Pretty leaves and a vintage sweater

I haven't done much knitting with laceweight yarn before but this Noro Sekku was totally irresistible.  I got several balls in a sale a few months ago and have been waiting for just the right pattern.  After trawling Ravelry for hours I found this beautiful lace entrelac shawl pattern.  It is called the Dianna shawl and is a free pattern.  I have never tried entrelac before so should probably have started with something simpler but the lacey leaves just looked so lovely.  The thick/thin texture of the Noro Sekku makes the lace pattern quite fiddly but I think it will be worth the effort. It may take a while to finish as I find it easier to work in daylight.
 
The Jan Sweater is from A Stitch In Time: Volume 2 by Susan Crawford.  I am working it in Drops Baby Alpaca Silk which is wonderfully soft. There is minimal shaping in this pattern so it is simple once you have got the hang of the eyelet design. The back is almost finished.
 
A trip to Mavis, my LYS, usually results in my buying a few cheap balls of yarn from the bargain bin.  On this occasion I found 3 balls of an old Phildar mohair which I used to make a crochet mesh shawl.
 
The sparkle is a thread of Drops Glitter that I ran along with the mohair. It made the shawl a bit itchy but looks quite nice.  Overall, this wasn't a particularly successful project and I doubt if it will get much wear.
I also bought a single ball of Sublime Luxurious Wooly Merino at Mavis. It just looked so soft and fluffy.  One ball was plenty for a pair of very simple arm warmers which took just one evening to knit.  I have been wearing them a lot.

 

The Colourscape that I bought in the John Lewis sale last month has knitted up beautifully into a fabulous cardigan.  This is  Sirdar pattern 9311, meant for Connemara Chunky. I love the simple line of it and the shawl collar.  It only required four and a half skeins so there is plenty left over for a bag or scarf.
 
 

Japanese Flower Motif Wrap

I had long admired the many beautiful versions of the Japanese Flower Motif wrap that have been appearing on Ravelry.  The pattern is from a Japanese craft book that I ordered from a seller on Ebay. The ones made from Noro yarn are particularly beautiful.  Alas, Noro is very expensive so I settled for a very much more reasonable alternative.  Drops Delight is a beautiful yarn that comes in some amazing colourways. This orange/red/grey combination is particularly eyecatching in my opinion.  The motifs are really easy to crochet and you join as you go which makes it easy to finish. It took 3 evenings to finish the wrap and I love it.

Also finished is the Nordic Cardigan.  I have worn this almost every day since I finished it and find it one of the most wearable garments that I have ever made.  It was quick, easy and fun to knit.

Warm things

There has been plenty of kitting and crochet going on lately but no updates for a while.  This is because my laptop died a week before Christmas and it is taking ages to get to grips with the ipad that I bought to replace it.  Today I decided to take photos and update on the desktop before I lose track of everything.
I finally finished the Endless Cardi Shawl which got neglected for about a year due to the boring nature of the very long rows of stocking stitch.  It is the clever binding off that gives this garment it's shape.  The pattern is from Stitch diva and the yarn is some Rowan Wool Cotton that was purchased in a sale a few years ago. So glad that this one is actually finished because I really love it.  It's one of those versatile pieces that can be worn many different ways. These are my favourite two...

 

I swapped some yarn with Mrs W. from Tuesday Knitting Group recently and was lucky enough to gain possession of some Debbie Bliss Angel.  This yarn is similar to Kidsilk Haze, which is one of my very favourite yarns ever.  This scarf took just 2 balls.  The pattern was from a recent issue of Inside Crochet but I doubled the width to make it even warmer and snugglier.
 
 
With some of the leftover Angel, I whipped up this lovely little rose.  I love it.

The rose goes beautifully with the simple mesh snood that I crocheted from 2 balls of Drops Kid Silk.  These were purchased on my last visit to Handmade Nest - I could rave about this wonderful knitting shop for hours!  Nest is such a friendly, cosy shop and even serves tea, coffee and homemade cake.  The staff are knowledgeable and helpful.  The yarn is mostly what I would call "special" yarn.  Wonderful hand dyed and handspun yarns in fantastic colours.  They also stock Drops yarns, which are now my favourites.  They are great value and terrific quality.  Anyways, I doubled up the kid silk for my snood and just kept going until I ran out.
 
