princessdeia

September 29th 2006
Filed under Finished Projects 2006, General, Project Spectrum

Yarn: Louisa Harding Kashmir Aran purple 10.
Pattern: Basketweave Stitch.
Needles: 6 mm.
Notes: The pattern is really simple so there is not a lot to say.
The yarn is amazing, it is a flat woven ribbon yarn (like Rowan’s Cotton Tape or Sirdar’s Duet), but instead of being cotton or nylon it is made up of merino wool, microfibre and cashmere, the result is an soft chunky yarn.

I think it will be lovely used with another yarn, I am thinking of using it instead of the chenille on the Cotton Jacket with Chenille edging, from Vintage Knits (yes I am planning on making yet another project from this book).

September 26th 2006
Filed under General, Swaps

Over the last three months, I have received several amazing gifts from Hawaii from my One Skein Secret Pal. This weekend, when I returned from dog-sitting I found my final parcel complete with her identity, Emily from mlesnapshot.

She made the Spiral Rib bag from the One Skein book – I am not sure what the yarn is – but if feels amazing and has the most amazing colorway, an aqua blue, the purple and a golden yellow.

Included with the bag was several lovely goodies including yet more macadamia nuts.

September 19th 2006
Filed under General

I am always amazed with the talent people over at Craftster and how they can see a knitted item and create a pattern for it and I have often thought, I wish I could do that.

Every shop on the high street seems to have amazing knitwear, every fashion magazine seems to be mentioning knitwear, not to mention all the top trends of Autumn 2006 various websites, and I have started thinking, I could make that.

It started with the cardigan my sister fell in love within Topshop which I offered to reproduce in wool. I mentioned before, I had a list of dream knits to make this season, well the list is growing – have you see this sweater from Pringle.

Well finally, instead of just blogging about it – I am going to try and design a sweater from my dream list. First off is this lovely dress from French Connection, this weekend, I sat down with a pen, paper and tape measure, before casting on this dress.

Being a non-pet owner, I never get the chance to post photos of my pets, so I am taking advantage today. my taking lots of photos of the girls. The seem to be well, however, all I seem to be doing is chasing them around with the hoover.

September 14th 2006
Filed under General, Project Spectrum, Sweaters

For the next week, Jason and I are dog-sitting for his parents. Late last night in a middle of an amazing thunder storm we loaded up the car and headed up to Stevenage.

In amongst the packing, are the final WIPs for me to finish from Project Spectrum. My Purple scarf from July, which I decided I hated the pattern this morning and frogged after taking this photo – I think I will do a simple basket weave instead.

Also the brown sweater with mohair stripes, from August, this is nearly ready and I only have to start the second sleeve.

Finally, thank you for all the lovely comments on my finished items, after months of procrastinating, I am on a bit of a roll now and I intend to keep it up. I don’t think I will let my UFO’s get like that again.

September 13th 2006
Filed under Finished Projects 2006, General

Yarn: Debbie Bliss Maya 13.
Pattern: Circular Shrug.
Needles: 6 mm.
Notes: No one is at home at the moment – and I can never take a decent photo in the mirror, so you will have to imagine what this looks like on me.

I loved this project when I started it – I couldn’t wait to wear it. Unfortunately it got pushed aside in the long hot summer – now that autumn is here, it is the perfect item for to throw over a summer tee.

The pattern is really straight forward – apart from the assembling part – the instructions don’t really explain it too well – once I realised it was meant to be a circle it all made sense.

September 12th 2006
Filed under Finished Projects 2006, General

Yarn: Wendy Mohair – I think it is  discounted as I brought the yarn from eBay.
Pattern: Adaption of Spunmag’s Cleo Clutch.
Needles: 5mm and a cable needle.
Notes: On 94 stitches to create a wider bag. I doubled the Cable Pattern from the original pattern – omitting the final six stitches and creating a double cable in the centre. I repeated the pattern 8 times to form the front.

