Shazzas Knits

Proud Mummy

2009-10-20T08:55:00.004+11:00

As a mother I have always encouraged my children to be creative and use their gifts and talents, with my boys this has definately been sport but with Janelle she has been creating since she was little and used to blow people away with her little drawings and neat colouring in as pre-schooler. She can do most crafts but sewing is her passion and my house is being over run with fabrics and sewing notions which is fast overtaking my knitting stash, I kid you not!

Well of course as a student she is always looking for a bit of extra income so I suggested that she open an Etsy shop and start selling her items, she has been very busy creating and so I thought I would share some of them with you.

vintage fabric bunting

ipod cover

Adorable little hair ties

Her shop is called janellish.

I have been creating a few new items too, Sringtime Bandit shawl for the BWM op shop karma swap on Ravelry

and fingerless arm warmers for a customer

Until next time,
happy knitting.

Just A Few....

2009-08-26T10:07:00.003+10:00

The trouble with slackness in blogging there are many projects to catch up on and add so here are just a few of them.

Midwest Moonlight Scarf, made from Cleckheaton Country 8 ply, this was made for a swap on Ravelry.

Gail aka as Nightsongs, made from some merino 4 ply from the Knittery, which I gave to my mother in law for her birthday, someday I will make another one for me.

04 Cabled Beret a Debbie Bliss pattern, made from BWM Luxury 10 ply, this one also was given in a swap on Ravelry.

Last but definately not least, Janelles Luxury Wrap Vest made from 4 ply BWM Luxury, she loves it and wears it all the time, yay I'm a happy knitting mum!

Am I Mad??!

2009-06-10T10:36:00.003+10:00

Cutting into perfectly good knitting? My very first attempt at steeking and I must admit that it wasn't as daunting as I thought it would be, it was actually a lot of fun. And after picking up the stitches to knit around the edges it gives a much neater finish as there are no loose edge stitches which quite often become a bit distorted. The pattern is Colorwork Wrap Vest and I am using Bendigo Luxury 4ply in colours #355 Cork Brown and #343 Stone. I am up to the finishing off and so should have it finished by the end of the week, which is just as well as Janelle is just itching to wear it! But there is still 115 cms (45 inches) of I-cord to be knitted on 2.75 needles so that will be a bit tedious I suspect.

I have finally finished the Log Cabin Blanket and I love it so much that I have cast on the moderne log cabin blanket, plus it gives me an easy garter stitch project to have on the go.

Till next time, happy knitting.

Cupcake Hat Pattern

2009-05-12T08:45:00.002+10:00

I have my first pattern for sale, the cupcake hat pattern is now available for purchase from Ravelry and Etsy it uses 8ply (DK, sportweight) and is in sizes prem through to 18 months.

A special big thank you to the test knitters on Ravelry.

Oh Dear.....

2009-03-13T08:58:00.003+11:00

I think it is about time I blogged about some knitting, any knitting really!! I have been working on plenty of items but haven't actually got around to posting any of them here so here goes:

These were a request for a customer and have little embellishments that obviously have significant meaning, I used a Drops pattern but changed it to a short length glove and added a faux fur trim. I had to rewrite the fingers section though as it would never have worked as the fingers would have been far too small. I used 4mm dpns and Bendigo Woollen Mills Mystique 8ply, a gorgeously soft yarn.

These are a matching set of hat and gloves which are currently for sale in my Etsy shop.

And last but definately not least I made the Jacques Cousteau Hat for Janelles boyfriend for his birthday, this would have to be my all time favourite mens beanie pattern. Very tedious with all that rib on 3.5mm needles but well worth the effort, I used totem 8ply which is so soft and still a favourite of mine after all these years. Yes it was the first wool I ever knit with as my mum used to knit with it all the time and I got her leftover scraps.

I have just about finished another Mason Dixon log cabin quilt, so hopefully will have some photos of it finished soon. Until then happy knitting.

Twist and Shout KAL

2008-09-16T09:33:00.003+10:00

Occasionally a pattern comes along that I just fall for and MUST knit and this one is definately a must knit! I have even joined a knitalong on Ravelry even though we are heading into summer and I am busy working on shop orders and also making a jacket for the summer holidays for wearing at night while outside sipping on the red stuff!

But all that being said I am looking forward to knitting Twist and Shout, but the dilemma is which yarn to use? I have narrowed it down to two choices, Jo Sharp silkroad aran and Patons Jet. But I am having doubts about the Jo Sharp, I have heard that it pills terribly so if anyone has any info on this yarn I would love your advice please.

I have been knitting heaps so I will finish off with some items that were made for my Etsy shop.

