Happy New Year!

It's been a little more than a year since I met the local knitters and I must say, it sure has been fruitful! Here's to another year of yarn and crafts ahead!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! :)

Indigo Blues

I know I know... I just told you about Kimono yesterday. But here's Millie with my Indigo Blues



Can you guess what it is?

It's the Japanese Feather Stole/Scarf. And it's really an in-between project because I wanted to test the yarn and have another lace project at hand.

Here's a better picture.



Again, I borrowed the furniture at Starbucks.

Anyways I took about three weeks (in the midst of tatting and beading and working) to finish this. I did 8 repeats of the pattern (I think I should have made 10 but I was sick of the cord of my needles.) And instead of 4 sets as stated for the scarf, I did 5. So now it's a little wider than a scarf but not quite as long as a stole. I guess it could be a starf? Or scole?

I think the colors spread out really nicely too and Malabrigo Lace is so soft, I love rubbing it on my cheeks heh. I guess that's another favorite yarn on the list.



Japanese Feather Scarf/Stole from Knitspot in Malabrigo Lace (Indigo) with 5mm Addi Turbos.

Kimono

Ok I owe my blog the entry about my first lact project which is ... the Kimono Shawl.



I don't have a lot of furniture in the house for the Kimono to pose with so I took it with me when I went to Starbucks the other day (and of course i borrowed their furniture).





Kimono Shawl from Folk Shawls in Jaggerspun Zephyr (Elderberry) with 3.5mm Addi Lace Turbos.
Gifted to Grandma on Christmas Day.

There's another FO so sit tight! I'll post about it tomorrow. (and more beading too whoo~)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

More thread!

Just some tatting thread news here.



Actually I met iroiro today to get the threads AND do some bead shopping. I don't have a picture of the beads we bought but here are more pictures of the threads she passed me.



The green thread (Fern)is from LadyShuttleMaker, and the Christmassy one (Jolly Christmas) is from YarnPlayer. Both are so beautiful and are yelling 'GET TATTING!' but Oh I just can't bear to!

Just like knitting, yarn is yarn. right?

ok i have to go and bead the earrings for Christmas now!

蝶

Ok ok I'm knitting I'm knitting.

I just need to bead something for Coquette. So... what do you think of this?



I was in love with this pattern when I saw it many moons ago. But because I tend to find beading a little like jigsaw puzzles (i.e. not cheap and the fun is quickly over) I didn't purchase the book until recently. Now, I seem to have more ideas than before with stitch markers and the like. Although the pattern calls for fire-polished beads, I couldn't find any of the right size. I just made do with the round crystals. Turned out ok I think...

And don't you love the clasps?



And at the same time I made bead balls. For fun yes. Just for fun.



Meanwhile Kimono is blocked and I just need to take nice pictures... I am loving it though, so I'm going to try and finish the Japanese feather soon!

Somebeady says...

... that if I bead stitch markers I can post it here.

So I have to introduce another three ladies.

Juliet



Sweet and innocent as Juliet would be. They reminded me of a friend actually who incidentally played Juliet in our mini-play. My first attempt with pearly beads.

Cordelia



Cordelia was the youngest and Lear's favorite. But her frank personality caused her own banishment. This princess I made with gold rings just to try out the effect. I must admit that I was thinking of the Lace Addis when I made them hehehe.

Amy



If you'll call me when you're sober...

There are only three here because the fourth flower was defective. I think I'll definitely buy more of them to make a complete set... and consider making earrings out of them too!

There's more beading actually, but you'll have to visit here.

Roses

I did two sets of these markers yesterday. I know I know, they aren't knitting. But stitch markers are related to knitting right?

Halfway through working I thought they in some ways reminded me of characters I've met in those schooling days. So they shall possess the names of these ladies I so dearly miss. Both the sets have some poignancy and regret in them but hopefully, just like the characters, they are as beautiful in their own special manner.

