Knitted Bliss

Knit Brooches- You Know You Want Them

2009-09-02T13:57:00.005-04:00

I am madly, obsessively, in love with this brooch:It's from Etsy seller Crafty Folk, and she has the loveliest little pins and cameos. Just check out these other knitting cameos below: I'm in love!!! I was trying so hard not to buy myself any little treats, but how can anyone resist that Miss Knit pin? Wouldn't she look just perfect on your fall coat, or bag?

Modification Mondays: Laminaria

2009-08-31T07:07:00.000-04:00

Original Pattern: Laminaria Shawl Knitter Extraordinaire: Kia, (Rav Id, blog) Mods: The shawl originally calls for laceweight yarn and 3.5 mm needles, but Kia bigged it up by knitting a bulky spun yarn on 12.75mm needles. Yes, you read that right- 12.75 mm. What Makes This Awesome: I'm a sucker for large scale lace- it is so unexpected and visually compelling. And let's face it- a laceweight shawl is great, but if you're from cold climates you need something that's really going to keep you toasty warm. I'm also impressed with how this is her third attempt at trying to do a chunky version of Laminaria, which shows that a bit of determination pays off. Take a look at her projects page- she's been experimenting with the perfect bulky Laminaria for a while. Instructions for how to duplicate her bulky Laminaria are on her project page. I think I might be giving this one a try! With bulky yarn, large needles, and Kia already having thoughtfully explained the mods to make, I bet it would be a fantastic quick knit...and just look at how beautiful it is:

A Little Music on a Thursday

2009-08-27T15:51:00.004-04:00

I'm pretty excited- my wedding got blogged over at A Practical Wedding. Squee! Reading it made me feel that wedding joy all over again. I'm on an Aussie songbird kick at the moment, and I'm going to share these two completely different singers. First up is Sarah Blasko, my latest obsession. Check out this stunning video: One of the coolest things I've seen in ages. even if you don't like the song (and I'll admit she has better ones), you've got to admit that video is gorgeous. Next up is a little song that makes me ridiculously happy every time I hear it: That is Lisa Mitchell, with "Coin laundry". Enjoy!

Modification Mondays: Francis Hourglass Hybrid

2009-08-24T07:07:00.000-04:00

Original Pattern: Hourglass Sweater and Francis Revisited Knitter Extraordinaire: Aileen (Rav Id) Mods: Took the general shaping of the Hourglass Pullover, and added the cuff, hem and neckline details of Francis Revisited. What Makes This Awesome: Hey, who doesn't love a 2 for 1 deal?! The Francis Revisited pullover is a drapier, less fitted pullover than the Hourglass. By using the Hourglass as a template for the body costruction, it gives this sweater a more body-concious and figure flattering fit. The funnel neck and moss stitch hem and cuffs give the sweater its Francis feel, making it the perfect marriage between two projects. And I must confess I'm a bit of a sucker for funnel neck sweaters, so I love the idea of adding the neckline to a different sweater. Project details are here.

Modification Mondays: Estonian Lace Dress

2009-08-17T07:40:00.000-04:00

Original Pattern: Estonian Lace Scarf Knitter Extraordinaire: Marian (Rav id, blog) Mods: Marian took the lace pattern from Nancy Bush's Estonian Lace Scarf and used it for the main body of the dress, while improvising a simple ribbed bust and a cool bobble halter neck. She knit it top down and in the round, which makes a perfect fit a breeze- just try it on as you go!What Makes This Awesome: Marian got the idea for the dress loosely based on the look of this outfit: Not intended to be a replica, but more that she was wanting to knit something that recreated the flirty romantic look. I love how sculptural lace becomes when it's blown up in bigger gauge with thicker yarn. The delicate lace of Nancy Bush's Estonian Lace Scarf looks completely brand new on this dress. To shape the lace, she changed needle sizes to increase and decrease for shaping. Plus, let's face it- lace+bobbles+bigger gauge+cute halter dress= Utterly awesome layering piece that is beautifully one of kind. Project page is here. Marian's pretty good at improvising patterns and ideas- I love her Cropped Chainmail cardi as well!

