tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-275274472024-03-14T07:14:59.741+01:00looking at the stars...My knitting blog and personal Speakers' Corner "I like driving people up the wall." -Me :Dprojektleiterinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12114900774366320516noreply@blogger.comBlogger108125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27527447.post-72234588841955603282011-03-27T20:27:00.004+02:002011-03-28T00:06:24.400+02:00Finished: Fair isle hat<b>Pattern: </b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_830077409">Fair Isle Hat by Sheila Joynes</a> (Vogue Knitting, Fall 2010)<br />
<b>Yarn: </b>Lana Grossa Merino Superfein<br />
<b>Colorway: </b>dark blue, dark green, beige, dark red, light blue, dark camel (where are the labels???)<br />
<b>Price: </b>? <br />
<b>Amount: </b>less than one ball of each color, I actually think there is enough left to make a pair of mittens <br />
<b>Needles: </b>3 mm <br />
<b>Gauge: </b>Swatching for small projects is kind of a waste of time, i.e. I was lazy and didn't swatch. It might not have been the worst idea though, because the hat is a tiny bit too big. <br />
<b>Dimensions:</b> It fits my head, but it could be a bit smaller, but still, it's ok. <br />
<b>Modifications: </b>I changed the colors. The original hat is dominated by blue and cool colors and I wanted something with warmer colors. The crown section got shortened.<br />
<br />
160 stitches<br />
Crown shaping: <br />
row 1: *k2tog, k5, ssk, k1. Repeat from *. <br />
row 2: k<br />
<br />
Repeat rows 1-2 1 more time.<br />
<br />
4 rows: *k1 dark blue, k1 light blue. Repeat from *. <br />
5th row: *ssk and k1 dark blue, ssk and k1 light blue. Repeat from *. <br />
6th row: *ssk dark blue, ssk light blue. Repeat from *.<br />
<br />
<b>Comments: </b>It's probably one of the most beautiful things I've ever made. :) Creating new color combinations can be so tough, at least for me. What I have noticed is that if you combine two colors together, it might be a good idea that they have distinctive values, otherwise you can't see the pattern well.<br />
<br />
More information about color theory be found here: <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall04/FEATcolor.html">http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall04/FEATcolor.html</a><br />
<br />
<img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-8JPm4RCWGlU/TYpdvytmN6I/AAAAAAAAAy4/88zRxnylUS8/s320/IMG_0352.JPG" width="240" /> <img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-q02bp126KNk/TYpd6W8wQJI/AAAAAAAAAzY/tLZWfAZnQ0k/s320/IMG_0389.JPG" width="240" /> <img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-cixxiViOztk/TYpdxpyjmJI/AAAAAAAAAy8/bchjgtlIxKU/s320/IMG_0353.JPG" width="240" /> <img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-L7kIeafcQy4/TYpdzejrzcI/AAAAAAAAAzA/HuT3Lmpeph4/s320/IMG_0354.JPG" width="240" /> <img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-HdJg3pXCIKs/TYpd2BaV16I/AAAAAAAAAzI/w52uQbpxSnE/s320/IMG_0376.JPG" width="240" /> <img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-v9AaCx9IgvM/TYpd3CLlgTI/AAAAAAAAAzM/f0PW3UZLyxc/s320/IMG_0377.JPG" width="240" /> <img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-7TF60h0uhW0/TYpd4FJJTRI/AAAAAAAAAzQ/RJINAD1SntU/s320/IMG_0384.JPG" width="240" /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-992zi85SB14/TYpd5ju33WI/AAAAAAAAAzU/xppwILdraN0/s1600/IMG_0388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-992zi85SB14/TYpd5ju33WI/AAAAAAAAAzU/xppwILdraN0/s1600/IMG_0388.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-T392D4ch4yE/TYpd0yi8TFI/AAAAAAAAAzE/cJ5XSjtDuCk/s1600/IMG_0358.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-T392D4ch4yE/TYpd0yi8TFI/AAAAAAAAAzE/cJ5XSjtDuCk/s1600/IMG_0358.JPG" width="320" /></a>projektleiterinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12114900774366320516noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27527447.post-87020425427369967262011-01-15T19:35:00.001+01:002011-01-15T19:38:37.444+01:00Yarn shopping in MadridWent yarn shopping today. Before that, I looked for information in the Ravelry Madrid group and got some replies. There's one Spanish brand, Katia, but it seems they don't produce yarn that is worth it to get obsessed about. There are some small yarn shops, but one was too far for me, the other one mostly sold Katia and the third one sold yarn by the weight (that sounds bad...), so I decided to go to El Corte Inglés which is THE department store in Spain (or at least where I have been so far). Their products are usually of high quality and they have Rowan (you can't really go wrong with Rowan, although I'd say the singles they sell is probably just going to felt like any other yarn. Have you also noticed how lately singles have become a trend? Some ideas sucks and this is one of them. In case you have noticed, the yarn that is sold for felting, is also a one-ply. I think the worst idea was the sock yarn from Schöppel that was single.)<br />
<br />
I got me some Felted Tweed in a really nice dark blue. Of the green I originally wanted, unfortunately, only one ball was left. I've used this yarn once for the Gretel beret by Ysolde Teague. I think if you're not careful it felts, but it should be ok. It might also be a good yarn to use for the Deep V Argyle Vest that I made. It's definitely softer than the other one.<br />
<br />
The Corte Inglés has a nice selection of Rowan yarns. Prices are similar to here, if not the same. Now, the thing that sucks in Spain if you knit (at least for me) is - they use mainly straight needles. There were short circular needles (40 cm) in bambú by Prym for nearly 9 €?! And some metal ones, 80 cm long (cheaper, but I seldom use metall ones in that length). And of course they did not have all the sizes that I would have needed. The yarn I finally picked was the result of some kind of compromise between color, weight, and availability of needle size and length. I think if I had known that, I would have brought some of my unfinished projects with me or some needles. <br />
<br />
Next week I might check out the Madrid knitting group.<br />
<br />
Some other random thoughts about Madrid: <br />
- I went to a little supermarket today and they had organic soy milk! And wholemeal toast! Not what I would have expected.<br />
- I get lost all the freaking time. Somehow I lost the ability to read maps and remember where I have to go. Yesterday it took me more half an hour to find the bus stop and when I finally found it, it was so late that no buses were running anymore. And today I managed to take the right train, but in the other direction. Instead of riding the metro for six stations, I got the whole roundtour.<br />
- Why are there no complete lists of all the places where the bus stops at the bus stops? Sometimes I'm standing at the there and wonder if I'm at the right stop or not or if it's indeed going where I want to go.<br />
- People in the metro kind of looked down. I wonder if it's because of the financial crisis? Apart from that, they say hello way more often than here.projektleiterinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12114900774366320516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27527447.post-2223897481192112902011-01-14T21:07:00.004+01:002011-01-14T21:16:56.172+01:00Finished: Dianna shawl<span style="font-weight: bold;">Pattern:</span> <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dianna">Dianna</a> by MaweLucky/Jane Araujo (free pattern!)<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Yarn:</span> My own <a href="http://projektleiterin.blogspot.com/2008/09/pattern-one-skein-shawl-by-clara-h.html">handspun</a><br />
<b>Fiber:</b> Fine Shetland<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Colorway: </span>PeachesNCream <br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Price:</span>?? <br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Amount:</span> Till I ran out of yarn <br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Needles:</span> 4 mm <br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Gauge:</span> -<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Dimensions:</span> ?<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Modifications:</span> Made a border<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Comments:</span><br />
The instructions are not for normal knitting, but it’s assumed that you will knit the WS rows backwards. Purling a WS row actually means purling backwards = knitting the WS row. Took me a while to figure that out…<br />
<br />
I think the pattern doesn’t have a border or I didn’t like it, so I had to come up with my own design. Unfortunately, I didn’t have yarn left and since it was my own handspun I couldn’t get more. After giving it some thought I decided to use the leftover yarn I had used for the ”<a href="http://projektleiterin.blogspot.com/2008/09/pattern-one-skein-shawl-by-clara-h.html">One-skein shawl with picot edge</a>”. I had used it doubled as a 4-ply, but since my handspun was laceweight, I split it into half and used it as a 2-ply. I decided to do ruffles. I had already picked up the stitches for the borders and started knitting the ruffles, when I found some leftovers from my handspun (yeah, I did have some leftovers, but I had forgotten about it since there was a long break between finishing the leaves part and starting the border). I wondered if I could finish the leftovers and came up with the idea of knitting some rows of reversed stockinette with the handspun and doing the ruffles with the other yarn.<br />
<br />
Honestly, knitting the border was a bit gruesome, because I had to rip back a couple of times. I finally settled on picking up two stitches for each border stitch with the handspun. Then I made the rufffles with the other yarn.<br />
<br />
I’m quite pleased with this project. The yarn could be a bit softer, but it’s still a very nice airy shawl with nice color changes. I find the colors a bit too muted for myself (they look a bit more intense in the photos than in reality), but my mom likes these colors, so it’s ok.<br />
<br />
The pattern is great and I love how nice the pattern brings out the colors of the handspun yarn. Once I figured out the aforementioned problem it was actually easy to knit. By the way, that was my first entrelac project!<br />
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I finished the project last year, but hadn't managed to blog about it. I'd say, picture #9 is truest to the colors. If you want to see the images in a bigger resolution, you will have to go to <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin">my flickr page</a>. Flickrs seems to have changed their rules about posting pictures yesterday and I don't have the original ones here to upload them on Blogger. By the way, I'm in Spain the next two months - must check out yarn shops!<br />
<br />
<img alt="Foto" height="240" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1390/5179789255_448135b03d_z.jpg" width="180" /> <img alt="Foto" height="240" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1317/5179789743_918266108e_z.jpg" width="180" /><br />
<img alt="Foto" height="180" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1364/5179790947_84ac2a5050_z.jpg" width="240" /> <img alt="Foto" height="180" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1298/5179790381_665b42fcca_z.jpg" width="240" /><br />
<img alt="Foto" border="0" height="240" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1329/5179755003_2d49dc1263_z.jpg" width="180" /> <img alt="Foto" height="240" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1352/5179750763_4871abf7c3_z.jpg" width="180" /> <img alt="Foto" height="240" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4110/5179748407_a4cd27cb34_z.jpg" width="180" /> <img alt="Foto" height="180" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1340/5179762935_6c8f3d0b09_z.jpg" width="240" /> <img alt="Foto" height="180" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1402/5179743281_73ab25b386_z.jpg" width="240" /> <br />
<img alt="Foto" height="240" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1372/5179756931_005c92c248_z.jpg" width="180" /> <img alt="Foto" height="240" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1321/5179759037_9bffa22cb3_z.jpg" width="180" /> <img alt="Foto" height="240" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4091/5180353182_2e132f176e_z.jpg" width="180" />projektleiterinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12114900774366320516noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27527447.post-87465505511429750962011-01-13T22:52:00.003+01:002011-01-13T23:52:36.567+01:00Finished: Deep V Argyle Vest<span style="font-weight: bold;">Pattern:</span> <a href="http://www.eunnyjang.com/knit/2006/01/deep_v_argyle_vest_pattern_for.html">Deep V Argyle Vest</a> by Eunny Yang<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Yarn:</span> "Filcolana Gotlandsk Pelsuld"<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Colorway: </span> purple and gold (215 and 164), the other colors are also great<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Price:</span> nearly 10 € for 100 g<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Amount:</span> 1 skein (100 g) of each color<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Needles:</span> 2.5 mm (for the tubular cast-on), 3 mm for the rest of the ribbing, 3.75 mm for the fair isle pattern (I think I should have gone up with the needle size though, the knitting is fairly tight)<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Gauge:</span> I was lazy and didn't swatch... (I know! I know who is reading this blog and I know what you want to say! :p) I think sometimes I do completely irrational things just to defy whatever higher entity is out there. And when I'm lucky, I feel special and think I have control over this chaotic process called life. When I'm not lucky, it becomes another unfinished project...<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Dimensions:</span> My size. <br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Modifications:</span> I was really lazy with one, so I didn't really modify a lot and just hoped that it would turn out fine. Picked up 3 out of 4 stitches for the arm and neckline. 96 stitches total for each arm. The ribbing is in a different color, because there wasn’t much of the other one left and I didn’t want to start a new skein. I actually like that. <br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Comments:</span><br />
I started this project twice before. Once with red and black yarn, then with white and blue yarn. The latter didn't have gauge, but I'm not sure, I also didn't really like the color combination when it was knit. My personal feeling is, you need colors with a high contrast, then it looks good. If the colors are too similar, the pattern blurs.<br />
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Eunny only explains in the instructions how to decrease, but not to increase. You can find the explanation on her blog though: <a href="http://www.eunnyjang.com/knit/2006/11/tips_tricks_and_treats.html">http://www.eunnyjang.com/knit/2006/11/tips_tricks_and_treats.html</a><br />
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Tubular cast-on, 2x2 rib. Did k2, p, k2 instead of k4, p, k4. I used 2 mm needles for the four setup rows and then switched to 3 mm needles.<br />
<br />
Techknitter’s method for joining in the round looks interesting, but it was too complicated with the tubular cast-on, so I just slipped the first stitch and knit it together with the last one, but still, I might use her method for other projects: <a href="http://techknitting.blogspot.com/2007/01/circular-knitting-3-in-1-techjoin_26.html">http://techknitting.blogspot.com/2007/01/circular-knitting-3-in-1-techjoin_26.html</a><br />
I held the gold color in the left hand and purple in the right. I think when the pattern color is much darker than the main color and the pattern is actually really dominating, then I should nevertheless switch the colors and hold the main color in the left hand and the pattern color in the right hand. The stitches I do with my right hand are much tighter than the stitches I get when continental knitting.<br />
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The pre-cut state:<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/5352388011/" title="Deep V Argyle Vest by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img alt="Deep V Argyle Vest" height="240" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5044/5352388011_9f6bcdeb3b_m.jpg" width="180" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/5352389869/" title="Deep V Argyle Vest by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img alt="Deep V Argyle Vest" height="240" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5046/5352389869_002a3475eb_m.jpg" width="180" /></a><br />
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Every time I read about people cutting steeks the first time, I feel bored with the descriptions of the angst and anxiety that these women go through. Since so many people have cut steeks before them, it shouldn't be such a great deal, right? Since cutting a steek didn't look like it would provide me with enough excitement and thrill, I decided to take it up a notch. Instead of cutting through the middle stitches and have 4.5 stitches left for the edge, I thought I should try to reduce the bulk and leave only 2.5 stitches for the edge. Being a smartass sometimes can be wonderful, but in this case, it was a bad idea. Things started to unravel and I had to come up with fancy knots and surprising ties to prevent my vest from becoming another unfinished project. Since I'm not totally stupid, I had tried this experiment on the backside of the neck where you only cut a couple of stitches which helped to keep the problem below catastrophy level. As you can see in the following pictures, the stitches at the neck are a bit loose, but well, I think the damage is under control.<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/5346689413/" title="Deep V Argyle Vest by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img alt="Deep V Argyle Vest" height="240" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5202/5346689413_eec0d5a541_m.jpg" width="180" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/5346689561/" title="Deep V Argyle Vest by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img alt="Deep V Argyle Vest" height="240" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5045/5346689561_3f9eb2751a_m.jpg" width="180" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/5346689671/" title="Deep V Argyle Vest by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img alt="Deep V Argyle Vest" height="240" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5205/5346689671_ec4eef8db9_m.jpg" width="180" /></a> <br />
