knitonthenet

Susan Crawford Vintage at KnitNation 2011, in photos.

2011-07-21T16:39:00.002Z

We have all been really busy since coming back from Knit Nation last weekend. It has been a whirlwind, make no mistake, including manic sewing up and lots of work on the book. For that reason, I do apologise for the short delay in getting some pictures to you of the Susan Crawford Vintage stand.

So, with no further delay, here's a photostory of some of the things that happened at Knit Nation 2011.

On set-up day I got there a little bit before Susan, to set up her Susan Crawford Vintage Knitting stand, so made the most of my time and knitted like the wind in the quadrangle at Imperial College to finish the last piece of my Jan Sweater to wear on Sunday.

It was great to get lots of new garments from Susan's A Stitch in Time volume 2 out on display for the public to see. It took a whole day's worth of sewing up this lovely nile green Excelana fair isle cardigan, and it was worth every stitch, as it looked stunning on display with the other half of its twin-set.

The grey ribbed jumper with bobble detail was a real crowd-puller, with it's simple lines and easy wearability, as was the mustard coloured cardigan behind it. When cover model, Theo wore the cardigan on Sunday she really turned heads. I'm only sorry that I didn't get a picture of her.

Julieta from Knitshop came along to help out on the Susan Crawford Vintage Knitting stand while Susan was teaching on Saturday. She modelled one of the new designs from A Stitch in Time 2 which is made from her own mercerised cotton.

Susan's was a gorgeous stand, with lots and lots of garments to look at and try on. As well as showcasing those from the new book, there were four from A Stitch in Time volume 1 and lots of beautiful accessories and garments from Vintage Gifts to Knit. The Perfect Christmas Jumper, which you can just see on the right had an amazing amount of interest for a humid July day!

Look! There was even a digital frame with lots and lots of beautiful shots of the knitwear from A Stitch in Time volume 2. It was a really great way to share a little of the work that has been going on behind the scenes with you all.

Of course, there was Excelana by the bagful. The Jan Sweater, seen here in powedered egg, the slip stitch jumper that can just be seen behind it, and the gorgeous fair isle accessories on the top of the cabinet showed a nice range of different ways to work with the wool. I think that ruby red was the runaway success of all the colours at knitnation. I wonder what you will all make with it?

All images copyright Ingrid Murnane

Susan Crawford Vintage at Knit Nation 2011

2011-07-12T15:02:00.009Z

It is a busy week here at Arbour House, as we plan our stand, decide on our outfits and gather lots of books, patterns and yarn for this weekend's knitting event in London, Knit Nation.

Jumpers and Hats - see them in their entirety at Knit Nation!
Image copyright Ingrid Murnane

We have a stand this year in the marketplace, so do come over and visit us if you're attending. We shall have lots of goodies on display, with lovely vintage garments from A Stitch in Time volume 1. We shall also be taking lots of new garments and accessories, previously unseen which are from the forthcoming A Stitch in Time volume 2.

The marketplace is open on Friday evening for a class-attendee's preview from 5-7pm, then on Saturday from 10am-6pm, and Sunday from 10am-5pm. Our stand, Susan Crawford Vintage, will look somewhat like our Woolfest one below.

Woolfest 2011, image copyright, Susan Crawford

As you can see, as well as our books and Susan's patterns, we shall have lots of 4ply Excelana, which Susan has used for many of the patterns in A Stitch in Time volume two, including the two garments on the left of the picture above.

In exciting news, Susan thought it would be nice to offer a 10% discount on Excelana yarns to any pre-order customers of A Stitch in Time, Vintage Knitting Patterns, Vol2, who buy from her stand. To claim your discount please bring a print out of your order confirmation from the knitonthenet shop (only pre-orders directly made on the shop I’m afraid) and we will deduct 10% off any Excelana purchase.

Come and find out what this is at Knit Nation!

Image copyright Ingrid Murnane

We shall have a guide available for all of the garments that we have on show to work out how many balls of Excelana you'd need to knit them up in your size. Please do just ask, if you'd like to be ready for the book coming out, or would like to knit something in Excelana from Vintage Gifts to Knit or A Stitch in Time volume 1. We can work it out for you and advise which projects would be suitable.

We do hope to see you at Knit Nation. Do tell us in the comments if you're going to be going too.

Happy knitting

Ingrid x

A Little Finishing

2011-07-05T19:43:00.000Z

We're all still working hard, here, on the final parts of A Stitch in Time volume 2. Today, Susan has been pattern grading, Gavin has been laying up some of the patterns on the computer, for printing and I have been sewing up and finishing some sample garments.

Here's a sneaky peek behind the scenes.

The set-up for seaming and finishing includes equipment for blocking and pressing, including a large blocking board. We have copious supplies of darning needles, pins, the right yarns for sewing the right garments, and of course, the making-up instructions. The guitar in the background is entirely optional, but I find that listening to some podcasts or a bit of Tim Minchin helps it along!

Here's a garment, almost finished. I'm setting in one of the sleeves here.

This is a cardigan made from Excelana -the main colour is Nile Green. It has some fair isle along the top of the two fronts which made for a rather epic session of weaving in ends.

A little further along in the process - the ends have been woven in, the shoulders and side seams sewn up, the sleeve seams sewn, and here again I'm setting in one of its sleeves.

I'd love to show you the finished items, but I'm afraid you'll need to wait just a little bit longer!

Happy knitting
Ingrid x

All images are copyright Ingrid Murnane

Warm Weather Knitting

2011-06-29T08:56:00.000Z

For those of us in the northern hemisphere, the weather is hotting up. These past few days, we have had a British heatwave (which those of you from warmer climes may rightly chuckle at). With temperatures reaching 32°c (90°F) over the past few days, and set to continue, somehow a chunky wool jumper just doesn't seem the most comfortable item to be knitting or crocheting right now.

Call of the Sea! Image copyright Arbour House Publishing

So, what to do when you've got the urge to knit, but the temperature is against you? There are a few tips that will allow you to keep your hooks and needles going if you don't have the luxury of air conditioning.

Wash your hands before starting to knit or crochet, and regularly throughout, as your hands warm up (I'm sure you do this anyway)
It might help to knit or crochet using cotton or cotton blends rather than wools if you find your wool starting to felt in the heat of your hands.
Knitting smaller items is a bonus, so you don't have a lot of knitting sitting in your lap, heating you up. This also works well for larger garments - knit jumpers or cardigans in flat sections rather than in the round.
Use an electric fan (or switch on your air conditioning if you're lucky enough to have it)
Take it slowly - don't rush through.

Of course you could also sit and knit in your bathing costume, but I for one don't think I'll be doing that!

Lost in Music cover up by Susan Crawford. Image copyright knitonthenet

A nice pattern to knit in the hotter weather, and that you'll be able to use at this time of year as well, is our Lost in Music cover up by Susan Crawford. It's a lovely, versatile shrug, which is worked flat. The original is made using a cotton yarn, but it would really work well with most 4ply weight yarns (fingering weight). It's also a surprisingly quick knit which means that you'll easily have it done to last out the rest of the warm summer weather.

It measures approximately. 153cm (60 inches), not including cuffs and can easily be lengthened if you need it a little bigger - it makes a great stashbusting project and would look great with cuffs in an accent colour.

Whether you decide to knit a cover up or crochet a hat for the autumn, keep cool and enjoy your summer making time.

Happy knitting
Ingrid x

Woolfest: 2011, with a recap of 2010 too!

2011-06-21T19:24:00.007Z

Yes! We shall indeed be at Woolfest this Friday and Saturday on stand D79, so if you are coming along, do come and see some of our lovely vintage garments in real life.

For those of you who either haven't heard about Woolfest, or aren't in the vicinity of the Lake District, here's a review of what we got up to last year, when we attended as visitors.

Woolfest bunting. Image copyright Giles Babbidge Photography

On a blazing hot Saturday at the end of last June, the knitonthenet team travelled up to Woolfest at Cockermouth in Cumbria. Set in the hills of the Lake District it was a beautiful setting for a great day out. It was my first time visiting Woolfest (I’m usually at the other end of the country) and it was different to any other knitting or yarn event that I’ve ever been to.

The show took place in Mitchell’s Lakeland Livestock Centre, which is a large purpose built barn and livestock auction house. As you might guess, there were lots of sheep, some angora rabbits and even some alpacas on show in pens for everyone to admire.

Woolfest venue. Image copyright Giles Babbidge Photography

Earlier in the week, there had been a number of Woolfest Masterclasses led by Galina Khmeleva and Helen Ritchie, held at nearby Higham Hall. The importance of local yarny businesses was apparent in the Wool Clip display area, and we were especially encouraged to support them as the recovery from the previous year’s devastating floods continued.

Roving. Image copyright Giles Babbidge Photography

There were row upon row of stands selling everything that the spinner, dyer, weaver, knitter and crocheter could ever want and far too much to list here. There was a brilliant selection of yarns on offer from John Arbon, Natural Dye Studio, Texere Yarns, Tall Yarns and many more. There were knitting accessories from p2tog, and some brilliant sheepy accessories from The Herdy Company. Fibre was available from many British breeds including Teesdale, Gotland and Shetland sheep and there were plenty of the sheep there in person too.

Sheep. Image copyright Giles Babbidge Photography

In the demonstration area, there was a chance to have a go at making rag rugs, hand spindling, watch Herdwick rope making and even have a sit down at the Cumbrian Knitting Café. We were all invited to knit a triangle of bunting to add to the long string already displayed at Woolfest (see picture, above). They hoped to be able to encircle the building by this year! We'll let you know if their plan worked.

Egg cosies. Image copyright Giles Babbidge Photography

One of the highlights of Woolfest is the sheep auction: that’s both livestock, and textile sheep too (separately, of course!) I was lucky enough to see the textile sheep auction, which raised money for the charity Farm Africa. It was carried out just as a normal sale is, with the auctioneer, Adam Day shouting ninety-to-the-dozen as there was a frenzy of bidding.

Knitted Sheep Auction. Image copyright Giles Babbidge Photography

At the end of a long, but very enjoyable day, we all had a lovely ice cream made with sheep’s milk (what else?) I’d highly recommend trying some if you're there this year.

The Jan Sweater. Image copyright Arbour House Publishing.

So, don't forget - we're on stand D79 this year. If you're there, we'd love it if you'd come and say hi to Gavin and Susan, browse the books and kits, and take a look at some of our beautiful garments from A Stitch in Time volume 2 (that's The Jan Sweater above.)
Happy knitting
Ingrid x

Tea Garden Dress: A Stitch in Time Retrospective

2011-06-19T11:03:00.000Z

Tea Garden Dress images copyright Arbour House Publishing

This lovely knitted dress is a real head-turner. Originally published in the Sun-glo Knitting book in 1943, it appears in The Square Look section of A Stitch in Time, volume 1. It was originally knitted in a solid colour, Soldier Red and its style reflects the military look of the time (mid World War Two.)

The Tea Garden Dress is knitted using 4ply yarn; the garment in the book uses a pure wool tweed in two contrasting shades which really lends itself to the herringbone pattern of the skirt. It comes in two sizes and the change is made by using different size needles. If you're interested in why it was done this way and not graded in the usual fashion, there is a really interesting article on Susan's blog about grading vintage knitting patterns here.

The dress has a lovely breast pocket detail, button openings, a Peter Pan collar and knitted shoulder pads. By using two distinct stitch patterns, there is enough going on to keep the knitter's interest over a larger garment. The Tea Garden Dress is knitted flat, in pieces, starting with the whole back of the garment. Having said that, it could easily be adapted to a skirt and top, if liked too.

You can really put your own stamp on the dress with your choice of buttons too. Do you have a stash of beautiful vintage ones?

A little behind the scenes fact: the dress in A Stitch in Time that you see modelled by Theodora was also knitted by her.

The Tea Garden Dress works well in different colourways - both keeping the striping and going for a solid colour.

A great example from Ravelry is IreneVienna's Tea Garden Dress where she has used a brighter blue and a laurel green colour for her dress.

Other colour combinations that might work well are pinks and greens, a soft yellow and blue contrast, or autumnal colours.

Image left courtesy of IreneVienna; image below copyright Ingrid Murnane

Have you knitted a Tea Garden Dress? Perhaps you want to now! If you haven't already got a copy of A Stitch in Time volume 1, you can buy one from the knitonthenet shop by clicking here.

Don't be without one for visiting your local tearooms or rose garden!

Next time we're going to have a retrospective of the bathing suits from A Stitch in Time. We've been chatting about making them over on Ravelry recently. Do pop over and have your say.

Happy knitting
Ingrid x

Animated Knitting

2011-06-16T08:44:00.000Z

Here's a lovely children's stop-motion animation from Charlotte Blacker that recently won her a prestigious animation prize from the Royal Television Society. The Little Red Plane tells the knitted story of a boy and his cat who deliver parcels by air, throughout the land.

As well as working on her animation for 6 months, Charlotte stayed up til about 2am each night knitting the characters and pieces needed for the film. That's dedication!

I'll be back with another post in the A Stitch in Time Retrospective series later this week.

Happy knitting
Ingrid x

Another Stitch in Time Photoshoot

2011-06-07T09:16:00.000Z

I always find it fascinating to hear what goes into the making of a film, tv programme or as we do here at Arbour House, a book. Some might call me nosy, but I bet you are all there watching Dr Who Confidential or the making of Human Planet too.

We had another photoshoot for A Stitch in Time volume 2 during this past week, and for those of you who would like to see a little of what went on, here are a few behind the scenes shots. Obviously (sadly) I can't yet show you the actual garments as that would spoil the surprise, but here's a glimpse at the people involved and a taste of some of the locations that we used.

We had an early start. Our model, Theodora, had her hair set in curlers the previous day and came up on the train in a very fetching headscarf. She's getting ready for a set of 1930s photographs here, and pinning her hair into curls.

It was a beautiful day for the all-day outdoor shoot that we had planned, so great for photographs in the local public gardens. Here are Susan and Gavin getting some shots of Theo's 1930s look and what will be, I'm sure, a most popular cardigan.

As well as Theo, Susan and Gavin, our intern, Daisy and I were both on hand to help in the production of the photographs. Daisy (above) was assisting Gavin with all of the cameras and photographic equipment that we took from location to location with us, whilst I (below) did the clothing changes and made sure that Theo's hair stayed in place and that the garments sat properly whilst the photos were taken.

This was taken at the seafront and marina. There was a lovely turquoise and white boathouse that we were using as a backdrop.

Of course, all of the garments have to be shot in locations that lend a vintage feel, and the one that you see being set up, above was in the palm house of a botanical garden. The lady looking after the plant sales was very interested to see what we were doing.

With such a sunny day, it would have been a shame not to take some shots by the seaside. We set up on the end of the local pier to take photographs of one of the quintessential garments of the book. There were quite a few other people enjoying the sunshine, but in the English way, they didn't ask what we were doing and pretended we weren't there at all!

It was a most productive day's work and afterwards we all had a good look through the day's shots on the tv screen and Susan made us her fabulous pasta. We didn't get up quite so early the next day!

I hope that has given you a bit more of a glimpse into what goes into just one day of book production (notwithstanding the research, knitting, pattern writing, laying up of the pages and the many other jobs!)
If you missed our recent film of a previous photoshoot, please do click here to watch that too - it really makes it come alive.

Of course, you can still pre-order the book from the knitonthenet shop by clicking here too.

Happy Knitting
Ingrid x

All images copyright Ingrid Murnane.

Spats, Hats and More

2011-05-30T15:53:00.002Z

And there are more!

Strictly Stylish Spats by Susan Crawford.

This weekend has seen the released of another four patterns which include a brand new design from Susan. Stricty Stylish Spats is a great project for a beginner or to carry in your handbag and that will make you stand out from the crowd when you wear them. They make a great introduction to short row shaping, if you're new to that or just want to practice on a small project.

There’s also an updated of Susan’s pretty Hair Bow pattern which has had a rewrite.

Hair Bow by Susan Crawford

We also have to offer a revised version of WoollyWormhead’s sideways-knit slouchy hat, Ziggy, below, which comes with all-new charts.

Ziggy by Woolly Wormhead

…and top of that there is the popular Taj Mahal summer top by Gudrun Johnston which would be just right for this time of year (in the northern hemisphere, of course!)

Taj Mahal by Gudrun Johnston

You can find all of the patterns on the What’s New page at knitonthenet.

Find knitonthenet all over the Web

2011-05-27T15:34:00.000Z

With such a flurry of new social media out there, it may well be hard to know where to find us. Are we pinterested or not? Are we displaying our pictures on photobucket or flickr? Well indeed. We do extend our web presence beyond just the main knitonthenet site and the blog and below I have updated whereabouts you can find knitonthenet on the web. Just find us by clicking on the links.

