happy first day of spring!

Let’s add some colour to this blog in celebration of the first day of spring! It was a beautiful day here in sunny Vancouver.  The air was crisp, the ground and flora was greener and the sky bright blue.

As my knitting skills grow, so does my clientele. I knit for a few special people whom I get to know and can appreciate the craft.  This hot pink wrap was a custom knit.  It is based on the pattern #02 Pompom capelet by Kazekobo from Vogue Knitting Magazine early autumn 2011.  I did not do as many cables and omitted the pompoms.  I used 1 skein of Mini Maiden 1-ply silk yarn from Hand Maiden Yarns.  It was a long delightful knit and the colour was inspiring.

I always have a store sample on the go.  This time I chose a crazy sunny colour- totally out of the box bright yellow! This pattern was a top down sweater from Blue Sky Alpacas: Thea’s Pullover.  I used the new Techno Yarn, again from BSA.  The yarn is made up of alpaca fibers threaded through a silk mesh tube; the advantage is non-pilling, less hot, super soft with a surprisingly minimal halo.  A little understated on the skein, this yarn was unpredictably great to work with and I like how it looks as a fabric.

Like everyone else in the knitting world, I too got on the Honey Cowl bandwagon.  I chose an electric blue Madelinetosh yarn: Tosh Merino DK colour # fathom.  This project was a relaxing no-brainer that kept my interest the whole way through- I could almost make a few more!

Hello 2012

And I am baaaaaack!  Woosh that was a long span of non-blogging and a lot of knitting!  Suddenly September (2011) arrived and I got caught up in teaching, repairing broken sweaters and knitting and now, not only is it February but February 2012!  You must be wondering if I ever finished knitting all the projects I started in 2010 at least by last month.  Well, truth be told, I have a few left over & unfinished; the Feather Sweater, Kitty Mittens and the Big felted bag…that is not too bad- 3.

But you know the reason for not finishing the last 3 was because of all the projects I started in 2011!  Since my last blog I have knitted/completed 17 or so projects and cast-on/incomplete 6. For the next couple of weeks I will post all these projects and I am sure start new ones!

After knitting the BSA Ida’s vest I started working with Mohair Bouclé from a company we love to support, Be Sweet.  I find Bouclé can either look fantastic with the right pattern and needle or become a terrible disaster and be extra tacky.  I was intrigued by the yarn in its ball form for quite some time and when I spotted the pattern Bouclé Cocoon by Hilary Carr

I knew this would be great to knit and I was willing to take my chances on the look of the final outcome! I am happy how this turned out in the end. I ended up adding a white strip to the back and around the edging adding a belt to match because I ran out of grey yarn.  A design feature by default and I like it!

I used 4 balls (100 yards each) in Grey and one in White and used 8mm needles

Did I tell you I was trying to teach myself to crochet?  I never would peg myself as a crochetter however, like knitting it does have an addictive quality to it and I do enjoy it now-and-then. Nevertheless, much like the Bouclé, it is essential to find the right pattern or it too can look terribly tacky, in my opinion.

I cannot tell you how many times I started and restarted this pattern. The lingo for crochet pattern reading is much wordier than a typical knitting pattern which surprisingly really threw me off.  Not to mention this pattern might have been too advanced for a novice crochetter.

I used a really pretty, grey sparkly yarn from Louisa Harding called Jasmine.  Using 5 balls for a total of 535 yards and 5mm crochet hook I finally finished this Crystalline Snood by Jennifer Hansen with the skills to crochet!

A Balancing Act

Balancing between knitting someone else’s pattern vs. designing my own patterns is a bit of a challenge.  I get distracted very easily by all the cool patterns out there putting my own designs on hold.  I justify it by convincing myself that following someone else’s design is learning new techniques, new construction and new pattern writing methods which is probably true but to develop a proper knitwear or accessory line would be quite the accomplishment.

These days I seem to have a Vancouver/BC/Canadian theme running through my designs.  It started with the Canadian Tote featured a few months back.  Recently I re-vamped my Canadian Trapper hat make it truly Canadian; knit with local dyer Sweet Georgia Yarns worsted weight held doubled in colour China Doll and with an Angora by Fleece Artist from Nova Scotia.

Another design I recently finished is the Vancouver Skyline Cowl knit with local dyer, Gourmet Crafter yarn in 100% Cashmere.  What’s so fantastic about Gourmet Crafter colours is the designer, Alexa Ludeman who goes around town photographing to inspire her pallet.  For this cowl I used colours: Vancouver Sky, Backyard Greens, and Whale Watching.

I really wanted this cowl to painterly and somewhat abstract.  If you look close you will see the Two Lions, the Shangri la, Science World, and BC Place.

Of course I couldn’t go too long without knitting a softie!  Here are 2 dogs I knit from my new favorite book Knit Your Own Dog! 

