Category Archives: projects

Phew!

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I have finally knitted something where I had to use my brain a little bit (really only a  little bit) and I really struggled….. I am clearly not used to it any more. I guess I need some brain exercise and what would be better than knitting!

Anyway, so I made a Life on Sundays by Veera Vaelimaeki using some DyeForYarn Merino/Silk. It is a striped triangular scarf with slipped and twisted stitches.

It is a beautiful pattern but it really took me a while, a few ripped rows and a few stitches that needed to be dropped in order to fix something. And at some point, I had actually a “disappeared stitch”. That was really a new experience for me and it took me ages to find where it had gone as there was no obvious hole.

I guess I have learned a few (obvious) lessons from this project.

If you are winding yarn into balls and then keep them for months before knitting, keep the ball bands as you might start a project using two different weights of yarn 🙂

Think before you start. Choose the right colour as main/contrasting colour. Thin stripes with very contrasting colours might actually not look that good from further away especially if it is a rather loose knit.

If you are using a new pattern, don’t knit while your children want to play with you. Especially not if it is something with many stitches on the needle.

Anyway, it was a very nice project and I am definitely going to use the pattern again. as usual, this one is not even made for me….

And one of my next projects will definitely be something for MEEEEE. Except that I need to make a few other things first….

 

 

Finally overcome…. I think

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I haven’t had much time to update the blog lately because I was sooo busy knitting hats. One of my new years resolutions is to actually tackle problems rather than always knit the same easy things where I do not have to use my brain. So, I made these two extremely warm hats (a third is in the making – to improve the decrease section). I have used Debbie Bliss Rialto Chunky, a 100% super soft merino. I have used slightly too small needles to make sure I’ll get a dense and warm fabric. The blue-green one is in simple stockinette, for the black-white-red I have used a ribbed pattern to get an even chunkier look.

I have also knitted two more feminine hats, one for my mum, one for who knows. So, my mum left London with a purple Super Cupcake by Bonne Marie Burns.IMG_1545I have used Debbie Bliss Rialto DK for the ribbing and added Debbie Bliss Angel in a very similar colour for the main part to add a bit of a halo effect. It is a very nice and simple hat in shaker rib pattern.

The other one is much more adventurous. It is an Escargot by Veronica Parsons.

IMG_1548

I just love it. I have used Debbie Bliss Donegal Luxury Tweed which is perfect for that 20ies inspired style.

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Unfortunately it is slightly too big for me, I guess because I haven’t got much hair. So the hat is currently headless, and I am looking for a loving and caring home for it. If you have any suggestions please let me know!

 

 

Smooth transition

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IMG_1537As you can see, it is sort of winter here and hats are urgently needed, so I stopped the miniature project for now and started to knit a few hats.

Well actually, I used these ones as a smooth transition to the new project (as you might remember, I am still suffering from a past hat trauma):

The following two are more grown up sized, I used the super soft Debbie Bliss Rialto Chunky with slightly thinner than recommended needles to make sure they will be thick and warm for proper Austrian winter.

A third one is in the making and my husband keeps showing me pictures of pretty hats … No idea, what he is trying to tell me, his birthday is only in June after all. I guess I should give him the link to my shop  🙂

I am also considering to make one for myself for the London version of cold winters, so with bigger needles and without the double layered edge.

I guess the hat trauma is finally overcome.

And remember, there is only one day left to enter the Christmas raffle. Good luck to everyone.

 

Knit me a mountain chain!

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This request reminded me a bit of the scene where the narrator meets the little Prince for the first time and gets asked: “Draw me a sheep”.

I did not really take it for serious since it was actually my 7 year old nephew reacting to his slightly annoying aunt trying to be funny by offering to make him the same flowery hairband than for his little sister.

Later my sister told me that he had once asked her to make  him a “beaver river” which she did. So, I realised that rather than just laughing at an idea, I should just think about how to make it come true. I guess that is one of the things that we can really learn from children and I am now in fact really glad my nephew has asked me for a knitted mountain chain for his birthday! And here it is:

mountain chain

mountain chain

It actually reminds me of a particular view from back home. I guess my subconscious was guiding my needles when I tried to shape the top section. I wonder if anybody will recognise it or maybe be reminded of any other particular view?

Here is the link to my ravelry project

I had been looking for a green yarn with a few different shades and finally found the Stylecraft Vision DK. I was expecting shorter sections of the different colours to get patches of different greens rather than the stripes that I actually got. I have also randomly purled a few stitches in between all the knitted ones to get a more uneven structure, representing the different structures of nature – grass, bushes, trees,…

After talking to my sister and my nephew about his play experience with the beaver river, I have decided to keep it really simple so he can play with it as freely as possible and use his obviously very rich imagination to create by himself whatever is missing.

Initially I wanted to even only knit a plain rectangle but I realised that would get bulky and not “fall” nicely if he puts it over a frame or stuffing. So I started to knit in the round, with 4 stitch markers as indication for a  more or less rectangular base. I did then some decreases around the stitch markers, not always in the same place and also changing the direction of the line by alternating k2tog and ssk.

decreasing

decreasing

The colour change from green to grey is done over three or four rounds, I then split the whole thing in two half’s and worked to more or less mirrored sides which I sew together in the end to make sure I’ll get sharp  summits.

For the picture I actually stapled a few balls of yarn and a few tissues for the top section. I guess a frame built from lego will work fine too.

I crocheted a few blue and brown chains for rivers and paths…

rivers and paths

rivers and paths

although they do look a bit like giant worms, don’t they.

I am really curious to see or rather hear how this mountain chain will get used and what other little items my nephew will add to play with it. In any case, it has definitely been a fun project!