In the interest of full disclosure I feel the need to tell you that I had to bribe those three girls to pose for these knitting pics for me. So involved were they in their game of cubby cooking that it was my only way. One chocolate biscuit each. They tried to raise it to two but I didn't budge. It was a one treat shoot.
First the Chunky Bear Beanie.
Knitted in the squishiest, softest wool I have ever felt.
Last year when we were in Israel, one of my instagram friends, Dria, contacted me and invited us to lunch at her family's bakery, in the community where they live. It was so gorgeous to meet properly and hug her after years of looking at the pictures of her life online.
A few weeks after we got home she posted me the wool. Five different colour ways, each one equally as divine. I'm tempted to knit them all into chunky bear beanies but I should probably play around a bit, we'll see.
Ravelled here.
Next up, a Little Scallops. The fourth I have made. I love this pattern.
I cast this one on at The Seven Sisters Festival a few weeks back. I thought I'd knit so many stitches that weekend. I packed the boot of my car full of wool just in case. But somehow I didn't get past the band.
I think it needs a pom-pom.
Did you notice the first lost tooth? This Mama's last first, sob.
Ravelled here.
Then I made a From Norway With Love for the sister of someone who reads my blog. Her story touched my heart and I wanted to send her a bit of my love in return. Knitting feels so nurturing and I feel so grateful for that.
Ravelled here.
And then I knitted another one for us.
Miss Pepper chose the colours and while I found them a little challenging and out of my comfort zone, I love how much she loves it. I feel like it looks straight off the shelves of a chain store, but she'd probably love that too.
Ravelled here.
Another Chunky Cable Beanie for my farmer boy.
He loves this pattern, it suits him, it is the closest I have ever come to replacing his favourite Nana knitted beanie and it is warm and thick.
The last one I knitted him ended up wet left out on the tractor so many times that it is all mishapen and stretched. I've been thinking about unraveling it and knitting it up all over again. Can I do that? Will it work?
Ravelled here.
And now I'm onto this, a little cardigan. A Tikki test knit.I wanted to make the cream the main colour, with the charcoal the stripe, but Miss Pepper had other ideas. I kinda like the way it's turning out now.
I love the fact that my smaller two don't wear a school uniform anymore and that I can wrap them up in snugly hand knits over the icy months to come. I love the fact that they have clothes that are made just for them; from the measuring of their body parts, to the choice of the pattern and yarn, all the way through to the stitches. Every stitch a little story of the time; a grey and rainy week, a Wonder Years marathon, tomatoes and quinces and apples on the stove. Cozy times.
Keep warm my friends.
And tell me, what's keeping your hands busy these April days?
Big love
xx
They are all beautiful, love love that chunky wool and bear hat. I'm so excited that good knitting weather is just around the corner.
ReplyDeleteI love all those beanies Kate! Knitting seems so refined compared to crochet- especially my crochet which is full of mistakes but equally full of love!
ReplyDeleteBecause I cannot knit my friend has agreed to knit the ladybaby ( due in just over 5 weeks!) a little jumper & that makes me so excited :)
Have a lovely weekend xx
Beautiful knits Kate! I too love dressing my girls in their winter woolies... they are both still young (2 and 8 months) but I already get a thrill at the younger one wearing hand-me-downs and knowing they were knitted with all my love for a family unfolding.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how it will be when I am forced to let go of creative control... one can only hope the girls inherit my love of muted tones!!!
I'll definitely be whipping up a couple of Chunky Bear Beanies in the coming weeks. Things on our hill are getting very cold, very fast and littlies in matching hats are just too cute to pass up.
Linda. x
Romi is reading this over my shoulder and she said "hat" they are beautiful. I love the hearts and the scallops.
ReplyDeleteThey are all so beautiful - I love the hearts especially!
