Recently Off The Knitting Needles: Baby Booties
Made in 2023: Project 1

When I heard just before Christmas that my friend was pregnant, I got my knitting needles out and got started one something lovely for her and her baby. We might not be as close friends as we were maybe 10 years ago but this little bundle of joy is extra special and so I needed to celebrate that the best away I know how from this distance. As it happened, Lindsay from The Chesapeake Needle shared this pattern for baby booties on Instagram at just the right time and I knew I needed to give them a go.

You notice that at least to begin with the posts of the projects that I have completed have come out of number order. Project 1-3 were all gifts and so I had to wait until they gifted to be able to share them properly with the world.

Recently Off The Needles

Baby Hausschuhe (Baby Houseshoes….or Booties!)

Pattern: Baby Hausschuhe (English) by Inesstrickt.
Needles: 4mm and 3.5mm
Yarn: Stylecraft Special DK in Silver (From stash)
2023g Challenge: 17g/2023g


Around finishing other projects they didn’t take too long and they became my first finished project of 2023. They are really straightforward. The sole is a few rows back and forth followed by picking up around the edge to create the body of the shoe. You can find the pattern here.

A hand holding a pair of grey booties in front of a Christmas tree. Knitting gifts for my friends is my love language for sure.

This was my first project of 2023. I had weighed it after one bootie was complete and clearly the scales were lying because they said 17g for the first one and then when I weighed them together I still had 17g! How does that work? Anyway, one project done, 17g out of 2023g is really not that much (0.84% – because I’m a nerd and like percentages). But I figure some projects are going to be the odd chip here and there, whereas other projects (like the Yuletide Colourway/Granny Stripe Blanket by Attic 24) will knock out lots of yarn in one go. You will be able to follow along with my progress over on Instagram or here.

2023 Gram Challenge Totals: 17g/2023g (0.84%).

You can read all my posts about the 2023g Challenge here. I share most of my updates over on Instagram first – you can follow me here.

A Brain Dump on a Rainy Afternoon

Both R and I are sick today…. We both have a cold. I’ve had a sore throat since Sunday and hoped that was it but it just seems to be getting worse. Whenever I get a cold, it always starts with a sore throat and then goes a bit crazy and the tiny chicken disease takes over…. (Okay so you may only get that if you follow Vlogbrothers and even then it’s probably REALLY OLD! Oh dear…. YouTube told me the video I was thinking of was posted 13 years ago! Both my boys were sparkles in the distance future and even Our Sidekick was still a plan yet to be told to us….) So combine that with the general feeling of a carousel or a toy car just racing round and round in my head and focusing is a big challenge. Which is why I’m here writing this random brain dump.

I’m starting this while I was in the middle of a SkillShare course titled The Complete Guide to Agile, Scrum Master and Kanban. See already on a tangent from what I was trying to do! (That SkillShare link is an affliate one, there is more information at the bottom of this post here)

I’ve been doing a course this week through the Kommune (local council here in Copenhagen) about applying for first jobs and things like who to write a CV or to contact a prospective employer to ask more questions before you apply. (I have already had my first job here but I think as they were both part time and what turned out to be short term, maybe I’m allowed in so I can get a “proper” job).

But I’m still in that “I have no idea what to do with life” kind of stage, again? Then again I think that maybe I’ve been stuck here for many years but have always been able to put it off. First it was a temp job because that’s what I could get, then it was self-employment around looking after J and then adding R into the mix. Now it’s finding something that fits around us, pays slightly more than peanuts and that I enjoy doing. I’d mostly like to be part of a team – having spent a lot of time working by myself it would be good to be around people. I spend my Monday at church volunteering as part of the Børnekirken team and then spend 1-2 mornings a week as part of a online Co-Working Group (We actually have people around the world which is really fun – more info can be found on MeetUp). So I’m working on my CV and starting over from the top because from feedback I’ve had it doesn’t work…. it’s not that good and should be worded differently.

But want do I want to do? Well that is the million dollar question and I still have no idea. Half the challenge is the experience I already have along with the education that I have. Yes I have a degree and while it would/could work if I wanted to teach drama or something along those lines – can I actually get a job with it? I’m sure if I could prove that somehow my degree helps me in a role even though it’s nothing to do with it, it might still help right? Then again I’m not so sure – I heard from one person that a specific company here will only employ you for certain roles if you have a Masters…

Oh well, I need to go back and finish my SkillShare lesson and then focus on other things that might be more productive then starring out the window looking at the rain… Hope you’re doing well today.

