This week I have been mostly?

Ingredients
1)Old fabric
2)Sharp scissors
3)Space

Rug making!
Cutting up old duvet covers to make a rug for Monet's room. Free material as they where really fit for the charity shop/bin as they where so old.
But a good use of a pink and white fabric, perfect for a little girls room.
To boobly for the bed, but cut up......... who would know? My 25mm crochet hook will make short work on the rug making front.

Block stitch up close

Prudence Mapstones (Karin/Alison version) Block stitch up close and personal!
It takes a lot of yarn, but is a really fun stitch once you get started.
Think that this will possibly be my new favourite edging;-)

Project rags to riches

Rags (This is where I'm at now, part two I scrapped the 1st idea)
To riches (up close huge stitches)
(Above is where I began, part one)
Rags is the part where.......
I am using all my odd, given and charity shop yarns
Riches is the part where........
I'm going to use my Danielle's expensive birthday yarn, the orange fabric yarn that you can see on the joins(edges).
So far so good.

Blankie Mania Workshop

Blankie mania is Sweeping Raverly, well the parts that I have looked, So a Knit lab work shop was needed.

My first square, I can make elaborate dresses but a regular knit and decrease sqauer and I was in need of a helping hand;-0 (Karin)

On 3.5 needles using left over sock yarn if your in the Shelly (Ravelry group)

But I just want to make one using any yarns, always having odds and ends. What I really like is like the juxtaposition of colours that just meet, not thought out. Unlike Mr kaffe fassett, whom I'm not so keen.

To begin
Cast on odd number 31(your choice of size)

Knit 1^st row
2^nd row count 14 slip 2 then knit the next and pull the sliped yarn over this stitch (decreae) that gets the up the middle.

And so on......

Knit next row
Then knit 13, slip two, knit one, yarn over

Repeat
Until 3 stitches remain ,then slip two yarn over tie off

Watch this space, next week I get to join them like patch work. I just need to work on a few squares;-)

This week I been mostly (Busy!:-0)

New stitches, this week I have learnt two the first form Ravelry I discovered a new stitch by Prudence Mapstone never seen the stitch before, that was titled Block stitch crochet.
But un-be known to me I thought that there would just be a step by step guide on Ravelry. But unfortunately not, you had to pay.
So next stop google, whist at the same time using the Ravely friend contact to ask Knit lab Karin, did she know?. Google was a no go/show just forums etc etc
Then a visit to knit lab and my attempt from copying the picture that was ok but no where near combined with Karin's book search and expertise and we had it!(well she did;-0)
Next stop Broom stick crochet the picture above, so very pleased as thats been on my list since Christmas to learn......
Two stitches in one week, productive.
Banded, new art/knit project, I began this too, this week.
Progress so far, slow as heavy and hard work tying all the bands but at the same time fun to be crocheting out side the box as they say.
Watch this space for the progress.
Monet and I making Pom Poms for knit labs flags as It pride this weekend. Took me back to my younger years, I had forgotten just how therapeutic it was rolling up little balls of yarn and just mindlessly treading around and around.

Excellent stress buster, especially when you had the kids home for 5 weeks of summer holidays. And with only one week family holiday in that time:-(
All good fun

This week I have been mostly recycling

Base
Thick brown handle, added ribbon the top has now become a bag!
Hurtigs Tuesday knit cafe

Just me tonight!.......alone;-(
It seems every one is away in Stockholm, I put my time to good use and completed my bag. I will need to line it and again I think I will recycle one of my canvas free-bee magazine bags for this, i'll Just cut of the rope handles and stitch it inside.

knit lab pimms sunday!

I brought some back from England to try..........
As we where chatting one Sunday the regulars members about being such an international knit cafe, many languages spoken and different words for food and drinks from around the world.

As we talked, we joked about theme Sundays.

I thought a Pimms 'O' clock knit Sunday would be fun.
(A Well known strap line form a TV advert in the UK)

I was visiting home and members had heard of the drink, but not tasted.
One Pimms and many stitches may have been dropped, hopefully not:-)

Look out for tequila Sunday, finger knitting/ yarn winding only on that day for sure.

Basque top goes bag!

This was a top I made last year(I think? my memory!) Any way I never really got around to finish it. And if it was finished then sometime I add and other times I take away, that's free form I guess.

I really like the random colour scheme it looks cool!
But as a top I think that the sparkly may be a little scratchy to wear.

My 1st thought was to recycle it and make a lap top bag, but seeing I don't have a lap top....... a little pointless you may say.