 
As I am enjoying making and wearing snoods at the moment, I tried out another Drops yarn to make a simple double crochet one.  The Drops Symphony is the softest yarn ever - the base is pure wool and the eyelash part is soft , silky polyamide. It is a wonderful yarn and I plan to make a garment with it soon.
 
The Drops yarn website has thousands of amazing free patterns to support their yarns.  It is hard to choose as they are all so beautiful.  However, I had been admiring the Alpaca Boucle Poncho for a while and purchased the yarn for it at Nest when I saw that it was on offer. This was another mindless knitting project - acres of stocking stitch.  I had to force myself to keep going and not to put it down and start something more challenging.  Again, I am so glad to have finished this garment as I think that I will wear it a lot when the weather is more appropriate.  The yarn is incredibly soft and light yet very, very warm.  I have ordered some more Alpaca Boucle to make a jumper for the husband.
 
 

Kidsilk Aura is another of my favourite yarns and this lot was also scored in the swap with the fabulously well stashed Mrs W. I have made the Cloud shawl by Kim Hargreaves several times before and it is a breeze to whip up. Just two evenings and I produced this wonderful warm wrap which can be used as a scarf or shawl. The pattern is easy to memorize and works up quickly on a big hook.

 
Rather than get stuck into my stash and make one of the many items I have my queue of projects I obviously felt the need to start something totally new that I spotted in a magazine.  The Sirdar Nordic Cardigan really appeals and is somewhat on trend at the moment. I am using the exact yarn suggested in the pattern.  Sirdar Country Style dk in  an olive green and ecru contrast. The cardigan is almost finished and will hopefully feature in my next post.  So far I am very pleased with the way it is progressing. Hopefully , there will be enough yarn left for a matching hat.
 
Speaking of hats, these two versions of the Piksi Hat have been keeping my ears warm lately during the freezing weather. It is a free pattern available on Ravelry and is quick and easy.  The mustard one is knitted from Manos del Uruaguy Wool Classica and the cream one is from Sirdar Tweedie Chunky.

 Also just off the needles and requiring finishing with a stiffened peak is a cute cap in a gorgeous colourway of Malabrigo Worsted. Really nice yarn.  Enough left from a 100g skein to make some matching fingerless mittens.
 
I have started crocheting the Bohemian Rhapsody Wrap as an ongoing project which may take some time.  The yarn is very fine and it is hard to work in the evenings when the light is not so good.  It is going to be fabulous when it is eventually finished.  There are 100 different tiny skeins of hand dyed laceweight wool in the kit and each square is a different colour combintion.  Concentration is required for this project.
 
Last night I needed a small project to take to knitting group as the cardigan is at sewing up stage and too big to carry in my handbag. So I dug out an old ball of Rowan Cotton Glace and the mouse pattern that I purchased 3 years ago at the IKnit show from the Sandra Polley. Sandra was demonstrating how she makes her wonderful little knitted bears and giving tips on sewing up little toys. This reminds me that somewhere in my UFO pile is a small bear who has been waiting to get stitched up for a very long time! In one evening I managed to knit the body , head, legs and ears.  Just the arms and tail to go.
 
Hopefully I have remembered to include everything that I have been working on in this post. Off to knit now...

Happy Hexapuffs

I finally got around to purchasing the fabulous pattern for the "Beekeeper's Quilt" by the wonderful Tiny Owl Knits.  Since it was published knitters seem to have gone crazy for this simple but incredibly beautiful idea.  The quilt consists of hundreds of tiny stuffed hexagons that are tied together at the corners. Each "hexapuff is about 3 inches across, so it will take lots and lots to make a decent sized quilt.  They are fun to make and the designer suggests that you treat it as an ongoing take-along project that you work on in spare moments such as when queuing or waiting for a train. They are knitted from leftover scraps of sock yarn or 4 ply and the more colours you can throw in the better.  There are even tiny chart available for intarsia designs that you can work into them. This is my tiny pile of hexapuffs so far.  Many more to go!

