One big scarf

Here's a job for the lazy knitter: bulky, bold and fashionable. From Mulberry FW 2012-2013 runaway in London

Cachemere cowl, so long!

I've just completed a cashmere cowl I started on June 2010. This job was so boring that every now and then I just buried it under tons of yarn and forgot about it. But today it's done. The color is pretty and the yarn soft and warm. But definitely too thin to knit in stockinette stitch. As a reminder for all lazy knitters like me: avoid complex works with a US 4 needle. Too long to make... Anyway do you like it?
:)

Fashion crochet time

Here we are, it's Fashion week in Milan and there it is, the first crochet dress of the next Summer 2012. Love it or hate it?

Alberta Ferretti SS 2012

The complete tools, finally

After years of frustrated desire, I finally got my own wooden yarn shift and winder. And I got them at the very best price possible. For the swift I bet on eBay and got one for 25,00 $, instead of the 50$ asked everywhere else. The winder, I got it from Knitpicks for only 19.00 $!

Both sellers where serious and fast so I'm pretty happy with my purchases and I spent all yesterday making pull-thorugh yarn balls! Happily ;)

The Yarn Addiction

How is that possible that every time I cross a yarn store, offline and online, I cannot refrain from buying loads of yarn? I don't even have space in my house for all those yarn balls!! Someone help me!

Are you like me too?

I've got a French Knitter

After a few videos on youtube I figured out how to use it, but I'm still not sure what can I do with it, any suggestions?

Back to knits

I've been absent lately but that's because it took me some time to adapt to the new Chicago life and now that I did, I can go back to knitting. As you can see from my Ravelry dashboard I'm up to some relaxing stuff, especially the lovely Shawl Collared Cowl, a simple yet very clever pattern by Never not knitting.


So, little by little, I try to get back on tracks. And what are YOU knitting right now?

Preparing for a sabbatical 5 months of knitting

Starting April the 3rd I'll be on a sabbatical leave for 5 months! In the last months all I could think is: what will I knit with all this spare time in my hands?

Well it's very difficult to choose, so I ask you:

-Shall I finish my Icelandic sweather I've started 1 year ago?
-Shall I complete an afghan blanket I've started 2 years ago?
-Shall i crochet a human-size amigurumi?
-Shall I start something very challenging completely new?

What would you do?

Pic via | Blog Casa sé

Ferragamo crochet dress

How lovely is this Salvatore Ferragamo SS 11 crochet dress? I love it! Sure on a model everything looks great, but I think this would fit lovely on everyone. Don't you think?

Making gloves with i-cord? Genius!

Wandering on Ravelry I ended up on a pattern that suggested using the i-cord technique to make fingers for gloves. I found the suggestion simply amazing. I've never made gloves because working the fingers with the 4 needles techniques was too boring event to think. But now I had a hint!

My next step was finding exactly how to do it, and that's where nonaKnits entered the scene. In her blog she explains very well how to do all the fingers and how to attach them to the hand. It looks so easy that I'm going to try it right now.

Finally I can say goodbye to mittens and welcome back fingers! Yuppi! Thansk Nona!

p.s.
It's so easy and fast you can't believe it!

Knitted shoe-covers by Dior and D&G, love them!

I fell in love with those lovely "shoe socks"by Dior. Aren't they cute?


I also find irresistible those boot covers by D&G. Want to make them!

In love with Iceland

I fell in love with this sweater, the Aftur Sweater by Védís Jónsdóttir. I'm seriously thinking about learning Icelandic to do it. How pretty is it?

To start, I'll learn the Stranded Color Knitting technique!

Rasta Hat - a simple pattern

Last week end in Switzerland during the Santa Claus festivity I stepped by a small yarn shop in a small village in Engadine. There I found this lovely Lang Mille Colori yarn and bought 4 balls. At the beginning I wanted to make a scarf but then I decided to switch to a rasta hat. Here the result, you judge!

I’ve casted on 70 sts. Worked 4 rows in rib 1/1 and then switched to “costa inglese” ribbed pattern.

"Costa inglese" ribbed pattern works like this: slip 1, *knit 1, knit 1 from row below (together with the upper sts)*, end knitting last st. Turn.

Repeat this pattern until desided lenght.

After 29 rows, I've finished with these three rows:

-Slip1 K2tog until last st, knit
-Slip1 Purl2tog until last st, purl
-K2tog all sts

Closed passing a tapestry needle through the remaining sts.

This pattern is ultra fast, the "Costa inglese" ribbing is great because you never have to purl, it just goes fast!! Love it!

A new book that I love: Reversible Knitting

I just got this book, Reversible Knitting by Lynne Barr, from Barnes and Noble here in Chicago, and I immediately fell in love with it. I haven't attempted any stitch yet, but there are 50 reversible stitches are simply irresistible! Plus, at the end of the book there are also some designer's patterns. Lovely!
I'll try immediately to make a scarf with the Norah Gaugan sweather reversible pattern on the cover!

baby booting

A lot of girlfriends are having babies lately, so I spent this week end "baby-booting". I used Ruth's baby bootie pattern and Rhian's bootie pattern for two different set of booties. Both nice and easy. Very neat and delicious patterns :)

This week end I also managed to intrigue my sister with crocheting, she started a lovely scarf and I have the feeling that she will not only finish it but also start a new project afterward. Will we spend the winter crocheting together from now on? I surely hope so!