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2.5 was a bit low, but well, I thought 3.5 would be ok. So, for the rest of the neck and the armholes, I stuck to 3.5 stitches for the edge. I used some alpaca leftovers for crocheting the edge.<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/5347298488/" title="Deep V Argyle Vest by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img alt="Deep V Argyle Vest" height="180" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5004/5347298488_b0989c94a2_m.jpg" width="240" /></a> <a aiotarget="false" aiotitle="Deep V Argyle Vest by projektleiterin, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/5347298718/"><img alt="Deep V Argyle Vest" height="180" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5164/5347298718_db00df0587_m.jpg" width="240" /></a> <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/5347298784/" title="Deep V Argyle Vest by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img alt="Deep V Argyle Vest" height="180" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5121/5347298784_2c0585c76f_m.jpg" width="240" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/5346690359/" title="Deep V Argyle Vest by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img alt="Deep V Argyle Vest" height="180" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5004/5346690359_9432a8a129_m.jpg" width="240" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/5347299292/" title="Deep V Argyle Vest by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img alt="Deep V Argyle Vest" height="180" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5130/5347299292_4e58d18d58_m.jpg" width="240" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/5347299222/" title="Deep V Argyle Vest by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img alt="Deep V Argyle Vest" height="180" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5122/5347299222_983feb3305_m.jpg" width="240" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/5346690261/" title="Deep V Argyle Vest by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img alt="Deep V Argyle Vest" height="180" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5241/5346690261_ddcd5237bd_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/5347299362/" title="Deep V Argyle Vest by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img alt="Deep V Argyle Vest" height="180" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5082/5347299362_07571a2d0e_m.jpg" width="240" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/5347298900/" title="Deep V Argyle Vest by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img alt="Deep V Argyle Vest" height="180" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5123/5347298900_a2a2f0579c_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<br />
I think the vest fits better if you have a long torso, otherwise it’s a bit too long. The armholes also strike me as a bit too big. The width is ok above the waist, but below it’s a bit too tight. The steeks are a bit bulky. The pattern is pretty easy and it's a fast knit. If you have never done fair isle before then this would be a good first project.<br />
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Looks ok overall, but could use some improvement in some points. The yarn is a bit scratchy.projektleiterinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12114900774366320516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27527447.post-58031448651781202702011-01-13T21:32:00.010+01:002011-01-14T22:52:20.574+01:00Finished: Leafprints Shawlette<span style="font-weight: bold;">Pattern:</span>Leafprints Shawlette by Anne Hanson<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Yarn:</span> Some lace yarn from Handpainted.com<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Colorway: </span> Wild Daisies<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Price:</span> don't know, but probably a couple of dollars<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Amount:</span> less than 850 g<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Needles:</span> 3 mm<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Gauge: </span>You should know by now that I rarely swatch when knitting shawls<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Dimensions:</span> big<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Modifications:</span><br />
<ul><li>made the lace part symmetrical</li>
<li>start at row 25 of lace chart until row 32, then do row 1 to row 32.</li>
<li>149 stitches (garter stitch) on each side, increase 38 stitches: 187 stitches on each side 36 x K4, yo, k5, yo</li>
</ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Comments:</span><br />
Easy pattern. The yarn is not supersoft, but not that scratchy as I had assumed. It's not cashmere, but probably soft enough to wrap it around your neck. The color is gorgeous. It's really really nice. I have some yarn left, so maybe I will make a small shawl for myself.<br />
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The picture of the shawl were taken with a Canon Ixus 130. Honestly, I don't think I am that thrilled with the camera... The first picture was taken with a Nikon Coolpix and while I always thought that this camera wasn't great, I still find the colors of the pictures were better. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/1462655671/" title="handpaintedyarn.com by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img alt="handpaintedyarn.com" height="180" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1036/1462655671_44f34c4e2c_m.jpg" width="240" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/5338984207/" title="Leafprints Shawlette by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img alt="Leafprints Shawlette" height="180" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5127/5338984207_b57ab55782.jpg" width="240" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/5338984989/" title="Leafprints Shawlette by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img alt="Leafprints Shawlette" height="180" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5085/5338984989_926ecb5a6a.jpg" width="240" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/5339597552/" title="Leafprints Shawlette by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img alt="Leafprints Shawlette" height="180" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5283/5339597552_25c87c7a64.jpg" width="240" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/5339597398/" title="Leafprints Shawlette by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img alt="Leafprints Shawlette" height="180" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5290/5339597398_8b08e10d48.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/5339597702/" title="Leafprints Shawlette by projektleiterin, on Flickr"> <img alt="Leafprints Shawlette" height="240" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5010/5339597702_9e46fc0b9d.jpg" width="180" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/5338985579/" title="Leafprints Shawlette by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img alt="Leafprints Shawlette" height="240" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5243/5338985579_c8f6583650.jpg" width="180" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/5338985765/" title="Leafprints Shawlette by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img alt="Leafprints Shawlette" height="240" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5287/5338985765_bb2da8254a.jpg" width="180" /></a>projektleiterinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12114900774366320516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27527447.post-46410423801731465452009-08-30T14:45:00.003+02:002009-08-30T14:54:19.325+02:00Finished: Handspun yarn "Coleus"<b>Fiber:</b> Corriedale<br /><b>Color:</b> Coleus<br /><b>Seller:</b> TheFiberDenn at Etsy<div><br /></div><div><b>Comment:</b> It's the same yarn as <a href="http://projektleiterin.blogspot.com/2008/09/pattern-one-skein-shawl-by-clara-h.html">here</a> and <a href="http://projektleiterin.blogspot.com/2008/06/first-attempts-at-spinning.html">here</a>. This one if navajo plied unlike the very first mini skein (2-plied) I made.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3852782837/" title="Handspun yarn by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2597/3852782837_4d1c18a000_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Handspun yarn" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3852782227/" title="Handspun yarn by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2425/3852782227_c1a3d5f394_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Handspun yarn" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3852781947/" title="Handspun yarn by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2623/3852781947_9652de3edd_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Handspun yarn" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3853574040/" title="Handspun yarn by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3480/3853574040_32bf57d2f5_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Handspun yarn" /></a></div>projektleiterinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12114900774366320516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27527447.post-69201025336550945372009-08-17T22:37:00.007+02:002009-08-28T11:55:30.070+02:00Finished: Sewn skirt with ruffles<span style="font-weight: bold;">Pattern:</span> Oops, I can't really remember... I remember using <a href="http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9780715326954/Sew-What%21-Skirts">Sew What! Skirts: 16 Simple Styles You Can Make with Fabulous Fabrics</a> It's a nice book which teaches you let your creative juices flow and design your own skirt.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Comments:</span> I like the fabric <span style="font-weight: bold;">a lot</span>. The skirt is not too bad either. When I made it I was thinking about something à la Provence. I don't know how old this skirt is. I tried it on a couple of weeks ago and thought it didn't look so bad and I realized that it only needed a zipper. Me, giving up on things that are only inches, nah, milimeters, away from being finished? Ne-ver...<br /><br />There's a zipper in the back. Instead of using some elastic for the waist I used a long bow/tie/ribbon? (I'm also struggling right now with the right word for it in German... ahem... Schleife? Band?). It's superlong, so I can wrap it around me and tie into a bow.<br /><br />Colorwise the first picture is probably closest to the true color, although I like how bright and nice the blue is in the third picture. And I really like the ruffles. :)<br /><br />I have some fabric left to make pouches or bags for my knitting. Awesome! :)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3821787066/" title="Skirt by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3421/3821787066_fd3f45b01b_m.jpg" alt="Skirt" height="240" width="180" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3820979951/" title="Skirt by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2449/3820979951_cf10df6940_m.jpg" alt="Skirt" height="180" width="240" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3821786570/" title="Skirt by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2667/3821786570_204e29b5a3_m.jpg" alt="Skirt" height="240" width="180" /></a><br /><br />You may have noticed that I fixed my template. The guy who created the first template must have deleted the images, hence, all the error messages. I got a similar template somewhere else at <a href="http://blogandweb.com/">blogandweb.com</a> and spent Sunday afternoon tweaking it here and there. Now most issues have been fixed. <del>The template has been adapted for Blogger and is based on "Integral" from <a href="http://www.freecsstemplates.org/">www.freecsstemplates.org</a>.</del> The template is based on "Integral" from <a href="http://www.freecsstemplates.org/">www.freecsstemplates.org</a> and was adapted for Blogger. Hm, I think, I should go and save all the images before they disappear again.projektleiterinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12114900774366320516noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27527447.post-86819935586859827602009-08-16T13:48:00.012+02:002009-08-16T17:16:17.851+02:00Finished: Ribbed Lace Bolero<span style="font-weight: bold;">Pattern: </span><a href="http://kellymaher.wordpress.com/2007/07/04/ribbed-lace-bolero/">Ribbed Lace Bolero</a> by Kelly Maher<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Yarn:</span> Filosoft by Wolle Rödel, 52 % merino, 48 % cotton, handwash at 30 °C, recommended needle size 4 -5 mm, recommended gauge 22 st x 28 rows = 10 cm<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Color:</span> white<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Price:</span> €3.75? per ball<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Amount:</span> 2.5<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Needles:</span> 3.5 mm for the ribbing, 4.5 mm for the body<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gauge:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dimensions: </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Modifications:</span><br />"Switch to size 8 needles now"<br /><br />I think I did this a row earlier, so that the stitches that were going to be cabled would be on the needles with a size 8, just like the stitches that had been undergoing ssk and k2tog on the other side had been sitting on needles size 8.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Comments:</span><br />I'm convinced shrugs look like very clever constructions (you have a circle/rectangle and sew it here and here and voilà, a finished garment. How easy and clever is that?), but the fit is weird. There are three interconnected issues: collar, back, arms (armhole). Either the collar is too big or you have this bulk in the back or your armholes are too small. I think you will always only get a fit that is ok, but not great. Or maybe it's just my body. Ok, I might also rearrange the back material a bit by turning the collar in a bit more, then it might be acceptable. From the front it looks nice.<br /><br />Love the yarn. <a href="http://projektleiterin.blogspot.com/2009/07/finished-saturday-in-park-perfect-dress.html">I've already used it in another color, red,</a> but it didn't feel as nice as in white.<br /><br />Oh my, the combination of bad posture and ill fitting clothes...<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3825297573/" title="Ribbed Lace Bolero by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2584/3825297573_6acf889a22_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Ribbed Lace Bolero" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3826097384/" title="Ribbed Lace Bolero by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3575/3826097384_7e03a195e6_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Ribbed Lace Bolero" /></a> <br /><br />I think I like pictures taken without flash better. It's weird how different I look in the picture with and without flash.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3825297863/" title="Ribbed Lace Bolero by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2449/3825297863_e890654dd0_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Ribbed Lace Bolero" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3825298049/" title="Ribbed Lace Bolero by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3439/3825298049_a91656092a_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Ribbed Lace Bolero" /></a><br /><br />I like kitty, but kitty doesn't like me. Hmpf. Supposedly it's a very affectionate cat, but while I was talking to it, its tail was swinging nervously back and forth, as if it was sweeping the street.<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3825298049/" title="Ribbed Lace Bolero by projektleiterin, on Flickr"></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3825298215/" title="Ribbed Lace Bolero by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3466/3825298215_e11b29a010_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Ribbed Lace Bolero" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3826097650/" title="Kitty by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3465/3826097650_5b010b8932_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Kitty" /></a>projektleiterinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12114900774366320516noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27527447.post-584432173910357722009-08-16T13:11:00.005+02:002009-08-16T14:27:13.554+02:00Finished: Orangina in pink<span style="font-weight: bold;">Pattern:</span> <a href="http://glampyreknits.tripod.com/glampyrephotos/id92.html">Orangina</a> by Stefanie Japel (it's actually cheaper when you buy the PDF from Ravelry: <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/orangina">http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/orangina</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Yarn:</span> "Seidenglanz" by Schachenmayr nomotta, 100 % cotton, 125 m/ 50 g26 st x 36 r = 10 cm x 10 cm, recommended needle size: 2.5 - 3.5 mm; one of my friends said that the yarn is now called "Catania". I can't remember exactly how "Catania" looks like, but I think it does look similar. Each ball had a couple of knots.