WIP Wednesday May 27th, 2015

ECXITED!!! Opened my Etsy shop Yaay! You can find me under OffHoursbyElvira

But what’s new this week 🙂

Finished this week my lace shawl! Was nice sitting in de sun in the garden on Sunday to knit the last rounds.

 

knitting in the sun!

Trying it before blocking:   

  

 Then washing with Eucalan…. Soaking… Waiting…  Don’t you just love the shimmering in the yarn?

And then blocking… 

And then the waiting continues…

In the meanwhile doing a bit of math to calculate my next sweater… And trying to figure out what stitch to use. 

I have been trying to knit a new (for me that is) knitting technique – Brioche Honeycomb stitch. Not quite there yet, but it starts to work out. Only the two color with one color background I haven’t figured out yet 😣 

honeycomb one color and two colors

honey comb two colors with one background color

Tips are very welcome!

Tadaa – till next week 😘 

WIP Wednesday May 20th, 2015

  
progress is made! So happy to almost finish my new infinity shawl!

The color changes are so subtle and so nice.. And the yarn so soft – can’t wait to wear it. Hardest part will be blocking and taking the time for it to dry – but it will definitely add value to the pattern!  

almost there!

And as a true knitter – I am spinning my head for new project already! Ordered two great books that arrived this week – one for Fair Isle knitting, and one for Brioche Knitting. Two techniques I haven’t done yet, so excited!

But as I also still love my summer sweater, that I finished recently – I feel tempted to create another one. Maybe with lighter yarn to give it the extra summerly feeling …

I also am waiting for my wool winder to arrive – looking forward to create my own yarns! I am only still looking for goor tips of dying my own yarns – so please feel free to leave tips!!! Very very welcome!

See you next week again, and hopefully the. i can show the final result of my beautiful shawl 😊

WIP Wednesday May 13th, 2015

1,2,3,4,5,6 and 7… Don’t even want to know how many times I counted till seven by now… 

Let’s see. I devided the circular in three equal pieces if 10 repeats of the lace pattern. That is 7 stiches per pattern, so 3x10x7 = 210. The pattern is first to the right, then to the left total 24 rows before it repeats itself…. 

close up pattern

can’t say there are no little mistakes in there – but as this is my first lace pattern, that I made after looking to another photo of a shawl – i am pretty happy with what it’s turning into.

And with the change in colors in the yarn (which starts to show as you see below) – I am pretty confident that it will be pretty anyway 🙂

So the result after over 15.120 stitches: 

  

WIP Wednesday 6 May 2015

so here I am, traveling for work… This morning knitting in the Thalys train from Amsterdam to Paris…
After a nice dinner tonight, back in my hotel… Knitting time!  

Oh – did i mention that I finished my sweater??? So proud- it’s going to be one of my favorite sweaters ever!

So, as I mentioned before I was looking for someting nice to make of this yarn.  

I wanted to make a nice “never ending” shawl, and as the yarn is a beautiful fragile 4 ply it would be ideal for a nice lace pattern. 

I have been looking and looking, but nothing realy hit my “yaay” button… I did however see a picture of a nice rectangle shawl… And i figured I could alter it to my own wants 🙂

Tried a piece, just straight (as the rectangle shawl) and figured out the pattern. 

Now working in rounds 

So, again, here I am sitting on my bed… In the beautiful nights of Paris, knitting… And i’m loving it!  

 

Goodnight!!

  

WIP Wednesday April 29, 2015

so, progress made. Body and arms finished. Body with a negative ease and the arm slim fitted (like skinny jeans, matching the arms). I have given it a lot of thoughts, but decided to go for a plain cowl in stockinette stitch. 

 So looking forward to actually start wearing it. And as it is in cotton – it is nice for colder summer evenings too! (Even with the cowl, as I am hooked to cowls or shawls :)) ) 
Next week a new project to start!!! What will it be?!? New month new project. Excited!

WIP Wednesday 21 April

Flash update! 

Still working on my sweater- loving it more and more! Exactly following my own body with a negative ease and slim sleeves. 

