Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Well, it's that time of year again, and Christmas is almost upon us. I hope you've enjoyed the run-up to Christmas as much as I have. We've enjoyed Izzy's Carol Service in the most beautiful setting of Chester Cathedral and I've enjoyed meeting up with old friends and family whom I  haven't seen for a while. I've sent my cards, cleaned the house, almost wrapped the presents and finished most of the shopping. I just have one last gym session at 4pm today (let's hope I can walk on Christmas Day), leaving tomorrow free for a quick tidy up and preparing veg.

 

I had grand plans for making lots of Christmas presents using up my huge yarn stash, but sadly time and commissions got the better of me and all that I managed was a scarf and a little snuffly hedgehog from Julie's pattern over at Little Cotton Rabbits. But I did make two batches of rocky road which is super delicious. One batch was dispatched to my knitty friends at our last meeting of the year, and the other batch is safe in the Conservatory ready for distributing on Christmas Day to family. I've made paper bunting and used up all my leftover cards and wrapping paper from last year, so I didn't need to buy any this year :). So all in all, my handmade Christmas wasn't such a bad effort. Next year I'll make an early start on those handmade presents.

 

I also finished off the year with some lovely commissions in some of my favourite magazines. I'm so grateful to all the editors and staff who continue to support my craft business and help me to make it a success. I hope you all get the chance to relax a little over Christmas.

 

My published patterns for December include a gorgeous fair isle cushion in Homemaker Magazine, a cute little blue tit and a jar cover in Let's Get Crafting and 3 knitted projects in The Knitting Collection - a collection of 47 amazing designs. I was delighted that 2 of my projects are featured on the front cover. what an achievement. All of these magazines are packed with gorgeous projects which will inspire you to get knitting and crocheting. They're all worth a read over Christmas and the New Year - perfect to enjoy whilst relaxing and chilling over the festive season.

 

 

 

 

 

 So all that's left is for me to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and all the best for a FAB and CRAFTY 2014. Thanks  to all my facebook and twitter followers and thank for reading my humble offerings on my blog. Love to you all, Lynne x

Turning 50 (eek!!!)

Welcome to my cosy corner - I hope you're well and looking forward to Christmas. I blogged here about our recent milestones - children growing up, learning to drive and my first book release. Well now I can tell you about another milestone passed by little old me (old being the operative word here!!!). Last week I reached the grand old age of 50. Wow!! I'm glad to say I don't feel any older than I did before, which is a good thing. Infact, due to my personal training sessions at the gym, I'm actually feeling a lot fitter than I did before which is great. I love going to the gym (infact I think I'm addicted to it!!) as it counteracts all of the sitting around that I do whilst designing and working up samples. It also helps me to clear my head and I always come back energised and refreshed, which has a great impact on my design work.

 

So back to my 50th. We enjoyed a takeaway on the Saturday night and the girls came home which was lovely. The children bought me a gorgeous ring, which complimented the equally gorgeous bracelet from hubby. The takeaway was delicious and was from our friend's restaurant. Their food is always really yummy and they always provide gluten free options for me. They also bought me a gorgeous Chanel scarf which was extremely generous. Izzy spent the day baking a gorgeous gluten-free cake for me, which was also super delicious. We had champagne and a nice chat together and thought how lucky I was to have such a lovely family.

 

Then the next day hubby whisked me off to a Spa break at Crewe Hall in Cheshire (not far from where we live). He arranged for his mum to stay with Ollie, he even had money in his wallet!!!! (now that's an unusual occurrence). We enjoyed the pool, sauna and steam room and I went in the gym, followed by a gorgeous meal at the hotel and off to the cinema to watch Gravity (which was amazing). The next morning we had a huge breakfast followed by some relaxing beauty treatments. Then back in the sauna, steam room and gym before enjoyed a tasty two-course lunch. We arrived back in time for Ollie's return from school and I felt refreshed and relaxed after my indulgence. Crewe Hall is stunning and it's background is really interesting - I would highly recommend it for a relaxing break. 

