Still harping on about the Christmas Lurgy, even though we are racing towards the end of February, but it’s all relevant to this  story with another happy ending.

Whilst I’d been really sick the week before Christmas, it was Boxing Day when the flu took hold of The Husband.  Although born in Somerset, he’s a Northern Bloke by heritage, and made of stern, manly stuff.  For him to actually take to his bed when ill is unheard of in the 12 years we’ve been together.  For him to be in bed for nearly 4 days was like stepping into the Twilight Zone.

The kids were under the weather and I was still reeling from it, so we hunkered down and worked on getting well.  After a few days of this, though, Cabin Fever struck and my cherubs morphed into obnoxious little hellions!

By the evening they’d shredded even my last nerve and I’d sent them to bed, poured a stiff drink and turned to Instagram for solace.

Kristin (@kristinm100) had posted the most adorable pair of mittens, and they hadn’t been lost in the craziness of Instagrams algorithms!  I commented and asked if she could share the pattern name.

5 minutes later my inbox pinged and there was the pattern for the mitts.

I’ll admit to being rather overwhelmed by the kindness (although it’s not the first time Kristin has done something lovely for me.)   That little pattern, sent across the miles from Canada by the magic of the interwebs, from a woman I consider a friend, but whom I’ve never met, absolutely turned a truly shitty day into a positively magical one.

I instantly set to work to source the perfect yarn, and came up with Blacker Yarns British Classic DK knitting yarn in Grey.  This is a crisp, hardy yarn, in the fashion of Shetland wool.  The colour is the perfect grey, and whilst I wouldn’t knit this as a sweater next to my skin, for mitts it is cosy, and warm, and, I suspect, will take a bit of a beating!

Now obviously I had to wait for the yarn to arrive, it being the holidays and all, but that didn’t matter.

I was making friendship mitts.  Mitts that every time I wore them I would think of Kristin and her kindness.

I’ve got other mitts like this.  My lovely Goats of Inversnaid mitts were a yarn and pattern gift from my friend Christian (who lives considerably closer than Kristin).  And the hat that goes with them has been commandeered by Miss Button, who also gets to share the love.

It strikes me as nothing short of miraculous that such a simple act of kindness and friendship can result in bonds forged in the shared love of an age old craft.  Bonds that transcend age, race, background, education, socioeconomic status and good old fashioned geography.

That a few clicks of a keyboard can lift the spirits of someone thousands of miles away.

They say that random acts of kindness can change the world.  That you never know, if you do something small, how big an impact it can have on the recipient.

I have a pair of hand-knitted mittens that are testament to the veracity of that sentiment.

They are a happy blessing indeed.

As an aside, this pattern is so beautifully written.  Every row is clearly detailed, so even an relatively inexperienced knitter could make these.  Those of us with a few yards of yarn under our belts can whip these up in no time, but still feel a happy sense of accomplishment.

Phew.  A New Year is upon us and I’m glad.  Christmas Chez Stitches was immensely quiet, mainly due to us all contracting flu (including the grandparents) and after opening gifts and eating the feast, we all retreated to our beds.

I didn’t even have the energy to knit, so spent the time between coughing and nursing everyone, curled up on the snuggler with George and some simple embroidery.  It’s been most therapeutic and I can’t wait to share with you soon.

However, first up is the only Christmas gift I made last year.  Another pair of His Simple Socks by Elizabeth Seidle.  I love this pattern so much.

This time, although I used the same 3 ply yarn as the last pair, I knitted on 2.75mm needles, and am so happy with the result.  The fabric is soft and elastic and just all round much nicer that before.

The colours are much more subdued too. But these are for Grandad, and he has more traditional taste than Hubs!

Although, to be honest, if he hadn’t liked them as much as he did, I think they’d have had a home here, subdued colours or no!

Project notes

For her birthday, we bought Miss Button a pack of bulky yarn, as she’d said she wanted to learn to knit.

I’m fairly sure I don’t need to tell you what happened to that yarn…..

Yep, I knitted it.

There are surprising few patterns out there for tweenagers that require bulky yarn.

Funny that!

But I came across this pattern for a shrug and set to.

It’s a lovely pattern and a quick and simple knit. I’ll admit it’s a tad roomy for Miss B at the moment, but that’s not a bad thing.  She’ll get lots and lots of wear out of it.  It’s a great throw-on for cooler days that don’t yet need a coat.  And, for a girl with a passion for all things flamingo, it’s just the perfect colour.

I altered the neckline so that there is a defined top and bottom to this shrug.

The yarn is squooshy and soft and reminds of that Minky fleece fabric.

Not something I’d want to wear, but a hot pink, squooshy, fleecy shrug is quite the thing when you’re 9 and 3/4s.

Project notes

We had a spot of sunshine at the weekend, so I grabbed the camera, the dog and the family, and, whilst we made the most of a beautiful autumn afternoon at the park at the bottom of the garden, Miss Button posed up a storm wearing her latest new sweater.

I’ve long admired Tin Can Knits for their wearable aesthetic and patterns that span a massive range of sizes.  You can knit for the whole family from some of their patterns that have a more unisex design.  I have many of their patterns in my Ravelry library, but haven’t knit one of them before.   I’m very glad that I finally got around to it!

This is Prairie Fire and comes in sizes 0-3 months to 59 inches.  Which is some seriously insane pattern grading, but makes the patterns fabulous value for money!  It’s also got the instructions for both short and long sleeves…I went long for this sweater at Miss Button’s request.

The pattern is exquisitely written.  Clear, concise instructions leave nothing to chance.  If only all patterns were this good!

Prairie Fire is a gorgeous design.  Knit from the top down, you start with the perfect neckline and the first of the tiny flame motifs.  As the sweater grows, the pattern gently swoops around to the meet at the back.

Garter stitch hems and cuffs match the neckline and add a nice counterpoint to the stocking stitch on either side of the flame pattern, and on the sleeves.

The flame pattern is simple, but, speaking from experience, it’s worth keeping an eye on the stitches as you knit, or you’ll be frogging back because you’ve missed a yarn over!

The finished sweater is just lovely.

I knitted this in an inexpensive cotton yarn from King Cole, simply because Miss B is growing out of stuff apace at the moment.  But if I were knitting this for myself (and I’ll admit I’m sorely tempted to do so) I’d be happy to splurge on the recommended Madeline Tosh, or something equally lovely, because this would surely be one of those sweaters you reach for time and again.

King Cole Cottonsoft is exactly that.  A soft, squishy cotton yarn that it delicious to knit with and is cosy with a lovely drape.  Just be aware that it pills like a beast, but I’m prepared to forgive it because it’s a beautiful colour and gentle against tender skin.

It’s perfect with jeans, as Miss B prefers to wear it.  But it would also dress up nicely with a winter skirt and boots for Saturday shopping and lunch.

Do you know, I may just be actually talking myself into knitting this for me!

Project notes:

Pattern:                           Tin Can Knits – Prairie Fire

Pattern cost:                   $7

Yarn:                               King Cole Cottonsoft DK

Colourway:                    Coral

Purchased at:                Black Sheep Wools

Total  cost:                      £15.96