The Killer Sweater

Anyone who has watched the fabulous Danish thriller "The Killing" on television knows that Sarah Lund's sweater is a star in it's own right. The second series briefly features a new design - a red sweater with a textured snowflake design on the yoke. The Radio Times published a pattern for a similar "tribute sweater" and it has caused quite stir. I have chosen to knit it in double stranded  Drops Alpaca. Mainly because the aran weight yarn had sold out in red - could this be a coincidence? So far I have completed the body and one sleeve.  It is easy knitting.  I am looking forward to getting to the patterned yoke.  I expect to see a lot of these sweaters around this winter. Of course, I still would love to make the original chunky sweater from Series 1.

Also finished is my sparkly sequined wrap.  The yarn was purchased from Yarn Paradise, a shop I found on Ebay, at a real bargain price. The yarn is soft and has plenty of sequins on it.  It took less than 3 balls to make this huge fluffy wrap as I knitted it on size 10mm needles for a light airy look.  It can also be scrunched up and worn as a scarf.  I love this!


 
I have been having a real love affair with Drops yarn lately.  It is top quality and about half the price of other yarns. My new favourite yarn store "Nest" in Crouch End stocks some of the Drops range and so I have added a few balls to my stash.  The Alpaca Boucle is just about the nicest, softest yarn ever and is destined to become a snuggly poncho.  Drops also has an online pattern database and they are all free.  Eskimo is the superchunky single yarn that comes in a great range of colours and it took just 2 balls to make these simple slippers. I got the pattern from the Drops website and just made up the flower to use up the scraps.  It is always important to remember that knitted slippers stretch when you wear them. Despite going for a snug fit  I may have to a thread some elastic around the tops to keep them on.
 
Little Alfie loves these slippers - or is it my feet!
 
I have wanted to crochet some cacti for ages and finally got around to it a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately this project involves a lot of finishing - embroidering flowers, stuffing and sewing on cacti, brushing the yarn to make it fluffy.
 
As always, it takes me a while to get around to doing my least favourite part of a project.  Anyway ,I did manage to finish the small single plant...  
 
Finally, I think I have found the perfect sweater pattern for my husband.  There is something about it - perhaps it is the way it is being modelled...

The never ending cone of yarn

My recent obsession with the Crescent Moon Shawl shows no sign of abating.  I have just completed this gorgeous cream cotton/acrylic mix version and am already planning another black and sparkly one.  The yarn is Yeoman's Panama - I bought the cone in a local charity shop for £1 ages ago.  Can't resist a bargain.   I have now made the shawl, a doily, a tealight holder, and a mobile phone case from this yarn and there is still plenty left.  I really like the way the yarn works up and think it will wear well.
The small items that I have made from the Panama are all from the book "Kyuuto - Lacy Crochet".  It is a collection of Japanese style patterns that I bought on Amazon. The tealight holder is so effective. You just make a ring of filet braid to fit around your glass and it looks amazing when it is lit up.




I am still looking for a suitable clasp to finish off the mobile phone case and am finding it hard to get hold of anything small enough.  I may need to take apart a keychain.


The doily was made from crochet thread in the book but my slightly chunkier 4 ply version made a nice decorative mat to put on my dressing table.


My monthly church knitting group has been making hats to give to a local homeless charity.  They will be distributed to anyone who needs them during the coming cold Winter weather.  I had a ball of Sirdar Denim Ultra in my stash and am very pleased with the way it knitted up.


 
This is a very simple ribbed hat with a turn back cuff so it will fit most sizes and can be pulled down over the ears for warmth.  My husband reluctantly modeled it for me before I donated it.  I hope to have time to make a few more hats for this good cause.
I recently discovered the amazing Yarn Paradise on Ebay and order some lovely sequined mohair yarn for knitting glam scarves with. The yarn is all extremely reasonably priced. I was amazed when my yarn arrived next day all the way from Turkey.  That is great service for you!  I couldn't be more pleased with my purchase - there are plenty of shiny sequins and it is very soft.  I am using large needles (10mm) to knit a big, airy scarf/wrap.


This year, we had the best Halloween ever.  Everyone in our neighborhood seemed to join in and enter into the spirit of the occasion.  There were some beautifully carved pumpkins sitting on local doorsteps.  Our simple effort looked great when we lit him up and attracted many more trick or treaters than usual.

This weekend we enjoyed the wonderful free firework display in Cassiobury Park.  So glad the weather held out - it was a lot of fun!