Mystery Cushion Club 2024: post 2, July
Debbie AbrahamsWELCOME TO THE SECOND INSTALMENT OF THE 2024 MYSTERY CUSHION CLUB! And as the weather continues to be changeable here in the UK with little sign of any sunshine in Nottingham, it’s perfect weather to curl up indoors on the sofa and knit.
In Mail Out 2 you have one large rectangular block to knit. It’s a bit of an intarsia extravaganza, but don’t panic if it looks a little daunting - there are lots of tips and advice to help you with it in this blog, plus you have the intarsia tech vid from the June blog that you can use if you need some guidance.
There are no new tech vids this month, but all of the vids listed below are available to view in the June blog if you need some reminders (and they will remain available to you throughout the whole of the project, and beyond):
- How to carry yarns up the side of the work (June blog)
- How to bead, the hooking-in method (June blog)
- How to pick up stitches along a cast-off edge (to knit the next square) (June blog)
- Mattress stitch (horizontal) (June blog)
- How to cast on using several colours (June blog)
- How to cable (June blog)
- Block 3, Embossed: how to cross the yarns over when changing colour (June blog)
- How to knit intarsia (June blog)
THE PRINTED PATTERNS HAVE BEEN POSTED TO THOSE WHO PAID FOR THEM. However, the overseas were posted on the 12th July, so they may take a week or so to arrive. I apologise for this, but unforeseen circumstances meant that we could not get them to the printer before our usual deadline. But if you do want to start knitting you could use the digital file which is in your Debbie Abrahams account.
The UK patterns were also posted on the 12th July.
HERE IS A QUICK REMINDER OF HOW YOU DOWNLOAD YOUR DIGITIAL FILES FOR THE MYSTERY CUSHION FROM YOUR ACCOUNT… Log into your Debbie Abrahams account on our website with your username and password.
- Click the "DIGITAL DOWNLOADS" buttons to view your mail outs.
- Your latest available mail-outs will be visible here in PDF format to download
If you are having a problem with logging into your account, please contact Jason on our tech team and he will be able to assist you: support@debbieabrahams.com
SO FAR NO ERRORS HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN THE MYSTERY CUSHION PATTERNS. However, this is a quick reminder to check out the Addendum page on our website before you start knitting each block just in case there are any corrections. Unfortunately they do sometimes occur, but as soon as they are reported and verified we add them to the Addendum page on our website. Doing this quick check before you make a start on each square could save you valuable time, so it’s well worth doing, You can access the Addendum page by scrolling to the bottom of the Homepage and clicking on the link.
IF YOU FANCY TREATING YOURSELF TO A NEW KIT THEN WATCH OUT FOR SOME VERY EXCITING PROJECTS THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
I am launching the Amour Mitts and Cowl workshop project that we knitted at Hurds Hill in Somerset recently. They can be purchased separately or together as a duo of projects. The Amour Mitts were the kit that we included in the Mother’s Day Boxes earlier on this year, and I have designed a cowl to match it. Both are knitted in a combination of Rowan Felted Tweed and my own bespoke 100% wool yarn, Light Wool DK, and are available in three colourways, Luscious Purple, Hot Pink or Cool Teal.
We will send you a newsletter alert when this collection is available, so keep an eye on your inbox if you fancy adding some new kits to your project list.
Another very exciting collection of kits that are available now are from the BeadyKnits studio, who have launched a fabulous range of dog coats! So if you’ve got a pooch who is in need of a colourful hand-knitted coat, this is the perfect answer! Jenny has used my Light Wool DK yarn for these coats and designed some wonderful striped and textured patterns in bright vibrant colours.
These kits can be purchased through the BeadyKnits shop on Etsy:
https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/BeadyKnitsByJenny?
Please note that they are not available to buy in Debbie's online shop.
If you want to find out more about them you can contact Jenny directly by emailing her at:Jenny@beadyKnits.com
IF YOU FANCY TAKING ON A LARGER MYSTERY KAL THAN THE CUSHION NEXT YEAR, THEN MAKE A NOTE IN YOUR DIARY OF 23RD AUGUST AS THIS IS WHEN WE WILL BE LAUNCHING OUR 2025 MYSTERY BLANKET! The KAL will be a collaboration between Rowan Yarns and Debbie Abrahams with all of the yarn in the kit supplied by Rowan. This means you will be working with a gorgeous collection of premium quality yarns including Felted Tweed, Summerlite DK and Soft Yak. And of course there will be plenty of sparkling beads in it too…
Above: Mystery Blanket 2019, Winter Wonderland.