Knitonthenet has a Facebook page, a Twitter stream, a Flickr group (that is in it's small beginnings, but which we'd love you to add your photographs to) and a Ravelry group that has been a little quiet of late. Please do come along and put your two penneth in about the site as we'd love to talk! Oh, and if you're already on Ravelry, you could always pop in to our two sister groups, Just Call Me Susan (for our lovely editor, Susan's knitting patterns) or A Stitch in Time 2008, which is exactly as it says!

Fern by Catherine Wilson

You can also find Arbour House Publishing on both Facebook and Twitter. AHP isn't as chatty as knitonthenet, but we put out all the important book information there, so it's well worth checking if you're wondering about how we're getting on with A Stitch in Time volume 2.

It's not exactly social media, but don't forget too, that you can sign up for all of the latest news from knitonthenet at the top right hand side of any page of the site, by filling in the form. You can click here to read our latest email newsletter to go out to knitonthenet subscribers, if you aren't signed up already and would like to see the sort of newsletter that you'd be recieving.

Sea-Waves and Sunny Days Ahead by Susan Crawford from A Stitch in Time vol 1

Well now you know where we are, why not hop over and join in the conversation about knitting bathing costumes in the A Stitch in Time group on Ravelry. I bet you want to knit one...

Happy internetting
Ingrid x

A Stitch in Time 2: On Film!

2011-05-24T17:00:00.000Z

We were lucky enough at one of the most recent photoshoots for A Stitch in Time Volume 2 to have a film student, Scott Willis videoing us behind the scenes. Scott is one of Susan's daughter, Charlie's friends from university where they are both studying film. At first it was a strange feeling, having the day documented on film, but we all got used to it very quickly and Scott's camera blended into the background. He got some really wonderful footage and has since spent lots of time editing it down into this fabulous film. It gives a real sense of both the photoshoot and of the forthcoming book. Do enjoy it!

A Stitch In Time Photo Shoot from Scott Willis on Vimeo.

There is a lot more information on Susan's blog about the knitted garments that are featured, so do click on over and have a read.

More Patterns Updated! (19th May edition)

2011-05-19T14:01:00.000Z

We are pleased to announce that we've two more of our patterns up on the site once more, from our back catalogue. If you've been waiting for either Molly or Venta, wait no longer.

Molly is a lovely hat by top hat-designer Woolly Wormhead. It was inspired by Molly Ringwald as Andie in Pretty in Pink, with her quirky and individual style of dressing and her love of the colour pink! This hat is knitted sideways on straight needles using short rows for shaping. The hat is then joined together invisibly using kitchener stitch (grafting).

With both written and charted instructions, the pattern is multi-sized with three sizes to ensure the perfect fit.

The lace panel and frilled brim hark back to the seventies and before that to mop caps of the victorian era. It is also a fabulous stash buster using only 100 grams of yarn.

You can find Molly by clicking here.

Venta is a versatile neck warmer designed by Ingrid Murnane (that's me!) It was inspired by a pub discussion about the perfect scarf / neck warmer which could keep your face, neck and décolletage warm in one garment.

It uses the Roman Rib stitch pattern to create stretch and texture. Knitted flat, it fastens with 23 buttons which can be done up all the way for protection against icy winds or alternatively some buttons can be left open to create a collar, as seen in the picture. It can be worn with or without a coat, in place of a scarf and is a unisex pattern. Although fitting much like a cowl around the neck, the ribbing pattern allows it to stay in place.

You can find the pattern page for Venta by clicking here.

We'll keep you updated as to which patterns are back up, here on the blog, on the facebook page, in the ravelry group, in our twitter feed, and of course, in the newsletter (sign up at the top right of any page of knitonthenet).

Happy knitting

Ingrid x

All images copyright Arbour House Publishing

New Pattern: Carol

2011-05-17T20:49:00.000Z

Carol is an unusual asymmetrical top from French-Canadian designer Isabelle Boutin. Isabelle has been designing for a few years now, but this is her first design for knitonthenet. She is working on having all of her designs eventually available in both English and French, reflecting her heritage.

Carol uses a combination of two lace patterns, i-cord and some interesting construction techniques, so this might be a good garment to make in order to challenge your existing knitting techniques and learn something new. It is knitted up in a sport weight yarn and is available in six sizes to fit bust 30" to 50". The pattern is rated skill level three (of three).

We think that Carol is a very versatile top that will be perfect for any occasion. Worn under a jacket to go to work, layered over a long sleeved tee or worn alone for a sunny summer afternoon or even to go out at night, you can wear it in many ways.

You can find Carol here on knitonthenet where the pattern is available for download for £4.00 sterling, and there is a Ravelry page too, if you're a member.
Do let us know if you knit one.

Happy knitting
Ingrid x

All images copyright Arbour House Publishing.

Festivals and Flags

2011-05-15T10:36:00.000Z

Last Sunday saw the very first Vintage festival at Farnham Maltings.

My chap, Giles and I donned our most comfortable vintage-looking clothes and went on our way. We didn’t go that far back, perhaps to the 60s or 70s. We definitely felt ‘the part’ while we were there and that was what mattered. We had a splendid morning and came back with some wonderful bookish finds from the festival. We’re really hoping they do another next year, for which we will make more of an effort in order to perhaps be in with a chance for the Best Dressed contest.

As well as having a fabulous time perusing the rails of pinnies and needlework books of old (me) and the rather large selection of vintage cameras (Giles), we also made a few purchases.

The tantalising stack of books above, comprises three bound volumes of Stitchcraft from the early 1930s and 1940s (you can read more about them in a post on my own blog, here)…and underneath is an original guide to the Festival of Britain in 1951. 2011 marks the 60th anniversary of the national exhibition which opened in London on 3rd May 1951. The Festival was put on in a time when Britain was in ruins from bombing and still living with austerity measures after the Second World War. It was part of a larger strategy to aid the feeling of recovery and to promote quality design in the rebuilding of British towns and cities following the war.

The Festival also celebrated the centenary of the 1851 Great Exhibition, an anniversary in itself. The main exhibition site was on the South Bank in London, but lots of others were held in other parts of London, Glasgow and many other festival sites around the country.

The picture above shows the layout on the South Bank in London. Buildings such as the Royal Festival Hall were built especially for the festival and remain today. This particular piece of Thames riverside was given a complete overhaul, having previously been shipping wharves, but for 4 months in 1951 it was the centre of Britain's cultural universe.

This year's 60th anniversary celebrations this summer sound like a lot of good fun. There will be all sorts of music, art exhibitions, a literary festival, vintage stylings and lots more. Although many of the original features won't be there, I'm going to take my 1951 guidebook with me and see if I can recreate the original in my mind, if not in reality.

I think a really great thing to wear at the South Bank would be Helene Magnusson's Flag cardigan don't you? I can see visitors wrapped up in wonderfully patriotic garb in the evenings, whilst watching some outdoor comedy and enjoying a cup of tea.

You could get one knitted, if you started now, you know...

Happy knitting
Ingrid x

A Sneak Peek: The Jan Sweater

2011-05-09T20:17:00.000Z

Just a few of days ago we released this gorgeous pattern to everybody who has pre-ordered A Stitch in Time Volume 2 (and this is the pattern that any new pre-orders will also receive as a PDF). It is called The Jan Sweater.

Susan says: Jan is knitted in Excelana 4 ply using the shade Powdered Egg. The original design is from 1938. It features a classic boat neck and deep ribbed welt. The lace pattern is very easy to follow particularly as the body is unshaped between the welt and the underarm.

On this jumper, the front and the back are worked exactly the same (as are the arms, of course). The lace pattern is easy to follow and the sweater is very flattering, with a boat neck. Jan is a good project for people knitting their first garment, or who have not yet dipped their needles into vintage knitting. If you'd like to see some more specifics of the pattern and are a member of Ravelry, the project page is here.

Don't forget that you can still pre-order A Stitch in Time volume 2 from the knitonthenet shop and recieve:

A signed copy of A Stitch in Time Volume Two
A Susan Crawford project bag
Discount vouchers
PDF preview pattern

for £30 + £4 P&P to anywhere in the world.

Happy knitting
Ingrid x

Evangeline: first the pattern, now the kit!

2011-05-05T11:22:00.001Z

Evangeline is a gorgeous hat pattern that was originally featured in Issue 10 of knitonthenet. Designed by Just call me Ruby this quick knit is inspired by 1920s and 30s cloche hats. As you may have seen, we have recently launched a series of knitting kits on the knitonthenet shop, and Evangeline is the latest.

The construction of Evangeline is updated from the interwar originals in that short rows and seamless shaping are used. The hat is also knitted in contrast to many original patterns which were crocheted. If you remember the wonderful BBC series, The House of Eliott you may have guessed that this pattern was named after Louise Lombard's character.

Although the picture above shows the contents of the kit to make a Greta turban, the Evangeline kit is presented in the same lovely red jute project bag, and includes the following.

1 skein Babylonglegs SW Merino DK

3.25mm needles, 4mm circular needle, 4mm double pointed needles

1 vintage button

Pattern Booklet

In short, everything you'll need to make your own Evangeline. The kits are available in a range of four colourways: A - Rusty Cage, B -Purple Tempest, C- Grue and D - Caramel.

Evangeline is the perfect hat on which to show off a lovely vintage button too, which is included in a colour and style to fit in with whichever colourway of yarn you have chosen for your Evangeline kit.

You can buy an Evangeline hat kit from the knitonthenet shop for £25.00.

New Pattern: Myrtle Knitting Bag

2011-05-02T09:05:00.002Z

In the first of five posts focusing on our newest knitonthenet patterns, we take a look at the Myrtle knitting bag. I already posted the design story to my own blog, so instead of rewriting it, I'll share it with you here.

Myrtle is a knitting bag that would easily double as a bag for the beach. The pattern used in the bag is the brickwork stitch pattern, which is known in the US as the 'ball band' pattern (although I've never found out why - do you know?)

The bag has its roots in a real knitting bag. My grandmother, Myrtle, kept her knitting patterns in a patchwork, brick patterned bag while I was growing up. My Mum tells me that it was made in the 1950s, while she was a girl and by the time I remember it, in the early '80s it was well worn to say the least.
I stayed with my grandparents on the Isle of Wight often when I was growing up, and whenever we went out for the day, the bag would be used. It carried our sandwiches, a flask of tea and a bottle of squash, and of course, Nan's knitting.

I wanted to recreate something from this memory for today. As well as taking my handbag with me, I like a market type bag to take on a day out. One that you can fit lots of knitting into, but that doesn't get in your way held on your arm while you peruse the seaside postcards. A knitting bag that you could also use to throw in a light book, some marmite sandwiches and run with to catch the train to the coast. You have to wrap up the sandwiches well though, you understand. Don't want the marmite getting on your knitting ;)

So, to the specifics: I used a cotton DK (Jo Sharpe's Soho Summer), to give ithe bag that slouchy look, but also so it would dry out easily if you (horror of horrors) accidentally dangled it in the sea while knitting on the sea wall.

You knit the bag base-first, with the body picked-up and knitted in the round. The opening is finished with an i-cord cast off. There's a lining to make and add if you wish, and you'll need a set of handles too. The ones that I used were donated by Susan. I love them.

The bag's finished dimensions are 40cm x 16cm x 30cm (16 x 12 x 6.5 inches). I have been keeping my many, many UFOs in it and let me tell you, you can fit in a fair few!
Myrtle is available to download here on knitonthenet, and costs £4 sterling. Do let me know if you knit one.

Happy knitting
Ingrid x

p.s As we've been asked a few times, here's some extra info. The top in the pictures is called 'Have You Made a Jumper Yet?" and is the first garment in A Stitch in Time, Volume 1. The design is originally from 1921 and Susan included it in the photoshoot as we are planning to do a blog post on how vintage garments can also be worn in a very contemporary way.

All images copyright Arbour House Publishing

knitonthenet relaunches!

2011-04-29T11:17:00.001Z

Welcome to the new look knitonthenet!

As many of you may be aware, knitonthenet has been running as somewhat of a skeleton service for some months now. This has enabled us to spend a significant period of time redesigning the site contents – including a complete restructuring – to provide you with a better, more interactive and dynamic site.

Knitonthenet is back with a whole new concept, and as you can see, a new look too. Instead of the former issued-led quarterly magazine, we shall be updating the website on a regular basis with patterns, articles and reviews. This means that you won’t have to wait three months for new designs as was the case in the magazine format.

In redesigning the site, we decided on a more streamlined, clean look and have made it easier to navigate by using drop-down menus. All of the same useful features are still available such as the design-chart maker, the resources page and our knitting conversions charts.

Fern by Catherine Wilson

As I’m sure a lot of you know, the decision has been taken after consultation with our pattern designers, that the majority of patterns on the site will no longer be offered free of charge. We feel that it is important that the hard work of the designers is valued and renumerated properly, and that by charging for these patterns we will be able to continue providing well written, appealing knitting and crochet designs. The prices were agreed upon after consideration of the amounts of time involved in both the work of the designers and also that of the knitonthenet team. The purchasable patterns are available through their individual pages to download, whilst the free patterns are available on the website as usual.

Myrtle knitting bag by Ingrid Murnane

We will be regularly updating the site and shop with new patterns, and also in order to get our whole ‘back catalogue’ online once again, so do sign up to the knitonthenet newsletter (at the top right of each page) so that you can find out automatically when your favourites are back up.

We have some lovely new patterns for you from a range of designers.

Naturally Slouchy by Woolly Wormhead

A great new stashbusting pattern from Woolly Wormhead using a local Lancashire hill sheep wool, a great summer top, Carol by first-time knitonthenet designer Isabelle Boutin, a knitting bag that would double for the beach by Ingrid Murnane, and for crocheters a stunning wrap by Catherine Wilson.

Carol by Isabelle Boutin

We also have a new free pattern from Sandra Polley, Bertie our British breeds bear. You can also read our review of Sandra’s latest book, Sandra Polley’s Knitted Toys, as well as our interview with her and take advantage of our book offer.

Bertie by Sandra Polley

We do hope that you enjoy the new-look knitonthenet and thank you for waiting for us to relaunch.

Susan, Gavin and Ingrid

The knitonthenet team

Behind the scenes at knitonthenet

2011-04-24T10:45:00.001Z

Yarn! Image copyright Ingrid Murnane

Happy Easter, everyone!
Although it has been a quieter week, here on the blog, conversely it has been a hugely busy one behind the scenes. We are almost set to relaunch knitonthenet with a whole new format, concept and a new look too.

Gavin, working on knitonthenet. Image copyright Ingrid Murnane

Gavin and I have been working away together for the past week: myself editing and rewriting, checking over pattern details and reviewing all sort of bits and pieces. Gavin has the monumental task of uploading all of the new site's content, putting in the many, many links, ironing out any hitches and making sure the new shop system and the whole site works. But don't think Susan has been slacking! She's busy, busy proofreading patterns for knitonthenet, grading patterns for A Stitch in Time volume 2, and of course knitting away on garments for the book too.

We aim to have the site up and running for you late on Easter Monday, so watch out for an announcement!

Happy knitting
Ingrid x

To Make Your Monday Morning

2011-04-18T11:00:00.000Z

There's lots and lots going on here at Knitonthenet Towers. Most of it is secret as of yet, and has to do with either the upcoming new site design, (which is within touching distance of being finished - hurrah!) or is part of the coming together of Susan Crawford and Jane Waller's new book, A Stitch in Time volume 2. Of course, we can't spoil the surprise of either of those quite yet, but there are some other rather good things on our own websites (SusanCrawfordVintage.com and IngridMurnane.com) and lovely new things in the knitonthenet shop that we'd love to share.

Susan shared a brilliant poem on her blog, Just call me Ruby, this past week that will make you giggle. Especially if you have ever put an item of knitwear into the wash and had it come out only to fit either a dolly, or an elephant... Bridget's Blunder.

Nobody Owens, image copyright Giles Babbidge

I have added another couple of pieces to my series of sock art, the Mrs Minivers with the Progression of Nobody Owens. Here I tell the story behind this latest piece with yarn and colour decisions.

Technical editor extraordinaire, Jen Arnall-Culliford has been working with Susan on A Stitch in Time volume 2 and has written a fascinating post for Susan's blog about why many vintage patterns are only written in one size.

Retro Cloche Hat, copyright Arbour House Publishing

We have new kits in the knitonthenet shop! As you know, we launched the kits with the Greta Turban and the promise of more - so here they are. We have a whole range of accessories which include the Evangeline Hat, the ever popular Retro Cloche Hat, the Victorian-inspired Tiny Tippet, Miss Laverty's Motoring Hood and one for the chaps, Busker Mitts. Do take a look.

