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!

Putting some order on Ravelry

Some people do it in April, some in January, me, I do it in September. Order is my k-word in those days. Even online.
I've been putting tidying up my stash, needles and even my Ravelry pages. I guess I'm ready for a full Autumn of knitting.

Starting with the transform-a-shrug-this-into-a-cardigan project witch I'm currently working with some lovely Aran Tweed red yarn I've bought in Dublin last year. I'll post pics asap!

Crochet Autumn hat

DSCN7809 2.JPG, originally uploaded by Cloudy Crochet.

I made up this very basic hat worked with Mondial Oltre yarn and a I hook. fast, nice, easy :)

Finished OWS with sleeves :)

DSCN7743.JPG, originally uploaded by Cloudy Crochet.

OSW sleeves done, what's next?

I'm pretty happy with the sleeves I added to the OSW. I finally used a double decrease every 6 rows (more or less). And now I'm adding a long collar. I'd love this once-osw to look like the "ribbed shrug", but with with 3/4 sleeves. I should be done by today, let's see if it fits.

New Chanel Hat, a desirable knit

I'm looking at Fall Winter 2009/10 Runaway and there's a hat that capured my dreams, is the new green Chanel knitted hat. Isn't it pretty? It's a nice idea for covering an olt hat, what you think?

OSW Knitting the sleeve

I'm knitting a One Skein Wonder but I've decided to add 3/4 sleeves. It's the first time I knit sleeves so I really don't know ho to proceed to make them fitted and nice. I found a pattern here which seems ok for circular needles, a double decrease every 6 rows.

What you think, it will be enough? Help! Help!

Back to knitting, or trying

I am so sorry I haven't been writing in ages. I'm not as lazy as it might seems but I'm working on another knitting blog and I haven't been knitting in a while (I prepared my wedding and it was exhausting, but funny and nice in the end, some pics here), then I went to Japan (Beautiful!!) and now I'm back to work.

Anyway, if it isn't too hot in Milan this week end, I'll check my stash and works and I'll go back on knitting. Btw the last work I've finished - the Morgan hat - a hell of a job for a very poor result (the hast is all bizarre) very disappointing. I'll post pics I promise!

:)

Happy summer and Holywasy to everybody!