Knitter of the Month

A monthly competition... prizes galore! Send in your projects, images and knitting stories to Aneeta @ KnittingSOS.co.uk Or use the contact form

 

 

February 2010

February's Knitter of the Month is a controversial choice...it's me!  : )

I was asked to do a rush commision job for an elegant pair of opera gloves.  4-ply yarn, arm length and yarn that made my eyes stream!  I don't often take on commissions, but this one was 'an offer I couldn't refuse' and I think I deserve Knitter of the Month!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(+3652 reads)

January 2010

January's Knitter of the Month is Cet.  She's been sending pics of her knitting for a while now, and I think this 'hybrid' from Knitty Gritty is worthy of the first KotM of 2010.

"Here's a pic of the hybrid lacy shawl and girly scarf!!!  I did the lacy shawl pattern but with bigger needles and mohair, like the girly scarf.  It's for my Mom and has come out nice and generous to keep her cozy on chilly evenings!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(+3511 reads)

 

December 2009

December's Knitter of the Month is Cheryl from that mythical place 'South of the River.'

"Well, I'm normally a big fan of modesty, but I'm so chuffed with my efforts that here's a photo.  Thanks to the kit* you and aneeta gave me for bday - I got carried away, knitted two, decorated with knitted xmas pud and tree and now sending off to lucky toddlers - they're gonna remember their aunty cheryl (and hopefully for all the best reasons).  (yes those really are their names...)
 
*Mainly thanks though to Aneeta's superb teaching skills. 
 
But is there any QUICK way of sewing on sequins???"
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

(+3315 reads)

 

November 2009

November's Knitter of the Month is Caroline from the Tower Hamlets Wheelers (London's bestest cycling group)!  She came along to a class claiming to be a beginner but was soon impressing us all with her swift grasp of stitch combinations.  She took her knitting along on a train/cycle holiday to Copenhagen and comes back with her own take on Moss Zig Zag (see October's winner) - here's Caroline's pretty scarf and clever Moss Zig!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And Caroline has considerately sent me her pattern for Moss Zig so we can all have a go.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Caroline’s zig stitch


Cast on a multiple of 9 stitches


Row 1 K4 P1 K1 P1 K1 P1 and repeat to end

Row 2 P1 K1 P1 K1 P1 K1 P3

Row 3 K2 P1 K1 P1 K1 P1 K2

Row 4 P3 K1 P1 K1 P1 K1 P1

Row 5 P1 K1 P1 K1 P1 K4

Row 6 K1 P4 K1 P1 K1 P1

Row 7 P1 K1 P1 K4 P1 K1

Row 8 K1 P1 K1 P4 K1 P1

Row 9 P1 K4 P1 K1 P1 K1

Row 10 K1 P1 K1 P1 K1 P4

Row 11 K3 P1 K1 P1 K1 P1 K1

Row 12 P2 K1 P1 K1 P1 K1 P2

Row 13 K1 P1 K1 P1 K1 P1 K3

Row 14 P4 K1 P1 K1 P1 K1

Row 15 K1 P1 K1 P1 K4 P1

Row 16 P1 K1 P4 K1 P1 K1

Row 17 K1 P1 K4 P1 K1 P1

Row 18 P1 K1 P1 K1 P4 K1

 

 

(+3090 reads)

 

October 2009

October's Knitter of the Month is the very ambitious Priya from Coimbature in India!  Priya's in the UK for a limited time whilst her husband is working here, and she's determined to squeeze me for every ounce of my knitting knowledge in that time.  She wins this prize not only for her enthusiasm to knit a dozen things at once, but for...moss zig zag!  This is a complicated stitch pattern I sneakily inserted into my stitch booklet (that my students all receive in their third class to practise knit and purl combinations).  Priya is the first of my beginner knitters to have attempted it...and here's her very impressive knitting : )

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(+2871 reads)

 

September 2009

September's Knitter of the Month is possibly Knitty Gritty's biggest fan Linda!


Hi Aneeta
 
Just wanted to say how much I love your book. Decided to go back to knitting after about 17 years of not going near it and picked up your book as I thought after a break of that long I needed a good beginners guide. Your book is the best ever and has got back addicted to knitting as you can see from attached photos.
 
