CazzCraft

New Year Round Up

noreply@blogger.com (CazzCraft) — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 16:00:00 +0000

I've been very bad and neglected to post anything here for a while so now I have a build up of news... Oh well, new year, new blog post! ;) First of all, I have some Woolly Picard news. You might remember my shock (weird elation??) when my knitted Captain Picard was Regretsy-ed back in May. Well, since then I've been commissioned to make many woolly Star Fleet captains and it seems that one has even had a brush with fame:

Yes you can believe your eyes, this is Woolly Picard in the tight embrace of The Next Generation's Tasha Yar herself! (a.k.a. Denise Crosby). This was taken at the Halifax Sci-Fi Convention, many many thanks to the lovely Selina Hughes for sending me a copy. You can still order your very own Jean-Luc Picard from my Etsy shop.

Talking of my Etsy shop... The New Year sale is now on, woo and hoo! Swing on over to find super cheap deals on hand knitted gloves, cute fairy dolls, gadget cozies and hot water bottle covers, all made from my own unique designs.

The most exciting news of the New Year is actually old news to me, but not to you (lol). I'm expecting my first baby in April, eeek! My husband and I are stupidly excited (of course!), but it's almost embarrassing to admit that I'm just as excited about all the wee little things I get to knit now! We know it's a girl so I've been looking at dresses and bonnets. I've even treated myself to some extra special 100% merino, hand dyed in very girly pinks.

I bought this from Shunklies on Etsy and I can't wait to start using it (great seller btw!). I think it's going to be turned into the Knit Baby Dress by Coats & Clark, with a matching bonnet and bootees.

There's loads of other things I want to knit (including enough hats to supply a quadruplets convention), but top of the list is a baby blanket. I really like these two:

The Angel Wings Baby Blanket by C. Lee Goss and the Crocus Cot Cover or Bedspread by Patons UK. I'm going for the Angel Wings Blanket though because beautiful as it is (and even though I love vintage patterns), knitting with the fingering weight 4-ply yarn required for such a large project as the Crocus Cot Cover is a bit scary to contemplate right now. I'd still be knitting it when this baby has children of her own!

Stay tuned for more baby knitting related loveliness! (or madness??) Happy New Year :)

New Look CazzCraft

noreply@blogger.com (CazzCraft) — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 10:34:00 +0000

You might have noticed that CazzCraft has had a face lift :) Now as well as publishing my own knitting patterns (there will be more soon, I promise!) and selling my hand-knitted lovelies, I've been sourcing and selling the most gorgeous yarn and accessories. I've tried my hardest to find beautiful items for knitters that are also a little bit different. It was important to me that the yarn in particular was unusual, ethical and sustainable. With that mission in mind, may I present my ever-growing range of yarns!

This is Banana Silk Yarn, spun from the bark of banana trees (making it a vegan yarn!). It's really soft and fuzzy to the touch, with a rich shine. It comes in the most amazing array of colours. I call this one Ocean; and it's one of my favourites :) This yarn knits as double knitting and I'm currently using it to knit a baby jacket in a delicious black cherry colour (pictures to come!).

Click to see more...

My Candy Jewels Recycled Indian Sari Silk. These colours shine in the light, making it a very popular yarn at the knitting expo I attended over the weekend (so popular in fact, I'll soon be adding many more colours to this range so watch this space!) The yarn is spun from the leftover silk scraps found in India's weaving mills and is made by women co-operatives. It's a really fun yarn to knit with because tiny pieces of different colours and minute flashes of sari patterns come out as you work.

Click to see more...

I love these colours! This is Recycled Mulberry Silk Yarn and every skein is like a mini rainbow. It knits into a sturdy material perfect for waistcoats, hats and bags. Every skein is different!

Click to see more...

So what do you think? I've had so much fun choosing and playing with this yarn, I hope you all like it as much as I do. I'm also selling the most luxuriously smooth bamboo knitting needles, buttery soft Chinese silk knitting needle rolls; and many other fun accessories and notions (I particularly love these cute measuring snails!).