How has the first of the new month been for you?

If you use my link here – you can get a free month of SkillShare (and I get a free month too!)

The 91 Interesting Books I Read in 2022

How? How did I manage to read 91 books in one year. Well the biggest factor is that life changed a heap I guess. Between job searching here in Denmark and then Rex starting at nursery there was time for me to read. I read on the Metro and the Bus. I read before bed. If I’m home alone, I read while I eat my lunch. It soon adds up somewhere along the line. Basically with 98% of the books I read being on my phone or my iPad, I can access them at home as well as on the go too.

Books Read in 2022

But a lot of these are not long books as so that probably makes it look like I read more than I did. I’m sure if you add some of those shorter ones together you’d get proper length books (300-400 pages maybe?).

Anyway, here are those 91 books I read this year.

  1. Finding Hope at the Loch by Hannah Ellis
  2. The Forgotten Guide to Happiness by Sophie Jenkins
  3. Dreams and Schemes at the Seahorse Inn by Emily Hardale
  4. Christmas in Seabury (Seabury #3) by Beth Rain (Seabury)
  5. Starlight Cottage (Pepper Bay #1) by K. T. Dady
  6. Honeybee Cottage (Pepper Bay #2) by K. T. Dady
  7. Pepper Pot Farm (Pepper Bay #3) by K. T. Dady
  8. Christmas Flings and Wedding Rings. (Little Bamton #5) by Beth Rain (Little Bamton)
  9. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments)
  10. Year One (Chronicles of The One, #1) by Nora Roberts
  11. The Secret Library: A Book-Lovers’ Journey Through Curiosities of History by Oliver Tearle
  12. Sandwiches in Seabury (Seabury #4) by Beth Rain
  13. Sunshine at The Cornish Bakery (Escape to… The Cornish Bakery #1) by Sarah Hope
  14. Christmas at The Cornish Bakery (Escape to… The Cornish Bakery #2) by Sarah Hope
  15. New Year at The Cornish Bakery (Escape to… The Cornish Bakery #3) by Sarah Hope
  16. A New Start at The Cornish Bakery (Escape to… The Cornish Bakery #4) by Sarah Hope
  17. Family Ties at The Cornish Bakery (Escape to… The Cornish Bakery #5) by Sarah Hope
  18. Escape to… The Little Beach Cafe by Sarah Hope
  19. Celebrations at the Cornish Bakery (Escape to… The Cornish Bakery #6) by Sarah Hope
  20. Snowflakes Over The Starfish Café by Jessica Redland
  21. Spring Tides at The Starfish Café by Jessica Redland
  22. Escape to…Berry Grove Bed & Breakfast by Sarah Hope
  23. The Chocolatier’s Secret (Magnolia Creek #2) by Helen J. Rolfe
  24. Spring at The Stables on Muddypuddle Lane by Etti Summers
  25. Christmas at Clementine Cottage (Clementine Cove #1) by Emily Harvale
  26. Broken Hearts and Fresh Starts at Cove Café (Clementine Cove #2) by Emily Harvale
  27. The Little Café (Romantic Escapes #1) by Julie Caplin
  28. The LIttle Brooklyn Bakery (Romantic Escapes #2) by Julie Caplin
  29. Lemon Drop Cottage (Pepper Bay #4) by K.T. Dady
  30. New Arrivals at The Loch (Lock Lannick #9) by Hannah Ellis
  31. The Weekend Getaway (Isles of Scilly #1) by Hannah Ellis
  32. Summer Breeze (Chloe’s Cream Tea Cafe) by Rosie Chambers
  33. Autumn Leaves (Chloe’s Cream Tea Cafe) by Rosie Chambers
  34. Christmas Trees (Chloe’s Cream Tea Cafe) by Rosie Chambers
  35. The Little Bookshop of Lonely Hearts (Lonely Hearts Bookshop #1) by Annie Darling
  36. True Love at the Lonely Hearts Bookshop by Annie Darling
  37. Surprises in Seabury by Beth Rain
  38. Nothing Like A Dane by Keri Bloomfield
  39. Crazy in Love at The Lonely Hearts Bookshop by Annie Darling
  40. The Library by Bella Osborne
  41. The Old Sugar Wharf Pretty Beach by Polly Babbington
  42. New Beginnings on Sunflower Street by Rachel Griffiths
