Rugby World Cup Competiton

As a bit of a hurrah for a few things I’d love to run a competition (because I love competitions!)

To celebrate:
- the update of The Little Rascals e-book
- the launching of my own Rav group (squeeeee)
- the Rugby World Cup, which just happens to be hosted in New Zealand this year.

To enter:
Knit a kids rugby jersey using one of my patterns in the colours of your favourite team(s).

I think the Hotshot with or without a collar is ideal and also very practical for this time of the year for both Hemispheres - Spring here in the Southern Hemisphere, Autumn/Fall for the Northern Hemisphere.

I knitted one for my Penny to wear for her kindy black-out days. Here she is modelling it, along with my Timothy. I was hoping to be able to whip one up for each of the boys too, but they're both still waiting!

Enter the details into in my group here, pop the picture up in the thread and tag your FO with j-j’sRWCcomp

You can start anytime now, the closing date is the same date as the final for the RWC which is the 23rd of October…but you’ll want to finish your FO before then I’m sure, so your kidlets can wear them while watching the games!

There’ll definitely be a prize…hmmm, it could include yarn, chocolate, perhaps even a swift if you live in NZ/Aus and need one and definitely some fabulous stitch markers made by my friend Deb. I’ll organise the details for deciding the winner/prize soon :)

Here are the entries so far!

The Little Rascals e-book, now updated!

On the 1st of September I released the update of my The Little Rascals e-book. It's been a big job but it's done!

Here's the blurb from Ravelry:

The Little Rascals e-book is a collection of 3 unisex, easy to knit, seamless (topdown) and versatile patterns. They’re great for wearing out and about and for mucking around in the backyard.

The Little Rascals are all v-necked garments - Little Hoodlum (jersey), Hotshot (vestee), Young Einstein (jacket/cardigan) - making them easy to pop on a bib if necessary or for bigger kids who don’t like yarn up against their neck.

The e-book is a comprehensive, detailed pattern with almost every imaginable extra possible! The new improved pick-a-path style pattern has so many options to allow you to choose your own way through the pattern, creating your own unique garment for a loved one.

The updated e-book now contains instructions for:
Contrast colour edge
Moss or garter stitch edge
Hood
Collars in either rib, moss or garter stitch
Wide or tapered sleeves
Cables in the raglan, kangaroo pocket or hood
Kangaroo or patch pockets

As well as exclusive Watermellish embellishment charts for:
Bulldozers
Daisies
Ladybugs
Caterpillars

But wait! There’s more!

Also included is PupPup’s Mini Hotshot pattern (for teddies), so you can knit matching sets for beloved teds.

Sizings for the patterns range from newborn up to 10 years (15-28 inch chest)

The patterns can be knit in either DK (8ply) or worsted weight (10ply) as long as a 20sts gauge is achieved. Information is also provided for substituting yarns of other weights.

Now this update should’ve gone to everyone who has purchased this pattern in the past via Ravelry. If you haven’t got your copy and you purchased it there, click on ‘my notebook’. From the list of options, select ‘purchases’. In there you’ll find access to the latest version.

If you bought it directly from me, please contact me for an updated version. If you could tell me when you purchased it or have a copy of correspondence with me (if it makes searching through emails easier my email address is jstanfield at xtra dot co dot nz.)

This pattern is intended for personal home use only. Commercial use of this pattern is permitted only through a cottage license, please contact me if you're interested in a Cottage License.

If you'd like to buy a copy, for September and October it's at a special price of $10USD. If you click the button below you'll be taken to purchase it :)



A huge thank you to all my wonderful testers and collaborators xxx

Who Doesn't Like A Cable Or Two?

I've got a bit of a thing for cables - and I recently tried popping them into the raglan of my Little Rascals pattern (these were both in the cardi version - Young Einstein)

This was the first one...the colour is all wrong, it's actually a much deeper raspberry red type colour, but you get the idea. To see more info on it you can pop here

And the back:

To do this one I used a C4B cable for the 1st and 3rd raglan and a C4F for the 2nd and 4th (to get mirrored ones on the front and back). I cabled every 6th row (starting with the 5th row)

I changed my raglan increasing with a KFB to 3 st from where the marker would be normally within the pattern. I moved my stitch markers to just after my first KFB for each raglan which worked fine I just needed to remember when dividing for the sleeves and checking stitch counts that I had moved them 2 stitches.

I thought I could make the cable pop a bit more - so this one was knit up in a lovely silky bamboo and wool blend - Bella Baby Layette.