As well as all of that, there is of course, Susan's and John Arbon's new wool, Excelana. Have you tried it out yet? I have been knitting something for A Stitch in Time volume 2 in the powdered egg colourway and although I don't suit it to wear myself, it has quickly become my favourite colour to knit with. So sunny!

I have been thinking about the colour choices we make and the stitch patterns that we try out, lately, and decided this week to think about and update my Knitter's Geek Code. I wonder what yours looks like?

Lastly, today sees the launch of issue 31 of UK knitting magazine, The Knitter, in which Susan has both an article about the craft and knitting shops of Paris, and a lovely pattern for a crossover top inspired by the 1920s. Why not get yourself a copy at lunchtime?

Well, I hope that some of that will brighten up your Monday morning! We're back to the secret stuff now.

Happy knitting
Ingrid x

Bridget's Blunder. A story for all of us knitters.

2011-04-15T13:55:00.000Z

This post comes via Susan's blog, Just Call me Ruby. She shared this poem which she found at the back of a 1940s pattern booklet, promoting the famous 'Patonised' wool of the time. It contains some good advice!

Bridget's Blunder

My story tells of Bridget Whitting
Who loved both plain and fancy knitting,
But though she worked by day and night
Her efforts seldom turned out right.
Friends would say, "Cor! That jumper's posh!"
But when she'd given it a wash,
Instead of snugly fitting Bridget
It seemed more suited to a midget.
One day, when off to see her draper
She saw announced inside her paper
A brand-new wool; was she elated!
For bold as brass the maker stated:-
"This wool's the best that can be got,
It will not shrink, no matter what!"
So Bridget told her woolshop flat,
"I'll have a basinful of that."
And hurried home with glowing cheeks,
But couponless for weeks and weeks.
Soon willing Labour bore its fruit -
A salmon-pinky jumpersuit,
Which Bridget wore with pride o'er-weening
Till, solied and creased, it needed cleaning.
Said B., "It won't take half a wink,
the makers say it cannot shrink."
(But they forgot to say - the wretches! -
That wool made shrinkless sometimes stretches).
'Twas washed; the outcome nearly killed her,
It went three times round Aunt Matilda!
And looked in shade like Aunt Euphemia
Who suffers from acute anaemia.
"That's finished it," wept B., "I'm quitting,
I'm through for good and all with knitting;
I'll write at once to my MP,
about this dire clamity."
Her tale was penned 'midst groans and hisses,
- The MP showed it to his Mrs.
Who said, "That girl should be advised
to stick to wool that's Patonised,
Which, used with reasonable care
Will wash and wash, and wear and wear;
Trust P&B, the leading spinners
Only to turn out certain winners.
Just tell her she's a chump to quit
When there's such lovely wool to knit."
B. took the tip, no longer weeps;
that MP's in his seat for keeps!

Happy knitting,
Ingrid, Susan and Bridget x

Made So Quickly: A Stitch in Time Retrospective

2011-04-13T14:49:00.003Z

As the name suggests, this lovely jumper really is a quick knit. Originally published in Women's Weekly magazine in September 1936, it appears in the Fitted Tailored Look section of A Stitch in Time, volume 1.

Image copyright Arbour House Publishing

Made so Quickly is knitted in double knitting yarn; the garment in the book uses organic cotton for a lovely drape. It has an easy-to-knit stitch pattern which would lend itself to knitting in front of the tv or whilst listening to a podcast, but is involved enough to keep your interest. It is knitted from the bottom up, in sections and the front is divided for the look of a cardigan. This is a great jumper to show off some beautiful vintage buttons too.

Image copyright Arbour House Publishing

I've no particular swatching tips this time, apart from please remember to wash and block your swatch before measuring it in the same way as you'd wash the finished jumper. This will show you what will happen to the yarn you have chosen once you wash the whole garment. It would be terrible if the colour ran or it felted like mad!

Image copyright Ingrid Murnane

There are lots of lovely Made so Quicklys to browse on Ravelry, so you see what it looks like in different colours and on differently shaped people. I always find that helpful, don't you? Here's Susan herself in a fetching blue version.

Image copyright, Susan Crawford

The original pattern describes it as 'a pet of a jumper in easy knitting' so why not give this lovely pattern a go.

Happy knitting
Ingrid x

Wonderwool!

2011-04-08T07:52:00.002Z

This weekend sees the sheep and yarn festival, Wonderwool Wales.

If you're lucky enough to be going, please do go and visit John Arbon's stand (M5), where Susan and Gavin will also be. John and Susan will have a big display of 4ply Excelana, plus a couple of colours in Double Knitting. There will be the first chance to see some garments for A Stitch in Time volume 2 knitted up using Excelana as well, to whet your appetite!

If you're new to John Arbon's work, do take a good look at his other yarns and spinning fibre too. From experience, the alpaca sock yarn is particularly nice to work with.

Susan will also have her books, A Stitch in Time and Vintage Gifts to Knit for sale at special show prices (and of course, she'll sign them for you).

So do pop along, squish some Excelana, get your book signed and say hi to everyone. (Oh, and be sure to save me some Cornflower Blue!)

Happy knitting
Ingrid x

A Short History of the Lady's Turban

2011-04-04T10:56:00.003Z

A little while ago we announced a new knitting kit available to buy from the knitonthenet shop, the Greta Turban, pictured above. Well, it has now been added to the Ravelry pattern database, so if you've been secretly knitting away you can let the (online knitting) world know! There are a few already in production.

But what is a turban? It may not be quite what you think.

Although knitted turbans were all the rage for ladies in the 1940s and had a very practical purpose for wartime women, the style was fashionable far before that.

The turban first came to prominence in the twentieth century in 1920 when fashion designer, Paul Poiret created his famous Maharaja Turban, inspired by the Ballet Russe. It was a totally new style of headwear and was the thing to be seen wearing as an avante garde lady in Paris. The turban remained a popular style of hat through the 1930s as it covered and flattered the new shorter hairstyles of the time.

By the late 1930s, war loomed and although hats were not rationed during the Second World War, knitted hats did become fashionable due to shortages in straw and other materials used commonly in hat-making. In 1941, British Vogue described the hat as the 'traditional tonic' to cheer in bad times. They particularly recommended the turban as the most practical hat that you could wear, reasoning that 'when tough winds blow and taxis are scarce, you [will] remain imperturably groomed.'

Seen on workers and ladies of leisure alike, the turban was a mainstay of the war. It was thought to have been popularised by the Parisian milliner, Paulette who was known a the 'Queen of the Turban' in later years as her turbans remained very popular with ladies into the 1950s and beyond.

So if you've been inspired to knit a turban for youself, please do visit the knitonthenet shop where the Greta Turban kits are available to buy for £25 in a range of four colours. Watch out for more new designs which will be added over the coming weeks too. The pattern will also be available as a PDF download very shortly.

Happy knitting

Ingrid x

All images copyright Arbour House Publishing

About Publishing and Change: a guest post from Woolly Wormhead.

2011-04-02T10:17:00.000Z

Arbour House Publishing have been lucky enough to work with and publish Woolly Wormhead's marvellous hat knitting books for a number of years now. Sadly, the decision has recently, jointly, and amicably been made that we are not going to be publishing Woolly's books anymore.

Woolly has written about it very eloquently on her own blog, and has kindly allowed us to repost her words here.

Friday, April 1, 2011 at 4:49PM

Some of you may remember when I started working with Arbour House Publishing a few years ago. Having first published Going Straight through Lulu, the chance to work with a small publisher couldn't be missed.

And they have been wonderful to work with – they've allowed me creative freedom, we've had many informative discussions about layout and content, and they have enabled my books to reach a whole world of knitters who had no idea my designs existed. Being a small, ethically led company, they've taught me much about the behind the scenes concerns of publishing, much of which most of us don't see, and how that can impact the side of business that we do see. Over this time we've developed an unusual and strong relationship, one that is unique to the publishing world, and one that has allowed us to develop our strengths without compromise. And it's allowed the friendship between Susan and myself to grow.

Sadly, we now need to tell you that we aren't able to carry on as we are, and that Arbour House will no longer be publishing my books.

After much discussion, we can't find a practical way to go forward. Because of our unique relationship, which allows me to maintain the rights to my work, I'm a low profit author for them. With all 3 books due for reprinting, and a 4^th one due for release, the investment needed to keep all books in print at a reasonable wholesale cost would have been difficult. Had the investment been made, neither of us would have earnt anything from the books for many months, if not years, with Arbour House running at a loss for a period of time, and that to me didn't sound like the best business investment. Arbour House aren't a big corporate publisher, they are small, independent one with limited funding, funding that I felt would be better spent elsewhere. After tentative discussions with Susan, we both agreed that this was the best way forward. It's best for both businesses, the risk is reduced, and there won't be a strain on our friendship.

The last week or so has been difficult, but as the dust has settled, it's clear that we've done the right thing. Susan and her family are coming over in May for a visit and it's going to be lovely to spend time together and have a real holiday without the need to talk about business.

Going forward, I've been working on a plan or two. I was thrown into a bit of a tizz for a few days, trying to get my head around the available options but it's starting to come together. And ironically, I'll be going back to POD, at least for a while.

CreateSpace is an Amazon owned company, with very competitive printing costs for full colour books. They will get my books onto Amazon, into certain distribution outlets in North America, and wholesale to stores will also be possible. As much as it seems like a backwards step, going from a small independent to a corporate giant, it's the best thing to do right now. Sometimes, we're not in a position to make the decisions that please our inner moral code.

I'm not sure yet whether this will be the long term plan, but for now, it will keep my books available in print. There are a few more things that need to be done before they will be available for sale, and once those are done, I'll be able to direct you to where you'll be able to purchase them.

This change has bought about a huge amount of work, most of which isn't visible on the surface. I hope you can appreciate our reasons, and bear with me while I get a few things straightened out.

From: Woolly Wormhead,

Susan, Gavin and Ingrid, the Arbour House team

Mother's Day Offers of Squishy Yarn and Fab Turban Kits

2011-03-30T15:00:00.000Z

Susan's beautiful vintage inspired yarn, Excelana Luxury 4ply wool, is now newly available to purchase from our shop. Developed in collaboration with John Arbon of Fibre Harvest, and supported by the British Wool Marketing Board and the Campaign for Wool, this yarn is 100% British wool (70% Exmoor Blueface/30% Bluefaced Leicester).

Available in 8 stunning colours created by Susan, this yarn is just what you need for your vintage knitting projects.

Buy 5 balls or more before midnight on Sunday (3rd April 2011) and receive a free project bag.

And if all of that's not enough, we have a limited number of Susan's Greta Turban Kit in stock and we also have a 50% sale on all remaining Pepin Press products!

And, of course if you're not looking for a Mother's Day present, all these offers still apply!

Happy gift-hunting
Ingrid x

Mother's Day is nearly here

2011-03-30T07:23:00.000Z

...are you ready yet? If like me, it is all a bit of a flying panic or you're just struggling for ideas for the lady who has everything, fear not. We have some great offers available from the knitonthenet shop.

A Stitch in Time, Volume Two is still available to pre-order with a fabulous package of goodies including yarn, a signed copy and a project bag as part of the pre order package. Save £5 on the retail price by ordering now, and take advantage of our Gift Certificate emailed to you to print out and give to the recipient.

We also have some other excellent savings in-store. For a limited period A Stitch in Time, Volume One is available for only £20 - saving £7.99 on the retail price.

And Vintage Gifts to Knit, featuring 16 designs for women, men, children, baby and home, by Susan Crawford, is now only £10, saving £4.00 on the RRP.

And for the next 48 hours Susan is signing any of her titles ordered through the shop.

Purchase either of these great titles by 3pm on Thursday for guaranteed delivery for Mother's Day (mainland UK addresses only).

Amended Publication Date for A Stitch in Time vol 2

2011-03-24T17:30:00.000Z

Susan recently emailed all the pre-order customers of A Stitch in Time Volume 2 to explain her decision to amend the publication date on the book. We hope that everyone has received and has had time to read the email and would like to share its contents with you now:

"As you know, A Stitch in Time Volume 2 was due for publication on 31st March. However I have had to revise the publication date due to a number of factors that I have been trying to deal with, but ultimately by rushing the book to meet the original publication date, I believe errors etc will creep in and I really don't want that to happen.

An unusually high number of the original vintage patterns being used in the book have been found to be incorrect on knitting up and I have had to spend more time than expected correcting the patterns before they could be knit again. More than expected have proven so inaccurate that I have had to remove them from the book and replace them with alternative patterns. This means even more knitting and checking.

With to the high level of inaccuracies in the original patterns I have taken the decision to introduce a further level of independent technical editing which is expensive and time consuming but I am sure you will agree, well worth it, if it removes errors in the new patterns.

With so many patterns in the book, it is proving a momentous task to get all the patterns written. There is also an additional section on fit and finishing to help choose and complete the right patterns, which I'm writing at the moment. I think it will be a great addition to the book and a valuable tool when knitting from any vintage pattern, and I don't want to miss it out just to save time.

These books really are a labour of love. With just Gavin, myself and my mother in law permanently involved on the project at all levels until it goes to be printed, this is what self publishing is all about, but it does mean that you have to do everything yourself. I wouldn't have it any other way but it does create additional pressure and time constraints.

In addition to this there have been delays in the arrival of Excelana, which was being used for a number of patterns in the book. As it is my own yarn, I really want it to be featured in the book, but I only received the final batch last week, which has dramatically delayed things. Also, the lovely firm, JC Rennie went into liquidation very recently, which means several garments that were knitted in their yarns are having to be reknit in a yarn that will still be available when the book is published.

I am so grateful to every one who has pre-ordered the book, as without you it probably would not have been possible and I appreciate your commitment to the project, and am determined to communicate fully and explain what is happening. Realistically, with the number of setbacks and delays we have experienced and also additional work needed, I think it would be safest to move the publication date to the end of June and then if it is ready early, it will be an unexpected bonus. I hope this isn't too disappointing, but I am convinced that the finished book is well worth the wait. (We are currently looking at over 75 patterns and around 400 pages of wonderful vintage gorgeousness presented in a beautiful hard back book). I will continue to release images and details of projects in the book without giving the whole game away and will communicate as regularly as possible to advise of any developments. I am also looking at the early release to yourselves of a single pattern from the book as a thank you.

Pre-orders will continue to remain available at the discounted price, along with all the extra goodies, for the forseeable future. If you are unhappy to wait please do contact the shop and your order can be cancelled and a refund arranged but I do hope that you will bear with me these extra couple of months to make sure you all get the book you want.

with kindest regards
Susan Crawford"

We hope that it fully explains the huge task involved in putting this book together. Susan has received some lovely responses from customers offering moral support in this huge task, and these responses have really helped.

Thank you everyone.
All of us at Arbour House Publishing x

The Rose Jumper: A Stitch in Time Retrospective

2011-03-23T13:11:00.000Z

The fabulous cover-star of the book, The Rose Jumper is one of the most flattering patterns that you can knit from A Stitch in Time. With a beautiful textured pattern, this jumper is a real looker, and far more easy to knit than you might think. It has been graded for the modern woman and now comes in four sizes, to fit bust 30-44 inches. The texture is formed from an easy to remember 8 row stitch pattern and knits up really quickly.

The Rose Jumper © Arbour House Publishing

The garment is a lovely feminine sweater which was first published in Women's Weekly magazine in 1934. The look of the time was a ladylike, soft line which didn't fit too closely to the body. The jumper is knitted in four parts: the front, back and two arms are knitted up separately and seamed up after finishing. The roses of it's name create a pretty detail at the neckline and are made in crochet.

The Rose Jumper © Arbour House Publishing

The Rose Jumper is knitted in a fine DK yarn, and author Susan Crawford advises that it needs to be nice and soft to drape nicely. The original is knitted up in some alpaca silk from Blue Sky Alpaca. You can see which yarns other people knitted the jumper in on the project page on Ravelry (by clicking here) to see both how different yarns worked for the pattern, and also whether you have something in your stash that might work.

Rose Jumper Tension Square © Ingrid Murnane

As always, please do knit yourself a tension square (gauge swatch). A quick hint for knitting a square in the pattern - add an extra stitch to the four in the stitch pattern (eg 21 instead of 20 or 29 instead of 28) so that you can see how it will knit up over the pattern as it is written. I knitted up one earlier in some RYC Cashcotton DK which I had handy. This yarn is a little bigger than the original, and has thus knitted up a little more densely than the original yarn, but still retains enough drape, so I think I'll stick with it. I'll have to do another square though, as it has turned out a little too big. You'll only be able to tell that sort of thing by doing a tension square in your preferred yarn though. There's more information about knitting tension squares here.