ReplyDeleteWhat gorgeous hats Kate. I love them all and it makes me feel warm from the rain today just seeing your girls wearing them. I think men need a few beanies during winter. Paul wears his and then leaves it outside and it gets all horrible. I try to soak them and block them back into shape if I can, otherwise I just knit another one. I love the Tikki test knit, is that the KAL one coming up soon. I am hoping to knit my niece one since she is still tiny. I think Pepper chose her colors very well. I quite like the darker color with the cream lines. Hope your keeping warm xoxox
ReplyDeleteI love the cubby, the beanies and your wool. I was going to ask where you bought the wool from so I could get some......lucky you! I'm loving your regular posting. Thank you. My hands have been busy in the kitchen, fruit cake today.....in the garden, planting seeds......knitting, dishcloths. Hope you have a lovely weekend. xxoo
ReplyDeleteBeautiful knits. My knitting skills are rudimentary (and that is probably being generous!) so I have signed up for a knitting class in June, it is about time I learnt this useful skill. I can crochet quite proficiently but a giant blanket is hardly a portable project and I need portable so I am expecting knitting will fill that gap. And lordy me there are sooooo many pretty things to knit..............
ReplyDeleteAdorable hats, every one. I am a hat girl and love them in all incarnations. Farm Boy's cable hat is my favorite of this batch, I suspect you could unknit his ragged one and reknit it; I have read on Knitting paradise (.com) forum that some ladies retrieve the yarn from thrifted sweaters. I cannot imagine that hats would be any different. Please join us on Knitting Paradise and see if you can glean how to best reuse that particular yarn.
ReplyDeleteLove them all but of course I am just mentally high-fiving you for farmer boy's beanie. I know that finding the perfect one to replace nana's has been an ongoing challenge for you ;)
ReplyDeleteHere I am knitting as always in the evenings but the spare time in my days is filled up with (finally) sewing up dresses for charity that I promised myself I would do *cough* a few years ago.
Enjoy your weekend and keep warm. Loving the cooler weather here.
I need to branch out and try different knitting techniques, I've been knitting for a very long time, but too worried to try circular needles or cabling. I'm determined to try this year (though dpns worry me slightly more)! X
ReplyDeleteYour photos are gorgeous, as are the words that go with them - they are such a wonderful glimpse into your own life. All of your projects look so lovely and warm and they inspire me to keep going with my own knitting endeavours. At the moment, I am knitting some bright stripy socks that I hope will keep me warm over Winter, as well as a cardigan, both from 1980s patterns I found in op shops.
ReplyDeleteThis cold, miserable weather certainly is good for escaping indoors and picking up a woolly project or two!
I love to knit and always have a few projects on the go. At present a jumper for me out of Bendigo mills beautiful wool, and a throw for our caravan. I love your posts and the special things you show us. All very happy making!
ReplyDeleteoh those heart beanies... they have my mind a-ticking...
ReplyDeletesuch beautiful knitting wonders kate! i can't wait to get stuck into that tikki knit myself, need to get swatching first though!
i've got a bitsa beanie on my lap as i type, and an almost sock on my dpns beside me. hoping to have both finished by the end of the weekend, fingers crossed!
happy weekend lovely lady!
xo
All of them so cute! I just may feel confident enough about my knitting skills now to tackle the bear ears and scallop hat. My little babe has a store bought fleece bear hat with ears and she loves it - I would much rather prefer her to wear one that her Momma made. I just finished my first sweater - the In Threes cardigan for my little babe. Just waiting for the handmade ceramic buttons to arrive in the mail - any day now!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous knits! I need to make some more beanies but have started a Tama jumper for my boy instead.
ReplyDeleteI love Miss Peppers dress too. Did you use a pattern or draft it up yourself? xo
Jazzy designed it and then I made it a few years ago. I wish I'd cut a pattern off it because now I'd love to make another and I have no idea how. Sorry. xx
DeleteIt's always the way isn't it! I can never find just the right pattern either, and I owe my girl some new dresses. xo
DeleteSome lovely knitting there, I especially like the grey one with the hearts. Jo x
ReplyDeleteI love them all, but I absolutely love that striped cardigan. Gorgeous! I think Pepper is leading you in the right direction. ;)
ReplyDeleteGeogeous hats, I know 2 little twin girls who would love the bear beanies, so will have to get knitting.
ReplyDeleteI made beanies in k2,p2 rib for my 2 brothers and my son, who all surf and come out Freeeezing, one got so well used it stretched, so I undid it and reknit on a few sizes smaller needles and it holds shape much better now.
I think if you give the old hat a bath with some fabric softener to relax the fibres it may be easier to undo, sometimes the fibres have stuck together and you have to tug a bit, but I am sure the girls will help.