So I think that maybe I could recycle and make the existing structure in to a bag, for yet another one of my knit projects;-)

Watch this space.

Knit news

My Knit Lab exhibition is now ended, watch this space for a new event maybe in Sept. Big thanks to Lenah Wiren at Knit lab and everyone who came too see my work. I feel very lucky.
Thanks again;-)

My good friend Gem was visiting from England and on her tour of Stockholm, an afternoon excursion to knit lab and she was inspired to learn to crochet. That evening with Monet my daughter as a teacher and she was hooked.
Then she was off, one practice sample and straight to a project in Pink Alpaca. Next stop Ravelry;-)

New York , New York

Back straps, fitted top with accentuated hips.

Very bauble, very party party sooooo very New York!
Teamed with shiny black legging and big tank girl army boots, oh so John Paul Gautier!

If you have seen the film "Fifth element" then you'll know what I mean, he costumed designed and it was a lot of outrageous plastic and Lycra this would have been a fitting knitted outfit if required at the time.

Think I should change its title to Bauble or Icing on a cake;-)

World's Fastest Knitter

Speed Crocheter

UK's fastest Knitter

Teenage project

On a large hooks 12mm & 20 mm I crocheted a waist band a few rows just enough to go around your waist.
The joined the edges together (circle)
Then crocheting on the round with a really quick stitch it took no time to knit up this quick skirt.
To I turned it into a dress using an old vest top and green cotton, the most dominant colour I had in my sewing box to match.
I attached the two together, not that neatly I may add(blanket stitch) but it was, quick thus making a funky fun summer dress.
Using up a lot of odd yarn balls, using around three at once.

Crocheted Pansie's(Pansy spelt correctly)

I saw this when I was surfing through addictive Raverly looking what forum/groups to maybe join. One was art and crochet perfect for me, when I clicked on the posts I read this as crocheted Pansies!(Well known Uk flower)
I'm looking at the Pink on White thinking they don't look much like flowers funny interpretation.
So I did what we all do next, Googled him (Jack Davis)
And got more pictures then I realised my big dyslexic mistake it said Penis's! that will teach me to check more clearly.
Still laughing out loud;-)

http://www.markichester.com/jackdavis/

Baby pastels

Perfect;-)
Punky baby!
Baby
Possible neck, sleeve options, I couldn't decide so I tried a little Liz Hurley touch with safety pin sleeves, I liked the juxtaposition of the soft, colours with harsh metal
But the tops called baby so it just didn't work. Then I decided to frog the neck part and re-think it, in the end I decided no sleeves and an open neck. It's a bit like the pastels knit from the book "Sexy little knits"

A knit to close for comfort!

"A bit to close for comfort" A Uk saying that we Brit's use a lot, but with a knit-ism added;-)
I left my front room for 5 minutes and when I returned I found the naughty 5 month old a little to close to my new dress! And really he isn't supposed to be on the sofa? my dog training not going as well as my knitting.

Knit alert
Knit lab is not closed a slight miss understanding on my part. The owners away but the shop is open as usual.

Ravelry
Im getting there ,not quite up to forums but as far as logging on and accepting friends and listing a 2nd project, I have started.

It seems, if your not on! your not cool in Stockholm
Hurtigs (Drottningatan)Tuesday knit cafe, got four new members this week all because of Ravelry.

Darcy

Darcy
The bottom I'm still unsure I really need to get it on a mannequin's, my Kate (mannequin) is currently at knit lab for my exhibition so I will take it in and pop it on for a better picture so you can see the effect. When it's re- opened.
Darcy inspired partly by travel, partly by the book I am currently reading.

One Sleeve up close, two completely different in style this seems to one of my trade marks. I think that the multi colour scheme is very wintery.
I was just using up my stash and it was a whole load of odds I brought cheaply at a Co-op(Swedish supermarket)
They don't stock quality but they do stock funky teen type yarns! well they did the reason this was all so cheap was that on my last visit they where selling it all off a while back.

Ruffles

Nice knee's! sorry for bad picture and notice Rasmus that obviously doesn't have my camera shyness the big black spot in the corner. I just wanted to show how it looks, its heavy heavy so it will need some good sleeves and strong enough to stand up by it's self.

I think putting the pink ruffle has given it kind of an 80's feeling, I have run out of the pink so this project will be stunted for 2 weeks as my beloved knit lab is shut for a summer holiday.

Technique for the bunching/ruffle effect
Long dress and then every other new crochet stitch added with the bright pink I got up and down the section of knit.

I did once all round with an 8 hook and then am doing a second row on top with a 5 hook to pull in the stitch a little bit more.