Amelia

There are patterns I keep returning to. Rosamund's cardigan is one I've already knit in a number of version, and Amelia is an other I would knit in every color possible.

This version was knit from my favorite Scottish tweed. I can count it as a stash-down project, because I had the yarn for years. 

As well I can count it in the UFO finishing project, as I started it more than a year ago, but by the time I got to the sleeves spirng came, and knitting a wool/cashmeere cardigan wasn't as important anymore as some white lacey item.

The fabric, the surface of a fabric knitted from tweed never cease to fascitane me. the pattern is written from the bottom up, but grewing up on tradtional knitted in pieces sweaters I don't find those as a work of the devil.:-). Besides, the whole thing is done almost entirely withouth sewing,it only needs a few Kitchener stitch at the underarms, and the buttons sewn on.

Skulls

It all started with a pair of pantyhose. I was looking at it in a store window for months, I was in love. I was purple, and looking at it from a distance it looked like small pink rosebids were printed on it. Only from close view I realized that those were not rosebuds but small skulls. Ummm...welll.... I know, I know. Still. For cetrain (mainly economic) reasons I did not get it for myself, but then I met someone who has almost as weird fashion sense than I do.

So, the pantyhose was bought, taken to Szeged, its new owner is jumping up and down and sqeels happily. Then the little monster in the back of my mind wakes up. The color (whats more, the patern) of my hairclip should go well with my shoelace, right? With a skull patterned pantyhose one has to wear color-coordinated skull patterned hat, that is obvious, isn't that so?

Especially, if I know just the perfect pattern...and there is a fresh, warm Drops alpaca shipment in the yarnstore.

It looked slightly scary before blocking...

But a hot bath and streching exercise over a big potlid helped the case.

Pattern: Angry Teen
Yarn: DROPS Alpaca
Photos: Christopher Deli

Wearing purple and handknits

Its bigger in the inside

I made this for someone whose family almost as big Dr Who fans as we are with Chris.

The day we talked about it, I walked into Barka's yarnstore and there was one ball of Tartdis blue and one ball of white on one, otherwise empty shelf, it almost poke my eyes out...what else could have I done???

When I gave it, the recepient was surprised, and moved, and happy, so much I might even have to rethink my position as a seriously selfish knitter...there ARE people for whom it is worth to give a handmade present.

Yarn: Drops Karisma
Pattern: Tardis Hat

Almost Sophie

The Dahlia Cardigan always fascinated me, I loved its back, but I just knew that I will not be able to use the free flowing front. I never liked those thingies I could not properly button up.

So when I came across the Sophie cardigan on the Drops pages I knew I wanted to make that version

I also knew that even though the pattern called for some cotton yarn (however soft) I wanted to knit it from the angora/merino yarn I had in my stash for years. 

As usual, I did my share of modifications... basically done the back patterned square and went after my head afterwards. Mainly I omitted the side panels, but knitted outwards from the back square forming an armschythe and a shapely waistline, and knitted a front with the lace pattern given to match the back.

I didnt do the knitted on garter stitch button band/shawl collar, but picked up stitches all around, knitted ribbed bands and formed a narrow collar with shot rows.

Sleeves were started at the wrist, my usual generous, long ribbed edge were knitted, then shaped to match the armhole on the body.

The yarn is soft like a newborn bunny,but sheds like a nervous one on its prom night...There is one advantages of angora yarns... they are ever so light. I only used half of the 400 gramms package, now I have to figure ot what to do with the other half.

Pattern can be downloaded from the Drops site here.
Photos: Christopher Laurent Deli

Because...

Some didn't believe, I really did swatch after finishing the hat...

A sizeable swatch from Drops Nepal with 3.5 mm needles. 19 szem 10 cm-en.

Quick, I need a hat!

A few days ago our mild winter turned really cold, and as I was taking on my coat and natural white alpaca shawl, and mitts, I was like..."Oh, but its cold and I need a hat...HOW come I don't have a creamy white hat???"

I had to remedie the situation real quick, right? As I was heading to Barka, the yarn store anyway, it didn't take much to pick up two skeins of Drops nepal, that also contains alpaca. 

I knew long ago, that I want to use the spiraly-lacy pattern of the Beaufort hat, but I wanted to change the shape somewhat, this amounted to some recalculations and a couple of false starts and frogging.

At the end it took me a night (OK, a long night at that, but still...) to knit up the hat.

Kind of typical, that the band suggest 5 mm needles, and I've knitted this with size 3.25mm for the ribbing and 3.5mm for the lace.

And so just you all know how serious I am about swatching... I wanted to the hat like yesterday, and I played the daredevil, and I knit it without swatching...And even though it fits perfectly, and I love the structure and all, I felt so guilty, about not swatching and having a quarter skein leftover...besides O fell in love with the yarn and thought, it would be nice to know the gauge in advance should I decide to knit other things with it... so I've knit up a sizeable swatch after I blocked the hat.

Photos are by Deli Christopher.
PS. I am going to change my relationship status on Facebook. I am officially in love with the Nepal yarn.