Cute Knitting: March 2008

Put-it-all-together Gloves

I wish I could say that the colors are wrong in these gloves but alas they are real. I desperately need to get more colors of Cascade 220 to avoid this in the future. Anyway, I did knit them in less than 48 hours so I won my speed challenge.

These are the "Put-it-all-together Gloves" from Kristin Knits by Kristin Nicholas. The duplicate stitch took almost half the time.

Also, I wanted to let everyone know that the Red River Gloves are indeed available for sale in two sizes and two colorways HERE at my Lulu store. I've had several questions about them because I wasn't clear about that.

I think I'll do something in alpaca next.

Clapotis

I've finished knitting the Clapotis.

I just love it. It was a nice simple project with just enough interest to not cause me to go brain dead. I can see now why this has been such a popular pattern. I especially enjoyed using this fabulous yarn. It is maybe the nicest yarn that I have ever worked with. It is insanely soft and the color saturation is outstanding.

Some Clapotis beauty shots for you..

Right side of the fabric.

Wrong side of the fabric.

I love the dropped stitches!

It adds so much drape and texture. It produces an airy lighter fabric that makes it that perfect wrap for spring and fall when it is a bit chilly out but not freezing. At least in the area that I live anyways.

The other great thing about Clapotis is that it can be worn in many different ways. It can be worn as a chunky scarf around your neck...

Or it can be a shawl-like wrap around your shoulders.

It even looks great with the wrong-side showing!

I ended up using 3.5 skeins of Lorna's Laces Lion and Lamb and size 9 needles for this project. As I had previously mentioned, this yarn is decadent. I have however seen the Clapotis made up in other beautiful not quite as err.. expensive yarns. Noro Silk Garden looks great in the project. Really any yarn that self-stripes or is variegated is really shown off by this pattern.

But as for me... I am planning on enjoying my super decadent Clapotis.

Clapotis Class

If you would like your very own Clapotis to wrap yourself in, come sign up for the Clapotis Class. It is a one time two hour class. I will help you pick out your yarn, do a gauge swatch, and learn the stitch pattern. It's a pretty simple project, perfect for a new knitter.

April Class Dates:

Saturday, April 12 at 1:00 - 3:00 pm or Wednesday, April 23 at 1:00 - 3:00 pm

Cost is $25

I will be offering this class again over the next couple of months so be sure to check The Scarlet Skein's website for future dates and times. If you have any questions about the class or to sign up, please give me a call at the shop.

805-466-YARN.

Inga Hat

Here is the Inga hat. (The free pattern in PDF form is HERE.) It uses Knitpicks' Merino Style DK but I went up to worsted weight wool to fit my large head. I was originally planning on adding more shades of purple in duplicate stitch. The width is perfect for my head but as you can see it is quite long.

I used four colors of stash wool but it is kind of hard to tell.

Surprisingly DH says he wants the hat. I am amazed he's willing to wear periwinkle. He insists the hat should be worn smooshed down as shown below.

My next project is a speed project. I'm going to immediately start the Put-It-All-Together Gloves from the book Kristin Knits in a zillion colors of Cascade 220. It is currently 4:30 pm Saturday and I'm vowing to have these to show you by Monday night. This should be easy to accomplish as they're knit in thick yarn and I will be watching tons of baseball between now and then.

Now I'm off to collect all our candles. We're celebrating Earth Hour by turning off the lights tonight between 8 and 9 pm.

waiting~somewhat patiently~for spring

Just when that 2 feet of snow was almost all melted, we woke up to some more of the fluffy, white stuff.

I am trying to focus instead on the signs of spring that have appeared during the past week ~ the return of the robins, flocks of Canadian geese passing overhead, waking to the sounds of the birds singing, and the need from time to time to actually put on my sunglasses!

And the cold weather is leaving me with more time to spend inside sewing. I have some great Japanese fabrics from Superbuzzy with which to make some new totes...

I'm hoping to get a bunch of these made for the Firefly Farm shop, then it's on to sewing some clothespin bags in hopes that the warmer weather can't be too far away.

Have a happy weekend!

Sleeve update

Sleeping Rasmus, quick get some knitting done.............

My sleeve so far, their are so many ends and textures that Rasmus thinks its a huge dog chew so crocheting is a little difficult and the dress is getting too big to keep it completely on my lap and out of his reach.

Today I have photos of all of us except DH.

Bubbles is greatly enjoying her newest toy - a chewable willow tunnel.

Jack is very annoyed by the whole concept of babygates and separate rooms for each pet.

Here I am. I'm still trying to figure out the secret to taking photos in our bright high-altitude sun.

Angela

Slowly but surly is a good saying for me at the moment, since the puppy Rasmus arrived I have curved my creativity. My husband pointed out that we had had him for a week, I was even un-aware of the day/date. So I'm not getting very much done, but at least I'm getting him into a kind of routine(fingers crossed). The school run should be interesting next week;-).

She (Angela salsa) is so colour- ful. I'm a little frustrated with my progress but just 3 more weeks and he gets his final vaccination and then we will be much better as I can tire him out with long walk and get to see everyone I'm missing and get a little more knit active.

