Whimsical Kitten

A few days ago I was watching BBC Breakfast news when I came across an item about the ‘Chux Tux’ a knitted jumper designed to keep ex-battery hens who are mostly featherless warm this winter……I was intrigued.

After a bit of research I discovered that the pattern is available here if you feel inclined to knit one for any ex-battery hens that you may know or as a charitable gift for your local branch of the Battery Hen Welfare Trust.

Now that the weather has been getting sunnier, my knitting projects are turning from warm winter woollies to skimpier (and much quicker to knit up) summer items. Enter the halter neck top. The front is now done, just the back and the halter tie to go – happy days!

I have been a knitaholic of late and have attached photos of two completed projects. The fiery coloured bag has been knitted from a pattern featured in the Art of Knitting magazine (issue 2) and is a gift for my friend Rebecca. Becs is currently learning to knit and I am hoping that the bag will inspire her to persevere – go Becs! The pirate bag is a version of the same pattern using a modified skull & crossbones chart that can be found at http://www.helloyarn.com/miniskulltote.htm (this is a brilliant site which has loads of fantastic free patterns and ideas – well worth a look) the bag is a gift for my friend Kate, who can already knit. The pattern used for both is really simple and you can knit up and complete a bag in a weekend.

Here is the second square for my throw, sadly you can’t see the detail too well in this picture, but it is a really simple repeating pattern of four rows.

I have just finished the garter stitch and heart square as part of the Art of Knitting magazine shaker style throw project, only another 89 squares to go!