Miranda scarf

What do you gift someone who got absolutely everything ?? You knit him a scarf in a hope he will appreciate the love and care put in every stitch..

The scarf I had in mind needed to be wintry warm , luxuriously soft , stylish but subtle and manly of course . I have looked at many designs on ravelry and nervously swatched and frogged few swatches with different yarns. My winner was the Miranda scarf.

I chose rowan baby alpaca in the charcoal colour, grey is one of my favourite colours. The pattern is basically a 2 by 2 rib with split cabling inserted every few rows - simple but effective.

I was pondering about the length , since its a winter scarf I wanted the wearer to be able to wrap it double around the neck with enough left overs to be tucked under a coat or a Jacket.

Success me thinks ! :-)

Cria

I have started the popular Cria by Ysolda numerous times. For those of you in the know , Cria is being knitted seamless top down with an genius method of picking up stitches and using short rows to build up the neck and shoulders area. I'm really bowing and removing my hat here for Ysolda - just the calculations here for all the sizes, wow ! You have to pay attention for the garter stitch neck edges because there aren't any hems later on. I was unhappy with my knitting at first until I decided to slip the first stitch on the neck edge instead of knitting it - that created a tidier edging. I know some knitters added later on edging by crocheting or I-cord but for me the wet blocking was all what it took to smooth matters. Another struggle for me was to find the right yarn. I've started with some grey 4 ply alpaca and it looked good at start but then my fickle knitting heart decided to frog it all and invest in the real McCoy- oh yes baby , old maiden aunt, hand painted alpaca/silk dk ion-dubh (blackbird). Ysolda used it in one of her Cria samples. The yarn is beautifully dyed, colors changing ever so slightly between the shades of this sophisticated dull blue. You just know quality when you see and knit it - recommend !

Its a tight fit but I like it that way.

Cuff close up-the buttons were bought in Ally Pally this year from the textile garden stand- lovely selection of buttons there  and a good customer service..

See the cute little pockets?

Enjoyable knit and I wear it often , its a one to keep !
                                            

Live oak shawlette

This is a lovely quick and easy pattern from knitscene fall 2011, designed by Romi Hill. Romi conquered a niche with all her small shawl designs and pretty shawl pins. I've got other shawls of hers queuing on Ravelry , purchased her 2nd book of small shawls and even got a swirl copper shawl pin  in knitnation London 2010.

I chose to knit with Malabrigo sock, an old favourite-you just know it won't shed like a black dog in summer ... The color is Turner , very uunusual variegated between yellow-olive-aubergine-brown. I was not sure about it when it arrived , but it grew on me and looks striking on grey or brown . The lace bit is incredibly easy and I adore those leafy ends. Here are some photos, it is rather cloudy and miserable-apologies...

 

Be Happy and Keep Knitting !

Elisa Sawlette

A charming shawlette by Tiziana Samurai [ravelry link]

Destashed a ball and a bit of kidsilk haze. Interesting construction of using short rows. The turning point of the short row-hole being created- is part of the design. Also worth pointing the designer's clever method of creating even nupps.

The yarn perhaps is too fuzzy to show off the design but the results is  light and airy useful little shawl. Berta fully agrees.. :)

Old rose wrap

Few years ago I visited the knitting and stitching show in Alexandra palace, London and noticed an intricate wrap wore by lady  in the 'Loop' stall. I've complimented her and when the lady herself published the pattern I was delighted.

I mainly knit but this is  crocheted .The beauty of it is that you can join the squares as you go and the joining itself contributes to the pattern. Its all looks complicated and intricate but after completing few squares the pattern is memorised and it is very relaxing enjoyable crocheting. The old rose wrap calls for a variegated Malabrigo sock and a solid color. I think its important not to create too much color pooling so the way this yarn is dyed is just perfect for the pattern. I've chose a mix of purple and green - 'rayon vert' for the main section and then a sophisticated blue - 'cote d'azure' for the edgings and 3D roses. I've changed the pattern a bit to look more like the original version I saw but I did not add the loopy edgings; instead went for a lacy picot trim.

The pattern is so versatile , because of the buttons and button holes locations. I've tried to show some of the ways it can be wrapped- a shrug, a poncho, a scarf, a cardigan..

Very pleased with my summer project !
Keeeeeep knitting :)

Marion Foale-Red Alert

The last few months been very challenging and as a direct results knitting time was significantly reduced.In March 2011 I have started a beautiful pattern by Marian Foale. It was published in woman's weekly a while ago so its not even known in Ravelry. I immediately then cut it for safe keeping. It is a simple summer cardigan with a few purl lines near the garter hems and cuffs.