If you are thinking of knitting The Rose Jumper for yourself or somebody else, here is a bit more information from the pattern's Ravelry page, and also the link to the page for A Stitch in Time volume 1 on the knitonthenet shop.

As always, if you do knit one, send us a photograph! We'd love to see your hard work.

Happy knitting
Ingrid x

Pattern: #Plateaknit Recipe

2011-03-16T19:05:00.000Z

Gosh, it's been a little while since we had a knitonthenet pattern, hasn't it!

#Plateaknit detail copyright Ingrid Murnane

This one isn't so much as a standard pattern, as a knitting recipe. It arose out of an online performance that I led last year for @platea, the online performance art group. You can knit it up to either make a scarf from the whole instructions, or pick and choose bits to make into hats or wristers, as I did (see below).

#Plateaknit wristers, copyright Ingrid Murnane

If you'd like to know a little more about the background to the project, please do check out the article on my blog, or if you're in London this weekend, you can ask me lots of questions as I'll be talking about the #plateaknit project at Stitch and Craft at Olympia this Saturday (19th March). I'll be on at 10.30 in the Knitting Live Theatre, so do come and learn more, if you're there. Susan will also be giving a talk about vintage knitting at Stitch and Craft on Friday at 1pm, so do pop by and find out all about her latest projects and the development of her new yarn, Excelana.

Platea hat from knitting performance, copyright Ingrid Murnane

#Plateaknit Knitting Recipe

By Ingrid Murnane and the #plateaknitters

Design Story

For five days in February 2010 I devised and led a knitting performance on Twitter called #plateaknit. Instructions were tweeted by the @platea online performance collective for others to interpret to the best of their ability in knitting, crochet or any other medium of their choice. Some of the performers were knitters, some were not, so you will see that while there are a number of typical knitting abbreviations, there are plenty of others that are a little different. This scarf is made up from the entire instruction feed of the performance. I feel that it is more of a recipe than a pattern because you, as the original performers will all interpret the instructions in your own way. Everybody will come out with something different at the end. You can read more background information about the #plateaknit project over at ingridmurnane.com.

#Plateaknit scarf, ready to be exhibited at Prick Your Finger, photograph copyright Giles Babbidge

This pattern uses aran weight yarn and 5mm needles. Tension is not overly important as it is a scarf. I used Rowan aran yarn for the main green colour with some Cascade 220 for the other stripes. Some I even used two strands of sock weight yarn held together for some parts. Just use whatever scraps you have to make it interesting, but try to make it all tone together well, overall.

My interpretations of the pattern, in the pictures, were made for the #plateaknit Twitter performance. The scarf (above) gets exhibited from time to time, so is kept on the needles as a hanging art piece.

These instructions make a scarf about 34cm wide. As a rough guide, the full recipe makes a scarf about 92cm long (depending on how many times you repeat some of the instructions). You will need to repeat them twice to make it about 185 long.

Top Tips

For each new instruction set, change colour (these are denoted by the asterisk at the start of the line). If an instruction is too difficult to interpret, leave it out and move on. Some instructions will ask you to do Twitter-specific things. If you’re on Twitter and able to do this: great! If not, then just interpret to the best of your ability, perhaps from the TV instead. As you’ll see, some of the tweets were topical (iPad and Iraq Inquiry). Be creative and enjoy it!

#plateaknit by Ingrid Murnane and the #plateaknitters is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://ingridmurnane.com/contact/

The Recipe

Cast on 60 stitches in main colour.

*Knit the next five rows in k2, p2 rib

*This lace pattern works out over 49 stitches: if using 60 stitches, work 6 before the pattern and 5 after on each row

Row 1

p3 *k6, k3tog, yo,k1, yo, p1, k6, k3tog, yo,k1, yo, p1, yo, k1, yo sl2 k1 psso, k6, p1,yo, k1, yo sl2 k1 psso, k6, p3

Row 2,4,6,8

k3 *p10, k1, p10, k1, p10, k1, p10, k3

Row 3

p3, k4,k3tog,k1,yo,k1,yo,k1,p1,k4, k3tog, k1,yo,k1,yo,k1,p1,k1,yo,k1,yo,k1,sl2 k1 psso,k4,p1k1,yo,k1,yo,k1,sl2 k1 psso,k4*p3

Row 5

p3*k2,k3tog,k2,yo,k1,yo,k2,p1,k2, k3tog, k2,yo,k1,yo,k2,p1,k2,yo,k1,yo,k2,sl2 k1 psso,k2,p1k2,yo,k1,yo,k2,sl2 k1 psso,k2*p3

Row 7

p3*k3tog,k3,yo,k1,yo,k3,p1, k3tog,k3,yo,k1,yo,k3,p1,k3,yo,k1,yo,k3,sl2 k1 psso,p1k3,yo,k1,yo,k3,sl2 k1 psso,k3*p3

Repeat as many times as you like

*Change to a new colour for the next five rows

*For the next 10 rows, make an eyelet (yo, k2tog) everytime you see a RT

*For the next 8 rows, knit moss (seed) stitch (*k1,p1* to end on first row, *p1, k1* to end on second row)

* yo, k2tog, k2, yo, k2tog, k3 to the end of the row. Repeat for 6 rows

*kfb every time someone tweets about the Apple Tablet

*Make the next 3 rows either pink or yellow then change back to your original colour

*Weave an 8” bit of yarn into the next 9 stitches. Let leftover tails dangle on RS of piece

*Do a row in green to match my hula-hoop

*For the next row only: close your eyes and trust your inner-knitter

*If you’re playing music, every time the song changes, reverse the direction of your stitches, i.e. knit becomes purl, purl becomes knit

*Twist your next two stitches over each other for every rude word tweeted or heard

*For the next row pretend you’re in the knitlympics and focus on speed, not accuracy

*Make the next two rows sparkle, the three after that dull and the two after that sparkle again

*Change from knit to purl for three stitches each time there is a tweet mentioning food or drink

*Every time a non-knitter tweets, yo, k3, k2tog

*For every tweet that mentions a pop culture celebrity, slip a stitch

*Change lobsters and dance! By which I mean, time to change colors! And make it a sharp contrast change

*Weave an 8" bit of yarn into the next 9 stitches. Let leftover tails dangle on RS of piece.

*Change lobsters and dance! By which I mean, time to change colors! And make it a sharp contrast change

*k1, p2, k1, p3, k2, p2, k2, p1, k1, p1, k1, p3, k1, p3, k1, p2, k3, p2, k1, p3, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p3, k2, p1, k2, p2, k4, p1, k1, p3, k1, p1, k3, p2, k1, p4, k1, p3, k2, p1,k1

*using morse code (as shown here http://bit.ly/7ov2VA) translated as purl for dash and knit for dot, knit your name

*using morse code (as shown here http://bit.ly/7ov2VA) translated as purl for dash and knit for dot, knit your latest tweet

*Change to the colour that the next tweet you see mentioning a colour says

*0=k 1=p: 01101011011011100110100101110100

*What would Beethoven's 5th look like if it were a knit pattern? http://bit.ly/1a80Xz Put your interpretation in the next 5 rows

*Hooped! Do a row of green to match my hula hoop

*Change colour to reflect the current weather. Sun yellow, Rain blue, Snow white, Clouds grey etc

*Change your color to reflect what you ate for lunch and knit 2 rows of moss stitch. If you ate too much switch to a larger needle

*k 2/3rds of sts, wrap & turn, k across middle 3rd, w&t, k to 2 st past last wrap, w&t, continue to w&t back and forth full row

*Purl full row, repeat wrap row, purl full row

*Hooped! Do a row of green to match my hula hoop

*Do the next two rows in stocking stitch and the two after that in one by one rib

*Weave an 8" bit of yarn into the next 9 stitches. Let leftover tails dangle on RS of piece

*Twist your next two stitches over each other for every rude word tweeted or heard

*k 2/3rds of sts, wrap & turn, k across middle 3rd, w&t, k to 2 st past last wrap, w&t, continue to w&t back and forth full row

*Whatever you are doing now, wrap and turn

*If you prefer pale ales to darker stouts, avoid weaving in ends at all costs

*Sings *knit, knit, knit, knit, purl, purl, purl, knit*

*Make it (more) orange now

*Yeah, let's wrap and turn again, ok?

*Sew on a button, sequin or trinket please

*make some lace... whatever you are doing, add yarn overs to every third k stitch. then k2tog

*Over the next row, decrease by 10 stitches, knit the next three rows and add increase by 10 on the fifth row

*For all Twitter feed references to Apple or iTablet today add an eyelet: yo k2tog

*Starting here, and counting the stitches as you go,knit all normal numbers and purl all prime numbers up to 100

*Make the next ten rows with your favourite stitch pattern

**kfb1 yo2 yf3* to end of row

*It’s opposites time: swap colours to the opposite on the colour wheel of whatever you’re using

*Revert to the previous pattern you were using each time someone comments on their commute

*Easy 2 row pattern. Row1: knit 1, slip 1, repeat to end. Row2: slip 1, knit 1 to end. Repeat rows to suit

*For the next five rows, change one of your needles up three sizes and the other down by two

*Knit along with the song - any stitches of your choice (especially for the hat knitters!) :) ♫ http://blip.fm/~jwxjl

*Make random buttonholes in the next row by casting off seven in that row and casting on seven in the corresponding place in next

*RIBS! Yummy yummy RIBS! Give me 10 sweet rows of k2p2 RIBS! Mmmmmm

*Of all th languages, it's Knitten for which I'm smitten: k4, p3, k2, p8, k to end of row. Repeat as you like

*Purl twice each time you see a ReTweet for the next three rows

*Make yourself a cuppa. On return, change colours to the darkest u own for 7 rows. Then change back as you were

*I think everyone should lose some stitches. Decrease next row by five stitches

*For the next three rows make it sparkle again!

*Weave an 8" bit of yarn into the next 9 stitches. Let leftover tails dangle on RS of piece

*Wrap & turn (a short row) when anyone in your twitter stream mentions #Blair or the #IraqInquiry

*Use black and white thread for every black and white statement made on TV today

*For each #FollowFriday in your Twitterstream: p1, k1 (through back loop), p1 to end of row, then follow 2nd row with knit (rice st)

*Stop knitting if Tony Blair apologises, admits he was wrong or is actually sincere during Chilcott Inquiry today

*Knit 3 secrets about you - spell them out in morsecode or use interpretive stitchery & color. Secrets are safe with yarn

*Make a nupp/bobble: Knit 4 times into next stitch and in the next row, Knit these same 4 sts together. Do many/few

*Row 1: knit, Row 2: purl, Rows 3&4: k1, p1 rib (Roman Rib stitch pattern). In something suitably Roman, of course...

*Every time #Blair says "look" do an eyelet/loophole: Yo K2 tog. http://www.iraqinquiry.org.uk/

*Stop knitting if Tony Blair apologises, admits he was wrong ir is actually sincere during Chilcott Inquiry today

*Repeat the first instruction that you interpreted today, but in a different colour

*O=K 1=P: 011100000110110001100001011101000110010101100001

*yo k2tog (eyelet) every time you see someone use the word "love" in their tweet

*Be jubilant for you've created great work! Knit the next bit in your fave colour :) Then have a nice cup of tea

*Whatever you are making, you know it needs a tassle. Add a finishing additive element of your choosing.

Finishing

Weave in the ends (apart from the ones in the instructions), or leave them hanging if it is an art piece. Block the scarf. Enjoy wearing a unique piece of art. Thank you for taking part in the #plateaknit performance.

The original Twitter #plateaknit performers were:

Bungy32

Brendadada

Chrisineilsen

Clockity

ElselineT

Grrlshapedyarns

Itsokadascat

Jenniferwyng

Joanie_s_c

InnyM

InnBrooklyn

Newcurator

Platea

_Randomthoughts

Runefox

Sortingtrolley

Thatwaszen

Yberryfurrealz

I hope that you have fun with this pattern and please do email me at ingrid[at]knitonthenet.com with all of your pictures!

Happy interpreting and art-knitting

Ingrid x

#plateaknit by Ingrid Murnane and the #plateaknitters is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://ingridmurnane.com/contact/

Mothering Sunday Knits, and a little history too

2011-03-13T10:29:00.000Z

It's nearly that time again - just a few short weeks to go. Have you started your Mother's Day knitting yet?

Hang on, say our overseas readers... Mother's Day isn't til the 8th May! Well, in Britain, Mothering Sunday (Mother's Day) is always the fourth Sunday of lent, as it began as a Christian religious holiday, and it falls this year on 3rd April. Whether religious or not, most British families celebrate Mothering Sunday with a gift, a card and the general spoiling of their Mums and Nans.

Image copyright Ingrid Murnane

Mothering Sunday has also been known in the past as Refreshment Sunday or Pudding Pie Sunday and was a day in lent when the fasting rules were relaxed for a day to remember the feeding of the five thousand (one of the miracles told in the Gospels). Obviously this was cause for cake-making and general celebration.

Those in service in Britain (working as maids and footmen etc, rather than in the forces) were allowed one day to visite their family each year. This was generally on Mothering Sunday and it was traditional to take with them a Simnel cake, which is a delicious marzipanny concoction (although as an almond fiend I could be biased here). Do try the recipe if you haven't made one before.

Simnel Cake by Oimon. Used under Creative Commons

‘I’ll to thee a Simnell bring
‘Gainst thou go’st a mothering,
So that, when she blesseth thee,
Half that blessing thou’lt give to me.’
Robert Herrick 1648

So as well as baking your Mum a simnel cake, what are you going to knit her? There are three weeks to go, so it is reasonable that you could whip up some accessories or even a small garment.

Here are a few suggestions:

Image copyright Arbour House Publishing

It's still chilly enough in most of Britain to warrant a pair of Elegant Coat Gloves. This pattern is written by Susan Crawford from Vintage Gifts to Knit and uses small amounts of different colour yarns to make a longer pair of coat gloves.You can learn or practice your Fair Isle technique with these.

Image copyright Arbour House Publishing

The Town and City Tufted Cape from Vintage Gifts to Knit is a lovely little cover-up which would work brilliantly for spring. It is knitted with a clever 'tuft' stitch and a lady at Unravel told us that she knitted one up in just three days, giving you lots of time to get one knitted before Mothering Sunday. The pattern is adjustable to fit many sizes and different lengths so easy to adapt for your own Mum or Nan.

Of course, rather than knitting something to wear, you could always knit something fun to keep. I always think that it is much nicer to recieve something that has been made by someone's hands rather than bought in a shop, so instead of one of those 'forever friends' type of bears, why not try knitting one yourself? Oscar (on the left) is one of the lovely traditional teddy bears from Sandra Polley's book Knitted Toys. He stands at about 45cm or 18" tall and has a charming waistcoat to wear too. Sandra's book is a good one to dip into for lots of other projects that take just an oddment or two of yarn as well, so a good one if you have just one skein of something.

Happy planning!

Ingrid x

Behind the Scenes at the Photoshoot

2011-03-11T11:21:00.000Z

Last Tuesday the Arbour House team got together and travelled to Liverpool for the latest photoshoot for A Stitch in Time volume 2. It was at once creative, hard work and great fun. Obviously we can't show you any of the actual photographs for the book yet, but I did manage to get a few behind-the-scenes shots that will give you an idea of the feel of the book.

The first photo shows the very talented Catherine Elizabeth doing the hair and make up and the last is one of our lovely models, Lola ready for her close up. It was a fabulous day and it was brilliant to see all of the garments worn: it brings them alive.

You can still pre-order A Stitch in Time volume 2 from the knitonthenet shop.

All images copyright Ingrid Murnane.

We're on the Twitters!

2011-03-03T11:18:00.000Z

It seems rather fitting that we have set up a new Twitter account for Arbour House Publishing on World Book Day. We're over there as @Arbour_House, so do pop on over and follow us for all the latest news on our books, and knitonthenet magazine.

By the way, you can also follow the magazine and shop at @knitonthenet, lovely editor and vintage knitting expert, Susan at @astitchintime, our graphic artist, web-designer and all round nice chap, Gavin as @GivvyGavvyGoo and me at @InnyM.

Hope to see you on the twitters!
Ingrid x

Excelana has Arrived!

2011-03-01T20:01:00.001Z

If you were one of the many who visited the Unravel festival of knitting at Farnham Maltings, you will have been among the first in the world to have seen Susan Crawford and John Arbon's new yarn, Excelana in the flesh (as it were).

We had a marvellous launch for this lovely, squishy new yarn, with our Susan Crawford Vintage Knitting stand alongside John Arbon's Fibre Harvest stand. The set-up worked splendidly, as it gave people the chance to see both the full range of the yarn in 4 ply (and two shades of dk) and also be inspired for knitting lovely vintage style garments with it at the same time.

