Simply Knitting

102 Pages·2015·23.18 MB·English

THE UK’S NO.1
90+
DESIGNS
& IDEAS
Celebrate
LITTLE
DONKEY!
TEA COSY + BEADED SOCKS + NO SEW CARDI + ALAN DART’S PANTOMICE

Hello EDITOR’S LETTER
alan dart’s
pantomice
M
ince pies being
p57
baked, carols being
played, decorations
being brought down from Beadedfestive
socks p93
the loft… Christmas will
soon be here and we
couldn’t be more excited!
This is our favourite time
of the year to knit for, so
we’ve packed this issue with
lots to inspire your festive creativity. The Fair
Isle jumper on p19 is a great gift for a little
one, and the tea cosy on p79 is sure to be a
talking point on your Christmas table. There’s
also a lovely collection of decorations on p43,
and a hat to celebrate the release ofShaun fab knits
theSheep:TheFarmer’sLlamas, a 30-minute for kids
special coming to television this Christmas. p75 & P19
We know how much you love Alan Dart’s
toys, so you’re going to adore his Pantomice.
He’s created six critters from Aladdin – my
favourite is Widow Twankey. With all this and
more, we’ve got Christmas all wrapped up!
Hourglass
cardigan p28
Subscribe
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December
NEWS, GOOD READS & MORE!
68
7CASTON...DECEMBER 68SPARKLYYARNS
Thebestnewmakes,wonderful Ourfavouriteglitterandglam
booksand ideas to inspire you. yarns to use for festive knits.
13YOURFREEGIFT 70YOURSTORIES
Makeabrightbaubleforyour One reader’s love of lace.
Christmas tree with our knit kit.
74STITCHLIBRARY
34TALKINGPOINTS Discover slipped stitches.
Craftychatterandcomments
fromSimply Knittingreaders. 83STOCKINGFILLERS
Beinspiredbyourpickofthe
38SPECIALOFFERS! topChristmas gifts for knitters.
Subscribers’ dealsandprices.
88BRAINTEASERFUN
40KNIT&NATTER Have a go at our wordsearch.
Meetaclose-knitgroupwith
a passion for charityprojects. 89KNITTINGKNOW-HOW
Learn the basicswith our guide.
54LAUREN’SLOOP
Howtoavoidthestressof 97NEXTISSUE
last-minute gift knitting. What’s coming up in issue 141.
57
67PRIZEPUZZLES 98ONTHENEEDLES ALAN DART
Completeourcrosswordand DesignerRuthMaddocktells EXCLUSIVE!
sudoku for a chance to win. us about her life in stitches.
NEW!
XX
THE COLLECTION
43DeckthehallswithourfabChristmas
decorations.Fromtraditionaltomodern,
there’s something to suit every home!
48
51
47 STOCKING
44
BAUBLES
28
14
75
CHRISTMAS
JUMPER
24 19
LLAMA WIN
HAT
FABPRIZES
FORYOU!
SEEPAGES
7, 10 & 67
71
79
COSY
PONCHO
93

