9 possible combinations!

Before I knit Nostepinne, on cold days I would wear an old grey jumper of my husband’s. It felt like wearing a cuddle, but it looked like a sack of potatoes. For Nostepinne, I took the best features of that jumper – the pure wool, soft grey colour, roomy ease, slightly-longer-than-usual sleeves and added other, more feminine features. The U-sha...

Make your house feel like home with this cleverly constructed blanket. The blanket plays a pun on the phrase “house warming”.

Note November 2022: I named this long before the pandemic! It works up floppy so if you like a tighter fit, go down a size. I like to wear mine purl side up as it shows off the points of the crown.

A simple garter st shawlette with a raindrop fringe. This shawlette is a great way to show off a skein of hand-dyed or self-striping yarn. The pattern is easily memorisable, so you can take it to the pub or work it up in front of the TV. It widens slowly, which makes it long and narrow, perfect to wrap around your neck a good few times and stop...

This hat is a quick and fun way to incorporate colour and texture into your knits.

Summer wedding season is here and I wanted something pretty to cover my shoulders but couldn’t face another shawl. When I held this shocking pink yarn next to a particularly purple ribbon, I HAD to use both. Once it was decided to use the ribbon as a feature, the designing part was easy!

Formosa is a triangular shawl and it is easier to knit than it looks. I tried to design something that I could knit at the pub or at knit night- something pretty, but not monumentally taxing. The main stitch is stocking st and the lace stripes are straightforward. Each repeating lace pattern has at most 2 sts on any given row. The edge and cent...

One day, my daughter sat beside me and asked me many questions about what I do. I showed her a sketch I had drawn of a girl’s cardigan, and told her how I would go about turning it into a knitted garment. I showed her some options for cuffs, neckline, decoration, and she carefully helped me choose. Designing this sweet little cardigan became a ...

Wow, I am completely overwhelmed by the amazing response to the release of Abbye Hat and Cardigan. Abbye Hat went to #1 in the Hot Right Now list yesterday and I couldn’t be more delighted. Thank you all. Abbye Hat has been downloaded over a thousand times since it was released. The hat is free with purchase of Abbye Cardigan.

This stunning jumper encapsulates the geometric trend with a bold diagonal line cutting right across the piece.

Got a singleton ball of sock yarn? 4-ply odds and ends lying around the place? Sick of making socks but your feet are still cold? Have a go at this hot-water bottle cover instead. It uses around 65g of sock yarn, and it’s perfect TV or pub knitting too, especially if you go for the striped version. For a wee bit more of a challenge, try the zig...

These fingerless mitts feature stylised roses and leaves. A rosebud is picked out on the thumb. I tend to hoard the ends of sock yarn from other projects, so it felt good to use some of them up in the corrugated ribbing on the cuffs – there are five shades used here (count ‘em!)! However, you can easily adapt the number of shades to your own pr...

This blanket can be made in any weight yarn.

I love the phrase “to be swept off one’s feet”. It’s been running through my head since I was at the wedding of a beautiful Irish girl (whose name I’ve jumbled up for this pattern) and a very witty man earlier this year. I couldn’t tell you who did the feet-sweeping between the pair of them, but this shawl is what I plan to be wearing when my o...

Spice up your wardrobe with this deliciously colourful and toasty warm capelet!

This pattern contains two hats in one! The first is a very simple hat that’s quick to work up, yet snuggly warm to wear. The second is similar, but has a flirty peekaboo lace panel to spice up chilly days.

These cute little bows add a lovely little decorative touch to almost any project. Sew onto hats, scarves, jumpers, anything wearable. Make them into brooches or hairpins, put them on gift tags or greeting cards, the list really is endless. And the best thing is you can work up several in an evening in front of the TV!

I have been playing around with knitting 3D shapes recently, and I loved the quirky bow tie shape this pattern produces. It reminded me of the “Doctor Who” television series, especially in this gorgeous blue merino. I apologize wholeheartedly for any rubbish Doctor Who jokes in this pattern!

Roxbourne is a beanie knit in the round using 4-ply/sport weight yarn. The unusual crimped welts around the brim and the crown are actually formed by a simple combination of purl and knit stitches. The body of the hat is a stocking st panel ripe for decorating in your own style. I have included a skull and crossbones motif for the scurvy pirate...

Don’t Get Caught Without One!

I am donating all proceeds from this knit to Tommy’s. Tommy’s funds research into pregnancy problems and provides information to parents.