The English Bull dog was knit with 2.75mm needles and Debbie Bliss Rialto 4ply held doubled- he has a lot of character.

The Afghan is totally regal and knit in a subtlety variegated Noro sock yarn and Blue Sky Alpacas Sport weight.

And what is knitting without a little pressure- in the middle of my multiple project agenda I just whipped this vest up in about 10 days!  It is called Ida’s Vest and it is a great Blue Sky Alpacas pattern knit in Worsted Hand Dyes which is one of my beloved yarns to work with!  I adorned it with some stunning shell embossed clay buttons made by local designer Nancy Walker.

call me crazy

I confess last weekend I casted on at least 5 more new knitting projects…ahhhh call me crazy.  Either I am super creative, addicted to knitting or I am filling my life up to the brim with knitting to keep myself sane; I think it is a combo of all 3.  I seem to go through fazes when I cast on a ton of projects in a short period of time so I have about a dozen or more on the go at once- a bit overwhelming at times! How can I possibly finish all these?  But I love the thrill of continually learning new patterns, trying new yarns and designing. I get excited easily over knitting and can’t wait to try new things!

So far I am doing pretty good- I seem to be rotating through projects in a calm and manageable way!

Recently I have been trying to break knitting down and understand why I am so addicted to it- what makes it so therapeutic for me? So, lately when I knit I try to catch myself thinking to be aware of my thought process.  I now know if a pattern is especially complex or has a lot of layers I am usually counting in my head or thinking about the stitches, the way they fall on the needles, how fast or slow my knitting project is growing and wondering how many repetitions it will take for me to memorize a pattern.  If I am designing, I am thinking about how I want the design to look, hoping it will work out, and thinking about how I should write out the pattern, what I should change or if I need to start over.  If it is a simple project I tend to either think of nothing significant at all or I work through tough obstacles in my life.  The fascinating thing I observed whether I am counting, zoning out or thinking of major things going on I still feel a sense of calm and I never feel negative even if my thoughts are based from negative topics. 

I love knitting and I am creatively crazy about it!

Spring Knitting

This spring has been pretty cold and i’s hard to believe summer is a little over a month away when I am still wearing wool toques and scarves.  But each day a new resilient flower seems to peek out of the ground or bloom from a branch which makes me believe the heat is coming and outdoor knitting is right around the corner.

I am proud to say that after 1 year I have actually finished the “Olympic” project I started at the opening ceremony; the Prairie Boots by CoCo Knits.  These are the boots that I almost completed by the closing ceremony but I ended up knitting one boot inside-out and after tinking it I knit 2 left feet.  Clearly I got frustrated and put it down for a year.  Looks like I don’t have an updated photo- I’ll post one next time.

A perfect and adorable quick knit is Bitty Bump by Gina Bobomo.  It is a top down sweater knit in a chunky slubby yarn ranging from sizes newborn – 4T.  I used the colourful Asland Trends Los Andes.  I used 2 skeins and 8mm needles. 

I found Oink, a free pattern on Spud & Chloe’s blog.  This pattern calls for Sweater, a worsted weight yarn but I knit it in a super chunky yarn Outer by S & C and went up to a 6mm needle.  I knit 2.5” instead of the suggested 1.25” in the body section.   This created a bigger flying pig!  These pigs are about a 3 -4 hour project each.

My mother loves birds and often finds live cams of them.  The latest one is of a little hummingbird and her baby. Today the baby looks as it is going to fly for the first time; I have to say it’s amazing to watch!  For Mother’s Day I knew exactly what I was going to knit for my mummy, Sweet Robin Wrist-ees by Tiny Owl Knits.  These gloves are so sweet with a robin on the right and her nest full of eggs on the left!  They are knit with fingering yarn and I used an assortment of Spud & Chloe Fine, Debbie Bliss Rialto 4-ply, Koigu Painter’s Palette Premium Merino (KPPM), Schoppel Wolle Ambiente, And Sublime Yarns extra fine merino wool 4 ply.  Although these are little delicate gloves they do take a lot of colours, hence all the yarns; I will be able to make a few pairs. One last tip- I used intarsia technique to prevent any pulling.

Last but not least, this week I finished Ella by Trudy Van Stralen.   This knitted cape is a Louet pattern and I used the suggested yarn Louet Kidlin which is a stunning mix of Linen and Mohair.  The ruffle is knit separately and I was dreading it when I read that I needed to make 3: 1 casting on 530 stitches, 2 casting on 595 stitches- WOW that is a lot but I have to say, these ruffles ending up being the most enjoyable part!

Spring Cleaning

Gosh, it has been a while since I last updated; end of February to be exact.  Obviously I never completed my new year’s resolution or you would have definitely heard about it!  To be honest 2010 projects are not necessarily on my immediate to-do list anymore- I am allowing myself to squeak in a 2010 project here and there. Today, however, I did some spring cleaning and re organized my entire yarn wall, my yarn trunk, and my yarn projects.   I put all my “2010” projects in one small bag to be completed sooner-than-later (I’ll feel better once they are done), I put my “for sure 2011” projects in single bags.  And I put my “already started 2011 projects in more bags…there are only one or two- seriously.  This year I have actually been really good in finishing 2011 projects right away!

