Search Results for: kina

kina in milky way

September 16, 2015 By 12 Comments

Another day, another kina. With so many baby girls being born around me I can’t say no to knitting a kina. The yarn I used this time around is Bendigo Woollen Mill’s Milky Way (colour is Venus). Milky Way is lovely and soft and a fun one to knit with since it has milk protein in it. Something that is a bit of a novelty for me. The yarn is springy and soft and the colour is a little bit washed out when you look up close which I liked. It’s something different.

Unfortunately my little guy has discovered pulling out yarn from the ball so made a big mess of the ball and I had to cut it half way through the project, cut out one big mess out and restart the kina. I’ve pulled too tightly on the ends and I’m not happy with the edge. One of the reasons I love my 200g balls is because you don’t have to worry about starting a new ball midway through your project. But anyway. My knitting is now up high with my ball of yarn on the top of the couch cushion and away from little fingers. Plus it doesn’t look like a machine made it so that’s a good thing. I’ll call it the personal touch of imperfection.

I matched it up with a cute little cotton tunic with leggings from Target and it’s ready to go. Now on to my next project………….

Filed Under: babies, baby, bendigo woollen mills, knitting

oh look, another kina

August 15, 2015 By 9 Comments

Yep. If there is one knitting pattern that I make time and time again then it’s the Kina. I just love it. About a week on the needles for this one and it turned out so nicely. You knit it from the top down in one piece and it never lets me down. Just a lovely little cardigan for girls.

You can find the kina on ravelry here in a variety of sizes from doll to adult, it’s easy enough for a confident beginner and is always fun to knit. The baby kina pattern is actually a 5 ply/sports weight but I love knitting it up in 8 ply

You knit the size smaller than you want but knit to the lengths of the size you want on 4mm needles. So I knit the 3 month size but with 6 month lengths for this one and it’s so cute and will last until the baby is 1. Ravelry details for this project are here.

The yarn is soon to be released (last week of August) by Bendigo Woollen Mills and is called Bold Bamboo. I was lucky enough to be sent some to use first and I’ve loved it. Super soft, it’s 60% bamboo, 40% wool, machine washable and super soft. The colours are bright and fun and I see more projects to be made in it.

Tomorrow I’ll share a few more of the projects I’ve made in Bold Bamboo but in the meantime here is my next project. Because there were 2 school mums who had baby girls over the holidays so I’m in need of quick little cardigans so it’s another baby kina and this time in Milky Way. Wow this is a nice yarn to work with. A bit like cotton but thicker. If that makes sense.

Happy knitting xx

 

Filed Under: babies, baby, bendigo woollen mills, knitting, ravelry

little kina

July 19, 2015 By 3 Comments

One of the things I struggle with is finding time to finish knitting projects. I might have solved my problems with knitting this little kina. Knitting for dolls. I might be on to something. So satisfying to start and finish something in a weekend.

This is a super cute little project and you probably already know that I love the kina pattern. You can see them here on ravelry. Just a few.

The yarn is soon to be released by Bendigo Woollen Mills and super soft and lovely. The colour is the most perfect raspberry red I’ve seen and I’m going to love this for my girls. Perfectly pinkish red and so sweet for one of our little dolls.

Each of the girls have a waldorf/steiner doll but they were just chucking them around the room so I’ve been keeping them high on a wardrobe and have now decided they might need a few little cardigans. Especially when they are this quick and satisfying to knit. The button was from my stash when I picked up a few tubes at a closing down sale.

All in all one very satisfying project and something that the beginners out there could tackle if you can knit, purl and learn how to make 1. Ravelry details are here.

Now it’s back to my other projects…………..

Filed Under: bendigo, bendigo woollen mills, knitting

valentine’s day and another kina

February 14, 2015 By 12 Comments

Well it’s valentine’s day and I woke up to some lovely roses and a card before ducking out early to mass with the baby. When I got home (after my coffee, of course), I remembered that I just had to sew the button on a kina that I finished early in the week and thought I’d get my model in a pretty dress and get her outside for some photos.

And that lasted about 2 minutes before she wanted the cardigan off and to play. I’m a bit nervous that she’s not going to wear it so will try it when we are leaving the house for church or for the next birthday party she goes to otherwise I might be giving this one away.

Thankfully we have a few more willing models in the house so I asked who else would like to model it…I figured I could put it on a 2 year old boy or a 6 year old girl so went with the girl option, quickly brushed her hair for the photo and asked her to look away into the distance.