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Color:</span> 158<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Price:</span> €1.25, reduced from €1.75<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Amount:</span> 4 balls<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Needles:</span> 3.25 mm for the body and 2.5 mm for the ribbing. I would have preferred 2.75 mm needles, but didn't have circulars in the right length.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gauge:</span> 18 stitches (2 pattern repeates) in 9 cm<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dimensions:</span> 9 pattern repeats each for front and back<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Modifications:</span><br />Made it smaller. I was afraid it would emphasize my shoulders too much if it was too wide. The ribbing is also lower, but that's just because I assumed that with blocking the body would shrink lengthwise, so I knit a couple rows more. It didn't really shrink and I was just too lazy to rip back again and I thought that this piece was already full with mistakes anyway. And also, it looks ok that way. If I hadn't liked the look of it I probably would have ripped back.<br />I knit the top in the round after the armholes. If you knit in the round, you can reduce some stitches, but be aware - you can <b>not</b> just line the pattern repeats one after another. It will not work where the beginning and the end of the row meet. At the sides you need to keep some of the edge stitches. Trust me, I've repeated this over and over again until I finally understood that my knitting was correct and it just did not work out, no matter what I believed.<br /><br />After joining to knit in the round and after like 10 cm I tried it on and realized that the armholes are too big. - I just don't know why they were too big! AAAAHHHH! I had measured it! At this point and after ripping back so much I decided to make the armholes smaller by sewing the side seams together.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Comments:</span><br />The yarn doesn't seem to be a great quality. Usually I don't block garments inbetween, but in this case I wanted to check the length of the lace part (I turned out to be longer then expected, but just couldn't bother anymore), so I soaked it in water, meaning, I did not wash it with any detergent, just soaked in water and then blocked it. After drying, checking the length, etc, I continued working on the ribbing, and guess what, there is a color difference. You can even see it in the picture.<br />The edge around the neck curls. The swatch was ok, but here the edge curls. I just blocked it again, but still, it seems like the curled edge is going to stay.<br />I think I like it, despite the armholes and the curling edge.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3820980487/" title="Orangina by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3447/3820980487_6b5b42b8b0_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Orangina" /></a>projektleiterinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12114900774366320516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27527447.post-40951088647764952212009-07-25T15:46:00.007+02:002009-07-25T16:19:59.490+02:00Finished: Saturday In The Park Perfect Dress<span style="font-weight: bold;">Pattern:</span> Saturday In The Park Perfect Dress from Fitted Knits by Stefanie JapelKnits<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Yarn:</span> Filosoft by Wolle Rödel, 52 % merino, 48 % cotton, handwash at 30 °C, recommended needle size 4 -5 mm, recommended gauge 22 st x 28 rows = 10 cm<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Color:</span> red (1205)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Price:</span> €3,75 per 50 g ball?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Amount:</span> 12 (one was needed for swatching)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Needles:</span> 3.5 mm<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gauge:</span> 24 st x 32 rows = 10 cm in stockinette and mock lace cable pattern. On the label the recommended gauge is 22 st x 28 rows, but I was afraid that the dress would sag at the bottom if it was knit too loosely and I tend to like my knitting to be a bit tighter than what is usually recommended on the label.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dimensions:</span> I measured myself and calculated the amount of stitches that was necessary to make the dress fit. The dress has negative ease (a couple of cm).<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Modifications:</span><br /><br />20/06/2009<br />Cast on 242 stitches. I’m doing it top up. This top down raglan thing according to my calculations is not working out for me.<br /><br />After the hem pattern decreased by 2 stitches = 240.<br /><br />Divided them into sections of 20 stitches. Alternating sections with stockinette stitch with mock cable pattern.<br /><br />After 18 rows: decrease 2 stitches in each stockinette sections: k5, k2tog, k6, ssk, k5<br />6 x 2 stitches => 228 stitches<br /><br />After 24 rows: decrease 2 stitches in each stockinette sections: k5, k2tog, k4, ssk, k5<br />6 x 2 stitches => 216 stitches<br /><br />After 24 rows: decrease in the mock cable sections:<br />p1, cable, p2tog, cable, p2, cable, p2tog, cable, p1<br />6 x 2 stitches => 204 stitches<br /><br />After 12 rows: decrease in the mock cable sections:<br />p1, cable, p1, cable, p2tog, cable, p1, cable, p1<br />6 x 1 stitch => 198 stitches<br /><br />From hip to waist: 20 cm = 64 rows<br /><br />After 12 rows: - 18 st: => 180 st<br /><br />* Two decreases in each of the stockinette sections: 6 x 2 st decreases = -12 st<br />* 3 x 1 purl st dec in the mock cable section = - 6 st<br /><br />I wanted the stitches to be a multiple of 5, because of the pattern.<br /><br />I now repeated the hem pattern for the hip section. I got the idea from Monikita:<br />http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Monikita/saturday-in-the-...<br /><br />After 9 rows: - 10 st => 170 st<br />Decreases are worked on the sides. That creates the least disruption of the pattern. And I guess, that’s just what you do? From now on, decreases and increases are worked on the side<br /><br />After 9 rows: - 10 st => 160 st<br />After 8 rows: - 10 st => 150 st<br />After 9 rows: - 4 st => 146 st<br />* On the side: ssk, k3, k2tog<br />150 st /2 = 75 st. This means my center on both sides was not between two stitches, but on a stitch.<br /><br />I think it should have been between two stitches, but anyway, trying to distribute the decreases nicely was tricky enough.<br /><br />After 9 rows: - 4 st => 142 st<br />After 9 rows: - 4 st => 138 st<br /><br />After the hip section I added a central cable section (30 st wide).<br /><br />Now I started increasing.<br />9 times every 7th row 4 increases => 174 st<br /><br />On row 49 I added short rows. There supposed to start like 1-2 inches from the armhole and end 1 inch from the bust point. So, I made 4 short rows, 3 stitches apart. Starting 5 stitches from center stitch on the side. Ending 11 stitches from the center cable section. I find the short rows look a bit weird, ending above my bust point?<br /><br />Armhole shaping:<br />I now had to separate into back and front and decided that the center stitches on the side would be added to the front.<br /><br />Decreases for the back and front: 3-2-2-<br /><br />Neckline:<br />At the same time, after 4 rows (counting from where I separated the sleeves) I bound off the central cable section.<br /><br />Sleeves:<br />Cast on 70 st. Added cables. Increased 2 st. => 72 st Knit two rows. Decrease 3-2-2 on both sides.<br /><br />Connecting sleeves and body part:<br />Use two circular needles, one for the front and halves of the sleeves. The other one for the back and the other halves of the sleeves. Knit 4 rows. Decrease in front and back. Two stitches between the decreases.<br /><br />19/07/2009<br />Picked up 3 stitches for every 4 stitches in the front and back and 3 stitches for every 5 rows. Neckline is a bit different. I didn’t turn at the purl line and instead just let it curl. It’s nicer and stretchier that way. Folding at the hem was good, but at the neckline it looked ugly. Did the same for the sleeves. I think the raglan sleeves do make my shoulders look a bit bigger.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Comments:<br /></span> I'm happy with the dress. <div style="visibility: hidden;" title="1248530906413" id="_booktextmark_tab_id_"></div><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3754250711/" title="Saturday In The Park Perfect Dress by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3483/3754250711_f0cb5ed28d_m.jpg" alt="Saturday In The Park Perfect Dress" height="240" width="180" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3754250787/" title="Saturday In The Park Perfect Dress by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3428/3754250787_89f88baff4_m.jpg" alt="Saturday In The Park Perfect Dress" height="240" width="200" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3755052134/" title="Saturday In The Park Perfect Dress by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3500/3755052134_58bbda0c0f_m.jpg" alt="Saturday In The Park Perfect Dress" height="240" width="180" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3755052000/" title="Saturday In The Park Perfect Dress by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2526/3755052000_3a1ec6bb27_m.jpg" alt="Saturday In The Park Perfect Dress" height="240" width="180" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3754250917/" title="Saturday In The Park Perfect Dress by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2422/3754250917_a11e3e1fcc_m.jpg" alt="Saturday In The Park Perfect Dress" height="240" width="180" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3754251087/" title="Saturday In The Park Perfect Dress by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3430/3754251087_2fa7d964bc_m.jpg" alt="Saturday In The Park Perfect Dress" height="240" width="180" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3755051440/" title="Saturday In The Park Perfect Dress by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3457/3755051440_f00903b752_m.jpg" alt="Saturday In The Park Perfect Dress" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /><br />By the way, I just hate that my blog looks so messed up. And it's so much work customizing a new template.projektleiterinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12114900774366320516noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27527447.post-42908242332159182652009-06-21T18:20:00.004+02:002009-06-21T18:27:29.930+02:002009 - International Year of Natural Fibres<object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KuwBcycCM0w&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KuwBcycCM0w&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object><br /><br /><blockquote><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FAO resolution</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">International Year of Natural Fibres</span><br /><br />THE CONFERENCE,<br /><br />Recalling that, following consideration by the Joint Meeting of the Thirty-third Session of the Intergovernmental Group on Hard Fibres and the Thirty-fifth Session of the Intergovernmental Group on Jute, Kenaf and Allied Fibres, and by the Sixty-fifth Session of the Committee on Commodity Problems, the Hundred and Twenty-eighth Session of the FAO Council in June 2005 had endorsed the proposal for an International Year of Natural Fibres;<br /><br />Noting that natural fibres play an important part in clothing the world's population as well as having traditional and promising new industrial uses;<br /><br />Recalling that much of the world's natural fibre was produced as a source of cash income by small farmers in low-income and developing countries;<br /><br />Desiring to focus world attention on the role that income derived from the sale and export of natural fibres plays in contributing to food security and poverty alleviation of the population;<br /><br />Believing that while the production and consumption of natural fibres offer significant environmental benefits, concerted efforts should be made to ensure that these benefits are not compromised by unsound practices;<br /><br />Recognizing that there were important potential partnerships among participants in the various natural fibre industries;<br /><br />Affirming the need to heighten public awareness of the economic and environmental attributes of natural fibres:<br /><br /> 1. Requests the Director-General to transmit this Resolution to the Secretary-General of the United Nations with a view to having the United Nations declare the Year 2009 as the International Year of Natural Fibres;<br /> 2. Further requests the Director-General to inform future sessions of Conference and the Secretary-General of the United Nations of progress in making arrangements, including in securing funding, for the International Year of Natural Fibres and, subsequently, of the results of the Year once concluded.<br /><br />25 November 2005</blockquote><br />Source: http://www.naturalfibres2009.org/en/iynf/background.htmlprojektleiterinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12114900774366320516noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27527447.post-51002576429506897802009-06-03T00:04:00.027+02:002009-06-05T11:06:45.488+02:00London<del>Last month</del> A really long while ago, I was in London. I was excited, because it was my first time to tread British soil beside the times when I was transfering to another flight at Heathrow airport. It's kind of funny that it took me so long to ever get there.<br /><br /><a style="" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3431691973/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3320/3431691973_80da40dbed_m.jpg" style="float: right; margin-left: 15px;" alt="London" width="240" height="180" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Getting around using public transportation:</span><br />Here's the website that will tell you <a href="http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/default.aspx">how to get from A to B</a>. You can use the tube or buses within London, but I only used the bus twice. Once from my friend's house to get to Camden Market - I had a nice view sitting on the upper deck - and then to get back to the airport.<br /><br />That day I didn't have <a href="http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/faresandtickets/1055.aspx">One Day Travel Card</a>, so I used an <a href="https://oyster.tfl.gov.uk/oyster/entry.do">Oyster</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oyster_card">Card</a>. It's a card that you can recharge online or at automats. They want to encourage the use of paperless tickets, so if you use an Oyster Card you get cheaper fares.<br /><br />If you want to travel outside of London with the train you can get an extension for your Oyster Card. There is also something called Oyster Card Travelcard.<br /><br />I feel like a complete failure and loser for not being able to figure out the real difference between Oyster Card and One Day Travelcard. *sniff* (Screw them, really... I researched it on the internet, but I don't get it and nobody I asked seems to understand it either.) . Anyway, I think if you want information about Oyster Card and Travelcard it seems the Wikipedia page still explains it best. Too bad that I didn't see it before I went on vacation.<br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oyster_card<br /><br />I arrived in the afternoon and as my friend doesn't live in London, but in a small village a bit outside - a deadly boring place according to her - I wanted to see a bit of London first before going to her place. The first question was then, where couldI leave my bag? I don't know why I assumed that all tube stations would have lockers, but I learned I was wrong. The lady who sat next to me in the plane told me that they had lockers at Victoria station and she doubted they had them elsewhere. Anyway, if you arrive from Heathrow, Victora Station, a tube and railway station, is probably the next place where you can leave your luggage. They don't have lockers, but they have a service where you can leave your luggage. It costs a shocking 8 pounds. *gulp* It's a 24 hour service, but if you only want to leave your stuff for a couple of hours you still have to pay 8 pounds.<br /><br />If you walk out of Victoria Station you then have the choice between Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey. I decided that it was a bit late already and that I would leave Buckingham Palace for another day (that never came...). On my way to Westminster Abbey I noticed that a) a lot of Londoners are dressed in suit and b) they all walk quite fast. Someone I know complains about the Gemütlichkeit of people here, now I know what he means. In general, I find people in London to dress better than here. And a lot of cute guys are running around. :D And a lot of Spanish people. And a lot of the people in suits are foreigners. I've noticed that in other countries like the States and now Great Britain foreigners seem to be better integrated into society and are less confined to low paid jobs. One of my friends, who is British, said that in England people are more open and willing to give you a chance to prove yourself, while in Germany without the right degree you don't get far.