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A truly inspirational designer

A few weeks ago, I found the blog of a VERY talented designer who lives in Japan, Novita or her name on the blog 'verypurpleperson'. Check out her Etsy shop if you want to find very original dresses, bags, purses, and even some fantastic drawings made by her gorgeous and also very talented son, Sidra!

Well, she is not just talented, but also generous, and because tomorrow is her birthday, she is doing a giveaway of some of her creations. You can check out the giveaway here.

Happy birthday Novita!!!

Another FO (finished object) combining 2 techniques

I've finally finished the Button-Up Neck Warmer from Spin-Off magazine, summer 2009, for which I used my own handspun yarn. As I did not like the wrong side very much, I decided to add a fabric as a lining. I also put 4 buttons that I covered using the same fabric of the lining -also making it a bit warmer! It is a floral cotton print, that has the colours of the fabric + greens + yellows. I really like the results.

I also wanted to make it a bit longer, so the buttons are sewn about 4 inches from the narrow edge, in a diagonal.

The first 2 pictures show the real colour of the fibre.

'Sew' cute...

I've finished 2 project bags. One is the design of a knitting bag created by one of my favorite knitwear designers, Tora Froseth, from Norway. By the way, check out her new Design website! Tora Froseth Design. Remember I've used 2 of her beautiful patterns to make the 'Angle' cardigan, and the 'Little Sister's dress' for Tasha?

The second one is the cute Linen Envelope Bag, featured on 'Making Handbags and Purses' by Carol Parks.



And here you can see both of them. No need to say I just love those fabrics! They are a floral print in cotton and a linen/cotton blend in beige.

For the knitting bag, I've used the floral print for the outside, the linen/cotton for the top and bottom of the zipper, and another cotton in light yellow and beige for the lining. And for the Linen Envelope Bag, I used the floral print for the lining and the small 2 triangles, and the linen for the exterior.

FibreJoy in action on a cold Saturday

My Ravelry alter ego, FibreJoy, has been busy today. It's so cold and windy outside, that I preferred to stay home making things.

I finished a second cushion for our sofa and I really like the results. I've used 2 upholstery Jacquard fabrics, one in dark brown with flowers embroidered and another one in light brown, with a diamond motif. I have also added a zipper, so it can be easily opened to wash the fabric. Here they are:

















The other thing I've started today was knitting the 'Button-Up Neck Warmer', which is a wrap-style neck scarf with a button closure. The thing is that Spin-Off magazine has a contest to knit up this pattern they've published in their Summer edition, and send pictures and details of the spinning project. The neck warmer has to be made up of 100% handspun yarn, and you can knit the small or the large version. The model in the first picture of the article is wearing the large size, which I think is pretty big, so I am making the smaller one. The other reason is that I will finish it up sooner!

I've only known about this contest yesterday, because even though I have the magazine, I did not see the 'Call for Submissions' small section they've added to the article that shows the pattern and talks about the project. I am thinking of entering this contest, even though it is really late; pictures and details of the project must be sent by November 9, 2009!

I am using the 2-ply of the Merino custom blend I got at the Black Lamb to knit it. I am swatching now, and the pattern is not complicated, so maybe I will have time to finish it up and send it!

If not, I will finish it anyway, the pattern is really pretty. It has a 'slip 2 purlwise, with yarn forward' every few stitches, which gives it a very textured fabric.

This is a swatch I am knitting:

The colours of the Fall in North York

My favorite colours, red, yellow, fading greens...

My first Sarubobo

This week I've found the blog of a Japanese crafter called Mai. She sews everything she makes by hand and is very creative. Her art is very subtle and beautiful.

She posted instructions on how to make Sarubobos, or Japanese dolls. She usually makes the tiny doll and adds it to different things, like purses, hair bands, bags, etc.

They are just ridiculously cute! Take a look at her blog: Mairuru. And check out her Etsy shop: Mairuru's Etsy shop. She uses the cutest Japanese fabrics!

And take a look at what I know will be my first Sarubobo, as more little friends will follow. I just need to finish the closing of the belly better, probably using invisible/hidden stitch or something like that, because this first little guy looks like he just left the hospital after stomach surgery...

Now IT IS a finished object (FO)

I had knitted this Cable Bag a while ago, and now I've added a lining, so I can use it in the fall and winter. The yarn is yummy Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky Yarn - M240 in Prairie Goldenrod colourway, that I got at Lettuce Knit. I loved knitting it, as it was my first cable project, and I LOVE bags, so it was like falling in love with the project twice. For the lining, I've used a cotton fabric with a floral and musical theme, and I split the interior pocket stitching in the middle of it, so I have two pockets.

I’ve made the handles following the instructions for the “Summer Bag and Purse” project on Jeannette Trotman’s book “Easy Knitted Accessories”, which involves knitting them lengthwise, then picking up the cast-on stitches while binding off. That way you get very flexible handles, that are not too stretchy.

A 2-ply that is worth the effort

I finished winding the custom blend colours of the superwash merino I got a the Black Lamb.

These were the singles, and the 2-ply totally worked:

300 gr of superwash merino

Here it is:

Superwash merino

I might be getting some more, so I can knit something big like a sweater... just not sure yet.

Even if I tried really, really hard... I do not think I would ever like it!

I was swatching to find out how many stitches I was getting with the 2-ply Charcoal merino, and the results after knitting the swatch were far from what I had imagined, liked, or hoped for!

Remember this was the fibre:

Charcoal merino from Milana Buenos Aires

And this was the single I spun:

Single of the charcoal merino

Now... this is the result after doing a 2-ply of 2 of those singles:

2-ply of charcoal merino

Not SO ugly, huh? Wait to see the knitted swatch. Here it is:

2-ply swatch

Really... I'm not kidding you. it is all bumpy and more for felting or the trash can, than for a sweater.

Now, I also swatched the single, and there, my world stopped spinning around me, and I was able to breath normally again:

Swatch of the charcoal merino single

So this is it... I think I will try to unply the full jumbo bobbin I have with the 2-ply, to get 2 singles again, then finish off spinning all the fibre, give it a good wash in Eucalan, and rethink the project I will be knitting it into.

Moral of the story: it was a good way to learn that not all pretty singles will look great as 2-ply if you screw up plying!