2 LBS of YARNS!!

Or maybe I should call this thread instaed of yarn? :p

Well, this huge skein of yarn probably already in my stash about 3 years, I was so shock when it arrived from my purchase at ebay. It's so huge and it wasnt wound by the selelr to reduce the cost (lighter weight when it come in skein form).

So last weekend , I am thinking to better do something with this yarn. I already have the winder and yarn swift, but alas!! Those 2 are could not handle this 2 lbs yarns!!

(the left is DMC Pethra, the very thin in middle is this yarn, and the right is sock weight yarn that used as tie on this skein)

So I got to put it in the chairs, using 2 of these kind of chairs and then i made a ball aka winding by my hand.

After 2 days, (about 18 hrs winding for total 2 days) I still have about 300-400 grams left... I dont have the energy... Geez... Still not sure what I am gonna to do with yarn... it call for shawl... but havent got exact pattern in mind...ummm...

Pink Sweater... Completed!

Ah.. finally I finished this pink sweater!! I had put lots of efforts and too much patience working on this sweater. Some main challenges were splitty yarn and the modification of gauge.



I was started this pink sweater in 2005, then working a bit in 2006. I was put it down caused I couldnt bear the splity yarn. I did not know what's wrong when I working with this yarn but my LYS owner said she doesn't encounter the same problem like mine.



So, in total I had worked on the body parts 2x (tinking all the way 2x), then the neck parts 2x, the sleeves parts 3x!! Tinking process and so many months I abandoned this project caused the pieces were not in clean stages anymore.



But after I finished the last stitches of sleves part, sewn everything in places, weaved in the end, then directly it goes to the bucket for washing! :)



I haven't take any pictures yet, but I had some old picture to remind me (and some of you) about this project.



This was taken on August 26, 2005






(just for my note : finished on March 24, 2007)

Long overdues new stash

well.. it probably wont be too new anymore..since I got all of these from my US trip on dec 2006... but I like to share it with you all :)


So here come the new knitting toys , the needle's measurement and colored crochet hook was from Beverly at San Jose's area, the ribbons and buttons were from Greenwhich (SF) :


I got the reeling machine in solvang, danish community area, on the way back to SF from LA trip. They have the wooden one, but this cheaper .. ;-)

The ribbon from JoAnn's, only US1 for this 1 full rolls... I am thinking to use it as a side trim :

And Finally I got these red heart from Michael's , the purpleish (3 skeins) belong to my mom and I am working a shawl from her a this moment (picture will be upload later), the light brownish on the top at the back (5 skeins) belongs to me.. he.. he.. he...

These lovely silky yarn on big corn are from Artfibers, the small one the "free" one when you buy about USD 100 you'll got 10% off... (that's a lot of money and making me broke! :p)

The lady there very patient and let us to play around with their yarns first before we decide to buy it. However it would be nicer if they can reduce the price too.. he.. he..Oh ya, I have the famous Flower Basket Shawl (Interweave Knit) copied from Artfibers pattern collection.. finally! Since the Fall 2004 magazine edition had ran out of stocks and dont know when they will re-print it again.

For sure .. some books and magazines : Knitting Nature, Rebecca, IK Spring 2004 and VK were from Greenwhich, Knit from Top, Lace Victorian Today from Amazon (my friend kindly allowed me to use her home address in US, so I got fast and cheaper shipping price), The Yarn Harlot 2nd book, got from Barnes and Nobbles :

I am thinking to go back to US again... for more serious yarn/fabrics/books shopping... but for sure, got to get some saving first ..Thinking about Stitches Mid West or East.. and Rhineback...hmmmmm..... Anybody want to be my buddy travel? :) I was visited Greenwich with my mom and she was almost fallen asleep in the chair.. he.. he.. he. poor her.. ;)

I am back again

I am missing my blog! After through the flood that lasted for 7 days (!) and all the cleaning, fixing and re-organizing everything again, I am ready to post something on my blog again.

Some new stash that I got from my trip on end of year 2006 to San Francisco are ready to be show-off plus the new projects that I am working on it now.

On the next post it will be the yarns, yarns and new knitting toys plus for sure the local of "Water World" in Jakarta... (for real!!)

Welcome 2007 and Icarus

It's almost 2 months past that I had absent from blog world. As addition for the classic excuses (busy at work), also I was busy prepared for my trip to US at december 2006 with my mom.

Before my trip to US, I worked on Icarus Shaw by Miriam Feltonl from Interweave Summer 2006, using fingering weight yarn. I forgot the brand here, but it was from China, color chili red.

I did not know what material of this yarn first, so I did some test with bleaching. I cut small thread then put it on the bleaching liquid. The yarn slowly disappeared, that means it made from protein based, so my guess that this yarn 100% wool.

Icarus pattern really nice to work with. As far as I remembered I only 2-3 times tinking because I made few mistakes. The yarn also help too, it very light, smoothly sliding on my inox 3.5 mm circular needle.

This shawl was started in first week of December 2006, even though I knitted as much as my fingers can do the knits and purls stitches, I picked it up again after I left it for 2 weeks from my trip and finished in the January 14th 2007.

Before block the size was around 70 cms (length) x 50 cms (height)

After blocked it grown to 219 cms (length) x 113 cms (height), and I am very happy with it even though there are few uneven stitches. Total yarn I used 2 2/3 balls around 60 grams (each balls is 25 grams).