Have fun :)

Knitting for Charidee

noreply@blogger.com (CazzCraft) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 20:55:00 +0000

I've found some awesome charities on my internet travels where kindhearted knitters can donate their work to a good cause, so I thought I'd share :)

First up is a charity local to me that rescues abused and abandoned donkeys. Sidmouth Donkey Sanctuary sell knitted donkeys through their website and visitors' centre, with all proceeds going to help the animals.

To receive a free copy of the knitting pattern, with full instructions for a 'Woolley' (24cm/9 inch high) or 'Mini Woolley' (12cm/5inches high), contact Ruth on (01395) 578222 or email ruth.burrough@thedonkeysanctuary.com.

Another inspiring British charity is Angelbear, a web-based outfit that collects knitted bears and rabbits and distributes them to sick and needy children in the UK and throughout the world. All the patterns are available for free from the website. If you're a happy hooker, there's even a pattern for a crocheted monkey ;)

*** Ravelry Pattern Link ***
If you prefer knitting dolls rather than animals, check out the Uthando Project. I love this charity and plan to make some dolls for donation in the near future.

*** Ravelry Pattern Link ***
From the website - "Dolls for the children of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. KwaZulu Natal (KZN) is home to one quarter of South Africa’s children. Two in every three of them live in poverty and 1.5 million are younger than six. The HIV and AIDS pandemic affects everyone, and the ravages of the pandemic increase the vulnerability of all children. Children need the loving care of at least one adult for optimal growth and development. When one in five children has already lost one or both parents to the AIDS, the care-giving capacity of families is stretched and at times overwhelmed. While nutritious food, clean water, shelter and education are essential for a child’s wellbeing, so is play... To support this process, dollmakers around the world, provide handmade dolls, sewn or knitted, for the caregivers to give their children."

They do stress that the dolls must be "African style", ie. in the appropriate dress etc., but there's no need to worry about this because very detailed instructions are provided :) Several free knitting patterns for various types of dolls can be found on the website, as well as crochet and sewing patterns.

My nan works in a charity shop where she often sees people donating hand knitted baby items such as cardigans, hats and booties. The sad thing about this is that charity shops (at least the majority of those in the UK, anyway) seem to believe hand knitted goods don't sell, so they will scrap these donations in the 'rag bag', or will simply throw them away. I know, it's horrifying, right? All those heartfelt hours of work in the bin!! (Although I was gifted a beautiful baby's hooded cardigan because of this practice, rescued from an unfair fate at the dump by my nan - a fellow knitter who understood the work involved - who couldn't bear to throw it away. Now I just need a baby to put in it... Hmmm, was Nan trying to tell me something?!)

Instead of giving them to your local charity shop, give these lovely knits to people who will appreciate them! Many hospitals and women's shelters will be only too grateful to accept gifts such as this and they are always in demand - contact the ones near you to find out if they're accepting donations.

Do you know of another place asking for handcrafted items? I'd love to hear about it!

Alice's Adventures with Lace

noreply@blogger.com (CazzCraft) — Mon, 31 May 2010 09:21:00 +0000

Here's a new little pattern to make a quick, pretty hairband. My mum used to call these Alice bands (as worn by Alice in Wonderland), hence the name :) This pattern was inspired by Midnight Purl's Diagonal Lace Scarf and only takes 1 skein of yarn to complete. It's skinnier than a lot of the knitted hair/headbands out there... but that's just the way I wear 'em ;)

Alice's Adventures with Lace
A CazzCraft Pattern

Materials
1 skein DK weight yarn of your choice
Size 4.5 mm needles

Abbreviations
Co = Cast on
Bo = Bind off
St st = Stockinette stitch
St = Stitch
K = Knit
P = Purl
Yo = Yarn over
Sl1 = Slip 1 stitch
Psso = Pass slipped stitch over

Instructions
Co 12 sts.
St st for 6 rows, increasing 1 st each end of every alternate row (18 sts).

Lace Pattern:
Row 1 - k3, (yo, sl1, k1, psso, k1) to last 3 sts, k3.
Row 2 - Purl.
Row 3 - k4, (yo, sl1, k1, psso, k1) to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 4 - Purl.
Row 5 - k5, (yo, sl1, k1, psso, k1) to last st, k1.
Row 6 - Purl.

