Back to yarn and needle

Paid a visit to my blog after almost half decade (what!!)  not writing anything here. Found some knitters blogs are inactive or totally gone from the web. Some still there with new addresses. Flicker also change the free gallery that I embedded in my page before.
In terms of knitting, there were some works but I need to find my picts first. I knitted 2 swallowtails shawls using yarn from kmart. 1 shawl need only 1 skein. Cost wise, it fits with my budget as student back then.  I gave the 2nd swallowtail shawl I knitted to a Buddhist nun, just for pay my gratitude.

At this moment I am crocheting a table cover; however, I experienced some difficulties to follow the pattern. It's an octagonal shape, so almost circle and somehow I always made mistakes in some wedges, hence, I need to ripped the work for about 5 or 6 times, I lost counting.
The material I used is cotton thread, in taupe or dark cream with 3/0 size crochet needle.

But I won't give up with this pattern. However, I think I will have a better luck with my knitting needles.

Happy New Year - Dragon Year 2012

Happy New Year for all of you :)

Welcoming the Year of Dragon - 2012
Xin Nien Khuai Le, Gong Xi Fa Choi, Wan Shi Ru Yi, Shen Ti Chien Kang!
Happy New Year, bless with Prosperity, Long Life and Health all year long!:)

(image courtesy from http://kopona.org/tags/Chinese/)

A year without a note

When I looked back the last date I blogged, it is about a year already! It does not meant I was not knitting at all. I have finished a tablecloth, a mittens, a shawl and 2 hats.

I have quite major life changing in mid 2011 and it did effect to my knit and crochet time. But hopefully I will get my knitting and crochet mojo back, as I miss this creating process a lot.

There are some knitting projects that I would like to include in my wish-to-knit-list, such as:
1. Sporto (a hoodie sweater) from Knitty Winter 2011
2. Emmaline (short-sleeved sweater) from Knitty Spring Summer 2010
3. Cathode (short-sleeved sweater) from Knitty Winter 2004
4. Joannie (sweater) from Knitty Winter 2011 (note: seem need to tweak on the sleeve)
5. Cardiff Coat (Jacket) from Interweave Knits Fall 2011
6. Dahlia Cardigan from Interweave Knits Fall 2011
7. Magellan Cardigan from Interweave Winter 2011
8. Meriwether Wrap from Interweave Winter 2011
9. Summit Shawl from Knitty Spring Summer 2010
10. Quercus Cardigan from Knitty Fall 2011
11. Shapely boyfriend Cardigan from Knitty Fall 2011

There are some other projects from Let's Knit Series Books and Ravelry too, but now I am too lazy to pick it up and list those projects here ;)

If you have interesting top-down projects to knit/crochet, please share! Thank you! :-)

The Last Knit

This is not my last knit :) Just want to share with you a short animation by Lauren Neuvonen, from Finland. Produced from year 2005, when knit craze was so hot!

Enjoy :)



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6ZjMWLqJvM

Directed by Laura Neuvonen
Country Finland
Year of Production 2005
Running Time 7 minutes

Short Chek-In

I have not posted my work here for very long time, I am still knitting/crocheting tough, but not as often as before. Long hour at work shared some contribution to the very limit time I have for this fave hobby.

I am not sure I have posted this before, I have finished 2 crocheted dish-clothes, but only took pictures of 1 of it, here, taken from Japanese book, I am using cotton thread, held double all around, and self-dyed yarn

Yarn : Unicorn # 10, held double, less than 25 grams, and acrylic yarn # 20 (blue yarn)
Needle : Rose # 3/0
Start & Finished : April 17, 2010

Last week, somehow I really want to make a pair of fingerless mitten. I think I can use it at work, where now already in raining season, and somehow my work floor seems has air-con setting lower than other floors. So, a cotton fingerless mitten would be nice to warm up my hand a bit.
There are some patterns that interested me, from interweave knits, the japanese knit books, lion-brand, berroco, ravelry, and for sure Knitty

I found this Fetching Pattern from Knitty Summer 2006, by Cheryl Niamath, I casted-on using Sirdar Breeze Cotton yarn straight away, and in few hours I finished the half pair.