I also realised that I made this dress about a year or two ago and hadn’t shared it on the blog. Just a Simplicity pattern (2241) and some sweet fabric I picked up at Spotlight. When I make dresses I’m not too fussed on sizes because there are 3 girls and it will generally fit someone…whether it’s this year or the next. But my girls love this dress and I love a flutter sleeve so it’s win win and the dress probably came in under $10 which is always nice. I know I need to make more dresses for my girls…it’s just a little thing called time. And finding it.

Back to the kina, I used Bendigo Woollen Mills Spring Cotton which is sadly discontinued but check out ravelry to see if anyone is destashing (it will say ‘will trade or sell’) and Harmony is available in a couple of colours. I knit the size 2 pattern with 8 ply and size 4mm needles and knit to the size 4 lengths and the fit is perfect but I have a tiny 4 year old so you might want to add some length or go up a size if your little ones are a bit bigger than average. Not something we are in this house. And a vintage button from the stash. Ravelry details are here.

Hope you have a lovely Valentine’s Day today………………

Filed Under: babies, baby, kina, knitting

first knitting project for 2015 and your kina questions answered

January 9, 2015 By 8 Comments

I know that some people don’t think that knitting and summer go together……………..but for true knitting lovers like myself who knit all year round it’s a great time to knit. In cotton. And I have all of my favourites here with my first project all cast on for 2015.

I’m doing a size 4 kina in Bendigo Spring Cotton using my knit pro karbonz needles and the cutest stitch markers you’ve ever seen from etsy here. She had one when she was 2 and we wore it to death and loved it so much that I’m doing it again. Perfect to wear all year round and the spring cotton goes through the wash beautifully.

I always receive a few questions on the kina pattern so here you go:

pattern is available to buy for EUR3 and click on the size I mention and I have linked to the pattern in ravelry for you to purchase online – it comes in baby, childrens, ladies (free pattern), doll size (free pattern) and always double check you are buying the english pattern

I use circular needles but don’t freak out because you are just knitting back and forth as if you would on 2 needles so don’t worry. It’s also easier to keep your work on circulars without losing stitches when I don’t know….your 2 or 4 year old finds your knitting and starts to play with it.

Sadly you can’t buy Bendigo Spring Cotton anymore. I have stashed up online and through the back room and yay for a trip to Melbourne via Bendigo and the mills later this year. Woohoo. You can sometimes find it in the back room at Bendigo Woollen Mills and here on ravelry when people say in their stash and will sell.  Also Harmony makes a nice substitute and has wool in it too.  I made this top in Spring cotton and now the next girl down is wearing it and loving it after lots of wash and wear. 

The pattern calls for 5 ply (like debbie bliss baby cashmerino or a sports weight yarn) but I like to do 3 things. Use Bendigo 8 ply cotton with 3.75 needles or use Bendigo Spring Cotton with 4.00mm needles or knit in 8 ply wool with 4mm needles. Without confusing you if you knit in the bendigo 8 ply cotton knit the pattern size you want and follow the pattern exactly. The cotton tends to stretch as you wear it and using the 3.75 needles helps against this and knit true to size it will turn out just right. If you’re going to do spring cotton or 8 ply wool then follow the instructions for the next size down than the size you want but follow the lengths for the size you want. So I’m knitting a size 4 by using the size 2 instructions but the size 4 lengths (like work until your knitting measures 12cm or whatever)

You can see all my kina projects on ravelry here

You will never find a sweeter or easier knitting pattern. If you can knit, cast on, purl, cast off then you can do it and learn how to increase on youtube or someone showing you. 

Filed Under: bendigo woollen mills, kina, knitting, ravelry

a kina for keira

November 15, 2014 By 9 Comments

It’s been a while between knitting projects and a year between cardigans for my big girl but here we are. One kina for my big girl keira.

She absolutely loves it, picked the colour herself and I know this will be worn to death just like the last one I made her was until she outgrew it.

I’ll confess to you, baby knits are so much faster but this really is an easy knit you’ve just got to sit down and commit to lots of stocking stitch. Easy to do when you have a little baby who needs to be fed and you can feed the baby and knit. Trust me when I say that it’s the only reason I’ve finished this with a baby in tow. And it’s all in how you prop the pillows and feed and knit.

The button is a little Cath Kidston fabric covered one from the stash which is perfect.

Ravelry details are here

Pattern is Kina available here

Yarn is Bendigo Woollen Mills Luxury 8 ply in Aquarium

And thank you daylight savings. I took all of these photos (with my new favourite lens the 25mm 1.8) after a stinking hot 42 degrees hot day. We went out at 7pm to take these photos while we were waiting for our dinner. Now to think about my next project!

