I've tried a lot of clothes on in the last few weeks and it's true - pale pink and pale yellow look best on me - I should probably stick to these two - I haven't bought much in these two colors though because it's not easy to find anything even semi-chic in pale pink or pale yellow at mall prices.
When I saw my daughter in April she asked for a scarf. She likes shiny and colors in the red, pink, purple family. She also likes lacy. At first I thought well I'll need to buy some yarn but then I remembered I have a ton of undyed Habu bamboo. It's fine weight and will drape beautifully. So I decided to use two strands of Habu A-155, 1/17 Bamboo for the Gossamer Stars Scarf. I'm using bamboo needles size 3.75mm. I had started with some 3.25mm metal needles but they were too slippery. Sometimes bamboo needles really help with the thread weight yarns.
The Guernsey Skirt is off the needles and blocked. I even wore it to work one day this week.
I haven't stopped knitting and I haven't disappeared I've just had all sorts of silly knitting mistakes that have slowed my progress. But I finally have the Moorish Diamonds wrap finished and a new knit started.
I've been mentally collecting a list of 'noticed' items for weeks now but haven't had time to put up a post.
At first I approached the Ferragamo piece as pure fantasy but then I started thinking you know over skinny jeans and a little tank it would look great and it would bring down the louche element emphasized here.
I finished the socks for my husband. They are basic toe-up socks in Sheep Shop - modern colorway.
He likes them. I just hope the reinforcing in the heels and toes (crochet cotton) does the job.
Now back to something for me.
This is the Moorish Diamonds stitch pattern from Barbara Walker's A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns. It will be a wrap and I've knit the first 24 inches of the main section and then lightly blocked it so you can see the pattern.
To create the width I've done 4 pattern repeats by casting on 84 stitches. I will knit an edging on the whole thing - just haven't decided which edging. The stitch pattern is a 28 row repeat but the odd rows are purls so that makes it easier. The yarn is some lace weight alpaca that I mordanted with alum and dyed with an exhausted logwood bath.
The yarn is so lightweight it feels like knitting with spiderwebs. But it's such a joy to pick this up and work on it. And it's relief not to be knitting a sweater right now.
I must say though that I wore the Mr. Lagerfeld Enjoys A Beer Jacket every day last week while I was on holiday and it performed very well. Warm, comfortable and it held up to travel wear. What more can you ask for.
A mixed post with some natural dyeing, my next knitting and some knitting noticed and knitting dreaming.
The seed stitch jacket is finally done!
We left town for the holidays to visit family and hang out at the summer place for a few days. And when we came back the mail was full of wonderful, unexpected gifts from friends. Having friends who think about you is really the best gift. Rose Red sent me some Knittery yarn in just the perfect colorway for me. Although my husband has also expressed his delight with the colorway and inquired if that might be the yarn for his socks. No sir it's not - that's still in the mail.
Luisa sent me yarn from a mill in Portugal - she sent undyed yarn so I can have fun dying it myself. It's a combination of milk fiber and wool and it's so soft. I can't wait to dye this. Maybe with lac for a pale rose hat.
And dear Kat sent me a handknit and felted pin with leaves on it (probably because I'd sent her a zillion comments telling her how much I love this pin) She also sent a summery card with a bathing suit on it to remind me that it won't always be winter.
I can't think of what I've done to deserve such beautiful and thoughtful gifts - but you can be sure I'm not sending them back. Thank you friends.
I'm sure you're wondering what's happening with the seed stitch jacket. Progress is slow but I'm still working on it. The sleeves have been knit to the underarms and I'm now working on the arm holes on the fronts. Then it's back to knitting the sleeve caps and sewing the sleeves on. The whole thing looks really messy right now but here's a progress photo.
Once the sleeves have been added I'll pick up stitches for a little collar and I'll also knit little cuffs for the sleeves.
Wishing you all smooth sailing with your knitting in 2009.