there's no sorrow when you knit with noro...

Conveniently (actually I was hugely peeved off with myself) I left my Lola and Charlie tin at work. Lola and Charlie take care of my crochet hooks, drawing pens and my teeny weeny crochet bits that I create on the tram each day. This means that I couldn't crochet this weekend and I had to stick to my knitting. But what a fortuitous moment of forgetfulness it has been!

I started a scarf with my Noro wool that I purchased last week at Morris and Sons. It's so yummy, the way it gradually changes colour and glistens in the light. It's such a pleasure to knit with and I savour every stitch. So here it is so far...

I didn't quite know what to do with it so I decided to be a little experimental. I am knitting with size 11 (8mm) needles for about 20 rows and then doing about 10 rows with what I think is around 3mm needles. I am using a pair of my grandmother's old needles and they aren't clearly marked.

I don't know if this is unorthodox in knitting because I have never ventured beyond a scarf but at the same time I don't really care because I like the scallop look that I've created. I also like the way it looks uneven and higgledy-piggledy, very me!

The purple plum colour is so beautiful. I love the contrast of the minty green metallic thread through it too. I am in textile heaven!

clever girl...

Look at what my 10 year old made. Isn't she clever? I am so proud of her. She even transformed a dodgy spot of tension into a button hole. It's her first ever completed knitting project and it looks great!

the next project...

Well, I am already half-way through the next project...

After making the scarflet-cum-mane I was left with quite a bit of left over yarn and I loved the colours and textures so much that I didn't want it to go to waste...soooo I gave it a little bit of an umm and a few ahhs and decided to make a scarf. I know, not particularly complex or original but it is a very useful item and my old black scarf is nearing its use-by date.

For this one I am using the four yarns that I used for my scarflet and are also using some other black wool that I had stacked away waiting for a 'project'. I am randomly changing yarns every 4 to 5 centimetres and am really excited about how it's progressing. The different plies of the yarns are creating an uneven selvedge which I think really adds to the appeal and character of the scarf (if a scarf can have character that is!!). I also really love the look of the ends where I have changed yarns and are going to leave them as a feature too. It kind of has an unkempt, raw, deconstructed look about it which really appeals to me. Kind of like my hair for those of you that know me...he he he...

Da Da! - It's finished!

Yay! I finished my scarflet! It probably has to be one of the quickest turn-arounds on a fiddly project in a while. And I am so happy with it! It turned out exactly as I wanted it to and it feels so nice on.

It kind of looks like a mop of seaweed or some kind of strange squid in the pictures above (wish I was down at Blairgowrie to take rock shots again!) but as you will see below, the photo of myself wearing it has resulted in a rather unflattering shot. I had to do something to give it some justice!!

The reason I decided to make this is because I made a similar kind of scarflet in blues last year but have been limited by what I can wear with it because of the colour. With the colder weather coming on I wanted to make something that would a) keep me warm and b) go with what I wear to work.

I made this out of 4 different kinds of yarns chosen for their colour and texture. Firstly I knitted the band in plain black, fastened to the side with press studs.



I then added the tassles combining all 4 types of yarn and made them vary in length with some long pieces in the front as a kind of feature.

Lastly, I sewed on the buttons.



I bought 10 each of 5 different sorts of buttons and sewed them in randomly amongst the tassles. I somehow lost 2 buttons in the process (they flew off somewhere in my loungeroom. I heard them land but could not find them!) so all in all there are 48 buttons nestled in amongst the fringe. I had intended to back the buttons with pieces of grey and black felt but after a little bit of experimentation I decided against this idea.

So this is what it looks like on when you look at it from a bizarre self-portrait type of angle. (at least it gives you a bit of an idea!). Now on to the next project...stay tuned!