Excelana will work wonderfully well for lots of the garments in both A Stitch in Time and Vintage Gifts to Knit. Most exciting of all, Susan is also using it as the yarn support for many of the garments in the forthcoming A Stitch in Time volume 2. Whilst at Unravel, both John and Susan gave separate talks about the development and making of Excelana, explaining their respective inputs and how the yarn came into being.

If you weren't one of the many at Unravel, or your shopping bag was already stuffed to breaking point by the time you got to us (c'mon, you know it happens) then I'm sure that you'll be pleased to know that Excelana is also available online at www.excelana.com. So whether you'd like some Nile Green or Powdered Egg, you can buy some for yourself by clicking here.

I came home with both Ruby Red and Cornflower Blue in the 4ply, which is the weight currently available. I have been knitting swatches up today and it is really lovely and silky around your fingers, and makes a beautifully soft fabric. Do let us know in the comments if you have bought some and how you're finding it.

Happy vintage knitting!
Ingrid x

Unravel and the Launch of Something Exciting!

2011-02-24T15:05:00.002Z

It's the knitting festival, Unravel this weekend in beautiful Farnham in Hampshire... and we're going to be there!

If you haven't been lucky enough to attend before, Unravel is a three floor smorgasbord of knitting, spinning and crocheting goodies, plus talks, demonstrations and classes on all manner of knitting related stuff. It is all set in the Farnham Maltings, a beautiful old building by the river which is now used as an arts centre.

Susan, Gavin and I will all be there on both Saturday and Sunday manning our stand. This year we are lucky enough to be downstairs in the Great Hall and our stand will be trading as Arbour House Publishing and Susan Crawford Vintage, rather than knitonthenet itself.

Susan will be giving a really useful talk on Sunday morning about how to best choose yarns to knit your vintage patterns with. It's a subject that is very interesting and really important if you want to get your vintage clothing to fit and drape properly.

As for the launch of something exciting... well it all links in with finding that right yarn. Susan and John Arbon have been working hard on a stunning new range of vintage-inspired wool called Excelana. It is spun from 100% British wool from a sheep called the Exmoor Blueface. This sheep's fleece is wonderfully lustrous, and the resulting wool has a soft handle, lots of stretch and knits up with brilliant stitch definition. Sounds brilliant, doesn't it?

Gavin explains a little further:

Excelana is the result of an exciting collaboration between John Arbon of Fibre Harvest andyou a luxurious knitting yarn evoking vintage wools from the ‘Golden Age of Knitting’. Susan Crawford, the knitwear designer and author, bringing

As well as being derived from British sheep, Excelana is processed and spun in Devon by John Arbon of Fibre Harvest, at Coldharbour Mill, which is one of only a handful of worsted fibre processing and spinning plants still operating in the UK.

Excelana is available in eight vintage-inspired shades, carefully chosen by Susan herself to be a fully complementary range. The four weights of 4ply, Double Knitting, Aran and (very excitingly for vintage knitters) 3ply are available in the following colours:

Alabaster · Nile Green · Cornflower Blue · Persian Grey
Ruby Red · Saharan Sand · French Rose · Powdered Egg

Sounds good, doesn't it? You can come and squish some Excelana and be the first to buy it at Unravel this weekend. I'm certainly going to be getting some in to start the swatches on the forthcoming book on socks that Susan and I are currently writing and I know that Susan is going to be using it for some of the patterns in the eagerly anticipated A Stitch in Time volume 2.

There are still tickets available from the Unravel site and you can also buy them on the door. We really hope to see you there - do come and say hello!

Happy knitting
Ingrid x

Sun-Ray Ribbing: A Stitch in Time Retrospective

2011-02-19T16:38:00.000Z

Sun-Ray Ribbing © Arbour House Publishing

Sun-Ray Ribbing is a very wearable, and easy to knit jumper from Susan Crawford and Jane Waller’s book A Stitch in Time. The garment is a lovely 1930s sweater with the quintessential sun-ray pattern, popular in design and architecture of the period. It closes at the back with two buttons, creating a pretty detail along with the zig-zag finish to the neckline.

Tension Squares © Ingrid Murnane

Knitted in 4-ply yarn, you are well advised to choose a wool to knit with, as the finished rib is very stretchy and needs a springy yarn to hold it's shape well. Knitting a tension square for size goes without saying, and here's why!

Sun-Ray Ribbing (detail) © Arbour House Publishing

The A Stitch in Time group on Ravelry held a knit-along last year to make Sun-Ray Ribbing, and there were many, many beautiful jumpers made as a result. Here are photographs of just a couple, and you can see lots more on Ravelry by clicking here.

Evieweavie's Sun-Ray Ribbing, © evieweavie

Redlisa's Teal Sun-Ray, © redlisa

If you are thinking of knitting a Sun-Ray Ribbing for yourself or somebody else, here is a bit more information from the pattern's Ravelry page, and also the link to the page for A Stitch in Time volume 1 on the knitonthenet shop.

As always, if you do knit one, send us a photograph! We'd love to see your hard work.

Happy knitting
Ingrid x

Just Popping In...

2011-02-17T12:21:00.000Z

...to say that the knitonthenet blog will be on it's normal schedule once again next week. Huzzah!

For those not in the know, I have moved house in the past two weeks and it has taken a very long time to get a broadband connection in the new place, and there's really only so much that you can do on a phone!

Feather and fan stitch pattern. Image copyright Ingrid Murnane

In the meantime, here are a few blasts from the past to give your knitting a creative buzz.

A Stitch in Time through the Generations in which we see garments including the Blackberry Stitch cardigan, from the 1940s which has been made in the 1980s and is still worn now in the 2010s.

Hearts and Bunnies Cardigan in which the spotlight is on the wonderfully pretty little girl's garment from Vintage Gifts to Knit.

Design your own Knitting Chart which will help to explain how to do exactly what it says on the tin with our own design chart creator which you can find by clicking here.

Happy knitting
Ingrid x

Another Sneak Preview from A Stitch in Time vol 2!

2011-02-13T13:57:00.000Z

Editor, Susan, is off for a most exciting weekend in Paris, visiting haberdashery shops, yarn stores, button shops, fabric emporiums, flea markets a little sightseeing, drinking hot chocolate with friends and l'aguille en fete, which is the major needlecraft event in the French calendar. Exciting, hey?

Before she left, she gave us another sneak preview of a design from A Stitch in Time volume 2, and here it is for your delectation. I have seen this cardigan in person, and it is beautiful.

Happy Knitting
Ingrid x

Here's Susan...

To celebrate the weekend I thought I would reveal another of my favourite patterns from A Stitch in Time 2.

This adorable sweater was originally published by Golden Eagle knitting wools in the 1940s, and was knitted in 3 ply 'Polynit'. You can see that the pattern is in quite a state of disrepair, which has helped me make decisions quite a few times when picking the patterns to be included in Volume Two. If a pattern or magazine is 'on its last legs' I feel its important to try and pass on its legacy before anything too terminal happens to it. The pattern states that the colours used should be deep blue, hyacinth, silver grey and cerise. I haven't managed to get exactly those colours but I think we've got quite close with a similar colour scheme of teal, fuschia, silver grey and pink.

I have used Biggan Design 4 ply which has got a terrific range of colours available making a garment of this type possible. Its 100% merino and all produced and spun in Australia. The company is based in Brisbane but I believe they are on high ground, are all ok and managing to do business! The main colour needs about 5 x 50gm balls depending on size chosen with just one ball of each of the three complementary colours. The little bows are knitted seperately and sewn into place, so the sweater could be made if preferred, without the bows and even in one colour. I love it just as it is though! The pretty gathered sleeve heads are accentuated with neat little knitted sleeve pads which give the sleeves that bit of oomph. The slightly squared off neckline is very flattering and quite unusual for the period. Finally, its all finished off with a cute little back neck opening with four dainty buttons sewn on.

We decided on a bit of an Andrew Sisters vibe for these photos- doesn't Theo look fabulous? Don't forget you can pre-order your copy of A Stitch in Time Volume 2 here.

Have a lovely weekend
for now
Ruby xxx

All images courtesy Arbour House Publishing 2010
Colour photography Susan Crawford

Greta Turban Kit - for that Land Girl frame of mind!

2011-02-02T08:38:00.003Z

We're very pleased to announce an exciting new range of vintage inspired
knitting kits which are available to buy from the knitonthenet shop. Each kit
is packaged in a stylish and sturdy jute project bag, which can be used again
and again, and all the things that you need to make the garment: the needles
required (tied with some specially designed Susan Crawford ribbon), the required
yarn in a choice of colours, pattern booklet and any notions required, such as
buttons, ribbon or elastic.

A full colour pattern booklet features beautiful, inspirational photographs by Susan.

Kit bag and contents for the Greta Turban

There are currently 10 kits in the range with more to come. Susan says that she has been getting
lots of requests for the kits from yarn and vintage shops too so hopefully these little red knitting
bags should be popping up at a LYS sometime soon.

The first kit available at the knitonthenet shop is also a new design, well, in fact an enhancement
of an old design: the Greta Turban.

The kit includes 2 balls of Baby Rooster yarn, knitting needles, elastic, the pattern booklet
and project bag.

The pattern is one that Susan has enhanced from a previous design. This is what she says about it:

I brought out a similar pattern to this in the very early days of knitonthenet but always felt it needed improving. The stitch used has stayed the same and the basic principle of a shaped strip being knitted then tied with a knot also remains. The design has moved on though as the turban now has a crown, elastic attached at the back to hold it in place and a secured front knot, so much more a hat than a scarf. Perfect for those bad hair days or when you're in a Land Girl frame of mind!

Sounds good! If you'd like to buy a kit for the Greta Turban, please do visit the knitonthenet shop where
the kits are available to buy for £25 in a range of four colours. Watch out for more new designs which will
be added over the coming weeks too. The pattern will also be available as a PDF download very shortly.

Happy knitting

Ingrid x

Looking Back and Looking Forwards

2011-01-30T08:52:00.000Z

As you no doubt know, the second volume of A Stitch in Time will be published later this spring (can't wait!) In the meantime, I'm going to be writing a series of posts looking back at the first volume. There are some wonderful patterns that have been interpreted brilliantly by lots of people, so we'll get to see some of the different ways that you can wear them too.

We'll start next week with Sun-Ray Ribbing, a wonderfully flattering design from the 1930s.

If' you're new to A Stitch in Time, do take a look at both some of the miriad of designs therein, on Ravelry by clicking here, or at the knitonthenet shop, by clicking here. It is also now available to buy via amazon US as well.

Well, that's the looking back, how about the looking forwards I hear you ask.

Well, Arbour House Publishing (that's us) now have a Facebook page. We have always had a knitonthenet page there, but sometimes it was hard to let you know what was going on in the rest of the company without overshadowing knitonthenet, the magazine.

We will be bringing you all the latest updates on A Stitch in Time volume 2, special offers on other books that we've published, and any other new developments as they happen, so please do join us over on Facebook.

Happy knitting
Ingrid x

Technical Bits: Lifelines

2011-01-27T11:56:00.002Z

In a recent discussion on the Ravelry board for A Stitch in Time volume 1, the issue of lifelines came up in relation to the pattern Knitter's Delight.

As you can see from the image of Knitter's Delight, above, it is a lace pattern. This is where the lifelines come in... If you have never knitted lace because you are worried about messing up the pattern, or if you have tried and struggled and ended up ripping it out, then you need to know what lifelines are.

Used under Creative Commons from The Bees

Thanks, Annie!

A lifeline, in knitting terms is a safety net which provides a place to unravel your knitting back to if you make a mistake. You can see from the image above that this knitter has used a contrasting piece of crochet cotton, threaded through the stitches at a point where her lace pattern changes charts.

You might choose to use a lifeline after each lace repeat or half repeat if it is a large complicated one. Lifelines are predominantly used in lace knitting because it is difficult to tink (knit backwards to unpick) or unravel the multiple yarn-overs and k2togs that make up the pattern. However, they are a really good addition to any complicated knitting pattern, especially one using a technique that you are trying out for the first time. There's nothing stopping you adding lifelines to your fair isle, cables or anything else you fancy.

Used under Creative Commons from Dave's Portfolio

But how do you add a lifeline?

You already know that it is an extra, separate piece of yarn threaded through a row. It should be threaded through the live stitches either by using the piece of yarn on a darning needle after you have completed the last row of the repeat, or if you have interchangeable needles, you can put the yarn through the tightening hole in the cable and knit it through the last row as you go. It is possible to add a lifeline further down your knitting by using a darning needle, but this makes it more fiddly to catch all of the increase and decrease stitches.

Top tip: be careful not to thread your lifeline through a stitch marker, or it will not be possible to slip the marker on the next row.

The knitter whose work you saw in the picture above used a contrasting cotton crochet thread, so it would both be easy to see and also to remove from the knitting afterwards. Linen thread and waxed dental floss are also good to use. If you don't have any of these handy, just make sure that you use a yarn that is a lighter weight than the main yarn you are knitting with and that it has a smooth finish.

Important Addition!

Annie pointed out to me that it was all very well telling you all how to make a lifeline and what it was for, but what about how to frog your knitting back and get your stitches back on the needles?!

All you need to do to rip back to the lifeline is to slip the knitting from the needles, carefully unravel the knitting (this may be more difficult if you have something which has mohair in it, like Kidsilk Haze). Once you get to the lifeline, you won't be able to unravel any further. This is the point where you will need to put the knitting back onto your needles.

Carefully insert the needle into the first stitch that has the lifeline through it, and pop it onto the needle. You can either take the lifeline out of each stitch as you go along, leave it til the last one is done, or just leave it in to continue being a lifeline (I prefer leaving it in, especially if I've gone wrong once!) Move on to the next stitch, popping it onto the needle and continue until you get to the end of the row. You will be left with a correctly knitted row which will have no dropped or twisted stitches.

Basically then you continue on as you were before, and if you make another mistake that warrants frogging a few rows, you have a lifeline there still.

Happy lifesaving!
Ingrid x

Knitting Classes at the Mary Rose Museum

2011-01-22T10:29:00.003Z

If you're in the Portsmouth area, you can learn to knit (or refresh your skills) with me (Ingrid) on either February or March 5th (or both if you're keen!)

It is all in aid of the Mary Rose 500 appeal which raises money for the new Mary Rose Museum which will house King Henry VIII's flagship at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

The classes are running as part of the education programme that goes alongside their latest exhibition The Tudors Courtly Couture Collection. If you're a fan of The Tudors tv series, this is a really great opportunity to see the original costumes up close. I went to see the costumes when they arrived at the museum and the detailing even on the costumes is amazing. They really were the Kings of Bling.

There will also be two more classes on 12th February and 26th March, where I will be teaching how to make knitted bouquets and buttonholes for a Winter Wedding, and the Scroggers from Glee, respectively (scroggers were Tudor leg or arm warmers).

If you'd like to book up, please do get in touch with Fiona Harvey 02392 750521 or email her at f.harvey[at]maryrose.org.

Hope to see you there!
Ingrid x
(assistant editor)

As publication nears..

2011-01-21T10:26:00.000Z

Susan wrote a really good behind-the-scenes post on her blog, Just call me Ruby
all about what goes on behind the scenes when it's getting near to the culmination of producing a new book (that's A Stitch in Time, volume 2, if you're new).

As well as this she gives us a look at one of the 75 (count 'em!) patterns which will be available therein.

Do enjoy!
Ingrid x

Up to now this year has been all about getting organized behind the scenes so that the countdown to publication of A Stitch in Time Vol 2 goes as smoothly as possible. Every time I cook a dinner, I'm making enough for double servings so that one half goes in the freezer ready for the next few weeks when normal life will stop and an enormous amount of work has to get done in a very short space of time. When writing and editing A Stitch in Time Vol 1, I really didn't think about how much it would impact on day to day life, but starting work at 8am and finishing at 3am was too much and this time I am determined to be more organized. I also forgot that I would need to stop and cook dinners and just couldn't find the time, hence the plan to have at least 30 evening meals, lunches, soups, breads and cakes etc all frozen and ready to be used each day.

One of my other plans is to introduce a new design with each blog post, so without further ado, please meet "Blouse with a Gathered Neckline" from A Stitch in Time Vol 2.

This gorgeous little sweater is from the 1950s and features those quintessential style statements of high neckline, buttons at back neck, fitted close to the body, short sleeves, nipped in waist and fine, fine yarn. It was actually knitted in a 1 ply wool and would have been lightweight enough to be worn tucked into a pencil skirt without making lumps!

