Archive | January, 2012

Reduce, Reuse, Knit

30 Jan

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without” …

I often wonder if we will ever get to a stage with our planet that we have to reuse everything rather than making new things. In the last few years, we have become so skilled at this that I think we would probably manage it OK. So, work on your reusing skills with Linda’s latest pattern.

She has dyed and cut up several old t-shirts and made them into something new – a beautiful and unique cushion cover. I think the best thing about this type of project is that no two covers will be the same – the raw materials will vary in fabric and colour, the edge bits will come at different places, and you put a bit of your own personality into each one. And then you choose to embellish your cover as much or as little as you like. And the best thing is – the pattern is free. You just need to download it, find some old t-shirts and get going.

Opus 2100 Cushion Cover

Recycled t-shirts

You can browse our free catalogue or just go straight to Opus 2100.

I promised you a pattern for Tunisian Crochet that didn’t need any extra equipment. Well, the pattern is written and we just need to get some outdoor photos taken and the pattern will be available to download. This one will be free as well. Here’s a sneak preview of a couple of samples:

Opus 1901

Opus 1901

Happy knitting all 🙂

Opus 1901

Opus 1901

Tags: belt cushion free opus knitting opusknitting pattern patterns tunisian crochet recycled teeshirt tee-shirt t-shirt yarn ribbon embroidery

Tunisian Crochet

19 Jan

This strange mix between knitting and crochet is also known as Afghan crochet. It is generally deemed to be easier than standard crochet and produces a dense fabric that looks woven. It’s a wonderful backdrop for embroidery as the simple stitch creates an even weave with clear spaces for stitches.

You use a crochet hook with a long handle to hold lots of stitches. You start with a chain, just like in standard crochet, but then you work the stitches in two passes: on the first pass you pick up stitches and keep them on the hook, on the return pass you work them and end up with just one again. There are some great tutorials online to help with this – have a look at the Crochet Help pages on our website – there are several for Tunisian crochet there.

Linda gave me a Tunisian crochet hook and pattern nearly a year ago and I have been wondering what to do with it ever since. She recently created a lovely pattern for a kindle case in Tunisian crochet – see Opus 1900 in our catalogue. It’s free to download 🙂

Opus 1900 in Tunisian crochet

Opus 1900 in Tunisian crochet

This got me interested and I started playing with it. It occurred to me that when we look at a new craft, we always have to buy more stuff for it. If we don’t know yet whether we want to take it up, it’s a lot to ask to spend money on it. So I thought I would design a pattern that would allow you to have a go at Tunisian crochet without buying any extra equipment. So, in the next week or so, I will be publishing a free pattern for a Tunisian crochet belt that you can make without buying anything special – you will just need a standard crochet hook and some yarn. It will also give you the opportunity to embellish with embroidery stitches and use some more unusual yarns if you have them. So, find some aran yarn, a 6mm crochet hook and watch this space.

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BUSY LADY

11 Jan

Happy New Year to you all. Half of Opus Knitting Patterns has been very busy since I last wrote. There are several new patterns and the launch of our ‘untitled’ artwork series. Check out the artwork catalogue for some truly awesome designs.

Untitled 801

Untitled 801

As well as socks, we now have patterns for a cardigan, hat, scarves and a kindle case. There have been some new additions to the Opus 301 beaded cuff as well – 2 new options to make it even more exciting.

Opus 301 wristlet option

Opus 301 wristlet option

Several of the patterns are free so have a look and see what you fancy 🙂

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