One night stand

Just as I was finishing my new year sweater, and waited until it is dry, the need to have a RED hat hit me... not a red and white (which I have) not a red and gray, but red, nothing else, pure red...

 Last year I must have known something, because when I finished my white Beaufort hat, I inmediately got the yarn and cast on for  red one, but spring came and it was not only cas on, but cast aside as well..

I only had to dig in the box I put the WIP's and see where was I... Right after the ribbing, cool.

 I vaguely remebered I wanted to heavily modify the original one, make it more beret shaped, however the yarn length was limited.

 But it was thick, and I love this pattern, so it went fast, in fact I was done in a night. Sometimes you just gotta love quick projects, right?

Photos: Christopher Laurent Deli
Yarn: DROPS Andes
Needles: 5 mm
Pattern: Very loosely based on the Beaufort hat.

new year, new sweater

By now it is a tradition for me... Angel started it... She starts a project every new year for good luck. Since they say, that at the first day of the year you should do things you would like to do all year... Casting on a new project fits perfectly in this theme... For a couple of years it was by chance that the sweater I started as the first thing in a year happened to be red. But then it started to become intentional, as red is a lucky color (not only for the chinese, right? ).

So this year, I was all prepared, selected the pattern, and got the yarn well in advance. And as a self imposed job-duty, both of them is from DROPS.

As for the pattern...after finishing the translation for the DROPS winter catalogue I was free to roam in the old(er patterns) and I found quite a few treasures. Like this absolutely simple, but lovely cardigan.

The structure of it is basically very simple and old fashioned. Knitted flat, in pieces and sewn up afterwards. My gauge was off ... or... as the original version was written for a DROPS Loves You yarn (that is no longer available), or Karisma. I had a lovely red Nepal for this... I checked an old swatch, I thought was knitted from Nepal, and it was close enough... Only after I frogged about 10 cm of the back I realized that the swatch was knitted from Lima (similar, but thinner yarn). DUH.

The only modernish thing about the cardigan is the A line, and probably the flowery wood buttons I put on, to break up all that redness.It took me exactly seven days to knit it (would have been less, if I would not kept frogging it)... from the Nepal I started with size S, but still had to tinker with the armhole and the sleeves.At the end it turned out a simple, but nice, and comfy, everyday cardigan. I think it would do for teh start of the year.

Pattern: DROPS 108-22

Yarn: DROPS Nepal

Photos: Christopher Laurent Deli

PIF sheeps

We have a Pay it Forward group in Facebook, but for the longest time I was just looking. Partly because I barely had time to breath, I wouldn't dare to take on a task with a deadline, partly because I am a knitter, I think I knit wahtever to myself... How would it look like when someone asks about some handknit I am wearing "did you knit that" (expecting the "of course I did, what do you think? my neighbour? " answer), and I should reply "well.. you know... Not." Butthen I have to face the fact I have my limits. I will never have a Viajante or a Nuvem shawl, unless someone knits me one, and the same goes for teh holey shawl. I love the pattern, I even ordered yarn for it, even started knitting it, only to want to stab myself in the eye after the sixth row of holes. So when Réka offered one I took it so fast sparks were flying around. I still owe a post about that shawl (which I dearly love), all it needs that I have preferable light and a kid, who takes my photographs available at teh same time. Until then, I will show what I offered, and done. Whith a bit of delay though, it is with its new owner now.

Since there was enough handspun yarn offered in the group I decided to offer my other (counting the beaded shawls, my third) specialty, fair isle hats.

From the patterns I listed, the target person choose Kate Davie's Sheep Heid.

Since Jamieson's yarn is not readily available around here, I used a bunch of sock-yarn, of which I do have an ample suply.

Needles : 2 mm for the ribbing, 3 mm for the patterns.

Photoes: Christopherr Laurent Deli

DROPS Montreal

October passed with an awful lot of work , which is actually great... only I had literally no time to eath or even sleep, much less do any crafts...I would have closed the month with no knitting or spinning if not for the day of wool (of which I still owe a blogpost) and the trainrides to and from Szeged, and the time of my uni lectures (after all this time my teachers are well trained, and doesn't even bat an eye if I take out my knitting :-)

The little knitting time I had was taken up with mandatory and secret projects I can't really show yet,.. so between all that there came a point when my inner knitter said "enough is enough, it is time to knit something just for FUN!"

I had my eye on the DROPS pattern called Montreal for ages, and I thought it would be ideal... it is small, qick and FUN.

I used the Delight color in the original pattern, but I substituted the Fabel with Baby Alpaca Silk, which was on sale.

The pattern is pretty straightforward, the fair isle part is good for the beginners (no really long floats). My only problem is the shape of the hat... If I would knit it again I would probably knit the smaller rib with the bigger pattern... or even would think how to adopt it to a beret shape.
(Needles: Addi Colibri DPN, 2 mm for the ribbing and 3 mm for the pattern).
Photo: Christopher Laurent Deli

World Wide Spin In Public Day!

For years the second weekend of June is the day of teh World Wide Knit In Public day, A couple of years ago, knitting's sister craft, spinning joined teh fun, and spinners organize their own, world wide spin in public day in september. This year we gathered at the Szt István tér, at teh fron of teh Bazilika, and at the Cafe California, and spin to our heart contents.

I think its better if This time I let the pictures speak for themselves, right? 

So I will never loose this again

I find this video very important,
Even though I posted it several times on FB, I needed to ask for help finding it again...
I will put it here, so I will never lose it again.

oh well... suprise :-)

Once again...

http://www.spinningdaily.com/blogs/connection/archive/2014/09/05/spindle-spinning-at-hungary-39-s-festival-of-folk-arts.aspx

More to make a record than to brag.