knitty neck hugs

Oliver Twist yarn pack neck hug

In my last post I mentioned my neck hug. I wear these a lot. When I was very small, my ma and grandma used to knit 'polo' necks with an extra panel front and back which sat inside our jumpers. These were amazingly effective and designed to 'keep the chill off your chest'.
We grew up in old houses without central heating, when duvets were eiderdowns and winter mornings were a race to get dressed and yes, jack frost painted the insides of the windows with beautiful patterns.
Morph forward to a few years ago and into my passion for textiles.

Oliver
Twist
'Happy Pack'
in Orange

My lovely friend Debbie Cripps introduced me to yarn packs made by a company called Oliver Twists... you can buy them here in Debbie's store Craftdepartment.com Whenever I taught a class for Debbie at her store, I'd come home with at least one pack. The packs have lengths of different yarns carefully selected in delicious colour palettes, a definite stash favourite. My first neck hugs were worked by knotting all the lengths in a pack together, rolling it up into a ball and then knitting them as a long strip (no fancy knitting skills needed, (just keep knitting 'til the yarns all used).
To finish off, one short side is stitched to one long side to make a V and viola! the perfect knitty collar to sit in a neck line and keep you warm, whilst indulging in a lovely colour mix of textured yarn.

soft and snuggly neck hug using three fancy
yarns together

I love yarns almost (only almost) as much as beads and there are Sooo many truly scrumptious ones, but seriously, I am pants at knitting garments and way too time starved for craft hobbies that take too long.
My solution is to indulge the yarn desire with a purchase of just one ball or hank.
Current neck hugs are knitted as a short row to make the same long band, and stitched together in the same way. You can knit a bunch of thinner yarns together with bigger needles too.
I wear my neck hugs all winter because.... big reveal....
They are just perfect for showing off a beaded brooch.  I'm often asked for an instant tutorial and I've discovered that many beaders are yarn stash hoarders too.

Turquoise neck hug with Winterfleur brooch

Quick tutorial

Turquoise neck hug so you can see the shape

1 or more lovely yarns or Oliver Twist yarn pack
1 pair knitting needles (2.5mm - 5mm depending on yarn thickness)
cast on approximately 15 stitches (8 - 10 for a chunky bunch of yarns.)
Knit until you have about 60cm.
Cast off.
Sew one short end, to the side of the other short end.
Pull over your head and add a gorgeously beaded brooch.

shop, share, recycle

all wrapped up in recycled ribbon

I'm doing that spring thing of clearing out cupboards. Partly due to necessity as there is something damp and mouldish happening in a far corner that needs much clearing out before a 'man' can be called in to have a look... why the 'man' can't climb over boxes of craft stuff just like he has to at home is one of those social nicety dilemma's that it's just easier to do a bit of tidying than to ponder too deeply. What is guaranteed is that the 'man' is going to want a lot of money to sort the mouldish thing.

Embracing the zen of clearing space in order to welcome in the new... I took a big bag of knitting wools left over from when I was writing my French Knitting book, to our local charity shop. In turn I came away with the most adorable nonsense. A second hand plate with three knitted cakes all done up in cellophane. I am slightly triumphant as I have wanted to own knitted cup cakes ever since my friend Becs knitted some adorably cute ones for her mini me's and has yet to knit me one despite much begging... and despite that I am a grown up and ought to knit my own, I guess.

knitted fancies WITH cherries on top!

I love quirky trends, the cup cake revolution was astonishing to witness, and seems to continues apace. This symbol that seems to have kick started the vintage kitsch revolution is either a divine manifestation of our collective need for creating and fun, or terribly descriptive of the wastefulness of our consumer culture. Somehow I don't mind as long as there are folk out there who want to hand make things, to sew, knit, bead, embroider, well or badly, but sustain these lovely expressive crafts.
Back to the zen clearing thing and my bulging bag of left over yarns will be knitted up into cute recycled gifts, which will give the knitter the pleasure of her hobby and the purchaser a delightful object, whilst raising funds for the charity, cosmic.