I've been working away on doggie sweaters and writing up patterns, but I thought I'd stop and share with you a pattern for "adult booties" I made a couple of years ago. Consider it your belated Valentine's Day gift. It calls for specific yarns, but just get the right gauge and go for it. I wear mine a lot, and they stay on really well (a bonus). As usual, all suggestions and clarifications are welcome.
The pattern to the heart doily you see here can be found on CrochetDoilies.com and was found by my LYS friend Jamie, who just learned to crochet and made a much daintier pair of these just a week after learning to crochet. Cool, huh?
I made this one out of yarn from the discard bin at the shop (things that were damaged so they can't sell and we use to make samples). You can see on the edging, if you look closely, that it's full of sequins. How special! It's some Louisa Harding yarn. The center is, I think, Berocco Touche, but it had lost its label and was a bit dirty (someone had stepped on it). It makes a festive shop decoration, anyway.
So, happy knitting or crocheting, whichever you're doing!
Showing posts with label harding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label harding. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Louisa Harding and Suna
So, finally here's a photo of my brush with fame at the LYS. This is me and Louisa Harding, from when she visited here and did a little workshop last month (and I carry my sock in progress in the bag I made there, every day). I am wearing my Shiny Green Sweater.
I am so glad that Sarah, the LYS owner's daughter, finally got around to sending me these photos, because I was woefully disappointed in how the sweater looked in the earlier pictures I posted. It's not THAT ugly, honest! I still haven't re-blocked it, but I will one of these days, now that the frenzy of home improvement projects has ended. I hope you enjoy these slightly better pix!
I even managed to sort all my loose knitting instructions, Internet printouts and small project booklets by topic and filed them neatly into binders, all set in a lovely basket in our new media room. I had to use the biggest binder for the sock patterns. It's obvious where my love lies. Lace items came in second (I have more books of that, I think).
My next project will be to find all the patterns I have written up, make them PDF and post them here on the blog. I have sold some copies on the Internet and at the LYS, but none of them are so fancy that I feel the need to make a profit from them. They are just fun things I made and want to share. So, look for them in a sidebar near you, and soon!
In knitting progress, I started Glacier Lake sock #2 and am almost to the start of the gusset. I figure I will get a bit of that done at Chicks with Sticks tonight, and be ready for the next sock...I mean, ready to get back to other projects this weekend!
I am so glad that Sarah, the LYS owner's daughter, finally got around to sending me these photos, because I was woefully disappointed in how the sweater looked in the earlier pictures I posted. It's not THAT ugly, honest! I still haven't re-blocked it, but I will one of these days, now that the frenzy of home improvement projects has ended. I hope you enjoy these slightly better pix!
I even managed to sort all my loose knitting instructions, Internet printouts and small project booklets by topic and filed them neatly into binders, all set in a lovely basket in our new media room. I had to use the biggest binder for the sock patterns. It's obvious where my love lies. Lace items came in second (I have more books of that, I think).My next project will be to find all the patterns I have written up, make them PDF and post them here on the blog. I have sold some copies on the Internet and at the LYS, but none of them are so fancy that I feel the need to make a profit from them. They are just fun things I made and want to share. So, look for them in a sidebar near you, and soon!
In knitting progress, I started Glacier Lake sock #2 and am almost to the start of the gusset. I figure I will get a bit of that done at Chicks with Sticks tonight, and be ready for the next sock...I mean, ready to get back to other projects this weekend!Thursday, June 14, 2007
Finished Louisa Harding Bag
Here's the finished Louisa Harding Workshop bag, made with six assorted yarns in her line. I made the twisted cord last night (it started out ten feet long, and ended up not even two feet long. I also mattress stitched it up and trimmed the ends of the fringe. It flutters nicely.
I almost sewed the fringe up inside the bag when I briliantly thought I should sew the bottom from the inside. Ha ha, funny me.
The bag now holds a ball of that new Trekking Pro Natura yarn (which I earlier referred to as Zitron because I didn't have the label in front of me). I am going to make WendyKnit's toe-up socks with flap heel, and try out my new Nitpicks size 0 needles.
And as a bonus, since I have the camera and everything, I will also share a photo of Juliet in progress, to prove it really exists.
I almost sewed the fringe up inside the bag when I briliantly thought I should sew the bottom from the inside. Ha ha, funny me.
