Quick update.

Recently finished:

Simple beanie for G. She loves this little owl and I'm glad I finally got rid of this odd skein of Artesano Aran that I bought impulsively long ago in I Knit shop (just couldn't leave the yarn shop empty handed, could I?)

 Currently in progress:

"Arleen", test knit for Dona. This is a therapeutic project, loads of smooth stockinette is what I really need these days. And I love the yarn (Cascade 220 Heathers). And the colour (silver spruce). I ordered buttons today (it was difficult to pick up the right ones...)

New in stash:

New Lanark  Aran (90% wool, 10% silk, blue, 10 skeins)
New Lanark DK (100% pure new wool, fawn, 10 skeins)
Lovely, lovely wool. I just had to cheer myself up (well, it is Wovember, isn't it?)

On my bedside table:

 Some delicious books :)

Mission possible: destashing.

One of my knitting resolution for 2011 was knitting as much as possible from my stash and buying as little as possible to keep my stash tidy and under control. Well, what can I say? I haven't been very faithful to this promise. But how can I resist all that beautiful yarn out there, especially that it's sale season now and you can find yourself some pretty good deals...? I'm sure you know the feeling... So my stash has been growing and expanding and I have finally made the decision: NO MORE new yarn until I finish at least 8 new projects. Mission impossible? Possible, I hope :)

I have already few works in progress that I'll be sharing in my future posts.

Happy knitting Everyone!

FO: Easter shawl.

Finally finished... And I'm not sure if I like it. I loved the pattern (very easy to follow) but I think it would work better for me in solid colour. Next time (yes, there will be next time) I will definitely use different yarn. 

I called it Easter shawl because whenever I look at it, its colours remind me of Easter eggs. You know, those little chocolate eggs in yellow and blue shells that kids are hunting for :)

The picot bind off was a real pain. It took  f o r e v e r. I managed to watch whole "Out of Africa" while casting off and I thought I was going blind but it was worth it: I love the ruffle section and the edge.

Project notes:
Pattern: Summer Flies by Donna Griffin
Yarn: Araucania Ranco Multy
Needles: 5mm/ US8
Modifications: added two more rows in section 6

*

Spring is here, spoiling us with plenty of sun and perfectly blue sky. It's time for some cotton knitting, I am just getting ready, expanding my stash and experimenting a lot with different kinds of cotton.

Have a great weekend Everyone!

Tidy mind, tidy stitches- 2KCBWDAY3

How do you keep your yarn wrangling organised? It seems like an easy to answer question at first, but in fact organisation exists on many levels.

Due to lack of space in our tiny flat, I try to keep my stash tidy and in one place. It's not always possible, especially when I can't decide what to knit next. In that case, I start digging in my stash and I end up with single balls of different yarn misplaced all around the flat. And then I have these moment when I start tidying my stash. Oh, what a source of joy it is! ;)

My stash is not that big (comparing to other knitters' stashes out there, I guess) and it is easy to keep it tidy. All my yarn lives in plastic boxes, piled one on another. I know, not very pretty and original but as I said, our flat is so tiny that this is the best solution so far. Maybe one day I'll have my little study with wooden shelves and knitting baskets filled up with yarn (hey, dreaming doesn't cost a thing ;) ) 

I try to keep my Ravelry stash page organised and up to date as well as my projects page. 

As for my knitting needles, look, I'm a good girl too ;). In the beginning of my knitting adventure few years ago I used to buy quite a lot of metal needles. They worked pretty well for me until I discovered the joy of knitting with wooden needles (thank you, C.!). The difference is huge! I keep them separated; the metal ones live in my Anthropologie flower pot that I bought on sale last year and the wooden ones live in the water jug that I bought in local charity shop. They are more for display now: I rarely use straight needles these days, I love knitting seamless projects and circular needles work for me better. 

So far, so good. You may think that I'm a really tidy knitter. Well... I have weak sides too. Just look at my knitting bag in which I keep my circular needles, dpn needles and crochet hooks... It is NEVER tidy. Even when I put the needles in their cases, the order lasts a second ;)

Please, click here to visit more participants of 2KCBW.
Happy Wednesday Everyone!

Mojo's back!

I have lots to share with you today. I've been back to my needles, knitting quite feverishly; I've finished three projects this week and now I'm digging through my stash in search of new projects. Here are my recent FOs:

1. Cable sweater for C.

I started knitting it in November last year; it was supposed be Christmas sweater but, of course, I didn't manage to complete it on time. I was knitting it on and off and I'm so glad it's finally finished. It's seamless, knitted from top to bottom. I improvised the cable pattern as I went. I think the sleeves are too large but C. says he likes them this way so if he's happy, I'm happy. I just know I would't be able to frog the whole thing up to the arm increases to make the sleeves smaller. I admit I got pretty tired with this project.

Yarn: Sirdar Click Aran with Wool

Needles: 5mm/ US8 

2. Baby beanie.

I produced this little hat one evening. It's a gift for my friend's baby boy who was born last Sunday.

Yarn: Patons Fairytale DK

Needles: dpn 4mm/ US6

3. Stripy sweater.

I just love it! My quickest knit ever: it took only three days to complete it. I had some Debbie Bliss Donegal Luxury Tweed Aran sitting in my stash and after some search on Ravelry I found this fantastic project by Audrey. The pattern is "$5 in Paris" but I didn't  follow it. It's an easy seamless top, knitted from top to bottom. I wrote my notes on my Ravelry page (here).

Yarn: Debbie Bliss Donegal Luxury Tweed Aran

Needles: 4mm/ US6 and 4.5mm/ US7

***

From other news: yesterday I finally visited Loop, the legendary yarn shop in Islington (though the nearest tube station is Angel; I didn't know that and had a bit of a walk from Highbury&Islington station).

The shop is a real paradise. I could easily live there... Not only they stock high quality yarns but the way everything is presented makes this place very special. And the customer service is excellent too; you really feel welcome (something I never experience when I visit I Knit shop, for example). The shop assistant complimented on my Noro shawlette that I had wrapped around my neck. It felt good :)

I was a good girl and didn't let myself to buy much, although I was really tempted. The choice of yarn that they offer is fantastic but I only bought one skein of Colinette Jitterbug. I plan to knit socks with it; I wanted small shawlette but I think one skein wont be enough.

And the last thing: it's official now- I am addicted to Araucania yarns. I have stashed some more:

Happy Knitting!

Yarn, yarn and more yarn...

I promised myself that I would knit from my stash as much as possible without buying new yarns and what did I do last week? I spoiled myself with two bags of new yarns! Seriously, I need to start working on my strong will, stop browsing online yarn shops and pass Peter Jones with closed eyes whenever I go to King's Road. Last Friday I went to pick up C. and on my way I popped in to PJ haberdashery department. I really didn't want to buy anything but, well, once again I couldn't resist... I left with bag full of Rowan yarns (cocoon, colourscape and cashsoft dk). And when we came back home that evening I found a package from online store with the yarn that I had ordered just one day before (new Araucania in delicious colors).

This is it. I'm done. I've stashed so much yarn recently that I should really start seriously knitting it down. For a while now I've been thinking of opening my shop on Etsy or/and Folksy with my little knits (baby hats, scarves, mitts and maybe sweaters for kids).