ITO top

A couple of weeks ago, I've started this top for me. I'm amazed by how far one single ball goes. I've just finished the first one, it makes almost 20 cm high...
This is ITO Sensai yarn, from Japan, bought in Berlin. One ball is 20 gr, for 262 yards, 40% silk, 60% mohair.

I can't start to describe the touch. Warm, light, gorgeous.

Apart from this knitting, I'm following Alisa Burke Xmas creative course, and enjoying it. Perfect to get into the Xmas mood.
What are you working on for the moment?

Whatever you are doing, I hope it makes you happy.
Have a nice week, and take care!

Sea Tangles

Speak of slow knitting! even lazy knitting.
I started this one years ago.
The pattern is by Kie Zuraw, found on Knitty, the yarn is a very fine silk, with an even finer steel wire inside bu Habu Textiles.
Stockinette, with random cables. In fact, really fun to knit. Other projects just kept coming in between...
You can see more of it here.
And my version, finished a few hours ago.

I'm very glad it is no longer on my "to do" list, and in time to be worn during summer.

Vacations are over...

For once, Amandine was home with us for a birthday. We had a gorgeous lunch in Aix, complete with both parents and boyfriends.

This is an exceptional year, I went to the beach twice! Once in Barcelona, and this time in Marseille...

While in Marseille, I could not resist the yarns in La Droguerie. How could I? The first sight when you enter the shop is a rainblow of all possible colors. Mostly silk, mohair, linen, you've got the idea. And they prepare the ball of yarns in front of you, weighting exactly the quantity you need for your project. I've purchased the yarns to make a transformer scarf for each of my girls, black and purple for Emilie, and pink and orange for Amandine. Tthe yarn is made of two threads, one alpaga, the other a very thin mohair. I had to choose from various colors in both qualities, the lady was very helpful, letting me see all possible combinations as often as necessary to decide (and that was not an easy choice, believe me!) Soft and light and warm, yummy!. There are buttons and button holes on both ends of the scarf, so that it can be worn as a poncho, a jacket, a scarf. You'll see better when it is finished.

I hope that Irene (I mean the storm, not my friend) will leave you unharmed (I mean, those of you on the east coast). Take good care, and let us know you are OK as soon as you can...

Misc

Hello to all!

The sarong skirt and top have been received, and she likes them.
The bento kit has been received, and she likes it too.
My blog had the visits from two and four-leggers who left such nice comments.
Life is good... :-)

Here is what should be the last baby item for some time (but who knows). It can be worn either with the buttons in the front or in the back, depending of the mother's mood.

Summer is here. The sun and the heat are here too.
I saw this post by Vicki, of Field Trips in Fiber. And I had to give it a try:

It is a rather quick project. Note the "rather" because it requires a little care, but it is really fun, may be just because of that. Anyway, if you don't know Vicki's blog yet, do pay her a visit. She is a great fiber artist, as well as a bird watcher.

This a a three-days weekend again, I love those weekends, one day to rest, two days for fun.
The next one will be even more fun, but more on that later.
Have all a great week and take care!

Babette Blankett comments

Thank you for commenting on it.

Startare, it does have a border, not a wide one, but it has (adapted to the leftover, in fact :-).
Corryna, Rosemary, Susan, Startare, don't hesitate, make one, it is relaxing and fun, and you can take it or drop it whenever you want. No need to count either.
Lisa, I guess Luna could have some ideas too about the blanket or the yarn ?
Embellisher, I've tried to follow the pattern, regarding colors, but I had to make some arrangements. On the whole, I'm satisfied. I've seen some blanketts in other color themes, they look very different but all gorgeous.
SewAmy, thanks for visiting and commenting.

Have all a very good end of week!

Yarn

Thank you for the comment on the scard. I can tell you it is very comfy.

The yarn I used is by is Big Ball Funny by Schöller+Sthahl.

And yesterday I found a similar one in my Phildar shop: Flocon
Apparently, they no longer make it. It is replaced by Phil Pop that you can see on the second page of the new yarn presentation here.

I hope I did help :-)

Oh I'm away for the weekend, bound southwards to Valencia in Spain.
See you next week !

Scarf

Forced vacations are over, I went back to work yesterday. A neighbour had to help me get my car from the garage to the wheel tracks on the road, and then, I could drive to the office.
While I was home, I did some embroidery I'll show you later, and also some knitting.
I saw once my friend Raymonde and her sister knitt that funny yarn: I found some in a local shop, and could not resist the fun. One skein makes one scarf

in one evening: I'll try it in the afternoon when I'll go and do some shopping.

