Tikki

I’m going to share some of my finished projects using patterns from one of my favourite designers, Georgie Hallam.  I was lucky enough to get to test-knit the following designs which are all knit seamlessly and in the round for the most part.

First up is a gorgeous wee knit called Darwinia.  this is an adorable girl babydoll or dress and features gathering on the bodice, and a little ruffle on the bottom.

Darwinia is knit in 8ply and can be knit in both cotton or wool (mine has been done in cotton for the summer) which means its great all year round.  Sizing goes up to sz 10 and starts at a tiny NB.

Next, is the sister pattern to Darwinia – Acacia.  This can be knit in 4ply for sizes NB-2y or 8ply for sizes 12m – 10y.  Acacia can also be knit in either cotton or wool, again making it perfect for every season.
 

There is two different style – the first with gathers on the bodice as you can see on my pictures, and the other with gathers throughout the whole body.  I loved knitting this pattern and it’s one I plan on knitting again very soon.

And last, but definitely not least, theres Little Butterflies which is a delightful wee short sleeved cardigan that features a circular yoke and little butterflies on the yoke.  I’m a bit disappointed because none of the photos I took show off the butterflies to well.

While I’ve done mine in just one colour, the pattern has instructions on how to a contrast trim.  Designed in 8ply there is also step by step instructions on how to knit this design up in different weight yarn.

I’ve also just finished another test knit for Georgie but I’ll give that its own separate post next week.

And Another

I’ll get straight into it today with my first designer being Cathy Rubin.  Now there’s heaps of patterns out there for fingerless gloves but these ones are gorgeous with the added ribbons for the girls.  Ribbon Glubs are a OSFM pattern knit with 8ply.

They are knit seamlessly and for the most part in the round, they are such a quick knit that you can whip a pair up in an afternoon. As you can see above, they are a great fit on Miss 4 and also below, on Miss 8

Don’t like the ribbon look? That’s fine as you can also leave them out which also makes them perfect for the boys. 

The other designer is Anne McCrea, I was lucky enough to test this next design and it really is a delightful girly knit.  This one is called Ariane Dreams and is part of a bigger collection of hers called the Dreamer Collection.
 

This a gorgeous tunic/dress that is knit in the seamlessly and has a plain bodice and 3 different lace options for the skirt.  You can knit this pattern in either 8ply or 10ply and has a range of different sizes starting at 3m. I love this pattern and am looking forward to trying out the other lace options

More knitting updates

Sick of these yet? Only a couple more and I think I’ll be all up to date – next time I won’t leave it so long between posts.

This one features a few different designers, the first one being Rachel Evans.  This one is called the Paige Babydoll is a delightful wee knit that has two different options for the skirt part - a full skirt with two different hems or an A-line cabled skirt.

It is knit in 10ply and available in sizes NB-5.  Another perfect pattern that is perfect for layering in the spring, winter and autumn.  It can also be knit in cotton which would be perfect for the summer.  I’m definitely planning on knitting a couple more of these, just have to buy some more 10ply yarn.

Next up is a design from Shannon Passmore.  Versa can be knit up as a vest, tunic, dress or as a babydoll.  I’ve only knit the pattern as a tunic but have plans to do a couple more of the options when I can find the time.

(Excuse the bad photos – it was hard to get Miss 3 to stand still to take a decent photo.)  This pattern can be knit in either 10ply or 12ply and from sizes NB-10 which makes it an extrememly versatile pattern and great value for money.

Lastly, we have a Charlotte Sweater by Raya Budrevich.  It’s knit in 8ply and can be knit with or without sleeves.  It features a ribbed neck and bodice and with the no sleeves, creates a racer style back. 
 

There’s a gorgeous little ruffle down the bottom that you can see in the photo below.  Sizing starts at 6m and goes up to a sz 10, this really is a top that is suited for all seasons.

Another Overdue Update

This time a quick update featuring patterns designed by StitchyMama.  Kath has released a few patterns and I hear she has even more in the pipeline which I’m looking forward to.

The first knit, which I was lucky enough to get to test knit is the Blossom Bolero.  The bolero is designed especially to go over summer dresses and has a range of different cuff and edging choices so you can make a unique bolero every time.  This one below has long sleeves and a lace hem.

Other options include a plain garter stitch edge, picot cast off, ruffles and 4 different sleeve options.   I will admit that I was a bit worried about knitting this at first when I learnt that the edging had to be picked up after knitting the body, but it really isn’t as hard as I first thought.

Again, like most of the patterns I like, this pattern comes in a wide range of sizes from 0-3m to sz 10.  You can buy the baby/toddler sizes and the child sizes separately or buy all sizes as an e-book, I highly recommend this pattern and its another pattern that I find great value for money.

Another pattern I’m quite fond of by Kath is the pinwheel beanie pattern.   I’ve knit this one quite a lot and am currently knitting up a few more at the moment for friends.

You can knit this one up in any size imaginable because as well as pre-set sizes it has instructions to custom make to any size head. This has to be one of my favourite hat patterns, and is definitely the first one I turn too when someone needs a hat. 

