ittybittyknitty

ittybittyknitty

Saturday 10 November 2012

A Few Recent Knitty projects...


Chevron Strip Blankie


Itty Knitty Pink Princess


My Attempt at Knitting a Tartan blankie


A lovely warm Aran Scarf


Little White Baby Blankie



Friday 13 July 2012

IttyBittyFairies...



My family of ittbittyknitty dollies are growing...


Dolly DayDream

Cobweb 

Book Sprite



The dolls are approximately 40 cms and are made from double knitting wool with added bits of speciality wool. They are not toys, and so aren't suitable for little children as the dolls contain small pieces of beads and wires and could potentially be harmful in little hands...










Tuesday 15 May 2012

Another little dolly


This quirky little dolly is adapted from a book of knits by Fiona McDonald


Knitted Fairies to Cherish and Charm



Knitted Fairies: To Cherish and Charm




I think she is lovely !!


Sunday 29 April 2012

Rag Dolly...

It's taken me a little while to knit this multicoloured and multi layered rag dolly.


She looks quite cute and easily made using small amounts of double knitting wool.




The petals in her coat look really pretty.




She is approximately 60 cms tall.



Sunday 4 March 2012

ittybittystripeyblankies...

I love knitting in stripes, and for ages I wanted to master the knack of knitting chevron stripes but every pattern I tried didn't really work out how I wanted it to - and there's only so many times you can pull out row after row without giving up entirely.

But I'm glad I persevered and found this lovely blankie pattern which works out just fine..and the chevrons look really pretty.




This is knitted in a lovely purple and pink mix and was just the right size for 
baby Isabella.





This colour combination looks bright and cheerful for Spring




I recommend making the pattern as easy as possible, so try using self patterned wool which knits up in a remarkably short time, and there are fewer fiddly bits to weave in afterwards.

These two blankies are knitted in Wizz Aran and really do pattern like magic !



Friday 24 February 2012

ittybittyknittybags ...with handles

Sometimes a bag with handles is better and more practical than one without handles !!





These ittyknittybags look really cute.

They've all got colourful coordinated linings and are knitted in double- double wool, which makes them sturdy and strong. 
They make quirky and pretty gift bags.




The felt flower on the front adds a little bit of interest and can be removed when the bag is washed.







This ittyknittybag is knitted in quite a fine wool using a simple white /red fair isle pattern

The red beads are knitted into the design.

Knitting with beaded wool isn't as easy as it looks, as all the beads have to be threaded onto the wool 

before you start to knit the main body of the bag, but the result is just a little bit different, and well worth the extra effort.








This my favourite double duo of bags. The hand knitted flowers really make a difference and are knitted in a colour to compliment the bag.



Thursday 23 February 2012

Ittybittyknittyblankies...

I find the repetitive nature of knitting baby blankies quietly therapeutic, and I like nothing better than listening to an audio book or to the afternoon play on Radio 4 with the accompanying click-clack of my knitting needles...

One of my favourite stitches is Feather and Fan, which is a really old traditional knitting stitch, it's also known as "Old Shale". It is simply a way of increasing and decreasing in a set routine which makes a lovely scalloped pattern. Its lace effect is perfect for blankies,scarves,and baby jackets.







Feather and Fan Stitch



Here are a few of my favourite feather and fan baby blankies.

They look really interesting with lots of different colours, but can look equally stunning in a single colour.



BabyWhite




BabyForest




BabyPale




BabyPink/Blue


They are a great size for popping over baby when they're in a baby carrier- super lightweight, and really snuggly cosy with the added benefit that they take very little wool, and can be knitted quickly. 


The teddies are all mine !!!






























Wednesday 22 February 2012

Ittybittybookbags...


I had a great idea of knitting quirky book bags which became really popular with my book loving friends.I have lost count how many I have given as gifts...



ittybittybookbag




The bags are really versatile, and can be used to safely store books in handbags, so the pages of the book don't get scuffed and bent.




ittybittybookbags




I use one to store my kindle and I've made some big enough to hold net books and ipads. Some have linings in them, which help make them quite sturdy.

All these bags are knitted in double knitting wool using 4mm (UK) needles


The ipad cover is made using double-double knitting wool, as this makes it tough enough to slide the ipad or net book in and out without over stretching the wool too much...



ipad 2 cover













Tuesday 21 February 2012

Ittybittyknitty..



How it all began

I learned to a long time ago when I was quite small, probably about 7 or 8, and I think my grandmother bought my first knitting kit. I remember that the kit came in a red case, complete with red needles and enough wool to make a scarf for my favourite teddy bear.

 My mother initially had to do the casting on for me, and she always came to the rescue when I lost count of stitches, or laddered a piece of knitting. It was just like magic when she made my tiny bits of crumpled wool into something that resembled a teddy sweater or a doll's skirt. She could knit really quickly, and would chatter away to her friends whilst knitting complicated pieces of Aran or Fair Isle, and I was always the one made to sit still with arms outstretched as she looped around  hanks of wool, and rolled them into manageable balls.

My first real attempt at something grown up came in my early teens, when I made a bright pink maxi scarf which was simply huge,it was knitted into a gigantic piece of knitting about 16 feet long !!
I wore that scarf for most of my teenage years and over time it got longer and longer !!

From basic crafts, I learned how to knit uncomplicated sweaters and cardigans, and then progressed to baby clothes, for my own babies and later to my own Aran designs.

After a non knitting spell,  I now have the time, and the patience to knit some more and I enjoy small quirky projects. Some are made as commission pieces, whilst others are given away as gifts.

I love making quirky bags, which are sturdy enough to use as gift bags, book bags and even lunch bags !

But my real interest comes from designing and making my ittybittyblankies which are made especially for babies and young children, with super soft yarn in bright, bold or pastel shades.

Knitting gives me enormous pleasure and a real sense of achievement that something practical can come from a few metres of coloured yarn.