How I Knit Britain

S&B London got as many groups and individual knitters accross the Uk to knit a square for the Uk S&B Blanket. We wanted it to represent the UK groups in all their diversity. With a map of the UK in the middle, individual knitters made blue squares for the sea and groups made squares that represented their group, which made the edging of the blanket. And what a fabulous result!

I knew that knitting England would not be an easy task, but it took much longer than I thought it would. I also ended up re-doing it until it looked perfect! I started by taking a map of the UK and blowing it up to the size I wanted to knit it. I then used this as a stencil for the knitting. In plain knitting, I knitted, increasing adn decreasing to make the bumpy shapes that make up the island.

Knitted Hair Band

Here's a very simple pattern I designed for the Alexandra Palace Knitting & Stitch Show. This is a pattern for beginners, as it is plain knitted and there's just a little increasing and decreasing at each end to make the ties.

I have also made a moss stitch design as well, so if you know your knits from your purls, it's a good one to try out. I actually prefer the finish on the moss stitch band, though it takes a little longer to make thatn the plain knitted. The Moss Stitch Hair Band also has ribbing at each end, which allows for a stretchy snug fitting band.

Plain Knitted Hair Band

Materials: 4mm needles & double knit yarn, your choice of colour.

Directions:

Cast on 6 stitches
Rows 1-40: garter stitch
Row 41: K1, m1, k4, m1, k1 = 8 stitches
Row 42: knit
Row 43: K1, m1, k6, m1, k1 = 10 stitches
Row 44: knit
Row 45: K1, m1, k8, m1, k1 = 12 stitchesContinue in garter stitch until the piece measures 55cm or desired length
Now decrease to finish.
Row 1: K1, K2tog, K8, K2tog, K1 = 10 stitches
Row 2: knit
Row 3: K1, K2tog, K6, K2tog, K1 = 8 stitches
Row 4: knit
Row 5: K1, K2tog, K4, K2tog, K1 = 6 stitches
Rows 6-46: garter stitch
Cast off.

Moss Stitch Hair Band

Materials: 4mm needles & double knit yarn, your choice of colour.

Directions:

Cast on 6 stitches
Rows 1-38: Moss stitch
Row 39 & 40: knit
Row 41: p1, m1, p4, m1, p1 = 8 stitches
Row 42: Purl
Row 43: K1, m1, k6, m1, k1 = 10 stitches
Row 44: knit
Row 45: p1, m1, p8, m1, p1 = 12 stitches
Row 46: Purl
Rows 47 & 48: knit
Rows 49 & 50: Purl
Rows 51 & 52: knit
Rows 53 & 54: PurlContinue in Moss stitch until the entire piece measures 55cm or desired length.
Now decrease to finish.
Rows 1 & 2: Knit
Rows 3 & 4: Purl
Rows 5 & 6: Knit
Rows 7 & 8: Purl
Row 9: K1, K2tog, K8, K2tog, K1 = 10 stitches
Row 10: knit
Row 11: p1, p2tog, p6, p2tog, p1 = 8 stitches
Row 12: Purl
Row 13: K1, K2tog, K4, K2tog, K1 = 6 stitches
Row 14: knit
Rows 15-52: Moss stitch
Cast off.

Live Hip-Hop in Japan

I was fortunate enough to see a side of Japan many tourists don't get to see. My friends took part in a charity event at a community centre in Yokohama. Performances included break dancing, body popping, rapping, tap dancing and loads more. Unfortunately this was near the end of my stay and I ran out of memory on my camera. But I did manage to get these...

Tap Dancer VS Beatboxer....



Beatboxing....



More....



Check out how fast this guy is!



Last one...

Knitted Tea Cosy

I have just invested in a new tea pot and it couldn't be better timing either. As you may or may not know, St. John's Ambulance are asking for knitters to send in their knitted tea cosies to help raise vital funds for their life saving work. The Big Tea Cosy event will be on the 30th November. Their target is 5,000 knitted cosies! Which will then be sold to raise money for the charity's crucial work. Laughing Hens have provided a cosy pattern to get you started.

I have used the 'Coffee, Tea or Me?' pattern from 'Stitch and Bitch Nation' pictured below, as a basis to get me started. Unfortunately, it was a bit too small for my tea pot, as you can see. So, i adapted the pattern to make it bigger.

Tea cosies are really easy to knit and you can be creative as you like when designing your own. I already have plans for grassy cosies covered in ladybirds....

