The state of the knitting box

WIPs

Pictured here are my current WIPs, lounging around on the sofa. From left to right:

  • Backyard Leaves scarf — Not much progress here since last time. It’s classified under need-lots-of-attention knitting.
  • Midwest Moonlight scarf — The light blue one at the front (the actual colour is more blue than shown here). This scarf is progressing along quite nicely, I only have half a ball more to go. I love this scarf! Love the pattern, love the yarn.. so soft! This is my not-much-attention-needed-but-not-while-toddler-is-around knitting.
  • Sesame cardigan in Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed — The green one at the back, plus also shown there are the dark green and cream balls that I used for the fair-isle part. I’m up to the first sleeve now, on the sleeve cap shaping. This is my mindless-knitting-even-when-toddler-is-around knitting.
  • Lovely Lace socks from IK Spring ’06 — This is the chocolate brown one on the dpns, down on the right. I just started this a couple of days ago on a bout of Startitis, so it doesn’t look much at the moment.

Looking at this picture, it struck me how my colours taste has changed. A couple of years ago, if you look in my wardrobe, all you’d see were navy blues, greys and blacks. Green was my least favourite colour back then. Now I’m so much more drawn towards earthy natural tones like these colours — the greens, creams, brown and sky blues. Hmm I wonder why.

20 April 2006

Look who’s two!

Annette, 2 years old!

My little Annette turned two years old last Saturday. Happy Birthday, Annette! 🙂

(On a side note, Spring Knitty is out!)

10 April 2006

Inspiration

Placemat

Little purses

While browsing various crafty blogs this morning, I stumbled on the Cotton Paint magazine at Kitty-Craft (via mollychicken). It’s one of those cute Japanese craft mags, and I’m just awe-struck by the so many cute things in it!

Now I don’t sew very much, I only take out the sewing machine when I need to do things like shortening trousers (something I always have to do when I buy new trousers, since I am short). But lately I have been thinking of doing some crafty sewing (thinking of making a rag doll for Annette or something). I think looking at the pics from this mag (the two above are just examples) is just the inspiration that I needed to start.

I can’t read (nor speak) Japanese, but I think the first pic at the top is a placemat and a coaster. I’m thinking of making a bag and a little purse for Annette, in the shape of a house like the placemat, only using the roof part as the flap. What do you think? Would it work?? I still need to work out the details. I’ll keep you posted!

28 March 2006

One piece down

Back piece done, starting front left

Here we have the back piece of Sesame done, and now starting the left front.

28 March 2006

Starting Sesame

Apart from the scarves, I also have another new project on the needles. It’s the Sesame cardigan from MagKnits, which I have been planning to make for a long time.

Starting Sesame

This would be my first adult-sized cardigan ever. Hope I can persevere through it! I like the look of the cardigan, and it looks like something I can wear every day (in cold weather of course), so I really want to see the final product.

The original pattern is striped, but I’m doing mine in solid colour, using Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed in ‘Spring’. Or, rather, I was going to do it all in solid colour, and then I thought about making it a bit more interesting, so I added some fair-isle. The fair-isle pattern is not my design, it’s actually part of this Onslow Vest pattern. I’ve always wanted to knit something with fair-isle, and this one looks really nice to me. (I have tried the fair-isle technique before, when I made this hooded poncho for Annette. But I wanted to try something that looks more ‘traditional’, like those Scandinavian fair-isle garments. Maybe I’ll even try steeking one day 🙂 )

Sesame fair-isle band

21 March 2006