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With schools and playgroups now finished for the summer holidays, children up and down the country have several weeks of care-free time ahead of them, but the start of the new term already lingers in the air!

To help you get organised, we’ve found a mix of knitting and crochet patterns that will help you get prepared and give you a lovely project to work on at the same time! And perhaps even give you some much needed and well-deserved ‘me time’!

We’ve got some practical projects and some fun ones too. From scarves hats and gloves ready for the colder months, to crochet lunch bags and smart cardigans. We’ve found projects you can do in those odd few moments here and there, and ones that will take a bit longer if you have a little more time to spare.

Happy knitting and crocheting!

School wouldn’t be complete without new pens and a lovely new pencil case to store them! Choose from the lovely range of shades in the Emu Classic Aran yarn, to make this knitted pencil case in just the right colour.

Keep keys easy to find and phones nice and safe with this handy crochet granny square phone case and keyring pattern. We’ve chosen the Emu Classic DK yarn as it’s available in a lovely range of shades. This pattern is also ideal for beginners!

Keep a laptop or tablet safe in style! Knitted in Chunky yarn, this laptop cover pattern is ideal for beginners too!

This super simple garter stitch knitted bag is perfect for keeping a PE kit in. With a handy drawstring,it can also be customised so it can be made in school colours.

Another fun granny square project, these little crochet bags are just the right size and shape for storing lunch. They look so pretty too! Choose from 3 different sizes, you could also add a button or popper to the bag to help keep lunch extra secure during a busy school day in a backpack! Why not have fun creating different colour combinations!

We have bags for every occasion and this crochet bag would make a great book bag! It’s an ideal size and also features a comfortable over the shoulder handle, but is the perfect length to be carried too.

Possibly the sweetest rucksack you’ll ever see! The Fairy Tale Cottage backpack is not only beautiful, but practical! It’s perfect for little ones and a really fun one to make.

We love this simple style backpack by Sirdar. It uses the Sirdar Stories DK yarn, which is a practical mix of cotton and acrylic and is available in lovely vibrant shades.

A super cosy set in Super Chunky yarn, this hat, snood and scarf set knitted in Hayfield Bonus Super Chunky will knit up nice and quick and the 4 different designs can be knitted in sizes from 4 years to adult.

A slightly lighter scarf and hat set, these are knitted in King Cole Big Value DK. The yarn comes in handy 50g balls.

These simple cardigans would be perfect for knitting in school uniform colours. The sizes also range from 4 years to 16 years.

If you’re in need of jumpers instead of cardigans, these simple jumpers knitted in King Cole Merino Blend DK would be ideal and they also go from 6 years to adults.

For even more school knitting and crochet ideas, visit our Back to School Projects here >>

The Story

As soon as I saw the Papatya Sundae yarn I knew I wanted to make something with it, so I didn’t hesitate for a moment to snap some up! Deciding on a colour was difficult as they’re all so pretty, but I loved the pink and purple rainbow tones of shade 014. I love the colour combinations and richness of all the shades in this range and the yarn is lightweight and creates perfect colour stripes. Its 100% Microfiber Acrylic but feels like a mercerised cotton.

Now that I had the yarn, I needed to find a project. I picked up 2 balls and knew I wanted to make something for myself, so thought a scarf would be perfect. Now I had the yarn and a project in mind, I now needed the perfect stitch! I wanted a stitch that would accentuate the beautiful colour changes and the way the shades blend softly from one to the other. I chose a chevron stitch, called the Stockinette Chevron, which gives a solid finish and a soft wave effect.

The Papatya Sundae yarn falls into the 4ply yarn weight, but I wanted the finished fabric to have a slightly more open and lighter feel with more of a drape. After knitting a tension swatch I decided that a 4mm knitting needle would be perfect.

I’ve loved every moment of knitting this scarf. The pattern is easy and means you don’t have to refer to the instructions, this makes for a relaxed and leisurely project. I also love seeing the colours blend into one another. The yarn is lovely to work with and has a smooth, cotton feel as the yarn promised. It doesn’t split and the smoothness of the yarn means it slides nicely on the needles.

The finished scarf will be light enough to be worn as a cover-up on slightly cooler spring and summer days and evenings, or, to add an extra layer to an autumn or winter outfit. After using one ball of the Papatya Sundae yarn my scarf measured approx. 80 x 26 cm so the 2 balls I have will make a scarf measuring approx. 160 x 26cm. However, you could make yours as long or short as you like! You could even just use 1 ball and join the ends to make a cosy snood.

The Name

I thought such a lovely project deserved an equally lovely name. The soft waves and ripples of the chevron, and the way the colours flow into one another, made me think of a gentle flowing river; along with the pretty rainbow colourway, it reminded me of a song called ‘Rainbow River’. The song has beautiful lyrics and the name seemed perfect.

‘The rainbow river is a laughing stream

Down in a valley by a mountain that is pine tree tall’

The Pattern

The pattern is worked in a very similar way to the traditional Feather & Fan stitch, the variation comes from knitting into the front and the back of a stitch when working the increases, rather than increasing by yarn over. This creates a smoother fabric and doesn’t create a lacey effect, which I thought would detract from the yarn.

Stockinette Chevron Stitch

Abbreviations

• Sts – stitches
• K2tog – knit 2 stitches together to decrease
• Kfb – knit into the front and the back of a stitch to increase

Using a 4mm needle, cast on 54 stitches (or a multiple of 18 sts if you wanted your scarf to be wider or thinner)

Row 1: Knit.