Firstly a pair of squirrel mittens complete with acorn trims, this was a design I worked out for a lovely girl in Sweden and she has since let me know that they are being well worn and getting lots of comments.

A blue denim cloche hat, a new idea I had which I must say was inspired by crocheted hats.

Oh well that is about it for now, please leave any comments or recommendations as to which yarn to use for Twist and Shout, I really would appreciate some advice, till next time,

happy knitting!

Somewhere Over The Rainbow continued....

2008-08-01T07:54:00.005+10:00

Katts gorgeous rainbow wool has become:

I am so pleased with how it worked out, I am ordering some more from her, this hat just had to have corkscrew curls which are so cute even though they are a pain in the backside to make. This is available for purchase in my shop as well as the following toddler flapper style hat to fit a 6 - 12 month old baby. This one was made from good old
Bendigo Wool.

Oh well that is about all for now, currently working on Opal socks and another aviator hat so hopefully have some completed pics soon. Till then, happy knitting.

Self Destruct!

2008-07-24T07:20:00.003+10:00

Fifteen years ago we painted the living area of our house so to say that is was beginning to look a bit tired and dated is a bit of an understatement! Cream walls with pastel green trims looked great and even quite modern then but they were screaming out for a makeover. So the dining and lounge room now has a nice bright contrast wall of capsicum red, more of a dark burgundy really, and the remaining walls have been covered in self destruct. I kid you not, that is the name of the paint which is nothing more than a milky coffee colour but self destruct sums up the mess we are living in at the moment as the photo below will testify.

So there hasn't been a lot of knitting time sadly but I have managed to churn out a new design for a cupcake hat. I made two versions, firstly the blue one with a cherry on top.

and secondly a more feminine version with a handknit flower on top.

Both hats are available for purchase in my Etsy shop and OzeBaby.

I also made a pair of mens socks for a customer, she is a knitter who sells her knitwear so I was slightly nervous about making these but she was extremely happy with them and said that she will be back for more so that was a relief! I have finally got around to writing up the pattern for my mens socks which up until now have been a lot of scribbles and notes in my journal, the pattern can be found here.

Oh well till next time,
happy knitting.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

2008-07-09T09:39:00.002+10:00

I have been in a rainbow mood lately, knitting a few pairs of these little baby pants, this pair are now on their way to the UK!

I ~~pestered~~ asked my dear knitting friend Katt to dye me some rainow wool.

The colours just have to be seen in person to fully appreciate how bright and beautifully dyed this yummy wool is. This is going to be a toddler hat complete with corkscrew curls which will end up for sale. I am itching to cast on but I have to complete a few orders first, hopefully by the weekend I can start.

I have been busy sourcing a couple of Australian websites to sell my knitted goodies on and have settled on OzeBaby and Made It. I really wanted to offer my Australian customers a local option, I still have my Etsy shop but I don't think that the majority of people in this country know about it and are put off sometimes that it is a US site with listings in US currency etc.

So that is what I have been up to lately, and of course dreaming of rainbows!

Till next time, happy knitting.

Tasmanian Crafters on Flickr

2008-06-27T20:04:00.003+10:00

Are you in Tasmania, love crafting and on Flickr? Then there is a Group on Flickr that you can join. Started by Black Eyed Susie she would love to see crafty Taswegians join and share our photos and crafts.

Aviator Hat

2008-06-17T16:43:00.002+10:00

I have finished the Aviator Hat for Janelles friends birthday, I hope she likes it! I love this pattern and have made it many times, I used Heirloom merino wool for this one and it is so soft.

I also made some Carnaby Street Berets, the first one is in the lovely soft Patons Jet, which would have to be my favourite Australian wool at the moment.

The second one is made from good old dependable Bendigo Classic in practical black.

I have also joined the Malabrigo craze that seems to be sweeping this country and bought myself Tuareg
which hopefully will become these loafers. I discovered both the wool and the pattern on Ravelry.

Till next time, happy knitting.

Revisiting Swinging 60's London

2008-05-31T12:22:00.003+10:00

My latest hat was inspired by a lovely old vintage 1960's crochet pattern, I tried to re-create the same look with knitting and Carnaby Street Cap is the end result. I used Patons Jet which I absolutely adore, so soft and the colours are wonderful. It is available for purchase from my Etsy shop and I will be adding some more over the next few weeks and of course I will always take special orders if you have a particular colour favourite.

