Peaceful Island
As you can see we were blessed with some nice weather late in the afternoon:
I was so lucky to be able to work the fabulous Aran from Artesano Yarns, and even if I was a bit suspicious beforehand due to the bulky (for me!) wool I was soon convinced that this was a gorgeous blend of wool and alpaca. The textures came out precisely as I wanted them to, and the feel of the cardi the first time I tried it on is undescribable. Divine is the closest I can get!
Sunbeams
It was a relief to wake up this morning with sun gazing through the curtains. After one full day of rain yesterday and only a few days left of our journey we hoped for some change from damp raindrops and umbrellas. So we feel rather spoiled today. Especially since there is a vegetable and flower market every thursday in the town we are staying in! Apart from that we have been walking, walking, walking.... so many places to see and to admire here in Provence! In the afternoon we took some new shots of the "Winter in Provence" -outdoors this time!
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.
Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
I felt like the second personality of my knittingdesign came throug in my new pattern "Perfect Shadow".
If you have seen my other designs so far, they are all rather close-fitting, feminine and soft (maybe with one or two exceptions), and Perfect Shadow contrasts with its boxy shape and stronger color. In the beginning I had doubts, but when the work grew on the needles I came to like it more and more. I'm quit excited to see what respons it will get out there!
As usual it's my lovely daughter taking pictures. I admire her for her patience with me wanting her help all the time. I hope she will tell me clearly if she gets tired of it! So far we are enjoying long walks together looking for nice places to take pictures. It makes us discover our surroundings in a different way - we talk, we walk, we laugh and we have a good time together. Thank you, min sötnos!
Once in a while
Once in a while I wake up at night with a new knitting-idea on my mind! If I don't sketch it down immediately it will be gone the next morning. On the other hand, if I sketch down my idea it is not certain that I approve the next day.
This Buckwheat Blossom cardiganset was one of those rare ideas, when sketch an approval made a match. I found it brilliant even before getting started - and now when everything is in place; the knitting, the instructions, the photos - I must say that I'm really happy that I didn't let my sketch go into the wastebasket!
On Ravelry from today - and here are some more photos for you to enjoy
Photos from the stable:
My new friend, and the nicest boy I've met in days:
We became great frinds - thanks to a handful of carrots. He's adorable don't you think!?!
A pair of mittens!
Many years ago I knitted up a pair of mittens for my youngest sister. I was in a Guernsey-period, and the mittens were higly infuenced by the lovely Guernsey-patterns. I even used the pure Guernsey-wool - which was very pretty, but maybe not the most comfortable choice as the wool is extremely rough. When I decided to make a remake I went for the softest alpaca I could find - the Ilo alpaca from Bolivia. This is a gorgeous, soft fair-trade and eco-friendly yarn existing in several natural shades. The softness of the mittens made me want to pair them with a soft hat - based on the same pattern. I'm so pleased with the result!
Here are some pictures for you to judge!
2 hats in a row
If you are used to knit hats, you know already that it's fast stuff to knit!
Normally I start far too late making the production for winter (I don't know how it happens - but we seem to loose a hat or two every winter...) - but this year has been an exception in this matter. Two hats are made during the last few days, and today I went with my daughter to our favourite path in the wood for photographing. This time we changed roles - I was behind the camera, she in front. You can see that it was a succesful change - at least what concerns the change of model! We took a selfshot of the two of us - just for a good laugh!
Dancing with Hats!
A very bad thing about knitting is that you sit still for so long! When I'm in the middle of some exciting knitting-work I'm totally lost for the surroundings. And if you count in my dangerous desire for chocolat (WHO could resist?) I just have to speak myself out of the knittingchair to do something more physical. Today it's my Zumba-class that manages to draw me away from my cosy, cosy knitting. And once I go I LOVE it! Today I'll be dancing with hats on my mind!
My latest pattern - "Cardamom" (Thank you all for favouriting me at Ravelry!!!) was published yesterday and I let my focus go to something else. Excercise is a great key to creativity - and even if I don't deliberately make up patterns when running, dancing, sweating away - I know for sure that my creativity is working at full speed. I have a "collection" of hat in my "top floor" at the moment - 2 of them in the more traditional lane, the third completely different - never seen anything like it, yet! Can't wait to get started - but well; dancing first!!
Here it is - the Cardamom Cardi!
Things went so fast - I brought my knitting in front of the television a couple of evenings - and I was just amazed to see how fast it grew! I had meant to take some pictures along the way - but somehow the time didn't countfor that.