I knit this one by using a yo for the raglan increases instead of the increasing used in the pattern. For the 1st and 3rd cables I used a C4F every 6th row and for the 2nd and 4th I used a C4B.

I do have more planned, perhaps in bigger sizes so I can pop in a bigger cable of some description, and I'm thinking this would look equally good on either a Hotshot or Little Hoodlum

The Little Rascals Patterns

Yesterday I released The Little Rascals! The Little Rascals e-book is a collection of 3 unisex, easy to knit, seamless (topdown) and versatile patterns. They’re great for wearing out and about and for mucking around in the backyard.

Within New Zealand, Coco Kids hold the exclusive rights to knit any of these for sale. Feel free to contact myself, Ali or Kate if you'd like to order one.

The Little Rascals are all v-necked garments (which makes popping on a bib easy if necessary)

Little Hoodlum (jersey), Hotshot (vestee), Young Einstein (jacket/cardigan)

There are a variety of options included in the pattern:
- knitting a hood or collar
- moss/seed or garter stitch edge
- how to knit a contrast band around the edge
- wide sleeves or tapered

Sizings range from newborn up to 10 years (15-28 inch chest)

The patterns can be knit in either 8ply/DK or 10ply/worsted weight

The pattern also includes a printer friendly version at the end - so it’s possible to download the full pdf with all the info and pretty pictures, but if you prefer to save paper and ink simply print the last few pages of the pdf.

You can purchase the pattern by clicking the buy now button on my 'Patterns' page here, or via Ravelry here

The price is $7USD and purchases are made via paypal. You'll be sent a pdf of the pattern.

You can contact me if you have any other questions about the pattern or purchasing it. I am able to email it to purchasers with NZ bank accounts who'd prefer to pay via internet banking.

Coco Kids are also available for custom orders for any of The Little Rascals - feel free to contact any of the Coco Kids team to enquire about getting one knit for you.

Lifetime Cottage Licenses are available for a one-off small fee (however they're not yet available in NZ) - please email me for more information if you are interested in knitting these to sell.

Introducing...

So, the release day is quickly approaching - let me introduce to you the project I've been working on.

The Little Rascals is a collection of 3 versions of unisex, easy to knit, seamless and versatile patterns - great for wearing out and about and for mucking around in the backyard.

From left to right - Hotshot, Hoodlum and Young Einstein (with short sleeves, the instructions include long sleeves)

 The patterns have a variety of options - hood, collar, contrast edge, moss stitch or garter stitch, wide sleeves or tapered - a ton of possibilities. They can also be knit from either 8 or 10ply yarn (dk or worsted weight) and it includes sizes newborn up to 10 years.

Little Hoodlum

The v-necked jersey

 

Hotshot

The v-necked vestee

Young Einstein

The cardigan/jacket.

The release day at the moment is set for the 20th of June. The pattern will be available for purchase via Ravelry and hopefully also via my blog.

As well as the pattern being available for sale, I'll be offering custom knitting of any of The Little Rascals.

   

From left to right - Young Einstein (with hood), Little Hoodlum (with hood) and Hotshot (with hood)

I've been just so lucky though in the knitting friends that I have and the knowledge and support they've given me.  I'm incredibly grateful to you all!

Thank you to all my fabulous testers – Rachel, Georgie, Christine, Alison, Ali, Amy, Nat, Kath, Nikki, Anna, Margaret, Katherine, Michaela, Krissie, Jax, Gen, Pipi, Sarah and Julie. There is no way I could’ve done this without you all. I really do appreciate your enthusiasm, your help, and your thorough and honest feedback with this. Mwah!

Prior to (and during) the final test – there were a number of designers and friends that offered solutions and support with the pattern development, including pointing out where to begin and where to find useful information as well as answering my many questions. Thanks so much to Georgie Hallam, Shannon Passmore, Kelly Brooker, Sheryl Greenfield, Rachel Evans, Katherine Oxlade Knack, Ali George, Alison Daines, Rachel Ferguson and Justine Turner

A huge thank you to Emma Frost for putting her creative touch on the final product and her help with the editing

If you're a knitter and thinking of purchasing it - I hope you'll be as excited about it as I am! I really do want it to be a pattern that people enjoy knitting and want to knit!

I do ask that purchasers of the pattern respect me and other designers out there by not making copies of it or emailing it to friends. My intention was always to make it affordable so that everyone could purchase their own copy rather than passing on rogue copies. I hope when you see the price, you’ll agree it’s fair and encourage your friends to buy it themselves rather than giving them a copy. Thanks!