:: Month of hats ::

Oh, December... You've been a long and difficult month for us, due to an overwhelming amount of sickness that you've brought. Exhausting, depressing time that, luckily, is almost gone. I did try to knit and crochet a bit to keep myself sane. This December was definitely a moth of hats, mostly Christmas gifts for my kids and their cousins and friends.

Patterns:
Simplest Slouchy Hat by Irina Anikeeva
Sand Bank by Justyna Lorkowska
Crochet Tiger Hat by Sarah Zimmerman

:: Herbarium ::

Back in November I had the pleasure to test knit a pattern for a talented knitwear designer, Nadia Crétin-Léchenne. I've done some test knitting for her in the past and it's always been a great knitting experience. Those of you who read my blog from time to time or follow my projects on Ravelry- you all know that I'm a big fan of Nadia's patterns. I find them very clear and easy to work on. And Herbarium is not an exception.

It was a very smooth and pleasurable knit. For this project I considered few different yarns but in the end I decided to use Holst Garn Noble. I had this yarn in my stash for a long time, saving it up for the right pattern. While I was knitting my Herbarium, I did not like this yarn at all. It splits a bit and feels like a thread. It doesn't have any springiness to it and it is not very soft. I had my doubts. But after blocking- it just won my heart. It blocks absolutely beautifully, it gains softness in the first wash and the lace pattern unfolds gorgeously. I rarely get the feeling of getting the pattern AND the yarn right but in this case I'm 100% satisfied. 

The pattern, as I said, is very straightforward; the instructions are clear and easy to follow. The lace pattern is easy to remember and there are lace charts there to help you keep track of your work. Herbarium is, of course, completely seamless.

Project notes:

Pattern: Herbarium by Nadia Crétin-Léchenne

Yarn: Holst Garn Noble, 95% wool, 5% cashmere, 2.7 skeins in blue stone

Needles: US2.5 / 3 mm and US3 / 3.25 mm

Modifications: none. I knit size XS while I'm size S: I wanted a more snuggly fit with little (or no) ease and I'm happy with the result I got.

More photos on my Ravelry project page, here.

FO: Cove Cardigan

I hardly knit anything this summer- the soaring temperatures made it impossible to even think of working with wool. But with the school season getting closer, I realized my daughter needed a warm cardigan, Or maybe two or three, actually. She is growing up so fast and she already outgrew her Bubbly Bunch cardigan that I knit for her last autumn. I really hoped it would last two seasons...

I decided to knit Cove Cardigan for G. the moment I found it in one of my endless searches through Ravelry pattern library (anyone else feeling like they're spending way too much time going through patterns instead of knitting..?). I really liked the leafy lace detail in the front and the whole pattern seemed like a brief thing to knit. And it was!

The pattern is well written and easy to follow and it does knit very quickly. It's one of those patterns that doesn't require too much attention but at the same time the lace motif makes it interesting enough so you don't get bored with all that stockinette to work on. It's the kind of patterns I favor because I can knit in the evening AND watch movies at the same time.

Project notes:

Pattern: Cove Cardigan by Heidi May

Yarn: Cascade Yarns 220 Heathers, 2.7 skeins

Needles: 4mm/ US6 and 4.5mm/US7

Ravelry project page with more photos: here.

Modifications:

• picot edging- my favorite bind off for garments I knit for my daughter;
• raglan increases: M1R and M1L instead of kfb; I just don't like the look of kfb increases... they never seem to be neat enough for my taste;
• garter stitch button and neck bands;
• sleeves knit straight (no decreases) and full length; on the last round before the cuff I did decrease row (k1, k2tog), changed to 4mm/ US6 needles and knit the cuff in garter stitch;

I love how this cardi turned out. But what's more important- G. loves it too! :-) 

Happy weekend, Everyone! 