 

The rest of the week was equally as exciting. My crafting friends surprised me with a tuneful rendition of Happy Birthday at our monthly meet-up (along with gorgeous flowers and cute knitted lavender bags). I was asked to design a simple cowl for a fashion magazine, I received my copy of The Knitting Collection and there on the front are 2 of my projects - I even got a mention in the editors welcome. I was so excited that I squealed out loud. Then, Inside Crochet arrived and there on the front cover (small image at the bottom) was my Rose bolster cushion. I was thrilled as I'm sure you can imagine, especially as my cute crochet penguin is also the cover star of Let's Get Crafting.

Finally, to round the week off, I had a day out in Liverpool with my lovely Izzy who was having her first photoshoot for her dance portfolio. It went well, and then she was asked by the next client to stand in for a model who couldn't make it. So Izzy was overjoyed and she now has some amazing images for her portfolio. All images supplied by Rory Lewis Photography (www.rorylewis.co.uk)

 

Now I'm back in the swing of things and trying to knit and crochet some Christmas gifts. I'm knitting a stylish Men's scarf on my needles, and as soon as it's finished I'll take a photo and share the pattern so that you can knit your own for the man in your life.

I hope you're looking forward to Christmas and are including some handmade gifts (if you have time). See you soon and happy crafting, Lynne x

Milestones - and a free pattern

Life is full of milestones, first day in a job, getting married,  children learning to walk, first days at school, passing exams - all sorts. There's always a milestone waiting to be passed. Over the last few weeks we've passed a few milestones of our own.

Our lovely little boy turned 12. Where have the years gone. I no longer have a 'baby' - he's taller than me. He had a lovely birthday with his friends - most of which I've watched grow up. It's nice to see them developing into nice, polite young men (well - most of the time!!!) and they all had a fabulous time at his laser quest party.

 

Our daughter Izzy turned 19 - eek - how old?? and she is now the proud owner of a shiny red car. Hubby took the week off during the school holidays to take her out in her new car each day. They spent a good few hours a day driving here and there and we went from tears on day 1 because she couldn't remember anything (it's been a year since she passed her test), to feeling confident and even driving us to various places without a problem. She's gone back to college now and fingers crossed all is well on the driving front and just another thing for me to worry about!!!

 

Our oldest daughter Kate had her first project published in Homemaker Magazine. It's a DIY tutorial for making a Christmas hamper and it's lovely. You can win the hamper along with lots of lovely goodies here (open until 6 dec 2103). The images below are courtesy of Homemaker Magazine.

 

 

I also had some cute little Christmas bags published in the same issue, so it was all the more exciting to see both of our projects published in the same issue. It's a fabulous issue too as it's the Christmas Special so there are tons of inspiring tutorials, projects and interesting articles. You can download my festive gift bag pattern to make your own here. You can use them to give a Christmas Gift, then your recipient can use them throughout the year for accessories, make-up or jewellery. I used a variety of Artesano  and Manos del Uruguay yarns which were gorgeous to work with, especially the blue-faced Leicester DK (http://www.artesanoyarns.co.uk/). Of course you can use up your yarn stash oddments, especially for the smaller bags.

 

  

And finally, three copies of my Fun Hats book arrived in the post. I have to admit that even I gave a little squee. I had already bought a copy as I couldn't wait to see it, but I was still thrilled to receive them. The photography is amazing and all the hats look very cute and lovely. I just hope that the people who buy it feel the same. I'll be giving away a book soon, so watch this space........

 

In the meantime, I've made a start on Christmas gifts and will be blogging free patterns soon so that you can make something handmade for Christmas and I'll update you on a couple of milestones of my own (one at least I'm trying not to think about too much!!!).

Have you passed any milestones lately? I'd love to hear about them.

Happy Crafting, Lynne xx

BOO - scared you

Hello lovely people and thanks for visiting me here at The Wool Nest. I hope you're well and are making the most of the slightly extended warmer weather we seem to be having. We haven't had to put the heating on yet, which is a bonus. It's usually much colder around this time of year - I'm usually freezing on Halloween when we're trick or treating.