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3432495780/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3307/3432495780_b570ce3c02_m.jpg" alt="London" style="float: left;" width="240" height="180" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3431682377/" style="float: left; margin-right: 20px;" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3638/3431682377_593445d08c_m.jpg" alt="London" width="240" height="180" /></a> On my way I saw this church. And this house. It looked so old-<br />fashioned and cute among all the modern buildings.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3432504812/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3654/3432504812_dcab539574_m.jpg" alt="London" style="float: right; margin-left: 15px;" width="180" height="240" /></a>On the left hand side is a picture of Westminster Abbey. Surprisingly unspectacular to me. Not sure what I was expecting. On the other side of the street is this huge building with a flag on top of the tower. I saw a lot of people who looked touristy to me walk inside and come out. I asked one of the official looking people at the entrance what it was and if you could get a tour. She said it was the House of Parliaments and that there was no guided tour, but that you could still walk inside and have a look at the debates inside. I didn't really have any plans, so I walked inside.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3432495532/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3626/3432495532_c142853f52_m.jpg" alt="London" width="240" height="180" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3432507160/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3648/3432507160_fa08d7669e_m.jpg" alt="London" width="240" height="180" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3432506910/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3644/3432506910_09bcd8ce50_m.jpg" style="float: left; margin-right: 20px;" alt="London" width="180" height="240" /></a>That's the entrance hall inside the House of Parliaments. It's *huge*. Look at the ceiling. I listened to a debate in the House of Commons that was about the dangers of cannabis. A member of the government was arguing that the danger of cannabis was overrated and not more harmful than other legal drugs like alcohol or cigarettes. I noticed that the members of the House of Commons looked like tourists, they all showed up for the vote. At first I was wondering why there were so many tourists as the age range was amazing - really young men and really old women, the grandma type - and also because some of them had the bad dress taste of Robinson Club tourists. Totally not what I expected after I had gotten the impression that half of London was running around in business suits. They also didn't sit down, but were just walking buy. Later one of the guards told me that they were voting in two different rooms. One room was for the "Ayes" and the other one for the "Noes." The noes had it in the end, so I guess, the government guy didn't really convince anybody. The debate in the House of Lords was quite boring, more civilized. The hall here had a richer decoration. The two Houses are also distinguished colorwise. The House of Commons is decorated in green and the House of Lords is mostly red.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Knitting:</span><br />First and foremost, I must admit - I was not able to buy any yarn at all! This totally pains me, *booohoooo*. :( The last day, Saturday, came and I had decided that this was going to be the day where I would not oblige myself to be a good tourist, who would visit all these cultural institutions. Instead I wanted to indulge in shopping. I find shopping in general extremely boring, because I usually go shopping when I need something and usually I don't find it. Plus oxygenfree shops, big crowds of people and long lines in front of the changing rooms - soo bad... Anyway, shopping for yarn can be more fun. It's just I first went to Staple-something Market (??) (which I confused with Camden Market). There I managed to meet up with my friend, who came with her boyfriend and who had also arranged to meet with another friend of hers. From there we went to Camden Market. My friend, being Spanish, started speaking Spanish with her Spanish friend and her British boyfriend, knowing some Spanish, but not enough to follow the stream of words that Spanish people produce when they talk, understood only a bit of it. I think he felt a bit frustrated for not being able to join in the conversation. I tried to entertain him a bit, but I think he was also thoroughly bored with the market. It's more a girls thing, I think.<br /><br />So, after Camden Market we went to this little yarn shop, <a href="http://www.iknit.org.uk/">I knit</a>. It's a nice shop with a lot of Malabrigo and handpainted yarn. Despite the low value of the British pound though, I found the prices for the handpainted stuff to be quite shocking. Even if they had been in Euro, I would have found them expensive. Luckily, handpainted yarn is not a must on my list. Other interesting stuff was yarn from <a href="http://www.habutextiles.com/">Habu Textiles</a>, like <a href="http://www.habutextiles.com/webfile/a-20.html">stainless steel yarn</a>, and this blend of merino and possum fur in DK weight - really soft (hm, after reading more about possum fur <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/features/can-wearing-fur-be-guiltfree-934031.html">here</a>, I'm not so sure anymore if I really want to use it. I'm also slightly confused about the use of the term "fur" when you're talking about yarn = just hair, when it's coming from an animal.). I'm just not really the kind of person who buys expensive exotic yarn without having any kind of project in mind. There are questions like, what do you want to knit? How much do you need? Returning leftovers is not easy when you buy the yarn a couple of hundreds kilometeres away from home. And with two guys who were not overly interested in yarn my mind was just not free enough to reach any conclusion... :/ The end of the story is that I didn't buy anything from this shop. By the way, the shop doesn't carry any Rowan. I had assumed that every British yarn shop would carry Rowan yarn.<br /><br />Afterwards I suggested that we go to a Pub first seeing how bored the guys looked instead of going straight ahead to the John Lewis Department Store on Oxford Street as my friend suggested (I thought after Camden Market and the other yarn shop they needed a break). She was concerned that it would close soon (it was around 6 pm). I said, "Well, that's a big department store, on Oxford Street, and today is Saturday. It's very very unlikely that they will close earlier." Yeah, RIGHT! 7.15 pm we were standing in front of a closed department store and in the window I was able to see balls of Rowan yarn! *sob* (One of my friends later explained to me that the John Lewis Department Store has this social conscience in their business concept included where you treat your staff nicely, meaning nice opening hours, fair salaries, etc. I also read in the newspaper that despite the financial crisis and some minor cuts they had still paid high bonuses to their employees.) And of course, no other department store around Oxford has a haberdashery section... That's how I managed to go to London and come back empty-handed. *sob, sob* I guess, that means I have to go back there again. And there are surely not going to be any bored non-knitters coming with me! :D<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3431692345/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3304/3431692345_3d1a6a1efe_m.jpg" alt="London" style="float: left; margin-right: 20px;" width="180" height="240" /></a>On my list of things to do in London was also going to a knitting group. It so happened that, although the three groups I had discovered had irregular meetings, all three of them had a meeting the Thursday I was in town. Serendipity strikes again! :) I decided to check out the <a href="http://www.stitchandbitchlondon.co.uk/">Stitch & Bitch group</a>. They seem to be a quite active group that do fun stuff like<a href="http://stitchandbitchlondon.wordpress.com/2009/03/01/london-grafitti-knitting-with-magda-sayeg/"> knit graffiti</a>. On the left hand side is a picture of a knit graffiti I discovered in London. I confused the addresses though and in the end went to another group. They were nice, but less enthusiastic about knitting than my friends from my Sunday group are.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3431692663/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3328/3431692663_05f7dcf895_m.jpg" alt="London" width="240" height="180" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3432499476/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3397/3432499476_29ced9bde0_m.jpg" alt="London" width="240" height="180" /></a><br /><br />They have a "controlled drinking zone"! :D<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3432505538/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3362/3432505538_5e0641c56f_m.jpg" alt="London" width="180" height="240" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Museums:</span><br />Ok, I need to go to bed now, but I really want to finish this post. The short version: British Museum is really nice, lots and lots of culture - go there. Didn't see the Natural History Museum, which I regretted, because I got told that there is a huge dinosaur skeleton in the entry hall - go there. Victora and Albert Museum is also interesting - go there. Nice sections about fashion, jewelry, etc. (I just found out they have a knitting section on <a href="http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/fashion/features/knitting/index.html">their website with patterns</a>!)My guidebook said that the museum would close at 5 pm, I think. That's just the half-truth though. At five certain sections close, but many of the interesting sections, the silver jewelry section, for example, continue to be opened. One more thing about this museum: the gift shop is great. I found it somewhat irresistible.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3431691403/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3639/3431691403_6e9c44fb73_m.jpg" alt="London" width="240" height="180" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3431690635/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3400/3431690635_9b39ae1d4d_m.jpg" alt="London" width="180" height="240" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3432504256/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3597/3432504256_f751939910_m.jpg" alt="London" width="180" height="240" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3431690091/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3550/3431690091_87582804f6_m.jpg" alt="London" width="180" height="240" /></a><br /><br />Guess what that is. It's an antique comic! Click on the picture to see a larger version.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3432496438/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3626/3432496438_d69d5bd442_m.jpg" alt="London" width="240" height="180" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3431689757/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3621/3431689757_4e86c971cd_m.jpg" alt="London" width="240" height="180" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3432503126/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3404/3432503126_a3129be024_m.jpg" alt="London" width="180" height="240" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3431689093/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3341/3431689093_334d79c2ba_m.jpg" alt="London" width="180" height="240" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3431688813/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3559/3431688813_c4c45508b7_m.jpg" alt="London" width="240" height="180" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3431688331/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3562/3431688331_ff19edeb74_m.jpg" alt="London" width="240" height="180" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3432501914/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3301/3432501914_b9be12a097.jpg" alt="London" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />A moai, a stone statue from the Easter Island. He's just awesome. I like big statues.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3431687917/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3559/3431687917_2ce17b68aa.jpg" alt="London" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3431687379/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3397/3431687379_4e54a27c8a.jpg" alt="London" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />That one reminds me of one of the ghosts in Chihiros Reise ins Zauberland (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirited_Away">Spirited Away</a>)<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3431687643/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3367/3431687643_6a162b9ab9_m.jpg" alt="London" width="180" height="240" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3431687151/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3648/3431687151_91c57c907f_m.jpg" alt="London" width="180" height="240" /></a><br /><br />I like the frescos.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3432500652/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3569/3432500652_507afc7d54_m.jpg" alt="London" width="240" height="180" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3431686669/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3313/3431686669_06872063ff_m.jpg" alt="London" width="240" height="180" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3432500168/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3597/3432500168_121ff874a1_m.jpg" alt="London" width="240" height="180" /></a><br /><br />The Stone of Rosetta. With the aid of this stone, it was possible for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Fran%C3%A7ois_Champollion">Champollion</a> to decipher the hieroglyphs. I remember this guy's name so well, because when I was an intern in Egypt, there was a street named after him and in this street there was a shop where you could get really good <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kushari">kushari</a>.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3432499846/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3334/3432499846_56abe23947_m.jpg" alt="London" width="180" height="240" /></a><br /><br />A tapestry in the Victoria and Albert Museum.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3431683187/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3537/3431683187_ddabe9e66e.jpg" alt="London" width="500" height="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3431683559/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3406/3431683559_f4d3d279f3_m.jpg" alt="London" width="240" height="180" /></a><br /><br />View from the south bank of the river Thames.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3432499194/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3635/3432499194_05f835716d.jpg" alt="London" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3431681465/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3325/3431681465_a17036b290.jpg" alt="London" width="500" height="102" /></a><br /><br />The Tate Modern Gallery is located here. I find the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/gallery/2008/oct/13/tate-modern-turbine-hall?picture=338538014">installation in the Turbine Hall</a> to be really great. I really loved that one. You can join free tours. I joined one that was called vortex and something. I like to get explanations to the pictures, although sometimes afterwards I still don't understand what makes them so great. Sometimes the explanation is as weird as the picture.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3431684091/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3628/3431684091_979932bc4f.jpg" alt="London" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3432498868/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3368/3432498868_0d3398ae62.jpg" alt="London" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />I didn't see the big dinosaur skeleton in the Natural History Museum, but I found a really cute smaller one here.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3431684925/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3350/3431684925_dc6488fe20_m.jpg" alt="London" width="180" height="240" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3432498282/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3625/3432498282_6b83015026_m.jpg" alt="London" width="240" height="180" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3431684427/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3369/3431684427_a49beff1bd_m.jpg" alt="London" width="180" height="240" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3431683859/" title="London by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3316/3431683859_50717a3e67_m.jpg" alt="London" width="240" height="180" /></a><br /><br />I'd say London is worth a visit - go there! :)projektleiterinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12114900774366320516noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27527447.post-86703708606923653122009-06-01T19:37:00.010+02:002009-06-20T11:11:52.324+02:00Finished: Molly Ringwald in green<span style="font-weight: bold;">Pattern:</span> Molly Ringwald by Michele Rose Orne in <a href="http://www.knitscene.com/2006/projects.asp">Knitscene, Fall 2006</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Yarn:</span> <a href="http://www.lanagrossa.de/produkte/01_2009lineapura.php">Flora</a> (Linea Pura) by Lana Grossa; cotton-soy blend (60 % organic cotton, 40 % organic soy), 140 m/50 g, recommended needle size: 3.5 - 4 mm<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Color:</span> green<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Price:</span><del>€ 5.65?