In the loop
TIME TO UNWIND WITH OUR FUN MIX OF LETTERS, PUZZLES AND SNIPPETS.
We check out what you’re doing.
SPECIAL REQUEST
When I saw the unicorn hoodie in issue 167, I knew immediately that I had to knit it for my granddaughter Emily’s fth birthday. It looked awesome and I knew that I would have fun knitting it but had to wait till after all the Christmas knitting was done, and I had a rest over Christmas before setting to work on it.
My husband, Peter, was totally bemused as to what was going on and was even more so when I got to making the rainbow hair – I hadn’t shown him the actual pattern! He was very impressed once I had put it all together and he could work out what it was.
Emily was over the moon when she opened the present on her birthday! She promptly put the hoodie on and kept it on for the rest of the evening. I am now being asked whether it can be made in adult sizes… Thank you, Jane Burns, for such a fabulous pattern!
Suzie Brewer, Farnham
LOVABLE PAIR
I made these elephants in an evening – they are just so cute! They are a great design. I loved making them. Saranna Watkins, via email
THE HAPPY COUPLE
This is a picture of a cake I originally knitted for a wedding three years ago. I changed the colour of the bride’s hair and the names of the wedding couple to make it perfect for the royal wedding. Gill Noyes, via email
NEVER NOT KNITTING
Thank you very much for the freebies you sent to me! I have already knitted a cowl with the Stylecraft Candy Twist. The purple colours were so perfect for me. I will soon be knitting a scarf with the Carousel Chunky. I’m always busy with my knitting, usually with several different things on the go. I am currently knitting an Aran cardigan, which is too bulky to take out with me, so I have also got a cowl on the go and a child’s cardigan. I’m never without my knitting!
Rayona Bateman, via email
LABEL ART
In an earlier edition of Simply Knitting I won the Star Letter for the picture of my adaptation of the Queen, her corgies and the guardsmen. At the weekend, I received a parcel of yarn from you. It was so exciting as I had never seen any of those yarns before. I was surprised to see amongst the yarn a big ball of Women’s Institute Soft and Tweed Yarn. It was doubly interesting as I belong to the Women’s Institute here in New Zealand.
Another exciting aspect of this collection of yarns are the paper labels around each ball, as I collect these and make art items from them. It is always exciting to nd new ones.
The following pictures show some of the things I have made so far from different labels. A skirt, covered old suitcase, a pair of shoes with tiny pictures cut from labels and an evening purse, also done from tiny pieces.
I have received labels from all around the world and gave up recording all the different ones on my computer when I got to over 4,000 different ones. Thank you, once again, for the exciting parcel you sent me.
Alisa O’Briend, New Zealand
KIND KNITTING
Over the years I’ve been inspired when I read about knitters in the UK making items for charitable organisations, but of course they were all too far away for me to participate. Then I discovered Knitting4Peace (www.knitting4peace.org) in Denver, Colorado, and began making scarves, hats and so on for them. But what they especially need are these little dolls, called Peace Pals, which are given to children in third world countries and refugee camps. Sometimes, it’s the only toy they have. So, when they noted they needed many Peace Pals with darker faces, I set myself the task of making a dozen of them in six weeks. They are fun and easy to knit but, with all the bits and pieces, very ddly (and time-consuming) to put together. But I made it and sent them off shortly after Easter. I wanted to share this with you, as SK originally inspired my decision to do this. Marjorie Flathers, San Bernardino, California
HAPPY HOPS
Here is my Easter bunny, nished in girly pink! It’s from issue 170 and I hope you like her as the little girl, Grace, who she is for is going to love her!
Bev Murton, Ash, Kent
BAG OF JOY
I thought you might like to see the backpack I have just completed for a friend’s niece, for an Easter present. It is from issue 170. There are some lovely patterns in this issue which I like. I have ordered the wool to knit the Martin Storey cardigan from LoveKnitting. I like the stripes on the back and sleeves with the plain fronts. Very different and I like different. Thanks for a lovely magazine. Jean Scott, via email
PASTEL PRESSIE
I have never submitted anything before but was so pleased with how this turned out that I wanted to share it with you. Thank you for such a lovely pattern (from issue 167). I have knitted two, one for each for my niece’s granddaughters. They were both so pleased and excited when they received them!
Jan Hedley, via email
CHARITY HATS
Dear Simply Knitting, over the years you have supplied yarn for small projects. I have not used this until now. I did not realise how much yarn you have sent out over the years but it has now been of great use. Age UK have an ongoing charity knit for innocent smoothies which I have enjoyed knitting for. This is a photo of the second batch of bottle hats I have knitted. You can see from the picture that I still have quite a lot of yarn still to use. Jean Garrett, via email
FINISHING LINE
I just wanted to write and thank you for your feature on nishing in issue 173. It made me feel so guilty that I had three jumpers in my project basket that I hadn’t sewn together that I threaded up my needle and got them completed! Phew! Anna Walsh, Bradford