Talking of Halloween, there's still time to buy this month's issue of Inside Crochet (issue 46), which features my fab "BOO" Bunting, amongst many other gorgeous projects. I love using words within my designs; I think they create an eye-catching feature and with wooden letters and words being so popular at the moment, they're bang on trend too. So far my projects have included "HOME", "LOVE", BEACH" and "BOO" and I have many more designs to write up, so watch this space. You still have time to whip up your own "BOO" bunting, and don't worry if you miss this edition - you can buy a digital copy here: http://pocketmags.com/viewmagazine.aspx?titleid=1359&title=Inside+Crochet

There are some fantastic designs in this issue too, including my favourite - this pleated cardigan by Kat Goldin. I love the way it gathers at the back; it's really pretty. It's the perfect example of Inside Crochet - fresh, modern and stylish. It's the UK's only monthly crochet magazine and it's styled beautifully by the Editor Claire Montgomerie with amazing photography by Britt Spring

Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you soon  - happy crafting, Lynne xx

Book Review of Woodland Knits - Stephanie Dosen

 

Morning lovely people. How are you today? I’m enjoying a sunny morning here at The Wool Nest. I’m feeling a lot better today after a short illness over Friday night and Saturday. What a pain!! I’m glad I’m feeling better today though as I’m off to visit my parents then we’re out tonight with our lovely neighbours for a cheeky meal at the Chinese Restaurant across the road. Yum!

A few weeks ago, a lovely surprise popped through the letterbox here at The Wool Nest – my review copy of Woodland Knits by Tiny Owl Knits (Stephanie Dosen), kindly provided by Quadrille  Publishing. How absolutely exciting. I couldn’t wait to rummage through the pages, and see the delightful projects hiding within. I wasn’t disappointed as I love pretty much everything in this magical book. I’d already fallen in love with Stephanie’s work, having seen a few of her projects on Ravelry and in various craft magazines. Stephanie also sells her designs through Ravelry and they’re extremely popular. You can see her designs here:

 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/tiny-owl-knits/patterns

 

Woodland Knits is a collection of her most popular and iconic designs, along with a selection of new hand-knits.

 

 

As soon as I set eyes on this inspiring book with its’ fairytale woodland setting, I was immediately transported back in time to my childhood days of reading and dreaming. Back to the days of fairies and elves, The Enchanted Forest and The Magic Faraway Tree. I imagined a land of knitting at the top of the Faraway Tree, where I had to stay until I’d knitted everything from Woodland Knits – now that would be fab wouldn’t it.  But what would I knit first? The charming Mr. Fox Stole? the pretty Catching Butterflies gloves? the Dragon Watcher’s Hood? Or the whimsical Bo Peep Scarf? So many lovely things to choose from, including a set of the cutest fairy wings………

 

Stephanie writes her instructions really well with great attention to detail. She includes handy hints which are a great resource for knitters and will help you to achieve a perfect result.

 

And that's not all - when Stephanie isn't designing fabulous knits, she's a singer-songwriter who has toured with Massive Attack and appeared on Later with Jools Holland - Wow, what a girl - some people are super talented!! You can read more about Stephanie here: http://tinyowlknits.wordpress.com/

 

I can’t recommend this book highly enough. It’s one of the very few books where I love and want to knit every single project – if not for me, for friends and family. Add it to your Christmas list and it will really make you smile on Christmas Day.

Thanks for reading  - I'd love to hear your thoughts on the book.

 

Happy Crafting, Lynne xx

Easy like Sunday Morning (and a gluten free recipe)

Good Morning to you all - I hope you're having a fab weekend now that the sun is back with us. Hubby is out in the garden pruning and chopping and I'm enjoying a leisurely Sunday morning - for once I had a lie in (well deserved if I may say so!!). I've been so busy over the last couple of weeks that yesterday I felt absolutely shattered. It didn't help that for some unknown reason I decided to have a spring clean. But I'm feeling the benefits today as the downstairs of the house is lovely and tidy. Not sure when I'll tackle the upstairs, but it can wait for now!!

