Ohhh....No.....I'm out of yarn

Instead of reducing my crochet yarn stash, I actually need to increase it, what a pity. This happen when I'm out of yarn for red heart sampler Hi-Fi set. I've crocheted 7 squares (6 + 1 99% finished) but there are not enough, I need at least 12 squares!! Ohh....no....I got to buy the same colour shade yarn, hopefully the LYS still carried this colour shade in their store, cross my finger. The colour seem too bright, anyway, that's doesn't matter much, since the Hi-Fi set is in black colour, they will accomplish each other in the colourway.

Crocheted outfits

Look what I found from fashion search recently, those lace skirts are so gorgeos and flattering. I love these and would like to have one if possible. Emmm....maybe not, it will be very expensive to buy a Designer clothes, not worth to. Since lace and crochet are related, maybe it can be done using crocheted flower motives, yeah....why not? Although it'll be very tedious and slow going, but it's fun and challenging to do.

I saw some patterns of crocheted top that're in flower motives and how they're to be constructed. Maybe I could use the same method to construct this type of skirts as well. What I need to do is to find a nice flower motive pattern and based on a A-Line skirt draft to construct it by joining all those crocheted flower motives altogehter, yeah....it should be done in this way. It get me very excited and want to try it immediately, however need to do this in one fine day when I'm not so busy though. ;) Hope that it's not too tedious and I can be able to construct it by my own pattern.

Library vs Bookshop

I went to KL Library on last Saturday, I was amazed that our local library do carried the english crafts books and can be borrow out. I then borrowed 2 knitting books, titles called "Hot Knit" and another called "Anchor The Needle Crafts Book". The Anchor Needle Crafts Book got lots of handycrafts sources mainly for knitting and crocheting, it's a great book for beginners. Whereas in the Hot Knit, there are few nice knitted shell and short sleeve tops that I like and would want to try to knit, but those books are too expensive to buy from the bookshop. Since I can obtain the books for 3 weeks before returning to the library, I decided to make copies by photostating them, at least I can have those books at low costs.

The Summer issue of Cotton Friend is out and sold at our local magazine stand and I've bought it while shopping last night. Although it's a past issue but I don't mind, I love this magazine, it has lots of crafty sources inside. I bought a Japanese petite craft book on DIY crafts using milk containers from the same magazine stand as well. Wow!!! Never know that milk containers can be transform to so many different kind of cute and multi function containers, must try to do some too. Went to book shop later on after browsing at the magazine stand and bought a Chinese knitting pattern book. It got 3oo different patterns just in one book, and most of them are very nice, it's cheap!! Feel great and satisfied last night that I've got those book and magazine from the shopping hunt. ;)

Anyway, hubby not very happy after seeing all those magazines and book that I've bought, he commanded that I shouldn't buy any crafty books cause I've too many of them. But I doubt cause I couldn't resist seeing all those nice and pretty pictures in the craft books or magazine. (Sorry.....hubby......at least I'm not wasted my money on useless purchases. Promise will try to control and minimise crafty book purchase. ;) )

4th Finished Object

The Cable & lace shell has been finished on last Saturday. It seem kind of big on me, anyway I'm satisfy and comfortable with it. I'll not start the cardigan so soon yet, need to finish up the ocean wavey lace top before I start new project. I look kind of fat on this shell, maybe it's sleeveless and show off both of my fatty arm in this picture. ;) Hubby like the colour of this shell, he said at least this shell look more lifely than my other project and this colour suit me well. Great to hear that he like it, at least he is not dis-approving me of occupying most of my free times in knitting.

Knitted on 3.5 and 4mm needle, 100% acrylic yarn.

I wear eyelet pullover today

I wear my 2nd FO eyelet pullover to work today. And my clerk commented that it's nice on me, she really made my day. She can't believe that this was knitted on a cheap Arcylic yarn which only costs RM7.00. Although it was knitted on low quality yarn, yet it's quite comfortable to wear, kind of soft and not scratchy at all, maybe I'm not that allergic to any type of fiber. Not bad....I can still continue to knit using this type of yarns.

