Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Knitting

I had been knitting this cardigan for Nina since September last year. I'm shocked to know that it took  five whole months!! I allowed this project to go slow because I had several deadlines and so many other things to do (as always) . Even so, five months is too long.  Finally it's finished last week! I still need to block this lovely piece though, I am so happy about the look of this cardigan. I used this beautiful pattern Olinda by Georgie Hallam. My project page in Ravelry is here. I should have filled all the information in the project page about the yarn I used and other stuff. I will try to fill it and update the photos of finished piece soon. This seems complicated at first glance. But actually it is not. The twisted patten is made by repeating a simple stitches which is not hard to memorize. Well, you may need patience to finish since the cardigan is covered with this twisted pattern all over. For me, it was fun to see it growing little by little. Now I need to decide what project I am going to knit from now. Knitting is addictive. Once you start, it is hard to quit. I want to knit a Spring garment for myself. It is also a very fun time to surf around looking for a pattern to knit for next.



This cardigan was top-down and sleeves are knitted continuously from the york. As the piece grows longer it gets heavier. It is tiresome to hold and rotate that heavy body as you knit sleeves. So I kept the body part in my reversible Azuma-Bukuro (Japanese traditional tote bag) . It made my work much easier. This bag is very handy and versatile. I also use this as a project bag. I hope I can write the tutorial of how to make this tote bag soon.

Currently I am working on writing a new scarf knitting pattern. I will share the completed free pattern of this lacy scarf pretty soon. I know that Spring is just around the corner in some regions in the US. So maybe it will be too late for some of you. But I hope about a half of you are still in the middle of Winter just like I am. And many many people in the Southern Hemisphere are just started thinking about knitting a scarf or two before the cold weather will arrive. This pattern requires only a few stitches. If you are looking for an easy scarf pattern, please stay tuned.


Happy knitting! Please have a wonderful afternoon.

Sunday, February 1, 2015

Hide My Heart Ⅲ

This is the last post about my "Hide My Heart" bag series. The last bag is slightly larger than the other two. The hidden heart on this bag is filled with vines, leaves and tiny flowers on wool fabric. I used fine embroidery wool thread, sequins and beads in the design.








This is it!! I had fun working on three different embroidery designs. These were all sort of improvisations. They are certainly one of a kind. I love to wear one as a cross body bag. It is functional and also stylish. I think these bags would be flattering for all ages. Sorry I don't have any photos of a person wearing them. I will update the photos when I have a chance to shoot someone (or myself) wearing one!

Kiss lock frame purses feel retro but also are reviving in fashion now. My first memory of a kiss lock purse was a coin purse my grandma had. I believe the purse was beads crocheted. It was made with shiny iridescent beads. She gave us, her grandchildren pocket money from the coin purse to buy some candies or something. We only could visit our grandparents once in years and they have passed away when I was still very young so a few things I remember about them are valuable for me. Somehow the shine of the beads are remaining very clearly in my mind.

We are in a huge snow storm today and maybe though Monday. The snow is very deep but the wind is not that bad as it has been predicted (so far!). I don't hate to have a couple of deep snow days in a year. It is so beautiful outside. What is your weekend like? I hope you have a beautiful Sunday. Thank you for reading.