Wednesday, April 11, 2007

The winter is not over...

It's been snowing here for the last two days, and I have to say that I've had just about enough of that stuff... but it's been a good excuse to dig out the heavier knits again. My favorite is a Clapotis out of Malabrigo -so soft and so big, so comforting! I haven't shown it here in the blog, because I made it before I started blogging. BTW, have you noticed, did Malabrigo change their yarns? Where is the alpaca??

Over Easter weekend, I didn't get much knitting done. The socks? -not done yet. The sweater? -not done. I was just completely overwhelmed by the beauty of these:


Three Japanese craft books that are so cram packed full of pretty patterns that I want to make almost every one of them and don't know where to start! Well, this is of course a good problem to have, I'm not complaining, but it's slowing me down.



I will definitely make a couple of these sweaters:but also the accessories are just unbearably pretty:


I almost can't take it!! And I feel like I have to start knitting every one of these things right away!But that of course won't happen... that's ok, though. I'm just happy that I have a ton of really nice patterns waiting when I'm looking for something to knit for next winter. Because these are mostly winter knits, and I don't think I'll be starting a scarf (except for lace) or a pair of gloves any time soon.

I did start a swatch from the "300 Stitch Patterns":
This is pattern numbre 071, in case anybody is interested. I used a leftover ball of Elann Peruvian Alpaca and 3.5 mm needles. I made it 20 x 20 cm, so I can use it as an Afghan square later. This is a very fun pattern and looks nice on both sides, so I might even use it for an Afghan project myself. I have a bunch of some chunky weight wool somewhere that would be suitable for that.

I also found the time to do some dyeing, since I promised Pat I'd send her some hand dyed sock yarn. I had enough undyed yarn left for three pairs of socks, and decided to dye it all at once. This is the colorway I dyed with Pat in mind:
Pat gave me free hands and didn't have any special wishes about the color, so I looked around in the blog to see what kind of colors she usually picks. Bright, clean colors, nothing too muted. Am I right, Pat? :) So I dyed this with thoughts of fruits and flowers in mind, watermelons, poppies and sunflowers. A color that would make you think of warm sunny summer days, when you wear the socks. I decided to name the color "Tutti Frutti". I hope you'll like it, Pat, I'll be sending it your way soon! (I know you're on a trip right now, so I'll wait a few days before putting it in the mail.)

The colors I dyed for myself were a sea blue with lighter greens that remind me of sea glass:
You can only see a little bit of the lighter colors here, but they are in there, trust me. ;) I made it with wide stripes, and after I had started, I realized that a smart person would have divided the yarn into two 50 g skeins before starting, instead of dyeing it all in one. Now I'll either have two unmatching socks, or a lot of ends to weave in. Oh, well, I guess I learned something there... Anyhow, I'm calling the color "Sea glass".


The last one is "Pomegranate", a somewhat muted dark pink:


And here are all three:


12 comments:

Anonymous said...

The colors are absolutly gorgeous!

Annelie said...

I just love those colours!

Anonymous said...

not to seem TOO dumb, but do the japanes pattern books have instructions in English? OK, I'm ready, dumb question of the day.... Your dyed skeins are gorgeous!

Anonymous said...

Ihania värejä! Ja jaappanilaiset kirjat ovat myös ihania. Mullakin on pari kolme pahojen päivien piristäjiksi.

Anonymous said...

WOW Lotta - I could not have described a more perfect color!! that is GORGEOUS sock yarn!! I can't wait to see it in real life!! We are in Virginia with very limited dial-up computer access, but I'm so glad I checked in .... Now I have something to look forward to when we get back home!! THANK YOU!!!!

Anonymous said...

What pretty dye jobs; Pat is very lucky indeed! The Japanese patterns are to die for. The entrelac cuffed gloves are my favorite.

Marguerite said...

I have the Heirloom Knitting book.

The first gansey is tempting me. I would have it caston by now, but it's 8 st/in gauge and I'm still questioning my sanity in wanting to knit it.

The cabled sweater with the acorns and oak leaves is on my Have To Knit list. I just need to find the right yarn and get going.

I'll be watching your blog with interest to see what you're doing with the Japanese patterns.

Anonymous said...

Pretty colors, I like all three!

Anonymous said...

Kyselit Portugalista ostamani neulekirjan nimeä. Kirjan nimi on Guia Essencial de Tricô ja kirjoittaja on Maria Parry-Jones. Amazonista sama kirja näyttäisi löytyvän englanninkielisenä, The Knitting Stitch Bible.

Madame Purl said...

Cool Japanese books. My DH just took a job with a Japanese company. Talk about a trip to Japan has ensued. If I don't get to go - he'll be going with a list. (lol)

Anonymous said...

Ihastuttavat värit! Punaiset näyttävät niin herkullisilta ja sininen niin raikkaalta, todella onnistuneet!

Anonymous said...

Oh,The colors you choiced for Pat was just stunning...Think it will turn into a pair of lovely socks..And I would surtainly like to just have a small little "touch" of the yarn.Did I say; I love socks,all the time,everywhere..almost.
Greetings Sidsel,Norway