Cable and lace shell

These are the front and back portion of the cable and lace shell that I've knitted, I finished them on Saturday and blocked it through out Sunday. However, they're not really proberly blocked yet, still got curling side, will do final blocking after I wholely finish it. It seem abit too wide while on the blocking board, I might have chosen a wrong size, I did it in size "L" which said in the instruction that to fit 40" bust. I don't have such big bust though, just to accomplish my gauge that's bit smaller from the pattern, I choose "L". Hope it will not turn out big for me when finished, cross my finger.

I'm now on the collar section, which is my first experience on knitting a turtleneck collar. The yarn pick up on the neckline area give me headache, can't get the actual stitches as on the instruction, and those stitches seem not evenly spread through out the neckline. Have tried many times and at last got it right. I did some changes on the picking up of stitches on the back neckline area, instead of increase 3 stitches at the middle, I spread it evenly both on the narrow back shoulder line area. Hope it will turn out right, cross my finger again. ;)

Ocean wave lace sweater

Yeap....new project was cast on last weekend. I bought some yarns last Saturday while I went downtown and got this sock colour yarn of blue + green + white shade. Instead of knitting socks, I used them for a lace sweater pattern from a Chinese knitting pattern book that I bought recently. The colour turn out to be nice on it, kind of relief after seeing the colour is suit for the wavey lace of this sweater, it look like ocean wave.

I ripped off many time at the beginning of the knitting section, mostly because of mis-count and drop stitches while knitting. It made me kind of fractuated and wanted to give up. Nope....I didn't give up, just patiently ripped off the errors I made and restart it all over again, I guess I've restart as many as 5 times. I'm now in the 2 repeat of the pattern, each pattern block have 16 lines in two form of wavey laces.

Crocheted rug

Was on leave last Friday and finished crocheted this star shape rug. I used scrap T-shirt cloth that cut in stripes and join together as yarn to crochet this rug using crochet hook size 8/0. It's in orange and peach shade, initially I wanted to crochet it all orange colour, however I'm short of orange in my stash while I crochet it halfway, that's why this peach turn in it's combination. I'm kind of like the accidentally combination, cute isn't it? This rug is fast to crochet, I only used about 3 hours to finish it. Will crochet few more to give away to my mother and mother in-law as well, hopefully they will like it.

A more detail look of the rug, it's puffy and soft. Diameter from point to point is around 18", just nice for my bathroom. ;) Yeap....forgot to mention, the pattern is from Crochet Me magazine, a free pattern though.

Japanese book and magazine

This is the new Autumn Issue of Cotton Friend that I found out from Boutique Sha site , waiting eagarly for it to be sold at our local book stand. I like this magazine, it got various of crafty things in each issues, and all of them are easy to make and very cute. I discover this magazine just lately about few months ago, got 2 issues of them at my book shelves, if there is back issues that sell at the book stand, surely I'll buy all of them. It's a good magazine to keep as collection of crafty information.

This cover of knitting book seem to have lots of nice and adorable knit items inside, if local book store did sell this book, I'll surely buy also.

Nice book on bags....I like it as well.....want to buy too.....

Expensive yarn

I've bought some yarns last weekend from a local yarn store, it's On Line Linie 163 Bingo, 100% cotton in beige colour. 4 balls costs me about RM150!! Never aspect it to be that expensive, this is my first purchased of such expensive yarns. Best 0f it, it's soft to touch, hopefully it'll work the same on finished object. I'm going to use this yarn on Honeymoon Cami cause this cami will be wear next to skin and I want the garment to be comfortable on me, that's why I choose 100% cotton yarn and only On Line Bingo catch my eyes while I was on the store. I can't start this project yet, the size of needle to use is the same as what I'm using currently on the twin set. Will get another pair of needle this weekend to start it as soon as possible.

Cable & lace

I've such a wrong impression of lace pattern that they're very difficult and tedious to knit, it back me off whenever I saw patterns that are in lace, no matter how nice and gorgeous the finished object is. However, after I've knit the cable and lace panel pattern on the front of twin set shell, my perception of them has been changed. In fact they're more exciting to knit rather than those boring stockinette or garter stitches. And it's attonishing when the lace pattern emerged line by line while knitting. Thus encourage me to knit more and faster. Just for a evening of last Sunday, I've knitted the front shell 7" from the bottom. Never aspect it can be knitted so fast for my level of skill, moreover this is my first experience knitting in lace. Not bad at all, great to see that it progressing well and I'll have it finished very soon.

