Stylecraft Candy Swirl

Today I'd like to share with you a little yarn review! Let me introduce to you Candy Swirl, the latest yarn from Stylecraft. I've just made up a scarf using this yarn and I'd love to share the project with you...

By day, I work in the wool department of a family run art and craft shop. This is both brilliant and dangerous- it is very hard to resist buying everything because there are so many lovely things! I was really looking forward to the arrival of Candy Swirl, which is the much anticipated latest yarn by Stylecraft and I have knitted a scarf in this new yarn to display in the shop, in return for blogging about it here. All opinions here are my own and although Candy Swirl is available to order from my place of work, it is available from many yarn retailers.

With American "cake" style yarns, which are colour changing yarns rolled into a spiral to show off the colours, proving very popular in the knitting and crochet world at the moment, many of the big UK yarn brands are releasing their own take on this trend and Candy Swirl is Stylecraft's.

Candy Swirl yarn is a cake yarn released as part of Stylecraft's Special range, which is their economy acrylic range. I really really love wool and pure fibre yarns, but Special is such a popular yarn range, with the appeal only increasing as bloggers and designers such as Lucy from Attic 24 championing it in their work, producing brilliant colourful blankets and accessories. I've got an ongoing crochet granny square blanket project that I'm making in Special DK. 

Pure fibre yarns are, quite rightly so, expensive. The cost of the upkeep of the animals whose fleeces used to make the yarn, plus the production costs and many other factors make it a luxury item. I make small woolen pieces and I can't afford to make many large pieces using pure fibre yarns- I'm not going to change my wool loving ways and convert to using acrylic (very often),  but I appreciate the accessible appeal of yarns such as the Stylecraft Special range and I can therefore understand why Stylecraft would want to add a cake yarn to this range.

Candy Swirl is a 150g DK weight yarn in eight colourways, all with sweet/fruit inspired names. I chose to work with the shade called Coconut Ice.

The yarn is beautifully rolled together to show off the lovely colours. However, unlike some cake style yarns where you can start the ball from the outside edge or the middle and knit away, with the Candy Swirl I found it best to start from the outside and re-roll the yarn into a ball first to stop it all collapsing on itself. I got in a bit of a knot to start with because I didn't realise. This would be my only criticism of the yarn because other than this initial issue, it was a pleasure to work with.

Work in progress! Tea and cake to go with my cake yarn. You can see what I did there...

Unlike some of the similar yarns available, Candy Swirl doesn't come with a free pattern on the ball band, but the cheaper price reflects this. However there are many separate patterns for knitted and crocheted accessories available to go with the yarn, lots with several designs on the single pattern and most of them just require one ball. I chose pattern 9413, which has three designs. I chose to make the "Petit Points" scarf, which has a lovely lacy edge.

Certainly where I work, people have expressed an interest in using the yarn to make children's garments, so perhaps this is something Stylecraft will explore in the future

The yarn was lovely to work with- it is beautifully soft- not scratchy at all like some acrylic yarns and It doesn't split as you knit. It was a very enjoyable pattern to knit

On display at work

I hope you enjoyed a little insight into the world of Candy Swirl!

Happy making!

Louise xx

How To... Three Knitted Pumpkin Patterns

October is here, meaning it's officially pumpkin season! I thought it would be fun to get into the spirit and make some Autumnal themed decorations, so I set to work with my needles and came up with three knitted pumpkin designs. I used less than 25g of leftover double knit yarn to make the three pumpkins, so they are a great thrifty make and they make lovely stand alone decorations on a mantle piece or as part of an Autumn wreath. Happy Autumn and happy making!

A note on the pumpkin sizes...