The bag now holds a ball of that new Trekking Pro Natura yarn (which I earlier referred to as Zitron because I didn't have the label in front of me). I am going to make WendyKnit's toe-up socks with flap heel, and try out my new Nitpicks size 0 needles.
And as a bonus, since I have the camera and everything, I will also share a photo of Juliet in progress, to prove it really exists.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Louisa Harding Bag in Progress
Finally got the camera, but no time to crop the pictures! Anyhow, here's the bag I am working on from the Louisa harding workshop. The body is worked side-to-side in a mix of garter, stockinette and eyelet patterns, and you change colors every other row, most of the time. You leave ends long so they can become the fringe. When you are done, you add a border to the top, with eyelets to put the drawstring through.
I still need to stitch is together, trim the fringe and make the drawstring (she wants you to make twisted cord, and I don't know if I have enough remnant yarn to do it).
It was nice to try out some yarns I had not knit with before. I especially am glad to use the shiny ribbon yarn of hers--it is so pretty but when you knit it, the beauty hides. Good to have the fringe! There was also a thin yarn with silver dots that was pretty, a cotton slubby yarn, and a mix of a red silk with a dark red string with square sequins on it. the final yarn was a soft pastel ribbon. Yep, it's glitzy. And made of yarns I'd probably never use in a garment. I'll post a finished product photo soon!
PS: I am crawling up the back on Juliet--not much knitting time in the past two days, but I go to Chicks with Sticks tonight, so I willl have more time.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Knitting Fun Weekend!
I had a lot of knitting fun this weekend, and got a whole lot of progress done on Juliet. I finished the 10.75 inches (that's about 42cm, right?) of garter stitch rectangle, then made a lovely eyelet border and the right front with a nice traveling rib pattern. I am now making the back of Juliet, which features traveling ribs converging to a center point. That was a nice surprise, since there's no picture of the back of the garment in the book.
But, on Sunday afternoon I switched projects because I went to a little workshop featuring Louisa Harding at my LYS. It was so nice of her to come to our little shop in addition to the more well-established one in town! Around 30 people came to work on a little bag pattern using her yarns, and to hear her story of how she got to be who she is.
I admire both her and her husband for finding meaningful work doing what they like (and it helps to have talent and training in those fields) and for finding work that allows them to be with their children. My former employer's volunteers would like that part. She hardly saw her first baby, because she went back to work with a vengeance right after she was born, and didn't want to repeat that with the second baby. Good for her.
I got a photo with Louisa, and also a better one of the Shiny Green sweater--am just waiting for the kind photographer to send them to me.
So, since I am thinking of afghans and not getting any suggestions for mine, I am sharing this photo of an "interesting" afghan I made in 2005 I think, for a former colleague after her first and only (so they say) baby was born. She also had a beautiful, energy-efficient new house full of bright colors, so I made this for the house. (Too bad I'll never get to see it finished!) Anyway, yes, it is sitting on a tuba. A concert tuba makes a good stand.
I made it from Berocco Foliage yarn, sort of following one of their patterns. Well, really I just made a bunch of mitered squares and connected them, then added a border and a crochet picot edging. I like the way Foliage changes colors, but I don't like how it pills or how incredibly "acrylic" it feels. I made a vest from it, too, but rarely wear it, due to the pilling and fuzzing. Still, it is an OK yarn for something that needs to be machine washed frequently, which is why I used it here. Um, also because Noro Silk Garden or Kureyon weren't available to me yet!
Stay tuned for photos of my workshop project, the green sweater and Louisa Harding!
But, on Sunday afternoon I switched projects because I went to a little workshop featuring Louisa Harding at my LYS. It was so nice of her to come to our little shop in addition to the more well-established one in town! Around 30 people came to work on a little bag pattern using her yarns, and to hear her story of how she got to be who she is.
I admire both her and her husband for finding meaningful work doing what they like (and it helps to have talent and training in those fields) and for finding work that allows them to be with their children. My former employer's volunteers would like that part. She hardly saw her first baby, because she went back to work with a vengeance right after she was born, and didn't want to repeat that with the second baby. Good for her.
I got a photo with Louisa, and also a better one of the Shiny Green sweater--am just waiting for the kind photographer to send them to me.