</del> € 4.50<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Amount:</span> 5 balls<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Needles:</span> 3 mm and 2.75 mm (for casting off), a small crochet hook<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gauge:</span> 26 stitches x 36 rows = 10 cm<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dimensions:</span> I cast on the same number of stitches as for the smallest size. Remember though that my gauge is different. The gauge for the original design is 22 stitches 28 rows.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Modifications:</span> I wanted to wear this in summer without anything underneat, so I made this a quite figure-hugging top. Also many knitters said that it was better to go down at least one size with that design. When I look at my back, which is gaping a bit, I'm not surprised.<br /><br />The piece with the ruffles is as long as in the original design. Since the whole thing had less width though, I didn't have straps anymore where I could attach the sleeves. I find my armholes are a tad small. It's not bad, but surely they could be a bit bigger.<br /><br />Since the yarn is thinner, I thought I could do what <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Muhv/molly-ringwald">Muhv</a> did and make the ruffles more, uh, ruffly - k, ktbl, m1 out of strand inbetween. By the way, I must add that I like ruffles, but I <span style="font-weight: bold;">hate</span> knitting them. I used an Addi bamboo needle and after the ruffles, bits of one needle tip had been chipped away.<br /><br />Added short-rows. That website was helpful: http://www.thedietdiary.com/knittingfiend/OrderForms/BustDarts.html<br /><br />And that oneexplains well how to do short-rows without any wraps, pins (Japanese short rows), etc:<br />http://kaityvr.wordpress.com/2007/05/28/the-easiest-way-to-do-a-short-row-heel/<br /><br />I was a bit concerned that it would be too tight. In the end, I think the short rows were good, because they also added length to the front part of the top and kept the neckline somewhat straight and not have it hanging. Lengthwise I could have needed a couple of rows more. If I keep the neckline straight, the hem rides up a bit.<br /><br /><del>Left out the crab stitch. It’s true though, you should do a tight single crochet round with a small hook around the neckline.</del> Doing the single crochet round improved the fit of the top. Doing the crab stitches even more. That makes the neckline less floppy.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Comments:</span> I think it's a good thing I made this top smaller. Cotton is heavy and I can't imagine a loose fitting top made of cotton to look good. It probably would look like a bag. Apart from the ruffles, the whole top is knit in rib, which stretches somewhat, when you fill it out. I've only worn it once and I still think it had grown a bit. My neckline at the end of the day was a bit lower.<br /><br />Confession: I didn't wash my swatch. I should have done it, but I didn't... I wanted to start knitting and when you wash your swatch you have wait at least a day in most cases. And after I had started knitting I didn't want bad news from the washed swatch. This is the ostrich-head-in-the-sand-method. Sometimes it works well. More often it doesn't. You've been warned...<br /><br />The top was a big PITA to knit, because of all the modifications, but overall, I'm pretty content with how it turned out. I actually like it better than the original design. I just hope it won't grow too much with wearing.<br /><br />The yarn feels ok. I have the same yarn in white and that one is quite soft and feels nice though.<br /><br />The color is more accurate in the first picture.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3586235536/" title="Molly Ringwald Top in Green by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2472/3586235536_223cb03a34_m.jpg" alt="Molly Ringwald Top in Green" height="240" width="180" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3585428439/" title="Molly Ringwald Top in Green by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3341/3585428439_9e1fc12f6f_m.jpg" alt="Molly Ringwald Top in Green" height="240" width="180" /></a>projektleiterinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12114900774366320516noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27527447.post-29792737056877497512009-06-01T19:35:00.006+02:002009-06-01T22:25:31.869+02:00Finished: Ogee Lace Skirt<span style="font-weight: bold;">Pattern:</span> Ogee Lace Skirt by Gryphon Perkins<br />Interweave Knits, Summer 2007<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Yarn:</span> Rowan Bamboo Tape<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Color:</span> white<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Price:</span> don't know anymore...<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Amount:</span> Less than 4 I think<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Needles:</span> When I started with the recommended needle size it was too loose. A year later, when I had to rip back a bit and redo the edge, it seems that my knitting has become tighter, because now I have to use a bigger needle size. Very strange…<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gauge:</span> doesn't really matter, I guess, with warp skirt<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dimensions:</span> ?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Modifications:</span> Made it shorter and turned it upside down, because I didn't like the edge. It seemed to be kind of wavy. The leaves are pointing downwards now. I think I don't really like leaf patterns anyway where the leaves point upwards. That's against gravity and nature.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Comments:</span> I washed it by mistake at 40 °C. After it came out it was a bit stiff and had shrunk quite. I pulled it apart and actually, now I like it better than before, because it has lost somewhat of the drape (it was too much for me before).<br />I don't really have much information about this project available, because I finished it such a long time ago. Before I made the modifications I didn't really like the skirt, so the it was just lying around.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3585427571/" title="Ogee Lace Skirt by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3319/3585427571_7e5788c747.jpg" alt="Ogee Lace Skirt" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3585427945/" title="Ogee Lace Skirt by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3399/3585427945_1fc3d4f4aa.jpg" alt="Ogee Lace Skirt" width="375" height="500" /></a>projektleiterinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12114900774366320516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27527447.post-65816388134585051842009-04-04T22:13:00.009+02:002009-06-03T11:43:39.594+02:00Finished: Endpaper Mitts<span style="font-weight: bold;">Pattern:</span> <a href="http://www.eunnyjang.com/knit/2006/11/endpaper_mitts.html">Endpaper Mitts</a> by <a href="http://www.eunnyjang.com/knit/">Eunny Jang</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Yarn:</span> Baby Alpaca by Lang, 170 m/50 g, 100 % alpaca, recommended needle size 3 mm, gauge 26 stitches x 34 rows = 10 x 10 cm<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Color:</span> red and orange<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Price:</span> € 6,.per ball<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Amount:</span> less than a ball in each color<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Needles:</span> 2 mm for the ribbing, 2,5 mm for the body<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gauge:</span> I'm counting 18 stitches in 5 cm (much tighter than is recommended)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dimensions:</span> fit my hand like a glove<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Modifications:</span> I exchanged the colors on the second mitt, because not only do I suffer from second-sock-syndrome, but also from second-anything-syndrome. I'm so glad that when you do fair isle, you can exchange the colors. I'll probably have to introduce that when knitting fair isle sleeves (just kidding <- I had to add this, I'm sure some people would really believe that I was capable of doing something like that... :D) <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tubular cast-on:</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>I'm trying to gather my diffuse memories... I started like <a href="http://ysolda.com/wordpress/2007/11/12/long-tail-tubular-cast-on-video/">here</a>, but used a thinner cotton yarn to wrap the loops with my working yarn around. I also started with 2.5 mm needles. The first row was purl, *slip purlwise with yarn in front, ktbl, repeat from * until last stitch. Knit that one. Next row: P, then *slip purlwise with yarn in front, ktbl, repeat from * until last stitch. Knit that one. Join in the round. Take the last stitch (a knit stitch) and pull it over the first stitch (purl stitch), so that the first stitch is inside the last stitch, held by the right hand needle and the last stitch is on the left-hand needle. Knit the last stitch. I'm not sure if I continued with two more rows of alternating slip purlwise with yarn in the front and k, respectively slip purlwise with the yarn in the back and p or if I just continued with the regular 1x1 ribbing. When you change to normal ribbing, also change to 2.0 mm needle.<br /><br />I started doing my tubular cast-ons like this, because for one project I once would have needed 1.5 mm needles, which are not in the standard range of the yarn shops here, you have to order them. If you want your tubular cast-on to look good, you really have to go down with the needle size and then it's still not great, at least that's my experience. If I knit through the backloop it tightens the tubular cast-on a bit, making the whole thing a little neater. Since it makes the whole thing too tight, I have to use bigger needles than I would for the rest of the ribbing. If I do the tubular cast-on this way, the stitches are not too loose, it's still stretchy, I can use bigger needles instead of fumbling with small ones, and the edge is still nice.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Comments:</span> I recommend the mitts as a first time project for anybody who has never done fair isle before. They are supereasy to make and the fair isle pattern is also not too difficult.<br /><br />The mitts are quite tight. As you can see the false purled seam is not staying on the side, but is moving upward. I like them tight though.<br /><br />The mitts keep my wrists warm, which is nice, but my fingers still suffer. If it's cold enough to wear handwarmers, then my fingers will also want protection, especially, since I nearly always have cold fingers. Anyway, I think they are really really cute. I especially like the color combination. I'm very happy with this project. :)<br /><br />By the way, I complained about Alpaca from Drops, that ripping back was difficult, because the yarn had a tendency to felt. I thought that this was due to the quality of the yarn, but the Baby Alpaca from Lang is the same. It's more expensive and the yarn still has a tendency to felt.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3412866048/" title="Endpaper Mitts by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3009/3412866048_e78934e124.jpg" alt="Endpaper Mitts" width="442" height="500" /></a>projektleiterinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12114900774366320516noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27527447.post-768240116424993022009-03-20T17:54:00.008+01:002009-03-29T10:48:20.158+02:00Finished: Dress 09 from Rebecca no. 35<span style="font-weight: bold;">Pattern:</span> <a href="http://www.rebecca-online.de/cont_en/heft_archiv/heft_35/seite_03.php">09 grey dress from Rebecca #35</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Yarn:</span> "Cumba" by ggh, 42 % virgin wool, 28 % alpaca and 30 % acrylic(150 m/ 50 g)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Color:</span> natural white<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Price:</span> € 3.95 per ball (that's the offical price for the yarn, but it's been a while since I bought it, so I'm not sure what I paid then. I bought it at <a href="http://www.lanaiolo.de/">Lanaiolo</a>, the same yarn shop where I bought the yarn for the <a href="http://projektleiterin.blogspot.com/2008/07/its-raining-and-im-blocking.html">orange dress</a>, also a design from Rebecca. Did I mention that I got the magazine for free when I bought the yarn for the orange dress? :) (I think I got it for free?) )<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Amount:</span> theoretically you need 9 balls, but of course I'm so talented that I only needed 7, ha! I say it's 7, because I'm counting 2 balls that are left, but there could be more somewhere else. I had to start one ball to do the neck, but I didn't need a lot.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Needles:</span> 3.75 mm I wish I could say I'm a 100 % sure that it was this size, but sorry, I've been really really tired for a couple of weeks and I think it's taking a toll on my memory. By excluding other potential needle sizes I've come to the conclusion that it's very likely that one. By the way, recommended needle size is 4-5 mm.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gauge:</span> well, something completely different!!!!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dimensions:</span> size 34/36, theoretically<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Modifications:</span> Many! I started knitting this dress last year, thinking it was going to be a nice mindless project since I bought the original yarn, meaning no re-calculations, you just swatch until you find the right needle and then off you go. That was the plan. I made a swatch and then left it at some place where I couldn't find it anymore. I remembered that the gauge was correct though.<br /><br />I started knitting the skirt part, which seems so easy but I can't remember how many times I ripped back. It was too short, too long, then I decided that the waistline of the original dress was too high up. I'm not really a fan of baby doll dresses and less if they are knitted. This also meant that that the skirt part was too long again!!!! The good thing is, the yarn endured all the ripping back patiently. You can rip back as much as you want and it's going to be fine. At the end of the skirt part, you do some decreases, which I did, but I also added about 10 rows more instead of continuing with the bodice part, because I was afraid that the skirt would look too puffy and I wanted it to taper off slowly.<br /><br />The next step after deciding on the length of the skirt and the position of the waistline I proceeded with the bodice part. I must confess that I also derived a lot of pleasure from knitting this - ha, ha, ha! After a couple of cms people started making comments about the smallness of the dress. My initial unwavering optimism deflected any kind of doubt, but after a while it cracked down and I had to admit that it did look indeed small. Which meant - I had to swatch. My new swatch told me that the size was indeed good enough for my waist, but would cause problems later on. The bodice part is knit straight, there is no shapping, which usually would be ok as the pattern is very stretchy, but in my case I had to do work in some increases. I tried short rows, but the pattern is very ungrateful for that kind of thing, so I just increased on both sides until I had the same number of stitches as for the next size 38/40. My swatch told me that it would be ok if I did so, but I think I was just wishing that life be easier, meaning if I didn't have to think too much and just follow the instructions. If it couldn't be the instructions for size 34/36 it could at least be the instructions for size 38/40, right?<br /><br />Anyway, I also decided that the neckline was too high and I wanted the shoulders to be less wide. I made the decreases and hoped they would look fine. For the neckband, I picked up stitches from every second bindoff stitch and row. I assumed that the pattern would stretch a lot.<br /><br />The sleeves were knit without any modifications. Halleluja! :D<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Comments:</span> It's tight around the bust. I wasn't sure if it was still ok or just wishful thinking. I decided to be brave (also because the friend that I called to check the dress was already at the knitting group) and just go to the knitting group. Thankfully, my friends liked it. If not, I would still not have ripped back!<br /><br />After blocking it looked a little bit off. I just wanted to finish the damn thing and did not take great care with the blocking, so the edge of the skirt were scalloped and very uneven in height. Strangely, I wasn't much concerned about that. I thought I would give it a good washing and then it would shrink back. And of course, I was right. :D In the end, you can block as much as you want, but there is a limit. And I think, I was also lucky with the yarn.<br /><br />The yarn is nice and soft. And it seems to be robust. I really liked that you could rip back so much and it still looked fine. I recommend it.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3392518005/" title="Dress from Rebecca by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3447/3392518005_745c344c5f.jpg" alt="Dress from Rebecca" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Oh, I forgot to tell. The next day, after I finished my dress, I was doing some cleaning up of my stash and other knitting stuff and I found my swatch! The small one is my second swatch and as you can see, the gauge is completely different. I have no clue what happened. Maybe I used a different needle size for the first swatch. It's possible that I knit the skirt part with a smaller needle and then wanted to switch to a bigger needle. The other explanation would that my knitting is very moody - sometimes I knit tight and sometimes I knit loose - but that strikes me as a very strange explanation.