Here is my latest finished project:

The pattern was from Crochet! Magazine – January 2011 and takes 3 x balls of Crystal Palace Mochi Plus – in Berry Compote for the large size, with some left over from the third ball.

I don’t have any of the Mochi Plus in stock, but you can always order some via e-mail: info@yarnover.com.au – or phone the shop on 07 3851 2608

I wanted to share with you my first-ever knitted cardigan. It was made for my daughter who is 6 and a half and a size 7.

(Note the Audrey pose! LOL!). The pattern I used was one downloaded from ravelry.com called “In Threes Baby Cardigan”. It was knitted in the round – no joins or seams – on a 5.5mm circular needle – 24 inches long. The pattern only went up to a size 5, so I cast on 6 extra stitches and made adjustments along the way so that it would fit her. It’s a perfect fit for this year with more room under the arms and length-wise to allow for growth so she can wear it next year. The yarn I used is one I sell in the shop called Araucania ‘Aysen’ – a lovely 10 ply blend of alpaca, merino and silk. I knitted with two skeins simultaneously to ensure even variegation in the yarn. the cardigan only took two x 100g skeins with some left over. Knitting a few rows every night, it took me about a month to finish but that’s because I was working on other projects at the same time and didn’t work on it every day. If you were a fast knitter and did about 10 rows very day you’d have it done in about 2 weeks, I think.

Anyway, here’s some more pics…

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We have a couple of projects to share with you.

The first one is a super-quick, soft crocheted ‘Spectrum’ scarf in Red Heart Boutique Magical – a wool-blend, magic ball-style yarn.

One ball makes a scarf which can be crocheted in just a few hours! Grows quickly and the pattern is very easy to memorise.

The second project is my hand-dyed, handspun “Boneyard Shawl“.

I used 100g of a 5 ply merino-silk blend which I spun on my Schacht Matchless spinning wheel.

It is more of a shawlette than a shawl though! LOL!

This pattern was inspired by Alicia Paulson’s “Tiramisu Baby Blanket” – a popular cotton crocheted baby blanket embellished with a ribbon around the edge. However I wanted a much faster version so chose to adapt the pattern by using half-double crochet stitch instead of single crochet and also by using two strands held together with a 7mm hook. I used a pink velvet ribbon around the edge – hence the name “Strawberries and Cream Quick-Crochet Baby Blanket”!

To download the Strawberries and Cream Quick-Crochet Baby Blanket please click on the link and happy crocheting!

This adorable fresh summer top is knitted in Noro Aya – a summer-weight cotton, wool and silk yarn in the signature Noro self-striping colours.

Ladies Top in Noro 'Aya' - Colourway #9, Pattern # YS-528 - World of Nature #29

The Pattern is from Noro World of Nature – Volume 29 and takes 6 balls of Aya. I am a Size 16 and it fits me with room to spare.

We have lots of colours available in the Noro Aya – see post below

We have some new stock of the lovely Noro Aya now available!

Aya is an 8 ply cotton, wool and silk blend in Noro’s signature striping effect.

Aya is a great summer-weight yarn!

In-store is this cute little dress in sizes 7-8. It could also be a nice tunic top as well. It is from Noro Kids (which is available via Amaxon or O/S) and is called ‘Eva”:

It takes 4 balls of Aya at a cost of approx. $44. The shade this was knitted in is Shade #10.

Here are some pics 0f the colours we have in stock:

Shade 10 \

Shade 14:

Shade 15:

Shade 2:

Shade 20:

Shade 8:

Here is a lovely Noro Kureyon Machine-Knit Shawl which I just whipped up last week!

I used 6 balls of Noro Kureyon, colour #95, plus one ball of the same for the crocheted picot edge. It was knitted on my Empisal Chunky (9mm) machine on Tension 10 – the loosest tension, main bed only (no ribber required).

You could knit this on regular 8mm straight needles as a hand-knit pattern – simply knit in stocking-stitch (knit one row, purl one row) or knit everything on cirulars without the need to turn (too easy!) Basically the shawl is a giant pencil-shape – you start at the tip and increase.

So, without further ado, here is the pattern:

MATERIALS:

7 x 50g balls of Noro Kureyon – a pure wool, long-colour-change, self-striping yarn from Japan 1 x Bulky Knitting Machine – 9mm gauge 1 x sewing/darning needle for weaving in ends 1 x 5mm crochet hook for the picot edge.

PATTERN INSTRUCTIONS:

Cast on 3 stitches using the e-wrap method. * Knit three rows, Increase one stitch at each end

Repeat from *, increasing one stitch at each end, every fourth row, until you have 96 stitches (48 stitches each side of 0) Knit straight, without increasing until you have used up all 6 balls (there is one ball left for the crochet picot edge). Bind off and weave in ends.

CROCHET EDGE:

With right side of work facing, attach yarn at one edge of the widest part of the shawl. You will be crocheting down one long side of the pencil, down to the tip and then back up the other side. The wide bottom of the pencil doesn’t have any edging.

Instructions:

* Chain 2, slip stitch into next stitch along, CH 3, slip stitch into next stitch along, CH 2, slip stitch into next stitch along, Slip stitch into each of the next three stitches. Repeat from * until you get to the point of the pencil and then continue up the other side.

FINISHING:

Machine-wash in wool-wash and cool water (not too hot or it will felt!) and then block with T-Pins on a bed or floor (be sure to lay down a towel first!). the Kureyon softens up considerably after washing so it doesn’t feel scratchy at all.

Secure with a shawl pin at the shoulder. Fits ladies Size 10-14 – feel free to make it longer or wider to fit you – as long as you follow the pencil shape and increasing rule, you can’t go wrong.

My revisions for the Noro Taiyo Crochet Market Bag

FREE Crochet Pattern - Noro Taiyo Market Bag

are now finished and here is the PDFCrochet_Noro_Taiyo_Bag_PDF

Happy Crocheting!

Crochet Popcorn Strips afghan in TLC Essentials worsted-weight acrylic

This was an afghan two years in the making! I purchased the yarn before I really started this business and have had it sitting around for a couple of years. As this is the “Year of the Afghan” at Yarn Over, I have been diligent in getting it finished! It now sits on a wooden chair in the shop so people can see how my range of afghan acrylics work up in crochet.

The pattern is called “Popcorn Strips” and is on p.25 of a Coats and Clark booklet – J27-0003 – ”Tender Lovin’ Care Afghans” – which feature the TLC Essentials worsted-weight acrylics from Coats and Clark. You could easily substitute any worsted-weight yarn, for example – Red Heart Super Saver or Bernat Super Value.

These cute hats were my first knitting project – ever!

On circulars, no less and continental knitting! A bit ambitious for a beginner do you think? he he – tell me your opinion.

Personally I think hats are a good project for beginners – knit all the way round – no need to remember which side to purl and which side to knit – small project – portable – also teaches decreases and ribbing as well. What do you think?

Anyway, I digress. The pattern is called “The Scrap Happy Celebration hat”. It is a free pattern and can be found here.

I knitted two hats – the first from a left-over ball of Noro Taiyo from this project. It is an adult size and I used just over half a ball.

Scrap Happy Hat knitted on 4.5mm, 16\

The second hat is for my daughter who is five but I started decreasing too early and it is more a toddler size – oh well – it will be a good display in the shop. It was knitted with 50g of Bernat Mosaic (half a ball leftover from this project) in Ambrosia colourway – a gorgeous, long striping acrylic new from Bernat this year and available on my website:

Scrap Happy hat - 50g of Bernat Mosaic - long-colour-change acrylic - in colourway 'Ambrosia'