Have a nice weekend all!

Fingerless Gloves

First of all, thank you for your comments on the jackets! Emilie has not seen them in real yet, but she likes them too.
The print may be weird, but the polar fleece was very nice to work with. If I can find some, with another print, I'll take it for myself. I love polar fleece night wear...
A little secret: knowing you are watching makes me progress. For example, I sew my jacket yesterday, but the lining hem for the sleeves is less than perfect (and even than good), and I'm going to redo it. I would not redo it if you were not around :-) Although you won't see the difference...

The weather is getting colder, and suffer from cold fingers most of the time. So after knitting some for Emilie, I made this pair for me:
Still Noro yarn.
Have a nice Sunday!

Noro Minikits Design 26

I've got a new toy to go along with my passion for sewing.
Very helpful: to see mistakes, big mistakes that I should have seen while I was picking stitches for the neck border.
So I just had to undo and redo the whole border.

And now, I can see the buttons do not match the yarn. That is a shame because this yarn is so gorgeous, it deserves the right button... I'll change them at the first opportunity. I promise I will...

Knitting

When a friend of one of my daughters is expecting a baby, that daughter comes to me and suggests that I do myself a pleasure: knitting something that won't take me hours. And I'm glad to do that.
This time, it is for a little boy, due in less than two months. His parents are a bit flashy, Mum has red hair and Dad used to have a green hair crest. So soft blue was not really an option. Besides I like bright colors too. In the reality, this is a bit more poppy red.
Now, I'll be back to my poncho, the one which require circular needles, and a lot of patience, as it is all mohair lace :-) Will take me some more hours, certainly even months.

Socks finished and Cyber Fyber Exhibition

I've just finished my second pair of socks. I love their colors. OK I do not master all the craft of making socks yet, but they are warm and comfortable... I made the big jump yesterday and decided to take part to the swap organized within the
Cyber Fyber Exhibition. This is the card I made for the swap. Embellisher and beads. Quite simple.

I wish you all a nice weekend!

knitting, continued

I did not expect comments on the jacket and was quite thrilled to read you!
I've tried to take a picture of myself modeling it, but could not get any decent one.

There has been talks about fast craft vs slow craft. I would say I do quick craft. I mean, size and time required are two of my main criteria. This applies to this jacket. The needles are big, the pattern is easy. I only have the pleasure of knitting, without the piece turning into an UFO. I would not say it is fast knitting though, because I take the time to do it properly.
In the same spirit, my TIF is a postcard, but with time spent on the embroidery.

For those of you worried about the cats, this picture was taken this morning. The third one was under the bed...
and I have some problems ending this post, Choupette is resting half on my knees, half on the keyboard...

Finished!

The pieces of wool the cats loved so much have turned into: I like it a lot, it is light to wear and so warm... and was so quick to knit.
I must go to Marseille in a near future. I might go back to that shop...

Knitting and sane patchwork

Remember those yarns? The blueish one has turned into:
I have suscribed to QuiltWow. In the December issue, there is a workshop by Jill Packer. I found it was a good opportunity to do some sane patchwork. I happened to have the required fabrics in my stash, and there it is, almost the exact copy of Jill's.
As it is a dark, gray and rainy day here, it brings the required light in my room :-)
Have a nice weekend all.

Sock and carpets

Thank you all for the comments you left on my blog over the weekend. Especially on my textile work. It is so interesting to have feedbacks.

The postcards are original ones, I mean I did not copy them from someone else. Instead, I've tried to make them correspond to their recipients, and used different techniques to do so.

A quick reminder about Sharon'b next challenge, Take It Further. Sharon's has made a huge work and listed the blogs/flickr sites of those participating. It is going to be fun, and browsing throught those blogs is already most interesting. You should have a look, really.

Remember the wool my sister gave me last week? This is the first sock I made with it:

Although it is a fine yarn, it is fun to knit. And it came at the right time since all the blogs with photos of knitting made my fingers itch for wool :-). I'll start the second one probably tonight.

And this is a small panel I made for the patchwork shop. As Odile Texier would say, the materials took over and decided how it should be. Even the thread on the border had its own mind. It remembers be of oriental carpets. What do you think?
I wish you all a good week!