Candy Bows

I made these pretty candy stripe bows for CANDY's shoes today Everything is going well and although I don't seem to have had as much time as I would like recently, I do love those moments when I can sit and experiment and create.

I am picturing her sitting prettily on a nursery chair dressed in her ice cream colours and stripy bows looking dreamily on at the world and her new best friend!

Thank you so much to everyone who has so kindly purchased my PRIMROSE pattern over the last few days for the Help for Haiti campaign on Ravelry and I will be posting another update in a few days time.

80% of the sales from PRIMROSE will be donated to Medecins Sans Frontieres after January 31st when the campaign ends.

Help for Haiti

This is just a quick post to let everyone know that I am pledging 80% of my sales from  PRIMROSE until Jauuary 31st to the Help for Haiti campaign over on Ravelry. If you were intending to make a purchase in the near future it's a great time to do it. There are lots of other patterns available from some amazing designers and it's wonderful to be part of it and feel I can make a contribution through my work.

Knitting bliss!

Well, the Christmas festivities already seem a distant memory, the annual Winter virus has finally left our door and the snow has melted away. Peace reigns over our home and the sun is shining, if only for a short while. Time at last for some knitting and, of course, a cup of tea. Bliss.....

My Favourite Yarns

  

I thought it would be useful to have a few short notes available about the yarns that I most commonly use and the reasons why I particularly like to use them.

I do think that in recent years all the new, natural yarns have revolutionised toy knitting. There cannot be a more lovely gift than one which has been lovingly made using beautiful, natural yarns. A new friend who will provide so much love and complete devotion in the years that lie ahead!

One of my definite favourite yarns is alpaca wool , espacially baby alpaca, which I use in double knit weight for bodies, limbs, ears and tails. I have found it to be really well suited to my toy knitting. Firstly, it is very durable being second only to silk in strength and also resistant to pilling so the results of all that hard work will not be short lived!

Over the years I have made numerous toys using all kinds of yarns, but many of the cheaper options have sadly not stood the test of time Although, that is not to say that they don’t have their place if you want to knit up a quick fun knit or you have some yarn oddments that you would just like to give a try. I have seen some lovely toys resulting from a bit of improvisation!

 Alpaca wool is beautifully smooth and non-irritating and is often favourably compared to cashmere in softness, although less costly. Most importantly, it is free from lanolin and therefore considered to be hypoallergenic which makes it a good choice for children or those with sensitive skins. This is an essential quality at The TEAROOM as all members need lots of hugs! It is also naturally flame retardant and water repellent.

There is a great choice of colours as there are 22 officially recognised natural shades ranging from pure white, fawns, greys, through to black. Alpaca wool is now produced by numerous different companies and although extremely sought after, it is readily available these days.

I most often use cotton yarns for clothing. The lighter 4 ply weight results in a more proportionate stitch size, especially when knitting Fair Isle or intarsia patterns and it also has a smooth, looser quality which results in the clothing not being ‘clingy’ when placed over a knitted body . This is particularly good for shorts, trousers and skirts. Using good quality cotton yarn will mean that the clothes wash well and there are some versions which are now made from organically grown cotton. Lastly, cotton yarn is also a great alternative to yarns of animal origin for those prone to allergies. Overall, just lovely!

As there are many overseas customers who may need to use alternative yarns, it would be great if details of any yarns that you have enjoyed using for MJT patterns could be added at the bottom of this post for future reference. I have seen lots of lovely alternatives on Ravelry. Hopefully, we can eventually build up a mini archive of recommended yarns from around the world! On my homepage I have listed the shops where I most often purchase yarns which you can also visit through the links. My particular favourite is McA Direct
I will be adding more short notes through the coming weeks which will hopefully add to your enjoyment when knitting from a Mary Jane's TEAROOM pattern.

Happy Knitting!

Things old and new

One of my New Year's resolutions was to organise my ever growing craft stash.

My cupboards are literally overflowing with fabrics, ribbon, buttons and beads, both old and new. There are baskets full of leftover yarns, vintage knitting patterns I can't bring myself to part with and too many books to mention.

I really am becoming a terrible hoarder and it has to stop!

I must say though that it has certainly been interesting searching my way through everything and it created a few quiet moments of contemplation along the way.

I found things that I had forgotten I ever owned. I came across some lovely old Pingouin booklets with patterns I am still promising myself I will knit one day. I don't think these are available any more as I only seem to be able to find vintage patterns on searches. If you do have any information it would really be appreciated as their designs were beautiful, especially the children's knitwear.

I also came across patterns that I knitted long ago that have brought back some wonderful memories with them of people, places and the things that were going on in my life at the time. It certainly makes me realise how my knitting has played such a part, both in times good and sometimes not so good. Needles and yarn always steadfastly by my side!