Surviving in Tokyo

I was under the impression that Tokyo was the most expensive city in the world. This may have been the case years ago, but I can quite safely say that London is a much more pricey city. Though, like in any city, avoid the tourist traps if you don't want to blow all you hard earned pennies on one meal.

Speaking to people, it seems that Japan is one of those places that everyone wants to go to, but not that many people actually do it. Is it because they think it's too expensive? Or is it because of the language barrier? It doesn't seem as daunting going to France or Spain, where the language is not completely different from English. But the Japanese language is structured in a totally different way with no familiar alphabet.

Do not let the language barrier put you off. You can survive in Tokyo without a knowledge of the Japanese language. Station names are written in Japanese and English, so you wont miss your stop on the train. Many also announce the station in English too. English is taught to all Japanese children at school, however, many don't get the chance to actually use it in a real life situation. So, though a basic knowledge is had, pronounciation will often be difficult to understand.

Travelling around Tokyo is straightforward. There is an extensive subway network and overground trains too. To work out how much your fare is, you simply look at the rail map above the ticket machines and the price of your ticket is written next to the station you are travelling to. The names of the stations will all be written in Japanese though, so you will either want to know how to read the Kanji, or just the location of your desired station on the map. If you get your fare wrong, don't worry - when you arrive at your destination, you simply visit the 'Fare Adjustment Machine' and pay the difference.

Smoking is not banned in public places in Japan (as it is in England), however, there are designated smoking areas. You will see smoking areas on the street and in cafes and restaurants etc. You can light up in most places, but you are encouraged to be a responsible smoker in Japan. Outside Shibuya station, near Hachiko, there is a large smoking area, the most crowded I saw in Japan. Most are not as crowded as in Shibuya, but Shibuya is a very busy area where there is lots going on. You are encouraged not to smoke as you are walking down the street, you will see signs such as "a lit cigarette is carried at the height of a child's head". And of course, dropping your cigarette butt on the floor is just not done.

In fact, there is hardly any litter in Tokyo or any of the places I visited in Japan. Though, trying to find a rubbish bin is not easy either. I couldn't work out why there was no litter anywhere, but there were no bins either. Where do people put their rubbish? I am guessing they take it home with them. The only places you really see litter bins are next to vending machines and drink/food outlets. You don't see people walking along the street eating and drinking; they will buy something and consume it immediately where they bought it, or save it until they get home. This may explain the lack of litter.

There is so much to see and do in Tokyo, if you have a limited time you will certainly not see it all. Apparently there is a Hello Kitty Museum (I think it's called Kitty Land). I didn't get to visit, but to be honest I don't think I needed to - Hello Kitty is everywhere in Japan. You can buy clothes, dolls, jewellery, umbrellas, phone pendants and much much more, all with the cute little kitty on. In fact, the most useful word I learnt in Japanese is 'kawaii' - cute. Everything in Japan is cute.

There is a limited amount of green space in Japan. This is something you really notice when you look at the city from Tokyo Tower. London and Paris both have large parks and green space when you look from the London Eye and the Eiffel Tower. However, Tokyo is a sea of buildings, as you can see from the photo above. There are of course several parks in Tokyo and they are very well kept as you would expect. The Imperial Palace East Gardens are particualrly pretty and worth a visit. There is also a lot going on in Ueno Park around the art museums and Yoyogi Park is worth a visit to see all the young fashion victims dressed up in their chosen style.

As Tokyo is such a highly populated city, the city is forced to expand upwards into the sky. Like New York, there are a lot of very tall buildings. What I found quite surreal was going to a pub or bar that was on the 15th floor of a tower block. You would walk into an office building, get in a lift, the doors would open on the 15th floor and suddenly you were in a pub. Very strange. But cool.

If you want to see more pictures of Japan look here.

Singing Karaoke in Japan

Japan is the home of karaoke, and a popular pastime it is. I couldn't go to Japan and not try it out. It is quite a different affair though in Japan than it is in England. In England, karaoke is an activity for the pub or for your playstation at home. You will often find drunken slurring, out of tune singing and shouting at a karaoke night in England. Of course, you do get those talented singers showing off their skills and some serious competitions, but in Japan karaoke is generally a far more civilised affair.

The older generation tend to do their singing in 'karaoke bars' which are similar to an English pub; there is a stage or an area for the singer to stand and sing to their audience. The younger generation, however, tend to go to the karaoke rooms or 'booths' where your singing is private and only yourself and your friends can hear.