So, since I am thinking of afghans and not getting any suggestions for mine, I am sharing this photo of an "interesting" afghan I made in 2005 I think, for a former colleague after her first and only (so they say) baby was born. She also had a beautiful, energy-efficient new house full of bright colors, so I made this for the house. (Too bad I'll never get to see it finished!) Anyway, yes, it is sitting on a tuba. A concert tuba makes a good stand.
I made it from Berocco Foliage yarn, sort of following one of their patterns. Well, really I just made a bunch of mitered squares and connected them, then added a border and a crochet picot edging. I like the way Foliage changes colors, but I don't like how it pills or how incredibly "acrylic" it feels. I made a vest from it, too, but rarely wear it, due to the pilling and fuzzing. Still, it is an OK yarn for something that needs to be machine washed frequently, which is why I used it here. Um, also because Noro Silk Garden or Kureyon weren't available to me yet!
Stay tuned for photos of my workshop project, the green sweater and Louisa Harding!
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Birthday Shawl Beauty
Important note! I did not knit this shawl! The lovely and talented Jody (Killerpeach) did it as a birthday gift to me (birthday was in March, but we haven't seen each other much lately). Whoa, what a gift! I have a picture of it spread out, and a close up on my Flickr pages. The yarn is a slightly vareigated silk/wool blend that is light and warm (so I can take it in to work and wear when I get cold--it matches my cubicle decor better than my purple and green mohair one).
The pattern is Sivia Harding's Shetland Garden Faroese shawl. It has some nice shaping that makes it hang very well (when not serving as a headscarf). I want to make one of these shawls, too--maybe someone else wil have to be the lucky recipient!
Today we had a really fun day, Jody and I. Jody met me her LYS (the one in south Austin) and looked and looked. While waiting on Jody, the sales staff there were very helpful and I think among three of us, we finally figured out how to do the corner on the Cherry Leaf shawl (yay). They all agreed they are very unclear directions, though, which made me feel better. It's not that I am slow or anything!
I purchased some yummy yarn. I tried not to. But...well...there was stuff they don't have up in Cedar Park...
First is some pale blue (skydrop) Voile de la Mer yarn from Tilli Tomas, a silk and seacell blend. Face it, I just wanted some seacell. I'll make the little dragon scale wristlets in the knitting pattern a day calendar out of them, probably knitting two strands together, because I got the thinner yarn. It really doesn't smell very ocean-y. But it is shiny and soft.
Next we have some Koigu KPPPM sock yarn. Can you believe it, I never bought any before??? They said they had finally gotten in some new colors, and they were flying out. For some reason I didn't get purple (which was very nice), Instead I got some very dark blues and turquoises.
And last in the yarn dept. is Graceful Lace from Yarn Place. It's a laceweight (duh) with very long color changes, 100% wool. The colors are muted greens to purples, violet...very hard to describe, because the colors are subtle and grayed, not vibrant. It's one of those yarns that if the label didn't say so, you would not believe the skeins are the same colorway. I think it would look really interesting on a round shawl, and I want to make some round ones.
(It won't be the next one, though, because I want to make the snowdrop shawl in Lace Style out of some yarn I hope gets dyed this weekend by Ray).
THEN, Jody talked me into buying some roving. Because she thought I should learn to spin. Well, it was pretty inexpensive, so I got some. And we went to her house (after margaritas), and she set me up with a drop spindle. I was predictably awkward at it, but was getting the hang of it by the time I went home. I came back with a borrowed spindle and an instruction book. We'll see how I do!
Must go play with my toys now...
The pattern is Sivia Harding's Shetland Garden Faroese shawl. It has some nice shaping that makes it hang very well (when not serving as a headscarf). I want to make one of these shawls, too--maybe someone else wil have to be the lucky recipient!
Today we had a really fun day, Jody and I. Jody met me her LYS (the one in south Austin) and looked and looked. While waiting on Jody, the sales staff there were very helpful and I think among three of us, we finally figured out how to do the corner on the Cherry Leaf shawl (yay). They all agreed they are very unclear directions, though, which made me feel better. It's not that I am slow or anything!
I purchased some yummy yarn. I tried not to. But...well...there was stuff they don't have up in Cedar Park...
