Sunday 30 November 2008

Seasonal patterns and a seasonal contest


From today on through Advent the blog will reflect the season. The daily stitch patterns will come in seasonal colours and simple seasonal shapes. It’ll be a bit like an advent calendar.





On my recent visit to Germany I’ve seen the beautiful medieval patterned “Fachwerk” houses of Esslingen and Schorndorf again. They suggested themselves as inspiration for the little houses you’ll see here in the next weeks. There will also be trees, and several of these shaped swatches could make a little town in which one can easily imagine a German Christmas market. There will also be sheep, Santy - or a shepherd? He is a bit too large though to fit into the town, unless knitted with lesser weight yarn.





I made my swatches with thick wool yarn (Traub Rya Wolle), and some of these I intend to felt. In any case they make lovely Christmas tree ornaments, or tags for presents, with no need for other wrapping paper than old newspapers. With thick yarn, whether felted or unfelted, they are suitable for childrens' play, who can arrange them into their own little town or a farmyard. One could even make a simple memory game with them.

I’m of course interested in some feedback here, and as people tend to comment in private Emails or on Ravelry, I’d like to encourage written comments anywhere here on the blog by a contest. A little Christmas present is waiting for one of you. One of the written comments received here until 31st December will be randomly chosen, and the author will be awarded with these two 100g skeins of a soft silky singles yarn from Traub (50% mulberry silk/50% merino wool), that I had used in my soft silky hat:



(The yellow is in reality a yellowish light green colour.)


The winner will be announced here on the first day of next year. So please check back to see whether it is you, so that I can arrange delivery to you.

I will describe how to make the little shapes during next week. To familiarise yourself with the technique of the stitch patterns I recommend reading the “instructions”.

Have a nice season. Remember that knitting is much more relaxing and rewarding than shopping. (Well, you might have to buy yarn, I know…)

4 comments:

  1. You are very creative to come up with the different shapes, and the colors work well together to make your design. It must be so much fun to be able to make these. Great job.

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  2. wow! These are very clever! I am wish I could come up with cool stuff. Right now I am fighting with trying to make a hat pattern in a 2 year size fit a 9 year old. I am not doing so well. lol
    I look forward to seeing all the posts about this!

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  3. Daisy mum, yes I admit I do have fun with these.
    Nacole, converting hat sizes can be really haunting, I know, especially when it is a shaped pattern.
    Thank you both.

    I just noticed I was maybe misleading, and have corrected my post. Comments made anywhere on the blog, not just to this post, will take part in the contest.

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  4. Love the Fachwerk house inspiration, makes me feel amost homesick ( I am originally from a rural town in Hessia). I'd love to enter in the contest, but I have to see if anything matches my stashed wool, as I have no chance of buying special wool. I'll keep checking the blig though :-)

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