When I told my friends parents that I liked doing karaoke in England, they whisked me off to the local karaoke bar and found myself in a place where 'no young person had ever been before'! This made me feel all the more nervous about singing in front an audience that took karaoke quite seriously. I should add at this point that I am not a very good singer. However, I was singing to a (small) audience that didn't speak English, so it couldn't be that bad.

Karaoke in Japan is about singing, not about performing. Singers stand still, they sing seriously and try and get it right. There's no dancing or banter with the audience. The audience clap during the instrumentals - gosh, it is so civilised in comparison to the nights I have had in London! It hadn't occurred to me that karaoke is actually quite a good way of relieving stress, until I read the sentence in a Japanese language book. OK, you might think that it's nerve-racking and stressful thinking about the prospect of singing to an audience of strangers. But if you've done karaoke before, you'll know that once you've done one song - you're hooked! The Japanese are great at finding ways to relieve stress. They work long hours and so forms of stress relief are well received.

If you are more keen on singing to a smaller and more familiar audience (or even just yourself!), then there are plenty of karaoke rooms available to use. This is the kind of karaoke popular amongst the younger generation. Of course, it is the more expensive option, but not as expensive as London. In Leciester Square you can end up paying £90 an hour for a room. Generally you will pay per person in Japan. And contrary to popular belief, everything is cheaper in Japan than it is in London.

Knitted Baby Starfish

I took a trip to London Zoo a couple of months ago and was so very impressed by the aquarium. The weird looking sea creatures are all different colours, shapes and sizes... it's hard to believe that some of those strange beings are actually alive. I was so impressed, I felt inspired to knit an aquarium for myself (as I'd never be able to afford a real one). I was particularly impressed by this one picture of the starfish and those fluffy looking things (that are probably not that fluffy really).

So, I've started by creating a very simple design for a knitted starfish. It's really really easy. All you need to be able to do is cast on, knit and cast off. It really is that simple. You can try different sizes too, once you get the hang of the pattern. I knitted one on the train on the way to work this morning.

Materials: 2.75mm needles, doulbe knit yarn in any shade that takes your fancy, scissors and a knitter's needle.

Directions: Cast on 10 stitches

Row 1: Knit 10

Row 2: Knit 10

Row 3: Cast off 7 stitches, knit the remaining 3 stitches

Row 4: Knit 3, now turn the needle round and now cast on 7 stitches. This splits the row to make the gaps between the legs.

Row 5: Knit 10

Row 6: Knit 10

Row 7: Cast off 7 stitches, knit the remaining 3 stitches

Row 4: Knit 3, now turn the needle round and now cast on 7 stitches.

Row 7: Knit 10

Row 8: Knit 10Row 9: Cast off 7 stitches, knit the remaining 3 stitches

Row 4: Knit 3, now turn the needle round and now cast on 7 stitches.

Row 10: Knit 10

Row 11: Knit 11

Row 12: Cast off 7 stitches, knit the remaining 3 stitches

Row 4: Knit 3, now turn the needle round and now cast on 7 stitches.

Row 13: Knit 10

Row 14: Knit 10

Row 15: Cast off 7 stitches, knit the remaining 3 stitches

Row 4: Knit 3, now turn the needle round and now cast on 7 stitches.

Row 16: Knit 10

Row 17: Knit 10

Cast off 10 stitches

You should now have a knitted piece with 5 legs. These need to be stitched into a star shape as in the picture.

Now you have your very own knitted starfish! I have also adjusted pattern to make the fish bigger, by knitting the legs at a length of 15 stitches instead of 10. I kept the number of stitches always cast on at 3. See more pictures here.

I plan to have the knitted aquarium completed later in the year. Watch this space....

Knitted Tank Top Vest

I have to admit, my first attempt at a jumper was pretty rubbish. The sleeves and the body didn't look like they belong on the same garment.

I thought I'd give this tank top vest from the Stitch n Bitch book a go, as it looked nice and easy and was suitable for this summer we've been having in England.

When making a garment such as this, the back and the front must be identical, so that when sewn together, they fit propperly. Otherwise you end up with a lop-sided seam that gets all twisted up. The neck areas obviously differ; often the front neckline will be slightly lover than the back.

This vest top is knitted in a rib-stitch, (k2, p1), which gives a really nice effect, as you can see here. I did notice, however, that my merino yarn started to turn my bamboo needles green...

I actually finished knitting this before I went on holiday but have only just got round to taking pictures. It's any easy top to knit and doesn't take too long either.

The straps are attached to one another using a three needle bind-off, which I had never tried before. Instructions are in the Stitch & Bitch Nation book on how to do this. The three needle bind-off is supposed to give you a invisible seam. I can see why this is so, but my first attemot was a little bit lumpy.