:: avalon ::

What happens when you take one very talented knitwear designer and one very talented yarn dyeing artist? Avalon happens. A collaboration between Nadia Crétin-Léchenne and Dani Sunshine; a wonderful pattern matched with heavenly gorgeous yarn. I had a big pleasure to be one of their test knitters and I can honestly say I loved every stitch of this work.

The pattern:
"Avalon"

Avalon is a modern, geometric design. The pattern is well written, with clear, easy to follow instructions. The lace pattern is easily memorable; the instructions are both written and charted to suits every knitter's needs (I personally usually knit from charts but it's nice to have written explanation row by row too). The pattern offers two versions: scarf and stole.

Knitting this stole was an enjoyable work; I was very happy how my Avalon was turning out in progress but it wasn't until I soaked it and spread it out on our kitchen counter to dry that I saw its full beauty. My jaws just dropped when I saw its final size; the yarn blocked beautifully and showed the lace pattern in its full glory.

The yarn:
Lioness Arts Silky Sock
This yarn is a pure bliss to knit with. So gorgeously soft (50% merino), so unbelievably lustre (50% silk). It knits evenly, blocks beautifully, creates fabric with a fantastic drape. It's perfect for stoles, shawls, scarves.

Project notes:
Pattern: Avalon by Nadia Crétin-Léchenne
Yarn: Lioness Arts Silky Sock by Dani Sunshine
Needles: US3/ 3.25mm

More photos on my Raverly project page, here.

Have a great weekend Everyone!

:: october ::

These past few weeks have been pretty challenging for me. As we are getting closer to our moving date, I'm trying hard to go on with daily life and don't go insane. Most of our stuff is already in Italy but there are still bits and pieces to pack and at the moment we all are trying to live in this mess that surrounds us. Having two sick kids at home is not helping either but there surely is a funny side of it too: Baby F. (who's not really a baby anymore- 11 months old today; I mean eleven! Boy, time flies fast, doesn't it?) is helping me to pack boxes by getting inside them every chance he has :-) He's an adventurous boy; started crawling at the wee age of 5 months, now he's almost walking but what he loves the most is climbing wherever possible (or not- he tries nonetheless).

I've been stressing and worrying a lot about our move ("what if old issues return?") but I know that in the end everything will be fine. I feel like I've grown up and matured a lot since we left Italy almost 4 years ago and I'm really ready (and happy) to go back and start from square one.

And just to add some balance and peace to my hectic days, I'm knitting a lovely October project with the yarn that feels like heaven.

FO: Hoopla!

Some time ago I had the pleasure to test knit new pattern from talented Dani of Lioness Arts. I fell in love with her Hoopla! shawl the first moment I saw it so when she asked me if I could test knit it for her, I didn't think twice. I knew it would be a perfect thing for G. for this autumn season and I wasn't wrong- she loves her Hoopla!; she wraps herself in it and dances around her room. I think this colourful shawl matches her joyous personality.

I think this pattern is great. It is well written; the instructions are clear and easy to follow. There are photos showing how to pick up stitches for the ruffles which many knitters will find very helpful. It was a joyful and pleasurable knit and one of those patterns that you really want to knit again (I'm already planning another Hoopla!, this time for me). This pattern is a great fun to knit; the colour combinations are endless and despite of those long rows of plain stockinette, it knits up pretty fast.

Pattern: Hopla! by Dani Sunshine
Yarn: Granstudio DROPS Baby Merino
Needles: 3.25mm/ US3 and 3.75mm/ US5

More photos on my Raverly project page, here.

Happy knitting!

FO: Goldilocks.

I finished this lovely tunic for G. few weeks ago and finally I found a bit of time to post about it. For the past few days we’ve been blessed with wonderful summer weather and most of the day we stay outside so I haven’t had enough time for blogging lately.

Pattern: Goldilocks by Justyna Lorkowska.

