Sunday, March 31, 2013

Knitting blahs...

This is the time of the year when I always have a problem deciding what to knit. I try a lot of things  and most of them either don't turn out the way I want, or they just don't excite me...

Last week, I had the feeling I was going around in circles. I made a crochet scarf that I don't like. At all. The pattern is The Sweet Eleanore Scarf. It's really cute but I chose the wrong yarn...

It's Mille, a discontinued mohair from Filatura di Crosa. It's a pretty yarn but it doesn't work with the pattern and it looks kind of cheap and flimsy when it isn't knitted at a tight gauge. Oh well, live and learn...


So, since I have a lot left in this colour and in a deeper pink, this scarf will be frogged and will live again as a striped sweater. I'm thinking it might be a Vitamin D like this one.

Since making this, I've cast on many projects that have also been major failures... My biggest problem is that I don't have much warm weather yarn in my stash. 
So I guess I just need to go shopping! :-)

Monday, March 25, 2013

The last warm sweater of the season...

I'm done knitting mohair for this year. I still have a lot of it, but I'm starting on spring stuff. Winter has to end soon, or so I hope...

So, I made this last mohair sweater (for now) on the SK120. It's an old Kristin Nicholas pattern for Classic Elite Yarns, from 1997. I saw it here on Patternfish and copied it.




 Although I loved (adored!) the original colours, I changed them to match the yarn I had. This is how it turned out:



I used the intarsia carriage to make the motif. Good thing I have everything that was ever made for that machine!          ;-)





I also modified the neckline, the cuffs and winged it for the rest. It's warm but it has bright spring colours, so I'll be able to wear it for a while, at least until it gets quite a bit warmer!

Monday, March 18, 2013

Snow, snow, go away...

I'm waiting for the snow storm, cosy in my new machine knit sweater! Yup! I did it again, I dove head first in my yarn baskets and came up with some cotton chenille. Now, I hate hand knitting with chenille, it has a way of driving a knitter crazy! But, knitting it on a bulky knitting machine is a joy!!! The SK 120 and its ribber performed perfectly. Since the machine is very basic, I hand manipulated the needles to knit the jacquard. It goes really fast when you get the hang of it, really!

It's soft, warm and very cuddly, perfect for the cold weather we've been having and the approaching 30 cm of snow!

It might not be quite clear from the photographs, but I made it slightly trapeze shaped, just because I wanted something swingy, I'm such a girly girl at heart! ;-)


The moose are a personal adaptation of many patterns I've knit through the years. I do love a nice moose or deer pattern, I never seem to get tired of those good old classics.


This is the perfect weekend (or snow day) sweater, nothing fancy, just good old comfort!

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

To spin or not to spin and some green...

O.K. I really would like to try spinning. Why? Hum... Probably because I read about it in some blog at least once a day, because I like everything that has to do with yarn, because I also want to be able to play with all the possibilities that spinning offers and lastly, because an old spinning wheel would look really good in my old house! :-)

I'll start with a drop spindle before I invest in anything else. Who knows I might like that enough to satisfy me?

Anyway, before I do anything else, I have to find out as much as I can about old Quebec spinning wheels so that I can make sure that whatever I find is in working order or can at least be repaired.

From what I've read on different forums, old Quebec wheels are very desirable. Lucky me, there easy to find around here!

Mind you, there's no rush, just a lot of stuff to find out about and a lot of looking around for the perfect wheel. So, a lot of fun times!

Meanwhile, I'm still going through my stash and so, I knit another sweater. For me. Yeah!

I have a lot of mohair from a great deal I came across a few years ago, that's what I used for my mother's latest sweaters. But I have a lot left, in many colours and since I love green, here's what I made on the SK120. The bulky is getting quite a workout these days!




This second photo represents the real colour a lot better!



It's a very simple sweater with a snuggly shawl collar. A little brushing and it'll look like a fuzzy green cloud! :-)



Friday, March 8, 2013

Good for you, good for us!!!

Ravelry just reached 3 million members!!! WOW!!! Knitters and crocheters rejoice, we are to be reckoned with! :-)


Thursday, March 7, 2013

Another sweater for my favourite fashionista!

My mother loved her yellow sweater so much that I decided to knit her another one.

I thought it would also make her feel better about her little toe. Her toe had been hurting for a while and although she was sure it was arthritis, it turns out the toe is broken and will probably never quite mend because of her age...

So, a red sweater to lift her spirits seemed to be in order.

Thanks to the SK120 knitting machine and to a well stocked stash, I whipped this up in no time.


 This colour is very hard to photograph...


I did a hand manipulated lace motif at the wrists.


I also did the same motif at the front edges, which I then folded in half to give the edges more body. The neck opening closes with a hidden hook and eye.


Naturally, the same motifs are at the bottom of the vest. Simple but feminine, like my mother. ;-)


Monday, March 4, 2013

How a Bulky can make my mother happy!

I've already told you about my very fashion conscious 91 year old mother.

Well this time she  hinted she could use a nice Chanel type sweater, yellow if possible, to wear when she plays bridge. It seems the room where they play every monday night, is sometimes a bit cold and that a new warm cardigan would be perfect.

She already has many of them but since she always plays with the same people, she says she really can't wear the same clothes all the time! I told you she was fashion conscious! ;-)

So, here is the result of many phone conversations and yarn eliminations:

The edges are bound in knit bands as are the false pocket edges. That's where the Chanel inspiration comes in.



I made it on my bulky knitting machine, that good old SK 120, using some stashed mohair. The honeycomb stitch is in the SK120 instruction booklet.

My mom is happy, chic and warm, so, I'm happy too! :-)