Old Rose - Miss Kenton





They somehow remind me of Miss Kenton. They seem to exuberate some maturity and yet, are not quite old. Their calm and reserved nature keeping their passion a mystery; and yet there is a little sense of warmth and happiness tinged with that regret.

Delicate Rose - Ophelia





I actually liked Ophelia's character a lot. And the more I made these, the less I remembered of her tragic end. These made me think of fairness and youth, I was reminded more of her as a young, delicate lady as Arthur Hughes depicted her. Of course her story has a tragic end, and like a rose she wilts and flows away with the stream.

More pictures here.

return of the beads

I did beading a long while ago and was always making bracelets, chokers, earrings and stuff out of them. Unfortunately, just like my mum warned, the hobby didn't stick much longer than a couple of months. And my stash of beads languished in my drawer until I moved. And then they languished in my stash box along with the cross stitch stuff.

I don't have a lot of my beading left unfortunately because I've sold most of them. And as for the few left, they are kinda scattered in different places so it's going to take me some time looking for all of them. I'll blog about them next time anyways. :)

After learning knitting and then realizing that I can make beaded stitch markers as well, I decided to search for the appropriate rings for them. And I finally did last week (they aren't difficult to find, just that I was a little too lazy). Here's the loot from the same day though.



So anyways I went home and dug out all the beads in the stash to try and remember what I had.



And I also found a random ball of thread, which I bought before or just after I could crochet, for no apparent reason either. If you look in the first picture, you might realize I bought the same thread in the same color again.



I eventually used some new beads though. And here they are...



Hmm they look like earrings. I made another one so they are a triplet set now... :) Here's a better shot.



More to come or if you can't wait, take a look here :)

oooh tatting!

ok here's the first tatted flower bookmark I finished. It's a pattern from yarnplayer's site (she sells wonderful threads too at her etsy shop!)

This is the better picture actually.



But i also wanted to share with you how my nails matched the threads that day (even though I don't like pink! no really!)

Thank you Rain! :D

hehe this is so funny, I was already guessing who my Pal is since the very first package. I must say she did conceal her identity very well before that (ok it's the return address and the inquisitive me) And although I was guessing, I decided it's always better to wait until it's time for her to reveal her identity! And yes it's Rain!

Here's the package the Postlady brought this morning.



and what's in the little bag there?



Loads of gorgeous yarn and so here are some shots dedicated to them :)







I actually did want to get Blue Jeans (the first one) sometime back, just that I never got around to it. What's more I'm supposed to be knitting from stash for awhile lol. I've never used Shadow either but the color is gorgeous. And Palette's pretty good for socks so of course I love them as well!

Thanks, Rain! You've been such a great pal!! xoxox!

MMM let me go and hug my yarns a bit more!

Indigo Blues

I decided to try the Malabrigo Lace I got since July. And since I didn't have my winder with me (which I thought would stall my excessive casting on) I decided to take on winding by hand.

Here it is in a widdle ball...



and then when i was finally done, I realized half the morning was gone. But hey, i'm done. hehe



As of today, it's three times more than this



... but I haven't been able to knit much lately so it's still three times more than the picture. :S sigh!

Coquette Lace

Je ne suis jamais coquette...

But the pattern has attracted me in a different manner, since I usually become drawn to the names of the project. So cast on I shall.



Click on the links to see the full sized pictures.
1. Coquette Side, 2. Coquette Diffused Glow, 3. Coquette in Progress, 4. Coquette Full Frontal

Coquette lace from Stephanie Japel's Fitted Knits was cast on 16 November and completed on 21 November, so to date it's the fastest project I've ever completed regardless of the work I have had to do during the time. This is done with Olympus Cotton Novia with my two favorite needles, Addi Turbos (3.75mm) and Clover Takumi (4mm). The last touch to the finished project was the felted ribbon through the top eyelets.

whoo~!

