January 10, 2007

As time goes by...

First of all, I wish you a very good year 2007. I know it's a wee bit late, but I haven't been blogging for so long now, what's a few days difference now? :-)

These last months have been quite a blurr, with a lot of questioning on myself, what I want (at least as a job), and how to achieve it. Haven't got it answered yet, or I would already have a new job. Which isn't the case. There are, however, a few tracks I will explore in the near future. I am not totally desperate, although it has been some months now that I am looking for a job.

Knitting wise, well, I have more time than before for my favourite hobby, and I have been doing quite a lot of it.
Lets start with the wrap cardigan in the noro yarn I finished quite some time ago. The pictures I got were quite terrible, whatever the place, the light, etc. I looked at the best weird, at the worse piggy. As these were not very flattering neither for me not for the cardi, I tried again yesterday in front of my bathroom's mirror. 19 pictures later, I could some showing the "drape" of the cardi.

Here it is, casually worn :





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The back of it, to show that it is a bit short on me :





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Did I convince you? Now the wrapped version :





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Pattern is Glad from the summer 2006 magazine, The yarn : Noro cashmere flavour, to be found in the shop Görg und Görg in Aachen, about 240 grams of it.

Instead of the 3 1/4 mm needles, I got gauge on first try with bigger needles (4.5 mm)...because for once I did a sample. So there was no problem. It seems it is only when I do not do the sample that I get problems with the gauge.
I have beenwearing the cardi a few times, it is warm enough, maybe not now that it's really cold for me outside, but until december, it was fine. I got compliments from knitters and non-knitters alike. Some asked to get the yarn, some asked if it was not possible do make another one. No, it isn't :-). Not now, at last. I have other projects on the go.

If this was my main knitting achievement in the Fall, i also knit a few pairs of socks :





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These are the ones in Knitpicks sock yarn, I like the colours and the fairisle pattern very much.





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Regia Banner, from the stash.





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These were yummy to knit, and very warm on the fingers, the yarn is. Mountain Colors Bearfoot, juniper colourway.

These all went away for gifts, and were happily recieved.

Another gift item I could not show before it was recieved is this Shallowtail Shawl from IK summer 2006, in a 100% baby camel yarn from Adriafil. As I am not experienced in lace at all, it was quite difficult at some moments. You have to be much more concentrated on these knits as I usually am. Which may explain my ripping habit, too. Here the detail of the lily of valley border, I just loved it. It was okay to knit, and gives such an effect. Me happy :-)





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During the xmas holidays, or stay at parents' home two weeks, I managed to finish a cardigan for my sister. We had discussed about it before, checked the measurements of the size, and I had already knit the back. The rest of the cardi (including of one of the front's 3 times ripping) including finishing was done in these days between Christmas and New Year...My record is now set, and I won't try to break it. What a satisfaction though! What a pride to have my sister wearing it (and it fits).





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It is Moonlight from Rowan Magazine 34, and I knit it in the specified yarn, Rowanspun aran. I have a lot of remants, as I had too much of it anyway, and I might be knitting a matching bucket hat soon. The details were not complicated in themselves, it is only me being a bit thick sometimes,and they add to the interest of the cardigan. Love it, love it. Heresome details.


Now on the needles? A good stash reducing project, as the volume of wool consumed is consequent (16 balls), Lara cardigan from Debbie Bliss, in Alpaca Silk Aran. Wonderfull touch, but to knit with...not with metal needles, I would say. I hadn't got anything else when I started, and I do not want to change in the middle of the project. Well. I'm about halfway through the one huge piece of knitting, as it is done from the side, in one piece. Another st st project, I know, but also a stash reducer. And the colour is lovely...





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Posted by Stephanie at January 10, 2007 11:19 AM
Comments

Hello ! Happy New Year.
Nice to see you posting again. You have been so busy. Such wonderful knitting. I really like the wrap cardigan on you. Lucky sister ! Fab socks too. The shawl is beautiful. Do you plan more lace knitting ?
Hope your job dilemas are soon sorted.

xxx

Posted by: Emma at January 11, 2007 11:32 PM

Happy new year to you too! Gosh you have been busy making lovely things... I particularly like the cardigan, it's such a lovely colour - that's one lucky sister you have.

