Tutorial: Continuous Cable Border

This tutorial has been a long time coming. My apologies. It was back in November 2009 when my first was just a little one when I first showed this continuous cable border and I used it again for my sisters wedding present in August 2012. I have received so many e-mails asking for the pattern. Here is the pattern that I will leave up for the month of March on the blog before putting a PDF version it in my Etsy store. If you would like a PDF version of the pattern e-mailed to you during March - please let me know.

I haven't done much hand knitting for a longtime. My little bunnies are SO fascinated by knitting needles and the wonder of throwing a ball of yarn around - I can't tell you how many times I accidentally left the knitting within arm reach of one of them and they pulled the needles out! You would have thought I would have learnt after the first occurrence of needle pulling - but apparently not!

Continuous Cable Border Pattern

I've Been Knitting Away

I have been working away on two large and secret projects.

This is one of the projects that was knitted in secret. I finally finished it and was able to post it to the UK last week. It is a wedding present for my sister who got married at the end of June this year.

 

The blanket is huge (her husband is quite tall) - the blanket measures 6.5ft x 7ft.

It is a much larger version of a baby blanket I made back in November '09. The border is another continuous cable border with 3 simple rope cables in it.

In the bottom right hand corner of the blanket there is a cable heart (adapted from a book I love - Continuous Cables) and in the heart (after much experimentation and pondering) I added some cream felted wool in their initials combined over a heart.

I used Cascade Ecological Wool in Natural. I love this wool - it is soft, easy to knit with and the hanks are just enormous. Now I just need to write the pattern down! I'm so glad I finished the blanket before the new baby arrives - the other project will have to be completed in a haze of new born madness ...

MIA - Can you forgive me?

I've been totally missing in action in the crafting world for the past couple of months. So many things are happening here at home - exciting things that I shall tell you about shortly. But first - to make it up to you. Here is a splendiferous giveaway.

I met Anna Hrachovec at the Martha Stewart Knitting Show it was clear that Anna was a very talented lady who was going to go to high places with her knitting. Well Anna has published a book and she has offered me one free copy to give away on my blog. How kind is that? The book is more than utterly adorable, the pages filled with witty and cute designs. I shall have trouble parting with it.

All you have to do is visit Anna's website Mochimochi Land and leave a comment here telling me which of her wonderful creations is your favorite design. I'll draw a number at random on the 14th August and post this lovely book to the lucky winner.

Hopefully by then I will have taken a breath, sat down and knitted something to share with you all.

Continuous Cable Border

I'm really trying to write down my knitting patterns as I go but I find it really hard to be totally happy with them. I so want to be able to communicate clearly with someone how to make the pattern - but we all think/work so differently - I worry that my directions will frustrate or confuse.

Baby bunny has lots of new mobility skills (she has taken to rolling around everywhere and recently learnt to pull up.) I find my eyes have to be glued to her at all times so she doesn't find her way into the dogs toys (yum) or pulls anything off a table that land on her head (ouch). I have been finding that knitting is an easy thing for me to pick up and put down quickly. (Every peaceful moment is now a crafting moment.) Here she is inspecting my stitches.The border on this blanket is made using a a simple cable pattern. I joined the border to the blanket by knitting into stitches along the sides of the blanket and I joined the two ends of the border together using the three needle bind off technique.The same principle can be used with any pattern you care to use for a border. And the bonus is - no sewing is required! Do you like my fancy corners?

Totally Unravelled

I have signed up for Ravelry (I know I'm behind the times) ... but it seems to be a bit dangerous. On my first little Ravelry outing ... before I knew it ... half a day had passed by ... and that is dangerous!

I have added a couple of my knitting projects to my profile and I hope to make my Hugs, Kisses and Cables pattern available soon. It seems to be a wonderful forum to find out tricks and hints from other knitters - over come those parts of a pattern that you might be struggling with ... alternative ways to use patterns ... I fear there will be many many more hours (erm days) spent perusing the information available ...

I'm really struggling with the Sylvi pattern from the Twist Collective. My gauge was perfect with size 10 needles ... but then when I began knitting the pattern the sizing was totally off and the size small was turning out to be smaller than an extra small. After 60 rows or so I decided to unravel my knitting and start again with a bigger needle size (US 10.5) and try the size medium pattern. But it is still knitting up too small. It is really hard to know whether to keep going and see what happens or start over yet again ...
... and if I start over again - how do I start? Bigger needles? Bigger size?Maybe using my own choice of yarn was a mistake ...
Maybe I knit super tight (I think I do) ...Maybe I should just stay clear of trying to make clothes (maybe I'm wimping out too soon) ...
Or maybe it is the reason why hand knitted things are so special and unique - they all turn out a little different?
Do you just learn how your knitting style will change a pattern? Or will I have these endless debates with myself for ever more ...

Knitting Clothes

I really started knitting to knit bunnies and other knitted softies. I don't know why I have never knitted any clothes before (apart from the odd hat, one scarf and a pair of dodgy mittens) ... probably because I haven't had faith that I would make anything worth while or even wearable. Now I have the cardigan/coat pattern to take on ... but I little thought popped into my head the other day - soon I will have the perfect model to experiment with - an innocent child who will (for the initial part of her life at least) wear what ever I put her in!

And this is what I have found for her first little knitted outfit ...... I plan not to torture her too much with anything too experimental. But I really think this is about the cutest little baby cardigan I have ever seen - lets hope I do it justice!