Tuesday, 26 May 2026

Here We Go Again!

Drum roll please! Just to announce the next great Kirsten&Ang collaborative craft project is underway. K had the brainwave for it. 
We were both wanting to do different individual stitching stuff, and we took a bit of a break after our Two-by-Two patches, to consider what we might work on together.

K read this book, and wondered if this time round we should knit rather than sew. Jan Eaton's book has dozens of 6" squares to inspire you 


I got my own copy of the book 2nd hand, online, and started looking through it. 
Some squares she does in 4 colourways, so strictly speaking there are less than 150 different stitch patterns
I was really excited about the idea - as K said, it would be a good stash buster, not much yarn needed for each square. Like 2by2, we'd each prepare two squares every time, one to keep, and one to swap.
What will we do with them? I asked. Neither of us needs another throw, especially in this hot weather! 🔥🥵🔥🥵🔥
18, or maybe 32 squares would make a patchwork cushion cover. I have gone right off this idea, ever since someone at the craft group brought in her new book, showing how to combine squares not in a quilt but in a pillow [the term our US friends use for cushion] and the author called these items quillows. No!!! I do not want a quillow , thank you. Ugly word imho.
Bob suggested a waistcoat/gilet type garment. We plan to wait till we'd finished to decide what to make.
I just could not choose which square to start with. So as Heather and I sat in Costa, I said "Go through this book and quickly point out 4 that you like" So she did, and I said I would do one of them as my first square. Then I asked Rosie to pick two balls of wool for me to knit the square. That was a little difficult, she kept suggesting alternative patterns! I am grateful to my supporters, when I get stuck with a decision

I used the white and random-dye balls Rosie had chosen to start knitting the pattern. 

But I really did not like the resulting stripes. I swapped out the white for a rusty shade - but that sort of disappeared.  
Now I have started again with completely different shades, and I am much happier with the outcome. 
We are going to swap as and when we've both finished our 2 samples. And the accompanying notes will be written on 6" squares of paper or card.
So that will be two women
    each knitting two squares
        on yarn that is thinner than aran and thicker than four ply
thus our next collaboration has the working title
DOUBLE KNITTING
More will be revealed in coming weeks...

31 comments:

  1. How funny... I have my copy open at that page too...

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    1. As we found in previous collaborations, we often seem to think alike. We must have great minds.

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  2. So happy you have started another collaboration. Yippee. Regards Sue H

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    1. Thank you - not sure how much I can knit in this heat though 🔥

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  3. Great minds and great talents. Enjoy this project. Plenty of patterns online, of course.x

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  4. RannedomThoughts26 May 2026 at 09:43

    Will you now be known as Angsten or maybe Kirstela ???

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    1. Angsten sounds quite stressful! Sometimes the family call me Grangela

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    2. RannedomThoughts27 May 2026 at 09:08

      Fabulous

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  5. Thank you. I do hope your new home is nice and cool [I imagine your days on the boat would have been uncomfortable in the heat]

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  6. How imaginative and very different to your last working together project.
    Once the heatwave is over and you are starting to produce quite a few squares I’ve a feeling you might decide on a blanket……could be stunning.
    Alison in Devon x

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    1. It is Very Different. I am quite excited about it because my main craft is sewing, whilst Kirsten is much better at knitting, so I am hoping to learn lots from her!

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  7. What an interesting idea. Knitting is not something I do but I admire people who knit.

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    1. I admire anybody who spends time being creative, whether it is needlecraft, cookery, gardening, whatever!

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  8. This is going to be interesting!

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  9. I would have just stuck with the self-striping yarn but maybe do purl rows to make the 'ridges'?Looking forward to seeing your efforts.

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    1. As this is Stash Busting I have quite a lot of DK to choose from in a variety of colours

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  10. Love the idea of a knitted project. I have had to stop my Aran knitting as the weather is too hot to be handling wool. Catriona

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    1. I can only do it in the evening when it's cooler. I tried in my "half hour after lunch relaxation slot" but had to admit defeat due to hot sweaty hands !!!

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  11. Perhaps you might make it into a lap throw and donate to men's shed for a fund-raising item?

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  12. That's a great idea! The knitted waistcoat or cardigan idea is a good one. It is crochet rather than knitting but Little Pigeon on Etsy has the Yes You Cardican pattern for making granny squares into a cardigan or waistcoat x

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    1. I shall check that out. Thanks Kezzie l

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  13. Sounds like a wonderful project! My daughter and I just received a bit shopping bag full of odds and ends of yarn from my neighbor's mother! We are considering making a lap blanket to donate to the cancer clinic.

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    1. That's a good idea, and two of you working together should make it a speedy blanket

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    2. Thank you, Angela; that should have been a "big" shopping bag, not a bit! :D

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  14. Looking forward to seeing this new knitted project develop.

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