It is an amazing pattern, extremely well written and very thorough. It is also a pattern that taught me few new things. The sleeves are knit with contagious method- I must admit I was anxious about it since it was my first time using this method but thanks to very detailed explanations, it was an easy and smooth knit. The pattern is well presented and directions are easy to follow. Every step is explained very well. You can’t go wrong but if you stumble on a problem, the designer has her own group on Raverly where you can ask for help. The pattern gives a knitter three choices of length- Gaia’s choice was tunic length. She loves it the way it is and I’m so happy to see her wearing her tunic- that’s the best prize for me as a knitter. 

I loved the pattern and the result so much, that I decided to join the Goldilocks KAL that is going on at the moment over at Lete’s group on Raverly.

Yarn: Araucania Lace Merino

I do like Araucania yarns, I’ve used few of them and was satisfied. Lace Merino didn’t disappoint me either. I really liked working with this yarn, it felt nice and soft and it blocked beautifully. The fabric drapes nicely. I’m really glad that I chose this yarn for this pattern. I still have roughly 75g of yarn left and I think I will knit a small shawlette for G. with it.

More photos on my Rvaerly project page (here)

Have a great weekend Everyone!

Dyeing workshop.

Some time ago I attended yarn dyeing workshop organized by Mica of Yarn Pony in her Edinburgh studio. I’ve been interested in dyeing yarn for some time now and after experimenting at home with some food colouring as well as with acid dyes, taking a part in the workshop seemed like a natural next step for me.

The workshop was an amazing experience. Not only I could see a real yarn dyer’s studio but I could also see and learn the art of hand-dyeing step by step. Mica shared many useful tips and advices with me, things I wouldn’t probably have learnt on my own from web tutorials or books. She showed me the magic of coming up with new colours. I think I enjoyed that part the most: playing with different dyes and mixing them together in search for some interesting colourways.

And this is what I brought home:

I still don’t know what I will knit with this yarn but I will definitely use them together. I think they match each other perfectly, don't they?

Happy knitting!

FO: Little Ancolie.

Few days ago I finished this lovely cardigan for G. It was a test knit of the newest design by talented Nadia. Some of you already know that I'm a fan of her designs. This one is my new favourite.

Pattern:

Little Ancolie by Nadia Crétin-Léchenne.

Fantastic design, great pattern that gives beautiful result. I loved working on this sweet spring/summer cardigan. It fits Gaia perfectly and she loves it. It’s very girly and the picot edging is a cute detail. The pattern itself is nicely presented; the instructions are well written and easy to follow, the charts are clear and easily memorable. I hope to see many Little Ancolies popping out this spring and summer!

Yarn:

For this project I used Malabrigo Arroyo in English Rose (Gaia’s choice). I knit with this yarn for the very first time and I don’t know what to think of it. There are many Arroyo enthusiasts out there but I’m not one of them. After reading quite good reviews about Arroyo I had quite high expectations about it, I guess. The colour variegation is very pretty but the yarn itself didn’t win my heart. It felt a bit squeaky on the needles and I have a feeling it will pill terribly. Plus, there were several knots in each skein, a rather big disappointment if you ask me. But then again: it’s not very expensive if you think of its yardage, so maybe you shouldn’t expect too much from it. I’m not sure if I will use it again.

Note to myself: You know how you buy few skeins of hand-dyed, variegated yarn and the label suggests to alternate skeins every few rows while knitting for the best result, and you think: “Meh, maybe I’ll get lucky”? Well, think twice because chances are you won’t get lucky. Don’t be lazy and alternate the skeins. I didn’t and I can see a difference between the sleeves and the rest of the body. Not a big difference but it is there and I can see it.

More photos on my Ravelry project page, here.

Happy knitting!

Edinburgh Yarn Festival



 

Just wanted to share few photos from yesterday's Edinburgh Yarn Festival.

 

 

It was fantastic. There were so many knitters and spinners and crocheters. So many yarn to drool over and knits to admire. I met lovely Ysolda and Dani and other talented people. There also were few stalls with buttons and I was happy to find TextileGarden among them. It's my favourite online button shop and it was so nice to speak to the owner in person.

