The wrist warmers are ready. Quick to knit ... They'd make a good last minute gift!

If you're not happy with them, you might as well use them as ear warmers ha ha!

Having dissolved most of the hibernating projects, managed to pile up more. Just can't stick to one project for long, while my mind is full of new adventures. Very flighty of me!

I'd call myself an intermediate knitter. However, recently I have dived into modifying patterns or coming up with ideas. These ideas are from what has already been discovered, tried and true but that I use them in a different way.

One of them is a toe-up sock with Turkish cast on. I shall talk about the detail later when I proceed with what I got inspired to form the heel. There will not be a second pair. Just this one. The demo sock :)

The other recent goody is a wrist warmer. Again I used an existing pattern but modified it significantly. Luckily, I have a nice friend who appreciates my little adventures which gears me up to finish rather than drop them aside until next century or so.

These are some attempts for the edging. I ended up modifying and using a ruffle but these antique knitting designs were enjoyable to play around. They were quite big though I used lace-weight yarn. Thus dropped.

This is the coquette I talk about. The cat too is coquette :)

And ta-ta-taaa ... Off to knitting the other pair!

Hmm ... Had totally forgotten to mention this one. This lacy edging is for an Indian scarf and has always been an escort whilst traveling. Can hide the DPNs in one of my pockets and get away with the security check at the airports. Now that I do not travel as often, this should be the next to complete before I plunge into a new knitting adventure.

The yarn is DMC Coton Floche a Broder ~ Size 14 (Taupe) ... I had bought a set of them in their original box from an auction. The box looks real old. Probably one of the earliest production.

Progress today with the Mexican Lace scarf ... The pattern is thirty-rows and each row is different. Needs super-attention but a lot of fun indeed.

Next project is to complete the Mexican Lace scarf which was also started last year. Unfortunately, the powder pink yarn did not make it again for the second time. The first project was a complex one that I had designed myself but unraveled when it was about to finish when I found a loose stitch on one of the sides :(

Before I forget, this was also started some time in August last year and finally got completed a couple weeks ago; happily residing in one of the drawers :) The yarn is organic cotton (color 41115 - Susan) and I very much enjoyed knitting it.

It is a difficult color to capture with the camera. The photos above are very close. It is like DMC 500. The picture below is to show the stitch pattern (double moss), does not reflect the right color. Neckline is crab stitch (crochet).

Update October 2015 ... The neckline is a beautiful crochet technique but not suitable for this sweater. I decided to change and am happier now :) 

Another project from early 2014 happily completed ... The yarn is from Lorna's Laces ... Shepherd Sock Hand-dyed yarn ~ Baltic Sea.

[ Sock pattern is by me ]

Earlier photoes can be seen HERE and HERE :) 

Odette

Another achievement this year is the free beret pattern that I found to knit for mom. It turned out real nice and I ended up knitting three in different colors; ecru for mom, blue for a dear friend and beige for me. The detail (leaf) is not part of the pattern. I wanted something for the dangling cast-on tail behind. Turned out real nice. It could either be left behind as originally planned or used at the side.

The leaf is from Epstein's Knitted Embellishments book.

Almost four years ... Hibernating ... And reborn this year for a good cause. This spontaneous piece, a "heavy shawl" received a generous donation for the "disabled animals" by a wonderful lady when I announced that it will be given away for whoever may grant the highest bid.

And when I needed to take photos for the announcement, the only person around was the visiting shepherd :)

Here are some old photos when I had first started knitting it back in 2011 ... Click HERE ... HERE and HERE. Below is the final result.

Viewing Weaving

I came up with this simple weaving loom ... Takes about two minutes max to prepare. All you need is an insulation board (tougher than styrofoam), long pins (i used T-pins) and a graph paper. Just follow the pictures. Great fun. Hope you enjoy :)

Et voila!

Jean Paul Gaultier ~ Model Erin O'Connor 

Überlieferte Strickmuster

Überlieferte Strickmuster aus dem Steirischen Ennstal (originally a series of three booklets) translates as Traditional Patterns and Garments from the Styrian Enns Valley (in Austria) and is amalgamated into one volume printed in English : Twisted-Stitch Knitting.

In November 2010, I had started THIS project and knitted all the way to THIS, until it was completely deserted for three years :(

It was not a difficult decision to unravel the whole thing into various pink balls and make a new start.

Twisted-stitch knit is more comfortable in the round but can also be knitted flat (was too tiring and complicated for me as a beginner). 

There are 174 patterns in the book(s) ... I improvised mine and am using DPNs, knitting my sweater in the round.

The Heel Flap

The Heel

Now I need a break before I proceed with the other pair. Knitting with small size needles is tiring ... I plan to knit the body for the Mexican edging :)

Seems I'm in my sock knitting gear until it is too warm to want to touch or even want to see anything wool ... Improvised this pattern and had to unravel the first trial that was already five inches; the needles were too big ( 3 mm ) for what I planned for and dropped the size to 2 mm ... This reminds the importance of  sparing time for the gauge ... The yarn is hand-dyed from Lorna's Laces ( Shepherd Sock Yarn ~ Color 901 Baltic Sea ) and a pleasure to knit with.