Finally FO pics...

I am quite silent since the last week... and I promise some times ago to show you pictures from my last FO of 2008 : here we call the brilliant cowl (also known as Crofter's Cowl by Gudrun Johnston).

Specs :

Pattern : Crofter's Cowl

Needles : 5 mm harmony circular

Yarn : ONline Linie 204 Damara, very less than a skein

Model : my very cute mom !!! :)

Question #2

It's been a certain time since the mods publish that question but it's really a hard one : If you could only knit or crochet with one brand of yarn for the rest of the year, what would it be and why? The important word in the sentence is BRAND, not weight, type or any other thing but the Brand... umm really hard I said it already.

My heart is torn because I did had the chance to try all the yarn that I would like too, like Malabrigo, I played a lot with it, but I did not knit anything but swatch in it.

My perfect brand would have those characteristics :

- Have a large choice of weight, including fingering for socks

- Large choice of color

- At least one good merino yarn

- Soft as possible

- Easily accessible for me

With those I am down to 2 brands : Malabrigo and Cascade as most of the participant in the swap I think but it's true that they are both very good brand and nice to work with. So I'll be a bad girl and give the result as a tie, they both win in my heart !

FO : Bellatrix socks

Yes done under one week, then went very fast because I did not spend too much time and they are complete ! Yay !

The pattern is very fun (and free) to work with and very easy, after the first one, I knew the whole pattern by heart with the always same 8 rows (6 time st st) it's quite fast and easy to remember the pattern...

Here are the specs

Pattern : Bellatrix by Monkey Toes

Yarn : Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Merino in color Serengeti about 75 % of the skein

Needle : 2.5mm DPN

Cast on January 10th

Cast off January 16th

Comments : I find the sock a bit baggy on the leg, good thing that it has twisted rib at the top because if not they would fell off my leg and the heel is really too short in my taste but it goes well with the very stretchy pattern and the drops stitches. About them, this stitch pattern is really fun because you have to create hole into your knitting which is not usual at all and it had interest to the whole process. The yarn compliment the pattern well and the color combo is well choose with the story and inspiration behind the pattern (Harry Potter inspired).

2 FO in 2 weeks, not bad huh ? Be prepared, 2009 will be a big knitting year !

Speechless

Yesterday was in the same day a very hard day as BF was leaving to go back to work foreign for another 8 weeks but also a very good one as I had my angel box from Season swap (Fall one). I know now well into winter but I am SO happy that I had to wait to have an angel in my swap life and now my apartment have more yarn in it and gorgeous one !!!

The fabulous MarthaG from Ravelry is my Angel this time and truly, she is amazing and did such a great spoiler job as she stalked over me and look at my likes and dislikes and even think about including an handmade soap in a scent that I will enjoy (and I am, truly)

Look at the haul !

First of all I found a very kind word from her and all the though she put into my box...

She sent me one book that I was thinking about buying lately on Amazon : Knitting Socks With Handpainted Yarn by Carol Sulcoski and it's full of gorgeous pattern I can't wait to try my hand on and she also included 2 patterns : Koollass that I am dieing to try for a very long moment and Japanese wine scarf to do some lace and needless to say that she also included all the yarn that I need to do those 2 patterns : a big skein of O-wool 100% certified organic merino in blue for the hat and deep green Malabrigo lace for the scarf !! (very very happy !)

Then it's why I am speechless : 4 skeins of Shi Bui sock yarn !!! 2 in Peacock for a pair of sumptuous sock and 2 contrasting (wasabi and Mulberry) to try my hand on color work with the help of the second book that she sent me : The knitting answer book by Margaret Radcliffe which will be very helpful to improve my techniques on many points.

She also included extra goodies : a namaste case in green, cable needles that she said liking for herself, the soap I talked about previously and coffee... umm the smell of that coffee made me want for caffeine just for the scent of it ! It's a fair trade one from Guatemala and I am ready to grind it and try it in my new Espresso/Cappuccino machine !

Thank you Martha, you are very generous and I appreciate everything and the time and money you put in that box for me, your are wonderful and it's a small thing to say that you made my day ...

First package of Warm Ewe Up swap on Ravelry :)

Yay ! just receive my first package on Warm Ewe up on Ravelry !!

SO COOL !!!!

Look how pretty it was all wrap up in cute flower paper

Then I had a birthday present, this lovely tam !!! Thanks spoiler, I love you !!!

Here a model picture, sorry for the bathroom background

Then 2 skeins of baby alpaca (!!!) of Blue Sky Alpaca in bright red (did I say I love you spoiler ?)

2 points protections for needles (how did you know I didn't have those little things ?)

and yummy chocolate... what more to say ? I'm already looking forward for next month enveloppe... :) Yay, this swap is REALLY a good one !!! :) Thanks again spoiler !

Another pair of sock on her way...

In which I had to cast on for another pair of sock before finishing the two that I already have on needles... yes I swear I had to !!!

I broke my 2.75mm circular and have to wait till next week to get another one and I am getting terrible ladder with DPN on that model (must show you this week about those...) and the other one, well, I forgot about where I am in the model and must have to figure it out before to knit and I was not in the mood to search for over than 1 minute so that's why I had to cast on another pair of sock, I told you it was not my fault... ;)

So here is my fastest pair of sock that I can remember of knitting :

Bellatrix; a pattern inspired by Harry Potter books and by the character of one the Black's sister... I may have to say that my choice of yarn is perfect I think (Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Merino in color Serengeti which I will talk about in my next post)

Here a little close-up of the drop-stitches pattern

It takes a little bit to master the drop-stitches pattern but once you figure that you don't have to pull too much it's really easy and fun to work in the sock process.I cross my fingers that I will have time to finish the number 2 soon enough and finish the 2 other pairs that are calling my name around here...

Contest

Justine is having a contest on her blog, check out and play, she have wonderful yarny prize and some books too (I love those 2 things and together is way better...)

So just go to her blog and leave a comment about your favorite book character and why and let her know that you found her by me, it would be kind... :)

Enjoy !

2009 is going too fast already !

Already January 10th and it seems like yesterday it was still in December ready for New Year eve's party ! It does sound like this year will be a good one, but a fast one again !!! :)

I only had a very little time to knit this year so far and only manage to do those little cuties out of sock yarn leftovers



The pattern is Magic slippers by Caroline Dlugy-Hegwer available for free on her blog. It's a very clever pattern to use leftover in fingering weight and I have another little ball in the same color, so I don't know what i'll do this time...