The 2nd pair was casted off on Sunday 21 Nov 2010, and then I cast it off by yesterday, it's quick and easy pattern.

I added 4 cables and I knitted 26 rows after wrists instead of 18 as it in the pattern (which too short for my palm when I tried it on).

Yarn : Sirdar - Breeze - color : Pink (0070), about 50 grams
Needle : 5 Double Pointed Needle Set - SKC, 4.00 mm
Start : 20 November 2010
Finished : 28 November 2010

Then today, I cast on a Snow Doily by Priscilla Hewitt. After work about 3-4 hours, I am finished. It is now in the kitchen sink, ready to wash and then use it (no blocking ;p)

Yarn : Unicorn # 10, held double all around
Needle : Rose # 3/0
Start & Finished : Sunday, 28 Nov 2010

So I am still knitting/crocheting, even tough not time spent on it as much as I used and would like to.
Actually I am working with a sofa-cover again now, working on my stash - the chenille yarn, it's crocheted, basket weave. Started that about 2-3 months ago, and still working on it. I love watching it growing, specially when I fold it, the basket weave composed a nice motif.
Since no pattern use for this sofa cover, I am still searching for the border motif.
Any idea? Kindly share! :0)

Progress Double Star Doily

Now, it was on 1st week of Jan, and I was dream to finished this before Chinese New Year on Feb 14, 2010. So, sewn the 2nd parts of the doily to the central pattern, with some help from this book, All Stitched Up by Jane Crowfoot. This is book is value for money and I really glad I bought this, always be a good reference for finishing the project. So here the Central Doily before sewn with the 2nd part:

And after about 2 hrs ( i was mattress stitch this very slowly..-:p), I got this:



To make sure the 1st and 2nd nicely stitched together, I sewn these 2 parts together with sewing thread:



And it stitched nicely!



I like this and was thinking to just have 2 rounds instead of 3 as what written in the pattern but I would like to try the pattern, so I cast-on the 3rd round:



Now it's almost end of March, and am still working on the 3rd parts, reached the half around the 2nd border. Maybe I can finish this by May.

Double Star Doily

Time flies.. very fast.. for me.. with all the work, i still can manage doing some knit projects. One thing that I am working on it, cast this project few months ago (around Sept if not mistaken), yesterday have finished first part out of three.

Project is a free pattern, called Double Star Doily from http://www.knitting-crochet.com. Have this copy for few years, and found this again when I went through my pattern stash.

Using white cotton thread, is has it weakness, even tough always washed my hands before working this, but seems some dust still sticking. So here it is, the finished center part (I hope when I wash this later, this stain will go away).


The central is make in section, total 10 wedges. However as advice in the pattern, it can be more depend on how loose is the stitch we knit. I am working with cotton thread # 20 (brand : Unicorn) and 2.5 mm needle. After cast off the 10th wedges and sewn 1st and 10th section, it lay flat nicely. Hmm.. am sure blocking will help to open up the pattern a bit (working with cotton, unlike the wool can bloom ;p).

There are some corrections on row 25 (center pattern), where it should be K6 (typo error, it shown a GBP symbol), row 37: should be K2 instead K3 and row 38, should be K6 instead of K8.

Grafting always challenge for me, need to practice a lot! Also found out this pattern shown a unique way on closing the center. Cool :)


There are 2 parts of border side, and already cast on and worked 3 repeat on 19/12/09. Need to rewind some of yarn for the borders. Hope can finish this before year end! :)

Now I am thinking of hemlock doily/afghan too..mmm.. after this :)

Another idea for Lace

Hello... am been hibernating, lurking and knitting quietly in the corner. Drowning in workload also a good excuse.

Lately being more a good reader of craft world, and dropped by at Bloesem and shown a gorgeous lace work, a good idea for romantic evening don't you think? A Lace Ball Lamp...woww..


So Lace knitter... take your needle and thread again!! :-)

MERDEKA!!