Wordless Wednesday

For more Wordless Wednesdays check out 5 minutes for mom

A Winter Wonderland

Warning – picture heavy post follows..

This is what awaited us when we woke up on this cold winters morning

After a toasty warm breakfast of porridge, the girls dressed up nice and warm and ventured out into the snow.

And practised making some snow angels in the backyard

Then we decided to dress up nice and warm and take a walk around the corner to the park.  We weren’t the only one who had this idea, there were about 4 other families there.

Morgan making more snow angels

On our way home, Morgan decided she was pretty thirsty…

Apologies to any Facebook friends reading this blog post who may have already seen these photos.

And the winner is...

Erin/Plingie :) I can't figure out how to get hold of you via your profile, so if you could e-mail me at k_roberts@itbytes.co.nz so we can sort out the details.

Thank you for everyone who donated to the cause, and apologies for the delay in drawing the winner. We left Christchurch a couple of days after the earthquake and have only recently arrived back.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

A message from Krissie

Due to the recent Christchurch earthquake, the drawing of the giveaway has been delayed.

Krissie and family are all ok and she will update when she has more reliable Internet access.

For Hope

Hope is a little Wellington girl who is turning 4 this week, she was diagnosed with cancer 2 years ago.  Rachael (who took the stunning photos) summed it up when she wrote “In New Zealand, when a child is diagnosed with cancer, they start receiving beads. The beads are part of their story and recognise and honour a child’s bravery throughout their journey with child cancer. They are collected at each hospital visit, and for each treatment they receive on their journey” And yes, Hope, 2 years on from her first diagnosis has 900 beads.  Hope had been in remission and had been treatment free for about 5 months.

Her family has recently learnt that Hope’s cancer has returned and is spreading, unfortunately this time it cannot be treated and her family have been given a very short time frame to spend time with her.  There are so many people out there who are currently raising money for Hope and her family so they can enjoy as much time together without having to worry about the financial side of things. 

So I have teamed up with Hannah from Red Riding Hood Yarns for a raffle that I hope everyone will like. 

(click to enlarge)

With Georgies permission, I am offering to custom knit a Sorello or Fratello for a little person of your choosing.  The pattern starts at sz 6 months and I am willing to knit up to a sz 6.  I will be knitting with some gorgeous yarn from Red Riding Hood Yarns that Hannah is kindly donating and will custom dye in whatever colours the winner chooses.

Pictured below is some samples of the gorgeous yarn Hannah has dyed.

So, how do you enter?

- You must make a $5 donation to my bank account –
Kristina Roberts, 03 1700 0172932 001

-  After you've made your donation pop back here and leave your receipt number/reference with a comment and a way to get hold of you.

-  You can enter as many times as you like, so if you want to deposit for example $20, then you'll have 4 entries

- I will close this on Friday 26th February, winner will be drawn at 8.30pm New Zealand time.  Please keep in mind that any donations transferred on the 26th will not show in my account in time.

- I will accept PayPal donations from people overseas, my paypal address is k_roberts@itbytes.co.nz (I would be extremely grateful if you could cover the fees so I don’t have to)

- After the closing date, all money raised will be passed on to Hope’s family.

Many thanks to Julia, who allowed me to borrow pictures of Hope and text from her Blog and to Georgie Hallam who allowed me the use of her photos of Sorello and Fratello

Well Overdue – Part 2, Julia Stanfield

Welcome back to todays edition of Well Overdue, we now head into part 2 of goodness knows how many parts and today we focus on a good friend of mine, Julia Stanfield.  I was lucky enough to test-knit Julia’s 1st and 2nd designs and lets just say I hope they are not her last.

 
The first pattern, The Little Rascals, is actually 3 patterns in one.  First up, there is the Little Hoodlum that is a stylie modern looking hoodie.  I loved knitting this pattern, the way Julia has set things out, it is easy to follow and you can actually knit this without the hood if you prefer and add a collar instead – both options are great.

Again, like most of the patterns I like, this pattern comes in a wide range of sizes from NB to sz 10 making it definitely value for your money.  It can also be knit in both 8ply and 10ply yarn, how awesome is that? 

But remember how I said it’s technically 3 patterns in 1? The other options that I haven’t finished knitting yet are Young Einstein, which is a  v-necked cardigan or jacket and Hotshot, which is a v-necked vestee, again both options can be knit with a hood or collar or just left plain which looks equally as good.

The 2nd design is Teacher's Pet, which is a gorgeous, simple seamless dress with so many options to get a unique dress every time.

I ran out of time on this one, but like its predecessor, this little beauty can also be knit with a hood to keep those little heads warm, other options for this pattern are a belt and belt loops, eyelet holes so you can add a ribbon or an i-cord,  different hem options and 3 different options for the skirt - a full skirt, a box pleat and a petal style pleat. (pictured above is the box pleat, and below is the full skirt with ruffle hem)

This pattern is  available in sizes from 3m to sz 4, and can be knit in either 8ply or 10ply.  The pattern is well set out, easy to read and a rather quick knit.  I have plans for a full skirt one for my little miss for the coming winter, and I don’t think that will be my last.