The back has been finished on last Saturday and it's now 7" from bottom for the front


A more detail view of cable and lace panel pattern

Projects update

Twin set cardigan and shell

Twin set shell is progressing well, I've done it 13" from the bottom and it's now on the arm hole shapping section. The back portion of the shell will be finished by this weekend if I work hard on it. I scheduled to finish the shell not more than 3 weeks times, and the cardigan in about a month time. Hopefully everything can go on smoothly based on the schedule.

Sonnet

I've been abandoned Sonnet lately :p, just feeling very lazy to knit Sonnet, the long row of Sonnet make it very slow in it's progressing. I'm using a small gauge in this project and it make me feel like I'm knitting a marathon. Anyway, the body of Sonnet has been 70% done, I'm actually in the beginning of it's left front portion. I'll not give up Sonnet, just slow in it's progressing. I'm trying to knit few rows everytime when I'm bored of other projects, at least just to keep it going rather than leave it on the basket.

Heart shape sampler

I've crocheted 3pcs of heart shape sampler. Planning to crochet at least 12pcs of them to join as a table cloth. I only do it during weekends, thus it'll be a on going project and will not be finished in short time. This heart shape sampler table cloth is for the Hi-fi set.

Quilt

I got few quilt projects that station on the shelves and basket that I've not putting my hand on them at all. They are Grandmother flower patches in blue shape, Canadian forest in 4 seasons and Flower beads. I'm just so into knitting recently and have left all my quilt projects behind. Will just slowly pick up quilting when I'm not so busy in knitting. ;)

Star shape rug

I've try on crochet this rug by using 6/o crochet hook, the result doesn't turn out nice and the gauge seem to be very tide. I'll try on a larger crochet hook of 8/0, hopefully it'll turn out good.

List of projects in mind but not started yet

Few of the projects in my mind that I'm wishing to do :

1) A-line skirt based on Anna Sui's skirt picture

2) Knitted bags using Katia and Lana Grossa yarns

3) Some toys

4) Knit projects of Arisaig and honeymoon cami

5) and...........(lots of them, endless list, hahaha!!! Wish I have more time.)

I want to knit these

New issue of Knitty is out and I was so inspired by the front cover picture knit wear, a ballerina wrap in lace pattern, Arisaig. It's so gorgeous!!! I want to knit that. For this project, I guess I'll get a good quality of yarn to knit, I like the pattern and would not wish the low quality of yarn spoil it's appearance and it'll be more comfortable to wear too.

Another project in mind is honeymoon cami, free pattern from Knitty also. I've saw few knitters finished object of this pattern, very nice, I wanted to try as well. ;)

New project cast on

I've started with new knitting project, a twin set of cardigan with shell in cable pattern. I use those 8 skeins of blue yarns that I've brought to knit this project. Initially, those yarns are for a cable pullover Kate, free pattern from Berroco, however I found out that the colour is not suitable for that project, thefore I switch it to this free pattern twin set from Kertzer. I started with the shell, it's easier to knit since the cable panel pattern is only located at the front of the shell. Whereas, the cardigan is wholly filled with cable pattern which I feel will be more time consuming and difficult to knit. I've knitted the back of the shell 2" from bottom on last weekend, just have a feeling that it will be a fast knitted project and will look nice in finished object.

Cabled shrug finished

My third knitted object, cable shrug has been finished. It was finished on last Thursday (1/9/05) night, but I only be able to take some pictures yesterday by the help of my hubby. The body of the shrug fit me quite well but not the sleeve though, it's a bit tide on the elbow area, guess it's time for me to slim down in order to get a better fit in it. :) I plan to wear this shrug with a sun dress that I sewn two years ago, yeah....two years ago, way back of time.... it's become tide on me now. I never wear this sun dress after I've made it, reason being I'm not quite comfortable wearing sleeveless dress or blouse, that's why it has been kept in the wardrobe for such a long time. Now is the time to dig it out to motivate me to slim down so that I can wear the shrug together with it. ;)

The shrug when display flat, it was knitted using 3.5mm & 4mm needles,100% Arcylic yarn in white colour. Height = 11" and length = 21"





The cable pattern on the sleeve.










Me in the cable shrug, seem kind of tide isn't it? The flower brooch is just temporary on the shrug, I'll get a nicer brooch for it.






Another picture of me in cabled shrug, a pretend to jump pose. ;)