FO: Reading Hoodie

2009-08-14T07:42:00.002-04:00

This took longer than I thought it would to knit, but I love, love, LOVE the final result! It's perfect for many things, including a frolic with a cute pony. I'm wearing a long sleeved shirt underneath this, and I'm absolutely roasting!! Don't let the lace fool you, this is a toasty sweater indeed. (apparently I'm just showing off my underarm seaming skills, while putting my hair back) Pattern: Apres Surf Hoodie Yarn: Knit Picks Bare - Merino Wool/Silk Fingering Weight Needles: 3.25 mm circs Mods: Adjusted pattern for knitting in the round, instead of knitting the front and back separately. Notes: I spent a lot of time reading while knitting this, so I thought Reading Hoodie was a good name for it. I love the pattern, I love the final result. The experience of knitting it was a lot like knitting Thermal- it took a lot longer than I wanted it to, but the results were perfect. I will say that I regret knitting it in the round- I found that doing increases and decreases while keeping in the lace pattern really challenging (although I will consider that it may be due to all the reading while knitting...). When it came time to do the sleeves, I knit them flat and seamed them. Much faster; but then I've never felt put off by seaming. I never wear hoodies with the hood up, but here's the hood up back view. I found these photos on my camera, and thought I'd share. Here's one of my cats, Yarn, contemplating the hoodie in progress: "Hmmm, how hard is this whole knitting thing, anyway.... I'm sure I could do it!" "a long sleeved lace hoodie on 3.25 mm needles?! You must be nuts!" Erm, yup. But being nuts leads to lovely white lace hoodies!!! Now excuse me, I'm going to frolic with more ponies.

Vacation Redux, and a quick FO

2009-08-12T07:45:00.000-04:00

I'm back! The cottage was, as always, wonderful.I finally finished my Reading Hoodie (whic is what I'm calling the Apres Surf Hoodie), but it took much longer than I thought it would. Two months!! I feel that it deserves its own FO post, which will come later in the week. For now, I'll leave you with a quick FO that I knitted up the day after I finished the hoodie and needed a quick fix/knit. Isn't it amazing how nature makes even a plain old hat photo utterly lovely? Pattern: Cabled Baby Hat Needle Size: 5 mm dpns Yarn: Plymouth Earth Mainland, 1 skein Mods: None. The pattern includes two different options, and I chose the ten cable hat, which I really love. Notes: The pattern was great, and the hat is so lovely that even G asked if I could knit him a grown up version. But my real rave review is that I. Love. This. Yarn. This skein came from a wonderful gift pack from The Purple Purl during the TTC Knitalong, and it is so unbelievably soft. One skein was the perfect amount for this little hat. I'm already planning to buy more, enough to knit myself a sweater. I can't say enough good things about this yarn!!

Modification Monday: Slipped Hours Pullover

2009-08-10T06:52:00.003-04:00

Original Pattern: Slipped Hours Knitter Extraordinaire: Vanessa (Rav Id, Flickr Id) Mods: Changed the gauge from fingering weight to worsted. What Makes This Awesome: This may not appear to be a dramatically different take on the original, but anyone that has made a significant change in gauge knows how drastically it affects the pattern. Lots of recalculating, lots of gauge checking, and lots of planning. But just look at the gorgeous result!! I really love this pullover, and the colour is perfect. I think some people are put off by pullovers and cardis knit in fingering weight (and every time I do it, about half way through I wonder what on earth possessed me to think that a long sleeved hoodie on 3.25 mm needles would be a good idea...cough cough apres surf hoodie cough). Ahem. Anyway. My point is, adjusting for a larger gauge makes for a quicker knit. And in this case, so satisfying!Customizing a knit to suit yourself is always a brilliant idea, but it is a lot of work. Fortunately for us, Vanessa kept careful notes on her mods, and has shared them on Ravelry. Read the details on her modification here.UPDATE! I didn't realize this part- she also changed it from being a bottom-up knit to a top-down knit. Hugely impressive!! And ever so practical. Check out her great online yarn store here.

