New year - new ideas!

Since it's a new year, and I'm on the mend from the symptoms of Uninspiration by now (the lovely sunny & cold weather has helped..), I have started up with a new sweater (from some old yarn..), and also finalized my decision how to go along with the scarf which has been in production for quite a long time now....maybe some of you remember this grey thing..?



I will join two scarfes to make one - the white silk scarf is a gift from a colleague, and has not found it's way into my wardrobe yet, although it's a nice design by Anna Sui. I believe that the marriage of these two will end up nicely - let's see! There's still some of this lovely grey yarn (silk/merino) left, and I intend to use up all of it. Further report will come later, then...



The story behind the sweater is actually starting to resemble quite much the old Finnish folk tale of a mr Cat commissioning a coat from a tailor, one mr Mouse. When the cat comes to collect his coat, the mouse says something like this: "Oh, no sir, there is no coat, sir, but what I could do is a swell pair of pants for you, sir!". And when Cat comes to collect his pants, mr Mouse comments: "Oh, sorry sir, but no pants materialized from this fabric - I could make a beautiful waiscoat for you, however!" etc etc etc, until there's nothing left of the fabric... .... (and until the cat eats the mouse in his frustration, but that's not relevant here..).






So I gave up on the previous Phildar pattern which I planned to make with the teal Debbie Bliss cashmerino DK yarn which was coming from another cardigan which I ripped... phew!... and have instead already finished the back of this Phildar pattern - very simple, but I like the idea of the deep cut in the front and the willowy sleeves:

His&Hers

Yesterday evening saw the birth of these two colorful household necessities - cup cozies for him&her. The future lucky recipients of these have actually donated the yarn earlier to me (in past life it was some really old needlework wool by Anchor), so it's recycling in the best sense of the word. I hope they will like 'em!

and now from the back

One more thing, related to my recent bead-craze, here's a bracelet I made - categorically Hers, I think..

East and vest

Well, I've finally started my new vest..





...with Debbie Bliss 'Merino Aran' which was naturally discontinued already (at least from all the net stores I frequent..) - and boy, is this eating up my stash fast...it seems that I only can knit few rounds and swoosh, another ball is gone.
Being the creative knitter that I am, I made the decision to order more yarn instead of frogging this and making something smaller, something that could be made out of the measly 8 balls that I had in my stash (one glove, perhaps?). I ended up with the closest equivalent, Debbie Bliss 'Cashmerino Aran' - hey, there's only one word difference, so it cannot be too different, right?? Let's see when the package come and these two are combined...

The bumpy pattern is created simply by alternating the k3-p2 rib pattern with k rows (2 and 2).

***

Today, the second episode of the lovely, über-British, janeaustenish tv-series "Cranford". Capital!

Get cozy..

..with these 'Cabled Arm Cozies' (by Tanis Gray, in VK Holiday Issue '08). Knit with Rowan Tapestry yarn (combining wool and soya fiber) and 2.5mm dpns.

Please note the pearls, which nicely hide the fact that the original upper edge came out too wide and I desperately needed some gimmick to hide that - so I folded the edge in two just above the cable and fitted a pearl to decorate it. What you cannot hide you better enhance.. or something like that, eh?

Scarf news

Progressing under the title "Grey's Anatomy", here's update on the scarf - I'm thinking of sewing some nice piece of fabric on the other side, to make it warmer, but let's see..

I like the texture of this simple basket stitch. And again, my camera just cannot capture the lovely sheen of this yarn and the correct shade of grey....

Grey's Anatomy

something lovely from down under - scarfe on the way on weave stitch..

Do you ever get the feeling....

...that you cannot buy some lovely knitted piece of clothing simply because you know that you could make it yourself, and what would people say if they saw that YOU are wearing something ready-made, you who are the ideal example of the do-it-yourself person??


I love this scarf, but my superego is telling me it's a no-no -- how easy would it be to make it yourself, bust your stash and have a go with a hook...

Or this cardigan?

(I know that I wouldn't knit anything with a yarn that has acrylic in it (maybe socks, but nothing else), and both of these have it...)

Oh well, this too shall pass, I'm sure.

I did get an idea last night just before falling asleep about a yet another vest, which could seriously bust my stash from some thick woolly yarn... chocolate brown... fitted and warm... some pearly buttons...

To be continued!

I made it!

..and yes indeed, here she is:

My variation of 'Little Birds' (by Ysolda Teague, in Twist Collective, Fall '08) - made with Pirkka-yarn and 2.5mm circs.

It fits perrrrfectly, I love it!

What do you think? :)