The sides are sewn together using a 'blanket stitch' (I think). As you can see, my sewing skills are not too great, but they're getting better, slowly. One day my seams will look seamless...

Anyway the final product is knitted without any mistakes, which I am very pleased about. The only thing is, it's a bit small for me. It's short around my belly, which isn't too bad, but it's the neckline where it is noticeable. I really like this design though, as it is quite a flattering top. I haven't decided whether to unravel it all and make the bigger size, or whether to give it to someone smaller than me....

Home Made Pizza Recipe

I love pizza and I espeically love those dough balls that you get in certain pizza restaurants that they serve with garlic butter. All they are, are the off-cuts from the pizza dough, so I thought I'd try making some dough for myself. Much cheaper. Here is how I made this feast....

Ingredients:


For the dough...

• strong white flour 500g, plus extra for dusting the work surface




• 2 teaspoons of salt




• 2 teaspoons of easy-blend fast action yeast




• 2 tablespoons of olive oil




• 2 teaspoons of honey or sugar




• 300ml of warm water




• olive oil to grease the tin

Equipment: Large mixing bowl, tablespoon, teaspoon, measuring jug, wooden spoon, flat large baking tin, cling film or tea towel.

Directions:

1. Sieve the flour into the mixing bowl, add the salt and the yeast granules and stir with wooden spoon til they are all combined.




2. Spoon the olive oil and sugar/honey into the measuring jug, add the warm water and stir well.




3. A little at a time, add the water mixture to the flour mixture. Mix with spoon or hands, working the water into the flour and gradually bringing it all together into a mass of soft, slightly sticky dough. If the dough wont come together, then work in some more water. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour.




4. Now you need to kneed the dough for around 15 mins. If you don't have strong arm muscles, you will by the time you've finished.




5. After kneeding your dough should have a slightly bouncy feel to it. It should not be too sticky or too dry. Put the mass of dough into bowl and cover with a slightly damp tea cloth and leave for 1 hour. (Do not put it in the fridge)




6. After an hour, the dough will have risen. Take it from the bowl and kneed a little more, to remove the air. It will be easier the second time round. Again cover and leave for an hour.




7. Remove dough from bowl and roll out to make pizza bases.

For the tomato sauce:

Ingredients:

• a generous helping of tomato puree (about 5 tablespoons)




• a few tablespoons of oilve oil for frying




• 1 can of tinned tomatoes




• 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, use a sprinkle of salt to crush




• worcester sauce (a few of splashes)




• dried basil




• 1 medium finely chopped red or white onion




• black pepper

Directions for making the sauce, which will cover the pizza base:

1. Fry the onions in the olive oil until soft. Make sure there is plenty of oil in the pan, so that the mixture doesn't become too dry whilst frying (but not too much, or it will be too oily!)




2. Add the crushed garlic cloves a fry for another 2 mins.




3. Add the dried basil an black pepper and stir.




4. Then add the tomato puree and stir.




5. Now add the tinned tomatoes and stir further, with a few splashes of worcester sauce




6. Now, as your mixture is well stirred, you can cover the pan and simmer for approx 20-30 mins, stirring occasionally.




7. Allow the tomato sauce to cool down. Then spoon the mixture over the pizza bases and add your desired toppings.




8. Bake your pizzas in the oven at 190 degress on a baking sheet.

Topping suggestions:

• Tuna, sweetcorn, green peppers, sliced red onion.




• Sliced smoked sausage, pineapple chunks, red pepper thinly sliced




• Ham, pineapple, sweetcorn




• Pepperoni, black olives, red onion and green peppers




• Spinach, goats cheese, carmelised red onion




• Roasted peppers, corgette, fresh basil leaves, topped with shavings of parmesan and cracked black pepper

The dough balls:

Use the off-cuts of pizza dough and make small round balls, approx 1.5" in diameter. Bake on a greaseproof sheet for 6 mins.

The garlic butter:

Crush 1 clove of garlic with a little salt in a pestle and mortar or garlic crusher. Mix this with your butter in a small dish and add some chopped parsley. Serve dough balls with a small dish of garlic butter for dipping.

You could also try a few different dips for the dough balls, such as pesto or a cheese sauce.

Army of Ladybirds

As it's summer there's less need for big wooly jumpers and scarves, so it seemed like the perfect time for knitting models of my favourite insect - ladybirds. The pattern is really easy...