My favourite project to make so far was the shawl (closely followed by the project bag). Least favourite was the girlie scarf as the yarn was a nightmare to knit with, especially when I discovered all the knots in the middle of the yarn!
*Note from Aneeta*  Remember that mohair yarn is tricky to knit with, but it's so fluffy that you'll never see a mistake..a very forgiving yarn!
 
Planning to do more bags and make a tie, even if it is just to use up some of the yarn I now have.
 
Would recommend your book to anyone. Even my mother thought it was great and she's been knitting for about 50 years. She also made a shawl as a present for a friend.
 
Please, please say you're bringing out a sequel to the book. I definately would pre-order it as I know the patterns would be fab!
 
Thanks again,
 
Linda

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(+2612 reads)

 

August 2009

August's Knitter of the Month is the lovely Diana.  A New Yorker living in London, she's been delighting, amusing, teasing and looking after me in our weekly one to one knitting sessions since the Spring.  Diana was a school teacher for many years and I think she's enjoying getting her own back by playing the cheeky student!  She's come on in leaps and bounds with her knitting - and has just finished 'Rowena' from Knit Two Together.  This is one of my favourite patterns from one of my favourite books knitted by one of my favourite knitters!  Smile

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(+2493 reads)

July 2009

July's Knitter of the Month is Seb - the first person I ever taught how to knit (now you know who to blame/thank!)  Seb has long moved on from the days when the two of us used to curl up on the sofas in front of Lord of the Rings Extended Version, knitting endless granny-squares to being a very accomplished knitter.  If you've ever seen me cycling through London in the winter wearing a beautiful, lilac shawl - he made it for me!  

Just to show that I still have something to teach him, here's a photo of Seb's Blue, Eye-Matching, Sock.  Different sofas, same film, 6 years on!

 













































(+2267 reads)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 2009

June's Knitter of the Month is Antonia - I hope that once you get knitting, you can all be as inspirational as she is!

"You might like to know that a couple of colleagues who knitted in the past have taken it up again having seen me knitting, and another colleague who hadn't knitted before asked me to show her how! I recommended your book, which she bought and now regularly brings to work when she joins me for pre-workday knitting sessions!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(+2131 reads)

 

May 2009

May's Knitter of the Month is Tori from Devon.  She's been steadily working her way through Knitty Gritty and sending me photos of her interpretations of my patterns.

 

Some words from our winner...

 
"This cardigan was made for my friend's little girl Emily. 
 
I was shown how to knit and purl when I was a child but that was it.  I have been knitting now - thanks to Aneeta ('s book Knitty Gritty) - for 6 months.  Her book is absolutely brilliant and I would not have been able to get this far without it.  I can now increase, decrease and follow a pattern and has given me confidence to tackle a jumper for myself.  There is no stopping me now..."
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

(+1921 reads)

 

March and April 2009

Sorry about the lack of knitter of the month since February...I'm a little low on inspiration.  So please send photos and knitting stories...I need to get my knitting-mojo going again!

 

 

February 2009

Feb's Knitter of the Month is Niki and her instant sock obsession!

Niki lives in my basement...ok...it's the downstairs flat, but I like to think of it as my basement Wink  She's a very creative lady who makes all sorts of imaginative and beautiful gifts for all her lucky friends.  And now they are getting socks!  After a taste of my sock-addiction over a neighbourly dinner, Niki instantly got the bug.  And I'm very proud of her, as apart from a couple of boozy, late night Knitting SOS's, she managed to knit most of her first sock all by herself (guinea-pigging my sock pattern at the same time)...very impressive!

 

I think her prize must be more sock-inspiring yarn...!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 (+1843 reads)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

January 2009

January's Knitter of the Month is Gladys from Brazil!

Gladys has been in touch with me for several months and wanted to take some knitting classes whilst she visited her daughter for a few weeks this month in London.  I was surprised and flattered that someone from so far would have heard of Knitting SOS; so I happily agreed to some private classes.

Gladys is a very creative lady.  She makes beautiful sewn dolls clothed in pretty Liberty prints and finished to an extremely high standard.  She can knit, but like so many knitters, was baffled by the sometimes incomprehensible language of 'knit.'  Believe me...Brazilian Portuguese can be simpler!