I've had a lovely week here at number 10:
 

• I finished two nice Christmassy commissions that I really enjoyed although they were both extremely time consuming. I really need to tackle my time management at the moment as simple things seem to be taking me absolutely ages!!! I designed and made 4 Russian style Christmas decorations and also designed a non-knitting project that involved yarn, baubles and lots and lots of gluing and sticking. The good news is that I didn't get any glue on the carpet, the not so good news is that it literally took hours and hours (and hours!!!!). Not cost effective at all!!
• I bought 3 lovely books from the book people for just £12, which is an absolute bargain as one of the books alone has a recommended price of £16.99. I really wanted the Knit Nordic book, and due to free delivery I splashed out and bought Mollie Makes Feathered Friends and Fiona Gobles Twelve Knits of Christmas (just because it made me smile).
• Yarn support arrived for my next book. A lovely bag of gorgeous yarns from DMC. I think the cottons and merino yarns will be my choice, but I need to work up a couple of samples just to make sure I can achieve my desired results. I'll have fun trying!!
• I made the most delicious gluten potato cakes this week with left over mash potato. Want to know how? Well here goes:

Gluten Potato Cakes Recipe
1. You'll need some cold left over cold mash potato (I had about one third of a mixing bowl full), a cup and a half of plain gluten free flour, toppings (butter/cheese/beans/bacon - anything you like!).

2. Slowly mix gluten free plain flour into the mash until it no longer feels wet or sticky - a bit like making dough but not as stiff (I used about 1.5 small cups full). I used a fork to begin with, then my hands.
3. Cut the dough into even-sized chunks and press into round patties.

4. Pop into a hot oven for 40 mins on 180 degrees (turning once after 20 mins). They will feel crispy on the outside but they'll be nice and soft in the middle.
5. Top with a sprinkling of cheese, beans or just butter. Absolutely delicious and almost as good as my mums. I'll be making more of these yummy and satisfying delights when I next make mashed potato.

 

I hope you've all had a happy, crafting week too and have a great week ahead. I'm off to YARNDALE next Saturday - yippee - and I'm making a list of yarns that I need for Christmas pressies. I can't wait and am super excited!!! Are you going to Yarndale? and what will you be buying??

 

Happy crafting, Lynne x

Book review - Ros Badger "hook, yarn and crochet"

A few weeks ago, I heard a dull thump on the carpet as the postman delivered my review copy of Ros Badger's latest book, "hook, yarn and crochet". How exciting!! As soon as I saw this quirky little book I fell in love with it. 

  

Crochet is increasingly popular at the moment and my learn to crochet classes are always full. My students amaze me with their enthusiasm to make something pretty from just a hook and a ball of yarn. I can see that I'll be recommending this book to them as it contains 20 simple and very cute projects that suit all abilities, from new crocheters to the more experienced, like myself. 

To be honest, this book is right up my street as I loves quick and whimsical projects that can be whipped up in no time at all.

The book is styled beautifully and projects range from accessories and homewares to gifts and decorations. On my to-do list are the tea light covers, storage bowl, wrist warmers, jute shopper, scarf and star garland. These will make perfect Christmas presents for friends and family and I can't wait to get started. The jute shopper and star garland are my absolute favourites.

The introductory chapters take you step-by-step through the basics of crochet, showing you everything you need to know in order to make the projects in the book, including how to hold the hook and yarn, how to make a slip knot, foundation chain, basic stitches, shaping, tension guide and finishing off. The accompanying image guides demonstrate the various stages using a large hook and chunky yarn so everything's really clear. Perfect for those just about to embark upon new crochet adventures. But be warned - crochet is addictive and before you know it you'll have an ever-growing yarn stash and a list of projects that you just can't do without. 

So if you love to crochet pretty, contemporary projects for yourself, your friends and your family, then this book is perfect for you. I'd definitely recommend it and I'm off to find some pretty yarns to make a start on my star garland.

You can have a look inside the book here on amazon and I'm sure you'll fall in love with it as much as I did. 

Happy Crocheting,

Lynne xxxx

Quadrille Publishing kindly sent the review copy, and all of the comments above are my own.

Do you love your Granny?

