Purplish at Pompon

One of the things that really slows the process of blogging, for me, is the photoshoot. I may not be the worst with a camera, but I'm no expert and I'll settle for a few good pics if the light is okay. 

But. When it comes to taking photos of me wearing the newest FO, I have to ask - pretty please - the boyfriend to oblige. And I know he does not enjoy. He is such a talented artist, who can pull off about anything, but photography is just not his strong suit. Or maybe it's just that he doesn't care for it. Which makes him even more wonderful when he agrees to participate... I know he's always proud of me for pushing through the many projects.

Today I gave him a break from the job and asked Zoée* to be the photographer.

I had not one, but two new cardigans off the needles!  

First one is the second Rililie Design that I knitted, the BlueSand Cardigan.

BlueSand Cardigan by La Maison Rililie

  

I mentioned this cardigan in a previous post, when I blogged about the Dessine-moi un mouton. I was saying how it was a lot of stockinette stitch. Well, I felt a little bad afterward, since I got to the short rows and texture. And speaking of texture...

Look at those! And the stripes in the lining of the pockets, and the little contrast colour making an appearance right before the ribing of the neckband. So pretty. Again, I'm amazed by the attention to details that make such a difference.

Second project to be photograph was my Vitamin D.

Vitamin D by Heidi Kirrmaier

Also a great piece. The radial eyelet increases work really well and make a good fit. I'm also happy with my yarn choice. The Serena gives a very nice drape, plus the combination of baby alpaca and pima cotton is just warm enough for breezy summer nights. I need more of this yarn.

Lumpy Space (finally!)

I started knitting this shawl last summer (almost a year ago) with stash yarn. But it was way too busy for me and the Noro piece in the center made it really ugly (to my taste anyway). So I frogged the whole thing and used bits and pieces for a real crazy Enchanted Mesa that I have yet to photograph and that contains a rainbow array of colours, all from stash yarn!

But back to this Lumpy Space... I started an another one during fall, but then again, got stuck to a place where adding a new colour made the shawl look like candy. So I put it aside. 

Then I found myself clearing the yarn and project space of my living room and decided to put the various UFOs in bags and boxes (recycling these). This actually encouraged me to finish a few of them! For instance, I picked up my BlueSand Cardigan and just kept on knitting. Same for my Vitamin D. Now if only I could take some time to photograph it all! Meh, I'll get around to it now that I'm officially on holiday.

I took my half done Lumpy to the store and picked the colour to make it perfect. Thanks mom for your good eye for colours! ;)

This is what happened : 

Lumpy Space by Stephen West

I didn't block it yet, hence the wrinkled look. But it's already big enough, so no need to stretch it for now! Here's a full view :

And a funny picture with my dog sneaking in the back!

One of my favourite element on the shawl, is the gradient set I used. It's Julie Asselin' s Leizu Fingering in the Manoir colourway. I love it with the Sand Dune colour of the picot bind off.

More on the other projects real soon and happy Saint-Jean-Baptiste to all Quebecers out there!

Dessine-moi un mouton!

I was pretty quiet about this one, with the exception of a yarn delivery mention in this post. But I did order yarn from Denmark specifically for this pattern.

Dessine-Moi Un Mouton par La Maison Rililie

Like I said on my project page, I purchased the main colour, Nougat in Supersoft 100% uld and a Shade bag of Noble, which included five colours. I figured I would be able to blend two other stripes of stash yarn, and I did. The shiitake and the orange do go really well with the other colours.

I love the many details of this pullover, like the combination of stockinette and broken seed stitch stripes, or the contrast colour cast of.

I fell hard for Holst Supersoft... It's woolly and light as a feather! The texture of this yarn is great and because it's so light, the yardage is really generous. It may seem a little shapeless on the hanger, but it actually falls really nicely on me. The light was just a little poor and everchanging this weekend. But I know I'll wear this a lot, so I should be able to get some photos of me wearing it soon enough.

I'm so glad I finally finished a Rililie pattern. They are awesome. Full of interesting little details that keep your mind busy. Her constructions are genious and fits are perfect. On my needles, I have her BlueSand Cardigan that is also very nice. But it's a loooooot of stockinette stitch.

FO : Levenwick

I finished my pretty pink cardigan a week and a half ago, but managed to find the right buttons and sew them on last thursday. I brought it to the store and asked my friend Christine to take a few pictures of me with it. Turns out, the sun in my face didn't offer the best light, but it's still cute, I guess...

Levenwick by Gudrun Johnston

When I blogged about it last time, I said I wasn't sold on the composition of this yarn. Well, even after blocking, with a bit of conditionner and all, it's still a little itchy. Don't get me wrong, I love a good woolly yarn, but in this case, it's wool, alpaca and viscose, and I suspect that the wool part is a very rustic one. The colour is gorgeous though and it's still very wearable! 

