Forget-me-not

This is how I made the tiny blue flowers on my Posy Cushion.

Knitted on 2 needles.

Abbreviations:

K = Knit

St(s) = Stitch(es)

tbl = through back of loop

RS = right side

Tension (gauge) isn't important but if you use needles one or two sizes smaller than recommended for the yarn, you will get a more closely knitted flower. (I used Baby Cashmerino and 2.5mm needles.)

Using blue, make slip knot on left hand needle and cast on 2 more sts (3 sts in total, RS facing).

Cast off 2, knitting the last st tbl (1 petal made).

*Slip the remaining stitch back onto the left hand needle, keeping the RS of knitting facing you. Do not turn the work.

Cast on 2 more sts.

Cast off 2, knitting last stitch tbl (this just makes a firmer straight edge).

Repeat from * until you have a line of 5 petals.

Fasten off leaving an end a few inches long. Thread this end onto a sewing needle. With the right side of the knitting facing you, use the needle to gather the straight edge, being careful not to twist the knitting. Draw up to form a flower and secure. Where the two end petals meet, secure with a tiny stitch.

Darn in thread ends on the back of the flower, or leave long for sewing to whatever you like.

Using yellow, make a French knot in the centre, or you could use a bead.

You are welcome to this design for your own non-commercial use.

It was designed a s a forget-me-not, but as a general small flower pattern it could be made in any colour.

I hope you like it and will try it!

♥

Posy Cushion

I've been waiting for a bright enough day to take these photos,we've had some dull weather lately! This is one of several cushions I'm thinking about, which will be knitted, crocheted or sewn.

It was almost an experiment really, just to see what it would look like.

I wanted some sideways flowers as well as facing-upwards flowers.

And a few different sizes of leaves.

I wanted this cushion to be all knitted, no crochet, and I looked for a pattern for a tiny knitted flower I could use as a forget-me-not. I couldn't find one small enough, so worked out my own forget-me-not pattern.

The cushion itself is garter stitch in chunky (bulky) wool, and was made to fit a 45cm cushion pad. The flowers were all DB Baby Cashmerino and the edging is Rowan pure wool 4-ply.

I really went overboard with decoration on this project, and maybe having an edging as well was a bit too much? It's done now but it has turned out quite a bit "fancier" than I'd imagined it. I think perhaps it might look better when it's been broken in and squashed a bit!

I enjoyed sewing all the flowers on.

Now for some pattern details.

Apart from the forget-me-nots, all the flowers and leaves are from these three books as follows:

100 Flowers to Knit and Crochet by Lesley Stanfield: Field Poppy, Large Leaf, Small Leaf.

Nicky Epstein's Knitted Flowers: Buttercups, Florets, American Beauty Rose and Rosebud, Small Basic Leaf Classic.

Designs For Kids by Lucinda Guy: Flower Posy.

The edging is from Knitted Edgings and Trims by Lesley Stanfield and is pattern 69 Bunting.

I'll post the pattern for the forget-me-not soon.

Flower Soup

These are for a knitted cushion which will have a cluster of knitted flowers on the front. It's evolving as it progresses, and it's quite fun making flowers of different sizes and colours, tossing them into the mix and seeing the pile grow.

For a small thing where the edges are going to be on show, I found there could be a big difference in appearance depending on the cast-on method used.

Just out of interest, this is a buttercup flower, cast on using the thumb method.

This is exactly the same pattern (from Nicky Epstein's knitted flower book), but made with a cable cast on.

Both nice in their own way.

I'm thinking of using this as an edging for the cushion, not all the way round but maybe on the two vertical edges. Not sure yet how that will look but we'll see.

Do you have a favourite baking recipe you come back to again and again? This week's baking was something I've made many times before, rock buns made using Jane Brocket's recipe. The taste is a wonderful combination of lemon and nutmeg.

They are easy to make and are a particular favourite of Mr. Knot Garden.

Birthday Owl

In our family there are several birthdays close together at this time of year. This week it was daughter no.2's birthday - can you believe she is now 23. Not too old for a birthday tea made by her Mum though!

