Tagged with 'knit'

The recent cold snap has taken many of us by surprise. In the UK you expect the snow and ice to arrive before Christmas – skipping the period where we actually want it to snow i.e. Christmas day – and disappear by mid-January. As is so often the case with the British weather, that hasn’t happened. A lot of people have been stuck in their villages with no way of getting to the nearest town or city to buy their winter essentials. Normally that would mean the world stopping around them, but there is an alternative to buying a new winter hat - knitting your own.

While many people will have put learning to knit onto their list of New Years resolutions and then forgotten about the whole thing, others are seeing the opportunity to make their own hats as the first step into achieving that goal.

Using some of the products from the Abakhan range, we’ve devised a plan to help you on your way to making your own wooly hats to keep you warm through the cold weather.

What You Need

• Needles – it goes without saying that needles are an essential for knitting. We recommend our 35cm x 10mm needles as these give the user much more to hang on to.

• Wool – again another essential part of making any wooly hat. By using even yarn beginners have a much better chance of success as it’s easier to work with than the more ‘knobbly’ form.

• A plan – by coming up with an idea before you start and then sticking to it, you’re much more likely to get your hat right. Problems occur when people attempt to change their plan halfway through a project so only start when you’re absolutely happy with it.

Key Terms There are a few terms and abbreviations associated with knitting. Some of the main terms are ‘cast’ which is to get the stitches on to the needle. Another is ‘knit’ – a basic stitch – and ‘purl’ is another basic stitch. Some of the abbreviations are a bit less clear to beginners. One of which is ‘k’ short for knit. ‘P’ relates to ‘purl’, ‘K2tog’ means to knit two stitches together and similarly ‘P2tog’ is to purl two stitches together.

What To Do With us so far? Right, well, here goes!

1. The Headband Cast on 36 stitches. For a fitted hat do eight rows of k3, p3 all the way to the end. For a baggier hat, increase that to ten or twelve rows but ensure it is always an even number.

2. The Middle Four, six or eight rows of stocking stitch (one row of knit stitch followed by one of purl stitch). Number will differ depending on the size of the hat but again – ensure it is an even number.

3. The Top Unlike the other two sections, the number of stitches here does not change. Row one – K2tog, K4 six times. Row two – P. Row three – K2tog, K3 six times. Row four – P. Row five – K2tog, K2 six times. Row six – P. Row seven – K2tog, K1 six times. Row eight – P2tog.

4. Cast Off and sew the sides together to finish.

By now you should have a very good wooly hat to keep you warm on those ventures out of the house into the arctic conditions outside. For more information on any of the products available at Abakhan, contact your local branch where the staff will be happy to help you with your enquiry. Good luck!

Scarves are a must-have accessory and look great at any time of year. In winter they act as an extra layer of warmth, while the thinner versions add style to an outfit in the summer. The only drawback is because they are so in-demand and feature prominently in the “latest style” sections of the glossy magazines, the prices can be quite high. To combat this, we’re going to tell you how to knit your own scarf for a fraction of the high street price.

To help you to make your own scarf, we’ve come up with a simple guide using products available in the Abakhan range, ensuring that your project remains both stylish and affordable.

What You Need:

1. Yarn – ideally two or three colours to make an elaborate scarf, or just the one colour if you prefer the toned-down style. Thicker yarn will make for a quicker process and give you more warmth, whereas a thinner yarn is ideal for the style-over-warmth option.

2. Knitting needles – choose the size that most suits your knitting style and hand size. Obviously you don’t want anything you can’t handle and manoeuvre easily otherwise it will complicate the process unnecessarily. Thicker needles will help to speed up the process in association with a thick yarn.

3. Yarn needle – enabling you to thread your yarn through

4. Scissors – to cut the yarn to length and chop off any irreparable mistakes

What To Do:

1. Cast on ten stitches using your first coloured yarn. Knit for twelve rows. At this point you can either change to a second colour or continue with the one you’re using depending on what style you prefer.

2. If you’re going for a second colour, cut the yarn at this point leaving a 6-inch end. If not, skip this step and continue knitting until you reach your desired length.

3. Add a second colour of yarn to the first and start knitting. Hold the first six inches of the new yarn and the end of the first and do about five stitches.

4. At this point you should weave the loose ends into the pattern with a tapestry needle. Knit twelve rows with the second yarn.

5. If you choose, add your third colour and repeat the process.

6. Continue to do so until your scarf reaches your desired length and cast off your stitches.

7. At this stage, you should be left with your brand new hand-made scarf! Go out and make a statement!

To find the materials used in the making of this scarf, visit the dedicated knitting section of the Abakhan website or call in to one of our stores. Should you have any questions about the products in our range, you can contact us by calling your local branch or 01745 562133, or leave us an online message and we’ll respond to you as soon as possible.

As we keep saying, knitting is the new cool. Everyone is getting stuck in, but what if you’ve never tried knitting before? Or it’s been so long since you picked up a set of needles that you can’t remember anything?

Fear not! Abakhan to the rescue! We offer various knitting workshops that’ll soon have you in the swing of things!

A Refresher in Knitting

This workshop is perfect for people who were taught to knit as a child but haven’t picked up their needles for years. If you know the basics but need a little confidence come and join this workshop and you’ll be a pro knitter again in no time! All yarn is included; all you need to bring with you are 4mm/4.5mm needles and a passion for knitting!

The next knitting refresher workshop is on the 19th June 2012 in Mostyn, North Wales. If you attend this class, let us know how you get on, we’d love to see photos of your work.

Advanced Knitting

Already a dab hand at knitting? Then give this workshop a go. If you’ve mastered the basics and want to take your knitting skills a little further this workshop is ideal. Covering cables, eyelets, bobbles and chart reading as well as requested processes over a four week period.

As before, yarn is included, just bring your needles.

Keep an eye out for the next advanced knitting course.

Elongated and Slip Stitch

A more specialist class, this workshop explores elongated and slipped stitches in depth whilst working on a cushion cover. All materials are included, just bring your 4mm needles.

The next Elongated & Slip Stitch workshop is in Mostyn, North Wales on the 17th June 2012.

Festive Knits

Get a little festive with this workshop dedicated to Magic Knitting and Beaded Knitting and create unique and charming Christmas decorations.

Bring along your 3.25mm needles.

The next Festive Knits Workshop will be held in Liverpool on the 3rd October 2012.

For details on all of the workshops we run, including dates and times, visit the workshop section of the Abakhan website. Happy crafting!