No Caffeine…..

Seriously, does a day without a regular caffeine fix do this to you? I wonder….

Local department store has our regular January sales every year, you know, if you read back to a previous post, how I turned from a friendly, considerate, kind and generous woman to an absolutely mental, evil, demon of a stalker, who watched every move this woman made, who had this yarn that I HAD to have. who wouldn’t put it down, who wondered around and asked the sales rep what she could knit with it, who flipped through pattern books and all the time, me, watching every move from the corner of my eye, who had a partner in crime watch her too…..remember? As soon as she put it back, hands, several hands, mine and my accomplice grabbed it before anyone else did. I’m happy to say, this years sale was different. Maybe it was without the caffeine fix. I was calm, very calm, very unusual for me and so not me.

There before my eyes, lay a full bag of this purple yarn, in fact two bags. Yup…purple. OK I love purple, alot, to admire and ooh and ahhhh, but to wear? It’s totally out of my colour palette. But this purple was different, it wasn’t too bright, too in your face, it was calm, warm and oozing with yumminess.  This purple yarn was calling me…..Yarnsnob, I’m yours…..take me home. Was this yarn actually talking to me?  Has yarn ever talked to you? For brief moment, I thought I was going crazy!

So under my arm it went and without a moment hesitation or a fight with anyone else, went to the cashier, handed over my credit card and so home it came with me.

I had a project in mind for it but strangely and totally out of the ordinary, I SWATCHED. I NEVER SWATCH, seriously, I do not swatch for anything. I consider myself a very very naughty knitter, so please do not, I repeat do not follow my in my footsteps. To make this more out of the ordinary, I blocked the swatch and waited for it to dry and to make it even more out of the ordinary, I counted the stitches one by one over and over again! Now I do believe something was totally wrong with me that day.

The purple yarn, or should I say Aubergine became this…..

Alexandria Cardigan a pattern I’ve longed to knit. It required an icord at the front…never attempted before, short rows for the sleeves, done once and messed up with my Arwen cardigan, picking up stitches from 3 rows down and BO together to create a kind of rolled edge effect for the sleeves and neckline, which I did for the sleeves but did and icord bind off for the neckline.

So, a little about this yarn. Rowan had a batch of previously discontinued undyed Organic Merino DK and as one off special, dyed colours exclusively for the John Lewis chain of stores throughout UK for the 2010 January sales.

Changes made to the pattern?

Neckline: icord BO

Sleeves: 11 inches before start of eyelet

Dec: ssk ( slipped 1 knitwise, slipped 1 purlwise, ktog) (nice and ne

Inc: picked up st from row below from the back and knit (almost invisible inc)

Omit the first row of cluster pattern so the front panels lay flat

Add button for closure.

Maybe I should stay off the caffeine?  It certainly had a very weird effect on me, I must say!

All Change…..

Don’t know about you but I was finding it difficult to read my blog. Old age is creeping in, eyes are straining, time to get the specs out, time for a change, Enjoy!

Testing French Braid…..

I’ve never tested knitted for any designer ever so when I was asked by Bree to test knit her newest and upcoming design, I jumped to the chance, who wouldn’t?

Bree is a from a group of well know and up and coming bright and talented designers. I first found her, well she found me when she introduced me to a couple of her new designs,  Rasta and Twist Cowl featured in the new Malabrigo Book 3. Both are just totally ME! Of course, I had to get my grubby hands on it.

Testing, testing, French Braid Cowl …….

Have you ever seen cables like these??? They are just bursting with Malabrigo goodness! Dare you touch your screen, they may just pop out at you!

I just want to run my fingers over those cables! It’s been a while since I worked with Malabrigo. I worked on it all day yesterdayand got through one skein. I almost forgotten how good its feels…oh YUM!

The cables go on forever and ever! The design of this is, that it wraps round your neck, twice and is fastened at the front with buttons. The pattern is due for release for Malabrigo March on Ravelry or maybe as an ebook……take note all you Malabrigo fans

Guernsey Wrap…..

You know that feeling when a new pattern gets published on Ravelry? You get all excited, your heart skips that little bit faster, your mind starts racing, you get all giddy. You start dreaming about it, images of you wearing it, how it would look dressed with jeans, dress, shirt etc. You talk about it in your sleep, you wake up in the middle of the night and read the pattern. You can’t wait to get started…..that’s me, don’t know about you!

Guernsey Wrap by Brooklyn Tweed/Jared Flood

Brain goes into overload mode as I start going through my stash, matching yarn with pattern in the middle of the night.  My heart starts racing as I knit the first first few rows. I can’t stop, forget about the housework, forget about dinner, I just want to knit knit knit.

Yarn: Debbie Bliss Fez …..colour Charcoal 6 skeins. I love this yarn by Debbie Bliss. It has a wonderful halo effect and a joy to knit.

Needle: 5mm

There is a great explanation on how to block. This pattern has made me look at blockng in a much different way. The use of blocking wires and T pins are essential for a good block and patience, plenty of it. I would suggest any knitter to invest in some blocking wires if you haven’t done so. He suggests to run your wire under and over each garter stitch and be consistant with your placement of your wire. It created a wonderful yet perfect straight edging to the wrap.

I love the stitch definition of this yarn. Of all the yarns in the Debbie Bliss range, this is one of my favourites. If I were to knit this again,  I would add extra repeats to make it just that little bit wider.

Really, I’m Not Hiding……

Hello 2011 and Hello to you all. Here’s wishing you all a wonderful new year. It’s been almost a year since I lasted posted on the blog, I’m sorry. Life got in the way, it’s no excuse so I hope I am forgiven.

To be honest, I lost interest in blogging. There were days when I just didn’t know what to write about, days when I’d write up a post, then have second thoughts about publishing it. I do feel bad, I know there were many of you posting comments and hoping and wishing I’d write up a next one. My readers deserve better, much better,
sorry.

So…..it’s 2011, a new year a new start, where shall I begin? Knitting, of course. I do have lots to show you….lots, oh yes.

Vinterblomster………………One Became Two

This is probably my longest wip. I casted on in January 2010 and finally finished them in December 2010.  We had the coldest winter for years, with heavy heavy snow and ice. It was the bitter bitter cold mornings that slapped me in the face, a wake up call to finish these mittens and I am so happy I did. They were a pleasure to knit, watching the mitten form, row after row, the pattern, the flowers, the petals. I really don’t know why it’s taken me so long!

I couldn’t resist these cute knitted dolls. I started one and I ended up making 6!! Gifted 2 to friends and one, Miles is waiting for his eyes and cheeks so he’s not in the photos.

Dolls are from Huggable Friends 2 booklet a collections of knitted dolls which include: Ella, Finn, Abbey, Kate, Mike and Miles. A delight to knit, a delight to stuff and a delight to hug!

I wanted to knit Rosamund for a while now, ever since the pattern came out back in 2009.

I love the braided cables on the edging of the cardigan how they then twist and twine onto the funnel shaped collar. I wear it opened under a long sleeved t shirt, only because I can’t find those buttons…….which I placed on top for the photoshoot!

A feast for your eyes but there is more to be revealed…….later my friends