So this project was the last project in 2006 and first finished one in 2007.

I will post more about my trip and all the S.E.X (yarns and books) from my US trip, at this moment I present my Icarus shawl :

just off the neddle - before block

Drying Process - only takes like 10 minutes!

Blocking process - about 3 hours

After weave-in all ends, time to show off :)

It was like 32 degress celcius that time and I almost melted.. he.. he..

Btw, I had been tagged by Cyn .. will answer it in the next post :-)

A dozen of cute little craft :)

There are lots of amazing things created in craft world, either in cooking, needle work (embroiderry, sewing, knitting, crocheting, tatting), sculpture, painting, basketry, etc.

Some creation are too good to be true, some are created straight from our heart, some are combined between feeling, creativity, patience, passion.

If you like cooking and you like sculpture perhaps this can be your inspiration.

I got to warn you that I posted lots pictures here, and it could take you breath away with its beauty of creation. This made from chocolate or icing if I am not mistaken. If it's trully make from chocolate, I wonder who will have heart to consume these beautiful thing.

Now, are you ready?

--
pict baby 1



pict baby 2



pict baby 3


pict baby 4



pict baby 5



pict baby 6



pict baby 7



pict baby 8



pict baby 9



pict baby 10



pict baby 11



pict baby 12



Now you seen it all, which one or two or three is/are your favorite?

sweety pinky cape :)

It's been a long time... November already...time is flies so fast. I realized that I havent posted any single thing for this month.
My WIP that started on October knit and crochet. They are Icarus Shawl, baby cape and hat and storage box. The baby items and Storage box are crocheted. I am on the 5th repeat of Chart 1 on Icarus Shawl and then finished crocheted these baby cape and hat 2 weeks ago.

Working on baby items like this was fun, since it's tiny so the feeling of accomplishment was great. I like all the things on this projects. Why I choose the cape and hat, it's because the yarn are acrylic, and considering the tropical weather we have here, I better make something that easy to put on the baby. And these cape and hat are rare items you find here in Jakarta.

Other reason was I like to make something that last quite long too, at least for few years ahead.. he.. he..

Last not least my consideration to make this, I was using yarn from my stash. Total it need about 3 1/2 skeins, around 175 grams. The yarns was Kinlon - Dahlia, the one that my colleaque gave me few months ago. The pink also suit for cute little baby girl. So it's perfect :)

Pattern taken from Japanese Crochet Books for Baby that I bought at Kinokuniya book store.. I will update the ISBN for your reference (another promise :p -- ok.. here we go ISBN: 4-529-02373-7, latest published dated 21st May 2005 ..... updated 24th Nov 2006)

Love this cutey balls - made from a small notions that I bought in puppy yarn store when I was went to Japan last year.








Since I did not know whether the size will fit the baby or not since I haven't met with my colleague yet because she was on 3 months maternity leave, I tried on my Winnie The Pooh, that size close to 1-2 years old toodler. Talking about long term usage, it sure will fit the baby..;)

Pattern : Japanese Pattern Books (ISBN : 4-529-02373-7 - this is 2nd time publishing, dated 21st May 2005)

Needles : Tulip Steel Crochet No. 3/0

Yarn : Kinlon - Dahlia (acrylic 100%)

I visited her (she was back to his mother house at central java for delivery the baby), the baby already about 2 months old. Cute and seems she will be has slim and tall girl just like her dad :)

Finished Pricilla's Square

Sorry for this very very late update.. Lots of happen.

This is more than afghan, this is more like blanket!! :)

The squares are from Pricilla's pattern "Carousel"

More detail will write later... At this moment .. enjoy :)


Taken from 2nd floor ... if not I cant take the whole afghan's pictures! :)

Can you count how many squares on this afghan?

Details :

The popped up squares was crocheted with bigger needles howeve I was too lazy to ripped it and started over... ;p
More details :

Hanging down under the sun took only 1 hour to get it dry! :)

I saw a chamellon when I was drying the afghan.. It was on the progress on changing its color. It also ran out very quickly right after I took the picture. So this was the only pictures I had.

I had finished the brown shirt from Spring 2006 Keitodama Let's Knit Series. I had sewn all up and wore it to my cousin's wedding matrimony at the Buddhist Temple. Too bad I had not chance to take any pictures from the occasion.

The Closing of Project Spectrum - Doily and Squares

Project Spectrum had finished 2 months ago, as for the latest months I had worked on the squares for neutral color, not only black and white but also brown -light, medium and dark brown.

I had crocheted the doily too called Flowering Pineapple Doily, however I am having problem on the round 22. The patterns was free, taken from freepaterns.com. You guys can check that website, they have lots of things, knit, crochet, sewing, plastic-canvas, cross-stitch.



Till I can resolved the mystery on round 22 instruction, this doily will remain in my plastic bag (yah I put it there, to reduce dust and missing thread balls..)

And these are the squares after I finished crocheted for 4 months.... can you count the total squares?

I had finished sewn up or assemblied all together using slip stich and put 8 rows of borders all around, started from the inside to outer border, 2 rows from each color - white, cream, dark brown and black, alternating single crochet and half double for each rows or double crochet for both rows depends on the yarn. I had washed and now already put that on our 3 seaters sofa. Would come back with the final result pictures :)