So - here it is - totally finished! I'm delighted with the result - I really like the simpleness and the feminine feel of this cardigan. And my house profits from me being without a project on the go - I have used some (necessary!) hours cleaning, bringing in fresh flowers, tidying away all bits of wool lying around....
New cardi on it's way.
You might think that I'm not doing anything but knitting! At times it really seems that way - but I guess that I'm a fast and determined knitter and things are growing quit fast at the needles once that the idea is established. And the cardi I am working with at the moment - the one based on the Zebra Ruffel Scarf principle is a very good work in front of the television at night. Now it sounds that I'm not doing anything but watching television - which I absolutely do. In summer it can go days, and sometimes weeks between the moments in front of the TV, whereas in winter I watch something for some time almost every night. I bring my wool and needles no matter what programme - which can be pretty disatreous at times (either for the knitting or for me getting what it's all about...).
Normally I don't make too inrtricate patterns or constructions, that's probably the main reason why the production can be rather fast at times. I would love to make some really complicated things that I've been bearing on my mind for a long time - but I'm so eager to lance new patterns and I just have to wait for the right moment.
If the knitting is fast, the finishing can take so much more time. I must admit it is not my favourite part. In my teens I didn't know at all how to finish a garment - and my pullovers couldn't be scrutinized too closely. Then I learned a few tricks and seaming was getting easier. Not more amusing, just easier!!
Well, the cardigan I'm about to finish in a couple of days is practically without seaming! If you do not count a couple of inches under each arm you could say that it's completely seamless. I have had questionmarks about how to make the collar-construction, and today during my running I finally solved it!! Relief! I know now that my brain is working amazingly much better when running than in front of the television! - - -
Pictures coming tomorrow -
New Design on it's way
SInce I made my Zebra Ruffle Scarf in May I have wanted to use the same principle for a cardigan.
A reversible, easy to knit, versatile, feminine, gorgeous to wear cardi. And now it's on it's way!!! I'm awfully bad at scetching - and yesterday I tried to pencil down the idea I have been working in my head for months. This new design does not look presentable at paper - but once I started the work on the needles I felt reassured - the cardi is going to develop nicely. I have chosen an alpaca yarn to work with - the pure "Alpakka" from Sandnes garn. I know by experience that this is a great wool to work it - to wear and it also washes very well.
Pictures are coming soon....
Stellata
My newest pattern at Ravelry at the time being is the cardigan Stellata. As I bring my knitting everywhere I brought 5 balls of Rowan's Felted Tweed with me going to Spain for vacation this summer. At the poolside, gazing sun and enjoying the swimming in luke-warm water, I tried to focus on a cardigan for my northern hemisphere to be worn this autumn.
The result became a lightweight garment; short sleeves, open front, eyelets edging the frontpanels and sleeve-edgings. In fact a perfect cardi to be worn all year round in my climate; for cool summerevenings, in autumn and spring as a protection agains chilly winds and in winter as a layering-piece.
The result became a lightweight garment; short sleeves, open front, eyelets edging the frontpanels and sleeve-edgings. In fact a perfect cardi to be worn all year round in my climate; for cool summerevenings, in autumn and spring as a protection agains chilly winds and in winter as a layering-piece.
When working on it, a lovely English lady came up to me to look at my work. She showed med her fingers, full of arthrities, and told me with much sorrow in her voice that she used to be a keen knitter. She was so sad she wasn't able to knit anymore. I told her that it might be more gentle to her hands if she knitted on circular needles. I really hope she tries it, and that it would work. I felt so sorry for her, and immediately thought about myself in a similar situation; WHAT would I do to replace my knitting? Read more, of course, socialize more, maybe, use my money on more sensible things than wool, wool, wool.. As it is to this day I knit everywhere I go, in trains, in bed, in front of the television, by poolsides.... I enjoy it so immensely, I cannot think of a life without my knitting!
My Stellata wasn't finished in Spain, and sadly you are not allowed to bring your knitting in the aeroplane - well back home I used some spare time to get it all finished. I wasn't quit sure how good it was until I tried it - it's always a crucial moment . Then, wearing it for the first few moments I knew immediately that it had turned out beeing a really, really nice wardrobe-piece. The star of the wardrobe at the moment. I can use it with practically anything; jeans, skirt, dress, long sleeve, no sleeve, belt, brooch, open;.... so many possibilities. And the best thing; it's really easy knitting! You can find the pattern at Ravelry. The beautiful pictures are taken by my daughter, outside a cute flowershop in my local area.
