Kaffe Fassett, Shawl up-date

This is the basic shawl that I am currently working on, I have completed what was left of the faulty yarn:-(
I saw this type of shawl at knit lab so I thought I would have a go.

This is the 1st time that I have made this type of shawl by increasing one stitch every row and starting with three stitches on side 8 needles.
(easy and effective)

My knitting must be improving as I can actually work out how some patterns are made;-) (Blankie mania, progress to follow)

I always seem to slip quickly back to crochet, as I'm just much quicker. So it feels good to focus on some knits for a change.

I love the colour scheme, my only problem is that I will need to find another ball of 100%wool that will tie in with one of the colours as one skein with this pattern is not enough.

A good reason why

Naughty
Naughty Rasmus

Why not to leave your 7 month old puppy, alone with your knitting.

Colour scape chunky by Kaffe Fassett

Up close, love the colours it's called Candy Pink (I think)
New shawl, below flogged poncho that is now a scarf I used another yarn with the Kaffe Fassett to get texture but that yarn too was very fragile for the chunky needles project.

Kaffe flop-it yarn, is a more likely title! My most expensive buy yet a whopping £10 for a ball of yarn and I was really disappointed with its quality.

For those who know me, I use an incredible amount of acrylic and I know how it feels and I get what I want. With this 100% lambs wool, I began to knit the scarf that was a suggested pattern that came in a leaflet with the yarn, I came to a quick halt.

I had only brought one skein, hence the scarf. The yarn broke as soon as I started my 1st row and then continued to brake.

So I frogged the scarf and attempted a quick shawl, where the same happened again, the yarn is a multi coloured hand dyed and typically seemed the pink was the faulty colour, my favourite ;-(

This I know from fabric, that some dye colours can be harsher than others. So the poncho is now a scarf and now I have used what's left to make a basic shawl and It seems now I am into the yarn a bit deeper that the quality is fine.

And so yes I will be writing a letter of complaint to John Lewis Milton Keynes about the quality;-(

Knitted Art

Up close, free form knitting/crochet that I have attached to a canvas frame.
I never waste any thing and my little practice pieces and things that go wrong, if they are at all interesting I attach them together and make my free form.
Full frame.

Crochet on the Orient Express

Afternoon tea on the Orient Express, London Victoria to Folkestone a round trip. I got to do my three favourite things, knit, chat and drink champagne;-)

Darcy dancer

Dancing Darcy this all started with the sleeve on the left side of the picture, it was a free form piece I made when I flew to New York. In my usual style it turned into a dress.
Darcy was the name of the character in my book at the time and also Darcy is a very famous Ballet dancer name. So that is how I got the inspiration for the round skirt part.
A Tu Tu underneath would really set of the fullness of skirt as it is a complete round, when you lay it out flat. A whole lot of crocheted stitches.

Rages to Riches, finished completly

One three metre, yellow ribbon completes Rags to Riches.
It seems all my current projects are coming to there end. Darcy almost completed too, Which is nice as that means I can concentrate on my Blankie mania and not forgetting my broom stick shawl:-)

What's new with me

This Saturday I fly to England for the afternoon tea on the Orient express. Terribly British, so I am sure my Blankie will grow.

Also this week I have to hang up my needles and hooks for a paint brush and trowel. I' am doing an oil painting for beginners course.
(Not a beginner artist ,but 5 hour experience on my access course)
I have dabbled with oils, but not been taught properly so I thought it would be good to learn a new thing new.

A cupboard full of goodies

Looking at all my knitted creations, make the bumps come on my arms and fine hairs stand up, with a warm tingle.
So much work, so much colour, so much inspiration.

And the best part, I made them all my self.

Its such an achievement and with every scarf, dress or shawl comes a memory.

Where I brought the yarn, where I started to knit or knitted the garment.
When the idea came into my head, what ever the order?

I am very proud of my knitted collection.:-)

Monet's rug/ banded progress!

Banded, its growing slowly but surly. Heavy is the elastic and I had begun knitting the waist part on round needles. But the elastics kept breaking with the tension and the tightness of using the round needles. So I cast off and changed back to crochet, 20 hook so quick results for this part.

My daughters bedroom rug, completed It not a very large but this rug that measures 70cm by 80cm took three single duvets and two pillow cases. I crocheted it on a 12 mm in the end as the 20mm made to bigger a hole, so not very rug like.
Now my son wants one too(not pink), luckily I have a good supply of very old duvets:-)

So far so good, blankie mania

DeJa Vu
Tuesday night, Cafe meet up for Stockholm knitters, new coffee shop and three ladies plus Monet and I. I got at least one more row completed on my broom stick crochet, good company but I think Hurtigs is a better venue as the light's were not so good at DeJa Vu. But as always fun to knit in public
Square three complete, now I'm stuck! Off to see Karin.

Blankie work shop part two

That time again knit lab Sunday and Blankie work shop part two

This is the tricky part, well if like me you can’t follow pattern it is, soooo

We now have two squares(eventually), this took me a while and I’m not that cleaver, that I could do it in my head. So two failed attempts later and I write the recipe and follow to the best of my ability.

Hindering myself, final attempt square 4, slightly hung over (Too much wine, beer and whisky the night before)
3 hours respectively (Sunday knit café) by the time I unstitched and Karin had to pick up a stitch ;-(

My Proper 2nd Square completed, finally I’m ready to pick up.

This is a first for me, pick up 15 on each edge of the two saquers on one needle.

Then I think that I knitted the row first 15 added the 1 as odd number of stitches is needed, agreed 31

Then begin as if a single square again

14

Decrease

knit

13

Decrease

knit and so on, this sounds very confusing when in fact the pro's made it look very easy.

Rainbowed Rosenlundsgatan

Knit lab, a double act this month this is my rainbow dress (Youtube TV knit) and Monet's Pom pom's.
Bus stop get knitted graffiti.

Project restoration

Wikipedia spinning wheel and you get all the information you need.
I think from my research that this is a single drive spinner wheel.
(And broken the picture below it has only half of the horse shoe, single drive)
The Ashford brand is well known and parts can be brought. This spinner new today from Ashford would cost around £420;00 and I brought this one from a local charity shop for £50.
So if my plan works and it can be restored, we have a fantastic local carpenter and cost permitting this could turn out to be a bargain.
(Or expensive fire wood)

Rags to Riches

Rags to Riches,
it's finishing touch will be a yellow ribbon laced down the right side.
The reason for the ribbon?
Because that side is quite naked, as it is only one layer of knitting. When the majority of the dress is double layered.
The brunts orange is a silky fabric ribbon yarn, so very rich.
The tiered knitting is all odds ends charity and given, the dress has a very Roman look about it.
I think if it was made for someone famous to wear, then it would have to be
Samantha for 'Sex in the City'
lets hope the rumour's are true and there is a second movie in the making.;-)