Finished baby cardigan (well almost!)

Hi!

I have been trying to get this baby cardigan finished and it is almost done now. Finally! It took barely any time, but I have not been very good at just sitting down and getting done. It looks really adorable and I have only got the buttons to sew on now. I am really excited to see how it looks at the end as it always looks different when all the finishing touches are put on. I haven't really got any projects to do after this :( but I am sure I'll think of something! Have a nice weekend! Olivia

xxx

Textile mill; school project

Hi, Olivia here!

I have been busy doing my school project on the industrial revolution, which has taken a lot of time but it wouldn't be complete without a little extra something crafted. I have knitted a textile mill based on Saltaire, which I visited on a school trip to Bradford. I had to make my own pattern which was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be as I obviously couldn't find a knitting patter for a mill or a coal mine. I didn't have much time so I thought that a mill would be easier to design than a coal mine. I started it on Sunday, as was on holiday for the whole of the week before so I only got five rows done and Monday morning I finished one side. One day to finish the other side and sew it up and stuff it. It really was tight! It looks quite cute apart from one of the bottom windows as it has come away from the other color but the rest of it is great. I am just using spare bits of yarn that I have left over from other projects. I have got through quite a lot of white so far and the grey that I am using for the main color of the mill looks like it mite just make it through the project but it feels good not to be buying new wool and using up stuff that I already have in the cupboard. It is a really simple pattern and is just in stocking stitch so I can just pick it up when ever and not have to worry about what part of the pattern I am on. I am glad to see the back of it though as I don't think it was one of my best projects!

Moving off that subject, the Easter eggs are looking really nice hanging off some twigs with yellow flowers on. It looks really summery and colorful. I still have one of the Easter eggs on the needles so I might try and get that finished after handing in my project and textile mill and resist starting a new project before finishing it otherwise it won't be done until next Easter! I think my next project will be my neck-warmer/hat which I will probably start today.
Have a nice weekend!
Olivia
xxx

Easy Peasy key rings

Hi!

We had loads of scraps in the cupboard so we decided to make a little key ring out of left over fabric and felt. They were really simple and we made them with our friend. They were a really nice 15 minute project and for something so simple they looked great! I haven't quite finished mine yet as haven't finished sewing up yet but I'll finish it tonight. I forgot how to do a blanket stitch around the side and I have now created a new stitch which was definitely not planned!! You wouldn't know though!

Olivia

xxx 

My super-duper Interview with Debbie Bliss!

Last weekend I thought that I might as well tweet Debbie Bliss to see if she would do an interview with me. It was worth a try! As you might well know she is one of the U.K's biggest supplier's of wool and she is by far my favourite knitting designer, especially for baby knits. Guess what! She said that she would love to. I was so excited!(still am!) And I am so excited to share it all with you. To make things even better, she's now a follower on our twitter page! How cool is that! So, here is the interview...

Q:When did you start to knit?
Debbie Bliss's A:I think I was about five years old.

Q:Who inspired you to start knitting?
A:My mother taught me to knit?

Q:Out of all your patterns which one is your favourite?
A: That's a hard one! Perhaps my bunny booties because they were in my first book Baby Knits.

Q:Do you still get a chance to knit?
A:The design process always begins with a sketch and then a knitted swatch.I also tend to have something small on the go for when I am travelling.

Q:What has been your worst knitting disaster?
A:There has been to many just to pick one!

Q:What is the knitting project that you are most proud of?
A:I can't think of a particular design but I am proud to have been associated with Save The Children the last two years with their Christmas Jumper campaign.

Q:How long does it take yo make a pattern?
A:After working on the design and swatches I send a spec sheet with all the measurements and details to a pattern compiler. It could take some hours, a day or longer depending on the complexity of the design.

Q:Which knitting designer has been your favourite to work with?
A:Melody Griffiths was the first Knitting Editor to commission work for me and we worked together for many years. She combined a love for traditional stitches with a fashion look and I found her work inspirational. Sadly she passed away a few years ago.

Q: Do you have any unfinished knitting projects?
A:At the moment, two bobble hats that need Pom Poms.

Q:Can you remember your first knitting project?
A:I think it was a red cardigan for my doll Betty.

Rowan Lima Neckwarmer

Hi!
Last week I bought some new wool for a new project from Love Knitting ( I f you haven't seen it before have a look. There is a link at the bottom of the post. It is my favourite online knitting shop and they do lovely free knitting patterns on their facebook page!). I am making a neckwarmer/hat from my favourite rowan knitting book, winter warmers. I haven't started yet because I have so many projects on the go but will have a go soon!
Have a nice new year!
Olivia

www.loveknitting.com/uk/

Finished Already!

I have finished the snood and I am really surprised that I have finished it so quickly as I never finish projects early! I thought that it would take a lot longer but it is looking really lovely. I really love the colour. I think that my grandma will really like it too. The snood is not sewn up yet because it is such thick wool so cannot fit through the eye of my sewing up needle but I am determind to get it through! I hope you like it. Merry Christmas!
Olivia
P.S Arne and Carlos liked our blog! Yippee!!!

Olivia

Love heart Cushion!