I then increased 10 stitches on each end to form the sides (and eventually the strap), the back is reserve stocking stitch for 116 rows (for the base and back). Placing, 10 stitches from each end on a scrap of yarn, I then worked the Cable Pattern 5 more times for the flap. The strap is created using the 10 stitches and working them until the desired length.

Cleo Clutch

Yarn: Wendy Mohair.
Pattern: Spunmag’s Cleo Clutch.
Needles: 5mm and a cable needle.
Notes: This is a really good project to practice cables – I have only done basic cables a few times before, and this project asked for more techniques. I found I needed to follow the pattern for every row.

September 9th 2006
Filed under Finished Projects 2006

AKA the World Cup Cardigan.

Yarn: Karabella Aurora 4 color 8170 (Navy) and Texere’s King Cole Merino Wool Blend 4ply in Cherry (29)
Pattern: Made up.
Needles: 3.25 mm circulars and straights.
Notes: A basic top down cape – like the Anthropologie-inspired Capelet, use a basic increase instead of the yarn-over.

Rather than, stopping the decreasing when the sleeve stitches meet at the underarm, I continued to increase for half an inch more. The arms were worked straight to create the floaty sleeves, ending with an inch of seed stitch in the red yarn.

September 7th 2006
Filed under Finished Projects 2006, Sweaters

Yarn: Texere’s Good Fortune Cotton in Wine (6)
Pattern: Twin Set from Vintage Knits by Sarah Dallas.
Needles: 3 mm, 3.25mm and 3.25mm circular.
Notes: Those of you, who read my blog regularly, will remember my Mum asked me way back last May to knit her the twin set from Vintage Knits. I brought the yarn in July and made the sweater by September.

However, she has been waiting a long time for the cardigan. Back in February, I decided that cardigan would look to plain in stocking stitch so made it in diamond stitch pattern.

All the cardigan needed was the button band and add the buttons. Finally, over a year later the twin set is complete.

September 7th 2006
Filed under General, Socks, Wedding

Occasionally, you come across a pattern you love, that everyone on blog-land seems to have made, but somehow you seem to have only just discovered. Currently for me this is Katie Knit’s Razor Cami. I know it is meant to be a summer pattern, but I just love it and had to make it. What made this pattern even more of a must have, was realizing I had yarn somewhere in the house.

I use to store all my current craft projects in a cupboard in the corner, over the last few months this cupboard has become a pile of wedding books and magazines, several planning folders (I needed one for general, one for finances and one for crafty wedding stuff) and scrapbook supplies – all of which I am intending on turning into a scrapbook of the run up to our big day.

Hidden in the back of this cupboard, was four balls of Sirdar Snuggly 4ply, I brought last summer for the Mystery Stole, that I gave up on pretty quickly. During our trip to and from Birmingham, and whilst watching cheesy television last night, I managed to knit about 10 inches of the body.

The pattern calls for a card of Rowan R2 Sparkle, which I thought was discontinued so ordered some Stardust Glitter from Texere, and then discovered all R2 yarn is in the sale in Hobbycraft. I also invested in yet more Double Top Cotton, I am not sure what I will make with it and it will have to wait until after October, as next month is devoted to socks – with Socktober ii and Hot Socks.

Finally, I want to thank both my recipients from the Secret Pal exchanges for the wonderful comments they left in their blogs about all their presents over the last few months. Froukje at Smoekkk, it was a pleasure spoiling you and making the scarf for you as part of the One Skein exchange.

I have been reading Blueadt for a while, unlike me she seems to always be knitting gifts for others I love the adventures of Vince and of course Emilano, who is like our own Dee and Jason bears. Then I discovered I was spoiling her and it was a joy.

September 6th 2006
Filed under Finished Projects 2006, General, Project Spectrum

Yarn: Texere’s Good Fortune Cotton in Wine (6) and Rowan’s Cotton Glace in Mystic (808).
Pattern: Made up.
Needles: 3.25 mm circulars and straights.
Notes: I started with 2.5 inches of 1×1 rib, then decreased stitches at each end and increased stitches to form an hour glass shape. I bound off the base of the neckline just after shaping the armholes, to create a deep round neck. The arms are simple cap sleeves with raglan decreases.