Repeat rows 1-6 21 more times (or until desired length).

St st for 6 rows, decreasing 1 st each end of every alternate row (12 sts).
Bo all sts.

Making Up
Weave in all ends. Sew cast on and cast off edges together. That's it!

I've only made this for myself and it hasn't been tested by others, so if you find any mistakes please let me know :)

Faeries on the Airwaves

noreply@blogger.com (CazzCraft) — Fri, 14 May 2010 19:52:00 +0000

I've just found out I'll be live on The Jon Atkins Show on Riviera FM, Mon 17 May at 7.00 PM to talk about CazzCraft and my fiction writing :) Riviera FM is a new community radio station broadcasting in Torquay, but anyone can listen in all over the world from their website: http://www.riviera.fm. I'm quite excited! (which is far better than being pants-wettingly terrified like I was before appearing on the radio for the first time last year...) So have a listen if you fancy hearing me talk about woolly fairies and vampire fiction (lol!)

But wait, there's more! (news that is...) I'll be attending a craft fair called Ladies Indulgence Day at the Passage House Hotel, Newton Abbot Devon on Saturday 9th October 2010 (email Melanie Tinne for more details). Sounds like it's going to be a fun day :)

Knitted Hand Jewelry! (Or Gloves...)

noreply@blogger.com (CazzCraft) — Fri, 14 May 2010 13:28:00 +0000

I've just uploaded some really pretty fingerless gloves in a range of colours. They're so cute, I think they look like knitted hand jewelry ;) What do you think? :

	Cool Blue Lacy Fingerless Gloves I think these are some of my favourites. I love these colours together, it reminds me of the ocean :) Etsy/Folksy
Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee Lacy Fingerless Gloves Bright yellow and navy, to turn your paws into snug little bumble bees. Etsy/Folksy

	Blood and Black Lacy Fingerless Goth Gloves Minnie the Minx would love these... Etsy/Folksy

These gloves are priced at a tasty £8.70/$13.50 and are one-of-a-kind, ready to ship pieces. Grab them before someone else does!

Um, Guys... I'm On Regretsy!

noreply@blogger.com (CazzCraft) — Fri, 07 May 2010 16:32:00 +0000

So shocked... so very shocked...

Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Starship Enterprise - Knitted Doll
My knitted Picard doll was featured on Regretsy yesterday! I still don't know if I should feel honoured or mortified. To be fair, amongst the snarky comments there were some nice ones... but someone said "The face looks like a burn patient wrapped in gauze"; and then there's "IT’S TERRIFYING. I can feel the bottomless pits of its black eyes staring into the depths of my soul."

How mean!! I just thought my doll was funny, lol! Regretsy did make this AWESOME mock-up though:

Which was swiftly followed by this one:

Actually, that last one made me choke on my coffee, he, he, he.

As an up-side, I only found out about this because a lovely customer from Australia placed an order for the doll and told me she'd seen it on Regretsy... every cloud, eh? ;)

Being a sad geek, I think this was the only comment that really irked me: "I don’t get the big grey triangle. Starfleet uniforms don’t have those. AND the colors are backwards – the uniform is red and the shoulder is black. Oh f**k did i say all that STTNG geekery in my outside voice? S**t, I’ve outed myself."

This irked because I'm so sadly anal, I actually double-checked the uniform before I made this doll (I really need a life, right?) As demonstrated by the man himself...

(Ready for some more shameless geekery?) According to Memory Alpha, a Star Trek wiki, this is the 2370s-style duty uniform. So now you know! (and I bet you really wanted to know, too...)

Most of the Regretsy commenters said my doll looked nothing like the real Picard...

Can't you see the striking resemblance?! Lol!

Want your very own woolly Picard? Make it so!

Feeling the Folksy Love

noreply@blogger.com (CazzCraft) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 14:17:00 +0000

Unable to sleep on Saturday night (I think it had something to do with knowing I was getting up early to go to a boot sale... Why do brains work that way?!), I started poking around in the Folksy forums and thought I'd ask if any fellow handmade sellers wanted to swap links. Well, I was amazed at the response I got and now not only have I met some lovely people, I've gained some Followers, too (yay for Folksy!)