The birthday cake was a chocolate marble cake with white chocolate and cherries, with white chocolate buttercream icing.

She likes owls and had asked if I would make her an owl cushion. This is my homemade version of one she saw in a shop.

Firmly stuffed or what? A huge amount of stuffing has somehow disappeared into it.

Some respite from the stifling heat today. Thank goodness cooler temperatures are being forecast for next week. I might even get some gardening done.

This year I grew some marigolds and this is the first one to come out.

Enjoy your week whatever you're doing.

ETA: There is no pattern for the owl, it was based on a similar ready-made one and I just winged it (no pun intended)

Birthday Quilt

I've spent the past few weeks working on this quilt, which was a requested birthday present for someone. It's been given away now, but I remembered to take some photos and now I can show you it, finished, quilted and washed.

The spec was for a multicoloured quilt with red and blue predominating, with the fabric choices left to me.

I think it must be at least a couple of years since I made a quilt, so I thought my quilting wheels would be rusty, but amazingly, like riding a bike, it all came straight back.

The idea was that it would be used for the seat area of a sofa. Fine, I don't mind if they sit on it. Also, part of the requirements was that it be twice the size actually needed, so it could be used folded. Hmm!

I stuck to the instructions though, and generally I'm pleased with how it turned out. I think the red border does a lot for it.

The best thing was, I was able to make the whole thing entirely from stash. The biggest thing was the backing, which I made by joining 3 shorter lengths. I already had the wadding, so the only thing I had to buy was thread.

Some pattern info: The quilt is based on Amy's Four Patch, a 2003 pattern by Jo Morton, but I added an extra row of blocks to change the proportions. I also did the outer border pieced instead of all one fabric, and made the border wider.

The circular motif I used for quilting the blue blocks is from 60 Machine Quilting Designs by Pat Holly and Sue Nickels, published in 1994 but still available. I've used this book many times. I reduced the size of the pattern to fit the block, and made templates to transfer the design.

It's been too hot this week to do any work in the garden, so I've just been keeping the plants watered that need it, and making sure the bird bath's full.

I'm not keen on the heat, but it's nice to see the garden full of flowers again after a long cold winter.

More flower pics another day.

Owlish

Who can resist a cute little owly? He could be made in so many different colour combinations. He is just 3" tall and can even stand unaided.

I used various old dk from stash. The most difficult thing for me was getting the beak right. It took me several attempts to come up with a beak I thought was half-decent! But that's just me and my nit-picking of my own work. What's not to love about this pattern? It's from Etsy seller Amanda Berry who has several lovely animal patterns to choose from. I found the pattern very clearly written and super-accurate.

The embroidery in the background is an ongoing project I can hardly put down. For a while now I've been thinking about doing some "vintage" embroidery from an authentic old transfer. If you're a long-time reader of my blog you will know I can mull over an idea in my mind for months or even years before I actually start it! That was the case with this.

The transfer was one of a job lot bought on ebay some years ago. If you're interested in old transfers, ebay is worth checking out. It was fairly scruffy and tattered at the edges but the hot iron process did work, and it only needed minor touching up with a permanent pen. My stitches aren't perfect but I think that's all part of the character of this type of embroidery. Cottage gardens full of flowers are what it's all about.

Whatever you're doing this weekend, have a lovely Bank Holiday.

Elephant

I made this for a friend who loves elephants. This pattern has been around for a while but it's such a clever one, and I've been meaning to try it for ages.
It's an absorbing and fun knit, and was definitely a learning experience for me, but everything is clearly explained in the pattern.

It's knitted entirely on dpns and stuffed as you go. At first this feels like quite a strange way to knit. Even the ears are knitted on in the round and the edges grafted together, so it really is completely seamless, and so cute.

The wool is some dk I already had, which I thought was quite a good elephant grey, but I gave him a scarf as well to add some colour.

The pattern is Elijah, by the genius that is Ysolda Teague.