The small pumpkin measures approx 2.5cm high, 4cm circumference,36sts x 10 rows

The medium rib pumpkin measures approx 3.5cm high, 7cm circumference, 36stitches x 15 rows

The large stocking stitch pumpkin measures approx 4.5cm high, 9.5cm circumfernce, 36stitches x 20 rows

I used 3.25mm needles and double knit yarn. I haven't specified a tension, so your pumpkins may come up slightly larger or smaller than mine, but they will still be very cute! The most important thing is that the stuffing can't be seen through the knit when you stuff the pumpkins- if you think it's looking a bit loose, go down a needle size

1) You will need

Approx 25g double knitting yarn (I used Stylecraft Special DK in shade 1711 Spice), Small amount of green double knitting yarn (I used some from my stash), Small amount of toy stuffing, knitter's sewing up needle, Scissors,  Pair of 3.25mm knitting needles

2) To make the large (I say large, but it's pretty small really!) stocking stitch pumpkin, cast on 36 stitches and work in stocking stitch (Row 1= knit, Row 2= purl) for 20 rows. Do not cast off

3) Allowing a 30cm tail (for sewing up), thread your working yarn onto the sewing up needle and thread through all of the stitches on the needle. You can remove the stitches from the needle if you prefer, but I find it easier to do this when the stitches are held on the needle

4) When all the stitches have been threaded, remove the stitches from the needle and gather up tightly, as if you were making a hat

5) Fasten off securely, keeping the needle and yarn still attached. With right side facing, sew down the side seam of the pumpkin using mattress stitch. Alternatively, if you prefer, you could turn the piece inside out and stitch the side seam with a running stitch

6) Once the side seam is sewn up, with the needle and yarn still attached, sew a running stitch all the way around the inside bottom edge of the pumpkin. Pull the yarn to draw together slightly

7) Use toy stuffing to firmly stuff the pumpkin

8) Once the pumpkin is completely stuffed and you're happy with its shape, draw the thread up tightly to gather the top and fasten off securely

 9) Now to knit the stalk! The stalk is basically a knitted i-cord, which is most commonly knitted using double pointed needles (DPNS) . To knit the stalk in this way using DPNS, first cast on 5 stitches using the green DK yarn. Knit 1 row. Slide the work along to the other end of the needle and knit the next row. The working yarn will be on the left side of the work, but draw it across the back of the work and use it as normal. Knit 5 rows in this way, then cast off.

However, if you don't have DPNS, it is possible to knit an i-cord on single pointed needles. Here's how...

* Cast on 5 stitches

* Knit 1 row

* Slide the stitches from the right needle onto the left needle

* The working yarn will be to the left side of the work. Simply draw the yarn to the right across the back of the work. Continue working in the way described above until the i-cord measures the desired length

* Fasten off the top piece of yarn and weave in the end. Leave a long piece of yarn attached to the bottom of the i-cord, to use to sew onto the pumpkin

The i-cord I used for the stalks on my pumpkins was 5 stitches wide by 5 rows long, but you could adjust the size accordingly, just keeping checking the length of the knitted stalk against the pumpkins as you knit

10) Sew the stalk onto the centre top of the pumpkin

So that was the pattern for a basic pumpkin, but you could also try a couple of variation!

* Create a "rustic pumpkin" by knitting the basic stocking stitch pumpkin to your desired size and then stuffing it. Instead of fastening off the yarn once you have drawn up the bottom of the pumkin securely, instead, thread the yarn tail onto a needle and draw the yarn up directly through thecentre of the pumpkin and pull the thread through the top.

* Follow the lines of stitches and draw the yarn once again through the bottom of the pumpkin and out through the top, to create an authentic textured pumpkin effect! Fasten the yarn securely on the underside once you have achieved the desired effect. Sew on the stalk

* To create a ribbed pumpkin, cast on 36 stitches in orange double knit and work 15 rows in 2x2 rib (Row 1= knit2, purl 2, Row 2= purl2, knit 2). Finish as for the stocking stitch pumpkin

That's really all there is to it to make some simple but effective Autumnal decorations. If you knit some pumpkins, please share your photos in the comments! Enjoy!

New Fair Isle Necklaces Sneak Peek

Here's a sneak peek at some new Fair Isle necklaces I've been working on! They are all hand knitted to my own designs in Shetland wool and the lightweight Fair Isle triangles hang at 11" on a 22" silver plated chain. I love making them as much as wearing them- they are very versatile dressed up or down. I'll be adding them to my Etsy shop very soon and I'll also be holding a competition to win one- I'll keep you posted!