  43. A New Arrival in Upper Bamton by Beth Rain (Upper Bamton)
  44. A Winter Kiss on Rochester Mews by Annie Darling
  45. Rainy Days in Upper Bamton by Beth Rain (Upper Bamton)
  46. Wedding Fever at the Cornish Bakery by Sarah Hope
  47. Finding Love at The Cornish Bakery by Sarah Hope
  48. Snowflakes and Christmas Cakes on Sunflower Street by Rachel Griffiths
  49. Falling for Your Best Friend’s Twin (Love Clichés #1) by Emma St. Clair
  50. Falling for Your Boss (Love Clichés #2) by Emma St. Clair
  51. Falling for Your Fake Fiancé (Love Clichés #3) by Emma St. Clair
  52. The Twelve Holidates (Love Clichés #3.5) by Emma St. Clair
  53. Falling for Your Best Friend (Love Clichés #4) by Emma St. Clair
  54. Dreams and Ice Creams in Seabury by Beth Rain
  55. Falling for Your Enemy (Love Clichés #5) by Emma St. Clair
  56. The Hub by Nicola May
  57. Shoulder Season (Lake Michigan Lodge #1) by Kathy Fawcett
  58. A Winter Haven (Scottish Island Escapes #1) by Margaret Amatt
  59. Together Under a Snowy Skye by Lisa Hobman
  60. Hidden Treasures in Upper Bamton by Beth Rain
  61. The Book Club in Lily Vale Village (Lily Vale Village #1) by Imogen Payne
  62. A Summer Fair in Lily Vale Village (Lily Vale Village #2) by Imogen Payne
  63. Mistletoe and Wine in Lily Vale Village by Imogen Payne (Sunny Shore Bay)
  64. A Fresh Start in Sunny Shore Bay by Imogen Payne (Sunny Shore Bay)
  65. The Cosy Little Tearoom in Lily Vale Village by Imogen Payne (Lily Vale Village)
  66. The Little Ice Cream Van in Sunny Shore Bay (Sunny Shore Bay #2) by Imogen Payne
  67. The Bungalow by the Beach (Sunny Shore Bay #3) by Imogen Payne
  68. Sea Breeze and Autumn Leaves in Sunny Shore Bay (Sunny Shore Bay Book 4) by Imogen Payne
  69. New Arrivals at Hedgehog Hollow by Jessica Redland
  70. Wedding Bells in Sunny Shore Bay (Sunny Shore Bay Book 5) by Imogen Payne
  71. Returning to The Cornish Bakery (Escape to… The Cornish Bakery Book 9) by Sarah Hope
  72. Secrets & Surprises at The Cornish Bakery (Escape to… The Cornish Bakery Book 10) by Sarah Hope
  73. Picnic Days at The Cornish Bakery (Escape to… The Cornish Bakery Book 11) by Sarah Hope
  74. Love in the Air at The Cornish Bakery (Escape to… The Cornish Bakery Book 12) by Sarah Hope
  75. A Big Day at The Cornish Bakery (Escape to… The Cornish Bakery Book 13) by Sarah Hope
  76. The Christmas Surprise by Rosie Green
  77. Chocolate Cake for Breakfast (Little Duck Pond Cafe #20)
  78. Jingle Bells in June (Little Duck Pond Cafe #21)
  79. Sun, Sea and Strawberry Shortcake (Little Duck Pond Cafe #22)
  80. Clara’s Secret Garden (Little Duck Pond Cafe #23)
  81. A Winter Wish (Little Duck Pond Cafe #24)
  82. Clara’s Christmas Magic (Little Duck Pond Cafe #25)
  83. A Seaside Escape by Lisa Hobman
  84. Better Than The Movies by Lynn Painter
  85. Christmas on Crumcarey by Beth Rain
  86. Pepper River Inn (Pepper Bay #6) by K.T. Dady
  87. Christmas at Cwtch Cove (Cwtch Cover #1) by Rachel Griffiths
  88. Winter Wishes at Cwtch Cove (Cwtch Cove #2) by Rachel Griffiths
  89. Mistletoe Kisses at Cwtch Cove (Cwtch Cove #3) by Rachel Griffiths
  90. Chasing Dreams in Eversley Village (Eversley Village 1) by Suzanne Fox
  91. Second Chances in Eversley Village (Eversley Village 2) by Suzanne Fox

I regularly update my Goodreads with the books I’ve been reading. You can follow me here. (I’m also thinking about switching to Storygraph or something like that, but I like that my Kindle app automatically updates Goodreads when I finish a book so might be staying there….)

You can see the books I’ve read in other years here: 2018 and 2019.

ChatGPT vs Knitting: Can an OpenAI Write A Knitted Jumper Pattern That Works?