CAST ON e r
b
m
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c
e
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KNITTING IDEAS & INSPIRATION FOR THE MONTH AHEAD
ON TREND
Christmas
Must
knit!
STOCKING The novelty jumper is
FILLERS back in fashion, and
here at SK we couldn’t
Q If you’re asking be happier! Whether
Santa to bring you it’s ski-style Fair Isle or
yarn this Christmas,
bold intarsia, there’s a
make it these
pattern to suit every
ranges from UK
Alpaca. Choose taste. For a smart take
from Baby Alpaca on the look, go for this
and Silk 4ply great value design
(from £8.80 for
from Stylecraft (9203),
50g/225m), a blend
worked in 100% acrylic
of British baby
Special DK yarn. The
alpaca and Tussah
silk, and Superfine pattern also features
4ply (from £5.95 for a matching snood for
50g/225m), a mix extra winter warmth.
of British superfine
alpaca and wool.
Made from the
softest fleeces
imaginable, these
gorgeous yarns
are little treats
with lots of luxury. For more details and stockist
Call 01884 243579 info call 01535 609798 or see
or visit www.uk www.stylecraft-yarns.co.uk.
alpaca.com. CLOVER
GIVEAWAY!
Easily fix mistakes with the
IN THE LOOP
Knitting Bamboo Repair Hook
from Clover (£6.35). We have 9
Our website, www.simplyknitting.co.uk, to give away. For stockist info,
is packed with fab competitions and free email clover@stockistenquiries.
patterns, but we’re about to make it even co.uk or call 01453 883581.
better! We’ve joined forces with our sister See page 67 to enter,
magazines The Knitter and Knit Today to using the code
create The Yarn Loop, a fantastic new SKCLOVER140.
resource for knitters. Find even more WIN
patterns and giveaways, plus guest posts
from top designers, masterclasses and
lifestyle tips. If you haven’t visited our site
before, now’s the time to take a look!
Find out more at www.theyarnloop.co.uk.
Follow us @ www.twitter.com/SimplyKnitMag December2015SimplyKnitting 7
94
Natural %
beauty
of Simply Knitting
For classic garments readers also do other
with simple silhouettes, crafts such as sewing,
beautiful colourwork and according to
gorgeous textures, the new our poll!
Illustrious collection by
Emma Wright for West
Yorkshire Spinners is a
GET SET, GO!
must-have this winter. It
uses WYS’s yarn of the
same name, a luscious
Any knitter would be delighted to
DK-weight blend of 70%
unwrap this Limited Edition Royale Gift
Falkland wool and 30% Set (£72) from KnitPro on Christmas
British alpaca. For details morning. The Paris-themed set includes
call 01535 664500 or see eight pairs of interchangeable needles.
Find more product details and stockist
www.wyspinners.com.
information at www.viridianyarn.com.
Must
have!
Join the herd These little deer by Sebastian
Loves… would look so sweet hung on the
christmas tree or perched on a mantelpiece! buy
lWo ev e a dfirgoitma lw wcowp.eyt soyf. ctohmis/u kre/sinhdoepe/Sre bpaatsttiearnnLo vfeosrK n£it1.50
5
CHRISTMAS TOYS
OF THE
BEST
Fun festive stocking fillers to knit for kids.
AT THE CAROLLING OUT IN FLIPPERED FELINE
NORTH POLE COUPLE THE SNOW FRIENDS FESTIVE
King Cole, 9029. Jean Greenhowe, Sirdar, 4513. These James C Brett, Sue Stratford,
A trio of Christmas ‘Carol Singers’. Great snowmen are all JB295. Whip up this ‘Christmas Kitty Kat’.
characters knitted to give as a gift or wrapped up in their cute penguin pair Isn’t the little robin
in Tinsel Chunky. keep as a display for winter woollies! in great-value yarn. jumper adorable?
www.kingcole.com, the home. www.jean www.sirdar.co.uk, www.jamescbrett. www.theknittinghut.
01756 703670 greenhowe.com 01924231682 co.uk,01274565959 co.uk, 01908 586244
Love these? You’ll love alan dart’s aladdin pantomice on page 57!
8 Simply Knitting December 2015 www.simplyknitting.co.uk
3
QUICK QUESTION
CRAFT
EASY EASE The best of this OUR TOP
month’s workshops RIBBONS
Q I keep reading about how much & shows
Splurge or save with these
‘ease’ a garment should have.
cheerful festive designs.
Can you tell me what ‘ease’ means? 3-6DECEMBERLincoln
Rebecca Lang, Herefordshire
ChristmasMarket,Lincolnwww.
lincoln-christmasmarket.co.uk
A Ease is how loose or tight a -----
garment is. Negative ease is a 4-6DECEMBERDurham
measurement smaller than your body ChristmasFestival,Durhamwww.
to create a tightly-fitting garment. durhamchristmasfestival.com
Positive ease is a measurement larger -----
thanyourbodytocreatealooser 5DECEMBERFixingYour
rfietqtiunigregdarmmaeynpt.aTrthlyedaempoeunndtoonfethaese KnSitutifnfoglkM,i0s1t4a7k3es8,0Ip52sw08ich, £ 0 . 7 0
stretchinessoftheyarnyou’reusing. www.jennywrensyarns.co.uk SAVE
Onegoodwaytodecidewhichsizeto -----
followistomeasureagarmentyou 10-20DECEMBEROxford Christmascarols
alreadyhave,andlikethefitof,and ChristmasMarket,Oxford,www. Deckthehallswitharangeofmusical
checkthepatternschematicor oxfordchristmasmarket.co.uk prints,70ppermetre,01453883581.
measurementsagainstit. ----- www.berisfords-ribbons.co.uk
12DECEMBERHowtoKnit
Workshop,ChapelAllerton,
NORTH POLE KNITS
Leeds,01132781788
www.baaramewe.co.uk
QMakeahatfitforSanta -----
andhiselveswiththese 13DECEMBERIntroduction
designsfromHayfield. toLacebyJemimaBicknell,
Perfectforparties,they’re Islington,London,02072881160 0
0
fromleaflet7366anduse www.loopknitting.com £ 1 .
HayfieldDKWithWool.
Call01924231682or
visitwww.sirdar.co.uk.
SPEND
Great outdoors
W e colour clash TRS=X@ MY =R ·XY= ^@XV CXWU QRYMV S£n1o.0w0-cpoevremreedt rCe,h 0ri1s2tm25a s5 V81il8la8g8e. ,
love duo Conway + Bliss, and with its bright pops of www.themakery.co.uk
colour it’s hard to miss! This vibrant, trendy Wool
blend yarn comes in 50g/130m balls, rrp £4.95.
01535 664222, www.designeryarns.uk.com £4.
7
5
G FEES APPLY. Festive fair
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AS. HandmadeChristmasFairtakesplaceon
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ET workshopsandGrandMakeswithexperts FeltChristmastrees by Ella James,
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US includingLucyfromAttic24andtheWool £4.75for3metres, 0345 259 1359.
E PL Sanctuary’sSuzieJohnson.There’salsoa www.notonthehighstreet.com
UT
MIN shoppingvillagewhereyoucanChristmas PS
T 10P PER syhooupcatinllsyaovued£r5opo!nTFicuklleEtsxpstearritenatce£1t2ic,kaentds Ydoiguitcaalnedsuitbiosnc roibf eS itmo pthlye
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ALLS visitwww.thehandmadechristmasfair.com. Formoredetails visit our website:
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*
Follow us @ www.twitter.com/SimplyKnitMag December 2015 Simply Knitting 9
FAVOURITE BOOKS ONE-SKEIN
WONDERS FOR
BABIES Judith Durant
(Storey Publishing,
£12.99) With 101 great
Must projects for little ones,
thisbookispacked full of gift ideas. There
read!
are blankets, bootees, cardis and more, all
speedy and super cute. The only problem
is deciding what to cast on first!
5 MINUTES WITH…
THE ESSENTIAL
SARAH GUIDE TO COLOR
KNITTING
TECHNIQUES
HAZELL
(Margaret Radcliffe,
THE KNITTER’S KNOWLEDGE £14.99) Knit a rainbow
Debbie Bliss (Quadrille Publishing, £25) with this bright book of
We chat with knitting and A brilliant Christmas present for knitters colourwork ideas. Try
crochet designer Sarah Hazell of all abilities, this hefty hardback book stranding, twining, modular knitting and
about her unique style. contains a wealth of knitting expertise more, and create fun multicolour projects.
from designer Debbie Bliss. With over 40
Favourite knitting technique? years of experience, Debbie is perfectly PRIDE & PREJU-
I really enjoy slip stitch colour placed to guide you through the basics KNITS Trixie von Purl
work, even though it doesn’t and beyond. This book covers everything (Search Press, £9.99)
grow very quickly! from your first stitches to more advanced If you’ve ever wanted
techniques, with a mix of photos and clear to knit Mr Darcy, now’s
Describe your design style. colour illustrations making each step easy your chance! This fun
Clean, functional designs with a to follow. Perhaps our favourite section, book shows you how
nod to traditional elements and though, is the one on creating your own to create 12 well-known scenes from
effective use of colour. patterns, which gives a fascinating insight Jane Austen’s novels, including Pride and
intoDebbie’spersonaldesignprocess. Prejudice,PersuasionandEmma.
Metal or wooden needles?
That very much depends on the PS
Missed a recent issue of Simply Knitting magazine? It’s really
yarn – I have an armoury!
easy to buy a back issue! Just phone us on 01604 828737 or

