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!

Chick Sweater

Thanks to Veruska found this adorable sweater for traumatized chicks, isn't it cute? I want to make a dozen of those!

Knitting New - difficult - Scarves

I Love this book. It's beautiful and full of challenges. One, my personal defy, is the "Driftin Pleats" scarf on page 30. I LOVE the look of this scarpe and I've been trying to make one since last winter. The set up pleats explanation isn't that easy to get, and the DP needles are always turning.

Yesterday, though, I tried for the third time, this time I was knitting on my bed, and it was maybe the positon maybe the concentration, maybe the cotton yarn (instead of wool) but I did complete the setup pleats!! I am so proud! Now unfortunately the yarn I choose this thime is a bit thinn and the scarf will be a bit small, but if I make it, maybe next time I will be able to make one in wool to, I hope pretty as this one by bluegarter.knits

Baby Booties for big feet

Two of my sister's best friends had babies this month :) So I decided to make a couple of baby booties for them. I found this nice pattern (even if it involves some seeming and I'm not very good at it) of Baby Mary Janes. I started 15 days ago knitting every day even in the subway, to make 6 booties.

Everything was looking good and nice while I was knitting. Garter stitch is relaxing, but maybe too relaxing because I lost the count of the rows and I end up with 6 booties, all different!


I must have increased one row in every booty and maybe changed the gauge without realizing it, but now I have sizes that go from XS to XL!!

Does someone have a suggestion on how to count properly rows on garter st? Help!

Thank you so much for your support!

Thanks so much, to all the nice people that wrote to me these days saying that they are sorry for the closing of this blog. You are so sweet!

All this support gave me the strenght to try again, I'll make an effort and go on posting sometimes, now I know someone cares :))

So here a pic of the collar I've just finished, the pattern is the "wham bam thank you lamb! neckwarmer" by Insaknitty