With this sweater I felt it was important to get as close to the original garment weight as possible to really show how delicate these sweaters were. I therefore used Cecilia from Posh Yarns a 50/50 silk and cashmere yarn with 1300 yards to a 100gm skein. This fabulous top takes all of one skein!

There is a repeat pattern throughout the garment which makes it a much more interesting knit than plain stocking stitch, the sleeves are set in with the added touch of a dainty picot hem to the cuffs. The collar is knit separately and again features the picot edge as does the feminine ribbon which is cleverly knitted and folded into a bow. The only change I have made is omitting the patch pocket, which although knitted, just seems to spoil another wise perfectly elegant line.

With being fitted, short sleeved and bodied, it actually knits up really quickly for a lace weight garment and gives you the perfect excuse to indulge in a skein of something really, really special.

Don't forget, the pre-order offer is still available on the knitonthenet shop, with an ever growing package of goodies!

for now
Ruby xxx

Knitting: Passion or Obsession?

2011-01-14T09:26:00.000Z

The Last Knit: When knitting becomes an obsession.
Directed by Laura Neuvonen, from Finland. 2005.

So, knitonthenetters, can you go a day without knitting?

We're on Electric Sheep!

2011-01-11T16:57:00.000Z

Thanks very much to the lovely Hoxton Handmade who gave the knitonthenet shop a shout on on her podcast, Electric Sheep. In her latest episode, number 66: The Panto Stikes Back, she recommended pre-ordering a copy of A Stitch in Time Volume 2 for a belated Christmas present. Even for yourself to kickstart your knitting inspiration in 2011.

You can listen to the episode here - it is, as always very funny.

..and remember, you can pre-order your copy of A Stitch in Time Volume 2 at the knitonthenet shop by clicking here.

Happy knitting
Ingrid x

Father's New Socks

2011-01-09T10:44:00.000Z

Father's New Socks is a lovely pattern from Susan Crawford's Vintage Gifts to Knit. Knitted in a mock Fair Isle pattern using a slip stitch, they are much less complicated to knit than they look.

Image copyright Arbour House Publishing

Susan called her pattern 'Father's New Socks' because she thought that they would be just the sort of thing that her own Dad would love to get. Although the ones in the picture above (and in the book) were made for her husband, she has now made a pair for her Dad too.

The pattern calls for Jamieson and Smith 2-ply jumper yarn, which is a pure wool 4-ply weight yarn and work in a whole variety of colour combinations, as you'll see below.

Skein Queen made a gorgeous pair of these out of her own Blush yarn before Christmas, seen below.

Image copyright Skein Queen

We also have a knit-along thread in the Just Call Me Susan group on Ravelry at the moment for Father's New Socks and there are some fantastic pairs of socks coming out of it. You can see some of them on the projects pages, and here are a couple so that you can see the lovely colours people are putting together.

Melarno on Ravelry made a lovely pair for her Dad's birthday using blue and brown for contrast.

Image copyright Melarno

Donna G has a lovely pair of the socks in progress for her son who likes 'old style'.

Image copyright Donna G

If this has whetted your appetite for knitting a pair, the Father's New Socks pattern is available as part of Vintage Gifts to Knit. You can get your copy in one of three ways. It is available from the knitonthenet shop as both a print copy and an e-book (bottom left), and also as a Ravelry download.

Happy Sock Knitting
Ingrid x

Read All About It

2011-01-06T18:10:00.000Z

While knitonthenet is being updated, you can see that we are running rather a skeleton service, but fret not! We have a brilliant back-catalogue of amazing features and articles: four years' worth in fact. If you've only really looked at our patterns, you've definitely been misisng out. Here are a few to start you off, covering such diverse topics as Felt Burial Shrouds and Jane Waller's Ten Reasons to use Fine Yarns.

Perhaps you, like us, love the vintage look. I reckon you should read 1950s Handmade Buttons.

Textile artist Rachael Matthews talks about one of Prick Your Finger's knitting activism in Louder than Bombs.

If you liked Helene Magnusson's wonderful Flag pattern from Issue 1, I bet you'll be interested in her article about Icelandic Knitting in a previous issue too.

So, there are a few to get you started. Let us know what you think, and what you'd like to read more of too!

Happy reading,
Ingrid x

What can I make with this?

2010-12-30T11:18:00.006Z

I hope that you all have had a lovely Christmas and have got through the last of the turkey leftovers by now too. Knowing you, I bet there was some yarn under the tree (I hope there was!)

I find myself, that often when you recieve yarn as a gift, it may be something that you've not knitted with before. Perhaps a different weight, colour or even fibre mix than you're used to. But don't be shy: be brave! Strike out and try to make something fabulous with it. It is sure to be a great learning experience.

So, thinking that you've probably got something new that you'd like to try, I've put together a few patterns that might work for both different yarn weights and skill-sets from the Arbour House Publishing collection.

4ply Yarns

Image copyright Arbour House Publishing

Beginner: Sun Ray Ribbing, a lovely, flattering 1930s style jumper from A Stitch in Time, Vol 1 is a very good first sweater project and knits up surprisingly quickly too.

Image copyright Arbour House Publishing

Intermediate/New technique: Elegant Coat Gloves by Susan Crawford from Vintage Gifts to Knit uses small amounts of different colour yarns to make a longer pair of winter gloves.You can learn or practice your Fair Isle technique with these.

Double Knitting Yarns

Image copyright Arbour House Publishing

Beginner Lady's Gauntlets by Just call me Ruby. These lovely fingerless gloves are knitted sideways, entirely in garter stitch and make a brilliant beginner project - so much more interesting than a scarf. The pattern is available in kit form too!

Image copyright Arbour House Publishing

Intermediate/New technique Town and City Tufted Cape from Vintage Gifts to Knit is a lovely little cover-up, knitted with a clever 'tuft' stitch. The pattern is adjustable to fit many sizes and different lengths.

Aran Weight

Image copyright Woolly Wormhead

Beginner: Elfin by Woolly Wormhead is a great little pixie-head hat for children from her brilliant book, Wee Woolly Toppers. It is knitted in the round, knits up really quickly and ends in a pointy topknot.

Intermediate/New technique: Oscar is one of the lovely traditional teddy bears from Sandra Polley's book Knitted Toys. He stands at about 45cm or 18" tall and has a charming waistcoat to wear too. Sandra's book is a good one to dip into for lots of other projects that take just an oddment or two of yarn as well, so a good one if you have just one skein of something.

I do hope that you find something interesting to knit with any Christmas yarn, and let us know what it was!

Happy knitting,
Ingrid x

Very Last Minute Vintage Gifts!

2010-12-22T10:54:00.005Z

Christmas Presents by Wysz on Flickr. Used under Creative Commons.

Sister Diane over on Craftypod has had a fabulous idea and written a great tutorial for turning an e-book into a last minute gift with a personal touch.

I can see you reading this, wondering how a download could possibly be a terribly personal gift, but read on...

Say, you wanted to give Vintage Gifts to Knit as a Christmas gift but realised that the printed version wouldn't come in the post in time (I'm sorry to say that you've definitely missed the last post at this point). Well, instead of just downloading the book from Ravelry and emailing it to the recipient, which is a bit boring really, you could nip out to your local computer shop and buy a funky memory stick and drop by the stationers for some bits and pieces. You'll be able to create a brilliant present...

Basically you need to go to Ravelry, purchase and download the book as normal and save it to your shiny new memory stick. Use Sister Diane's tutorial to make a festive presentation box, et voila! Vintage Gifts to Knit for Christmas without having to wait for the postman.

But Sister Diane can explain it far better than I can, so here is the link to Craftypod and the tutorial (you should really read Craftypod - it's full of really great ideas).

Here also is the link to Vintage Gifts to Knit on Ravelry, if you're so inclined :)

Do let us know if you decide to make Vintage Gifts to Knit, as your Christmas ebook gift.... or you could always send someone else the way of this blog post if you'd like to recieve it yourself!!

Happy Knitting
Ingrid x

Merry Christmas Everyone!

2010-12-22T10:36:00.007Z

From Susan, Gavin, Ingrid

and everyone at knitonthenet xxx

p.s. If you've forgotten to buy a present for someone, don't forget that you can still pre-order a copy of A Stitch in Time Volume 2!

All Clear!

2010-12-20T10:34:00.003Z

Thumbs Up by eskimo_jo on Flickr. Used under Creative Commons license.

I'm very pleased to be able to tell you that all of the malware attack problems with the knitonthenet site and shop from yesterday have been resolved and we are fully functioning and certified safe to use again.

If you were waiting with baited breath to pre-order your copy of A Stitch in Time volume 2, before Christmas, now is the time to do so! Phew!

Happy knitting
Ingrid x

Knitonthenet Site Problems - 19/12/2010

2010-12-19T16:45:00.006Z

I'm sorry to have to tell you that the knitonthenet site and shop.knitonthenet.com have been the victims of malware and currently look unavailable to browse. If you have visited the site or the shop today, you will have seen instead of our usual front page, a large red 'Attack Warning' screen. Knitonthenet was compromised without our knowledge or permission earlier today.

The malware attack on the site has been dealt with, swiftly and completely, behind the scenes and we are currently waiting for the warning ban that comes up to be lifted. If in the meantime, you choose to click the 'ignore this warning' button on the screen, we are assured that you can access the site with confidence.

We do apologise for the disruption to the site in the run-up to Christmas, but please do keep checking back for our return to normal. We have been promised that the warning notice will be lifted within 24 hours and all shall be as it was.

Ingrid

Susan Crawford Vintage Knitting

2010-12-17T15:45:00.002Z

Susan has a beautiful new site especially about her love for vintage knitting and craft. Please do check it out here at www.susancrawfordvintage.com if you haven't already. Isn't her logo the best?

Although the site is still in its early stages, she has lots going on, with a blog, patterns and lots of information about her books, including the newest: A Stitch in Time Volume Two.

I bet you didn't know all this about Susan, either:

I have worked in the knitting and fashion industries for many years as a knitwear designer, stylist and design consultant. Vintage fashion and collecting vintage fashion and craft magazines from the 1930s to the 1950s has long been an obsession and this fascination is very clear in my designs.

I am currently working on three further book projects, A Stitch in Time, Vintage Knitting patterns, 1930-1959, Vintage Crochet 1930-1959 both of which are due for release in early 2011.

Vintage Shetland, in collaboration with the Shetland Museum Archives looks at knitwear made by Shetlanders during the 1920s to 1950s and donated to the museum’s archives.

In addition to this I am collaborating with John Arbon Textiles of Devon, on a unique 100% British knitting wool, called Excelana, which will feature 3 and 4 ply weight yarn, as well as a double knit and an aran weight. I have created a colour palette that evokes the spirit of yesteryear to be used by today’s knitter.

I also offer knitting workshops and talks about vintage fashion and knitwear.

If you'd like to follow Susan's blog about vintage knitting and sewing and the make do and mend lifestyle, you can find it here at www.justcallmeruby.blogspot.com and you can also follow her on Twitter where she tweets regularly about knitting, designing, chickens, cooking and life in general. Susan is @astitchintime.

Please do leave us a comment with your thoughts about Susan's new site too!

Happy knitting
Ingrid x

Pre-Order A Stitch in Time Volume 2 Now!

2010-12-14T09:08:00.003Z

A Stitch in Time: Volume 2, cover. Image copyright Arbour House Publishing

We are very excited to announce that Susan Crawford and Jane Waller's eagerly anticipated new book, A Stitch in Time Volume 2 is now available to pre-order from the knitonthenet shop.

This is the ambitious follow up to A Stitch In Time. Volume 2 takes us from 1930s to the end of the 1950s, featuring 75 incredible patterns, many multi sized for the first time, authentic styling and gorgeous photography. Available in hardback format.

The pre order package includes:

A signed copy of this remarkable book.

Sample skeins of yarns used in the book, including Mulberry Silk and Susan’s own vintage inspired yarn, Excelana.

Discount vouchers from Yarn companies including 15% discount from Knit Shop for their Mulberry Silk and Pure Cottons, both used in the book and 10% discount from Susan Crawford Vintage for the Excelana yarn range. **

A stylish and practical project bag.**

A printable Gift Certificate with every pre-order *

ANTICIPATED PUBLICATION DATE 31ST MARCH 2011

* An email address is required for your gift certificate to be emailed to you as a pdf. No alternative format is available. Your certificate will be emailed within 48 hours of placing your order.

** These items will be despatched with your book on publication. Samples are subject to variation. Samples can only be sent to same delivery address as book. Please ensure correct delivery address is entered. No alternative or exchange is available. No cash alternative or other discount is available. Applicable terms will be listed on individual discount vouchers.

Postage and packing is charged at only £4.00 to anywhere in the world.

You can pre-order yours by clicking here.

Happy knitting
Ingrid x

Last Minute Shopping!

2010-12-12T11:14:00.004Z

Miss Laverty's Motoring Hood from Vintage Gifts to Knit

Well, from the title, you can tell that we'd love you to do some of your Christmas and holiday presents at the knitonthenet shop. But I'm not going to get all hard-sell on you. As a reader of our magazine and blog, I'm sure that you know that we have a lovely selection of patterns, books and kits! Ooh, and stationary. Instead, here are some pictures to perhaps inspire you and a nice Christmassy video too.

Sandra Polley's Knitted Toys

Lacy Gloves from A Stitch in Time Volume 1

Ladies Gauntlet Knitting Kit

...and lastly, a bit of Bing Crosby.

Happy knitting,
Ingrid x

For Regaining Passion and Inspiration: For You.

2010-12-11T16:58:00.000Z

This post is a little out of the ordinary. It's not about knitting. In fact it's not even about textiles. Instead it's a musical pick-me-up for all of you that need it (and even those that don't).

It's for those who are frantically knitting for holiday gifts and wondering if it will ever end or whether they will be ready in time. For those who are planning for Christmas whilst trying to stay sane. For those who are having a hard time with work, or with school and are feeling that the bleak winter months are never ending.

This wonderfully uplifting video from TED is for you.

When the winter darkness encroaches that little bit too much in whatever way, and gives you a real downer, watch this joyous, energetic presentation by the conductor Benjamin Zander. I guarantee that you'll start to feel a little better and come out the other side inspired, and with shining eyes.

Happy watching,
Ingrid x

Technical Bits: Intarsia

2010-12-09T17:48:00.004Z

Following on from last week's post about Fair Isle, this time we are looking at another colourwork technique: Intarsia. This method is used when blocks of colour are required, rather than a smaller repeating pattern. A good example of this are the reindeer on The Perfect Christmas Jumper, below.

The Perfect Christmas Jumper. Image copyright Arbour House Publishing.

Motifs are worked with separate balls or bobbins of yarn, producing a garment only one layer thick (rather than Fair Isle's double layer of wool. Before starting to knit, you will need to prepare by winding small balls or bobbins full of each colour to be used. Bobbins are often easier for this, as it makes it easier to untangle the inevitable twisting turning yarns.

As always, knit a swatch up first ...I'm sure that you always knit a tension square anyway, don't you ;) But seriously, knitting a swatch for colourwork knitting is particularly important in order to gauge the tension, and to have a practice of the techniques, if you haven't done it before.

Image by ActionHero on Flickr. Used under Creative Commons license.

When changing from one colour to another it is best to bring the new colour over the colour you have just finished using. The twists will show up on the purl side of the work (intarsia works best with stocking stitch). Try not to twist the yarns too tightly around each other or the work will look rather pinched, but be careful not to do it too loosely either or you will be left with a hole. This is where the practice swatching really comes into its own.

On the vertical lines of your pattern, you will need to twist the yarns on each row, but on diagonal lines you'll need to only twist on the rows where the yarn colour changes at the same point as it did on the row beneath.

As with Fair Isle patterns, charts are really essential for Intarsia. It is very difficult to follow written-only instructions

Hearts and Bunnies Cardigan. Image copyright Arbour House Publishing

If you'd like to try out some Intarsia, you could try one of the following patterns:

The Perfect Christmas Jumper: Ravelry link and Knitonthenet Shop link to the pattern

Hearts and Bunnies Cardigan: Ravelry link and Knitonthenet Shop link to Vintage Gifts to Knit

Happy knitting!
Ingrid x

Susan Crawford Vintage Knitting at the Clothes Show

2010-12-03T10:50:00.004Z

For any of you intrepid UK knitters who are venturing out in the snow and ice to The Clothes Show Live, we've a treat for you.

After much persuasion, Susan has decided to take a stand at this year's Clothes Show Live at the NEC in Birmingham. It starts today (3rd Dec) and runs until the 8th of December.

Susan and Gavin will be there exhibiting as Susan Crawford Vintage Knitting in the Sknitch area which is focused on knitting, sewing and craft. This is located in Hall 20, on Stand SK23.