This must be the fastest project ever. I reckon it is faster than my Razor. Since I casted on last friday, and casted off today, the Coquette's official knitting time is... 6 days! (not whole days too!)

No pictures yet because I haven't put in the finishing touches. I'm still debating whether I should have a ribbon strap too. Or velvet, if I can find some hhehe. Since I'm only going shopping for these things on friday I guess the photos would be up maybe... over the weekend? :)

anyways. I just wanted to yell 'Yayy'!

now I have to go and think about what to cast on next. heh

defeat

Again defeated by the Goddess of Cast On.

After finishing up Kimono, Bib O' Love and Seduction, I was left with one project... Elfine socks. That's surprising, for me at least! Because I felt like I had to be doing more work, I forbed off casting on for a few days. That's not too bad I guess, considering that I cast on two new projects when I complete one, hehehe.

But ok I guess I'm blessed by the above-mentioned Goddess and this one-project status didn't last long. So on Friday, after contemplating for a bit, I casted on the Coquette Lace tube top from Fitted Knits. This is what it is as of this morning.



I'm using Olympus' Cotton Novia yarn; It's really nice~~ :) Started off with Addi Turbos and then switched to Clover's Takumi when the pattern called for the switch. So far so good I guess... Working in rounds is always better. :) I plan to use a black ribbon for the top ribbing, ala Amy Lee (I mean the color scheme).



Hopefully I can finish it by Christmas and wear it. If not there's always New Year's Day. Or my birthday.

Seduction

First, I have already finished Kimono sometime last week but I haven't blocked it. So I will only post about it when I'm done with blocking ok? :) I must first borrow the blocking wires :P

Now back to the topic.

Ok I must admit. I finished the first sock long ago (read July) and this was very much in danger of SSS. As I said I didn't enjoy the pattern very much, because it was 'a bit weird'. But then, the second sock actually was quite a breeze. I think I got used to the weirdness. I really contemplated starting the second sock in the first place because of the pattern. Of course fearing the Lonely Sock, I decided to cast on and finish the second one anyways.

Thankfully, the second sock didn't suffer as many mistakes as the first (which I have ripped and saved in the train, which there's a funny row of wrong stitches on the heel, and which there's a slight remnant of a would-be ladder on the sole, and a couple of wrong rows).

I always tend to finish my knitting projects in the evenings so lighting is terrible. I'll try and take better pictures another time but here goes anyways.





Seduction Socks made with Knitpicks Palette in Sunshine on Boye DPNs, 2.75mm.

Oh and yes... the most important thing I learnt with this sock is the right twist stitch. :)

more stuff!

I'm doing the last rep on the Kimono. AS said 'It seems a bit too long' because it's for my granny and she's shorter than I am. But I was at rep 19 and 20 is a round number. I should make it 20 reps, right?

I received the sugar n cream before the weekend and then during the KO, we also got our Rakuten spree stuff!

So here's my Sugar n Cream for the warshrag/ballband dishcloths I'm planning. (thanks, Mun!)



And here is the Rakuten stuff.





We're ready for another Japanese yarn spree already, rofl.

Kimono updates

No I'm not done yet.
In fact, I haven't been knitting since Sunday. I attempted like two rows on monday though, and that was about it.

Anyways, I still think I should give a little updated here.

Here it is on the new sofa.







Hmm.. Let's just say I'm past the three-quarter mark if I were to make 20 repeats of the pattern. heh.

k that's all for today... work awaits. :(

OM........

A few months ago, I fell absolutely in love with Wollmeise. I guess I just received my Phildars and was waxing lyrical about European yarns. And Wollmeise's Sockenwolle really made me all dreamy~~ So I had to announce to everyone 'I love Wollmeise's Sockenwolle and I want to get them!'

Unfortunately there wasn't any opportunity and the urge kinda ebbed a little... until (the wonderful) Lois managed to snag 2 skeins! (see her entry here)

Ack I can hardly breathe when I see this yarn. Here it is in Maria's Deepest Purple.