In the continued spirit of joint shop promotion, I was going to feature my favourite items by some of the sellers who replied to me... but once I started looking at their creations I decided I couldn't bear to choose just a couple and have ended up posting something from everybody's shops (all the sellers are awesome!) Have a looksie and maybe buy yourself some handmade goodness! (Just don't forget to check out my shop, too... lol!)

	Pina Colada Lip Balm by Sweet Talk Cosmetics A definite flavor any beach goddess should savor on their lips. Pina Colada combines the warm, refreshing smell of pina colada cocktail with the healing benefits of natural ingredients.
Patchwork Joy, Hand Knitted Handbag by NOfkantsCurios Patchwork Joy, hand knitted, crocheted & fully lined handbag with a pair of Lucite handles & single internal button closure.
	Agena - Swarovski Tri-Colour Bracelet by GlitterRT This lovely simple little bracelet consists of 3 colours of beautiful Swarovski Crystals; Fuchsia, Purple Velvet, and Light Azuore, and they go so well together.
Fish Bowl by Clare's Creations I have decorated this glass bowl with lots of underwater animals and around the base are rocks, crabs and seaweed.
	Personalised Hen Night Guest Book by Dottie Designs This is a beautiful mulberry textured handmade album with 40 pages (80 useable sides). The pages inside the book are high quality acid free handmade paper sheets.
Blank Wedding Card by Nithria I can input a verse inside for no extra charge. This card is decoupaged and glittered.
	Country Chic Door Stop with Star Applique by Homemade Gems This pretty door stop is made out of cotton linen with a blue felt applique star on one side.
Ant on Leaf Sun Catcher by Diomo Glass This green glass catches the sun and shows up the veins of the leaves, and by night the colour of the ant will shine too.
	Duck Birthday Card by Mel's Handmade Cards Supplied with envelope; sentiment and insert of your choice to suit the occasion.
Little Ladybird Bootees Knitting Pattern by Lynne's Pattern Parlour The bootees are knitted in one piece with a hand sewn seam. The eyes and antennae are knitted separately and sewn on.
	I Love My Sewing Machine Necklace by Heroine Industries Cute little tibetan silver singer sewing machine pendant with a tiny red plastic heart charm, hung on a 16" silver plated chain.
Twin Girl's Card by Card Making Princess Handmade twin girl's card made on cream square card.
	Rock Chick Kilt Pin Brooch by PyroAngel A riot of purple and black, this kilt pin brooch has got it going on. With a purple guitar plectrum, black acrylic star and acrylic dice, plus a score of glass beads, it's full to bursting.
Skull Cloud T-Shirt by Brain Sherbet One of Mr 3ino's original mental lapses sketched freshly for you to wear all over your chest.
	"Drink Me" Bookmark by it's the little things... Tibetan silver scroll bookmark measuring 9cms, inspired by the Lewis Carroll book Alice in Wonderland.

Buy handmade! :)

The Invasion of the Woolly Faeries...

noreply@blogger.com (CazzCraft) — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 12:11:00 +0000

I'm really enjoying the good weather we've been having lately - there's nothing quite like knitting outside in the sunshine :) This is a quick post to let you all know what I've been up to this week. First up, I completed these little beauties...

I'm calling these my Grape Sorbet Fingerless Gloves; and they're the first completed prototype for my forthcoming knitting pattern collection, Thoroughly Modern Mitts (which I'm really excited about!) I'll be including a longer version of these gloves, too. They're worked in the berry stitch, which took me a while (and a few YouTube instruction-type videos!) to figure out, but once I did I loved it. I'll be including a breakdown of how to do this stitch with the collection. Want to be the first to know when Thoroughly Modern Mitts is released? Join my Google Group!

I've also been busy uploading lots of awesome new things to my Etsy and Folksy (UK) shops. Have a looksie...

	These Lacy Glovettes are made in a beautifully soft 100% cotton in pretty pastel shades. Perfect for summer :)
More berry stitch gloves! These are some of my favourite creations; and all my own design. Made in a striking 90% pure wool fuchsia colour.
	This is Lottie, a one-of-a-kind faery doll and original CazzCraft design.
Mattie, the Glastonbury-loving free spirit who's passionate about vegetarianism and piercings ;) I had so much fun designing these faeries, I've decided to create a small range of "Make Your Own Faery" kits... watch this space!