Still trying to figure out how I want to finish then neck – cowl, nice border or leave as is?

sweater

WIP Wednesday 15 April

As I probably wrote before, work is a bit hectic as my portfolio expanded with France (so now BeNeLux & France). This makes me traveling a lot to France lately and no real opportunity to knit. BUT, when I am home my knitting feels even more like an addiction then it did before… My ultimate relaxing time. 

And yes I know weather is improving so I should start my running again, but I just want to finish my sweater as I am so pleased with the result so far. I am using the top down method for the first time, and I love the fact that I can try it every now and then to make sure it fits – it has been so dissapointing in the past when I worked many hours on a sweater and when you finally put it together you don’t like the way it fits. 

This is great, you can just customize it perfectly. So almost at the bottom of the body, only the hem to be done – and then starting the arms. Can’t wait to wear it!!!

Body work almost done. just the hem

WIP Wednesday April 8th, 2015

Quick update. I choose my basic pattern for the top down sweater, that I plan on altering to my own size and style. So far excited with the start!!!

It is really addictive, almost so addictive I didn’t want to take the time to post my update ☺️

Oh, and did you notice my socks are finished?!?

Keep you posted!

WIP wednesday March 11th, 2015

Deeply ashamed, I promised not to let you wait this long… But it has been madly busy… Work, year ends, expanding work portfolio abroad which leaves me almost no time for knitting…

But never the less I want to share my two WIPs this week.

I followed a workshop for knitting socks toe-up which is practical as you can knit the pair at once so both socks will be equal plus you can fit while knitting… Have to be a bit further for workshop 2, in which we’ll learn how to make the heel. But so far so good:

sock yarn: Opal

Also started with a  new Dreambird shawl as I did finish the bleu/ grey dreambird. But I kept thinking that it would be awesome to have a shawl like this in nice summerly colors 😊

yarn: scheepjes softfun and batik

And, oh I couldn’t resist. Already bought yarn for a nice summer sweater. I want to create a nice sweater that I want to knit top-down with Raglan sleeves, something I have never done before yet. But hey, I am so exited to start (first have to finish the shawl or the socks as I need the circulars)!

essentials cotton soft print, color 007 – cauge 22×28

If you have a nice suggestion for this project. Please let me know! My pinterest is bulking of nice sweaters and my ravelry as well. Can’t seem to make up my mind 😊

WIP Wednesday 28 January 2015

So… A new year… New projects and been away for a while… Gathered some new inspiration in Thailand, all the great fabrics and colors and such friendly people…

Also noticed a new Dutch Facebook group that started just a week ago which is called “de anonieme sjaal”. Group started out of the idea to do something anonymous and free for other people. So you create a nice shawl, stuffed animal, or whatever else you want to give a way. You pack it with a letter addressed to the finder basically saying that the package is not lost or forgotten, but left there for you to find, that it is made with a big heart to bring a smile on your face and if you like it you can leave a message on the Facebook page… Such a great idea – I am thinking of what to drop… but already got something in mind… totally fits the inspiration I gained in Thailand 🙂

And how addicted am I? Even when i was on holidays I noticed a advertisement of a web-shop I regularly buy at… and couldn’t resist to buy 50 balls of yarns YAAYYYY! My parents were so nice to receive it on my behalf… And all 50 a different color. So that can become a nice blanket, a lot of new stuffed animals (there are still so many Heidi Bears’ designs I want to make).

But a new project started: A dreambird shawl (pattern Nadita Swings)… My first attempt is with sock-wool that I had in stock already. And I am pretty happy with the result – hope you all agree with me …

But as I really love the pattern and I fancy it in a nice summer outfit – I went to a nicely new-opened store just around the corner from my home an bought these beautiful yarns (60% cotton and 40% Acrylic) from Scheepjes (Softfun (plain) and Softfun Batik). I picture the off white as the basic color and the feathers in the colored Batik)

Well, as you notice… a lot of projects – and to-be projects so I’ll better get going…

Won’t be one this time for so long! And please feel free to leave a comment – it’s always nice to hear from you 🙂