Simply Weddings

 Royal Wedding Celebration!

The Royal Wedding may be over

but the excitement for it marches on!

We are so excited here in California that the newlyweds,
The Duke & Duchess of Cambridge,

will be visiting California this July!

I've been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the UK's Simply Knitting magazine Spring 2011 issue.  It comes with a special free gift Simply Weddings with 6 patterns to celebrate the Royal Wedding. 

Here are a few of my favorites from the magazines:

 Union Jack Fever

I'm crazy for Union Jacks! 

British designer Emma King has an adorable Union Jack Flag cushion pattern in Simply Weddings.  I love how she added  "British Bling" by adding sparkly silver beads to the flag.

I'm already a fan of Emma's.  I love her designs for Rowan and her 25 Bags to Knit  book.

I'm also in love with another British designer named Emma...Emma  Bridgewater, that is!  I love her Union Jack pottery pattern and loved that the stylist for Simply Wedding's used Emma's Union Jack pieces in the photo shoot! 

 Royal-Tea

What a darling way to "top your teapot" with a fluffy crown for your next Royal tea party!

I love that designer Elizabeth Jarvis embellished this crown jewel with with actual sew-on jewels! 

It's knit in Wendy Shimmer and Mode yarns and Twilleys Goldfingering yarn.  Being an American, I have never heard of these brands before.  Hmm...maybe I need to go yarn shopping next week while I'm in London!

PS:  You can be "Queen for a Day"

and wear this adorable tea cosy as a crown hat, too. 

Love that idea for birthdays and tea parties!

Special Occasion Fascinator

I'm fascinated with fascinators. 

British ladies love to wear fascinators.  Thanks to Kate Middleton's gorgeous fascinators, American's are now catching on to them.

 I've been dabbling making a fascinator out of fabric flowers and now I'm excited to make a knit one using Miriam McDonald's pattern.  Miriam's fascinator is knit in Sublime's new Tussah Silk DK. 

I think it is also perfect for tea time since she includes a lovely pair of lacy gloves to match!

Simply Knitting

Spring 2011 Issue

The spring issue has just arrived in stores here on the West Coast so...

go snag one before it sells out!

That Sweater!

Kate Middleton's

Angora Cropped Sweater

They say...

 "Fashion Repeats Itself".

I have a feeling that Sarah Burton, creative director of Alexander McQueen found some vintage inspiration in designing Kate Middleton's Angora Cropped Sweater!

If you're a knitter, you couldn't help but love that Kate wore a knit angora sweater with her second outfit for the Royal Wedding reception.

I love vintage fashion and collect vintage knitting patterns. 

Here are a few vintage patterns that perhaps were inspiration for Kate's cropped angora sweater.  They just might  inspire you to knit your own "that sweater".

Vintage Angora Boleros

1930's or 1940's

Angora Cropped Sweater

1950's or 1960's
Angora Bolero

1970's or 1980's

Angora Cropped Bolero

If you prefer a modern-designed sweater bolero with  vintage flair, two of my favorite British knit-wear designers Louisa Harding and Debbie Bliss have designed them:

 Sabrina  and Muse by Louisa Harding

and

Cropped Cardi by Debbie Bliss

Happy May Day!

It's May Day...

Pretty flowers are everywhere!

Hand Knit Flowers

I love flowers and my favorite flowers to knit are Louisa Harding's fabulous Rosette pattern. 

I learned how to make Louisa's Rosette from Louisa herself in a 2009 workshop.  She has designed such a clever flower and Louisa herself says "it looks like crochet but it's all knit". 

Louisa uses variations of her signature Rosette in many of her designs.  The design always knits up beautifully and it's fun to watch it transform using Louisa's many different yarns. 

I love how Louisa's Rosette pattern "pops up" in her books as an embellishment.  My favorite Rosettes can be found in these Louisa Harding books:

Knitting Little Luxuries

Gathering Roses The Accessories Collection

Venezia Felice Mai Dopo

Dauphine

Pretty Knits

Fade to Grey

Violet Sky

Knitting in the Details

I not only love these Rosettes to embellish my knits but now I'm attaching a brooch back with a pin and an alligator clip so I can wear them in my hair, too.

Thanks to Louisa Harding and Knitting Daily, you can find her Rosette and Juliet scarf pattern here and her Poppy Rosette pattern here. 

So since it's May Day...

Knit a pretty Rosette

and wear it in your hair!