There's lots more to see at my Etsy or Folksy shops (Artfire, too!), including more dolls, gloves and lined gadget cosies.

I Came, I Saw, I Knitted!

noreply@blogger.com (CazzCraft) — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 11:24:00 +0000

I can't quite believe that after weeks of frenzied knitting, Exeter's first KNIT expo has finally come and gone! I think the day was a success, especially as I was told all the tickets sold out. It was great fun getting to speak to people about all things woolly and admiring their handmade creations.

Here's me behind the CazzCraft stall:

Unfortunately this one came out a little blurry, but you get the idea. I had a stall on the top floor, reached via some stairs strewn with pink yarn for expo-goers to follow (like bread crumbs for yarn-lovers!)

I met the event's organisers, Belinda Harris-Reid, Catherine and Ruth Morris and Rachel Vowles; who are all lovely ladies with their own knitty businesses that I strongly urge you to visit. Check out Belinda Harris-Reid for original knitted creations and the most beautiful rose wood knitting needles I've ever had the pleasure to fondle (!); and Ella's Knitting for gorgeous hand-dyed yarn and original patterns.

Here's my mum, helping me to man the stall. She's wearing her Christmas present, an original CazzCraft jacket :)

As well as making some sales, the expo was a great place to display a few of the items from my forthcoming book of faery-inspired knitting patterns, Elven Knits.

These are my hot water bottle covers, complete with removable pocket imps...

...and the famous (at least amongst my immediate family!) CazzCraft faeries :)

If you're interested in being kept informed about the release of Elven Knits, please sign up to my Google Group to be added to the mailing list.

Jean Greenhowe Gift Dolls & a CazzCraft Sale Item

noreply@blogger.com (CazzCraft) — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 15:00:00 +0000

I've had a really busy few weeks creating lots of awesome woolly wonders (!) for the rapidly approaching KNIT expo, but I took some time out to knit a present for my friends' wedding. These are the Bride and Groom Dolls from Jean Greenhowe's Little Gift Dolls; and I loved them so much I almost couldn't give them away :) They are my first attempt at a Jean Greenhowe pattern but they definitely won't be the last. Jean is famous for including intricate details in her toys and dolls - all knitted, of course ;) Check out the bride's flowers (so cute!)

Now, here's a completely different type of doll...

This is Bethany, an OOAK (one of a kind) Barbie doll, completely re-rooted in stunning shades of soft, purple nylon using the secure knot method. I had a lot of fun learning how to re-root a doll and discovered a new craft in the process :) Bethany's clothes are either hand-knitted or customised by me, and she's wearing vintage 70's red boots. I particularly enjoyed knitting her flared, paneled coat which fastens with popper closures and can be worn numerous ways. All her clothes are removable, too. The reason I'm mentioning this doll is because she's currently for sale and the price has been reduced (woo hoo!)

Check her out at Etsy or Folksy :)

KNIT expo 2010

noreply@blogger.com (CazzCraft) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 16:41:00 +0000

I'm very excited to announce that I will be at the first KNIT expo in Exeter, Devon on April 17 2010 at Exeter Phoenix Arts & Media Centre (box office: 0139 667080). It sounds like it's going to be a really interesting event for anyone who loves knitting, or anyone new to knitting who wants to learn how. There's going to be knitting masterclasses (to be booked in advance), talks, stand-up comedy... and me :) I'll be manning my own table and selling my hand-knitted gloves, gadget cosies, hairbands and other accessories; as well as displaying some of the prototypes from my first book of original knitting patterns - Elven Knits. Two of the prototypes coming with me are these happy little creatures:

They're my own-design fairy dolls and official CazzCraft mascots ;) Elven Knits will also contain designs for knitwear, including jumpers/sweaters, shrugs and belts. I still haven't decided which publishing route I'll take and may end up self-publishing... so stay tuned for more details! And in the meantime, if you're in the Devon area and you're free on April 17, stop by the KNIT expo and say hello! Tickets are £6.00, or free for under-12's. Check out their website for more information.

