A couple of things to show off about here at TBk today.

Firstly, another design in The Knitter. A snuggly throw to see you through Winter. The design brief was ‘urban’, the yarn was already chosen and so working around that we have a vaguely chain-link fencing effect:

Just as I was taking the photo of the mag there I see it is a ‘subscriber’s only’ pattern, so if you’re not a subscriber then you’ll have to wait until June to knit it when the pattern will be available here on TBk.

I cannot think of chain-link fencing without thinking of the video for ‘Chain Reaction‘ by Diana Ross (the bit I’m on about is about 2.10 in). Yes, my life is governed by pop music.

Secondly, there is a free pattern to download on The Knitter’s new website, The Making Spot*. It’s for a mini sock advent calendar (yes, you have to knit 24 mini socks), and here are a couple of the pics I took before it was sent off. I suppose if you were really dedicated you could knit a sock an evening ready for the next morning, but perhaps less stressful to knit one ready for next year. It’s a brilliant way to use up bits of yarn of all sorts of weights and to practise different heels and toes on socks.

There’s also a drawstring bag to stuff all the little socks in to keep them safe for next year:

Finally, must mention that on Sunday night we went to see The British Guide to Showing Off at the (new! wonderful! hurrah!) Hackney Picture House. Having worked close to where Andrew Logan lives, met him several times when he popped into the office and spent a very pleasant evening once chatting to his partner, Michael, about Russia, architecture and St. Petersburg it was a must see and it is absolutely brilliant. Anyone who thinks that Brits are reserved should go and see it, also anyone who wants to see Brian Eno being upstaged by (I presume) his cat (or at least a cat) and Zandra Rhodes searching for her glasses.

*It’s here!

A brand new design in The Knitter (issue 38)!



A Wintery jacket for the man in your life. It’s knitted in Sirdar Click Chunky, which comes in lots of nice colours, is very reasonable as yarn prices go and knits up beautifully. What’s not to like? Details I think are particularly good (but then I would, wouldn’t I?) are that the button and buttonhole bands, collar and pocket edgings / linings are all knitted as you go, so there is minimal finishing, hurrah!

This is Juliet’s hubby modelling, and a lovely job he’s doing too. I haven’t put the photo of the back view in as it irritates me that the hem of the jacket is crooked… (I know, picky, picky). So credit for this photo to The Knitter.

If you can stand any further wittering from me, I’ve also written the Masterclass this month on yarn substitution. This one is all about the maths involved with a simple stocking stitch cardigan, there’s one to follow (in issue 40, I think) which goes into more details with substituting for a textured or cabled design.

Having dealt with heads and hands with Quinton & Chadwick’s Armwarmers and Headband, time to knit something to wrap around your neck to keep out the Winter chills.



In NY a while back with Kay, we spotted a very well dressed Gentleman (definitely with a capital G) who had a scarf tucked into his (very smart) Camel coat which Kay noticed because, well, because it (the scarf, not the Gentleman) looked like the bastard love-child of a mitred square (or mitered square, as she calls them in her American way). You can read about Kay’s love for mitred (mitered) squares over at Mason Dixon Knitting, but suffice to say some might class it a bit of an obssession with her. We followed him (as you do) for a minute or so to get a closer look and luckily he stopped to get a drink. We accosted him (again, as you do), to tell him how much we liked his scarf and ask what lovely person had knitted it. He told us he bought it, years ago, possibly from Paul Smith.

We thought we had to bring the loveliness that this scarf was to the general knitting public. This is vaguely it. I say vaguely as we weren’t so stalker-ish as to ask if he would take it off for us to have a good look at, so it’s a bit of a guess.



Knitted here in 6 shades of Rowan’s Felted Tweed Aran, but it would look wonderful in monotone shades of grey (or gray, if you’re Kay) for a more Reserved Gentleman. Or just knitted for anyone in any shades to match this Winter’s coat. Knitted in a thinner yarn (and I admit to having nearly ordered the yarn for this for me) it would be narrower and a tad more ladylike – I have been dreaming of the limited edition heathered shades of Quince & Co’s Chickadee, but really I need colour in a scarf, not more grey. Or it would be lovely too in Shelter.

The New York Gentleman’s Scarf pattern is available here.