FO: Bainbridge Scarf

Here's another long finished project that I had yet to add to my blog, so off we go...

Pattern: Bainbridge Scarf by MintyFresh

Web Link: here

My Rav Link: here

Needles: 4mm

Yarn: Lincraft Angora Plus

This yarn is so soft and has a great drape.. it's super warm and heavy though, not all that great for Queensland knitting XD. I really enjoyed knitting with it though... shame it was so expensive.

The pattern really is quite ingenious, it's so simple and easy, but has great results.

I shared it with everyone at my local knitting/spinning group and they were all very impressed with it as well, and many of them have since made 1 or more themselves.

FO: Aestlight I and II

I fell in love with this pattern as soon as I saw it. There aren't many out there for shawls that work really well with variegated yarn, so that made it even more exciting.

The main body of the shawl flew off the needles, and was great tv knitting, but the edging became very tedious towards the end. I found it very fiddly, but it was worth it to see the results, and the magic of blocking is always like unearthing a completely different item.

I finished this over 6 months ago, so yes, you could say that I'm a bit behind...

There is more rambling on my project pages on Ravelry.

I loved the results so much that I decided almost straight away to cast on a second shawl. This was very much surprising itself, because I am not one to knit something twice - when there are so many amazing patterns out there. I decided to ditch the edging for this one, after seeing a few others do the same, and convincing myself that it would cut out a lot of the work. (gotta have an incentive to counteract the laziness!)

Pattern: Aestlight Shawl by Gudrun Johnston

Web Link: here

My Rav Link: Part I and Part II

Needles: 4mm

Yarn: Part I - The Knittery handdyed 4ply sock, Part II - Claudia hand painted merino

Click the photos to enlarge in flickr.

I'm resuscitating my blog!

I know it's been an awfully long time since I updated here, but I need to find some kind of return to motivation, and this might help! I even let my paid flickr account expire... shame on me :P

First I'm going to update with some finished objects. Though there haven't been many of those around lately, either. Even if I don't really have much more time, with one child at school, it sure is a lot more peaceful around here lately... so I'm going to attempt to get the crafty thing happening again! Especially since it's rained every day here for over a week. I'm not sure how I managed to get washing dry - a feat in itself!

At least that was an excuse to dust off my camera...

FO: Liesl

Wow, I have a lot to catch up on all of a sudden...



Pattern: Liesl by Ysolda Teague
Web Link: here
My Rav Link: here
Size: Large
Yarn: Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed
Needles: 7mm

This was a really fast knit, until I got to joining for the sleeves, and then I had a bit of an ARGH moment, because it's not explained all that well how to do it in the pattern, and magic loop and I aren't the best of friends yet, but I plowed through it. The finished object looks better on a hanger than it does on me, sigh.
But I am not sure if it was just a bad combination, or the lack of shaping in the pattern added to the problem, or my gauge was off, or I made the wrong size, or what. But it really doesn't fit me as well as I'd like it to. The underarms pull, and the yoke bunches - whenever I move my arms, and I really should have done the sleeves a little longer. I figured that they would grow and stretch, since that's what this yarn seems to do, but instead they bunched up and became shorter. Just can't win lol.



The yarn was a disappointment. I got it in a destash, for quite cheap, so I'm glad I didn't pay full price! It seems to lose it's shape very easily, and is lumpy and uneven, and has a lot of grass/vm in it. It's also weak and breaks very easily.

I'm hoping I will like it more with wear, we will see...

whoops.

wow, I think I almost forgot that I had a blog to update. *blush*

I have been working on a few things knitting wise, but no photos or rav projects yet.
I will share some of my latest handspun, instead!

stardust...

stardust02
Originally uploaded by Lis_

superwash merino from Ewe Give Me the Knits.
love love love!

FO: Sage Remedy Top

...aka: Purple People Eater.



The sicky bugs have been traveling around our house the past week or so, and I haven't had a chance to put this up on my blog yet. It took me just over a month to complete.

Pattern: Sage Remedy Top
Web Link: n/a
My Rav Link: here
Size: Medium
Yarn: Moda Vera Bamboo/Cotton
Needles: 4.5mm

This was my first finished adult sweater/garment. The finishing was very tedious, but I am glad that I persisted! I won't retype everything that I wrote in my rav notes, you can go there and read them yourself.

They deserve to be on display!

stash04
Originally uploaded by Lis_

Some of my yarn stash. (the pretties lol)
I have about 5x this in other places- the boring commercial yarn, or odd balls, or no-name yarns that I seem to collect :P

I had this toy storage that wasn't being used, so I cleaned it out and made a lovely decoration for my bedroom wall :-)

Music to my ears. erm, I mean eyes.

I just read a wonderful post on a blog @ St. Seraphina Knits

"I need 2,000 yds for the shawl I want to make. I am making this yarn one strand at a time on a tiny drop spindle....
But some of us like the process as much as the result. We don't count the hours other than to count them as hours well-spent making something beautiful with our hands.

...I have no idea how many hours it took! When I work with fiber I feel like I am outside of time.

Those of us who love to spin don't count the hours. We count the pleasure, and we count it as a very high pleasure indeed!

....We modern people spend far too much time counting the time. If you spin, don't spin in a hurry. If you're thinking about learning to spin, I'd encourage you to do so, and discover what it means to live a few hours each day outside of time."

So true, so true.
I <3 my spinning wheel. In the few short months I have been using it, I've really had many pleasurable, relaxing hours lost in the "outside of time".

coffee

coffee
Originally uploaded by Lis_

coffee on the beach... :-)

WIPs

Here are two more things that I've been working on:





These are some handspun fingerless mitts that I have been working on. I spun and dyed the yarn myself, though the colourway was a bit of an accident. The pattern is based on the Monkey sock patter from Knitty. More details when they are done ;-)

My other main WIP is the Sage Remedy Top aka the Purple People Eater in a bamboo/cotton yarn. I love the colour, and love these 2 colours together even more.

FO: Handspun Feather and Fan Shawl

Pattern: Feather and Fan Comfort Shawl
Web Link: here
My Rav Link: here
Yarn: My own handspun and Lion Brand Nature's Choice organic cotton in pink and natural
Needles: 6mm

I love how this turned out. The colours all go together so well, and it is soo soft and cuddly. I have left it unblocked, so it's thick and squishy. (albeit a little curly at the edges :P)
I wasn't sure about the fringe, but decided to go with it, as the shawl turned out a little smaller than I would have liked. The fringe suits it, I think!



Something has happened to our Autumn weather, it has decided to still travel along masquerading as Summer. Caitlyn wouldn't model it for more than a second, and threw it on the ground declaring it was much too hot and itchy :-)
Good thing I have appreciation of my projects around here LOL.

Shawl is done!

handspunshawl8
Originally uploaded by Lis_

Finally finished! It took almost a month, but I have my first 'real' item from my handspun.
I love it - it's so soft and snuggly and (hellishly on this disgustingly hot autumn day) warm.
Will post more details later.

Frank the frog

Last Friday Caitlyn spent half the day in hospital having a small operation.
She was not a happy camper for awhile, and Grandma gave me some money to buy her something - so she'd have something to look forward to when it was over.

This is what she said she wanted lol.
Frank and Fifi the frogs. I must admit, I think I will be passing Fifi onto Grandma to knit ;-)








Lachie has claimed it for the moment. Gotta be a part of everything!
Rav link

more handspun...

3plyhandspun3
Originally uploaded by Lis_

my first 3 ply yarn.
80% merino/20% silk
approx 100g/75m.
heavy worsted weight.

:-)