 



I think I got dizzy from all those colours and shapes...

 

 



The amount of yarn on display was quite overwhelming and I found it pretty difficult to choose yarn that I really wanted to buy. After hours of browsing I finally settled on three delicious skeins from YarnPony. Very squishy 100% merino wool, hand-dyed here in Edinburgh. I'm really happy with my purchase and with the fact that I didn't buy anything else. I'm trying hard to control myself when it comes to shopping for new yarn and I think I'm slowly growing out of spontaneous buys.

 





The colour is very difficult to photograph. It's much darker in real life, a deep dark cherry red. I don't know yet what I will knit with it but I'm considering this lovely pullover.

Happy knitting!

FO: Love Potion

Recently I had the pleasure to test knit a new design by talented Nadia Crétin-Léchenne. I love her designs; I knit this one and this one and loved working on both of them, so when Nadia asked me to test knit Love Potion for her I immediately said yes.

 

Love Potion is a basic cardigan for everyday wear. The I-cord edging gives it an interesting look. I spent few days choosing yarn and colours and finally settled on light brown and blue. I think it's a good match.

The cardigan is worked seamlessly from top to bottom, one of my favourite constructions. I made the sleeves a bit longer to make my Love Potion even more warm and cosy. I absolutely love the result.

 The pattern is well written and instructions are clear and easy to follow. You can buy your copy here.

Pattern: Love Potion by Nadia Crétin-Léchenne
Yarn: DROPS Lima
Needles: 4mm/ 6US and 4.5mm/ 7US

Thank you Nadia!

Winter's still here...

 

When it snowed few weeks ago, I was pretty happy about it. I welcomed wintery weather with a smile. But now I think I've got enough. This has been going on outside since yesterday:

 

Winter is overstaying its welcome.

 



 And it's been so cold lately...

 

 

So I cast on for yet another pair of mittens to keep my hands and my thoughts warm....

Knitting update.

I've been trying to knit a lot recently, spending every spare moment with my needles. Not much time is left before our little boy's arrival and my Ravelry queue is not getting any shorter. I hope to finish few more garments for him before he's born and I really would love to knit at least one cardigan for G. before she starts her nursery in September.

Few things came off my needles recently. First is Livingston, a lovely pullover designed by  Nadia Crétin-Léchenne. I loved working on this one. The pattern is well written and easy to follow. For this project I chose new yarn from Rowan, Baby Merino Silk. Affordable luxury, I would say. This yarn is so soft and a dream to work with, simply perfect for any baby knits. It's machine washable too for an easy care but knowing me I will never put it into machine... I always hand wash my knits.

Project notes:

Pattern: Livingstone by Nadia Crétin-Léchenne

Needles: 4mm/ US6

Yarn: Rowan Baby Merino Silk, 3.25 skeins

Second garment that I finished few days ago is The Oslo Anorak. I modified the pattern a bit and turned it into simple hoodie (I omitted short rows shaping in the back as well as the body decreases). It was such a quick knit! I would have finished it in three days if it wasn't for the sleeves: I had to re-do them few times because the second one would never match the first one. I swear my brain is a mash these days.

What I really like about this project is the fact that I finally used the yarns that have been sitting in my stash for too long: Malabrigo Merino Worsted (blue) and Araucania Aysen (brown). I think they make a perfect color combination. Both yarns were really nice to work with but Araucania definitely won my heart.

Project notes:

Pattern: The Oslo-Anorak by Anna & Heidi Pickles

Needles: 4.5mm/ US7

Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worsted Blue), 0.75 skein and Araucania Aysen (brown), 0.8 skein

And last but not least: a little beanie for my friend's baby girl. She's due in September, just few weeks before our little boy.

Project notes:
Baby beanie with crochet flower.
Needles: 4mm/ US6
Hook: 4mm (G)
Yarn: Patons Fairytale Dreamtime DK (0.5 skein of cream color, 0.2 skein of cream/pink/chocolate)

Happy Knitting!