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY INDONESIA

!!MERDEKA!!

secret of long healthy life

Do you have heard yarn material called alpaca? If you have check out the online knitting stores, bet you may heard about this cute animal.
Other than produce yarn, the alpaca also soo cute and good, and good for your health! :-) Also I like when she said about sometime we need to be forced to make new decision.
Well... better just check out this link video;-)

http://fittoboom.msnbc.msn.com/?source=msn&gt1=25054#/home/video/9/0

Make me thinking to switch the job .. how about you? :)

Another Afghan - Granny Square Rectangle

Remember, that few years (sounds so long!!) I "inhereted" or other word got these a big bag (like 20 kg big plastic bag) yarns!! Mostly acrylic, and the brand has been discontinue.

From that yarns, I have made the baby cape for my co-worker baby girl, and stil have bunch of these socks-weight yarns. The heavier one had turned to this cabin log, from mason-dixon 1st book.

So, what the easiest and most importantly the fastest way to reduce this stash? I think, these yarns for sure are not something to wear against your skin. Possible you all who knew the quality of acrylic in early 80's knew how it feel.

On the other thing, since it is acrylic, this material quite durable, to go to washing machine, and dry fast ;-)

I have the idea already, it should be afghan project, for the living room (again!!), but what kind of afghan would it be?

Scanned throught the books, magz and webs (including raverly), then decide to have granny square, but it should be rectangle to fit with the 2-seaters sofa.


Other than the my "inhereted" stash, I also took my bro's stash. The colors (the aquamarine, light indigo and white and ah.. grey) are great to enhance my yarns, which are more to warm color (baby yellow, salem, chili red, maroon, dark cream, brown, dark brown and indigo, oh ya also light purple).

So here it is, I made these 18 squares and arrange it to rectangle and continue crochet all around, till finished all the yarns!

Afghan on the drying process, after wash





Due to different yarn weight, some of the rectangles are smaller than other, so when the afghan fold, it doesnt folded nicely.. but I don't really care :-) I like the color :-)

I arranged the color, from lighter/cooler hues first to the darker/warmer hues. And I keep crocheting till the yarn out, and continue with the next band. You can see continuity in this picts.


closer look

Yarns : Kinlon Sakura (how many ball band... ummm.. will update later) and some other brands (no ball bands attached in my bro's stash)

Crochet Hooks : Tulip No. 3

Time : somewhere around February/March 2009 - 10 May 2009

share your idea!

I have this purchase, from elann , back to nov 2006, and I have some specific pattern in mind (the shawl) for all these yarn except the Fresh Cream color, however, I found that cotton is much more suitable also the gauge.

So I still have these, Endless Summer Collection Luna, in these colors :

1. Silken Damask (2 balls),
2. Pink Pearl (2 balls),
3. Shimmering Cherise (2 balls),
4. Rasberry wine (2 balls), and
5. Fresh Cream (15 balls)

And now my knitting/crochet idea a bit slow down.. Do you have any idea to share what kind of knit/crochet pattern that may suitable with these yarn?

I will check Ravelry though, but always nice to have input ;-)

February Lady Sweater

Hello visitors.. long hibernation and now I'm back again ;-)
Guess what, I was joined with the wagon who really enjoyed and admired very clever pattern from Pamela Wynne.
Her pattern really good for learning the Top Down method, which I would like to try for sometimes ago since I purchase the Knit From The Top - Barbara Walkers, but never really grasp the idea till I try this pattern.
First, I tried to download straight from her blog, but no luck with the PDF file, so - since I wasnt aware that in Ravelry, thousand of people already put this in next to knit list - I almost given this up. Then when I was back again and browsed around for easy and free pattern sweater/cardigan, I found this! I was very delightful! Happy..Happy..Happy :-)

So I downloaded, printed this and digged out my yarn stash. Since my plan to HK was cancelled, this pattern was the one I choose to make my holiday productive.

The yarn I chose was SIRDAR Breeze - cotton rich DK - a 100 grm value per ball- I had this for few years, bought 1 kg (10 balls!) , lovely baby yellow color, very soft and smooth again skin. And I never have a yellow for sweater/cardigan :-)

Started to knit on 22 Dec 2008, got 4 times Knit-Rip-Knit, coz I was too lazy to knit a swatch..;p
Then 5th attempt, I got the size right, so I keep going.