Modification Monday: Intertwined Cables Skirt

2009-08-03T06:55:00.001-04:00

Knitter Extraordinaire: Yumiko (rav id, flickr id) Mods: She used the lush cable design on the sweater, and turned it into a sassy skirt. Original Pattern: Man's Intertwined Cable Pullover What Makes This Awesome: I'll admit right now that I love knitted skirts. I think they are so flattering. Go check out the Fo galleries of all the knitted skirts, you'll see they look good on so many body types. I love the look of richly cabled sweaters, and this cabled skirt is so, so gorgeous. This is a great example of how any kind of pullover style could easily be a skirt- fair isle, cables, you name it. Yumiko did a fantastic job- she has lots of great projects to check out on her projects page, too! Check out the skirt here.

Going on Vacation!

2009-07-31T11:00:00.002-04:00

Hi all! I'll be heading to the cottage for a week of relaxation, sleeping in, and knitting. I'm going into the mountains and woods of Quebec to a wonderful little cottage (my in-laws cottage), where there is no cell service and no internets.The cottage is here: Well, in there somewhere. Modification Monday will go ahead as part of our normal scheduling (hooray for the scheduled posting option!), and I can't wait to report back on some new FOs. Have a great week!! P.S. Has anyone seen the Vogue Knitting 360 Fashion Preview?! What a brilliant way to show all the patterns in the new issue. I haven't always loved VK, but the fall 2009 issue is pretty tempting. Check it out for yourself!

Modification Monday: Lace Ribbon Camisole

2009-07-27T07:07:00.001-04:00

Original Pattern: Lace Ribbon Scarf Knitter Extraordinaire: Sini (rav id) Mods: Turned the scarf pattern into a pretty and bright halter cami. What Makes this Awesome: I'm very impressed with how she took the great lace design of the scarf and applied it to a camisole structure. She knit it in the round, and then divided for the front and back to tailor the fit. She's even worked in some great shaping! And let's face it- that bright, poppy yellow doesn't hurt at all. The perfect summer cami. Full notes on how she made her modifications are on her project page.

FO: Fail.

2009-07-24T09:50:00.003-04:00

I had recently spent a night at a friend's place (who is an interior designer, so I shouldn't feel badly) and coveted her beautiful apartment on the spot. Not the location, not the price, but just the way it felt. You walked in and instantly knew that this was a great apartment- the walnut floors, the dove grey walls, that just-so mash of furniture and textures that looks unstudied, but is actually the product of great style and years of practice. There were even peonies wilting perfectly in the summer heat on the dining room table. It was like walking into a magazine. And I was jealous. Now, I'm the kind of person who refuses to feel jealous. I'm convinced that people are the architects of their own lives, and that if we want something to be different, then we damn well have to change it ourselves. So, G and I walked around our cluttered, poorly organized apartment and talked. We talked about the design styles we both like, parts of the decor that were working, parts that weren't. And what we were going to do about it. And how we were going to get started right away. One of our biggest challenges is storage, and the fact that my yarn stash pretty much consumes it. I spent several hours hauling out my yarn stash and carefully cataloging it in a spreadsheet: (oddly blurred screenshot. This is only a small portion of the spreadsheet!) Which was really useful, because now I find myself hunting for specific projects that will deplete the stash. I'm not on a yarn diet, but I feel like I just need to be smarter with what I've got. So, the perfect storm of wanting to be more decisive about my decor, and needing to use up some stash, is how I ended up attempting a big puff:Pattern: Puff Daddy Needles: 15mm Yarn: 5 skeins of Lion Brand Homespun, held 5 together Mods: none Notes: Okay, this is a total and utter fail. My puff does not look anything like the pattern puff. Last night, while staring at this weird thing, I realized that it's because the giant rectangle that you are supposed to knit (and then join and seam) wasn't long enough, resulting in not enough expansion room to round out the puff to it's preferred dimensions. I think it would have been more helpful if the pattern noted the dimensions of the rectangle. G looked at it, and helpfully suggested that if we rearranged the stuffing it might improve. I tried to rearrange the stuffing, then he tried to rearrange the stuffing. It would round out one side, but then collapse and dent the other side because it was being pulled too tightly. Which means that I either have to a) frog and re-use the yarn for something else, or b) buy more of the same yarn. Which is frustrating- I was trying to destash it!! Although, I will say that this yarn seems really well suited to the pattern, and the price is excellent. I know a lot of people turn their nose up at Walmart-stocked yarns, but for something that will take a beating on the floor of your place, you probably want something hard wearing and and won't cause you to freak out if someone spills wine on it. Now, to wipe away the image of failure from your eyeballs, please feast your eyes on these AMAZING knitted chairs at Melanie Porter.

