Wednesday 28 November 2012

Rings, Stripes And Beads

Oh, just an urge to knit another little scarf from stash in bright colors. And once more with rings on the ends. So far so good. I was planing to knit only with two colors.

I do not seem to make that no matter what. To sparkle the scarf up I added some turquoise too. I think I like it.

These scarves are so easy to knit and to experiment with. I have made a three meter long Stash And Stripes inspired from that pattern.

It is so popular on Ravelry and there are nearly 8.000 projects made from it. It is so much fun to see all the colors.

I like the shape of them and they are so versatile. And so comfortable to wear. And the ends makes a finish that makes them hang better.

I have published the pattern for the rings and how to attach them on my project page on Ravelry. Feel free to knit rings and have a go on it.

Ok, but I did not stop when the scarf was finished. I picked out my polymer clay to make a matching bracelet.

When finished I discovered that I had used the wrong green color. So, back to the table again.

I made a new one in the right colors and I am very pleased with the set. The matching is really not the issue. I like to wear accessories that gives a sparkle in every day life. And that are not department store alike. It is really about having fun creating something that makes me smile.

I wish you a lovely day - and that you can create things that makes you smile and dance inside.

The Stitch Story
Yarn: Rauma Finull
Needles: 2.5mm
Pattern: Baktus
My Ravelry Page: Baktus von Stripes
Other: Knitted rings in various sizes (find my pattern here)
Handmade polymer clay bracelet to go with my new scarf.

Wednesday 21 November 2012

With Needles And Tomatoes

 No, this is not about cooking and knitting at the same time. Is that even possible?? LOL!!

It is simply about a new shawlette and a color named tomato. I am very excited about this knit. The german designer Marita Behm has these technical patterns that demands some attention and again in garter stitch. 

I have knitted her Hitchhiking and I had a great time knitting it. The patterns are so well explained and I am a big fan of that.

So, when she launched the pattern for this shawlette I was on. But I had not decided the yarn. It is actually meant for stash yarn. 

Stash is no problem AT ALL!!! But I wanted a lovely yarn. I had some Madelinetosh merino light in cobalt blue in the stash. 

When a knitting friend showed me her skein of the color tomato I ordered some of that. Just the perfect color for that cobalt one. 

Complementary colors are after all my favorite color combination. I just love the colors and the knitting. This is going to be so good.

I started knitting the leaf - not the back ground color. I think it looks better and gives a nice finish. A lot of knitters has done the same so I found some help on Ravelry. You should check all the projects for this pattern - there are so many creative color combinations.

It is really fun to knit. And I can dream about summer and fresh tomatoes. Right now it is foggy and rainy as it has been for ever. At least it feels like it. 

The Stitch Story
Yarn: Madelinetosh Merino Light (Tomato and Cobalt)
Needles: 2mm
Pattern: Leftie
My Ravelry Page: Love And Tomatoes


Wednesday 14 November 2012

Not Afraid Of Colors


In Ireland they use colors on houses - and not the traditional white, red and brown. They use bright colors in a way that the streets looks like candy lanes. Oh, how I wish I could live in such a place where colors are a part of every day life.

The photo is taken in Kinsale a little fishing village in the south of Ireland this summer. This small village has a population of a little under 3.000 people. But during the summer time it increases substantially and the village is filled with tourists from all parts of the world. The place is known for its gourmet restaurants and I must say: This is the place to go if you are not on a diet. LOL!!

I enjoyed everything about staying there and wish to go back. Not only for the colors of their houses but also for the colors of the irish. They are the most loving people - do not take them selves seriously and always has a lot of humor.

I just wanted to share this photo with all the colors with you. Right now I have a lot of knitting projects that do not seem to get finished. Must be the dark and rainy weather....

Enjoy your day - and give it a little color. What ever that might be!!!
Another street in Kinsale.

Thursday 8 November 2012

I Am So Lucky


To win a giveaway is so special to me. There is something magic about getting something in the mail from an artist far away. I should have shown this earlier but here it is. Roxanne Handelong has an extraordinary way of expressing her art. And she was so generous to donate one of her ACEOs for Stacys giveaway on her birthday.

The painting is called "She Belongs". And I fell in love with it the first time I saw it. There is just something special about it that I can not put words to. You should check out Roxannes blog and see more of her art. She also has an Etsy shop

Thank you Stacy for winning this painting - and thank you Roxanne for sharing your art in this way!!

Well, this should be more than enough. But I was lucky again. I won a knitting book from Meretes giveaway and I could nearly not believe it. 

The book has just been released and is all about jackets with a huge amount of various patterns and shapes. 

Eye candy and it makes the fingers wanting to just hit the needles. 

Thank you so much Merete. Her blog is really worth a visit - she is such a skilled knitter and I always enjoy reading her posts. A light in the daily life.

Lucky me - I am so thankful for winning such wonderful gifts. Thank you both very much!!!

Thursday 1 November 2012

With Stripes And Joy

Never underestimate the joy over a finished project.
Sometimes the happiness about a finished project takes over. As my new shawl was washed without bleeding I was so happy. I added some tassels with beads this time too - I seem to add tassels to what ever shawl I am knitting. I must have become a tassel freak...

After the hideous bleeding yarn, Drops delight, destroyed my previous Josephine shawl I had to knit another one from the same pattern.

It is such a lovely mindless project and I am so surprised about the Noro yarn. This is my first large project with the yarn. It has been living in a box for some time - it was about time to let it out in the winter.

After washing and blocking, the yarn is soft and very nice wearing. And the colors are amazing. The yarn is quite uneven but for a shawl it does not matter.

Before binding off I had 317 stitches on my needles. I had to use a circular needle that is 120cm long.

What would we do without circular needles? In the old days they used dpns when knitting in the round. One after the other - I could never have done that. Up to 20 needles for a sweater...

Anyway, this is after all not knitted in the round. Simply garter stitch back and forth. And with a yarn that does all the color work. I feel great!!!

The Stitch Story
Yarn: Noro Silk Garden Sock (color 304), Pt Panda (white)
Needles: 2.5mm
Size: 193cm x 87cm
Pattern: Josephine shawl (free)
My Ravelry Page: Josephine And Noro