Her wish was to learn to read knitting patterns so that she could add knitted toys to her repertoire, and knit clothes for her lady-dolls.

Luckily for me, not only was Gladys a good knitter, but also she somehow knitted English style (most South Americans knit Continental style due to the Spanish influence).  She was also a really quick learner - sometimes teaching me the Brazilian word for knitting terms as we translated patterns!

I have to admit though...she was relentless!  8 classes in two weeks...sometimes making me get up for 9am knitting!  I did threaten to teach in my pyjamas...but never carried out my threat ; )  

All Gladys's hard work paid off.  She really learned to understand and read knitting patterns...as our new friend 'Curzon' proves.

Prize: 2 skeins of Colinette Cadenza (cleverly hand painted, super soft yarn).

 

 

 

 (+1425 reads)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December 2008

December's Knitter of the Month is Rachel M-T.  Rachel's been knitting for years and came along to my Knitted Wire Jewellery course and my WI session for Christmas decorations.  She took away all the info from those classes, brewed them up, and came up with....knitted wire Christmas decorations!  I have to admit that I'm pretty impressed.  Not only did Rachel invent the patterns herself, but she's the tidiest wire knitter I've ever seen.  I'm not a big fan of perfectionists, but she certainly makes a good case for them!  Only one complaint...Rachel didn't write down the pattern for her shimmery wire Christmas tree, and I want it!  I'm going to have to convince her to make another so we can all learn them next year.

Prize: Sock yarn and needles.

Apologies for the dreadful photos...all my fault.

Ho Ho Ho!

   

 

 

 

 

 

 (+1100 reads)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

November 2008

Photo (of orthopedic shoes and knitting) coming soon.

November's Knitter of the Month is Charlie Tyfield (nee Kitchen).  She got married in October, went for a 1 week honeymoon, then straight home to a horrid, double foot operation!  A busy lady, Charlie often has to put knitting aside in favour of 12 hour work days, so she used her recuperation time wisely to finish a few of her ongoing knitting projects.  Amongst them are: a shrug, a hat and Christmas decorations!

Prize: to be announced.

(+884 reads)

 

 

 

 

 

October 2008

This month's winner is Harriot Lane Fox who wrote that lovely article about me in the Sunday Telegraph.  See the Press page for the link to the article, and Harriot's knitting journey so far.  I just want to say...she didn't write the article so I'd make her KofM...this is just my way of saying, thank you for saying nice things about me!  That always deserves a reward!  Also, her enthusiasm as a new-ish knitter spills out throughout her article to hopefully inspire lots more people to pick up knitting needles. 

http://www.knittingsos.co.uk/files/Telegraph%202nd%20Nov%2008.pdf

 

 (+785 reads)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

September 2008

This month's Knitter of the Month is Alex McLean from south London. 

Alex knits once a year after seeing me at Dork Camp (long story, http://dorkbotlondon.org/wiki/index.php/DorkCamp08 ).  Last year he knitted a pair of booties for his soon to be born son.  And this year he started Project 4 from Knitty Gritty - the Zig Zag Scarf.  After knitting one zig with me, he completed the rest of the scarf all by himself - which is quite impressive for someone who's only had two knitting classes.

Here's the handsome Harvey modelling the scarf made by 'Dadad.'  (+611 reads)

Prize: 'some yarn to match my Missus's eye's please' was Alex's request.  So I found a lovely hand painted chocolate yarn as his prize.  Manos del Uruguay yarn in colour 2235.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

August 2008

Knitting SOS's first Knitter of the Month!

Kylie Archer, 28, from Sydney, Australia.

Prize:  a skein of HipKnit's fabulour hand dyed superwash merino DK. 

Kylie's only been knitting since May 2008, but she's the fastest learner I've come across in years. And amazingly prolific, 'hmm, I like that, I think I'll knit it in 5 different colours and one for my mum!'

Here she is wearing the Anthropologie Capelet.  http://peonyknits.blogspot.com/2005/11/anthropologie-inspired-capelet-fo-and.html  (316 views)