ChatGPT seems to have popped up all over the place for different things. I think it has definitely divided opinion. I don’t know that much about it but Chris was telling me how they were discussing it’s uses at work. I’m not sure I entirely kept up with what they were talking about using it for but it definitely sounded interesting.

Well, I was intrigued and wondered. Could it be used to create knitting patterns? Chris said yes without even hesitating. So… I grabbed some DK weight yarn and asked ChatGPT:

Can you write me a knitting pattern for a kids jumper in DK weight yarn? 

After realising this had automatically provided me with a bottom up jumper, this wasn’t a problem but I’ve definitely found that top-down are more flexible – especially when it comes to making sure that the body is long enough and the neck hole is big enough! Therefore, I changed the question to:

Can you write me a top-down knitting pattern for a kids jumper in DK weight yarn? 

Having knitted 4 kids sized jumpers across last year for Christmas gifts I had a rough idea what the shape would look like and what the pattern might be like even if I wasn’t 100% sure what the ChatGPT was talking about. (You can read about the French Macaroon Jumper here – there’s another post to follow with a finished Christmas Present too so ,

And this is what I got…

Here is a top-down knitting pattern for a kids jumper in dk weight yarn:

Materials:

  • 4mm circular needles
  • 4mm double-pointed needles (for sleeves)
  • DK weight yarn (approx. 500g)
  • Stitch markers
  • Tapestry needle
  • Scissors

That’s easy enough – all things that I have anyway – could do with the circular needle length maybe being specified but I grabbed an 80/100cm and went ahead with magic loop.

Gauge: 22 stitches and 30 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch

I grabbed some spare DK from my stash. The gauge square on this particular yarn was 20 stitches x 34 rows even though it is in theory standard DK. I did also check Stylecraft Special DK which is my usual go to and that comes up as 22 stitches and 30 rows. (I’m wanting to try the Yarnsmiths range from WoolWarehouse too so I looked at the gauge square for their yarns and their’s comes up at 22 stitches by 26 rows so if I was to use that in future I would definitely need to do a gauge square (And yes I should have probably done one this time… Maybe I do it retrospectively??)

Sizes: 2-3 years, 4-5 years, 6-7 years

Okay so this is a smaller range than maybe I was hoping for but a jumper for my youngest son (he’s 2.5 almost) wouldn’t take too long to knit for this experiment. (And if it doesn’t work or he doesn’t wear it then it can always be frogged or donated elsewhere). I chose to do a 4-5 years size as there are no chest measurements and there could be a lot of winging it in the process.

(Rather than go through step by step of the pattern, skip to here if you’d like to jump the pattern and just see my comments)

Instructions:

  1. Using the circular needles, cast on 80 (90, 100) stitches. Place a marker at the beginning of the round and join to work in the round.
  2. Work in k1, p1 rib for 2 inches.
  3. Increase for yoke:
  • Round 1: *K1, m1, k to 1 stitch before marker, m1, k1; repeat from * to end of round.
  • Round 2: Knit all stitches.
  • Repeat rounds 1-2 until you have 120 (130, 140) stitches.
  1. Work in stockinette stitch for 3 inches.
  2. Divide for sleeves and body:
  • Place markers at the beginning of the next round to mark the beginning of the sleeves.
  • Knit to 2 stitches before the first marker, bind off the next 8 (10, 12) stitches for the first sleeve, knit to 2 stitches before the next marker, bind off the next 8 (10, 12) stitches for the second sleeve, knit to the end of the round.
  • You should now have 56 (60, 64) stitches remaining for the body.
  1. Work in stockinette stitch for the body for 6 inches.
  2. Decrease for neckline:
  • Round 1: *K2tog, k to 2 stitches before end of round; repeat from * to end of round.
  • Round 2: Knit all stitches.
  • Repeat rounds 1-2 until you have 24 (28, 32) stitches remaining.
  1. Bind off all stitches for the neckline.
  2. Pick up stitches for the sleeves:
  • Using the double-pointed needles, pick up 8 (10, 12) stitches from the bound-off edge of the first sleeve.
  • Knit in the round for 4 inches.
  • Repeat for the second sleeve.
  1. Decrease for sleeve cuffs:
  • Round 1: *K2tog, k to 2 stitches before end of round; repeat from * to end of round.
  • Round 2: Knit all stitches.
  • Repeat rounds 1-2 until you have 4 (6, 8) stitches remaining.
  1. Bind off all stitches for the sleeves.
  2. Weave in all ends and block to finished measurements.