The good thing Knit from Top, as you are aware, we can try this on while we still working on it. My sis and my mom already eyeing this, and asked, when you finish that? Will you give it to me once you finished knitting? He..he.. he.. well.. I can borrow it to them for sure ;-)

So here it is:


To finished the sleeves, first I used the bamboo 4 dpns (PANDA), but it's too short (about 15 cms length), so it hurt my palm over and over. Then I bought this SKC DPN at hobby lobby. Choice were INOX or SKC. I have a lots of INOX needle and some of SKC crochet needle, and found SKC is cheaper than INOX (about IDR 10,000). So I picked SKC ;-)

February Lady Sweater on me :-)

Pattern : February Lady Sweater by Pamela Wynne, 2008 (http://www.flinknits.com/ or check on Ravelry).

Start : 22/12/08

Off the Neede : 11/01/09 (the fastest sweater I ever knitted!!)

Yarn : Sirdar Breeze Cotton Rich DK @ 100 grams - Lot 1779, Quality Share : 0063

Total Yarn Used : 340 grams

Needles : Pony Circular 4 mm (80 cm) and SKC 4 mm (20 cm)

This pattern is really good, and actually I would like to knit this once again, but different lace pattern and perhaps 1 size smaller.
I would like to thank to Pam too, for lovely and genious pattern you created! ;-)

PS: I think the Breeze has been discontinued, but Snuggly is look like the same when I check at Sirdar website.

Lady February Sweater => February Lady Sweater

I have seen this pattern KAL for some months before and love to join with the crowd. First thing I was to do for sure, check out the page of Flintknits page. After read it at her blog and also on ravelry.. I would like to do pick up my needles and the yarn... but umm.. the pattern, after some attempts, I finally can download it from ravelry. Next step, the yarn and needles... Yarn... I planned to use some from my stash. It's about the time. But the pattern is using 5 mm needles, and the yarn I wish to use will not fit the size M of the pattern cause the gauge will not fit.

My yarn is Sirdar Breeze in yellow, it's cotton yarn, soft and suitable with our tropic rainy season here in Jakarta, where even we have some cloudy days but the temp will max down to 22 degrees celcius (or perhaps 20 in air-con room).

So I started knitting, with size L using needles 4 mm. I am now on the row where I have to add some eyelet increase. I am still do the counting where I should put the YO. Wish me luck :-)

My 1st Dishclothes

This is my first disclothes, Knitted Round Dishcloth pattern from Mielke's Fiber Arts, LLC. Already gave to my mom and she already use it for blender/juicer top cover....:-)
Also I have joined with to the dishclothes knitter club!
check this group : MonthlyDishcloths at yahoogroups dot com

They have lots of free dishclothes patterns, and if I am not mistaken, every 2 weeks they have new pattern for KAL too.

Yarn: Acrylic - Self Dyed (Color: Corn)

Needle: Inox 4.5 cm

Date : Sept 23, 2008

Blumengruss Shawl

I am writing again!!
After months not updated my page here, here I am!! Back from the corner. Lots of reasons that I could tell, from being super busy since February at work (always came home late even my mom complaint about it :p) and it give just more exhausted feeling in the night that I could only pick up my needle just during the weekend!

But then I have good news!! Already have new compie, a Dell Latitude D630 Notebook actually. After some time searching and been tempted to choose either I-Mac or regular notebook, my options fall to this one.

Wont be keep you all bored with non-knitting related (if there still reader on my page after months being neglected), why don’t I update you all with my latest finished object… BLUMENGRUSS.

Yeah, the pattern is from the in-famous Japanese Knitting Book “New Style of Heirloom Knitting” (ISBN: 4-529-03992-7). Same like other book owners, we fall in love with most or all the pattern from this book. The Aran and Fair-Isle wears such as sweater, hat and vest, also Shetland-kind of shawls. There are 3 shawls patterns in this book which are Blumengruss, Mountainash and Mondnacht, and all of 3 is being admired and put in the To-Knit-List. If you like to knot Mountainash, you can check out Grumperina’s blog. She has finished the very beautiful shawl.

Some other knitters also has finished their Blumengruss shawl which I felt I been helped a lot to understand the patterns such as Tres Chic Veronique, and I wished I found this site to help me translate or understanding Blumengruss pattern earlier! Would save lots of time with the border pattern.

