Blogging

Hi all, 

Just letting you know that I've made the decision to stop blogging, I'm just too busy/tired to be keeping up with it all. BeingJaz has been deleted but this blog is staying up so that the patterns will still be available but I won't be updating any more.

I've really really enjoyed my time blogging, and I'm sorry this is so sudden and without warning. I've pondered this for a while, but I didn't want to let my blogs die slowly, I just didn't. 

Thank you to all my regular readers, all my commenters, followers, supporters, to everyone who has guest posted, been interviewed, taken photos for me, kept this blog running when I've been ill. Too many names to thank, but you should all know who you are!

As always, I continue to support numerous charities. I would like to leave you with a link to a fellow raveller's just giving page, here lets bump that total up guys!

Love and knitted hugs 

(remember when I always used to sign off like that?) 

Jasmine 

P.S - For BeingJaz readers, if someone wants to keep Seven Positive Things This Week (7PTTW) going on their own blog I'd be totally in support of it! 

MEAW Hairband

Releasing a new pattern for the first time in ages. 

This pattern is being released for M.E Awareness Week (MEAW). I don't charge for my patterns, but if you'd like to contribute please consider donating to Invest In ME  or watching this video about severe M.E. No sound needed, but the music is nice. 

Please please please please please if you do one good deed today, watch the video!

Anyway, on with the pattern

Thank you Fleurtje-Eiza for the photos!

You will need

50-150 yards of DK yarn

3mm knitting needles.

A button - 10p coin size.

Cast on 12 stitches 

Knit 12 rows 

Row 13(RS): K2, P1, K6, P1, K2 

Row 14 and all future WS rows - K3 P6, K3 

Row 15: - Same as row 13 

Row 17: - K2, P1, Yo, K2tog, K2, K2tog, Yo, P1, K2 

Row 19: - K2, P1, K2tog, Yo, K2, Yo, K2tog, P1, K2

Repeat rows 15 to 20 - note row 20 is a ws row - until piece reaches 20 inches, or a length suitable for the wearer. 

Rows 21 - 25 - K across 

Row 26 - K6 K2tog YO K to end 

Rows 27- 32 K across

Cast off

Ravelry MEAW Hairband link

Hope you like the pattern! 

Jasmine 

New Pattern - Moldova for MEAW

oooooh I do believe it's time for a new pattern! Shall we?

Important- please read! This pattern is free the only thing I ask is that, if you feel the pattern is worth it, to watch this video raising awareness for M.E awareness week(MEAW). Link here. Only do so if you want to, feel free to use the pattern anyway. Please do not sell the pattern, you may sell things you make from the pattern. Named Moldova for their brilliant performance in Eurovision.

You'll need...

Worsted weight yarn approx 50yards, lumpy yarn works well. Top photo is my own lumpy handspun, second one is Stylecraft Brushstrokes.

A button

4mm needles (or size to obtain gauge)

Tapestry needle

A head on which to wear your hair band

The ability to

Knit (k)

Purl (p)

Knit two together (K2tog)

Yarn over (Yo)

Sizes, small-medium

Cast on 74 stitches ~74 stitches stretches up to 68cm add multiples of 4 to make it bigger~

Gauge - 5 stitches x 5rows = 1"

Row 1 - *K1, p1* until end of row

Row 2- repeat row 1

Rows 3 - 10 K across

Row 11 - *K1 p1*

Row 12 - repeat row 11

Loosely cast off.

Buttoned on piece (same gauge as above)

With 4mm needles cast on 18 stitches

Rows 1 - 10 - Knit

Row 11 - k8 k2tog Yo k across

Row 12 - k

Row 13 - k to last 2, k2tog

Row 14 - rep row 13

Row 15 - knit

Row 16 - cast off 2 sts knit

Row 17 - rep row 16

Making up -

Weave in all ends, and sew the hair band together at the two shortest edges. Directly on the seam, sew your button half way up the seam on the hair band. Button your second piece onto the hair band.

Skinny Bow Scarf

The promised (very late) Christmas present is here!

You'll have to excuse the typos that are likely to appear, I have neither my glasses or the time to go through and double check - I am also still in the middle of re knitting this to check the pattern, but we'll cross any mistakes when we come to them.

There are two versions to this scarf, one is where the thinnest bit of the scarf is flat, the other one is an icord. I'm still in the middle of knitting the I cord one, so I'll come along and update once it's done so for now the instructions are for version one - if you'd like to try the Icord one just switch to dpns.

You'll need

A small amount of double knitting yarn (I will come back to say how much needed) I'm using Special by StyleCraft

4mm needles or dpns (optional)

The ability to tie a bow around your neck is helpful, but not nessacery if someone else is near by

Abbreviations

Knit - k

Purl - p

Knit into front and back of the stitch - kfb

Knit two stitches together - K2tog

Cast on 20 stitches

Row 1 - K across

Row 2 - P across

Row 3 - K1, K2tog, K to last 3 stitches, K2tog K1.

**repeat rows 2 to 3 until 4 stitches remain**

If knitting the Icord version switch to double pointed needles here

Work in stocking stitch until the piece is just a little bit to short to tie a bow with, this varies from person to person as apparently I tie my bows in a very strange fashion.