I am super excited to have a fantastic Early Bird Special Offer lined up for everyone who signs up to the club before 30th September. There will be prizes and freebies donated from both Rowan and Debbie Abrahams for all our Early Birds. But with memberships limited it would be wise to book your place early to secure your place - you won't want to miss out!
Above: Mystery Blanket 2016, A French Romance.
This will be the eighteenth design in my Mystery Blanket collection, and I am as fired up and excited as ever about this brand new KAL! So if you fancy finding out more, make sure that you come back here to read the August blog in which I will give you some glimpses of what I have in store for you for the 2025 Mystery Blanket – but not too much, after all, it is a ‘mystery’!
THERE IS ONE LARGE BLOCK TO KNIT THIS MONTH, and here are some useful tips which are worth a read before you begin…
FRONT PANEL, Block 1: Leaf Cut-outs – intarsia leaf motifs:
On each pattern page there is a list of Pattern notes and tips that are worth reading before you start to knit each block. These bits of advice will help you and give pre-warnings as to what to look out for in the pattern instructions. Also take note of the description under the title of each block as this tells you what the stitch structure is.
You can use some of the tech vids from the June blog to assist you, but here are a few extra tips that might help:
BLOCK 1, LEAF CUT-OUTS: this large rectangular block is the only one you are knitting this month, but there is more than enough in it to keep you busy and focused.
Videos to watch for assistance with this square:
- How to cast on using several colours (June blog)
- How to knit intarsia (June blog)
You will need to do some pre-planning before you start knitting this block and decide whether you want to use long lengths of yarn, separate balls of yarn or wind yarn onto bobbins. I chose to use mainly bobbins as this is the only way I can keep this sort of knitting under control, although I did use some lengths of yarn as well for the smaller areas of colour.
This is how I prepped for this block (if you reference the chart while reading this, hopefully it will make better sense).
At the beginning of this block there are six sections of Leaf, four sections of Vermillion, and two sections of Deep Rose. So initially I cut four lengths of Leaf yarn, wound off two bobbins of Leaf yarn, wound off four bobbins of Vermillion and two bobbins of Deep Rose. On page 6 you will see the instructions for how many stitches to cast on using each of these separate balls/bobbins/lengths of yarn.
Once the cast on is completed, your yarns are set up for the first seven rows, and then after that you will find that some of these yarns are not needed any more and can be cut off, but new yarns will need to be joined in on some rows too. It is going to be impossible to talk you through every section of the pattern, but the best advice I can give you is that you should try as best as you can to create a single thickness fabric with very little carrying of yarns across the back of the work. And don’t be afraid to join in a new length of yarn, ball or bobbin if you think you need to. If you take a look at the image below you will see just how many bobbins and lengths I had on the go at one point. It probably looks quite daunting – especially if intarsia is new to you - but if you focus on one row at a time and count all your stitches carefully as you go making sure that you are knitting the correct amount in the right colour, you will be okay – honestly, you will.
I am going to pick out a section to talk to you about to help you understand what sort of decisions you are going to have to make when knitting this block. Look at chart row 9, where a third section of Deep Rose begins. At this point you will have a ball of Leaf already being used for the larger section in this colour (you would have cast on with this on chart stitch 39). I carried this Leaf behind the single stitch of newly introduced Deep Rose on this row (stitch 19) and continued to knit the remaining stitches of Leaf in this section using the same bobbin of yarn. But then coming back on Row 10 when a new section of Vermillion begins, I started a new bobbin of Leaf on chart stitch 33 which I used until stitch 20 (which is the newly introduced Deep Rose). I purled the next three stitches using Deep Rose (stitches 20, 19 and 18) and then introduced a new length of Leaf to knit this new section in this colour. I have marked up the chart below to demonstrate what I did:
This is typical of what is going to happen throughout this block, and you will find yourself having to cut off a yarn and join in a new one several times over. But if you take each row one at a time, read across it carefully before you make a start, and keep an eye out for any changes that are coming up, ie, a new yarn that needs to be introduced or a yarn that needs to be cut off as it is not needed any more, you will be fine. Just don’t panic. Put your knitting down at regular intervals and take some time out. I find that a cup and a tea and a biscuit always helps when you need a break!