The usual procedure for reusing yarn is to undo it, as you wind it around the back of a chair into a skein, tie it together in a few places, give it a wash, then hang it up and the weight of the wet wool should pull all the kinks out. good luck and have fun.
Just the one skein for the hat, but probably 100grm skeins (ease of processing) for a jumper etc.
DeleteOnce you get the hang of it, it is a cheap way to supply the girls with good yarn from op shop jumpers or cardigans,kids find it good fun to hunt for "treasures" at the op shop and get creative with the resulting yarn.
Gosh you have been busy they are amazing and you are very talented with all rose designs. I love the one you made for Lisa and it's good timing because her hair started to come out 3 days ago. Regards Kathy A, Brisbane, Australia
ReplyDeleteHaha, I'd try to squeeze and extra few bikkies out of you too. Love the beanies! One of the best parts about a drizzly autumn. Now if only I could knit ;)
ReplyDeletesuch wonderful beanies and the cardigan looks lovely too :-)
ReplyDeletei much more like crotching at the moment and just finished a starflower blanket
in a few days i'll take some pics and show it on my blog, maybe you'll take a look ;-)
have a nice weekend
Love those hats. They look so cute and warm. Of course the models have a bit to do with that too! As I read this post I thought if I were looking to try the organic life your lovely words would have completely won me over. I feel so warm and cosseted reading them. I am sure it is real hard work, but you make it sound so cosy. Here in the Uk of course spring is showing its lovely face in the Miriam of wild flowers, but apart from the odd sunny day it is still chilly. I am busy sewing holiday clothes and crocheting a throw for the summerhouse. Keeping my fingers crossed for some warm weather you see. X
ReplyDeleteBeautiful hats. The little scalps is probably my favourite - I'll add it to my Ravelry queue in hope of attempting to make it for my daughter one day. I have a love-hate relationship with school uniforms - on one hand they are so convenient and there is no agonizing of what to wear in the mornings, on the other hand I would love for my daughter to be able to wear some of the lovely clothes she has.
ReplyDeleteOh my!! I love the scallopped and love heart ones!! Soo amazing! I must learn to knit!
ReplyDeleteWow, these are beautiful. Since my mother passed away, my wee souls don't get hand knitted beanies or cardis anymore (I have no ability whatsoever!) so they hang on to the ones that they have from their grandmother, regardless of how small these items are! It's actually a beautiful reminder of someone they love. You are blessed with a super talent of being able to create things from a ball of wool to something that's more than just a woolly hat..
ReplyDeleteLoving all the hats, especially the one jazzy is wearing with the loops. Loving the wool from Israel, love the colour ways. And it looks so soft! Kate, you inspired me to relearn how to knit, u am so glad you are blogging more often! I missed your posts - NO PRESSURE!!!!! ;) xxxx
ReplyDeleteJust wonderful Kate! So inspired. Love the chunky wool and the precious way you write about how much your girl loves the colours which you think look shop bought. We knitting mamas do make these concessions at times! I'm loving the colouring of the Tikki test, great choice! I am so otherwise preoccupied right now I have missed productive knitting time, but luckily lovely people like you post your work and I feel satisfied on some level to ogle!
ReplyDeleteThey're all so beautiful Kate, every single one. I can't get enough of making at the moment. I think I might need to re-teach myself to knit x
ReplyDeleteI cannot knit, but I crochet a lot and I say definitely re-use the yarn from the old cap! You don't have to make another hat, but you could make something like a washcloth or so :) I bet it would be lovely. :)
ReplyDeleteWe have very similar things on the needles
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love the From Norway With Love pattern. I haven't knitted for a while (lately I'm very much into crochet), but after the holidays I think I'll try to make one of these. In my part of the world is spring, but winter will come eventually.
ReplyDeleteAll beautiful hats, and well done on getting the trio to pose (bribery or not, it's still impressive 🙋)�)
ReplyDeleteYou're a knitting star! I've not realised you were into it so much and I've followed since before Israel, not sure how long but ages. The chain store hat colours are gorgeous I have to sayI think I remember the comment about the sister, I'm so glad you're sending a gift, it's a kind thing to do. Xx (following on fb, just left a message (RL)
ReplyDelete