Susan, at a previous show copyright Arbour House Publishing

I haven't seen a picture of it yet, but the stand sounds wonderful. Susan will have as many garments from A Stitch in Time 1 & 2 and Vintage Gifts to Knit as is possible. On top of this there will be lots of other garments which she's designed for knitonthenet and other magazines. This really is a great chance to see what the designs look like in the flesh and also to talk to Susan, herself.

She tells us that after the great success of the Vintage Kits that she put together for the Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace, The Clothes Show will be the formal launch of the Vintage Knitting Kits collection. Very exciting!

Clothes from A Stitch In Time Vol 1, image copyright Susan Crawford

So, if you are visiting the Clothes Show, do come and find Susan (and Gavin) in the Sknitch area on stand SK23 - Susan Crawford Vintage Knitting (and then tell us snowbound knitters all about it in the comments!)

If, like me you're not able to make it, you can visit Susan's lovely new website here: Susan Crawford Vintage Knitting.

Happy Knitting
Ingrid x

Technical Bits: Fair Isle

2010-11-30T11:42:00.004Z

In last week's post about The Perfect Christmas Jumper, I mentioned that the techniques used to make the beautiful colourwork were a combination of Fair Isle knitting and Intarsia. But what does this mean, and is it as scary as some would have you believe? Well I can tell you, not at all. In the first of two posts, I will give an explaination and some tips for using both techniques. First up is Fair Isle.

The Perfect Christmas Jumper by Susan Crawford. Image copyright Arbour House Publishing

Also commonly known as standed knitting, Fair Isle is named after the traditional knitting of the Shetland Isles, this two-coloured standed knitting being particularly known to be practiced in Fair Isle. While traditionally, only two colours were used in any one row, today multicolour motifs are sometimes incorporated too.

The technique used to make the pattern is as follows: as you knit across the row, you use two balls of wool and knit with the one needed for that part of the pattern, while carrying the other across the back of the work. Really, that's it.

A particular characteristic of Fair Isle knitting is the use of small patterns that are repeated right across the work. The patterns for Fair Isle are charted, and thus are easy to follow as you can see exactly where to change colours. Using written-only instructions for stranded knitting can be very difficult to follow.

Elegant Coat Gloves by Susan Crawford. Image copyright Arbour House Publishing

There are a few things to remember when knitting in Fair Isle:

More yarn is required in comparison to a normal garment of the same size because of the floats (strands carried across the back)
Fair Isle makes a thick, warm fabric which is double layered, again due to the floats
If you use a thick yarn it may become rather uncomfortable to wear, so many patterns are written for 4ply (fingering) weight yarns
In stranded knitting the pattern is seen only on the Right Side of the work, the Wrong Side shows only the floats
Try to keep an even tension with your floats, so they don't pull the work tight
Try not to have very long floats as these can catch
It's a little more technical than knitting in stripes, but not too much
The end result will look wonderful!

So, if that has whetted your appetite for Fair Isle, here are some patterns so that you can have a go yourself.

Elegant Coat Gloves: Ravelry link and Knitonthenet Shop link to the pattern

The Perfect Christmas Jumper: Ravelry link and Knitonthenet Shop link to the pattern

Fair Isle Yoke: Ravelry link and Knitonthenet Shop link to A Stitch in Time Vol 1

Hearts and Bunnies Cardigan: Ravelry link and Knitonthenet Shop link to Vintage Gifts to Knit

Look out for next week's Technical Bits post about Intarsia and let us know in the comments if you're knitting anything using Fair Isle.

Ingrid x

Something to Listen to, Something to Read

2010-11-22T14:08:00.005Z

Red skeins, copyright Ingrid Murnane

We've been lucky enough to have some lovely reviews of Susan's books over the summer, and I'm going to share the links to two of them with you here.

The first is from Donna Druchunas' blog Sheep to Shawl. Donna is a knitter, designer and all-round creative lady. She has recently been researching Lithuanian knitting and her site is definitely one to bookmark. You can read her review of both A Stitch in Time and Vintage Gifts to Knit, as well as her visit to Liverpool by clicking here.

The second review is by Hoxton Handmade, the presenter of the rather marvellous podcast, Electric Sheep. If you don't already listen to her weekly show, you really should - it's great. Here is the episode with the review of Vintage Gifts to Knit, in which you can also hear about the Sweater of Doom, the UK handmade movement and the wonders of RegrEtsy.

Both books are, as always available to buy in the knitonthenet shop, and if you like, you can get a better idea of the patterns therein by taking a look at their respective pattern pages on Ravelry:
A Stitch in Time
Vintage Gifts to Knit

Happy listening, reading and knitting!
Ingrid x

Have you started knitting your Perfect Christmas Jumper yet?

2010-11-21T09:56:00.007Z

Didn't know that there was one?

Look no further, for The Perfect Christmas Jumper (pictured above) by knitonthenet editor Susan Crawford, might just be the jumper for you to knit this advent.

The pattern is written to fit sizes ranging from 28" to 50" and it is knitted in 4 ply yarn. The original, pictured above was made with Jamieson and Smith 2 ply jumper weight wool (which is a 4 ply weight). The jumper is inspired by the classic 1940s silhouette, it has box sleeve heads and is designed to be worn fitted at the waist, as you can see on our model, Charlotte.

Please don't be put off by the colourwork, as it is not as difficult as it might at first seem. It is well worth taking the time to learn. To make this gorgeous pattern you use a combination of fair isle and intarsia techniques, which we shall be covering in 'technical bits' posts next week.

If you would like to knit one, the pattern is available as a PDF file from the knitonthenet shop and is great value at just £3. Will it be your Christmas jumper? There's still time to get knitting!

This pattern is part of the lovely Vintage Gifts to Knit book which features 16 vintage patterns brought up to date for today by Susan Crawford. You can get your copy by ordering it either as an e-book or as a printed book, from the knitonthenet shop or as a Ravelry download.

Ingrid x

Thoughts needed on A Stitch in Time, Volume 2

2010-11-13T11:12:00.003Z

Hello everyone,

As you know, Susan is working hard on producing A Stitch in Time Volume Two, but she needs a bit of input from you, the reading and knitting public, so please do chip in and tell her what you think in the comments.

Hi Everyone,

I wonder if you could help me make a decision with Stitch in Time 2. I currently have too many projects than are allowed for the number of pages for the book (already bigger than SIT 1) and am having to make some big decisions.

The main issue I have is with the number of crochet patterns. It keeps resulting in either:

1) Too many crochet to knitting patterns for knitters to be happy.

2) Not enough crochet patterns to justify it being classed as a knitting and ‘crochet’ book.

My gut instinct is to suggest something completely different which is this -

Remove the crochet patterns from Volume 2 giving me the right project and page count and put together a separate volume of the crochet patterns, which also gives me the room to add some beauties which I just can’t include in the main volume. This book would obviously be available as a separate purchase but we are looking to have it ready at more or less the same time as Volume 2 and include a special offer price for buying both together. (It would be a smaller volume so also cheaper).

I feel this then gives crochet the respect it deserves rather than as a foot note to the knitting patterns, and gives all purchasers knitters and crocheters exactly what they expect from whichever book they purchase.

I would be really grateful if you could all give me feedback on this by either agreeing or disagreeing (in the comments). If you disagree or have any additional ideas could you also comment.

The decision will have to be made in about the next seven days so do let me know how you feel as soon as possible.

for now
Susan xx

Thanks for your help, chaps

Ingrid x

PS We shall have a proper catch up post soon, and if you don't have one yet (you don't... I'm shocked!) and would like to buy a copy of A Stitch in Time Volume One, click here!

2010 Knit a Poppy Campaign

2010-10-29T18:07:00.003Z

We are pleased and proud to announce the return of our Knit a Poppy campaign in support of The Poppy Appeal.

The Royal British Legion provides financial, social and emotional support to millions who have served and are currently serving in the Armed Forces, and their dependants. Currently, nearly 10.5 million people are eligible for their support and they receive thousands of calls for help every year.

Please visit knitonthenet to download our gorgeous poppy brooch pattern (designed by Just call me Ruby) by making a donation of £2.00 to The Poppy Appeal.

Really Important Instructions!!
Once you have paid your donation via paypal,
PLEASE PRESS THE OPTION 'RETURN TO KNITONTHENET' BUTTON at the final paypal stage to return to the site and download the pattern.

We shall be keeping you updated of the Knit a Poppy Campaign via the blog, Ravelry and website, and we would love to see photographs of your finished brooches, and also hear how much money you have raised. Please do remember to attribute your finished poppy to the knitonthenet appeal and Just call me Ruby as designer!

Thank you all for your donations so far and happy knitting.

Ingrid

News! News!

2010-09-25T08:30:00.002Z

Hello out there!

It has been a little quiet on the blog for a while now, so I thought it was time that we gave you an update.

As you might have noticed, the main knitonthenet site is down at the moment for maintainance. This is all because of EXCITING CHANGES (yay) coming to knitonthenet in the next couple of weeks. There's lots of hard work going on behind the scenes at the moment, and as soon as it is ready, we will let you know for the Big Reveal. If you're a registered reader, you will be getting an email soon to let you know all about the latest developments too.

In the meantime, don't fret because you can still peruse books, vintage style patterns and kits on the knitonthenet online shop by clicking here, and as in previous years, we are pleased to announce that Just call me Ruby's Poppy Pattern is available for download in support of the Royal British Legion. If you'd like to support Knit a Poppy by donating £2 and downloading the poppy pattern, please click here.

That's about it for today, but we will be bringing you all the latest developments with the site, as and when they're ready to announce. Exciting times!!

Happy Knitting
Ingrid

Holidays away, and holidays at home

2010-09-05T12:22:00.003Z

We've been a little bit quiet at knitonthenet of late, as you may have noticed.

I'm taking a holiday for a couple of weeks, doing some research, taking some classes and, of course, knitting lots and lots!

Susan and Gavin have been up in Shetland for the In the Loop conference, where Susan was a keynote speaker (how exciting!) Here's a post from her blog from just before she went, and we'll let you know how she got on once she's back and has recovered and digested all the amazing knitting info!

From Just call me Ruby.
Sunday, August 29, 2010

In The Loop Two

Its been a busy week since getting back from Goodwood, some good reasons some not so good.

One good reason though is that tomorrow morning we drive off into the sunrise for a 24 hour journey to Shetland. We are trying the ferry for the first time as we have a heap of stuff to take with us. We have a nine hour drive to Aberdeen and then a fourteen hour ferry trip! Overnight, so hopefully I will sleep through most of it. I'm not really a boat person so this is a big test for me.

The reason we are going is that on Thursday morning I am the opening keynote speaker at the In The Loop Two conference being held at the Shetland Museum. I have a 45 minute slot which is quite a long time to be talking! I am also official photographer for The Knitter which is rather exciting, so will be going everywhere with my camera round my neck to make sure I don't miss anything.

I will report back with a longer post on our return, but in the meantime wish me luck for my boat ride.

for now
Ruby xx

Frequently Asked Questions

2010-08-27T09:47:00.006Z

Here at knitonthenet we get a lot of questions through our contact form on the website. I thought it might be useful to post the answers to the three top questions we are asked here, for easy reference.

How can I get a poppy pattern?
Just call me Ruby's poppy brooch pattern is only available for purchase and download during the Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal timeframe, which runs from the start of October until mid-November. This is an agreement we have with the British Legion in order that all monies from the downloads go straight to their appeal fund. Look out for it again this October!

What does the instruction w&t mean in a pattern (for instance Maille)?
'W&T' means 'wrap and turn', which is an instruction that is used when a pattern requires you to do short row shaping, such as for bust darts or shoulder shaping. I wrote a blog post a little while ago which should help you with this: short rows.

Where can I find the pattern errata?
Here! We are working hard at getting all of the errata up on the page, and they are not all there currently. If you don't think that a pattern is working quite right, but can't find the errata, please do get in touch we we will sort it out with you.

Please do keep sending in your questions about anything you need to ask about knitonthenet and we will get back to you as soon as we can. Just one thing though... please, please remember to put in your own email address, or I won't be able to answer!

Happy knitting
Ingrid

Didn't we have a lovely time at Goodwood

2010-08-20T19:58:00.002Z

Here's a post from editor, Susan about what she, Gavin and Charlie got up to at Vintage at Goodwood. It was originally posted on her blog Just call me Ruby which you should definitely check out if you don't read it already.

There has been quite a lot of negative feedback about this event. I for one, am really not in a position to comment on the organisational side of things as I wasn't directly involved in that side of the event, and to be honest despite one or two hiccups, had a thoroughly lovely time. I was invited to attend as a volunteer to teach knitting at the Vintage School sponsored by Oxfam.

Each attendee paid £5 for their class which was donated directly to Oxfam. I taught some lovely ladies to crochet, some to knit and some how to make handknitted dress clips and buttons.

The high street was cleverly constructed using prefabricated buildings which were disguised with ply wood shop fronts like Hollywood films of old.

I had my hair curled here.

And watched Curse of the Werewolf at midnight here.

One of the highlights for me was bumping into glamorous retro girls wearing garments from A Stitch in Time. I tried to get photos whenever possible, without scaring people half to death! Here are two To Set off your Summer Frocks together.

This photo was taken just before The Chap Olympiad where my old friend and model for A Stitch in Time, Fleur de Guerre was working. Here are Fleur and I together.

Bizarrely, during the photography for A Stitch in Time I don't think there was a single shot of me and the models together. I'm going to make sure I get some this time round when photographing Volume 2. I also bumped into my friends The Shellac Sisters, who very kindly volunteered to come and DJ outside of my Vintage Knitting class.

One of my favourite places was the Torch Club, which was a 1940s themed dance hall. Here's me with my hair newly curled, and Gavin in his new slip over. This slip over matches the Father's new socks pattern from Vintage Gifts to Knit and will also be available as a pattern in the near future. Gavin got into the spirit of the event too, buying some brylcreem to slick back his hair and shaving off his beard to leave a 40s style moustache.

There was lots of music on over the three days - my favourites were Earth, Wind and Fire, who were everything I wanted them to be and more, and Heaven 17, who took me back to my youth, playing songs from Penthouse and Pavements and finishing with Temptation. I unfortunately missed Squeeze who made a guest appearance during someone else's show. We particularly enjoyed the Let it Rock! stage at night, although the name is somewhat misleading as it had a very eclectic line up of musical acts from The Lady Luck Club to Wanda Jackson to The Damned, with a little Burlesque thrown in too!

Despite some rain, having to camp - which bizarrely, I thoroughly enjoyed and having several copies of Vintage Gifts to Knit stolen, which really saddened me, I had a great time, and hope there will be a next time.

For now
Ruby xxx

Get Creative for a Good Cause

2010-08-17T14:47:00.008Z

Innocent Smoothie Hats by Stitchlily on Flickr. Used under Creative Commons.

Our UK readers have probably noticed the little bobble hats that bottles of Innocent Smoothies wear each autumn. You might even have knitted some of them yourself. Well, it has got to that time of year again: the now annual Big Knit 2010 has cast on.

Every year for the past seven years, people across the land have knitted their socks off in aid of the annual Big Knit campaign. Innocent have received an amazing 1.6 million little hats and raised over £800,000 for Age UK (formerly Age Concern and Help the Aged) - all to help make winter warmer for older people.

For 2010 each be-hatted smoothie sold in Sainsbury’s stores will raise 25p and their target is £200,000, which is quite a pile of hats. This is why they need your help -simply pick up your needles or DPNs and knit us a little hat. It is a great way to use up those little bits of yarn in your stash.

The basic pattern is only 28 stitches and 18 rows – that’s not even a tension square. Could you whip one up while you watch your favourite soap? How many could you do in a month? The deadline for hats isn’t until 5^th October so please try and fit a few

Innocent will be putting up lots of fun patterns and announcing a competition or two very soon but for now just go to their site to get started.

My friend Katie and I had lots of fun making these last year: here she is looking suitably innocent with one of hers!

Ingrid x

PS Forgive me for the line spacing in the latter half of the post; I can't seem to clear it.

A Stitch in Time through the generations!

2010-08-16T08:54:00.003Z

In honour of Vintage at Goodwood this weekend, here is something just brilliant that one of our readers, Jan, sent to us.

She has had the 1970s A Stitch in Time book for a good while, and during the 1980s, knitted these two garments from it. Here is her lovely granddaughter, Monica modelling them today.

Jan says: "I wore blackberry in the 80s with a gray/red check softly pleated skirt (M&S) boots and a white blouse with a pussy cat bow....thought I looked pretty snazzy."

These patterns are truly passing through the generations. The Blackberry Stitch cardigan, below from the 1940s has been made in the 1980s and is still worn now in the 2010s. Not bad going!