First is some pale blue (skydrop) Voile de la Mer yarn from Tilli Tomas, a silk and seacell blend. Face it, I just wanted some seacell. I'll make the little dragon scale wristlets in the knitting pattern a day calendar out of them, probably knitting two strands together, because I got the thinner yarn. It really doesn't smell very ocean-y. But it is shiny and soft.
Next we have some Koigu KPPPM sock yarn. Can you believe it, I never bought any before??? They said they had finally gotten in some new colors, and they were flying out. For some reason I didn't get purple (which was very nice), Instead I got some very dark blues and turquoises.
And last in the yarn dept. is Graceful Lace from Yarn Place. It's a laceweight (duh) with very long color changes, 100% wool. The colors are muted greens to purples, violet...very hard to describe, because the colors are subtle and grayed, not vibrant. It's one of those yarns that if the label didn't say so, you would not believe the skeins are the same colorway. I think it would look really interesting on a round shawl, and I want to make some round ones.
(It won't be the next one, though, because I want to make the snowdrop shawl in Lace Style out of some yarn I hope gets dyed this weekend by Ray).
THEN, Jody talked me into buying some roving. Because she thought I should learn to spin. Well, it was pretty inexpensive, so I got some. And we went to her house (after margaritas), and she set me up with a drop spindle. I was predictably awkward at it, but was getting the hang of it by the time I went home. I came back with a borrowed spindle and an instruction book. We'll see how I do!
Must go play with my toys now...
Friday, May 11, 2007
Cherry Leaf Landmark
I'm totally focued on the Cherry Leaf shawl from Victorian Lace Today right now. And last night it hit a milestone--I finished all the cherry leaves. Ended up with 304 stitches across. Now I am doing 14 rows of garter stitch, after which I can bind off and do the lace edging. Sounds quick and easy. Well, until you multiply 304 X 14 = 4256. Perhaps I should not have done that calculation. Still, I have a concert to go to this evening, which is perfect for garter stitching! That will let me get going on the border at the yarn shop tomorrow. Woo.
Speaking of the yarn shop. They got in Addi lace needles. And they sold them out. Zoom. That's what happens when I miss a Saturday visit. I only ended up with size 3 and size 6 (47") because hardly anything was left. I look forward to using them on my next lace project, though.
And bad little Suna that I am, I also broke down and ordered the Knitpicks needle set, plus 0-3 in their longest circulars, plus two books. I got tired of waiting for the shop to get that top-down sweater book. I want to read it NOW (if I can put down I Am a Small Loop, which competes with my knitting).
Back to my LYS. They are going to host Louisa Harding on June 10! I am happy we are getting a visitor, since it is usually the other yarn store in town that gets all the fancy knitting guests (lovely place, good selection, just a bit far for me to drive to often and I don't get a discount there). It will be fun to go to the store on a Sunday, too!
Tomorrow will be a good knitting day, I hope. I hope to see Jody at the shop, and maybe meet my birthday shawl. I am then going to go on a hike with friends from my former job at Inks Lake State Park. If I am really lucky, I might sneak a visit to the rumored yarn shop in Burnet, which Jody and I have never managed to go check out on our own. Bonus: lots of car time for knitting.
Speaking of the yarn shop. They got in Addi lace needles. And they sold them out. Zoom. That's what happens when I miss a Saturday visit. I only ended up with size 3 and size 6 (47") because hardly anything was left. I look forward to using them on my next lace project, though.
And bad little Suna that I am, I also broke down and ordered the Knitpicks needle set, plus 0-3 in their longest circulars, plus two books. I got tired of waiting for the shop to get that top-down sweater book. I want to read it NOW (if I can put down I Am a Small Loop, which competes with my knitting).
Back to my LYS. They are going to host Louisa Harding on June 10! I am happy we are getting a visitor, since it is usually the other yarn store in town that gets all the fancy knitting guests (lovely place, good selection, just a bit far for me to drive to often and I don't get a discount there). It will be fun to go to the store on a Sunday, too!
Tomorrow will be a good knitting day, I hope. I hope to see Jody at the shop, and maybe meet my birthday shawl. I am then going to go on a hike with friends from my former job at Inks Lake State Park. If I am really lucky, I might sneak a visit to the rumored yarn shop in Burnet, which Jody and I have never managed to go check out on our own. Bonus: lots of car time for knitting.
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