Row 2: Purl.

Row 3: *(K2tog) 3 times, (Kfb) 6 times, (K2tog) 3 times; repeat from * to end.

Row 4: Purl.

The above 4 rows set the pattern. Repeat rows 1 – 4 until you have the desired length.

The Yarn

Choose from a range of different colourways including both soft and more intense colours options that have been carefully selected to create stunning and elegant combinations. Find your perfect shade here >>

We’re delighted to be supporting It’s Good 2 Give as our charity of the month throughout July!

During the month, you can round up your orders to the nearest £1 at the checkout and all money raised will be donated to It’s Good 2 Give.

We’ll again be matching all donations so whatever you donate, we’ll donate the same, doubling the total amount raised for the charity!

About the Charity

Founded on 20 April 2010 by Ian and Lynne McNicoll OBE, It’s Good 2 Give is a charity committed to supporting the physical and mental well-being of young cancer patients and their families in Scotland.

It offers a wide range of support to both patients and hospitals. That includes practical support such as our parent packs, ad hoc support for hospitals, mental health support for patients, and much more.

It’s Good 2 Give works in partnership with hospitals and patient organisations to deliver the assistance that young patients and their families need. They have funded two full-time psychologist posts in Edinburgh to support mental health, and aim to expand provision to Glasgow, recognising the importance of mental well-being in the patient journey.

The charity is also proud to host young cancer patients and their families at The Ripple Retreat - a purpose-built, restful place on the shores of Loch Venachar. It provides a peaceful escape and opportunity to relax for patients and families during this difficult time, offering time away from doctors, procedures, and hospitals, in a safe and calming environment.

Throughout June we supported Bumblebee Conservation Trust, raising money for the UK bumblebees. Through your generosity, we have raised an incredible amount thanks to checkout donations. We also matched your donations, bringing the total raised for the charity to £1417.52. Bumblebees need our help! In the last 80 years, two native species have become extinct and a further eight are endangered and your money will go directly towards conservation efforts to protect them.

Thank you so much for continuing to support our monthly charities!

This year, Her Majesty The Queen will become the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee. There will be celebrations all over the world and up and down the country to celebrate Her Majesty’s 70 years of service and this historic reign. Events will be taking place on the special bank holiday weekend from 2nd to 5th June and lots of people will be celebrating with party’s, whether it’s a garden party, street party or a just quiet gathering at home whilst watching all the exciting events on the television.

With this momentous event not far away now, we’ve got some last minute makes for you, to help decorate your Jubilee party, as well as some projects that commemorate this wonderful celebration and will make it last a little bit longer.

Our brand-new Jubilee Blanket Kit has been made specially for the upcoming Jubilee. The pattern is our incredibly popular crocheted Portuguese Tile Blanket pattern, but with a new splash of celebratory colours! A great way to commemorate this amazing milestone.

As this is an extra special occasion, we’ve also put together 2 new bundles with our wonderful Emu Classic DK range. These bundles have been inspired by the colours of the Union Jack and the colours of the Platinum Jubilee. You could use them for so many different projects, including some of the wonderful patterns we’ve included below!

Make any pattern fit for royalty with this shade in King Cole Cherish DK! The Slate shade is a mix of red, white and blue tones and patterns up into simple stripes. Use it on plain patterns, for an instant patriotic twist!

This sweet Soldier Jumper knitting pattern would be the perfect addition to a Jubilee party outfit, especially if we have a true British bank holiday!

Take a touch of royalty wherever you go with this Crown Bag knitting pattern. It’d be perfect for taking cakes and treats along to a Jubilee celebration! And for any other extra special day!

Make a whole consort of corgis to decorate your Jubilee gathering, with this sweetknitted Corgi Dogs pattern. For each ball of Camel and Cream in the Stylecraft Special DK yarn you’ll be able to make around 5 adorable Corgi’s!

The most perfect Jubilee tea cosy. It’ll also make the most perfect centre piece to your Jubilee spread! The Royal Crown Tea Cosy Knitting Pattern is a super fun pattern and even has gold yarn to add that extra regal touch!

For more decoration inspiration, why not make these crocheted Jar Covers And Place Mats in red white and blue for a great DIY project. We’ve chosen our excellent Emu Classic Chunky yarn, which is great value too!

Another great project to remember the Jubilee by, this excellent knitted Mixed Cushion Cover Set includes a brilliant Union Jack cushion. Why not knit one using our Royal Jubilee Emu Classic DK Bundle, which includes a selection of red, white and blue shades; or, for something even more special, our Platinum Jubilee Emu Classic DK Bundle which is a mix of beautiful purples, pinks and grey.

Add some vintage style and help dress your jubilee table with this Napkin Ring crochet pattern. Why not use one of our Jubilee bundles to add a brilliant jubilee colour scheme!

No party is complete without bunting! This Striped, Spotty And Plain Bunting knitting pattern can also be knitting using our wonderful Jubilee bundles!

Have your cake and eat it too! This Afternoon Tea Set knitting pattern includes quaint cups and saucers and tempting baked treats, perfect for adding a bit of fun to your Jubilee party decorations! This clever knitting pattern set is also spill-proof and shatter-resistant!

We hope you all have a wonderful time celebrating!