Eye Candy

2009-07-21T11:40:00.001-04:00

Have you seen the latest issue of Knitscene? I'm in love with it, there are so many great projects. Particularly high on my hit list are these two numbers:

And then I love these(minus the stripes):

I'm also really intrigued by this: I'm never quite sure what I think of ribbon yarn- it seems to knit up in a bulky, vaguely unflattering way, but maybe this knit will break the ribbon yarn curse. Hmm. Longer sleeves, of course. Also, in my daily tour de blogs, I somehow came across this great knitwear designer. I love her ethereal knits- all that big gauge but fine yarn airiness. Just lovely.

Modification Monday: Collette Pullover

2009-07-20T07:00:00.002-04:00

Original Pattern: Colette Pullover Knitter Extraordinaire: Momo (Ravelry id, Flickr id) Mods: Changed the colourwork from cat heads to a diamond motif, with a blue doggie and heart border design around the hem and cuffs. What Makes This Awesome: Over all, I love this sweater, but there are two things in particular that I really love. 1: the border design added to the cuffs and hem above the ribbing. I really like the detail, and add a certain extra something to the pullover. 2: there is meaning behind the sweater- she knit it in honour of her beloved dog, who is quite old, blind, and deaf. When I think of meaningful knits, This is the perfect example- knitting something to commemorate something important to you. You can read more about her sweet doggie (and see photos) here. She has a lot of beautiful projects, particularly when it comes to stranded colourwork. check out her project page!

Modification Mondays: Nerdy Neiman

2009-07-13T07:00:00.000-04:00

Original Pattern: Neiman Knitter Extraordinaire: Jen (Rav id ; Flickr id) Mods: Used the construction of Neiman but changed the colourwork to include more of the body, as well as one sleeve. Oh, and changed the colourwork to include charted characters from the classic (and seriously awesome) video game, Space Invaders. More information is on her Ravelry project page. What Makes this Awesome:Well, the space invaders, obviously. This is the kind of cool colourwork that has people asking you where you got that sweater every single time you wear it in public. I'm also impressed that this project was undertaken as both a de-stash and Ravelympics project- that means that she knit this entire sweater in 16 days. With stranded colourwork. And a heavily modified pattern. Seriously impressive!! I have to admit I'm considering shamelessly copying here idea- it's such a clever sweater, and a great modification- taking a well constructed sweater design and using it as the canvas for your own colourwork idea.

