Author: toryawintersdesigns

Designer, maker, lover of colourful sparkly things.
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Whole Wheat Cardigan

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I’ve finished my test knit of the Whole Wheat Cardigan! This cardigan is a truly gorgeous pattern – not published yet, but it will be soon. The designer is Alexandra Charlotte Dafoe, who can be found on Ravelry.

I knitted it in Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk DK, the softest yarn I’ve ever worked with. It knits up so nicely and really shows off the stitches well. The lace and cable pattern is really easy to memorise, so it’s perfect for knitting in front of the telly or while reading. It’s also a really quick knit, only taking me six days in total including all the finishing off. Here’s a picture of me modelling it –

It shouldn’t be quite as stretched as that over the bust area, but I knitted it to pre-pregnancy measurements. It’ll fit really well in the next six months or so! Here’s a shot of the back, which shows off the pattern quite well –

and here’s a close up of the pattern itself.

I absolutely love these buttons, they’re beautifully detailed and also really cheap! I have two button jars in my house but couldn’t find any buttons suitable for the cardigan, so I had a great excuse to go out and buy some new ones for the first time in ages.

I’m really happy with this cardigan. It’s going to be a great little cover-up in the summer, but warm enough for spring and autum as well, and it’ll go with so many things. Now on to the next test knit!

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Crochet testing

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I’m a total novice at crochet, but I recently tested a crochet bag for Smart Cat Studios on Ravelry and found it surprisingly easy. I used some multicoloured chenille yarn that I’ve had in my stash for ages, and the whole thing worked up in a few hours. I didn’t think it was really my son’s style, so I gave it to a little girl that he knows.Here’s the finished result –

It’s made a little hole in my stash of odd balls, but there’s still a whole bin bag in the loft to get through! I just can’t bring myself to throw away those scraps of 25-50g of yarn. Sometime I’d like to knit a log cabin afghan to use them up, but I’ll need to do some sorting of colours first.

I’m busy with test knitting at the moment as well, with two cardigans, the SOLI sock and a blanket project on the go. One of the cardigans is nearly finished, and has been a dream to knit with the gorgeous Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk DK. I’ve never used yarn so soft, and I can’t wait to wear the completed cardigan. Here’s what it looks like so far – the design is the Whole Wheat Cardigan by Alexandra Charlotte Dafoe.

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Latest crafty makes

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I’ve been doing so much frantic knitting recently that I decided to have a wee bit of a change. I picked up a whole pile of cross stitch kits in a charity shop a few weeks ago, so I dug them out and chose a cute little rabbit to try. The finished result looked great, and I’m going to use it in a cushion, so I decided to do another one for my mum for Mothers’ Day. They’re called “Somebunny to Love” and really are the cutest little things.

Here’s the one for my mum, all framed and ready to give her tomorrow.

Apologies for the bad photo, the glare on the glass means that you can see my hands holding the camera. I also made a Mothers’ Day card with some offcuts of the paper that I used when framing the picture.

Finally, here’s a picture that I’ve been wanting to post for ages, but my camera has been refusing to take good quality pictures for some reason. I felted a man’s sweater some time ago, and used it to make a bag. The decoration and lining are made from a paisley pattern silky scarf, which was a nightmare to sew with. I’m pleased with the finished result though – here it is…

…and a shot that shows the lining.

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My lovely prize

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Recently, I entered a competition over on Crafter…oo! to design and make a wearable recycled accessory in a weekend. My felted starfish brooch won a mystery surprise prize, and I got it through the post today! Just look at this…

Isn’t it gorgeous? I have a really pretty chain I can put it on, and the colours are my favourites. The marbled stone at the centre is just so beautiful – I can’t wait to wear it. Thanks very much, Crafter…oo!
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I’m so broody!

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Another of the girls that I work with just gave birth, and I went to visit her the other day. I’m now totally broody! The baby is a gorgeous little boy, nearly a whole three pounds lighter than my wee one was at birth, so he seemed tiny to me. I love seeing little baby feet and hands – they’re so cute! Still 15 weeks or so to wait until my latest bump will make an appearance.

I took some handknitted presents along with me – this sweater, from a Patons pattern…

…and these little socks, from Debbie Bliss’s book “Simply Baby”.

The sweater was supposed to be made in Patons Fairytale 4ply, but I substituted some very old Sirdar Soft Cotton that I had in my stash. I wasn’t sure how it would knit up, and my tension was a bit off, so I put the denim patch on to give it a sort of rustic effect. It drapes nicely though, and will be cool for summer.

The socks were made in Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino – such a lovely yarn to work with! It’s dreamily soft, and as the name suggests, is part merino and part cashmere. I got two balls from a charity shop at 59p each, and there’s enough to make another pair of socks or a hat.