I get asked a lot about how much yarn to wind off, but it is quite tricky to work out. One way is to count the number of stitches you are going to knit and wind the yarn around the needle this number of times, add on a minimum of 12cm at each end, and that should be enough. This works well when you are using lengths, but when I am using a bobbin I simply fill it up, and then if there is yarn left over it can be used for another section. Never throw any oddments away, even short ones, as they could be used at some point.
If you need some tips on how to knit intarsia, then the tech vid this month will help you. It’s the one called ‘How to knit intarsia’ and it shows you how to join in yarns and cross them over to stop gaps between the colour changes.
Now it’s time to grab your knitting needles and make a start!
WHY PICK UP STITCHES RATHER THAN KNITTING ON? This is something I am also asked about a lot, and from some of the comments I have read, I can hear that you are perhaps sometimes a little frustrated when you aren’t instructed to simply carry on knitting. Well actually, you can if you want to. But I am going to tell you the reasons why I recommend that you don’t and stick to my instructions…
When you pick up stitches it creates a seam which is a strengthening point. So it gives the completed project more strength, meaning it is less likely to stretch and go out of shape. This is my first reason.
The second reason is that some stitches, like cables for example, look much neater and crisper if you pick up stitches rather than knit on. It creates a much cleaner line across the work between the end of one block and the beginning of the next as the stitches tend to stay in place and not move about.
So these are my reasons, but as I mentioned above, this is your project, your knitting, and you can choose to approach it however you wish. As long as you get the result you want, it does not matter.
THIS IS A REMINDER ABOUT OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS, which can be hugely beneficial if you want to keep up to date with all my latest news or join a Debbie Abrahams group:
Ravelry: Debbie Abrahams Handknits
Facebook: Debbie Abrahams Mystery Knitters
Facebook: Debbie Abrahams Handknits (our own FB page)
Instagram: debbieabrahams_knitting
Pinterest: debbieabrahams@debbieabrahamsk
The Facebook and Ravelry groups are great communities to be part of, especially if you are out there knitting on your own and need a bit of advice or encouragement. They are brilliant for technical support too and there are many very experienced knitters in both groups who are only too happy to help with queries about the projects. They are both free to join and a lot of fun to be part of, so why not join today!
THE MYSTERY MEETINGS AT YARN LOFT IN NOTTINGHAM ARE TAKING A BREAK OVER THE SUMMER, so our next meeting is on Wednesday 4th September between 4-6pm. The meetings are a great way to meet other members in the mystery clubs and share help and advice in a friendly, happy environment. We are also treated to hot drinks and cakes and biscuits by Doreen who owns Yarn Loft. And of course there are oodles and oodles of gorgeous yarns and knitting accessories to tempt you too!
Yarn Loft is at 118 Hucknall Road, Carrington, Nottingham, tel number 07825 702433, website: www.yarnloft.co.uk. To cover the costs of hosting the meeting there is a small sub to pay (£3.00), which can be paid to Doreen on the day.
The remaining dates for your diaries after the September meeting at Yarn Loft are:
Wednesday 2nd October
Wednesday 6th November.
WITH ANOTHER BLOCK RELEASED THIS MONTH, HAVE YOU MANAGED TO GUESS THE TITLE OF THE MYSTERY CUSHION? We have only had a small number of correct guesses so far, but unfortunately I cannot publish the names in this month’s blog as Sue has the list and is away on holiday (apologies). So I will publish them in the August blog instead. However, for the rest of the members, here is another clue to help you…
This month the letter I am giving you is ‘A’:
_ _ _ O _ _ A _ _
If you think you know what it is, please email your answer to Sue at sue@debbieabrahams.com to see if you are right. And if you are, then with your permission, we will include you in the list of correct guessers in the August blog. And if you are not, then there’ll be more clues next month to help you.
So now it’s time to grab your knitting needles and make a start on the July instalment. Remember that there are a couple of tech vids to help you with the intarsia, and I am always here at the end of an email if you have a specific question or concern. So do keep in touch, let me know how you are getting on, and all being good we will meet back here on the 15th August, fully charged up and raring to go with the next set of patterns. Have fun everyone! Debbie, x