visit http://craft.buysubscriptions.com/Back-Issues.
Desert island yarn?
Something in 4ply, preferably with
a bit of silk or cashmere thrown in.

Biggest knitting ambition? WIN
4 SUPER TIPS ON... KNIT KIT
To make a success of my new
website, www.sarah-hazell.com. GIFT KNITTING GIVEAWAY!
I want to be able to celebrate a Learn to knit and create
range and variety of yarns in my some fun festive cards with
designs and promote all the 1. Size it up this Knitted Christmas Cards
wonderful ways that knitting and Don’t know their measurements? kit (£15) by charlie & hannah,
crochet help us to be creative. Go for one-size-fits-all knits such as www.charlieandhannah.co.uk.
cowls, or something for the home. We have two kits to give away
Tips for knitting accessories? ----- to lucky Simply Knitting
Make sure the design is simple, 2. Think big readers. See page 67 to
functional and knitted in an If you’re short on time, put down enter, using the code
appropriate weight of yarn. the laceweight! Chunky yarns are SKKIT140.
quicker, easier and cosier too.
Why do you particularly enjoy -----
designing knitting patterns? 3. In the wash
It’s such a great way of sharing Non-knitters may not know how to
ideas and experimenting with care for their gift, so make sure you
new yarns and textures. include the washing instructions.
-----
Worst knitting habit? 4. Repair kit
One more row… Pass on extra buttons and a length
of spare yarn as well, just in case
Visit www.sarah-hazell.com. any repairs are needed later.
10 Simply Knitting December 2015 www.simplyknitting.co.uk