Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Aruba



The awesomely talented Carol Feller of Stolen Stitches has created this beautiful bandana with a skein of of my 'Perfection' Sock, as part of her 'Spring 2013 Collection'. 
I think you'll all agree how amazing it looks, I just want to reach into the picture and touch it!!
In the pattern notes on Ravelry, Carol says:

"This square bandana is knit from one corner to the other which allows the relatively simple slip stitch pattern to be worked on the bias for a really interesting effect. The project just begged to be finished with a fringe which is worked while you are knitting and unraveled at the very end. All you have to do is knot and go!"

On her Ravelry Forum, she's going to be hosting a Knit-A-Long over 3 months, so, you can buy all three patterns together now at a special pre-sale discount price, or wait until the patterns are released and buy them singly.  Any of you who are familiar with Carol's work will know her patterns are beautifully written. An enormous amount of work goes into their construction and the layouts are so easy to follow, my advice would be to take advantage of the pre-sale!!

(Both photos reproduced with the very kind permission of their owner, Joseph Feller)

Of course, I will be dyeing some 'Perfection' in a tealy/turquoise colour to coincide with the release of 'Aruba' ... and will put these in the shop, along with some pattern codes, so you can buy an 'Aruba' kit. Or, alternatively, I have 'Perfection' slots in the custom dye section of my shop, so you can order it now to have it ready for the pattern release, in the colour of your choice.
Whatever you decide, I really hope you all have a go at making it, even if it's just to sample Carol's work!

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Il Fiume . . . The River


A test knit for my new base yarn, ‘LoveLace’, and a birthday gift for a very special friend of mine.
It is my own design, along the lines of the ‘Baktus Scarf’, cast on a certain amount of stitches… then, when you get to 50g of yarn, repeat the design but in reverse, so it is mirrored.
Heavily influenced by the ‘Swiss Cheese Scarf’ by Winnie Shih, with regards to the constructed circles, because as you all know, I am a little obsessed with constructed holes :P
The fabric the yarn creates is lovely, silky but firm to the touch


'LoveLace' was a complete dream to work with, and I am not just saying that because I want it to sell... *GRiN*

Of course, it took a little time to wind into a ball, (especially as I hand wound it, mainly in the dark, on a car journey up to see my Parents at Christmas)... hahaha :P
As I tell folks who might have trouble winding my yarns (as my dyeing process can be a little vigorous), it really is about the journey the yarn takes you on. 
Having the yarn run through your fingers, and seeing it emerge into a workable ball... and the thinking time this process provides in itself... 
For me this thinking time consists of excitement and impatience to get it cast on and trepidation as to whether I chose the right project for the yarn...
It truly is the beginning of a rewarding journey together, from skein, to ball and onto the knitting and ultimately to the piece of fabric that emerges.