There are sewing projects I have definitely got to find the time to complete and some I can't wait to begin. I am definitely planning to do lots more sewing in the summer. Searching through my fabrics has filled me with fresh inspiration.

Now I just need more than a few extra hours in the day and all will be well.

In the mean time I am off to do some knittting. There is a new life waiting to be created!

Hope you have a lovely weekend!

Welcome!

As this is the beginning of my life as a blogger I think it is a good time to tell you  a little bit about me and my knitting!

I have been knitting for almost as long as I can remember. I was taught by my mum who was such a gifted knitter and she patiently corrected the many mistakes which were to follow over the ensuing years!

I began knitting seriously in my teens and used to love calling into the small local wool shops to explore the new yarns and patterns. Sadly many of those shops no longer exist but my passion for knitting is stronger than ever.

When my daughters were very young I began knitting toys and eventually progressed to working from my own designs which I would later sell in small amounts.

My first pattern was OSCAR who seemed to appear from nowhere! I sat down one winter's evening with a design clearly in my head and started knitting. The design has changed very little from my first attempt.

I have a particularly soft spot for OSCAR to this day as he opened up a whole new and exciting world for me!

OSCAR was followed by PRIMROSE. She has proved to be a popular little rabbit designed in chalky pink colours. I decided that all my girl bunnies should be named after pretty flowers. My only exception to this is ANIKA one of my Lapland Visitors who I will introduce to you later.

PRIMROSE was followed by BLUEBELL who I always feel has quite a mischievous side to her character!

As with PRIMROSE she is wearing her Mary Jane shoes.

Of course there had to be a DAISY and I felt she should be in her best dancing dress......

.... and pretty dancing slippers with pompoms!

She has a small DAISY motif on the back of her dress and is wearing lacy bloomers.

Lastly, there are my little Lapland Visitors.

ANIKA and BO are twins and have been designed to complement each other.

BO arrived first as I thought it was time that there was another boy bunny on the scene and the design was very clear in my head before I started.

I made a few sketches and I was on my way.

BO was folowed by his twin sister ANIKA.

 I wanted sweethearts to be the focus of the design and I was extremely pleased with the outcome. She also wears warm red bloomers and Sweetheart Snowboots!

ANIKA and BO have proved to be a very welcome addition to the TEAROOM series.

ANIKA and BO together!

And so this is the story so far. ..
I hope you will come and join me on my journey
whenever you have a quiet moment
and read more of my tales from 
Mary Jane's TEAROOM.

My Knitting Needles!

One of the reasons I wanted to start my blog was to provide extra information for anyone who is about to embark on one of my patterns by adding notes about the many different aspects of my knitting which may be useful and interesting. This will eventually all be available in the archives and found through the label tags and search box.

I think I should start right at the beginning with a few words about my choice of knitting needles. Of course, this is a very personal decision, but it is always useful to read about the experiences of others, especially if you are relatively new to the craft and are trying to make your choices. As only a few basic pieces of equipment are necessary I think that it is wise to invest in the best you can afford as this will influence the final results and moreover make your knitting more enjoyable. Anyway, if you are putting so much time, love and talent into a project you deserve the best!

You may already be aware that I like to use mainly 4-ply cotton yarn when I am designing the clothing for my patterns (I will talk about my yarn choices at a later date) After experimenting with many different types of needles over the years, I have found that bamboo is the definite choice for me when working with this type of yarn.
Bamboo needles are lightweight but very durable and most importantly for me, the cotton yarn does not slide around as easily due to the slight surface friction. This makes them an ideal choice as the result is a more secure grip on the stitches. For this reason they are also very suitable for new knitters. Furthermore, as they are warmer to hold than metal needles they are considered a good choice for those who suffer from arthritic or other similar conditions At the moment I am using Clover Takumi straight knitting needles.

When I am knitting my animals' heads, bodies and limbs, most often using an alpaca double knitting yarn, I like to use the Knitpro Symphonie straight wooden knitting needles. They have a beautiful, smooth surface and finely tapered tips and the stitches simply glide across the needles. They are very strong and durable and also have a unique appearance due to their lovely multicoloured surface patterns. They have proved to be a very worthwhile investment for me and in my opinion the extra initial outlay will be rewarded many times over with a lifetime of joyful knitting!
If you would like to leave any comments about your particular favourites for others to share I would love to hear from you!

Happy New Year!

I hope this year is a good one for you, full of love and creativity!

I would also like to thank everyone who made 2009 such an exciting year for me. I am looking forward with great enthusiasm to the year ahead wherever the journey may take me!