A knitters diary entry.....

This incident made my week (month even)
You just wouldn’t believe it!

At knit club this Tuesday in Stockholm Gino’s café I lead an exciting life, I’m a knit addict, and it has to be said.
It was a very international meeting, me the Brit, an American and American/swede and of course Swedes as it is a Stockholms knitter group, so very international to say the least.

I was showing off my latest creation a tunic dress for me (Creation is a good term as they can be pretty random), no pattern for me one I can’t read them and two I’m just to free spirited. Any how Yenny was impressed when a guy sitting behind addressed me in Swedish (obviously) I reply “Niegh” (My Swedish No!)
He asked "Did I make the dresses professionally!" My shock and No( I was out on the spot) Quickly followed up, by Yennys Yes..... she can!!! and she has a card. I had given her one of my printed business card earlier as I never remember my phone/blog mail, I’ll always miss the important digit so my Hub and I made the old fashioned calling card (think that term is completely out of date but any way, you understand)

So I can keep in touch with my new knit Buddy.
I was flattered and embarrassed at the same time……. But my smile was huge and I was thankful for my extra effort in outfit choice that day which was by my standards, extremely cool!

He was a buyer (I think) and she was a designer they broke down the entire dress, colours style, I finished by telling them my idea and it ended with a “He would check out my blog and maybe contact me!”

I could have pinched my self at this point as If it wasn’t for Yenny and the six other witness’s I wouldn’t have believed it my self!

A sex in the city Cosmo moment and one ill treasure for a while to come, it really made my week.
Watch this space for an update.

Free form knitting/crochet

This month "Simply Knitting" mag recommends blogs/websites. I researched Prudence Mapstone, unfortunately for me she lives in Oz so no immediate plans to pop to see her work but with the fantastic net, her work is at the click of my fingers.

http://www.knotjustknitting.com/
(I hope that works)
Her stuff is just art work,gallery hanging pieces, she explain the free form and show examples.
Defiantly worth a look.

This week I have been mostly?

The tunic dress

It's taking me such a long time,the stitch and tiny hook. It also took me a while to work out why the stitch had changed in appearance. The reason being the top front and back I made separately so the stitch went up and down, thus creating a block effect.

Once I had joined the front and back piece and started to make the skirt part, it's the same crochet stitch (double/treble! what ever)

But now it's being crocheted on a round, so the block effect does not form. Ahhh.... I heard my self say!, I learnt something new.

So round and round I go......

Plastic

Knitting plastic! It's nothing new for me. But this is a fun piece for those of you who have had the pleasure of living or visiting Sweden.

You would know that there only certain main shops in every street on every corner. Swedes can be a little like Ant's or penguins at a zoo(meaning they all follow in line) they don't like change and they are very happy with familiar and what everyone else has.

Thus making shopping here a little samey! Excellent for the nation as that's what they like and it works. But for me(Brit) it's a little boring. And I only noticed this fact, as my carrier bag collection is like one of those sand arts(layers of different sand in a cheesy little bottle, very sea side British)

All the same colour repeating it self up to the top of the container!(The Ikea plastic bag thing, we all have one).

So for an art "creative piece" I thought I'd crochet a "Swedish shopping bag hanging!" And every time I walk past it on my sofa it makes me laugh, Indinski, H&M, Stadium.........

Luckily their are also lots of little boutiques but I'm not quite their in the living standards so it would take a few years to make that piece.

Sweden is a great city to visit, eat and shop in. And the great thing they do have lots of, are beautifully stocked yarn shops!

This weekend I've been mostly knitting?

I crocheted the edging, that being the bright green circles, they are all attached on a crochet chain. It was a random practice piece on the plane, which then inspired me to design a crochet dress in my filo fax on a tram home. (funny how the idea's come)

It seems that tunics are a huge fashion statement at the moment and that bell sleeves are making a come back teamed with over sized pockets.

So i think tunic style, multi coloured so a bit Pippi long and then I may add the sleeves or just keep it pinafore style. I have not crochet a dress before so I am not sure how easy fixing the sleeves will be If I decide to make some.

For me a new experience is that I am making it on a small size hook (5mm) teeny tiny to my usual 15 or 20 fast knits.

But I am currently in love with this treble stitch(I think its called) The rows are so neat and tidy, and once your started its so easy to get going and seems a fast knit up stitch, even on the tiny sized hook.

Watch this space for my dress up dates!

I made the head lines......(well almost)

I am defiantly on a roll this month, this a Swedish national (I think paper) It's a brought one and not a free one at any rate. So that's cool and it was the article that I wrote about earlier in my blog, with the good looking photographer.

It was meant to be about, knitting = a relaxing therapy. But after a chat with me it turned into how I use knitting to chat to people in Stockholm.;-)

Hence my cheeky smile.........

Yet more fame!

There is just no stopping me! The UK knit mag that I subscribe too, has a page that you can send in your idea's and creation too.

So I did! and they printed it, it's not the 1st time as I got a mention once before, but I did make me smile.