I fitted a back panel of straight row(side to side) crochet, then either side of the panel I re joined the yarn and then went up and down the back panel. Thus to give detail, I then used the gift ribbon to make the beginning of the sleeves.
Hopefully today I will make progress on the dramatic sleeve I have planned.

Easter

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and a joyous Easter!

We had family here for brunch, and it wasn't until everyone was here and I needed an Easter basket in which to put the colored, hard-boiled eggs, that I realized I had not even decorated! No Easter tree, no banner, no Easter baskets displayed, no pussy willow branches...just these tulips I had picked up the week before. I will try and blame it on the fact that Easter is early this year and not, of course, that I could be a bit 'scatter-brained' lately. Hopefully the traditional cinnamon rolls compensated for the lack of decoration.

Today I am enjoying a leftover hot cross bun, a Good Friday tradition, which is perfect with a cup of tea. I'm not sure why I don't make these all year round, they are so good. If you would like the recipe, it can be found here, at The Urban Homemaker.

Red River Gloves

My friend Joelle recently asked about the pair of gloves I made for her using the design from one of her Navajo rugs. I realized I had to hurry up and finish the second pair and write up the pattern. The Red River Gloves are made from 6 colors of Palette and have a sore thumb gusset, knitted hem, and rounded fingertips.

Now that I've taken some photos I can give the tan pair to her. Of course I kept the bright red pair for myself. Because I only have 450,977,090 pairs of handknit gloves for myself as it is.

Knit and crochet sample

I made this for my art and part knitted on one 20mm with one 15 mm needle with green paper, peacock ladder yarn and green hair bands, the top part is then crocheted on a 12mm hook.

Angel update

My camera seems to be having issue's and that's not good as it is my favourite hand bag accessorie. I think it just needs some T,L,C a bit of a lense clean, I hope and nothing to drastic as my birthday is a while off yet..........
I have edged the whole top with the purple yarn but I think that a purple edge on each sleeve would set off the pink and give it a tidier finish.

I have a new glove design to show you and also another FO, the Inga hat so popular in the blog world. Unfortunately I keep forgetting to get batteries for the camera.

Bubbles would like to tell everyone that even if your Easter basket is empty, just eat the basket!

HAPPY EASTER!

Charlies Angel's

This week I have been mostly crocheting my 70's style Angel top. My version of an Angel Top
(To the best I can remember, and making it a little lower on the chest)
I remember the baby's wearing this style of top, or maybe my memory was from my mums old pattern collection.
I used to like leafing through the baby knits pic's.
(she used to make welcome new baby knits, matinée being a common word)

But then I remember the jumper she started when I was 11 and by 14 still no top and this was the type with a big needle and a small (So not a lot of detail, but four kids!)
I never got that jumper!
Lemon or yellow with cute knitted baby tights.
Mine is an adult version and this time I knitted the back and sleeves at the same time, because working without a pattern some times I find it hard to remember just how many stitches and rows I actually did.
Yes and I here you say, I could count or maybe write it down.......but that would be too easy:-)

Road trip knit!

Landings lovely easter cakes!

My cap, navy and red. Bellow shop brought hat and piece of card for template.

Well actually a train trip to Uppsala(If I'm honest), to collect Rasmus.
My daughter got sick so (a collection from school on route) And she came too.
I have not been to Uppsala by train. So I excitedly packed a few knit/crochet projects hoping that I would get some finished.

It was all rather old fashioned I had packed my trendy baskets full.
Rasmus
As the 1st night in a new home with a new baby (Rasmus) was to say in the least, hard work!. But he is extremely cute so the sleepless night I will forgive as I should imagine the month ahead will see little else.

Back to the road trip......
The train to my sadness, was a lovely comfortable large train and with few passengers on route, so I could spread out my knits but unfortunately the trip is quick 40/50 min's I think.
(Now that's a knit addict speaking)

I almost completed my baker boy hat. I had originally not been happy with the visor part. Monet had a shop brought baker style knitted hat so I tried to copy that. (To the best of my ability) Images so far are above and of course on of the new arrival.

A Knit lab meeting!

I visited knit Lab this week and met a very interesting man Ralph Herrmanns (Google him I did) and his dog. A little flirty but good on him. He knew more about my home town (lord Reading) than I and the art conversation I was just lost in he knew so much and I really do know so little. We British know so little of our heritage
(That's my option, but this is something that I am very aware of now living international and meeting other cultures)
So Gallery trips are next on my schedule, once the puppies settled.

He has written many books and listed people from the art world he had known or met. Stockholm just seems to be full of creative people, I was cheeky and sent him some pictures of my art. As the blog wouldn't work for him
(so I can get away with this entry, the flirty/cheeky part).

He liked my random not my structured pieces and he recommended an artist that he was trying to buy a piece from Ghada, and advice on gallerys to have my own show.
As coincidence would have it, I think she had a piece at "Pricked" extreme embroidery(New York) When I asked Leana how she knew this man , It was all to do with Karin who works at Knit lab wanting to mate her dog Mollie with his fox terrier.
What a strange world, good karma..........beautiful puppies.

Ghada so Google her, I just need to work out how to contact her as Ralph assured me he would tell her my name.