The Endless WIP, and a Quick FO

2009-07-08T22:22:00.000-04:00

I've been quietly working away on the Apres Surf Hoodie for a couple of weeks now, after I joined the mini KAL that started on Ravelry recently. I've also been working on the Leyburn sock. Although in a fit of cleaning I tucked it somewhere safe and cat-proof, and when I was taking photos, I couldn't find it. You know how it goes. I knit, every day. So you'd think I'd be making some good progress, right? WRONG. I have no idea what's up with my knitting at the moment. I was having a lot of difficulty with the Leyburn sock, so I frogged it, decided to give it a couple weeks so I could cool off, and then I'd try it again. I've recently cast on for it again, but it is currently little more than a toe pocket. As for the Apres Surf Hoodie, which I'm calling my Reading Hoodie (I don't surf, but I have read 5 books so far while knitting it...), I made the decision to knit it in the round instead of separately front and back. I figured I'd save myself an evening of seaming in lace, which seemed so clever at the time. But then my brain decided to have tremendous difficulty in adapting the pattern for working in the round (possibly because 4 of the 5 books I was reading were the Twilight series...bloody distracting books!), particularly when it came into increasing in the pattern. Le sigh. So in the mean time, I decided to churn out a quick knit just to keep my knitting morale up: Pattern: Mary Jane Booties Needles: 3.5 mm Yarn: Stash DK weight, fingering weight for embroidery details Mods: I went up .5 a needle size, since they seem to be very small. I'm glad I did, I think it helped a bit. And, of course, the embroidery- just a little extra detail to make them extra pretty. Notes: These were a very quick knit. I knit both booties in the same day, and then embroidered on the details the next day. buttons were harder to find, but ta-da! I'm really pleased with how they turned out. With all the people I know who are pregnant, one of my goals this summer/fall is to stockpile some baby knits, as I know of three new babies that will be coming into my circle of family and friends between August and October of this year. Hopefully one of them will be a girl, so they can receive these lovely little mary janes. And if not- well, I know that these are not the last babies that will be coming my way. I'll just stockpile!

Modification Mondays: gurmanfravor's Sunny Day Hat

2009-07-06T07:00:00.001-04:00

Original Pattern: Rainy Day Fingerless Gloves and Three Tams Knitter Extraordinaire: gurmanfravor Mods: Took the construction for the hat from Three Tams, and added the cheerful and bright colourwork from the fingerless gloves. (details on her Ravelry project page) What Makes this Awesome: I'm particularly impressed with this fabulous mash up- two great patterns combined into one! And who doesn't need a shot of cheery colours and a remind that spring will come back eventually? I love this hat. I especially love the sun on the crown of the tam!And I'm willing to bet that the stranded colourwork helps make the hat extra warm. Great job!

Modification Mondays: Shetland Not-So-Shorty

2009-06-29T09:12:00.000-04:00

Original Pattern: Shetland Shorty Knitter Extraordinaire: Shannon (rav id: ShannonAnn ) Mods: turned this popular bolero into a fabulous vest What Makes This Awesome: I love the little Shetland Shorty Bolero, but seeing Shannon's fabulous modification, I'm just in awe- she stayed in keeping with the pattern of the garter tie band by knitting the body in the round with the garter stitch (details on her ravelry project page). That's the best part of a mod like this- it's so simple, yet completely changes the entire look and feel of the pattern. Result? A truly fabulous knit. And can I just say how much I love her yarn and colour choice? Gorgeous!! This one has been in my queue for ages, but I just haven't got around to knitting it yet (ahem, like so many things in my 100+ queue...).

FO: Lelah

2009-06-24T21:44:00.004-04:00

Pattern: Lelah Needles: 3 mm for lace, 2.5 for bust (stockinette) Yarn: Romni Wools Angora Silk Mods: None, other than the standard measuring and calculating that go with this pattern. Notes: I couldn't have picked a more perfect project for this yarn. the silk/mohair blend gives the yarn strength, softness, and good drape. And the mohair gives the white yarn a faint halo effect. So pretty! I will say this, though- wet silk is gross. and it really lengthened dramatically once wet blocked- I'd say by about 3-4 extra inches. which is fine for this type of project, but potentially not so fine for others. I love the little green velvet ribbon; it is exactly what I wanted. I was fortunate enough to pick up the notions for this during the TTC knitalong, which meant that I didn't have to wait too long before I could finish this one up. I think I really love it!

Modification Mondays: ekt1184's Elaine Blouse

2009-06-22T07:02:00.000-04:00

Original Pattern: Elaine's Blouse by Cecily Glowik MacDonald Knitter Extraordinaire: Erin (Ravelry id: ekt1184) Mods: mini cables down the front instead of the lace pattern. What Makes This Awesome: When I first saw this pattern, I absolutely loved it- the old fashioned detail of buttons down the back, and the flattering shape. but I didn't like the idea of open lace down the front, over the bust. I know I could just wear a camisole, but it still just turned me off somehow. And so I never made it. But Erin's mod is perfect- the mini cable design that she used instead of the lace gives this blouse the kind of opaque coverage I'd want from a sweater, and the design down the front is in perfect keeping with the old fashioned feel of the design- it doesn't feel out of place, or even look like a mod- that's how good it looks. I want to make a sweater just like this now!