Posted by: Amelia at January 12, 2007 08:07 AM

Excellente année !!!
Tes réalisations sont somptueuse avec une mention spéciale pour Glad !!!

Posted by: annabel at January 12, 2007 01:36 PM

Your red cardigan is really cheery! I like your socks too. Happy New Year.

Posted by: Debby at January 12, 2007 10:04 PM

it's good to see you posting again. So many lovely things. Does the camel handle like alpaca? I think I have some camel in my stash. Mine you, I haven't seem it for a while so I can't be sure. This is the dilemma of the big stash ;-)

Posted by: Polly at January 14, 2007 04:03 PM

Hi! I tried to send you an email but it bounced back as unable to deliver. Congratulations! You are one of the lucky winners of a skein of Socks That Rock from the virgin contest on my blog. Please email me your mailing address and I will get the yarn out to you as soon as I get it from Blue Moon. Please don't be concerned if it takes me a week or two to get it out - I promise, it's coming!

Best to you and thanks for reading my blog!
Cara


Posted by: Cara at January 15, 2007 12:34 AM

nice red cardi - hello Stephanie's sister - look very fifties like Rita Haiworth (?)in your glad. vivement mercredi

Posted by: vivi's mum at January 15, 2007 01:30 PM

Tu cardigan rojo es hermoso! Muy linda prenda, pero realmente adore los calcetines, divinos!!! Ya me diras como se hacen!
Muy buen 2007 para ti!
Saludos!!

Posted by: Paula at January 15, 2007 08:31 PM

Tu cardigan rojo es hermoso! Muy linda prenda, pero realmente adore los calcetines, divinos!!! Ya me diras como se hacen!
Muy buen 2007 para ti!
Saludos!!

Posted by: Paula at January 15, 2007 08:32 PM

Très bonne et heureuse année à toi aussi !
Quelle production, que de belles choses, tu es magnifique dans ton superbe Glad ! J'aime beaucoup tes chaussettes, en particulier les Regia Banner. Swallowtail et Moonlight sont très beaux aussi, bravo pour tout !

Posted by: Christine at January 18, 2007 06:21 PM

Moonlight and Swallowtail are beautiful.

Posted by: Brenda at January 25, 2007 06:26 AM

dude!! welcome back. holy crapload of knitting/finishing!!! very impressive. i love your noro wrap. lovely. and you of course look lovely yourself!!! now how are we going to get together in 2007? we need to start planning!!! how's the job hunt? i'll try to call you tomorrow!

Posted by: carolyn at February 1, 2007 02:40 PM

J'adore le wrap cardigan, très très fashion! Je ne savais même pas que ça existait, mais à mon avis, c'est digne de figurer dans les meilleurs défilés. Si je n'avais pas des doutes sérieux que cela puisse aller à ma morphologie, je voudrais le même!! ^_^

Et contrairement à ce que tu dis, je trouve pas mal la photo de toi de face devant la glace.

Gros bisous.

P.S. J'ai entendu ta remarque, et j'ai bloggué pour me rattraper, nouveau look et tout et tout!!!

Posted by: Diane at February 2, 2007 12:29 PM

Wow, such lovely projects! Beautiful work, Stephanie!

Posted by: Sarah Elizabeth at February 9, 2007 04:58 AM

I don't know how I found your blog, but I am currently making moonlight and decided to use a zipper. Yours is the first I've seen with a zipper, and I like it! Great minds think alike. Lovely projects.

Posted by: mary lou at March 13, 2007 12:11 AM

Alors, c'est les mouches qu'on entend tricoter sur ton blog! ^_^ Tu ne postes plus?

En fait, les zamis, si la Suzette est silencieuse, c'est parce qu'en ce moment, elle est très occupée en Nouvelle-Zélande à tricoter directement sur le dos des moutons. Si vous voyez des moutons à rayures ou à wrap cardigan du côté d'Auckland, vous saurez qui vient de passer par là.

Bisous!

Posted by: Diane at March 30, 2007 11:52 AM