How To Knit... How To Choose Yarn and Needles

Welcome to the second part in my How To Knit series- How To Choose Your Yarn and Needles! When you're first starting out learning to knit, the huge choice of yarn and needles to be found at your local yarn shop or one of the huge online retailers can be daunting. It can be difficult to know what to choose, so I've put together some handy tips to help make your choices simpler and leave more time for you to get knitting!

First things first...

Choose Your Yarn

Pick a yarn that you like the look and feel of. What you choose, be it a wool, cotton, acrylic or anything in between, the material and choice of thickness is entirely up to you. Many people start with a double knit, but go for super chunky if this appeals to you. The wool shop is your oyster! Whatever thickness you decide on,  I would recommend choosing a smooth yarn in a bright or light colour, to make your stitches clearer when you start experimenting. It can be hard to see your stitches when using a textured yarn and better to perfect your stitches now and move on to hassle free knitting with the fluffy and furry yarns later!

The thickness of yarn is often referred to as the "weight" of yarn

Choose your needles

Once you've chosen your yarn, choose your needles to match your weight of yarn. In general, the thinnest needles are matched with thin yarn and likewise the thickest needles are matched with the thickest yarn. To give you an idea of what size you should use, the ball band around your yarn will usually give you a suggested needle size to use with that particular yarn. Use this suggested size to begin with as you learn. As you continue on your knitting journey you may need to adjust the needle size according to your tension (I will explain this further in a future post).

In terms of the material your needles are made from, there are a huge variety available made from everything from plastic, metal, bamboo, various woods and even carbon fibre. Again, your choice here depends on personal preference and you may like to try several types as you are learning. Personally I love bamboo needles as they are light, smooth and warm to use (although I do tend to use metal needles for my finer knitting as I know I'll end up breaking or bending fine bamboo needles!)

Knitting needles come in a variety of lengths to accommodate different amounts of stitches, depending on the project you're working on

Suggested needle sizes for yarn weights

Sometimes the weight of a particular yarn is not immediately obvious, for example some patterns may not specify a particular yarn but only give a needle size. Here are some yarn weights with their suggested needle sizes

3 ply- 2-2.75mm

4 ply- 2.75-3.25mm

Double Knit- 3.25-4mm

Aran- 5-5.5mm

Chunky- 6-7mm

Super Chunky- 8-10mm

I really hope this post helps you if you want to learn to knit and I hope you have fun picking your yarn and needles! Look out for the next post in the series where I'll be sharing how to cast on

How To Knit... Knitting Kit

Welcome to my new series, How To Knit! This is the series for you if you've always wanted to learn to knit but don't know where to start. Through a mixture of step by step photos and videos, here you will learn how to cast on, how to knit and purl, exploring basic patterns and much more. I'll also be exploring everything from what you need in your knitting kit, to how to choose your yarn and needles and how to check your tension. I want to share my passion for all things knitted and woolly and to pass on what to me is a very enjoyable, relaxing and useful skill.

So here is the first post of the series- these are the basic tools you will need to start knitting. Take a peek inside my knitting kit...

1. Knitting needles 
Metal, plastic, bamboo or wood. I personally love to use bamboo needles because they feel so nice to use. However, if I'm using very fine needles I opt for metal ones which are less fragile than their bamboo equivalent. It's all about personal preference here really, it's good to get a couple of pairs in different materials and see what feels best to you.

In the next post in the series I will discuss how to choose the correct size needles to match your yarn

2. Tape Measure

I always keep one handy in my knitting kit because although I own about a thousand of them you can never find one when you need it! Useful for measuring tension squares and for measuring your work when working to a pattern. Oh and measuring yourself to see what size jumper you should knit!