Making Up After the Break Up

2009-06-18T23:12:00.001-04:00

Lelah ended up in the languishing wip pile because the last time I was knitting it, the bust came out too big and I knew I'd have to frog that portion and re-knit. Frogging makes me so depressed. So when I first knew that it wasn't going to work out, I couldn't bring myself to frog just yet. So I gave myself a breather. A nice, long, year-and-then-some breather. But then I needed my 3 mm circulars, to which Lelah was still attached. And that's when I saw her again, still gorgeous even after all the time apart. I frogged the bust, and just like that pesky ex you can't quite let go of, I suddenly had forgotten why we broke up in the first place, Lelah and I. I invited her out to be my TTC Knitalong knitting, and we such a great time together. It was like we had never been apart. And now- well, I'm head over heels for her all over again: (a blocking photo- Lelah in Repose) I just need to sew in the elastic and add the ribbon. I'm not someone who puts off the finishing of a knit, so expect some FO shots very soon!!

Modification Mondays: rebbyruby's summer onesie

2009-06-15T06:46:00.000-04:00

I've been thinking about starting this feature for a while. There are so many great patterns and really creative knitters that make a few mods and end up with a brilliantly special, unique, or vastly improved knit. So, without further ado, here is the inaugural Modification Monday post. Original Pattern:Summertime Tunic by Katie Himmelberg Knitter Extraordinaire: rebbyruby (Ravelry profile) Mods: added shorts to make the Summertime tunic a one piece playsuit/romper/onesie. What Makes This Awesome: If this isn't the perfect knit to wear on a hot summer day, I don't know what is. rebbyruby knitted this gorgeous little playsuit out of 100% soy yarn, so it's comfy and cool. this is knit from the bottom up, whic make sense for a playsuit like this- then you can try it one as you go, making sure you get the perfect fit. I'm a bit biased because I think playsuits are fantastic and deserve to make a comeback. I love playsuits so much I dragged a friend shopping last week to more than 15 stores trying on different playsuits and I was so disappointed that none of them worked for my figure- either they were too baggy and slouchy (in all the worst areas) or they were street walker fare. I'm so happy I stumbled across this- I think it might be the solution to the perfect-fitting playsuit!!

Yarn Crawl, Toronto style- TTC Knitalong!!

2009-06-07T22:44:00.002-04:00

When the weekend is approaching, people usually ask if you have any plans for the weekend. It's office small talk. And I had so much fun telling people that I was going on a Yarn Crawl. No one looked that surprised that I was doing something that involved yarn, but I did have to explain the concept of a yarn crawl to a few people. I was part of the East Team A (full of fabulous people, indeed!), which made stops at: The Naked Sheep The Purple Purl Lettuce Knit (where the above photo was taken) Americo and Romni I knew that in the face of 5 stores worth of delicious, delicious yarn, I'd need a game plan. So, my rules and goals were:

no green yarn (I alread have so much green stash you'd think I'd killed Kermit the frog and all his little green friends and spun them into skeins)
pick up yarn for the uber popular whisper cardigan
get some yarn for the Tea Rose Halter
get a set of 6 mm circulars

And I'm pleased to report, that it all worked out: That is 887 yards of grey pima cotton, 10 skeins Paton's DK cotton in blue, and one skein each of Tanis Fiber Arts laceweight in Chestnut and Stormy. I also got the 6mm circs I needed, A cute and kitchy needle case from recycled materials,and there was a bag of awesome swag from The Purple Purl which included a buttery soft skein of Earth Collection Mainland. And how awesome is the TTC Knitalong tote?! Let's have a close up of the beautiful handpainted laceweight for a second: ah, gorgeousness. One of those will be a whisper cardigan. I should confess that I didn't buy the Paton's DK cotton. I was lucky enough to win it for sporting the "Fiercest Knit" on my team- I was wearing my Honeymoon Swallowtail shawl. I'm not entirely sure I deserved it, there were so many great knits in the group, but I'm very pleased to have won- espeically since I was looking for dk cotton and didn't find what I had in mind. But when you go and win ten skeins of exactly what you need- I guess the knitting gods were sending a sign! This is Team East A with all our yarn piled on the tables at the Rivoli: Thanks to everyone who put the event together, and to the stores that hosted us. A good day, indeed!!