Congratulations, you’ve finished your top-down kids jumper in dk weight yarn! This pattern can be easily adjusted to create different sizes by increasing or decreasing the amount of stitches casted on or the length of the body and sleeves.

My Comments

I grabbed my 4mm circular needles and got started. The first issue was not having the length of the circular needle. This wasn’t really a problem as I could just grab any length and magic loop it to begin with. Similarly for the sleeves, when I got to that point I would be using magic loop and a longer cable to do the sleeves. (In the end, I switch to my shorter length ones as I was getting a big gap where my round started/ended).

Cast on and neckline – My cast on took about 3 attempts because I had a really long tail the first time and the second time the tail was too short. Finally I resorted to a still too long tail but I wasn’t going to cast it on again! Clearly this is a me thing rather than something wrong with the pattern – I’m sure there are hacks out there for getting it just right and not wasting more yarn that you need to on the tail.

Increasing for the yoke – Specifying the time to M1 to use might have been handy but as with other patterns when not specified I pretty much always use a M1R (why? I don’t know but the advice seems to be just go with the one you like if it doesn’t specify).

AND HERE’S WHERE IT FAILS….

Most jumpers like the Flax by Tin Can Knits or the Tweedy Junior by Hedgehog Fibres (for instance – I knitted two Tweedy Juniors before Christmas you can read here.), tell you when it comes to increasing for the yoke to add extra markers. They are usually stitch heavy on the front and back so going back to those 90 stitches, you could expect it to be 30 for front and back and then 15 for each sleeve – for example. There would then be equal increases all the way around – whereas as you can see above – it just says to increase either side of the beginning of the round. Now I did think this was strange but was willing to trust the process and see what happened. I’ve got up to 106 stitches and retraced my steps etc and found the error – no trusting the process here because the pattern is missing a step.

Hannah 1 – ChatGPT Knitting Pattern Skills 0

What do you think? Can AI write patterns that work? Do you think it will come in time even if it’s not there yet?

Recently Off The…: Tweedy Junior (1 and 2)

During October and November, I worked on two jumpers. One was for my nephew and the other was for my friend’s daughter/Rex’s bestie. Similar to post earlier in January, now that Christmas has been and gone, I can actually share about it. The pattern is Tweedy Junior by Hedgehog Fibres. I found it via Ravelry but it is available directly from their website here.

Recently Off The Needles

Tweedy Junior – Rainbow Version

Pattern: Tweedy Junior by Hedgehog Fibres
Needles: 4mm and 3.5mm
Yarn: Stylecraft Merry Go Round in Rainbow (3142) (Wool Warehouse) and Special DK in Sherbet (Wool Warehouse)

Having finished the Flax Light by TinCanKnits – I wanted something along similar lines but different and came across this one on Ravelry. I found this pattern from Hedgehog Fibres and completed the first one which is in the variegated green yarn. Having finished that – I decided the pattern was easy enough to follow and that I’d do it in some other yarn – so reached for the Merry Go Round in Rainbow.

Having weighed the green jumper, I realised I was fractionally short on yarn, I started it anyway with the plan that I could either order another ball from the Wolplein (the nearest Stylecraft distributor. They are based in The Netherlands and will definitely be my go to if I need any more Stylecraft yarn for projects) or add in something different. In the end, I raided the stash and looked for something that would go with it. In the end I went with the Stylecraft Special DK in Sherbet which went really well with the rest of the colours which was great! (It turned out I had 120cm left over when I switched to the Sherbet. Not sure that would have been enough for the cuff too but it at least got me to the cuff and I could switch).

Rainbow version of the Tweedy Junior jumper from Hedgehog Fibres

Tweedy Junior – Green Version

Pattern: Tweedy Junior by Hedgehog Fibres
Needles: 4mm and 3.5mm
Yarn: Akrylgarn from Yarn and Friends (Netto yarn)

As if doing it once wasn’t enough, I then went to cast it on again with different yarn for my nephew. I made him a jumper a year or so ago and it was a bottom up and the body wasn’t quite long enough… oops! So this one being top down, meant that if it really wasn’t long enough, I could post my Mum the extra yarn or I could take it on my next visit back to the UK and make sure it was long enough for him.

The pattern was easy enough to follow. I loved the way the colours came together and when I got R to try it on (he’s 9ish months younger than my nephew) it looked good so I was on a win!

Green version of the Tweedy Junior pattern from Hedgehog Fibres

You can see other projects I’ve completed here. Have you been working on anything recently?