<br /><br />I think next time I would either add more repeats to make it wider or go up a needle size. I tend to going up a needle size, because I actually like the first swatch it is softer and the stitches don't look so tense.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3393330098/" title="Dress from Rebecca by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3466/3393330098_78133ec87f.jpg" alt="Dress from Rebecca" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />By the way, I just realized that a couple of images from the blog template are missing!! Grrrrr...projektleiterinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12114900774366320516noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27527447.post-65843940374692963592009-02-01T12:25:00.005+01:002009-02-01T22:30:34.569+01:00Tim Minchin has a new fanI just saw this <a href="http://dangerousintersection.org/2009/01/30/a-rant-in-rhyme-saves-time/">video with Tim Minchin</a>. I think he is awesome. You may not agree with the content of his rant, but you must admit that he is fantastic with words and that the background music perfectly supports his rant.<br /><br />Here's another one.<br /><br /><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 0px ! important;" title="Klicken Sie hier, um dieses Objekt mit Adblock Plus zu blockieren" class="abp-objtab-07677245555124569 visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZGzhutyOMSk&hl=en&fs=1"></a><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 0px ! important;" title="Klicken Sie hier, um dieses Objekt mit Adblock Plus zu blockieren" class="abp-objtab-07677245555124569 visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZGzhutyOMSk&hl=en&fs=1"></a><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 15px ! important;" title="Klicken Sie hier, um dieses Objekt mit Adblock Plus zu blockieren" class="abp-objtab-07677245555124569 visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZGzhutyOMSk&hl=en&fs=1"></a><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 15px ! important;" title="Klicken Sie hier, um dieses Objekt mit Adblock Plus zu blockieren" class="abp-objtab-07677245555124569 visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZGzhutyOMSk&hl=en&fs=1"></a><object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZGzhutyOMSk&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZGzhutyOMSk&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object><br /><br /><blockquote>Minchin describes his act as a "funny cabaret show" and sees himself primarily as a musician and songwriter as opposed to a comedian; his songs, he says, "just happen to be funny".[12] He draws on his background in theatre for his distinctive onstage appearance and persona.[1] In his performances, he typically goes barefoot with wild hair and heavy eye makeup, which is juxtaposed with a crisp suit and tails, and a grand piano. According to Minchin, he likes not wearing shoes in his shows because it makes him feel more comfortable. He considers the eye makeup important because while he is playing the piano he is not able to use his arms and relies on his face for expressions and gestures; the eyeliner makes his features more distinguishable for the audience.[2] Much of his look and persona, he says, are about "treading that line between mocking yourself about wanting to be an iconic figure. Mocking the ridiculousness and complete unrealistic dream of being an iconic figure."[13] The eccentric appearance removes Minchin from reality somewhat, allowing him to make outrageous statements onstage "without annoying (most) people".[14]</blockquote><br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Minchinprojektleiterinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12114900774366320516noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27527447.post-25391892274538324012009-01-29T18:17:00.019+01:002011-01-24T00:42:20.968+01:00Finished: Anemoi Mittens<span style="font-weight: bold;">Pattern:</span> <a href="http://www.eunnyjang.com/knit/2006/12/anemoi_mittens.html">Anemoi Mittens</a> by Eunny Jang (who unfortunately stopped blogging, but her patterns are still available on her old blog or via <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/">Ravelry</a>)<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Yarn:</span> Drops Alpaca, 100 % alpaca, recommended gauge: 23 stitches x 30 cm = 10 cm x 10 cm<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Color:</span> green (a nice pea green) and white (natural)<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Price:</span> was in my stash, but I think it's about 3-4 Euros<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Amount:</span> less than one ball in each color<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Needles:</span> 2.00 mm and 2.25 mm<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Gauge:</span> they fit, but I think for mittens they should have more ease to be warm<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Dimensions:</span> Small<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Modifications:</span> None<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Comments:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The yarn:</span></span><br />
The yarn does not strike me as of great quality. I used the same yarn once to crochet a small shrug/vest. After blocking I realized that it was too small and so frogged it. I then realized that the yarn had become really sticky and you had to tear at it in order to undo the stitches. It was the same thing with the mittens, once you knit it, you better not rip back. This is one of the few yarns I have worked with that seem to felt just by looking at them. It also became very fuzzy after washing.<br />
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The color range is amazing though. I really like the green, it has all kinds of light and dark speckles of green in it. Not a boring yarn to look at. And it's also soft and nice to touch.<br />
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There's some bleeding when you wash it.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3238533677/" title="Anemoi Mittens by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img alt="Anemoi Mittens" height="500" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3373/3238533677_324369a649.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">The gauge:</span><br />
I just measured and I get 20 stitches over 5 cm, which means I managed to press a lot more stitches into a cm than what the band said. This is a bit weird, but the mittens look ok to me. I expected them to be a bit wider though since I didn't swatch. They fit, but I read that mittens are supposed to have a bit of ease to give the best insulation against the cold. I think next time I would use bigger needles.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Fair isle and yarn dominance:</span><br />
If you want to do fair isle you need to know what yarn dominance means. The first time I heard about it was on <a href="http://nonaknits.typepad.com/nonaknits/2006/01/yarn_dominance.html">Nona's blog</a>. I didn't have any intention of doing fair isle at that time, but kept this piece of information in the back of my mind. I learned that:<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">1.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> One color will dominate and pop out more than the other (take a look at her </span><a href="http://nonaknits.typepad.com/nonaknits/2006/01/yarn_dominance.html" style="font-weight: bold;">two swatches</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> that she shows for comparison).</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">2. </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">It is the yarn that is carried below the other that will pop out more.</span><br />
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If you didn't get point 2, neither did I... But I like that I'm so smart and remember things that I initially didn't need, because when I did want to do fair isle, I remembered this thing about yarn dominance. Since I didn't get it completely then (not so smart maybe? :D), I had to investigate this issue further.<br />
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Reading <a href="http://tiajudy.com/2color.htm">Tia Judy</a> and <a href="http://treschicveronique.blogspot.com/2006/12/last-fo-of-year.html">Très Chic Veronique</a> helped me understand what was going on a bit more.<br />
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Then I saw a commentator at <a href="http://meangirl.blogspot.com/2008/01/stranded-knitting-again.html">meangirl's blog </a>say that she was an English knitter (like me!) holding the contrast yarn in her left hand and the main color in the right hand. I thought that as I had no clue what to do I should follow her like a good lemming and do what she did. I also learned from the blog post that you are not supposed to change the hand that carries the colors at your whim.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">3.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> One hand, one color. Don't change. (We're talking about two color knitting and I use both hands instead of one hand to carry the yarn.)</span><br />
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I also consulted my favorite knitting blog, <a href="http://techknitting.blogspot.com/2007/04/how-to-knit-with-2-or-more-colors-part.html">TECHknitter</a>, that never fails me when I'm in dire need of a thorough and detailed explanation of a knitting technique. She explained in one of her comments that in her opinion it didn't really matter that much if the yarn was carried from below or above unless you have can achieve an even tension with both hands (of course, we all can), but that a color would pop out more when the hand that carries the color is your unfamiliar knitting hand. The tension will be looser and the yarn will be more prominent to see.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">4. </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Carry the contrast color (=foreground color, pattern color, the color that you want to pop out) in the hand that you usually don't use for knitting.</span><br />
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If I understood it right, when you're an English knitter, you're on the safe side twice, because when you carry the contrast color with your weaker hand, the left hand, the yarn will also automatically ride below the other color.<br />
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Meangirl also has a nice <a href="http://meangirl.blogspot.com/2008/01/stranded-knitting-again.html">picture tutorial for weaving</a> in the background color (=main color, the color that predominates and is used most often) yarn when you have to carry it over a longer stretch of stitches. When you want to to weave in the contrast color, you have to wrap the contrast color anticlockwise and then the background color and then unwrap the contrast color. The background color stitch will be mounted with the back leg first, but in the next row simply knit into the backloop.<br />
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Useful video from Knitpicks that shows how to carry yarn: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2L4Fo82zwk">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2L4Fo82zwk </a><br />
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After <a href="http://projektleiterin.blogspot.com/2009/01/mittens-and-wrinkled-dress.html">knitting the first mitten</a> went so smoothly I thought I didn't need to pay that much attention to the tension with the second mitten and that if problems did occur blocking would resolve them all. The somewhat crappy looking mitten on the left side (I stole the idea with the reversed colors from <a href="http://treschicveronique.blogspot.com/2006/12/last-fo-of-year.html">Très Chic Veronique</a>. Second-sock-syndrome has a cousin - second-mitten-syndrome) is proof of my sloppiness. You might notice that the cuff seems to look shorter and smaller. That's because it is. :( I had to reknit the cuff of the right mitten a couple of time and at that time I still tugged and checked that I wasn't knitting too tightly, etc. The cuff of the left mitten I knit once.<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3238534187/" title="Anemoi Mittens by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img alt="Anemoi Mittens" height="500" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3349/3238534187_043bf95c4f.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3238534733/" title="Anemoi Mittens by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img alt="Anemoi Mittens" height="500" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3463/3238534733_e0b2647f50.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
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The blocked mitten looks a bit bigger, but usually knitted items shrink a bit after blocking. They are both the same size now.<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3239374336/" title="Anemoi Mittens by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img alt="Anemoi Mittens" height="500" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3354/3239374336_c846ec584e.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
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After blocking:<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3239371902/" title="Anemoi Mittens by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img alt="Anemoi Mittens" height="459" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3425/3239371902_69d6aa7283.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Well, blocking did resolve nearly everything, except for the very very very tight cuff and the very prominent green. It seems the tension on my left hand was a lot looser than when I knit the right mitten.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Cast-on:</span><br />
For the cast-on I did a tubular cast-on. I followed <a href="http://ysolda.com/wordpress/2007/11/12/long-tail-tubular-cast-on-video/">Ysolda's instruction for a long-tail tubular cast-on</a>, but I'm not sure if in the end I did the same thing as she did... She said that it differed from the Italian method where you can pull out the yarn, while here the strand that creates the stitches would alternate. Well, my impression was that there was only one strand that created the loops, in the front and in the back and I have been able to pull out the yarn. I also didn't start with a slip knot (I used the needle to pull at the yarn between my fingers and then started making the stitches).<br />
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Edit: I was researching how to do a better tubular cast-on for a different project and just found <a href="http://techknitting.blogspot.com/2008/01/provisional-tail-method-of-1-x-1.html">this pos</a>t by TECHknitter. I thought I had been following Ysolda's instruction, but actually what I did resembles more what TECHknitter did.<br />
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Overall I like the mittens. Nice quick project and I learned a couple of new things.projektleiterinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12114900774366320516noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27527447.post-89192662051683000032009-01-10T14:20:00.005+01:002009-04-05T00:01:52.149+02:00Mittens and a wrinkled dressI finished the "Summersplash" yarn and I'm quite happy with it. I just don't know what to knit with it? Another Morning Surf Scarf? I don't have one, but maybe I can find something else that goes well with the yarn, too.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3181481765/" title="Handspun "Summersplash" by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3262/3181481765_e0b88050f2.jpg" alt="Handspun "Summersplash"" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Currently I'm working on two items - fair isle mittens and a winter dress.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3184011961/" title="Anemoi Mittens by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3451/3184011961_1183424e40.jpg" alt="Anemoi Mittens" width="375" height="500" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3184853244/" title="Anemoi Mittens by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3110/3184853244_3d1b1c9d5b.jpg" alt="Anemoi Mittens" width="375" height="500" /></a><br />This is the first fair isle project I'm doing (apart from playing around with swatches here or there) and I'm quite pleased with my tension. The back part with the spirals puckers a bit, but the palm side is quite nice.<br /><br />The dress might have been finished already if I wasn't ripping back so much. It's not difficult to knit, but I continue to make modifications, which I don't like, but I think I now found a good solution.<br /><br />When I took the picture I realized how wrinkled the dress looks. I guess, when I knit something I don't really care too much how it looks. I stuff my projects in plastic bags and that shows. But washing and blocking will take all your tears away, so why bother.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3182315722/" title="Dress from Rebecca by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3341/3182315722_1367f8ca9a.jpg" alt="Dress from Rebecca" width="500" height="375" /></a>projektleiterinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12114900774366320516noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27527447.post-73979984359942748012009-01-05T16:08:00.010+01:002009-01-06T00:10:10.040+01:00Finished Morning Surf Scarf and handspun yarn<span style="font-weight: bold;">Roving:</span> 4.5 oz Domestic Spinning Wool<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Colorway:</span> Cyanotrichite<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dyer:</span> TheFiberDenn.etsy.com<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_430xN.20065402.