Ravelympics 2010 - The Gauntlets of Eternal Life

noreply@blogger.com (CazzCraft) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:32:00 +0000

These are the Gauntlets of Eternal Life, my entry for the Ravelympics 2010 :) This is a knitting challenge over at Ravelry, in which entrants try to complete a project during the 2010 Winter Olympics, with a mass cast on during the opening ceremonies.

The Gauntlets are my own design. They're very long fingerless gloves with a vampiric twist - a large ankh motif and a cool, blood red lace section around the wrists.

I'm providing the pattern for free at Ravelry, or you can download the .PDF here!

FREE PATTERN! Easy Sleeve Summer Jacket

noreply@blogger.com (CazzCraft) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:52:00 +0000

This is a feminine, three-quarter length sleeve jacket that can be made in a blazer style or a button neck, flared style, depending where you position the buttons (notes in pattern).

The jacket is knit flat in three pieces, with the straight sleeves cast onto the body in a raglan style. If you can knit, purl, decrease and increase, you can make this!

I made this in a soft cotton yarn, but you can use any DK weight yarn.

Easy Sleeve Summer Jacket - A CazzCraft Original Design

Materials:
Suggested Yarn - 10 skeins (500 grams) Zettl Colorado Multi-Color 0008*
*This yarn is only sold in Lidl stores and can be hard to find. A similar 100% cotton substitute is Tahki Yarns Cotton Classic Color.
1 long pair 4.5 mm needles - or size needed to obtain gauge
2 large buttons

Yarn Weight: DK/8 ply
Measurements : To fit bust 32 [34/36/38] inches
Gauge: 24 stitches and 32 rows = 4 inches in stocking stitch on 4.5 mm needles

Back

Cast on 119 [127/133/141] sts
Rows 1 – 7 – Knit
Continue in st st until work measures 12”, ending with right side facing.
Shape Sleeves: Inc. 1 st each end of every row until there are 135 [143/149/157] sts.
Cast on 45 sts at beg of next 2 rows. 225 [233/239/247] sts. It might not look like it, but they will fit on your needle!

Sleeve Cuffs Pattern: Row 1 (wrong side facing) – K5, P to last 5 sts, K5
Row 2 – Knit
These two rows form the cuffs pattern. Continue in pattern until cuff edges measure 5.5 [6/6/6.5] inches, ending with right side facing.

Shape Shoulders: Rows 1 - 2 – Bind off 66 [67/67/68] sts at beg of next 2 rows.
Rows 3 – 4 – Bind off 8 [10/10/10] sts at beg of next 2 rows.
Rows 5 – 8 – Bind off 9 [9/10/11] sts at beg of next 4 rows. 41 [43/45/47] sts remain.
Bind off all remaining sts.

Left Front
Cast on 63 [67/70/74] sts
Rows 1 – 7 – Knit
Row 8 – K5, purl to end of row
Row 9 – Knit
Repeat rows 8 – 9 until work measures 12”, ending with right side facing.

Shape Sleeve: Row 1 – K1, M1, knit to end of row
Row 2 – K5, P to last st, M1, P1
Repeat rows 1 – 2 until there are 71 [75/78/82] sts.
Cast on 45 sts at beg of next row. 116 [120/123/127] sts. Knit to end.

Sleeve Cuff Pattern: Row 1 (wrong side facing) – K5, P to last 5 sts, K5
Row 2 – Knit
These two rows form the cuff pattern. Continue in pattern until cuff edge measures 3.5 [4/4/4.5] inches, ending with wrong side facing.

Shape Neck: Row 1 – BO 14 [15/16/17] sts, K5, P to last 5 sts, K5. 102 [105/107/110] sts remaining.
Row 2 – K to last 3 sts, K2Tog, K1
Row 3 – K1, K2Tog, K3, P to last 5 sts, K5
Repeat rows 2 – 3 until 92 [95/97/100] sts remain.

Sleeve Cuff Pattern – Continued: Row 1 (right side facing) – Knit
Row 2 – K5, P to last 5 sts, K5
Continue in pattern until cuff edge measure 5.5 [6/6/6.5] inches, ending with right side facing.