Now onto another matter, Bendigo Woollen Mills Camille, am I the only person totally disappointed by the lack of fashionable winter colours in this range? Judging by discussions on Ravelry, I certainly am not. Anyone who was a knitter in the 1980's would remember these colours and yes they were the height of fashion then, but certainly not now! I sold off my 1980's stash complete with my batwinged, boat necked patterns many years ago and I do not wish to visit that era again, thank you. A quick walk through the citys shopping malls will show you that greys, blacks, browns are the staple winter colour but not one of these appeared in this range sadly. *off soapbox now*

till next time,
happy knitting.

A New Project Bag

2008-05-27T21:49:00.002+10:00

You may remember a previous post about this bag and how I just had to have one too, well here is my version of the Yurt Bag.

Here is the knitted base before felting

after felting

the knitted top piece which is left as is

I used Cleckheaton Vintage Hues #1269 and loved how it felted and the colours of it worked well with the sampler stitches used for the top of the bag. This is definately my new take everywhere WIP bag, it is the perfect size for needles and yarn. I have been inspired with the Vintage Hues felting properties to make some felted hats so stay tuned.

till next time, happy knitting.

I Am a Yarn Snob

2008-05-13T08:20:00.006+10:00

Yes you read right, I am a bona fide dyed in the wool yarn snob! I'm not one that has to knit with the most expensive wools or import the top of the range wools but you guessed it, I love wool. I have always avoided acrylics and nylons but below you will see that all that changed this last couple of weeks.

They were all orders and you guessed it they didn't want them in wool, so I have been knitting my way through acrylic and nylon for the past couple of weeks much to the amusement of my fellow knitting coven members who also know of my love of wool. I was especially nervous about the kitty hat as the customer sent me the ears that she resurrected off a previously much loved hat and wanted them added to my aviator hat, I don't think I have ever been so scared of what a persons reaction to my knitting would be as I was this time. Fortunately she loved it, phew!!

Some of the northern members of the Tassie Knitters group at Ravelry met up on the weekend for some coffee, knitting and lots of chat, it was so cool to meet everybody and one person in particular Susie M had the most amazing bag in which she kept her knitting in, I came away inspired to make my very own Yurt Bag. She is such a talented artist as a trip to her blog will show you and I am sure inspire you too.

I NEED TO FIND THESE TWO LADIES
Can anybody remember the knitting online store Ozyarn (not to be confused with Ozeyarn, which is still alive and well)?? I am on a quest to find the two ladies who were behind this website, Jennifer and Judith. They had a lovely pattern for an alpaca earflap hat which I have incorporated the use of their fair isle graphs into my own version of this hat. Now as I sell my knitwear I would love to be able to sell this hat too but as it is their graphs I have used I really need to get in touch with them to get their permission first as it is most likely copyrighted. If anybody can let me know if they are still knitting or blogging somewhere that would be great or maybe you know them personally I would love to get in touch with them.

That is about all for now till next time, happy knitting.

The Latest Knits

2008-04-21T08:31:00.004+10:00

Well lack of posting on the blog means one thing, lots of knitting being created. I have been getting quite a few orders at Shazzas Knits which has certainly been keeping me busy. I have started my new job as co-ordinator of the uniform shop at my kids school which like anything new is taking time to learn the ropes. Janelle is also in the process of getting braces on her teeth, at the moment she has an expander fitted to allow room for her teeth to fit when the braces go on next month. I have included some of the latest completed knitting projects, they were all a lot of fun to knit especially Janelles slippers which I have had to coax from her feet to take the photo. The pattern was from an old Patons Nic Nacks book full of lovely 'grandma knits' as I call them but the slippers were given a Shazzas makeover using Patons Inca and I added a shell crochet border, just had to use this new learnt skill somewhere!

Flapper Style Hat for a baby:

Grape Purl Beret:

Two Kids Aviator Hats:

Janelles Slippers:

That's about it till next time, happy knitting.

I Have Crossed Over......

2008-03-07T09:42:00.002+11:00

Yes learning to crochet, after all these years! I tried last year but gave up but this year I have promised myself a scarf and so far so good, I think it is coming along okay for a beginner. I am finding the first round the hardest for some reason and once I get into the secound round it is easier, but when compared to my memories of my early knitting attempts it is much easier and as yet I haven't hurled it across the living room! I am using the Patons Learn To Crochet and the scarf is made from Patons Inca on a nice big 8mm crochet hook so it grows quickly!

Another scarf, this one is in my Etsy shop and was inspired by a big bowl of freshly picked raspberries topped with fresh cream, yum! I have started another one which will be coffee latte, after my favourite day time beverage, hmmmm note to self must make a merlot one.

I have lots of WIPS at the moment which I will reveal over the next few weeks, all going well, oh well till next time, happy knitting.