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 430px; height: 322px;" src="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_430xN.20065402.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pattern:</span> <a href="http://www.heartstringsfiberarts.com/a6.shtm">Morning Surf Scarf</a> by Jackie Erickson-Schweitzer (scroll down to click on the link, since she had this introductory text I didn't want to link directly to the pattern instructions)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Yarn:</span> Handspun, see above<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Color:</span> Cyanotrichite<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Price:</span> ?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Amount:</span> about 4.5 oz (about 130 g)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Needles:</span> 3.75 mm (Takumi bamboo needles, they're really nice to knit with. I think they didn't make this annoying scraping noise that the other bamboo needles make. I stopped using them and mostly used wood needles, but resorted to these, because I don't have many 3.75 mm needles and the others were already stuck in some other project.)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gauge:</span> I think my yarn was in the 13 - 15 WPI (wraps per inch) range. For this she recommends to cast on 66 stitches<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dimensions:</span> Good size for a scarf<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Modifications:</span> None, I was a willing slave to the instructions. The pattern is easy, but it's still not fun to knit. I wasn't able to get the pattern in the beginning for whatever reason and ended up tinking and ripping back (20 cm once!) more than I ever had for most of my other knitting projects.<br /><br />The pattern is great for highlighting short color repeats, because with the dropped stitches you create bigger color patches than you would with a couple of knit stitches and this yarn was a bit problematic. Since I don't have much experience with spinning, the colors in the yarn blended and mixed a lot, creating a somewhat muddy look. If I had chosen a pattern with a lot of stockinette stitch it would have looked even more muddy, but with dropped stitches it turned out not perfect, but also not too ugly. Actually, everybody who saw it assured me that it looked fine. Yay! :)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3171233195/" title="Handspun yarn for Morning Surf Scarf by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1076/3171233195_81f90b8f96.jpg" alt="Handspun yarn for Morning Surf Scarf" height="375" width="500" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3133294774/" title="Morning Surf Scarf from handspun yarn by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3132/3133294774_d587a47484.jpg" alt="Morning Surf Scarf from handspun yarn" height="500" width="375" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3133295004/" title="Morning Surf Scarf from handspun yarn by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3080/3133295004_ebe8a4f2b3.jpg" alt="Morning Surf Scarf from handspun yarn" height="500" width="375" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3172063126/" title="Morning Surf Scarf by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1098/3172063126_052572516c.jpg" alt="Morning Surf Scarf" height="500" width="375" /></a><br /><br />I think I need to clean my mirror... On the floor you can see the slippers made with Feltro that I mentioned <a href="http://projektleiterin.blogspot.com/2009/01/finished-felted-slippers.html">here</a>.<br /><br />The scarf was a Christmas present for my mom and the light was usually not so good for taking pictures, so the pictures are not so great. The colors are also of the kind that are difficult to capture properly. And now I don't have the scarf anymore. I also made a pair of felted slippers for her and my aunt. And I finished another <a href="http://projektleiterin.blogspot.com/2008/01/paisley-shawl.html">Paisley Shawl</a> for my Grandma in a very nice green alpaca yarn from Drops (she will get it after Christmas though... :o).<br /><br />Some laceweight yarn that I finished recently:<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3169895743/" title="Handspun by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1033/3169895743_ecf6996341.jpg" alt="Handspun" height="375" width="500" /></a><br />Singles<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3170724406/" title="Handspun by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3244/3170724406_e16f098bed.jpg" alt="Handspun" height="375" width="500" /></a><br />2-plyed laceweight<br /><br />I'm pretty pleased with how the yarn turned out. Even when they colors got mixed up, the yarn still looked good (on the first full bobbin you can see the colors of the two plies still match, except for the yellow-red and green orange part on the lower part; the yarn on the second bobbin has mixed colors everywhere).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Roving:</span> 4 oz kettle dyed BFL (Blue Faced Leicester)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Colorway:</span> "Summersplash"<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dyer</span>:<a href="http://www.blogger.com/marion.etsy.com"> marion.etsy.com</a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_430xN.37806483.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 430px; height: 525px;" src="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_430xN.37806483.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/marion.etsy.com"></a>projektleiterinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12114900774366320516noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27527447.post-28483297076193624212009-01-05T15:19:00.011+01:002009-01-06T00:11:32.195+01:00Finished: felted slippers<span style="font-weight: bold;">Pattern:</span> <a href="http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/en/visoppskrift.php?d_nr=104&d_id=10&lang=us">Felted DROPS slippers</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Yarn:</span> Anchor Wash + Filz-it, 100 % pure wool, 50 m/ 50 g, instructions say that it felts at 40 °C (didn't work for me though)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Color:</span> red<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Price:</span> about € 3.50 a ball<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Amount:</span> 4<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Needles:</span> 8 mm<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gauge:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dimensions:</span> shoe size 37<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Modifications:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Comments:</span> Comfy, but ugly...<br /><br />The yarn doesn't felt well at 40 °C in the washing machine, although that's the temperature in the instructions. I washed these twice at 40 °C and then twice at 60 °C and I'm *not* happy that the stitches are still visible. I stopped washing them with hot water, because the shoes seemed to be shrinking while the surface didn't change much.<br /><br />I asked a shop assistant about a different felting yarn (Feltro by Lana Grossa, cheaper and softer than the Anchor, it was less than 3 Euros a ball) that I wanted to use for making slippers and she said that you should wash it at 60 °C even though the instructions also tell you to wash it at 40 °C. I knit another pair of shoes (http://lanagrossa.de/produkte/feltro.html Pretty nice. The heel needs some improvement - I would start with a couple of stitches less than recommended and then increase the number of stitches in 3-4 rows, so you will get a round heel - but the rest is ok, more or less. Three balls are enough for shoes the size 37.) and these looked right after washing them once at 60 °C.<br /><br />I hated the DROPS pattern instructions (What? Huh??) and they're not very pretty. There's a couple of things I would do differently. I would knit the front part in the round and then do a three needle bind-off. All the sewing is just useless work.<br /><br />I'm not really thrilled about the Anchor yarn. It's the most expensive felting yarn I have seen so far and it doesn't felt well, not for me at least. The range of colors is also small, maybe 7 colors, compared with Feltro, also mostly basic colors, but plus multivaried combinations, or the DROPS own-brand Eskimo (40 colors (!): <a href="http://www.wollkultur-shop.de/epages/15486368.sf/de_DE/?ObjectPath=/Shops/15486368/Categories/drops/Eskimo">http://www.wollkultur-shop.de/epages/15486368.sf/de_DE/?ObjectPath=/Shops/15486368/Categories/drops/Eskimo</a>, I haven't ordered from this website yet though. I think Eskimo is not available in LYS. Of course, brick and mortar shops often carry less colors than online shops, there might be more colors available for the other brands, but they are the only ones I find in the local shops here.). I think Eskimo is not especially made for felting, but according to pictures I have seen it seems to felt well.<br /><br />Before washing:<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3133294292/" title="Felt clogs by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3268/3133294292_a1d3f32b89.jpg" alt="Felt clogs" height="500" width="375" /></a><br />That's the wrong side out.<br /><br />After washing:<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3170031531/" title="Felted clogs by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3268/3170031531_eb006382a3.jpg" alt="Felted clogs" height="500" width="477" /></a><br />I think that's after 40 °C - 40 °C - 60 °C<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/3132470471/" title="Felt clogs by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3216/3132470471_666d8cff9f.jpg" alt="Felt clogs" height="500" width="375" /></a><br />And that's after 40 °C - 40 °C - 60 °C - 60 °C<br /><br />Ok, great. I just looked at the Ravelry project pages for this yarn and it seems that it does felt well (there's a very cute Christmas tree here: <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/kaita/felted-trees">http://www.ravelry.com/projects/kaita/felted-trees</a>. Just not for me! Maybe it's my washing machine? I actually felted the other shoes with my Mom's washing machine.projektleiterinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12114900774366320516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27527447.post-17620227782398087512008-11-02T12:50:00.011+01:002008-11-07T15:53:24.601+01:00Finished: Feather and Fan Shawl<span style="font-weight: bold;">Pattern:</span> Feather and Fan Shawl by Eugen Beuger. Published in A Gathering of Lace<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Yarn:</span> Schachenmayr Nomotta Alpaka Fashion<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Color:</span> 122<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Price:</span> I was lucky that about half of the balls I used were on sale<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Amount:</span> <del>10?</del> about 475 g. I used a tiny bit of the last ball to bind off and one of the balls was not completely 50 g, because I had used some of it for a previous project<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Needles:</span> 5 mm<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gauge:</span> -<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dimensions:</span> <del>about 162 cm diameter</del> sorry, after that girl n's comment I checked and it's actually 144 cm<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Modifications:</span> I stopped after row 126 and started doing the last edging rows<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Comment:</span> I've heard that people knitting the <a href="http://brooklyntweed.blogspot.com/2007/08/hemlock-ring-blanket.html">Hemlock Ring Blanket</a> had problems with the feather and fan pattern puckering too much despite blocking (a not so easy task from what I have heard. I got told that someone compared it with fighting with an octopus). My guess was that there are not enough repeats in the round and this causes the puckering (the other variation is that the blanket grows too fast in diameter/length). With this blanket I had zero problems with blocking, just the usual fussing, but there was no excessive use of force needed to whip this thing into shape as other knitters seem to have with the Hemlock Ring, and I also haven't noticed any puckering yet. It's nice and flat without any visible tensions.<br /><br /><a href="http://flickr.com/search/?q=hemlock%20ring%20blanket&w=all">I'm counting 8 repeats</a> of the feather and fan pattern in the round for the Hemlock Ring and this pattern has 24 repeats in the round. I haven't looked at the feather and fan pattern version of the Hemlock Ring myself, but from what my friends told me it seems to be knit in a similar as the feather and fan pattern in the shawl. My conclusion is that if I wanted to knit the Hemlock Ring I probably would work in modifications.<br /><br />The reason I chose the Feather and Fan Shawl was the play of light and dark in the feather and fan pattern (which I'm actually only realizing now as the thought that floated my mind when I saw the shawl the first time was, "I want to knit that one!") and because I liked the flower in the center better. With the flower and the bright color the blanket looks very sunny.<br /><br />Next time I would choose a thicker yarn though. It's still more like an übersize shawl than a blanket. The yarn is great though. I have a wrap cardigan that my mom made for me in the same yarn and it's really really soft. <a href="http://projektleiterin.blogspot.com/2007/12/flower-basket-shawl-3.html">It's a delight to work with</a>. I have three balls in red which I initially wanted to use for a shawl; now I want to use them for a beret. We'll see.<br /><br />I washed the blanket in the washing machine (washing programm: wool, cold) with a regular wool wash, because it was too big to wash it in the sink. By the way, I wash most of my wool stuff in the washing machine (cold), even when it's not superwash wool. If I want to give an item a special treatment and when it's not too big I handwash it with <a href="http://projektleiterin.blogspot.com/2007/04/capelet-from-wrap-style.html">Kookaburra</a>, but that's it.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/2995066996/" title="Feather and Fan Shawl by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3061/2995066996_9548d18dd6.jpg" alt="Feather and Fan Shawl" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/2995065720/" title="Feather and Fan Shawl by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3245/2995065720_0521aee837.jpg" alt="Feather and Fan Shawl" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/2994226899/" title="Feather and Fan Shawl by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3230/2994226899_0f5a6818fe.jpg" alt="Feather and Fan Shawl" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/2994226679/" title="Feather and Fan Shawl by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3179/2994226679_55e4bc73db.jpg" alt="Feather and Fan Shawl" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/2994227281/" title="Feather and Fan Shawl by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3248/2994227281_1e38e56d24.jpg" alt="Feather and Fan Shawl" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/2995066350/" title="Feather and Fan Shawl by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3042/2995066350_1816d04d21.jpg" alt="Feather and Fan Shawl" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/2994227489/" title="Feather and Fan Shawl by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3034/2994227489_803f64c0cd.jpg" alt="Feather and Fan Shawl" width="500" height="375" /></a>projektleiterinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12114900774366320516noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27527447.post-84438285979646928922008-10-09T23:55:00.016+02:002008-10-15T23:03:03.646+02:00Finished: wedding stole<span style="font-weight: bold;">Pattern:</span> <a href="http://www.heartstringsfiberarts.com/a52.shtm">Lead or Follow Lace Scarf</a> by Jackie Erickson-Schweitzer<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Yarn:</span> Rowan Kidsilk Haze, 210 m (229 yds)/25 g, recommended needle size 3.25 mm - 5 mm, gauge 18-25 stitches x 23-34 rows in 10 x 10 cm, 70% super kid mohair and 30% silk<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Color:</span> "Cream" #634 (it's an off-white, the other off-white Rowan offers is "Pearl", but<a href="http://www.yarndex.com/yarn.cfm?yarn_id=1037"> it looks darker</a>. The true white shade, "Bleached", what an awful name for a color, by the way, is discontinued.)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Price:</span> about $13 per ball<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Amount:</span> 3 and a tiny bit of the forth to finish the last row before the binding-off row and the binding-off row<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Needles:</span> 5 mm<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gauge:</span> -<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dimensions:</span> about 192 x 68 cm<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Modifications:</span> I decided to go for a different border since I wanted it to look like a stole and less like a scarf. I kept the inner border though and added a similar row with holes on both ends. For the outer border used the one from the Lily-of-the-valley shawl from the book "Lace Style."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Width:</span><br />I did the 12 stitch repeat five times. I left out the 13 stitches part on the right side and the 13 stitches part on the left side. Total cast-on: 79 stitches (including the slip stitches on both sides, one for each).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Length:</span><br />12.5 repeats.