Materials: 2.5mm needles; red and black double knit yarn (doesn't have to be anything fancy); 1 darning needle, stuffing.

Cast on 3 stitches

Row 1: starting with red yarn, purl 3

Row 2: k1, m1, k1, m1, k1 = 5 stitches (RS)

Row 3: purl 5 (WS)

Row 4: k1, m1 alternately until you have 9 stitches

Row 5: purl 9

Row 6: k1, m1 alternately until you have 17 stitches

Row 7: purl 17

Row 8: k1, m1, k15, m1, k1 = 19 stitches

Row9: purl 19 stitches

Row 10: k1, m1, k15, m1, k1 = 21 stitches

Row 11: p21

Rows 12 to 28 St st

Row 29: k1, k2tog, k15, k2tog, k1 = 19 stitches

Row 30: p19

Row 31: k1, k2tog, k13, k2tog, k1 = 17 stitches

Row 32: p17

Row 33: change to black yarn, k1, k2tog, k11, k2tog, k1

Row 34: p15

Row 35: k1, k2tog, k9, k2tog, k1 = 13 stitches

Row 36: p13

Row 37: k1, k2tog, k7, k2tog, k1 = 11 stitches

Row 38: p11

Row 39: k1, k2tog, k5, k2tog, k1 = 9 stitches

Row 40: p9

Row 41: k1, k2tog, k3, k2tog, k1 = 7 stitches

Row 42: k1, k2tog, k1, k2tog, k1 = 5 stitches

Row 43: Cast off purl wise

This gives you the top of the ladybird.

Underneath side:

Cast on 6 stitches

Row 1: Purl (WS)

Row 2: k1, m1, k4, m1, k1 = 8 stitches (RS)

Row 3: p8

Row 4: k1, m1, k6, m1, k1 = 10 stitches

Row 5: p10

Row 6: increase as above = 12 stitches

Row 7: p12

Row 8: increase as above = 14 stitches

Row 9: p14

Rows 10-13: St st

Row 14: Increase as above = 16

Row 15: P

Row 16: k16

Row 17: p16

Row 18: k16

Row 19: p16

Row 20: k16

Row 21: p1, p2tog, p12, p2tog, p1 = 14 stitches

Row 22: decrease as above knitwise = 12 stitches

Row 23: p12

Row 24: decrease as above knitwise = 10 stitches

Row 25: decrease as above purlwise = 8 stitches
Row 26: decrease as above knitwise = 6 stitches

Row 27: p6

Row 28: K2, k2tog, k2

Row 29: p5

Row 30: k5

Row 31: p2tog, p2, p2tog = 3 stitches
Cast off

Now, using the black yarn, make the ladybird pattern on the top side of the ladybird (a black line through the middle and vlack dots, see picture)

Now, holding the two pieces against one another (RS facing one another), sew togther, three quarters of the way around the perimeter, turn the right way out and stuff the ladybird. Then sew up the remainder of the seam. And now you have your very own knitted ladybird! You can also sew a broach pin to the back, so that it can be pinned to your favourite bag or cardigan.

Mastering the art of blogging

Finally I have mastered the art of adding photos to my blog. It turns out that I just wasn't ticking a little box at the bottom of the page where you accept the terms of agreement or something, before you click 'upload'. This is why I am a knitter and not an IT person.

Anyway, I can get blogging away now with pics to make my blog far more interesting. Enjoy!

Knit Crawl London June 2007

There's lots been going on at Stitch and Bitch London these past few months. Ever since the London Lion Scarf in March we have been inundated with emails, comments and new members, which we always welcome!

Saturday 9th June was World Wide Knitting in Public Day and Stitch and Bitch London celebrated this by holding London's first Knit Crawl. And we couldn't have asked for a better day to have it on. The weather was glorious and the knitters were everywhere! We knitted at some of London's finest icons (including our brave Lion's of course), welcomed new knitters and confused passers by (as always).

Check out the photos from the fabulous day and the Stitch and Bitch Blog for a rundown of our knitting adventures.

As you can see in this photo I also knitted with could possibly be the world's biggest knitting needles. (Well, the biggest I have ever seen anyway).

Knitting not writing

Well, I have been so busy knitting of late, that I have had not time to write my blog.
With my visit to Japan approaching, I have been preparing for my trip and knitting like a mad woman. It doesn't help when your CD drive doesn't work and you cannot upload any pictures. I will upload some pictures soon to show you some of the projects I have been working on. Once my techinical problems have been overcome then I'll be able to post more regularly, with pictures!
I have a swarm of ladybirds in the making - even goth ones!