I was recently invited by Valerie at Agrarian Artisan to join the ever present debate on the crochet Granny Square – do you love them? Or hate them?

The Granny Square first saw its heyday back in the 1970’s. Thanks to my Nan, I was the proud wearer of all things granny including waistcoats and poncho’s, and according to my Mum, most of the residents of Orford (Warrington) were the height of fashion in their granny square waistcoats, thanks to my Nan who could whip one up as quick as a flash.

 

Thankfully, the Granny has moved on to bigger and better things. Now more popular than ever, there are many contemporary designs that feature the Granny in all it’s glory. From blankets and cushion, to bunting and bags, the Granny has taken on a new lease of life helped along by the myriad of beautiful yarns that can turn a plain old Granny into something amazing.

 

Julie at little cotton rabbits has the knack of choosing the most perfect colour schemes for her gorgeous blankets.
 

 

You can see more of Julie's  amazing work here: http://littlecottonrabbits.typepad.co.uk/my_weblog/

This Dolce and Gabanna bag retailed at around £900 last year – isn’t it gorgeous (not the price tag!!). I’m pretty sure I could whip up something similar for a lot less.

 

 

So I’m sure you’ve guessed by now that I sit in the “Love” Granny camp, although I have to admit I’m not one for rainbow colours; I much prefer more subdued shades. My current Granny project is a Debbie Bliss Aran Tweed Blanket in shades of green, cream and lilacs. It’s been a work in progress for about 18 months and so far I only have 20 squares. I need to get a move on before they yarn is no longer available!!!

I'd love to hear your views on the Granny Square and if you'd love to make one but can't crochet, then you can come along to my next "Learn to Crochet" course at Sandbach High School (Cheshire) in September and I'll show you how to make one. Details can be found here http://lynnesknits.weebly.com/classes.html

When I ask what people want to get out of my course, the most popular answer is "to crochet a granny square". After the end of the 5 weeks I'm pleased to say that my pupils can crochet a lot more than a granny square and they are usually more than delighted with their new found skills.

Alternatively, Heather at Little Tin bird has a great tutorial here http://www.littletinbird.co.uk/basic-granny-square-pattern/

So go on and crochet a granny, the possibilities are endless, rewarding and inspriring.

Happy Crafting, Lynne x

At last - I've crocheted a gift

Wow - this is a landmark. I've actually handmade something that isn't for a commission. Put the flags out!!!!

 

I crocheted a pretty scarf as part of a birthday gift for my cousin. I bought a couple of bags of yarn when my local(ish) yarn store - Fibre and clay - closed down, and in one bag were 3 skeins of Debbie Bliss Pure Silk. 

 

 

I wanted to make something special with this beautifully soft yarn, so I set about making a scarf. After two or three attempts of various free patterns that were already out there (which didn't seem to work out particularly well for me), I decided I'd design something quick and easy myself. So I delved into my pattern library and modified a shrug that I made a couple of years ago. This is the result - what do you think.

 

 

It's really soft and silky and has a nice sheen. I wondered about adding fringing, but decided against it. I like the nice, straight edges.

I rolled up the scarf neatly, tied it with a braided cord and tucked in the yarn band with the care instructions. Perfect.

 

 

If you'd like to make one  for yourself, you can download the pattern here from my "Found, Made and Reloved" blog - a blog dedicated to my stashbusting attempts. Two skeins down - hundreds to go!!

 

xx happy crafting xx

Book Review - Debbie Bliss Knits for you and your home - and Book Giveaway

I was absolutely delighted last week when my review copy of Debbie Bliss’s latest knitting book dropped through the letterbox, kindly sent to me by Quadrille Publishing Ltd. I’d only seen the fabulous front cover and couldn’t wait to see what knitted delights awaited me. I have to admit that Debbie Bliss is one of my favourite designers. I have quite a few of her books and magazines and her yarns are amongst the best to work with (in my humble opinion). I was hoping that her latest addition would live up to my expectations, and to my relief, it did and here’s my review:

Debbie Bliss

Knits for you and your home

Hardback published March 14^th. 2013 by Quadrille Publishing Ltd

Enticing new collection of 30 hand knit projects from world-renowned designer Debbie Bl

RRP £18.99 (however, you can find it cheaper on most book selling websites)

Knits for you and your home is a whimsical treasure trove of 30 creative knits, ranging from quick and easy projects that can be made in just a couple of days, to larger pieces that are longer term projects. Whatever you choose to knit, you can be sure it will become a treasured addition to your home or wardrobe.