This year I purchased a book called Knit Your Own Dog: Easy-to-Follow Patterns for 25 Pedigree Pooches by Sally Muir & Joanne Osborn which I think is absolutely hilarious and surprisingly accurate in doggy details!  So my first dog was a blue pug.  He is knit with Blue Sky Alpaca Mélange and Sport Weight.  I used 2.5mm needles even though the book recommends 3mm.  I prefer a tighter knit softie.

I was feeling inventive in April and designed a magazine holder for a friend of mine.  I saw one in this nice rounded shape made of wood and thought a knit/felted one would be a good idea.  I basically knit a large square with super bulky Cascade Magnum yarn, held 2 strands together and used 15mm needles.  I then felted it as tight as I could and then to give it support I bought a sheet of tin and my husband drilled holes around the entire piece and I sewed it into place.  I then placed a button on top purely for decoration.  I have to say it turned out just how I imagined and I think would make any room a bit more clutter free while looking stylish!

 OK, so we have all been following Kate and Williams Royal wedding and a few weeks before Urban Yarns got their paws on the book Knit your Own Royal Wedding by Fiona Goble .  This has got to be the most entertaining book ever and I have to say the detail is phenomenal. It took 5 gals, one week and a few all nighters to complete the wedding party! I knit the Queen (of course) , Camilla and added/embroidered the details to most of the party. And, to top it off Urban Yarns is hosting a contest “Knit or Crochet Kate’s Wedding Dress.”  The best designer walks away with a $50.00 gift certificate, High Tea for 2 at the Tea Room and the Knit your Own Royal Wedding book!  Submission deadline is May 16^th 2011.

If knitting the Royal wedding wasn’t enough I just had to knit the infamous engagement ring.  I used Eskimo in white for the diamonds and grey for the white gold and accents.  I used Malabrigo Worsted Weight double stranded for the Sapphire and 6mm needles.  This was a fun knit!  And it is 9″ x 8″ x 10″ it’s big….

Last month I designed a bag for one of my star students!  She had some super bulky 6 strand wool to use up so I thought a bag might be a good idea.  I designed the Canadian Tote which was inspired by the popular Cowichan sweaters we all love.  It is knit with 8mm needles and Blue Sky Alpaca Bulky yarn.  My student is 8 and she is totally knitting this. WOW!

You can purchase this pattern for $4.95 CAD

leave-it-to-the-last-minute

I am definitely a leave-it-to-the-last-minute kind of girl.  And to be frank, I have always been this way.  Maybe it is the pressure that motivates me to finish and creates some sort of excitement.  In any case with this New Year’s Resolution I have taken it too far and left a lot the last minute.  Although it isn’t like I have been lazy with my knitting- just not disciplined; with the amount of stuff I have knit that was not on my list I most likely could have finished.  Isn’t it good I get so excited over projects that I just can’t wait to cast on and everything that was a “distraction” from the list actually got completed!

As promised here is a photo of the loopy vest, Nestle from Rowan’s Winter Drift book (#1 on the list):

I decided to frog Crush (one of the bolero’s that was on my list #3).  Last night I was all set to tackle this project but I realized I had done the increase wrong and was so over the colour- Not into it, wasn’t enjoying it, didn’t feel like tinking out the wrong portion and spending the time to fix it especially with this particular colour.  I do love this pattern and I will knit this up one day soon but in a colour I have been eyeing for some time now and wishing I had originally chosen it!

At the shop we are all going cowl crazy!  Friday Feb 25^th Urban Yarns hosted a wine & cheese trunk show event for the book Cowlgirls by Cathy Carron.  All month we all have been making cowls from the book to display side-by-side with the originals.  I made Mohair is Better using Blue Sky Alpacas Brushed Suri and I also knit up the Snood which I used 1 Mega Skein from Tilli Thomas, 2 skeins of Qina from Marisol held together with one strand of Alchemy Sock.  This was a very fun project, each row was a unique surprise.  I am super happy with the outcome- the Mega Skein’s are mega cool!

For a baby shower gift I made the Little Owl, one of 3 which 2 other friends made to complete the set!  The pattern is only available in the Holiday 2010 issue of Knit Simple magazine.   I used Blue Sky Alpacas organic worsted cotton. 

And Remember that cabled trapper hat on the front page of the most recent Vogue Knitting Magazine I was distracted by…well I just finished that one today! I used 4 skeins of Akapana by Marisol in Winter White.

So, back the “list.”  Let’s be realistic here people.  I won’t get everything done by March 01 since I only have a day left.  If I can just finish the Feather Sweater (#7 on the list) by March 08 I will be elated!