Many thanks to Jan for sending us her story. Here's her blog, A Passion for Vintage Textiles, if you'd like to read more.
...and if you've been inspired by these lovely sweaters, you can purchase your own up-to-date version of A Stitch in Time, at Arbour House Publishing's Knitonthenet shop.

Happy knitting,
Ingrid

Vintage at Goodwood

2010-08-12T13:35:00.004Z

The events are coming thick and fast this summer for knitonthenet. Susan, Gavin and Susan's daughter Charlie are travelling down to Sussex for a weekend at Vintage at Goodwood. Susan is teaching there on Sunday and I will be there helping out with the class.

The thing about Vintage at Goodwood is that it is not your 'normal' festival. The weekend celebrates '50 years of British cool' and there will be lots of glamour and dressing up. Sounds great, doesn't it!

Here's what Susan will be wearing on one of the days: it's an original 1950s dress! And in a sneak preview, the gorgeous green cardigan is one of the patterns that will be in A Stitch in Time volume 2.

Susan and Charlie, copyright Just call me Ruby

We really hope to see you there, if you're coming along.

Ingrid

Just call me Susan

2010-08-09T14:13:00.003Z

If you're on Ravelry, you might be interested to know that we have just started a new group for anybody who is interested in our editor Susan Crawford's patterns (published both under her real name and her design name, Just call me Ruby). It's called Just call me Susan and you can find it by following the link here.

Hope to see you there!

Ingrid

What happened when we went to Knit Nation?

2010-08-04T21:26:00.006Z

Here's a quick look at what happened last weekend when Susan and I travelled to the knitting extravaganza that was Knit Nation.

Imperial College was the setting for this fantastic show, organised by Cookie A and Alice Yu.

There were lots of designers there with stands: here's Susan with Ysolda Teague who had her sample knits photobooth with her (and her assistant Sarah who was lovely too).

There were plenty of yarn stands as well. Here's Skein Queen's fabulous stand, manned by the lovely Alabama Whirly.

Skein Queen's Tweety Birds.

Susan had a booksigning for Vintage Gifts to Knit on the Loop stand on Friday and Saturday.

Here she is, in action!

The lovely Meghan from Loop kindly modelled the Adorable Little Bedjacket with Hood.

It was a great time for meeting friends, old and new.

I went to the Ravelry talk in the evening in which Casey and Jess told the story of how the site started and grew to the behemoth that it is today! It was a great end to my Friday at Knit Nation and I have heard tell that the Ravelry party on the Saturday was even better!

What a really great event Knit Nation was. Did you go? Tell us about it in the comments!

Ingrid x

Knit Nation is Today!

2010-07-30T07:38:00.001Z

Just a very quick post to say that Susan, Gavin and I will both be at Knit Nation today. Knitonthenet doesn't have a stand, but Susan will be signing copies of Vintage Gifts to Knit on the Loop stand from 3pm-4pm both today and tomorrow.
Hope to see you there!
Ingrid x

Knit Camp

2010-07-28T08:35:00.002Z

This entry is cross-posted from Susan's own blog, Just call me Ruby. Sadly she has had to pull out of Knit Camp in August.

In her own words:
I am writing this post to express my sincere apologies to anyone who is booked onto any of my classes at Knit Camp, Stirling in August. Unfortunately, despite my best efforts to resolve several issues with the organisers this was not to be and I have therefore been left with no alternative but to withdraw from the event. Again I cannot apologise enough, and the thought of having to take the action I have has made me physically ill, however with no contract and various other issues I felt I had to take the decision that I did.

I have spoken to some participants on ravelry and I hope this message reaches other students. I sincerely hope that everyone attending Knit Camp has a wonderful time and hope to meet some of you in the future. The demand for vintage themed knitting workshops weekends seems to be building so maybe that is the way forward.

I don't know what else to say. I feel absolutely terrible about this but you just have to do what is right.

For now
Ruby xx

What's on at knitonthenet Towers

2010-07-27T11:32:00.005Z

There's lots going on for us at knitonthenet this month.

Our editor, Susan Crawford has a great article out in this months issue of The Knitter all about vintage knitwear from the 1950s. It is well worth a look and gives a really interesting insight to the fashions of the period.

If you're UK-based, Simply Knitting also has a lovely write up of the tea party at The Jelly in Reading where Vintage Gifts to Knit was launched in May.

Are you going to Knit Nation in London this week?
If so, Susan will be on the Loop knitting shop stand between 3pm and 4pm on Friday and Saturday, signing copies of her latest book Vintage Gifts to Knit. Both Susan and I will be at Knit Nation on Friday, so if you happen to see us, please do say hello!

I'm the one on the left and Susan is the one in the middle, for identification purposes (that's John Arbon on the right who produces wonderful yarns).

As well as all othis we are working away behind the scenes on the next issue of knitonthenet which will be out soon. Look out for it!

Ingrid x

You're Never too Old to Learn a Lesson

2010-07-20T19:11:00.006Z

A couple of days ago I was rooting through my freezer for something to defrost for yesterday's lunch. I fancied some soup and after looking for a little while found what I was sure was a little container full of yummy miso soup with mushrooms and sweetcorn.

So, yesterday, at lunchtime I was all set to eat said soup (with the addition of some fresh beansprouts - yum). Well. Except what I thought was the lovely miso soup was actually some kind of vegetable and unrecognisable meat stew combo. Really not what I was expecting.

I bet you're wondering why I'm telling you this, aren't you?
Well, I did somewhat the same thing with a UFO a little while ago. 'Yes', I thought, having stashed away this particular cardigan for a year because I found more new and exciting things to knit, 'this cardi is just the thing and I have lots of the yarn left, so let's get on with it.'

That bit there, the 'I have lots of the yarn left' part... well, I had lots of yarn left that looked like the same yarn. In the semi-darkness. While I was watching TV and not paying a huge amount of attention.

Image copyright, Ingrid Murnane

You can't see it so well from this picture, but the bottom half and part of the arms are a rather different shade of red. Not just a different dyelot, but an entirely different colourway. To add insult to injury, I realised that I'd knitted another cardigan for my Mum in the yarn left from this one, instead of the newer, differently-shaded yarn that I had bought especially for it. The upshot of it was that my red cardigan was frogged.

This is the point where you say, '...but Ingrid, you seem like a quite well organised person. Don't you keep a little notebook with all the details of each project, or do the same on Ravelry?' Er, well I do now! Quite obviously I didn't before, but the Red Cardigan of Doom has taught me a lesson. It is one that I'll be extending to my cooking life as well now.

Without sounding like a public information advert, if this is a problem that you have yourself, Ravelry has great options on their project pages to add in the yarn and needles you are using and even the shade and dyelot. Brenda Dayne also gave some great advice on how she keeps record cards for each project she makes a while back on Cast On (I'm really sorry that I can't find the actual episode).

Another extra, but really useful thing that you could do alongside keeping 'real life' notes in a book or card system is to keep some of the yarn that you used for mending. Even better (and to follow a wartime tradition) you could make the buttons for your garment by knitting them and stuffing them with the yarn, so there is always some available and it will have been washed to the same extent.*

So, after the fiasco of the miso soup and the frogging of the Red Cardigan of Doom, the moral of the story is: keep proper records of your stuff, people: you won't regret it!

Ingrid x

*Thanks to Jane Waller and Susan Crawford for that great advice!

PS I ended up having a marmite sandwich and a banana, if you were wondering.

Have you noticed anything different about knitonthenet?

2010-07-15T09:56:00.004Z

If you've visited knitonthenet in the past couple of days, you might have noticed that we have added a 'donate' button.

(This isn't a real one: just an image. Go here for our actual button)

As followers of the blog, some of you are probably aware that there is a little backstory to this, but for those who are new (hello!), here is a link to a former post with a message from Susan and Gavin Crawford explaining a little about what has been going on behind the scences.

There is also a page up on the site explaining why we have added the button.

Editor, Susan says:

By donating you can help keep knitonthenet online. Maintaining the site and providing new content is expensive and despite our best efforts we struggle to keep up with these costs. We need your help! If you have enjoyed using the site or a particular pattern we would be very grateful if you would show your support and appreciation by making a donation.

There is a donate button on the right hand column of each page, which you can click on. We are able to accept debit and credit cards as well as PayPal and any amount, no matter how small, is very gratefully recieved.

So, if you really liked a pattern, thought a particular article was great, or just enjoy the magazine in general, please do show your appreciation!

A very big Thank You

from Susan, Gavin and Ingrid
the knitonthenet team

Hearts and Bunnies Cardigan

2010-07-08T12:17:00.000Z

In the second of the series from Vintage Gifts to Knit by Susan Crawford, I'm taking a quick look at the very cute Hearts and Bunnies Cardigan.

The very sweet Hearts and Bunnies cardigan was inspired by the character Anouk in the film Chocolat and is reminiscent of children's knitwear of the 1940s. With clever knitted buttons, it really is a stashbusting project which will appeal to all who like to make do and mend.

Knitted in 4 ply, this cardigan is a good introduction to both fair isle and intarsia, which are used in different parts of the cardigan. The garment is knitted in one piece to the underarm and then divided for the back and fronts. Although knitted here in wool, it could also be knitted in cotton for the summer. Although seen here knitted in pink, it will gain a whole new look knitted in a blue or more contemporary colour scheme.

If you do knit one in a different colour, we would love to see it too.

Ingrid
assistant editor, knitonthenet

We have Internship Opportunities

2010-07-02T07:15:00.001Z

Arbour House Publishing is offering two unpaid internships to work independently on fixed term projects this summer. Each 6 week placement will start after 25^th July, and end by 26th September (details to be confirmed).

Location is not important because attendance on site is not required. Virtual interviews will take place by phone or skype on the week beginning 19^th July.

We are looking for enthusiastic entrants into the web design and publishing sectors and are committed to helping them develop valuable skills for their chosen career.

Web Design Intern

Project: Building and populating two/three websites to a specified brief. Existing website construction skills are required and a knowledge of Drupal would be a particular advantage.

Publishing Intern

Project: Book Design. To include production of sample book covers, text editing and manipulation, image correction and replacement, and index creation. Graphic design skills are required for this project.

Requirements for both of the internships are:

Ongoing undergraduate education.
Unlimited computer/broadband access with relevant software.
Availability throughout six week period.
Minimum 15 hours per week.

Please note, these are unpaid positions. Full credit will be given for work undertaken and references provided on completion of projects.

In the first instance, please send a CV and cover letter to Ingrid Murnane at ingrid(at)arbourhousepublishing(dot)com by 15^th July 2010.

End.

Some 50s Elegance : Town and City Tufted Cape

2010-06-24T09:10:00.008Z

So, what are you going to knit first from Vintage Gifts to Knit? There's so much to choose from. That's why I'm going to do a little series featuring some of the patterns to whet your appetite.

First up is the beautiful Town and City Tufted Cape, as modelled by Susan's lovely daughter, Charlotte.

Town and City Tufted Cape by Susan Crawford. Image copyright Arbour House Publishing.

Using an unusual tufted stitch, this flattering garment is inspired by elegant capes from the 1950s. It is also reminiscent of the capes worn by nurses in the same period, and I can just remember my own mother wearing a longer early-sixties version with her uniform in the late seventies. It is a really easy knit and would be great to start now in time for the chilly days of autumn. (Yes, I know. Hard to imagine just now in the Great British Heatwave!*)

It really is a very versatile pattern which will fit sizes 30-52" bust and Susan says in her pattern notes that:

The finished length is measured from the top of the main body at the front neck and includes the garter stitch edging around the bottom of the cape. The cape is very generous and accommodating in size and shape and will fit a variety of sizes. As a result, I suggest you consider what fit you would like before choosing your size. The small will actually fit a 42 inch chest but it will fit higher and more open at the front.

The cape is knitted in a standard double knit yarn on 5mm needles and is very warm without being bulky. The tufted stitch pattern makes lots of surface area to keep you cosy without great weight. This pattern would be excellent TV knitting (whilst watching the World Cup or maybe Wimbledon at the moment?) and is a real stashbuster, using only 5 or 6 balls of the main colour and one other for contrast.

Town and City Tufted Cape by Susan Crawford. Image copyright Arbour House Publishing.

As well as being part of the Vintage Gifts to Knit book, it is also available as a standalone pattern from both the knitonthenet shop, and as a Ravelry download, if you are a member there.

I really love a project where I can try out a new technique or stitch pattern: it gives me such a feeling of accomplishment. I think I'm going to really enjoy knitting this and trying out the tufted stitch, and hope that you do too. Do let us know if you've made one and send us a photo to put on the blog.

Happy summer knitting

Ingrid x

*Give us a break, readers from abroad. 27 degrees centigrade is pretty hot for us!

Newsflash! Vintage Gifts to Knit now available in print.

2010-06-21T11:09:00.005Z

We are all very excited to announce that Vintage Gifts to Knit by knitonthenet editor, Susan Crawford is now available to buy in print from the knitonthenet shop. Filled with sixteen gorgeous patterns, there is something for everyone (although like me, you will probably want to knit them all... for yourself).

Here's a quick glimpse of these glamorous patterns, from the sporty 'No Need to Skate' Skating Skirt to the pretty Flower-Ty Pot.

Vintage Gifts to Knit montage, copyright, Susan Crawford.

These gorgeous patterns are all inspired and adapted from knitting patterns of the 1900s to the 1950s, and are perfect to make as gifts or for yourself. There are projects to knit for women, men, children and the home, with the garments in a wide range of sizes. The women's clothing patterns range from 30-54 inch chest.

Vintage Gifts to Knit is available in both print and e-book form, costing only £14.00 for the printed version and £10.00 for the ebook. Arbour House Publishers will ship Vintage Gifts to Knit anywhere in the world for the flat rate of £3.00. The e-book is also available as a Ravelry download.

If you'd like to hear more about Susan's glamourous vintage knitting adventures, do visit her blog Just call me Ruby.

Happy Vintage Knitting
Ingrid

The Big Noise, the King Pippin, the Cat's Whiskers!

2010-06-18T15:12:00.004Z

ANGORA RABBITS (issue title - "ANY QUESTIONS?")

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Your browser does not support iframes.&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Yes, they're talking about bunnies.

Do click through and watch this great British Pathe video clip from 1940 all about how angora is harvested and made into yarn. The rabbits are very placid compared to the one that I saw at a yarn festival a couple of years ago!

Ingrid

How You Made It: Tropicana

2010-06-13T08:32:00.000Z

Tropicana, from knitonthenet Issue 6 is a gorgeous summer top, designed to be dressed up or down with a 1970s hippy vibe to it. Made with a merino and silk blend, sport weight yarn, Tropicana features a delightful lace pattern called Pear and Trellis. By inserting a ribbon the lace of the bottom part of the top is delineated from the ribbing at the top. Designer, Just call me Ruby's original sunshine-yellow Tropicana is pictured above.

There have been some great interpretations of Tropicana such as the one below by Marial from Rockford, Illinois who knitted most of hers on the bus using a lovely lavender shade of yarn.

CottonCandy404's Tropicana. Image copyright CottonCandy404.

Ameri from Japan knitted her Tropicana entirely from yarn she had spun herself on a drop spindle. No mean feat!

Tropicana Vest by Ameri. Image copyright Ameri.

Italian knitter, Eleonora made some adjustments to the original pattern for her own take on Tropicana. You can read her pattern notes on her Ravelry page.

Greenie Vest. Image Copyright June-.

Arianwen knitted a super-sunshiney Tropicana for herself, adding an extra pattern repeat to make it a little longer, and will be knitting one each for her daughters too.

Tropicana NaKniSweMoDo 4 by Arianwen. Image copyright Arianwen.

I hope that these great versions have inspired you to knit one of your own, and if you have already knitted Tropicana, we would love to see how it turned out too.

Happy knitting
Ingrid

Get Knitting!

2010-06-12T08:47:00.001Z

Image copyright Ingrid Murnane.

Happy World Wide Knit In Public Day

(or weekend? It seems to be expanding year on year...)

Hope you have a really great time knitting in the wild!

Itty Bitty Knitting

2010-06-06T14:37:00.007Z

Did you see the animated film version of Neil Gaiman's Coraline last year? If you didn't, I would highly recommend it and if you did, you might remember the lovely little knitted jumper that Coraline wears. But did you know how it was made?

Althea Crome (also known as Althea Merback) knits miniature conceptual clothing using specially made needles in the finest yarn or thread. In the tradition of miniature artists and artisans, she spends months designing and knitting a single garment. She tries to create more and more detail in each piece with her 'micro-sweaters' containing up to eighty stitches per inch. You can see more of her work here.

I don't think I'll be complaining about knitting with laceweight again anytime soon...

Ingrid