped I'd find, but I still find it decent enough, with a good mix of wool, polyamide and bamboo, very easy to knit with.

Then I happened to find a post on Facebook about The Handmade Sock Society a few weeks ago; I think this was the last day that I could join at a discounted price (and who can say no to a discount, right?).

So I purchased their bundle of 6 sock patterns, where there is 1 pattern release each month during 6 months: it's a little like a mystery knit along, but with 6 different sock knitting patterns, where you only discover one of the knitting patterns per month. I don't know about you, but I find this very exciting (I probably also need to get a life, but at least I have the excuse of our country being on lockdown and knitting is one of those little life's pleasures that are still allowed, as long as you have your stash/shops that sell online 😅).

Here's my progress on the Curling Mist Socks:

It's a simple enough sock pattern, not too intimidating unless you hate cables. I happen to like knitting cables, it's just a matter of knowing where to place the cable needle, these are easy cables as they all go in the one direction. Of course I've decided to make things a little harder by using the double pointed needles instead of a circular needle, but that's just because the smallest size circular Knit Pro needles I have are 3.5mm and I am using 3mm to match the pattern. It takes a little time to get used to, but with nice needles like those (I'm using my Knit Pro Zing metal double pointed knitting needles, yarn distributed between 3 needles and using a 4th needle to knit the stitches and a 5th as my cable needle), everything is easier.

Can't wait to finish these and start on the second pattern, which was released on March 4th, but I'm not known for keeping deadlines, at least not when knitting is concerned 😅.

I Heart Cables Cowl Knitting Pattern

My second knitting pattern of the year is this beautiful cowl, with heart shaped cables:

This nearly broke my own heart because of how many times I've had to restart, since I wasn't happy with the width at first, then the finishing... Did I mention my stubbornness here before? Actually the politically correct way to call it is perfectionism 😉.

This is called I Heart Cables Cowl and is available as a digital knitting pattern through Etsy and Ravelry.

It features 8 different cables, so it is not the easiest pattern to knit, but once you think logically about how a cable must look, it will come naturally, maybe one for the cable knitting nerds out there, but I'd encourage advanced beginners looking to improve their cable knitting skills to try it. 

I know, only 2 patterns so far in 2021 and we're already nearing the end of February but who said there was a race? When you have a full-time job and a family (granted my children are at the age when they can look after themselves), plus when you keep creating others ways to keep busy (my sewing machine is looking a bit guilty, even though very pretty in its brand new cover right now!), it's difficult to keep up with plans of taking over the world of knitting patterns 😂.

Head over to Sophie's Knit Stuff on Etsy if you'd like to grab the pattern. It would make a lovely gift for Mother's Day 😉.

I Love Cables Headband

After 2020 being a year of limbo, and I'm sure I'm not the only one saying this, I wanted 2021 to be different, so I decided that I should get back to creating and selling a bunch of knitting patterns.

It's been a few years since I've created new items for sale: these past few years I have kept knitting, but the items I've knitted were all gifts (to myself as well as to others). The I Love Cables Headband is my first finished product of 2021 and I published the knitting pattern on the usual suspects: Etsy and Ravelry. 

I am particularly proud of my I Love Cables Headband as I designed the cables myself (not without the usual bit of swearing, frogging and re-knitting), those cables are as close as I could manage to make them look like hearts, because you can never have too many heart shaped things coming up to Valentine's Day,  which was the time when I was working on it.

I re-used a little of the same pattern when designing my new cowl, (which I was hoping to have ready before Valentine's Day too but I think I may have overestimated my speed and the amount of time I had available to me 😅), this is still a work in progress but I can already say it's even better than the I Love Cables Headband, up up and away!

5 Years Later:

 I should be ashamed of myself, a whole 5 years without a single blog post 😳.

A lot has happened in that time, a few life changes, all good, but these have kept me busy, so now I've adapted to those changes I'm back, hoping I can keep up with Sophie's Knit Stuff blog. 

During the last 5 years,  I've studied hard and passed my Accounting Technician course, got a part-time job, found love 😍, moved on from the part-time job to a full-time job, which is my excuse for neglecting this blog, as I have less time for knitting and other crafts, let alone for blogging!

Well except for today: I am home since I have to wait for my daughter's (hopefully negative) Covid test result😷. And since I'm stuck at home, I'm catching up on:

1. My long neglected blog 🙋  Sophie's Knit Stuff;

2. Finishing my sewing machine cover; 

My Brand New Sewing Machine Cover

I've used a pattern from Sew Can She, it's normally for a kitchen mixer, but the size fits an average size sewing machine, plus it's got pockets, very handy for sewing notions!

During last year I've done quite a bit of sewing as I wanted to make reusable fabric face masks, I also made some cute oven mitts and even though my sewing skills are not the best (don't look too closely at my binding strips 😅), I think I've finally got rid of the fear of the sewing machine 😂.

3. Finishing up my latest knitting pattern: 

Already all knitted up but now I need to work on the less fun parts of designing knitting patterns, i.e. add pictures, proofread and translate the pattern in French, find the correct keywords in order to get the views (and hopefully the sales 💰). I promise I will post an update here when it's all done.

That's all for now folks! I need to keep a little to talk about next time so watch this space for more updates, you can all still follow me on my Facebook Page, Instagram, Twitter, and of course Etsy.