I somehow forgot to sew the cute little pocket, so maybe I'll take some better pictures soon when it's really done.

Here are some photos on a sewing model :

I really like how the yellow buttons match the little speckles in the tweed, even though we can't really see it in these photos.

The background for these mannequin shots is a brand new LYS/cafe established as a coop by my friends and I. It has kept me super busy for the past three months, but it's now coming along nicely and I'm so thrilled! I'll give you more info as soon as we're up and running.

Sweater knitting

This is something that really bugs my friends... I've been knitting sweaters like a maniac for the past six months and managed to produce a fair amount of pullovers and cardigans. Ever since I found out how quick it could be when you just kept on knitting, I've stopped being afraid and tackled those projetcs head first.

The knitters around me sometimes sigh with exasperation and get frustrated that I have started yet another big piece. But there's no getting me down! I love the process nevertheless and am always thrilled to find a new sweater to cast on.

Since I finished my Lady Sunnyside I decided to reward myself with a new sweater cast on. This one :

Papillon by Svetlana Volkova

It may not look like much, all cramped on the cable, but it's beautiful! Love the pattern and yarn combination. I bought two little skeins of Rimu Special Edition DK at Marie Mode Tricot when I last visited my family, but then I decided to cast on for a sweater, so I asked Marie to save a few more for me. Now I can't wait to get them!

I was looking for a pullover with a centered panel of lace and found it. It's a pleasure to knit and even though I love it in a warm fiber, I can see myself making one in cotton for the summer.

Since I had to wait for yarn anyway, I figured I could start my Refined Driftwood as well.

Driftwood by Isabell Kraemer

A nice and casual Henley sweater made of Kauni Solids and Effektgarn. This yarn is a little oily, so I'm very curious to see how it will block and drape. Speaking of drape, I should get something light and smooth, because my gauge with 3.5 mm is a kind of loose. I don't worry too much though, since it's meant to have some positive ease. Oh, and you gotta love those blues!

Last off, and just to make sure I never get bored, I started a Levenwick in Grignasco Loden. I've been eyeing this pattern for far too long (what a great excuse!) and got the yarn for a ridiculous price. It has that perfect tweed effect, but I'm not sold on the composition as of now.

Levenwick by Gudrun Johnston

I'll leave you with a close-up featuring my dear Tumi...

 

 

Newest FO!

After a super busy weekend that ended with some yarn shopping yesterday (and a yarn delivery from Danemark!) I finally found time to snap some shots of my blocked Lady Sunnyside.

Lady Sunnyside by Tanis Lavallee

It's gorgeous! I was a little scared that it would grow, being a superwash merino, but Tanis Fiber Arts Yellow Label just gets smooth and silky once blocked. I'm thrilled with the result.

I used DK instead of Aran weight, but because I knitted my Gemini pullover in the very same yarn, I knew my gauge was pretty close. And with a top-down piece, it's so easy to add room as you go. 

This Dove colourway is amazing. The crazy light in the pictures doesn't do it justice, but here's a link to a Moodboard that Tanis did to feature it. To me it feels like a rich grey that flirts with lilac. Genius!

The yarn is addictive. I'm so happy I have another lot in my stash. The next project I intend to knit in Yellow Label is Joji's Dragonflies Jumper in the Light at Dusk colour (a ooak Etsy update colour from last boxing day).

Lavender on a foggy morning

Wolf River and Lady Sunnyside

Last night I proudly finished this really cool sweater on the left. I used Cascade Eco+ in Lavender. I had this yarn in my stash and could never figure out what to knit whith it. But this is it. When I saw the pattern on Ravely, and then on Tanis blog post, I knew I wanted it.

And I am super pleased with the result! Such a nice fit and easy to wear piece. The process was very enjoyable as well. Two panels of lace, twisted rib, learning the tubular cast off : good times.

Boy do I look tired, though! And I am, really. Hence the radio silence on the blog last week. But I was eager and anxious to get back to it. I missed writing my weekly post, which I think is a really good sign! I am working through several projects these days, including a big one. I'll keep you posted on that, but will keep it a mystery for now...

The photo on the right is a Lady Sunnyside by Tanis in Yellow Label. The colour is Dove and is so ooo pretty! It's quite hard to picture, especially with this early evening light. A nice grey with hints of purple, pink and blue. The pattern construction is amazing. Very ingenious! But I tucked it away for a while because I was bummed that my sleeve was too big.

My friend Emilie picked it up last night and I knew it was silly not to finish it, since I only have the sleeves left to do.

Lady Sunnyside by Tanis Lavallee

This morning, it was really foggy and I could hear the boat sirens. I love that about the town I live in. I hear both trains and boats and it feels so old. So anyway, the fog outside and all those lavender knits seemed to play each other off real well. 

Inspired by KnittedBliss, who sometimes shares outtakes, I'll leave you with pictures of Hubert the dog and I.

Wolf River by Melissa Schaschwary