Cold days in Provence
We knew we couldn't count on bright and sunny days when going for a break to the beautiful Provence.
Still we are really taken by the freezing cold evenings, a day full of rain from a seamingly eternal grey sky...
Luckily I brought my fresh project - the "Winter in Provence" along - it's been really useful wearing thin wool
next to the skin! We had hoped for the sun to shine for at least one hour to take some photos. Today we unfortunately only managed it to the doorstep:
Just a glimpse...
I wanted to show you some of the wool I'm going to work with in the near future.... Earlier this week I met Cecilia from Ilóyarn again - she was happy about the Lacy, Lazy Boyfriend I had made for her, and I was so happy to receive some of her beautiful alpaca! I had already fallen in love with the red one - I have a Christmas-dress swirling in my head destined for it.
But first things first - the "Birch" shade of Artesanos Aran is going to be turned into a cozy, belted cardigan. I can't wait to get started! In the same delivery I also received the shade-cards (thank you, Jenny!) of all the Manos and Artesano-yarns.
I can barely leave them out of my sight!
Below the "Birch" shade in Aran from Artesano, in company with the red "Chile" in DK Artesano.
To the right is a skein fo Manos silk-blend. So beautiful.....
Can you imagine
Can you imagine how proud I was (and still am) a few days ago when one of my pattern buyers posted photos of her finsihed and beautiful Grey Impression? This is the first finsihed project of my designs that I have ever seen - and I can tell you that it's an amazing feeling! Thinking about this wonderful person (we have had frequent contact through our message boxes at Ravelry) and her really pretty sweater made at the other side of the Atlantic... You can see her project under my Grey Impression at Ravelry. Take a look - she's got her gorgeous dog figuring in the pictures as well - he's really worth an extra glance! And here is my "proto-type":
I didn't mean this to happen!
This sounds dramatic - but what I mean is that when I first put up my Zebra Ruffle Scarf to Ravelry I had no intentions of putting up such a stream of patterns for the next few months. I guess it is a bit like the flow of a river - it's instoppable. I have no idea how to stop, and I don't want to stop! I feel so lucky to have received positive feedback - but most of all I enjoy every minute of being creative, working with the lovely wool, taking long strolls with my daughter - planning for new projects, new pictures....
Today I had my pair of mittens - the Perfect Couple finsihed. I loved writing the pattern down - even the chart was fun to make this time! Here they are:
Ready to wear! Hopefully they will stay as a couple - we have an awful tendancy of losing one half of a pair. Maybe the cuffs will make them stay in place.!
In pipeline
Wow! I didn't expect such interest for my most recent pattern; the "Lacy, Lazy Boyfriend".
THANKS to all of you sending questions, comments, hearts... I appreciate it so much!!!!
Now I shall go "back to work" trying to figure out new, interesting patterns. I've got so many ideas - I hardly know where to start. I would like to work a nice shawl. I have started making gorgeous, intricately patterned mittens. (To replace a pair that disappeared last weekend...) I have a belted cardigan using the BEAUTIFUL alpaca from Artisano on my mind... But where do I start? And when do I finish? Time will tell....
Lacy, Lazy Boyfriend
I was asked by Cecilia of Ilóyarn to make a simple, straight basic pullover for her swedish LYS-customers.
Happily I went along - really pleased to work lots and lots of stochinette st in front of the television! But somehow it's just not possible for my to do anything straight and basic - i just HAD to do something fun! In this case I went for some discrete eyelet-ribbing, lace-pattern cuff and neckline. In my opinion this is all there needs to be to give that little extra to an every-day boyfriendish sweater!
I just love wearing sweaters like this one! Make me happy any day!
Tres Hermanas
If we go back a long, long way we find some spanish blood in our veines! It was one of the reasons that I chose the name Tres Hermanas for my newly launched pullover, dedicated to my sisters. In some way I'm a bit obsessed by spanish language, culture, country. And I find the color I used for this pullover so SPANISH too - deep red, difficult to tell exactly which shade - somewhere between raspberries and granate apples.
I really enjoyed working with this pullover. The alpaca DK from Artesano was incredible! The structure of the cables shows off beautifully, the texture is even, smooth, soft and firm in the same time. I love it!
In love with Ilóyarns!
Today I had a great meeting with the importer and representative for the Bolivian, eco-friendly alpacawools called Ilóyarn. I have made up some designs in this wool already - as I came across of it some months ago in a yarnstore in southern Sweden. It was more or less love at first sight - and when I started working with the incredibly soft alpaca I became totally addicted! My Soft Diamonds are made in it, my most recent Buckwheat Blossom Cardigan set is made of it, and below is a photo of my first design in this alpaca; the Teatime Cardi.
You can buy the alpaca from several yarnstores in Sweden, as well as from the internet-store "Garnasinne".
More designs from me are on the needles at the moment....
Baby up north
A much younger (obviousely) cousin of mine, living in the north of Norway had her 3rd child earlier in the year. After 2 adorable boys she gave birth to a tiny baby-girl! We are living on such a distance to eachother - and this spring I had the opportunity to meet her and all her children. This is the one and only time I've seen her children at all - i hope they will not be too grown-up before I meet them again!!!
The Multiflora cardigan is for the small girl - the size I went for is the 12months - I hope she can wear it for some time!
Flowers are late autumn blooms from my garden - we can enjoy them until the first frost comes - any time now.