Row 4 - finish stocking stitch, end with a purl row

Row 5 - K1, Kfb, K to last 2 stitches, Kfb, K1

Row 6 - P across

**repeat rows 5 to 6 until you have 20 stitches end on Row 6**

Row 7 - K across

Cast off.

I really hope you like the pattern, it's simple to knit (I knitted it up in just over an hour) easy and fun to, perfect for watching the telly and knitting or for newer knitters trying to master Kfb and K2tog. If I say so myself it makes a fashionable scarf to, I wear my black one with a purple v neck jumper.

Hand knitted hugs,

Jasmine

P.S if you like the pattern follow me on blogger so you're updated with new patterns sooner. I'm working on a patterns page as well to make it easier for the patterns to be found. If you knit this up please email me at jasminescrafts@hotmail.co.uk with photos, I'd love to see how you got on with it!

Free Pattern - Fingerless Gloves!

Hooray, it's here!

I asked you what pattern you wanted and first place was claimed by fingerless gloves, and to my surprise the skinny bow scarf came at a second. My surprise about the scarf is because it was such an easy design that I had forgotten about until I looked on the photos page and decided I should put it on the poll. Health permitting, it will be written up next week.

Lets get on with the free pattern. This is a photo of what you'll be knitting, one glove from two different pairs if you want, you could make a pair purposely made to have different colours like in the photo or you could make a matching pair!

These gloves fit me but are quite loose and I have small wrists, if you want to make them any bigger or smaller take off/add on a multiple of 6 stitches. I measured around the glove whilst wearing it and it was 18cm but the ribbing stretches a lot.

To make these gloves you'll need.

3 1/2mm knitting needles (you could convert to dpns/magic loop if you mark the beginning of the round)

Sewing needle for yarn

DK yarn in two different colours, I use Special by Stylecraft, it's soft, cheap and cheerful

With colour A (the dark blue/dark green in the photo) cast on 42 stitches

Row 1 *k3 p3* until end

Row 2 *p3 k3* until end
Repeat rows 1-2,  2 times (6 rows)

Change to colour B

Repeat Rows 1 -6

Change to colour A

Repeat until you have 4 stripes in each colour, last stripe should be in colour B.

Change to colour A

Row 1 *K1, Kfb* until end

Row 2 *K1, P1* until end
Row 3 *p1, k1* until end

Repeat row 2-3 2 more times (5 rows in total since change to colour A)

Cast off

Sew the seam using the same colour as the stripe, leaving a gap for your thumb, it's up to you how long the gap is.

Please let me know how the pattern is for you, I'm not feeling 100% today so I couldn't work out how many stitches you'd have after Row 1 (k1, kfb) after knitting 4 stripes in each colour.

I hope you like the pattern, it's quick to knit up and really easy, if you do knit the pattern feel free to send photos to me at jasminescrafts@hotmail.co.uk

Hand knitted hugs

Jasmine x

Free Pattern!

Hello everyone,

Today I am offering a free pattern for all the knitters who read the blog! I hadn't thought of this until someone commented on an earlier post saying I should put up the pattern for my cabled phone sock on Ravelry (a knitting forum) as some people would love it. Unfortunately, due to my lack of planning I didn't write the pattern down and can't remember much of it... Eventually I will try to make it again and I'll write down the pattern! So for now, I'll give you my other phone sock pattern that I designed. It's pretty simple!

You'll need Double knitting yarn. I don't know exactly how much, but not a lot! The phone sock weighed 3g if that helps.

3.75 mm knitting needles - anywhere between 3mm-4mm will work fine.

And mobile phone to measure against!

YO - Yarn Over. It kind of says it on the tin, but instead of putting your needle through a stitch you just put the yarn over the needle without going in any stitches. See here for a video.

K2tog - Knit 2 stitches together. Just like you would knit one stitch but slide the needle through 2 stitches. Video here.

K - Knit.

P - Purl. If you don't know how to purl a stitch see here.

Stocking stitch - Knit one row purl the next row video here.

2x2 Ribbing - Knit two stitches purl two stitches video here.

Garter Stitch - Knit every row

**This was made for someone new to knitting so an experienced knitter may find all the notes/photos annoying, sorry**

Step 1 - I casted on 20 stitches but my phone is quite slim so I'd suggest casting on 32 stitches. Use whatever method you're comfortable using to cast on.

Step 2 - We're going to start knitting the brim. You can either make it with stocking stitch or 2x2 ribbing if you're comfortable with purling stitches, if not just use garter stitch. And use this stitch for about 1 and a half cm.

Step 3 - K1 stitch, YO, K2tog until 1 stitch left, K the last stitch (you should still have 32!)

Step 4 - P all stitches or if you can't P, K all stitches

Repeat step 3 and 4 until your piece covers the length of your phone.

Step 5 - stocking stitch/garter stitch for 1 and a half cm

Step 6 Cast off!

Then just sew up the side and you're done!

Here's a photo of mine, sorry there aren't photos step by step my computer really isn't happy today so I can't upload all of the photos! I used 2x2 ribbing across the top, purled all the rows in between the YO rows and finished with stocking stitch and also a tiny bit of decreasing but that's not overly noticeable and not needed.

Enjoy the pattern, let me know how it turns out and feel free to comment if you get stuck :)

Jasmine x