Fittie Mitts

Autumn is already just around the corner (really???), and it’s time to start thinking about knits for cooler weather, methinks.  Just the time for a new cowl, or hat, or – I know – a  pair of mitts.  These little critters often get lost, wandering off to pastures new, leaving their solitary mate behind (well they do in my house), so I am used to making at least four pairs of mitts each cold season, and that’s not counting the mittens and gloves I knit.  And don’t get me started on the fairisle gloves my daughter lost in Nottingham – someone out there knows where they are…

Anyway, back to the plot: out on 8th September, Crochet Now Issue 6 has my design for a pair of fingerless mitts within its pages.

The cuffs are extra long to avoid those nasty gusts of cold wind swishing around your wrists (more about that in a moment).  I am loving the jewel-like puff stitch around those cuffs.  Made in Manos Silk Blend, there are lots of lovely colours to choose from, and these mitts are an easy way to bring a bit of affordable luxury into your life.  Added bonus: there’s enough yarn left over to make a second pair, if you reverse the colour-way.

Now, back to the nasty gusts: the idea for these mitts was born when I went to Aberdeen last year, and took a walk out from the city centre to Fittie; it’s a very interesting place to walk around – take a look at the photos in the link – but when I was there, it wasn’t half cold… hence the need for a pair of mits.  I went to sleep thinking about how I could design them, and by morning I knew what I wanted to do.  Fortunately the lovely people at Crochet Now said yes, and so I got to make these mitts for them.

I hope you love them as much as I do.

Beachcomber Skirt

Do I hear a woot woot for my latest design? (I do in my house).  Published in Interweave Crochet Winter 2016, this is Beachcomber Skirt, which you can view on Ravelry here

A pencil skirt made in some lovely yarn; Lhasa Wilderness from Bijou Basin Ranch  It’s a sport weight yak (YAK!) and bamboo blend, and I recommend it highly.  It is soft, but very strong, with not a huge amount of stretch, so it’s a good idea to use it for a skirt – it should keep its shape for longer.

 

 

Pomegranate Socks: Test Knitters Needed

Ah yes; Autumn.

My Dad always used to bring me home a pomegranate when they were in the shops in Autumn – took me hours to eat the thing.  I don’t think I actually liked the taste much, but it was very pretty to look at.  Ever since, I have associated pomegranates with Autumn.

I thought it was pretty neat when I found out that pomegranates have been associated with the coming of Winter for a long time.  There’s a Greek myth about Hades and Persephone that links pomegranate seeds to Winter (Persephone ate 6 pomegranate seeds while she was in the underworld, and to cut a long story short, she had to spend 6 months of the year in the underworld, which equates to Winter, and then she was allowed out for six months, which gives us Summer).

It seemed like a good idea to create a thicker pair of socks for Autumn and Winter that featured pomegranate seeds, and now I am looking for Test Knitters. If you fancy a pair for yourself, get over to my Ravelry Group, where you can sign up for the test.

This link to my Ravelry group page will take you to the very place.

Copyright Jane Howorth: Pomegranate Socks

Plain Sailing Sweater Now Available

The Plain Sailing Sweater – I love it to bits.

A result of my first collaboration with Dublin Dye, who are offering a 15% discount on their Merino DK yarn in connection with this design – discount code is in the pattern, and is good until the end of August 2015.

Super easy, and lots of fun, with interesting techniques to try: intarsia, seamless set-in sleeves, and those holes – they’re not as difficult as they might look, and they don’t make any extra ends to weave in. (whew)

Oh yes  –  it’s seamless too – what’s not to like?

On sale in the Jane Howorth Ravelry Store

New Crochet Workshop at Stash Fine Yarns, Chester

I’m super-pleased to be able to announce that I will be teaching a crochet class at the Stash Fine Yarns shop in Chester on Saturday, 9th May.

My LYS in Chester

 

I have been talking about this for a while with my lovely friends at Stash, and now it’s great that we can go ahead with this class that’s designed to help beginners and near beginners to get going with their crochet.

The class runs from 1.00pm – 3.30pm, and class size will be small, so I can get to have a 1:1 with everyone.

I’ve designed the class so that participants will have the opportunity to learn the basic stitches, and also how to combine them to make interesting stitch patterns.  By the end of the class everyone should have the confidence and ability to ‘go it alone’ with a crochet hook and a ball of yarn.