FO- Midas Miniskirt

2009-06-01T05:00:00.002-04:00

So here it is- the shiny knitting I've been keeping secret..... I LOVE this skirt. Love it. It fits me perfectly, isn't too short (no panty flash when sitting down), and feels great on.

sorry about the goosebumps- it was chilly! And you may also notice I haven't blocked the skirt yet. I was too excited to block before taking photos...

Pattern: Midas (my own, free pattern to follow shortly) Needles: 4 mm circulars Yarn: Berroco Lumina in Gold Coast

Notes: This is knit from the waist down. It's a fun little skirt that is easily customized and immensely wearable. It can be as long or as short as you want, and would look gorgeous in many other yarns and fibres, although I find that the cotton gives this a nice drape.(drawstring waist detail)

This is one of those knits where the yarn inspired the pattern. I was picking up some sock yarn from my LYS, and came across an utterly entrancing basket of Lumina in all sorts of colourways. My brain immediately defaulted into 'ooh, sparkly!', and I spent half an hour standing in front of the basket petting various skeins while I fantasized about what I would knit with this sparkly, sparkly goodness. Naturally I came to the only conclusion any sane, practical, married 30-year-old could make- a gold knitted miniskirt. About the yarn: It's cotton (54%) and acrylic (36%), so it's lightweight and breathes well. The gold filament (10%) that is wrapped around the fibre is strong and holds it's position well- doesn't unravel from the yarn too easily, and held up to several rounds of ripping back while I tested out different waistbands and hems. The filament means that it isn't the softest thing against your skin, but I was fine with it and found the skirt totally comfortable. The lace edging started off being similar to baby's tears from Nicky Epstein's Knitting On the Edge, but I made so many mods that it might qualify as my own. I'm not sure what the rules are about that sort of thing, so I'll say it's 'inspired by' her edging.I loved knitting this. At first I was wondering what the heck I would wear this with, but it is surprisingly versatile- looks good with lots of different coloured tops, and does daytime or evening surprisingly well. I'm thinking of knitting another (longer) one, maybe in a DK merino tweed for the fall.

FO- Augustine Aubergine: The Cutest Eggplant You've Ever Seen

2009-05-22T12:51:00.001-04:00

Augustine had a lovely little frolic in the garden outside my office building yesterday. I must give credit to Yoelknits, since she suggested the name for this little cutie. There were lots of great names suggested, but I'm a sucker for the fanciful. Pattern: Aubergine, in Amigurumi Knits Yarn: stash yarn- the purple is acrylic, the green is superwash merino. Machine washable is necessary when making plushies that might be given to small kids. Needles: 3.25 mm dpns. Mods: Well, the limbs and face aren't part of the pattern. I embroidered the face on, although I'm not sure if I feel that the eyes turned out as well as I would have liked. I knit the arms by casting on 13 stitches onto dpns and working in the round for 1 inch. The decrease round was k2tog to the last stitch, k1. Next round: knit. Do the decrease round again, thread yarn through remaining for stitches. The legs were exactly the same, only I made them 2.5 inches before doing the first decrease round, and I angled the feet up by just adjusting the polyester fill inside. Augustine Aubergine is very excited to match the bearded irises! Notes: The actual needle size called for is 3.75, but I couldn't find mine when I was looking to cast on, and figured a slightly small and more densely knit plushie wouldn't be a bad thing. I still stand by the needle choice, I think it worked out well. She does sit up on her own quite well, and has a nice plump shape. The pattern was well written and error-free, and was a really quick knit. I should mention that it is designed to have no seaming, which is incredible! I stitched the bottom of the green leaves down, which has created some shadowing across her face, but otherwise I'm really pleased with it. She's going to make a nice little gift to a friend's little one!