For my Blumengruss, my choice of yarns is very limited here, so I picked DMC yarns, total I am using 4 colors: PINK (main color), Pale/Salem Pink, White and Maroon. This project was started since last year, then I was put it down due I have some difficulty to define the color combination I like. The started on October 07, 2007 (about a year ago!)

Even after got this colors I was felt hesitate to picked up this shawl for some reason. I was even worked on something else... like this baby wear set…a vest, a hat and pairs of shoes/boot

Pattern : Japanese Baby Knitting Book (for the vest – pattern no.23 (ISBN: 4-8347-2457-3)
Yarn: material is acrylic – don’t have the ball band since I got this from my brother stash.
Needles: Tulip Crochet Hook (3/0 and 4/0).
Finished Date: March 29, 2008 (I was worked these about 2-3 weeks).

The original pattern has some badges, but I didn’t the put those, instead I change a bit by give some colors block on the back side, where I combined color light blue and dark blue. The hat was taken from others pattern and at this time I already forgot which patterns I taken. I just remembered that the pom-pom was added to cheer give something to cheer it up.
The baby set was for my sister work-colleague which someone I knew too and the baby (as you already could guess) is a baby boy!! :-)

Now we are back to my Blumengruss, here are some of the WIP picts if you would like to see

This pattern actually is not hard, but somehow I misread the diagram. Instead of starting the border on the bottom (down side of the triangle) I was working on the shorter side (left/right side), which off course I always ended up with only ½ parts of total stitches from diagram shown. So I did tinked. And not just once, but 3 times !! Imagine the time I spent to knitted-tinked-knitted-tinked. Then I re-read the pattern again and again, and guess my mind was got it right this time.
The border is 10 rows repeat patterns. I can memorized it after the 4th time I re-knit the border on the correct side. He.. he.. I really suggest, if you are like to work with the border and knit it directly to the main part, better take time to familiarize the pattern with other yarn. I use a bigger cotton yarn to understand this border pattern.

When the 3rd side of border has been finished, I struggled with the Kitchener stitch to sew the beginning row from 1st side of border. After spent few hours learning about Kitchener stitch, I finished this shawl! Feels so great! You are the knitters with long time and some adventures already familiar with this kind of feeling.

So next day I take this beauty on the bath (after took all the safety pin off course).

So, here the beauty under the sun, after took some nice bath. I use apple shampoo and whoa.. the bath really took away the dirt (for sure after months of put it down and during I am working this).

We have very sunny day lately, and even I put this under the shadow when I dried it, took only about 2 hours.

I am not blocked this shawl properly, just gave some weight to make the center pointed nicely.

Finished Size; 200 cms x 150 cms

Pattern: Blumengruss (New Style of Heirloom Knitting ISBN: ISBN: 4-529-03992-7)
Yarn: DMC Color 53326 (Dark Pink - 1 balls is dye lot 19, the other one doesn’t have), Color B5200 (White), Color 5818 (Salem Pink, dye lot 51), Color 5813 (Maroon, dye lot 33).
Needles: INOX Circular Needle 3 cm, 3 ¼ cm and 3 ½ cm.
Time: Oct 07 2007 – Oct 01 2008.

My needles still clicking

This s the longest period of my unblogging time. Almost 3 months!! Having crazy schedules at work plus non-cooperative compie at home, I am more into working my projects instead of blogging.

Some projects that I am working now is the afghan, knitting project to de-stash my yarn. I plan to use this afghan to cover the electric massage chair. Also on my other needles, the Blumegruss from Heirloom Knitting. Goosh .. it's about half year project.. should finish this while it still hot!! ;)


In between those 2 projects, my sis was asked to make a set of baby clothes for her co-work, so I crocheted a set of baby kimono, a hat and a pair of baby booties. Will upload the picts later. I use the vintage yarn , part of the stash that my coworker gave me some time ago and combine with my bro's stash.



I am really sorry for the reader if you kept finding the non updated blog page for few months, and thank you for checking me out :-)



Tomorrow we have a day off (not May-day or labour day, we dont have that here in Indonesia), so hopefully I could working on the pict and upload those here.