Hi
Yesterday I started a new project as a christmas present. Unfortunately, I can't tell you who it is for as it is a secret but in my first post after christmas I'll tell you! The cushion is going quite slowly as I was watching a christmas movie while doing it but I have done around fifteen rows in an hour so still not to bad, although I would have liked to go a bit quicker as it only 62 stitches. My cushion is made from a book from rowan winter warmers and is knitted in rowan lima. I had so much rowan lima because earlier on this year I thought I was going to do something in rowan lima and there was a sale on  in my local knitting and sewing shop so I bought lots of it, so it is nice to use something. If I was not using right it would still be sitting in a cupboard somewhere so I might as well use it. It is looking really nice but it is quite loose so had to do some surgery on the first few rows! Have a lovely christmas. Only a week to go!
Olivia

Simply knitting!

Last weekend we got a comment from someone who said that she had just seen our blog in simply knitting, which is a knitting magazine (I think the title gives it away!). She also offered me a free pattern from her website called Slightly Sheepish! How nice is that! We didn't know we were in another magazine so we were very excited! We are on page 76 in a little section on blogs that they like and we were there! Yippee! Have a nice weekend.
Olivia

The christmas fair is over!

Hi,
I can't believe that it is all over! All our work that has gone into it, all my 143 hours of knitting! It couldn't of gone better though! All of my 31 baubles sold apart from 1. Maisie sold all of her 8 pieces of christmas bunting and 2 of her normal buntings. Although Maisie's work is over it's not all over for me as I have 2 orders still to do! I thought that it would be horrible letting all my work go, but actually it feels like a weight's off my shoulders! I hope you have a nice rest of your weekend!
Olivia
xxx

       

Mollie makes mama

A few weeks ago we were offered the chance to be in a new craft magazine called Mollie Makes mama. It is a lovely magazine so of course we grabbed the opportunity. Although the section isn't big, we are still in a magazine. We are on page 13 in the magazine. How exciting is that! It is now for sale. I am getting excited just thinking about it! We were called bloggers to watch and super talented. Yay!
Olivia
xxx

1 day left!

Only 1 day left! Ahhhhh!

3 days to go...

4 days to go!

4 days to go until the Christmas fair!!

Arne and Carlos garden knits!

As it was my birthday on Tuesday, I got a few knit related presents. I got a new Arne and Carlos book called garden knits. It's also a crochet book which I am hoping to learn soon ( fingers crossed!) It has some really lovely things in it. I especially like some of the garden characters! My favourite characters are the mice. I also really love the knitted handles for the little spades and the lovely crocheted blanket. Will need to learn to crochet before I can make the blanket though!

All sewn up!

Hi!
They are all done. I cannot crochet yet, so my friend's mum has crocheted them all. Yippee!! If you have a look at the photos at the bottom you will see her in action on one of the first few. It has just hit me that we have less than two weeks to go. Ahhhhhhh!!!!!! Now I am getting worried! I hope I have done enough. I have to start thinking how I am going to present them. There is a trug which they have been sitting in since the start which may be the easier option!! It really feels like Christmas now. Only 34 days to wait!
Olivia
xxx

32 down, a few more to go!!

Hi,
Who knew knitting could be so tiring?! I feel exhausted! I think that I am going to start sewing up soon as possible, as I have only got three weeks to go! It may sound a bit early to start, but I have got 32 to sew up! It's going to be an extreme sewing up job! I am going to do one more week of knitting and then I am going to go straight to sewing up. I might even start doing a few tonight while watching T.V. I don't know whether I have made enough yet. Starting to panic about not getting everything done. Wish me luck!
Next week is my birthday so hoping to get lots of lovely knitting stuff too!
Have a nice week!
Olivia

Etsy Shop

Twins and Needles have an Etsy shop!

Click the link below to go to the shop:
Twins And Needles Etsy shop

Big Knit!

Hi,

Hope you're having a great week so far and enjoying this beautiful weather!! 

In the last few weeks I've been KNITTING some hats for innocent smoothies (I can't believe I can actually knit and pearl!!!) Sadly, they didn't ask me personally (they would have asked Olivia anyway!) It's all part of the big knit, which is all part of helping the charity Age UK. Innocent have asked everyone to make or buy a little woolly hat from beginners to experts, and are hoping to get 1 million little hats. Innocent will give 25p of every bottle they sell to Age UK to help keep older people keep warm, well and safe this winter. If you what to help and join the big knit, click on the hyperlink at the bottom of the page and get knitting.

Have fun if you are having a go this year,  if not try again next year!( you've only got until Thursday so get knitting!!!!!) :)

Love Maisie xxx

Click here:

The Big Knit Link

spooky halloween knits!

While I was free for fifteen minutes I thought that I would look for some ideas for halloween as I thought that some little pumpkins or ghosts would be cool in me and Maisie's bedroom. I looked up 'knitting: halloween' on Pinterest, and there were such cool patterns. I have picked out a few of my favourites, but they are all pretty cool! I especially like the spooky vampire! I am going to try to make at least one little pumpkin. I don't think I can fit in the vampire quite yet! Maybe next year!
Olivia
my spooky vampire!

my cute little pumpkin

pumpkin hat!

wrapped up bats!

Five down, Seven to go!

Last post I promised you that in this two week half term holiday I would make twelve baubles. As you can probably guess from the title, I have made five but have started my sixth one already. Don't start thinking that I am a super knitter though, as have been in the car a lot so have been able to knit then. Still, five in five days is pretty impressive!

Everything is going really well with the baubles but I am almost all out of red wool. Only one ball left! I am going to make four or five baubles using green though as I have around one and a half balls left of green and I might even have some left over from making some baubles last year. Still got loads of white left though. I think there will be enough. Fingers crossed! I hope you have a nice rest of your week. Happy knitting!!

Olivia