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Inner border:</span><br />I wanted both ends of the stole to have a similar inner border as the ones on the side, which consisted of yarnovers and a garter stitch edge. I started with a provisional cast-on and knit three rows in garter stitch and then knit the row with holes.<br /><br />Subtracting the slip stitches and the inner borders I had 69 stitches in the middle left. My plan was to [k2tog, yo] until the end. As I wanted to start and end with a yarnover though I had to knit the last three stitches together in order to maintain the same number of stitches.<br /><br />When your stole is long enough, finish with a row with holes and three garter stitch rows.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Outer border:</span><br />For the border you need a multiple of 8 +2 stitches.<br /><br />I increased 11 stitches on both ends = 90 stitches (it might not be necessary to pick that many for the border. Either that or I should have picked up more stitches on the side. The border on both sides is more stretched than the border on the two ends).<br /><br />For both sides of the stole you're supposed to pick up three stitches from two slip stitches. I had to drop some of the picked up stitches (three on one side and five on the other? My inner perfectionist ran amok when it realized that things were not working out as expected.) in order to get a multiple of 8 + 2. I picked up 226 stitches on each side.<br /><br />By the way, there are mistakes in the border (row 11 and 13). In the pictures you will see that the yarnovers are on both sides of the corner center stitch (count them), but the charts will tell you that the center stitch and the yarnovers in row 11 and 13 are separated by one knit stitch. Of course, I did notice that the pattern was kind of irregular, but instead of stopping and investigating further, I ignored the tiny nagging voice in my head that was preventing me from blissful mindless knitting. But it was ok, in the end I just had to figure out how to fix a mistake a couple of rows down in a lace pattern. Why have it easy when it can also be complicated and fun. :D It was fixable though without too much fussing around.<br /><br />The border is really pointy. That's because I added extra stitches when binding off, meaning after binding the yarnover before a center stitch, I knit a stitch (basically you crochet a new stitch), bound off the center stitch, knit/crochet another stitch, bound off the yarn over. I think the border is a bit too pointy, but I really don't want to deal with this stole anymore. It has already woken up the perfectionist in me and that one exhausts me.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Difficulty:</span> The pattern is doable and not really difficult. It is true lace and you also have to pay attention on the wrong side rows, but it's not too difficult. I recommend that you divide (highlight) the rows into groups of four, that makes it easier to read, but it also disentangles the pattern a bit.<br /><br />Blocking was a pain in the ass. The stole is huge and I had no clue how and how much I wanted to block it. I spent an hour and half shifting the pins around till it looked right. The pattern seems to look better when you stretch it more lengthwise. The stole is very hole-y and the stitches are bigger than I would usually knit them, but I like the stained glass look here, it goes well with this pattern.<br /><br />Overall I think it looks nice. I was a bit unsure before, but as a friend of mine said, just look on Ravelry for projects with Rowan Kidsilk Haze, everything knit with it will look nice. And I tend to agree with her.<br /><br />Now, all I have to do is get this stole in time to my friend!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/2927075077/" title="Wedding Stole by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3200/2927075077_024700a724.jpg" alt="Wedding Stole" height="500" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/2927075267/" title="Wedding Stole by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3109/2927075267_ef7871f1e7.jpg" alt="Wedding Stole" height="375" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/2927932876/" title="Wedding Stole by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3166/2927932876_b0a0406283.jpg" alt="Wedding Stole" height="375" width="500" /></a><br /><br />I went shopping today hence the green summer dress at a time when I have already turned on the heating... I'm not running like that anymore in case you were wondering. :D My intention was to buy winter skirts, but I came back with this summer dress (<span style="font-style: italic;">and </span>a winter skirt). It doesn't look like a very clever idea, but it was on sale, and I know if I buy it now I will have enough dresses next summer. I don't really like this kind of anti-cycle shopping, but it's not such a bad idea for me actually. I don't care about shopping and I just hate having to shop when I need something <span style="font-style: italic;">now </span><span>(like the winter skirts)</span>. I know, when next summer I open my wardrobe and find a new dress that has even already been paid, I'll be happy. :)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/2927933120/" title="Wedding Stole by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3251/2927933120_3861a2fb57.jpg" alt="Wedding Stole" height="500" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/2927075881/" title="Wedding Stole by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3015/2927075881_ea8b39ff9d.jpg" alt="Wedding Stole" height="500" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/2927074135/" title="Wedding Stole by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3181/2927074135_746a18c059.jpg" alt="Wedding Stole" height="500" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Since I have posted masses and masses of pictures it should be clear to you now why it's called "lead or follow lace," right?? :D<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/2927074517/" title="Wedding Stole by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3010/2927074517_1c67d45590.jpg" alt="Wedding Stole" height="500" width="375" /></a><br /><br />By the way, I got these a couple of days ago, too. You have to admit, they are really cute, aren't they? I wish they also had the tights in my size.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/2927932206/" title="Over-the-knee stockings with flowers by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3195/2927932206_d32dbaa9ea.jpg" alt="Over-the-knee stockings with flowers" height="500" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/2927074719/" title="Over-the-knee stockings with flowers by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3271/2927074719_64d8902fe0.jpg" alt="Over-the-knee stockings with flowers" height="375" width="500" /></a>projektleiterinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12114900774366320516noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27527447.post-7084362542849142712008-09-30T21:16:00.009+02:002008-10-02T09:33:55.387+02:00Finished: One-Skein Shawl<span style="font-weight: bold;">Pattern:</span> <a href="http://www.knittersreview.com/article_yarn.asp?article=/review/profile/070412_a.asp">One-Skein Shawl</a> by Clara H. Parkes from <a href="http://www.knittersreview.com/">Knitter's Review</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Yarn:</span> 1/15NM lace weight, 100% camelhair from <a href="http://www.colourmart.com/">Colourmart</a>; I asked them to ply it for me, so I received a 2-ply yarn, but then I wanted a heavier yarn and used it doubled. So, what I used was a 4/15 NM yan (fingering weight?)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Color:</span> Kid<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Price:</span> <span class="currentprice">$16.00</span> <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Amount:</span> I have yarn left, I think I used more than 100 g<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Needles:</span> 4.5 mm<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gauge:</span> I made a mini-mini swatch to check if my needle size was right, but it's a shawl, so you don't have to swatch properly and measure how many stitches go into 10 cm. :p (you know who you are :p :p)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dimensions:</span> 150 cm wide and 75 cm from center to tip<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Modifications:</span><br /><br />I also modified the cast-on. Instead of casting on 5 stitches, I cast on 3 ((I'm convinced that it looks nicer that way, but don't have proof, because I didn't bother to cast on 5 and compare it with my 3-stitch cast-on. Just trust me. :D).<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/2902841296/" title="One-skein shawl with picot edge by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3097/2902841296_bcb1f1fd6f.jpg" alt="One-skein shawl with picot edge" height="375" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><del>1. Row:</del> Setup row: k to the end<br /><del>2. Row:</del> 1. row: k1, yo, k1, yo, k1 (=5 stitches)<br /><del>3. Row:</del> 2. row: k1, purl to last stitch, k1<br /><br />Continue with the 1. row from the one-skein pattern (= your 3. row).<br /><br />Every 9. and 11. row I added some holes:<br /><br />k1 (edge stitch), yo, repeat [k2tog, yo], k1, yo, k1 (center stitch), yo, k1, repeat [yo, ssk], yo, k1 (edge stitch)<br /><br />Edit: Sorry, I'm confusing. The first rows with holes are done in the 11. row and 13. row. After that it's every 9. and 11. row.<br /><br />Picot edge: Using the cable cast-on, *cast on two stitches and bind them off. Bind off two more stitches (I purled them. I find the edge looks nicer that way and I was also hoping that I would get a less curly edge. In the end, I didn't have problems with the edge curling, but I also blocked a lot.).* Repeat from * to *<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/2901878021/" title="One-skein shawl with picot edge by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3236/2901878021_9ce0aef905.jpg" alt="One-skein shawl with picot edge" height="375" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/2902717734/" title="One-skein shawl with picot edge by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3104/2902717734_e6b488385a.jpg" alt="One-skein shawl with picot edge" height="500" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/2902718060/" title="One-skein shawl with picot edge by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3049/2902718060_e5b165d8a1.jpg" alt="One-skein shawl with picot edge" height="500" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><br />Yep, that's a spinning wheel that you're seeing in the left corner! :D It's a <a href="http://www.kromski.com/minstrelen.htm">Minstrel</a> from <a href="http://www.kromski.com/">Kromski</a>. I had a hard time deciding, because at first I like the antique look of this wheel, but then I thought I wanted something less frilly and with clear lines and shapes, like the <a href="http://images.google.de/images?q=ashford%20joy&hl=de&btnG=Google-Suche">Ashford Joy</a> (I was also thinking of all the dust that would settle with time in the thousand corners of the Minstrel. While I don't like cleaning, I like things to be clean, if you know what I mean.). Having tried it before I did know that it was a good wheel and after reading <a href="http://www.abbysyarns.com/wordpress/?p=6">Abby Franquemont's post about choosing the first wheel</a> and her recommending it together with three, four other wheels I decided to go with that one (also the others were not really available here.). Sofar I'm really happy with it. :)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/2902719838/" title="Kromiski Minstrel spinning wheel by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3037/2902719838_4c1f75c2e8.jpg" alt="Kromiski Minstrel spinning wheel" height="500" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><br />Same stuff as <a href="http://projektleiterin.blogspot.com/2008/06/first-attempts-at-spinning.html">here</a>, but spun with the wheel.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/2902718826/" title="Kromiski Minstrel spinning wheel by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3094/2902718826_044d07a92e.jpg" alt="Kromiski Minstrel spinning wheel" height="500" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><br />The blue yarn is Domestic (a bit scratchy. Or maybe overspun...? :o )<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/2901877023/" title="Handspun by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3084/2901877023_19651a0e73.jpg" alt="Handspun" height="335" width="500" /></a>projektleiterinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12114900774366320516noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27527447.post-15553343651357197682008-09-20T20:23:00.006+02:002008-09-20T21:12:56.304+02:00Finished: Lilly's Leaf Shawl<span style="font-weight: bold;">Pattern:</span> <a href="http://lillysmuul.blogspot.com/2008/01/lillys-leaf-shawl.html">Lilly's Leaf Shawl</a> by <a href="http://lillysmuul.blogspot.com/">Lillysmuul</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Yarn:</span> <a href="http://rohrspatzundwollmeise.de/">Wollmeise</a> <a href="http://shop.strato.de/epages/61425309.sf/de_DE/?ObjectPath=/Shops/61425309/Categories/%22Superwash%20Sockenwolle%22">sock yarn</a>, 100% merino superwash, 150 g skein (574 yards), 350 m/ 100 g, wash at 30 °C<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Color:</span> "Farn"<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Price:</span> around 15 € per skein?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Amount:</span> well, more than I thought in the beginning! I ran out of yarn after finishing the body and I had to start a new skein for the edge. Of course, I hadn't bought a second skein. I tried the skein that one of my friends had, but the color was too muted. I finally succeeded obtaining another skein by contacting <a href="http://wollmeise.blogspot.com/">Claudia</a> from <a href="http://rohrspatzundwollmeise.de/">Wollmeise</a>. She was supernice and did indeed have a similar skein. It's not a perfect match, but the difference is not too obvious.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Needles:</span> I think 4.5 mm (sorry, I didn't write it down and between finishing and blocking a lot of time passed. I finished it sooo quickly, but not having jigsaw mats to block it delayed the whole finishing process.)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gauge:</span> -<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dimensions:</span> 168 wide and from the center to the tip it's 80 cm (I measured after blocking it, usually my shawls shrink a bit after that)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Modifications:</span> none<br /><img src="file:///C:/DOKUME%7E1/THACHT%7E1/LOKALE%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" /><br />It's a nice and easy pattern. The main body is composed of a quite popular Estonian stitch pattern that I have already seen used a couple of times in other shawl designs. At the upper edge and on both sides of the center you have a leaf pattern.<br /><br />The yarn surprisingly looks very very much like cotton. If I didn't know that this was merino, I would have assumed that this was cotton. Many knitters I know think the same. I don't think this is something positive or negative, I was just surprised about its texture. The colors are fabulous, many many shades of green. I really really liked the first skein I bought. The colors were brilliant and just perfect greens. The second skein was also nice, but the green was tiny bit more muted and blueish. I'm usually not such a Wollmeise fan, but this colorway I liked a lot.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/2860058583/" title="Lilly's Leaf Shawl by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3152/2860058583_37ee845a1b.jpg" alt="Lilly's Leaf Shawl" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br /><br />The next two pictures were taken by a friend's boyfriend.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/2872532473/" title="Lilly's Leaf Shawl by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3176/2872532473_d8a2c7b3e0.jpg" alt="Lilly's Leaf Shawl" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/2872532737/" title="Lilly's Leaf Shawl by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3290/2872532737_99a65c7b0d.jpg" alt="Lilly's Leaf Shawl" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/2873347754/" title="Lilly's Leaf Shawl by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3109/2873347754_4c2779a85c_m.jpg" alt="Lilly's Leaf Shawl" width="180" height="240" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/2873327338/" title="Lilly's Leaf Shawl by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3151/2873327338_da8133f42f_m.jpg" alt="Lilly's Leaf Shawl" width="180" height="240" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/2872497231/" title="Lilly's Leaf Shawl by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3009/2872497231_61a2f4750e_m.jpg" alt="Lilly's Leaf Shawl" width="180" height="240" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/projektleiterin/2873326856/" title="Lilly's Leaf Shawl by projektleiterin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3034/2873326856_ec9e1d3f02_m.jpg" alt="Lilly's Leaf Shawl" width="180" height="240" /></a><br /><br />I'm not sure if I should keep the shawl or give it away. I never knit shawls in this size (it's really big) and I have no clue how to wear it without looking like a granny. I think it doesn't look that bad in the first picture. I could also use it like a scarf and wrap it around my neck. Or I could give it to my grandma who likes green. Shall I keep it? What do you think?projektleiterinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12114900774366320516noreply@blogger.com6