January Knits

New Year, New Knits

December is so busy with Christmas knits that I always feel excited when January comes around and I can start other projects. When I have orders to get ready, I always find other projects I'm tempted to try. So, the projects on my needles this month are things I've been wanting to knit for weeks.

Mega Chunky

I've had my eye on this sweater for a while. Chunky, roll neck sweaters don't tend to look good on me and yet I keep knitting them! I've never knitted with Mega Chunky yarn before and the speed with which I expect to finish this project is very appealing. Working from home and being sat down all day, I feel the cold. I've also moved from England back to Scotland so need to acclimatise to the colder weather. The pattern is James C Brett 111 and the yarn is Rustic Mega Chunky, also by James C Brett, in a purple / berry shade with tweed-like flecks.

Fisherman's Rib

I have a love-hate relationship with Fisherman's Rib. I love the end look and the extra thickness. But I hate the time it takes to knit. I always think that knitting every second row should make it quicker, but the rib row takes longer than normal rib and the fact that you are knitting into the previous stitch means that your knitting doesn't grown quite as quickly. I'm knitting this pattern - James C Brett 639 - in Norske Chunky yarn in a beautiful mustard colour. The wool feels soft and warm and has a brushed finish. Unfortunately this wool has been discontinued. The pattern will work in any chunky yarn. It includes a jacket style cardigan. 

Running Beanie

My other half and I run, every day. In this weather a hat makes all the difference. But, it's tricky to find one that is the right weight so that you aren't too warm. The Twenty Knitted Beanies book has a wide range of hats and I can't say I'm a huge fan of the collection. However, the beanie hat knitted in King Cole Pricewise yarn is perfect. It is knitted on 3.25mm needles and I keep thinking I'll adapt it for 4mm so I have less rows. Because I use Pricewise, the hat starts to lose its shape but it tends to last a full cold-weather season and I just knit another one the next year. Red is my partner's favourite colour, so that's the plan for this month. 

Superheroes

I love King Cole's Superheroes knitting pattern. I think its the colour combos that grab my attention, but I also like the simplicity of the pattern. I'm toying with knitting in a Superman colour scheme, but I keep getting tempted by the orange and teal option. Maybe I'll just have to knit a few!

I've also got quite a few knits-in-progess which are lying around. January feels a good time to clear things out, so maybe I'll get some of them done too. Follow me on Instagram or Facebook to see my progress and my finished knits