I chose Malabrigo lace -'sealing wax' color and work in a tight gauge of 35 sts per 10cm. I decided also to shorten the body length. The knitted fabric is light as a feather and the color is ever so slightly variegated between warn rich red to light orange. The hems and cuffs are knitted using 2 strands of yarn which give the cardigan some stability. It was a slow progress but I love the end results. Here are some photos taken today hurriedly in between rain wash outs .

Happy knitting ..

Wallace butchered and now complete..Phew !

Wallace was very closed to completion, knitted the 2nd sleeve and ran out of yarn 5 rows before bind off. I decided it would be silly to order one ball of yarn plus postage (not that I haven't done that before..) for few rows and anyway was unhappy with the length of the jacket so decided to chop the whole thing, back and 2 fronts and the bottom , re knit downwards , re-seam and use the leftover yarn to finish the bloody sleeve.

 And this is how you do it- Measure where you want the cardigan to end, I preferred it to be on my hip bone and then go up 1.5 inches (to allow for inner side hem shaping). Insert a different color life line, as straight as possible and then take sharp scissors and cut parallel underneath the life line, not to close , about 2 stitches far. Then ,with a smaller knitting needle pick up stitches from the lifeline, pull it out and carefully pull the shreds of yarn away . You should have a whole row of stitches on your needle waiting to be knitted downward. Chances are ,you did not insert the lifeline straight and jumped up/down a row..doesn't matter ,just tink back the stitches until you will get a full undisturbed row.

Here is a close up, decided not to knit the upper pockets and used brown shell buttons. More close up pics here.

I and Henry. He lost one of his wives last week. Natural causes..Hmmm It is surprising how friendly chickens are on an empty stomach :)

Lima is an aran weight which I've knitted as double knitting so the fabric is extremely warm and dense, perfect for those chilly spring morning before the sun is high up.

Bits of Wallace..

I'm engaged in lots of small pretty details at the moment. Although it looks like an easy stockinette it has magnitude of interesting details; the sewn-in hems, picot at the bottom, double buttons holes at the sewn in button bands, gaping cuffs with a shirt like closures, interesting pockets..I'm taking my time with this one. Again one of Kim Hargreaves classical gems.
 I'm using Rowan's lima which is a chain type of yarn and if knitted tight like in this cardigan it results in a soft to the touch ,channel-y fabric. The color in brown with soft tones of reds in it.
Spring has sprung and I'm itching now to complete it. Will keep you posted ! :)

wrong side of bottom & front hems



cuff




picot hem



Echo flower photo shoot

This is my Echo flower shawl, my first shawl in a knit along.

The yarn is 4 ply alpaca , natural white and soft with some Little straw stuck here and there. It was harvested from Fowberry Hera.

 I had 2 hanks of 660 yards in total. After finishing the first hank, I made one more repeat (one more than a shawlette) and then started on the edging. Those nupps are yarn guzzlers so switched to beads and even omitted couple of rows. I was left with 40cm of yarn in the end. Oh the stress of it all..

Very pleased !! :)

Moony !

The hat was made with a speed in between projects. It is Moon by Kim Hargreaves, knitted with Rowan's cocoon. I'm sorry but I forgot to take proper photos before I gave it away to a friend who had a long spell in hospital. What I do have is some silly photos of a big unblocked feminine hat on a mischievous little two years old head :) .I hope you can see the potential..

The Galvanized Cardigan

I just seamed today the underarm live stitches and absolutely adore this little cardi. I like the color combination -so elegant. I like the simplicity of the construction and I'm  happy with the fit.

A few slight modifications; decided to knit only 39cm of the sleeves before joining to the body. The sleeves grew in length during blocking. I always let the garment soak in a mild bath and then spin it 1600 in my washing machine to get all excess water away. The felted tweed bloomed as I knew it would. Also shortened by half an inch those corrugated cuffs. My sleeves gauge is tighter than the body gauge  because this is how I knit with dpns but as I have slim arms it works for me.

If I was to knit it again, I would add about 6 more sts to the button bands , I feel it pulls in the fronts a bit, and cast off tighter the neck band. All in all  I'm very happy with the design :) 

I used 8 different  buttons from a vintage set.  So pleased .

Well done , Amy Christoffers !