The aim of the book is to entice you away from the projects you are knitting for others and make something beautiful for yourself. Hence the book is divided into 4 aptly named chapters with titles that will draw you in with excitement – Indulge, Cocoon, Pamper and Detox. Each chapter contains a variety of projects, from cosy homewares and accessories to casual garments and jewellery. Already, I want to make them all and decorate my home with knitted loveliness.

All projects use Debbie Bliss’s sumptuous yarns, including my favourites – baby cashmerino, cotton dk and rialto aran. Colour schemes are beautifully muted tones throughout, with a splash of colour here and there to catch your attention. There’s a handy list of yarns at the beginning of the book, so you can check yarn weights and tension just in case you need to subsititute yarns, depending on your budget.

I will be knitting quite a few projects from the book when time allows, and here are my favourites:

 

• The stunning and elegant beaded cushion. I can’t wait to have a go at the bead detail which is added at the end.

• pretty beaded lavender hearts – these will be perfect for my friend’s wedding. I’m delighted that she’s asked me to knit some hearts for her table centre pieces.

 

• The comforting armchair throw in luxurious purple with a red trim – although I may make it in different tones.

• These chunky cabled socks to keep my feet toasty and warm

 

• The elegant chevron cushion cover with it’s zingy zig-zag design. Perhaps I’ll use monochrome shades or muted tones.

 

• and last but not least the pouffe – I’m desperate to knit this utterly gorgeous pouffe, although it may be a while before I tackle this as it takes 21 balls of yarns – I’ll have to set up a pouffe fund!!!

 

 

I hope you really enjoy Debbie’s latest book – it’s really lovely to browse and choose what knitted luxuries you’re going to create for yourself. And here’s the best thing:

I’m offering this book as a giveaway.

Just leave a comment below as to what you love to knit for yourself if you had the time and could buy any yarn.

The competition will close in two weeks, midnight on Monday 20^th. May 2013. Entries will be compiled into a database and a random number drawn on Tuesday 21^st. May.

Happy Knitting and good luck xx

Gluten free banana loaf for bread machines

I haven't used my breadmaker for a while and since I had three over-ripe  bananas left in the fruit bowl that everyone was avoiding, I thought I'd make a yummy gluten free banana loaf using the following recipe:

Wet ingredients:
3 mashed over-ripe bananas that no-one wants to eat
butter (melted) - 3/4 cup (150g)
vanilla essence - 1/2 tsp
eggs (beaten) - 3 medium
lemon juice - 2 tsp
water - 1/4 cup (60ml)

Dry ingredients:
gluten free flour (I use doves plain gluten free flour) - 1 full cup plus 5/8 cup (250g approx)
gluten free baking powder - 2 tsp
caster sugar - 1/2 cup (110g)
chopped raisins or any dried fruit - 1/4 cup (41g)

Mix wet ingredients together in a bowl, and dry ingredients together in a bowl. Combine both together and mix. Pour into breadmaker and choose cake setting. My breadmaker does a bit of mixing then bakes for 80 minutes. I presume oven baking will take about the same length of time, although I haven't tried it myself. The cake is nice and moist - you wouldn't think it was gluten free. I didn't use  vanilla essence or lemon as I didn't have any in. It tastes just fine without them. The cake needs eating quickly as there are no preservatives, so I leave mine to cool completely, cut into slices and freeze half of it straight away - otherwise I end up eating the whole lot in a couple of days - not good for the diet or the figure!! It's great with or without butter on the top.

Let me know if you give it a try.......
.

Free Pattern - Mr. & Mrs. Chirp Egg Cosies

Here's a cute little freebie for the Easter Weekend, for a couple of cute egg cosies - perfect for keeping your boiled eggs warm on Easter Sunday morning. You could even hide a chocolate egg underneath Mr. or Mrs. Chirp.