All the information is available on Stash’s own Website, but here is a little bit more about it:

Starting with a quick look at choosing the right yarn and tools, you will learn:

 

• how to hold the hook and yarn
• chain stitch
• slip stitch
• double crochet stitch
• half treble stitch
• treble stitch
• working in rows
• changing colours

You’ll also get a reference sheet that shows you the stitch symbols, stitch abbreviations and their American equivalents and a list of recommended reading.

There will also be time for participants to start a project with their new knowledge.  I’ve been working on a new pattern that will be an exclusive for the course members.  Everyone will get a copy of the pattern to take away with them.

I’m super-excited about leading this class at Stash and looking forward to passing on my skills and passion for crochet.

New Design Published: Wester Ross Sweater for Teens and Adults

What do you know about Wester Ross?  A couple of years ago my answer would be ‘not a lot’, (except for that line in a Proclaimers song – I’ve looked at the ocean tried hard to imagine/
The way you felt the day you sailed from Wester Ross to Nova Scotia

Last summer I got the opportunity to go to the far north of Scotland, and I saw Wester Ross.  It’s amazingly beautiful, very empty, super-colourful and with a great quality of light.  Have a look at these photos:

Photo: Visitwester-ross.com

Photo: apogeephoto.com

Photo: Scotlandinfo.eu

Photo: Inspiring-photography.com

The result of spending some time up there was this new sweater:

The colours and movement of the pattern in the sweater are very much how I remember Wester Ross.

Check out the long cuffs; thumbhole cuffs are my favourite thing ever, I don’t know why I haven’t been using them more often, although the pattern does come with regular cuffs for anyone who doesn’t fancy these extra-long ones.

There’s more information about the pattern on Ravelry should you wish to go see!

Nori Skirt: My New Design in Interweave Crochet Spring 2015

I have been waiting a long time to be able to say, ‘I have a design in Interweave Crochet magazine’, and now I can!

As you might know, I like to make clothes that are on the wearable, practical side of things, but still have them look good (otherwise we’d all be wearing overalls).  Because of this particular point of view, I’ve been a long-time fan of Claire McCardell, a US designer who worked especially in the 1950s, and was a great influence on making clothes for women that were practical and wearable, with functional details.  I suppose it’s all about form following function when you come down to it.

I designed the Nori skirt with McCardell’s work in mind, and I was thrilled thrilled thrilled to have my design selected for publication by Interweave.

The preview photos are up on the Interweave website: HERE and designs can also be viewed on Ravelry HERE

The design for Nori is based on a panel skirt, with post stitches to define the panels, it is an all-in-one, top-down design with pockets that are actually pockets, meaning you can put things in them!

Photo: Interweave Crochet

Photo: Interweave Crochet

 

 

 

All About Me: Willow Yarns Newsletter July 2014

Willow Yarns a US online yarn company, have done a little feature about me in their latest Newsletter.

See it HERE

Willow Yarns are a super yarn company to work for.  I did some designs for them last year:

Image: Willow Yarns

Rococo Waistcoat

Image Willow Yarns

Loveheart Apron

Image Willow Yarns

Sorrento Top

Tic Tac Toe Place Setting

Tic Tac Toe Place Setting

 

 

I was very pleased to be able to work with them again earlier this year.

My new designs with them should be coming out in time for the Autumn season.

Ode to a Tee

A little poem, inspired by the nice comments I have received from people about the Front Pleat Dolman that appears in the latest edition of Knit.Wear (Spring/Summer 2014)

 

‘Oh dear little tee shirt, you’re cute, and so ‘me’

I like you a lot, and my friends all agree

That tee shirts like you aren’t easily found –

I’ve looked quite a bit, but there’s none around.

 

‘How are you made, can you tell me? I dream

That  you’re made all-in-one, with nary a seam.

But no matter the way, I’ll take it as read

That I’ll start you tonight, and not see my bed

’til you’re finished and blocked and put over my head.

 

Image copyright: Interweave

 

And what, I hear you ask, would this Front Pleat Dolman Tee reply?

I’ll leave that for another day, unless y’all fancy having a go?

 

5KCBWDAY3 Mayflower Lace

 

My Latest Crochet Design

Available in Inside Crochet Issue 53

Original Image Copyright Inside Crochet

5KCBWDAY3