Cupcake Fingerless Mitts

2008-02-25T10:20:00.004+11:00

I have finished Janelles Cupcake Fingerless Mitts which have been so much fun to knit that I will be dipping back into the frosting mixture again for sure. Karen is such a lovely person and her patterns are full of great tips and tutorials, I am going to be making a pair of her handpainted gloves I just need to search the stash for the right wool.

I hurriedly finished them last night so that Janelle could take them on her school camp this week, so hopefully they will come back in one piece so that I can take a photo of her wearing them as they look much better being worn. You can really let yourself go with the embroidery of these and colour combinations which is what I love, no two pairs would be the same. Janelle only wanted strawberries on hers which did make life a bit easy for me as embroidery is not one of my strong points.

I have picked up the bush shirt again and will concentrate on that for the time being, my Etsy shop is well stocked and all of the orders completed so now a bit of 'me' knitting time. I am basing the shirt loosely on this old Patons knitting pattern and hopefully it will be like a big old shirt, but warm, to wear over tops in winter.

I can also reveal the dishcloth that I made for a lovely knitter in the ACT in the dishcloth and soap swap on Ravelry, she has received it so it isn't a secret anymore.

Oh well that is about all for now so till next time, happy knitting.

Hi Ho Hi Ho It's Off To School They Go

2008-02-09T07:45:00.000+11:00

Yes there is a big grin on Shazzas face at the moment as I have my house back, not to mention the peace and quiet. No seriously it has not been bad at all, I remember last year I was ready to throttle them by the end of the holidays but another year older and they seem to be able to get along better.

I have taken on the job of co ordinating the schools uniform shop, I have done it before in their previous school but it was on a much smaller scale. So this past week has been extremely hectic, I even had to miss the knitting coven which didn't impress me much as we were meeting at the cock and bull which is an old English style pub.

Look at Polly, doesn't she look cool in her sunnies and bucket hat! Ready for a day at the beach or shopping with friends.

Another Purl Beret, this one in Tuscan Red from Bendigo Woollen Mills, just the thing to wear when sipping your own glass or red.

Both hats have been added to My Etsy shop which has been keeping me busy, I am currently working on four orders. They always seem to come in batches, Murphy's Law I guess.

Oh well till next time, happy knitting

A New Hat For 2008

2008-01-31T07:23:00.000+11:00

A new hat design for 2008, a head hugging cabled cap. I have only made two so far and the cream one sold within half an hour of listing it in my shop. I used the deliciously soft Patons Jet which is my favourite yarn right now.

I just received my order of Rowan All Seasons Cotton from the lovely Jannette so I could make another bucket style hat. This one is a pink/lilac which doesn't photograph well as it is much brighter than the photo. I am currently working on a lime green one also.

Taking part in a dishcloth/soap swap on Ravelry and have finished the dishcloth, I used the pattern from the September issue of Creative Knitting, which is a fantastic pattern and made with my favourite Sugar 'n Cream cotton. Will post pics after the swap is complete, don't want to give too much away just yet and spoil the surprise!

The kids are back at school next week already, boy it has gone quickly this year, I can remember last year wishing for the holidays to end but that isn't the case this year. They are getting older and don't seem to fight as much which helps.

I've been on a pattern shopping spree having found cupcake fingerless mitts and baby moc-a-socs, aren't they both the most adorable patterns? Janelle has already put her order in for some fingerless gloves.

Oh well till next time, happy knitting.

Oh No It's The Bucket Hat!

2008-01-11T09:10:00.000+11:00

I should name this hat Hyacinth in honour of the bucket woman. This has been a design in progress for many months and finally I think I have got it right, I hope!

I have used Rowan all seasons cotton in a lovely aqua shade called Jazz. This one has been added to my Etsy shop.

I also am yet to blog about my lovely presents from the lovely Cindy, she was my secret Santa and made me the most gorgeous pair of socks and a box bag.

I have been eyeing off these box bags for months now and nearly bought one off Etsy recently, sure glad that I didn't. Luckily for the green lady that my favourite colours are turquoise and greens so she could happily make things in her favourite colour ;)

till next time, happy knitting.

Ponytail Beanie

2008-01-04T20:28:00.000+11:00

This is Shazzas version of the Bead and Opal Wool Queens ponytail beanie. Made from Bendigo Colonial in a lovely shade called woodrose and a cream coloured knitted flower added for interest.

I have also been kept busy with requests for fingerless gloves, this pair in practical black for men, I used Bendigo colonial 8ply. The pattern is a no frills traditional one that I have used for years from an old socks and gloves book which I have adapted over the years. I am currently working on another pair made from Bendigo Rustic in midnight tweed.