Cabin log afghan

I was took about 10 work days off during the Christmas/New Year's week, planned to do some cardigan, continue my multicolor shawl from The new heirloom of knitting. But then considering flood that we had on early 2007, the actual actvities were cleaned up old clothes, old books, and spare some spaces for my yarn and knitting book stash if the flood come.

The cardigan will need to ripped off caused gauge issue. Turn out even I am using same needle size that close to the yarn ball band info, turned out it have more length that required.

So the only plan that successfully done was the cabin log afghan. Inspired from Mason Dixon Knitting Book, and desired to lessen my stash I made this afhan. The result was perfect fit for the sofa on living room. And mom said that this afghan is nicer and smoother than one that I crocheted 2 years ago.

So here the one I finished :

Yarn : Kinlon (acrylic-discontnued) - about 12 skeins each weight 40 grams (cream, dark brown, light blue, dark grey, olive green)

Finished size : to be measure first..;-)

Needle : 6.5 mm circular needle

Time : 3 weeks (finished on 31st Dec 2007).

Also Marian had visited Indonesia on first week of January.. but the water already on the street in my area. With water height aboout 20-40 cms in the street I couldnt make it to meet her. Really sorry Marian. Next time better ok?

Have you ready to warming up your needles? :)

Here we are, at the final month of the year, where in my area, weather still unpedictable, sometimes hot just like summer, sometimes heavy raining (actually we already have flooding caused by the higher sea high tide, specially in northern Jakarta). On the other part of the world, you can see the ground has been all white covering with white snow. And I believe knitting time, specially if you are working with warm yarn like wool or alpaca. Bring your project, the yarn on the basket, the pattern and a glass (or more) of your fave drink, find a nice corner where you can sit so relax and feel the zen of your fingers movement...so soothing.. ;)

However if you are haven't found a project yet, let's check out Knitty Winter 2007!! I found some items that would be like to include in my to-knit-this soon list. If I have all time, the list would be (not in particular order) :

a. Aoife





b. Dahlia

c. Stardust

d. Jeanie

Also like to try for the chevrolace socks (lovely), there are others but this one is I like. It knit with 2 circulars method, new techinique for me. So hurry check Knitty out :)

Books Enrichments

During my non-blogging period, I was collecting some knitting books :)

However I also found new interest with the embroideries, like hardanger and boutis.Boutis is kind like quilt ala french, and for my opinion, it's very sophisticated on final result.
"Some" of the books that I would like to share with you are :

IKjpnbook

Left : Interweave Fall 2007 Right : Let's Knit Series Vol.7 (ISBN : 978-4-529-04461-5)

the shawl look lovely isn't it?

jpn book 01: Spring Summer 2007 (ISBN : 978-4-408-62811-0)




jpn book 03a :

Left : Let's Knit Series Autum Winter 2007/2008 (ISBN : 978-4-529-04485-1)
Middle : Let's Knit Series (ISBN : 978-4-529-04451-6)
Right : Autumn Winter 2007/2008 (ISBN : 978-4-408-62830-1)

jpn book 03b :


Let's Knit Series Spring Summer 2007 (ISBN : 978-4-529-04385-4)

jpn book 4 :



Above : Boutis Un Object Blanc - Kumiko Nakayama-Geraerts (ISBN:978-4-579-11130-5)
Below Left : Sashiko Style (ISBN:978-4-88996-214-7)
Below Right : Hardanger Embroidery (ISBN:978-4-529-04439-4)


jpn book 5 :


Left : Bunka Knitting Book - Winter 2007/2008 (4910084761079)
Right : Keitodama Winter 2007/2008 (ISBN: 978-4-529-04480-6)



jpn book 6 :
Keitodama Spring Summer 2007 (ISBN : 978-4-529-04413-4)

jpnbookxstich01:




Above : Heart Warming Series Vol 5 (ISBN : 978-4-529-04418-9)
Below : Cats and Dog (Embroidery - ISBN : 986-7863-97-6)

jpnbookxstich04



Left : ISBN 4-8347-2498-0
Right : 4-8347-2480-8


jpnbookxstich05:
Illustration Stitch (ISBN : 978-4-7778-0364-4)