mercredi 25 février 2015

3 Color Cashmere Cowl

On monday I finished and weaved in the ends of my 3 Color Cashmere Cowl and I'm very happy with the result! I would usually block this kind of piece, but I was too impatient and figured I would have to wash it eventually... Lazy knitter, I know.

Pattern by Joji
I mainly used Julie Asselin's Milis yarn in this project, with only a small portion of cashmere in the Nanos section (in pink). I'm very happy that I got to use stash yarn for this project. Although, I was supposed to use the two main colours for this pattern. And because I still want to knit this awesome sweater in the future, it means I'll have to purchase some more yarn. Oh no!

I love Milis. I think it's my top fave yarn in the world. As I stated on Ravelry It's pure merino, single ply, light and soft. It's both a pleasure to knit with and to wear. And I'm really looking forward to knitting sweaterS (yes many) with this yarn. I wish I could find it more easily, since not so many shops carry this base. Sigh!

mardi 17 février 2015

Granny squares

I started crocheting around three years ago and I immediately liked it. I find that the movement in itself brings a nice change for a knitter. There are some really fun projects that you can crochet (although I'm not really sold on crochet garments as of yet). I especially like crochet for home decor.

But it's a also a great skill that can help when you want to add a finishing touch. For instance, the borders of this tank or the neckline of this Gemini.

Last week, I started crocheting a beautiful Granny square blanket. I have always found that Noro self striping yarn produces a great  effect. You get a magical transition of colours from row to row.

It's not my first time making granny squares, but it's going to be my first blanket. Of course it costs more since it requires a lot of material, but I can purchase a few skeins everynow and then... so I should be fine!

I like the fact that it's an easy project to carry around. I can shove an ongoing square down my purse wherever I go. Just like socks.

For this project, I'm using Noro Kureyon in many colourways, paired with Gallway worsted wool in Natural for the border. I crocheted 10 rows for the Noro part and 2 for the border. I have yet to crochet many more squares, block them, weave in ends and connect them. But still, I wanted to share a few samples.

I'll try to keep you posted on the evolution of this blanket.

If you like this one, note that there are many inspiring crochet blankets out there. I particularly like the Flowers in the snow pattern by Solveig Grimstad and the Neat Ripple Pattern by Lucy of Attic24. Might have to crochet these some day.

mardi 10 février 2015

When it gets real cold, it's time to learn thrums!

Recently, I've been more and more attracted to fleece and roving. And it's no mystery. Julie, the owner of the LYS where I work part time, La Julie Factrie, is an amazing fiber enthusiast who is very knowledgeable about fleece in general (spinning, felting, weaving and knitting). Her shop is always full of fiber bins and ungoing projects and everynow and then, she'll share some discovery or marvel.

Being exposed to this material and seeing the projects popping up on Ravelry was all it took to convince me to try thrumming! So when we received some Fleece Artist thrummed mitten kit I knew it would serve as a good practice for a particular pattern I had in mind, Ysolda's Cadeautje.

I was lucky enough to find a kit that was a nice complement to my new yellow coat.
 Syncopation adoration by Stephen West
Thrummed mittens by Fleece Artist
 I love that picture on the left. Partly because I received a comment by Stephen West himself on Instagram that said "Nice work!" (which made me dance in my living room), but mainly because my boyfriend captured my dog in the back. That little silhouette makes me laugh and melts my heart all at once!

But back to my subject : thrums. My mitten experience was a success. I found that thrums were very easy to do, once you got the hang of it. It was now time to tackle another project : the Cadeautje slipper pattern. 

And that was even better! I got to play with yarn and colours. Yeah!
For the first pair, I used some rustic yarn : Briggs and Little Atlantic in Jade and a rustic fiber kit colour Mélange automnal.
Cadeautje 1 pattern by Ysolda Teague
For the second pair, I wanted something softer both in colours and texture. I picked some Cascade Ecological Wool, paired with Fleece Artist Merino Sliver fiber. This created a fantastic soft and smooshy slipper (kind of a tongue twister!). In the process of customizing the pattern to follow my narrow feet, I ended up with a short slipper. But I'm sure to find some knitworthy recipient for this pair when it's done!
Cadeautje 2 pattern by Ysolda Teague

On my needles right now, countless projects, the most recent and exciting being the 3 Color Cashmere Cowl in Julie Asselin's Milis and Nanos stash yarn. Lovely! Photos to come on my Instagram account.

mardi 3 février 2015

Inspiration


I mentioned in my previous post how I was in awe of knitting blogs out there. In fact, I have to admit I'm pretty addicted to a few of them. I love reading these blogger's posts. They provide ideas, colours, techniques, reviews and so much more. I like how many of the authors make it personal by bringing pieces of their day to day.

So here are some of my favorites.

Blogs I read religiously...

I love that blog. Tanis won 2015 Craftsy Best Knitting Photography award and it's no surprise. Her blog is beautiful and so full of colour! She dyes yarn in many gorgeous colours (both solid and variegated), designs amazing patterns and shares her own WIP and FO, which make me want to cast on right there on the spot!

Cassy Dominick shares her projects as well as her designs. She knits mainly for herself, her kiddy and her man. All of these categories bring me inspiration. And I share her taste in designs and colours. I like the tone in her writing. It's light and funny.

Julie is both a super pretty model and an amazing knitter/designer! She also brings beautiful photos (and sometimes outtakes ;)) of her projects. Her blog covers many interesting subjects, through interviews, gift ideas, Pins, reviews, Ravelry modification project and many more!

Blogs I stumble upon, every few weeks...

Alano Dakos is a superb designer and her blog is a very good way to stay tuned to the products of her botany inspired imagination! In addition to those, she also offers great photos of knitted FO. I started listening to her podcast (thanks for the tip,  Christine), and I think I will enjoy those too!

Rililie, also incredibly talented designer. I like reading her impressions on knitting and techniques. Speaking of techniques, she offers amazingly well written and illustrated tutorials. A must!

Ysolda is a famous designer who brings a wide variety of patterns. Her Technique thursdays posts are among my favourites. The font and design of these tutorials are clear and neat.

Julie Asselin has a special place in my heart. She is a local indie dyer who has quickly become famous and appreciated. And it's no wonder. She dyes extraordinary colours and has funny bubbly lovely personality. I hold her yarn partly responsible for my knitting obsession!

But of course, my blog reading sometimes expand way beyond these. For instance, when I browse on Ravelry (which I do constantly), I often stumble upon blog links in ravellers profile. If like what I'm reading, I can go for hours, flipping through the pages of older posts.


Next post will be about these thrum slippers... and my new found love of thrums in general.