Yarn:

Sirdar Bonus Toytime dk, 1 ball of each in the following shades:
Sunflower (978) - Yarn A
Bright Orange (981) – Yarn B
Signal Red (977) – Yarn C
Oddments of black yarn for eyes
(Note: the egg cosies only use a small amount of yarn, so you may prefer to use up oddments of double knitting yarn in similar shades from your stash)

Notions:
2.75mm needles
Darning needle

Abbreviations:

k: knit  -  p: purl  -  st(s): stitch(es)  -  st st: stocking stitch (one row knit, one row purl) - skpo: slip one stitch, knit one stitch, pass slipped stitch over the knitted stitch – k2tog: knit next 2 sts together as one stitch (to decrease 1) - p2tog: purl next 2 sts together as one stitch (to decrease 1)  -  sk2po: slip one knitwise, knit two together, pass slipped stitch over the knit 2 together.

Mr. & Mrs. Chirp Cosy Body (make two for each cosy)

Using Yarn A and 2.75mm needles, cast on 21 sts.
Rows 1-4: [k1, p1] to the last st, k1.
Rows 5-24: starting with a k row, st st 20 rows.
Row 25: k1, skpo, k to the last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. (19 sts).
Rows 26-28: starting with a p row, st st 3 rows.
Row 29: repeat row 25. (17sts).
Row 30: p.
Rows 31-32: repeat rows 29 & 30. (15 sts).
Row 33: k1, sk2po, k to the last 4 sts, k3tog, k1. (11 sts). Cast off. Cut yarn and pull through last st. Pull tight to fasten off.

Beak:

Using Yarn B, cast on 8 sts (starting at the top of the beak).
Rows 1-2: starting with a k row, st st 2 rows.
Row 3: k1, skpo, k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. (6 sts).
Rows 4-6: starting with a p row, st st 3 rows.
Row 7: k1, skpo, k2tog, k1. (4 sts).
Row 8: p.
Row 9: [k2tog] twice. (2 sts).
Row 10: p2tog (1 st). Cut yarn and pull through last st. Pull tight to fasten off. Stitch a horizontal line across the top of the beak in Yarn A, then stitch beak to the centre of one cosy body piece. Using the black yarn, stitch two eyes above the beak.

Next, stitch the two cosy body pieces together, as follows:

Either place right sides together with wrong sides facing out and use a whip stitch or back stitch. Or, place wrong sides together with right sides facing out and use mattress stitch. Tie off all loose yarn ends on the inside and turn cosy right way out.

Cone:

Using Yarn C and 2.75mm needles cast on 7 sts using a two needle cast on method and work as follows:

[cast sts off until one st remains on right needle. Transfer this st back to the left needle then cast on 6 more sts using a two needle cast on method (7 sts)] twice. Cast off all sts. Cut yarn and pull through last st. Pull tight to fasten off. Stitch cone to top of head either front to back for Mr. Chirp or side to side for Mrs. Chirp.

 

Wings (for Mrs. Chirp)

Using Yarn A an 2.75mm nedles, cast on 12 sts.
Rows 1-2: starting with a k row, st st 2 rows.
Row 3: k1, skpo, k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. (10 sts).
Row 4: p.
Rows 5-8: repeat row 3 & 4 twice. (6 sts).
Row 9: k1, skpo, k2tog, k1. (4 sts).
Row 10: p.
Row 11: [k2tog] twice. (2 sts).
Row 12: p.
Row 13: k.
Row 14: p.
Row 15: [kfb] twice. (4 sts).
Row 16: p.
Row 17: kfb, k to last st, kfb. (6 sts).
Row 18: p.
Rows 19-24: repeat rows 17 & 18 three times (12 sts). Cast off knitwise. Fold the wing in half (so that the wrong sides are together and the right sides is facing you). Stitch the row ends together using blanket stitch and Yarn C. Next, stitch the cast on and cast off edges to the side of the chicken body. 

Happy Easter Knitting xx