I have also joined in all the fun of Ravelry, I am currently getting my head around the whole site and one can only wonder how I am going to get the time to post there, lol! I was pleasantly surprised to find some of my patterns there already.

Just arrived back home from Coles Bay all relaxed and ready to tackle the busyness of life again. I have to confess that not a lot of knitting was done, I read books mostly and walked. Oh well till next time, happy knitting.

It's Holiday Time

2007-12-27T16:55:00.001+11:00

So I will be eating, drinking, reading and knitting of course! As well as my other favourite thing to do, playing my autoharp.

So whatever you are doing, enjoy yourself and have fun and stay safe this holidays.

Alpaca Is So Soft

2007-12-15T19:01:00.000+11:00

Good old fashioned fingerless gloves and made from the deliciously soft Bendigo Alpaca they are a ladies size as modeled by Janelle, no she didn't drink the red wine that was mine used for display purposes only.

A lovely icy blue purl beret made in Bendigo Rustic bluestone.

A newsboy cap also made in Bendigo Rustic. All are available for purchase in my Etsy Shop.

The Knitting Coven has had its Christmas break up party and lovely gifts exchanged, I was spoilt by the lovely Cindy a material box bag and some gorgeous socks made by Cindy. I will get some photos posted next time. I was secret santa to Katt and made her a pair of Dashing armwarmers in a very feminine dark purple, yes I knitted purple, just for Katt. I forgot to take a photo would you believe it, hopefully she will blog about them so I can link to it. A great time was had by all, lots of yummy food consumed, I swear I have put on kilos already and the fat man in the red suit hasn't even arrived yet!

Oh well that is about all for now till next time, happy knitting.

Not Another Hat!!

2007-11-12T15:20:00.000+11:00

That is how I feel sometimes when I come here to blog, it is all about hats! Don't get me wrong, I love my hats and I am very proud of them and all, I just fear that my blog is becoming all about hats and nothing else.

Well today I can actually post about something else, gloves. You may remember how last time I mentioned that I was working on a glove pattern, well here is a photo of the first pair.

These were made from a lovely soft yarn called Boutique from Bendigo Woollen Mills it consists of 65% Wool, 25% Bluefaced Leicester Wool and 10% Mohair in coffee brown. I used 4mm needles which resulted in a looser fitting glove however I decided to drop down to a size 3mm and use Bendigo Rustic and this resulted in a tighter fitting glove. I also added a cabled lace pattern in the centre of the glove to add a bit of interest. Did I enjoy making them? Well put it this way, I wouldn't like to be making them everyday, the fingers are a bit of a pain in the bum and they are quite time consuming. I can see why 99% of gloves available for sale at Etsy are fingerless, they are much quicker and easier to make. At least these are knit in the round, even the fingers so there are no seams to sew.

The brown ones are available for sale in my shop but the second pair are on their way to the US, apparently it is getting a little bit chilly in some parts of the world right now.

Of course there have been hats made and these two are the latest, the first one is a customer order for an aviator hat with thicker tassles than my usual and a pom pom.

There have also been quite a few orders for different coloured flapper hats and this is one of the latest ones which I love. The customer chose the colours and it really was a great choice.

Till next time, happy knitting.

Three New Hats

2007-10-29T14:48:00.000+11:00

Oh dear I just looked at the date of my last post and was shocked into posting about something, anything! Of course there have been lots of hat making, I would love to show you something different but I will have to save that for next time.

First up we have a brown aviator hat made from good old Bendigo Colonial 8ply.

Next we have what I call a chunky ski beanie made from Patons Inca.

Last but definately not least is my favourite hat, the Muse hat made from Bendigo Classic 12ply.

It appears that the rest of the world is cooling down so I have been getting a lot of orders at my shop which explains the lack of posting here, currently working on some black fingerless mens gloves. I have been asked to make some gloves with fingers so I am working on a pattern for funky but traditional gloves. It seems that fingerless gloves and mitts are very popular and no one is making the traditional glove anymore, with all those fingers I can easily see why! So hopefully they work out okay, I am knitting them in the round because I hate the thought of sewing all those seams.

I have also been approached about a possible wholesale opportunity with an Australian on line business, she is one of my customers and they are after handknitted longies, shorties and soakers for the cloth nappy community. Apparently the benefits of these soakers which are treated with lanolin are much more effective than the plastic pilchers in keeping baby dry and obviously much better for our planet. I haven't made a decision yet as we are still in early stages of discussions but it is exciting just the same as well as a little scary.
I probably would have to find a knitter who wanted to earn some extra $$$ to help me if I decide to do this as I am kept busy enough at the moment without taking on too much extra.

Hopefully it wont be as long between posts next time but until then, happy knitting.