3.Needle Gauge

The thickness of knitting needles is now measured in minimetres. If you have inherited a set of needles with imperial measurements (these will have a number printed on them but no mm) you can still use them, just use your handy needle gauge to find out their metric/mm size. My needle gauge is from Quince Pie on Etsy

4. Row Counter

These handy little things come in a variety of sizes to fit onto the end of your needle and you simply twist it to indicate that you have knitted a row and it displays your number of rows worked

5. Notebook and pen

Personally I prefer to use a notebook and pen to keep a tally of my rows, instead of using a row counter, but this is personal preference. A notebook is also useful for making notes about patterns that you may need to refer back to later,

 It also can be helpful to keep a notebook where you store your tension squares, to keep a note of yarn used, needle size, etc. This is really useful if you come to use the same yarn or pattern again

6. Stitch Markers

Occasionally a pattern may ask you to mark a certain stitch or point in your knitting and that's where stitch markers come in. These come in all sorts of varieties but I find the mini safety pin type the best to use as they fasten shut like a safety pin and don't fall off like some varieties do

7. Stitch Holder

Sometimes a pattern  may require you to leave some stitches on a holder to come back to at a later point in the pattern and a stitch holder is essentially a giant safety pin that does this job for you

8. Cable Needles

These come in average sizes to suit the yarn you are working with and are used as tools to create cable designs

9. Pencil Case

Keep all of your knitting kit together so you know exactly where to find everything, I use this pretty Liberty fabric pencil case from Oh Squirrel to keep me organised

10. Small Scissors (not pictured)

You may have a lovely local wool shop where you can buy the supplies you need to get you started (a great place to pick up knitting advice too) or check out Wool Warehouse, Sconch and LoveKnitting for a great selection of supplies.

For my next post in my How To Knit series I'll be showing you how to pick your yarn and needles.

 If there's something you'd like me to include in this series, let me know in the comments and I'll do my best to include it!

Small Project Challenge- Fair Isle Knitted Baby Hat

For my latest Small Project Challenge I have made a Fair Isle Knitted baby hat! A friend has recently had a baby boy so I thought that this would be the ideal chance to put my Fair Isle skills into practice on a larger scale.

To make the slouchy beanie I used three shades of beautiful Drops Merino Extra Fine DK, which was so lovely to knit with and has knitted up into such a soft fabric. The pattern is from King Cole Baby Book 7, which is full of such sweet knitting patterns for boys and girls from birth to seven years- check it out if you're looking for a project!

I started off using a denim blue, mid blue and a steel grey, but I found the steel grey a bit lilac in tone so a lovely friend came to the rescue with a spare ball of cream (thank you) !

I've just got to hope it fits him now, but if it's a little big at least he can grow into it!

I really enjoyed Fair Isle knitting on a larger scale, although I had an awful lot of ends to sew in at the end! The next step in challenging my Fair Isle skills will be to knit a Fair Isle jumper or cardigan, but perhaps I'll make a baby version to practice before I make one for myself.

What have you been making lately? I'd love to see your craft projects, share in the comments below!

Wool Week Work In Progress- Fair Isle Brooches

Today sees the start of Wool Week in the UK so I thought this would be the ideal time to share some of my latest work... These are new square hand knitted Fair Isle brooches, made in beautiful British wool. I'm loving making these and transforming them from initial Fair Isle designs into wearable pieces and the Fenella 2ply wool I'm using to knit them is a joy to use and British grown and produced too. Over the next couple of weeks I'll be revealing more new jewellery work that I'll be adding to my Etsy shop soon. Watch this space!

What are you knitting at the moment and do you enjoy using British wool too?

New Work- Hand Knitted Fair Isle Necklaces

I've been busy working on some new pieces for my Fair Isle jewellery range and I'm excited to share the first of my new Fair Isle necklaces! I hand knitted the necklace to my own Fair Isle design in beautiful British wool and the knit encapsulates light wooden beads that tie with ribbon. This is my first prototype of Fair Isle necklace in this style and I am going to experiment with other colours and designs to add to my Etsy and Folksy shops soon. I'll keep you posted! 

I find the Fair Isle process very therapeutic and very rewarding. One of the reasons I love knitting so much is because you are creating your own fabric. Maybe one day I'll go one step further and try spinning my own yarn!

This is a real statement piece that can be dressed up or down and is a great way to wear wool every day! 

I've been following the Fair Isle tradition by using a maximum of 5 colours per design

The nature of the design means the necklace is reversible, so you have two looks in one!

You can check out my other Fair Isle necklaces and brooches here. Watch this space for more new designs!