Filed Under: bendigo woollen mills, kina, knitting

another baby kina off the needles

October 20, 2013 By 22 Comments

Oh my love for the Kina. If you’re new here then you might not know about my addiction to the Kina knitting pattern. I discovered it a few years ago when elodie was a baby and then I just couldn’t stop making them. I’m still not sure if this is my 7th or 8th. My favourite is the baby kina as it’s so quick and easy and makes a lovely gift.

I knit this in Bendigo Spring Cotton and it’s so sweet. I know from having my own babies that you can’t beat a cardigan in white or cream because it goes with everything. I did actually knit the smallest size in an 8 ply and 4mm needles and it comes out a bit bigger. I actually didn’t have the pattern or a measuring tape to hand when I finished so guesstimated but after you’ve made this many kinas you kind of know what you are doing.

This didn’t take took long and once I’ve done the sleeves then I know I’m on the home stretch because there aren’t that many stitches to do. No seams, just a few ends to weave in, 3 buttons and you are done. Done. That’s why I love it. Why knit 8 pieces and then have to stitch them all together when you can do this little top down cardigan.

Ravelry details are here. The yarn is Bendigo Spring Cotton from here and the pattern is here. Other sizes are available by following the links on ravelry here.

Filed Under: kina, knitting, ravelry

a kina for keira

August 23, 2013 By 27 Comments

Those of you new here might be wondering what a kina is? Well it’s just my very favourite knitting pattern. Not sure if this is my 6th one but it’s an easy pattern, once I’m on the home stretch after the sleeves I can just take it anywhere and knit it without needing the pattern and it lasts you a year or two. It goes with everything, you can wear it all year round and it’s just a winner. It never lets me down.

I had always used the baby pattern in the past so this was my first time using the kids pattern and this is the size 6 knit in Bendigo 8 ply cotton (colour is parchment) on 3.75mm needles. A word on the Bendigo cotton is that it’s super soft and lovely to use but it does stretch a bit and although the ball band says 4mm needles I always go down to a 3.75mm. And another hot tip is once you’ve washed it just chuck it in the dryer for a bit which helps with the shape.

Keira is a small 7 year old and it looks cute on her but it does have more drape on tillie who has just turned 5. Perhaps I should have made keira the size 8. I was actually tempted to give it to tillie but keira told me I never knit anything for her so I took that as a sure sign that we’d stick to the original recipient. Photos to come this weekend of her modelling it…

If you’re going to knit one of the bigger kids sizes get ready to put some hours in for the body. I lost a bit of interest and then last week just decided I was going to finish this baby. And I did. Partly because I really wanted the needles and cable to cast on a baby kina.

All up this project cost me about $12 in yarn, it’s perfect for summer, being cotton means it can go in the washer and dryer and will get better with age. So all in all a successful knitting project.

Ravelry details are here. Pattern link is here.

Filed Under: bendigo woollen mills, kina, knitting, ravelry

another kina finished

February 15, 2013 By 13 Comments

well yesterday I wrote about the lovely day I was having. Retro daddy was here and we were each doing our own things, joking about the best flavour of the lindt balls, elodie was running between us and it was just nice to have him home and I was thinking I wish he could work from home more often. It was such a good happy day. Then his old boss rang, he went into the other room, talked a while, walked out and said ‘ nicki has passed away’. What? What do you mean? How? When?

Our sweet friend Nicki was involved in a tragic car accident in the snow in Oklahoma. And I still don’t believe it. I woke up this morning and wished it wasn’t true. Maybe it was a mistake. I wish it was but sadly it’s not. And so retro daddy will fly out monday afternoon to attend her funeral and I’m going to write a special post in the next few days as a tribute to her. I can’t even tell the little ones what happened to their ‘aunty nicki’ because it’s just too upsetting.

I’ve thrown myself into my knitting and finished off this little kina. My addiction to the kina is still going strong.  And to get out of the house and keep busy this morning I took myself up to Spotlight to find the perfect button. And I think you’ll agree that they are the most perfect match.

Ravelry details are here. The Baby Kina pattern is here. Now if you want the pattern in other sizes like doll, child or adult – just look at the left hand column of the website for the size you want then select the kina within that size range. I think this is my 7th kina but who is counting?

Finishing this off today reminded me that knitting is the best kind of therapy there is. I can just lose myself in the stitches and think, reflect, pray, cry and think of the memories. I am knitting a prayer shawl at the moment to gift to Nicki’s mum who must be in so much pain right now. And no, retro daddy won’t have it in his suitcase. This might take me a few weeks but hopefully will be something special to give. I’m using the Textured Shawl Recipe pattern from ravelry which you can find here and using the instructions here.

Filed Under: babies, baby, kina, knitting
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