Shape Shoulders: Row 1 – BO 66 [67/67/68] sts at beg of row, K to end
Row 2 – K5, P to end of row
Row 3 – BO 8 [10/10/10] sts at beg of row, K to end
Row 4 – K5, P to end of row
Row 5 – BO 9 [9/10/11] sts at beg of row, K to end
Row 6 – K5, P to end of row
Bind off all remaining sts.

Right Front
Cast on 63 [67/70/74] sts
Rows 1 – 7 – Knit
Row 8 – P to last 5 sts, K5
Row 9 – Knit
Repeat rows 8 – 9 until work measures 12”, ending with right side facing.

Shape Sleeve: Row 1 – Knit to last st, M1, K1
Row 2 – P1, M1, P to last 5 sts, K5
Repeat rows 1 – 2 until there are 71 [75/78/82] sts.
Cast on 45 sts at beg of next row. 116 [120/123/127] sts. Purl to end.

Sleeve Cuff Pattern: Row 1 (right side facing) – Knit
Row 2 – K5, P to last 5 sts, K5
These two rows form the cuff pattern. Continue in pattern until cuff edge measures 3.5 [4/4/4.5] inches, ending with right side facing.

Shape Neck: Row 1 – BO 14 [15/16/17] sts, K to end of row. 102 [105/107/110] sts remaining.
Row 2 – K5, P to last 5 sts, K2, K2Tog, K1
Row 3 – K1, K2Tog, K to end of row
Repeat rows 2 – 3 until 92 [95/97/100] sts remain.

Sleeve Cuff Pattern – Continued: Row 1 (wrong side facing) – K5, P to last 5 sts, K5
Row 2 – Knit
Continue in pattern until cuff edge measure 5.5 [6/6/6.5] inches, ending with wrong side facing.

Shape Shoulders: Row 1 – BO 66 [67/67/68] sts at beg of row, P to last 5 sts, K5
Row 2 – Knit
Row 3 – BO 8 [10/10/10] sts at beg of row, P to last 5 sts, K5
Row 4 – Knit
Row 5 – BO 9 [9/10/11] sts at beg of row, P to last 5 sts, K5
Row 6 – Knit
Bind off all remaining sts.

Making Up
Seam sides, underarms and undersides of sleeves. Seam shoulders and along top of sleeves.
Block lightly if desired.

Finishing
A good button loop tutorial: http://ysolda.com/wordpress/pictorial-guides/sewn-button-loops/

Open Necked/Blazer Style (see pictures): Sew two button loops along the edge of the garter stitch border, near the bottom of the jacket.
Attach corresponding buttons to centre of opposite garter stitch border.
This style can be worn with the neck turned down as a collar (collar could also be blocked/pressed this way), or with a straight-edged neck.

Button Neck/Flared Style: Sew two button loops along the edge of the garter stitch border, near the top of the jacket.
Attach corresponding buttons to centre of opposite garter stitch border.

Enjoy :) Feel free to share this pattern, but please link back to me; and it goes without saying that if you try to sell it for profit, the dark faeries of wrath will make you suffer ;)

Welcome to CazzCraft!

noreply@blogger.com (CazzCraft) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 23:28:00 +0000

Hello, welcome to my new website for all things CazzCraft :) CazzCraft is run by me, a married twenty-something living in Devon, England. I make and sell all sorts of knitted (and soon, sewn!) items including groovy gloves, gorgeous gadget cosies, scintillating sweaters and desirable dolls. I also design my own knitting patterns which you'll be able to buy here, or even download for free.

I started knitting about three years ago in an attempt to keep my hands busy so I'd stop biting my nails. My nails are as bad as ever, but I can now make an awesome pair of gloves to cover them with :)

I'm also a dark fantasy author who loves all things vampiric. My debut novel is called Dunraven Road - a strange little tale about vampires, unrequited love and addiction. You can find out more about my writing and find links to some free online stories at my website.

You can currently buy my crafted items online at Etsy and Artfire; or if you prefer shopping in the UK, I also have a Folksy shop. All my original design patterns can be viewed at Ravelry.

I have lots of exciting things planned for CazzCraft in the future, including a book of faery-inspired knitting patterns called Elven Knits, so stay tuned!