Archive for August, 2009

Here are some pics of my crocheted Seafoam Vest.  The pattern is from Interweave Crochet, Spring, 2007.  The designer is Chloe Nightingale.  The recommended yarn was used – Rowan Summer Tweed, which has now been discontinued.  I got mine from an EBay seller – can’t remember which one though!

I actually FINALLY finished my first proper projects on my shop display Bond Ultimate Sweater Machine. I got it to cast one beautifully, and despite only a few dropped stitches (rookie mistakes!) I completed not one, but TWO projects in two evenings:

1.  Pram Blanket in Caron Simply Soft ‘Dark Country Blue’ and ‘Soft Blue’, with crocheted picot edging.

This is the blanket on the machine.

This is the finished blanket.

The simply soft just glides through the carriage – very easy to work with.

2.  Novelty Yarn shrug

This was knit with one of those multi novelty yarns that were in Spotlight this year -

Moda Vera ‘Millefoglie’ – different textured and coloured novelty yarns on the one ball.

I started off knitting a scarf, but cast off (stupidly) after only one ball, so thought “What can I do with such a short piece??”  Then it hit me!  A shrug, of course!

So I sewed along from the wrist end of the piece, a third of the way along and then from the other end, a third of the way along.

The only thing I found hard with this yarn was the suede part of the yarn ball – very thick – a bit thick even for my mid-gauge Bond.

Anyway, sorry there’s no pics of the finished shrug – it’s getting dark and not time to take a picture – besides I’m hungry and want to finish this post! 

Here’s a pic of another recently completed project:

The pattern is a Lion Brand one called “Short and Sweet Child’s Cardigan“.

The recommended yarn is Lion Babysoft, but I used Cleckheaton Country Silk that I got on sale at Spotlight.  The resulting upsize in gauge, meant that a pattern for an 18 month old, was upsized to a 4 year old, without altering the length of the starting chain or other measurements.  The button I got from a seller on Etsy – handmade, fabric-covered.

I just got in-store, a couple of colours of Premier Yarns’ Deborah Norville ‘Serenity’ sock yarn.

I was very impressed for 3 reasons:

1.  The price!  Only $6.60 per 50g/210m ball – 2 balls required for socks.  This is between $2 and $6 cheaper per ball than my other sock yarns.

2.  The fibre!  Serenity contains 50% superwash merino, 25% bamboo and 25% nylon (common in sock yarns).

3.  The colour effects!  Serenity is self-patterning/self-striping yarn – the yarn does all the work – no need to change colours all the time.  VERY cool.

The yarn feels very soft to the touch and has a nice sheen courtesy of the bamboo.  I’m off to try out one of my sock looms to see if I can knit my first pair of socks!

Here are some pics of my most recently-finished crochet projects:

1.  Girl’s bolero cardigan

This is modelled by my lovely daughter Immy and it was crocheted with Rowan All Seasons Cotton in a grey multi-shade.  This yarn has now been discontinued.  Any worsted-weight yarn will substitute so you can make it for summer or autumn as a jacket over a skivvy or long-sleeved tee.

The pattern was Lion Brand’s “Urban Girl Cropped Cardi”.

2.  My next project was a crochet chevron-stitch scarf from Candi Jensen’s Book  “Crochet Scarves”.

It was crocheted with two skeins of Noro Kureyon.

I thought it was time to update my yarn brands list.  I hold trading accounts with all of these companies – some are regular lines I carry, like Noro or Plymouth.  Others are available by special order:

Plymouth Yarn Company:  www.plymouthyarns.com

Bernat:  www.bernat.com

Lion Brand:  www.lionbrand.com

Caron:  www.caron.com

Red Heart:  www.coatsandclark.com

Malabrigo:  http://www.malabrigoyarn.com/

Debbie Bliss: http://www.debbieblissonline.com/

Kauni: http://www.kauni.com/index.php?lang=english

Noro: http://www.eisakunoro.com/

Handmaiden and Fleece Artist: http://handmaiden.ca/

Kollage Yarns: http://www.kollageyarns.com/

Araucania: http://www.araucaniayarns.com/

Cascade: www.cascadeyarns.com

Lorna’s Laces: www.lornaslaces.net

Brown Sheep Company: www.brownsheep.com

Louisa Harding: http://louisaharding.co.uk/

Eki Riva

Lana Gatto