WIP: Knitting on.

I am continuing with my top that I talked about in the previous post.  I like how this design is looking in this yarn, but i do not love the feel of the yarn ;-( This is going to be sleeveless top and somewhat more pleasant to the skin yarn would be preferable. the yarn is not itchy at all, but just not soft enough to my liking. I will finish the top just to see that the idea works and most likely will repeat this top in a different yarn that i like better.

Продолжаю вязать топ о котором писала в предыдущем посте. Ну, что сказать :-) идея мне нравиться и смотрится не плохо на этой пряже, но вот самой пряжей я не довольна...хотелось бы чего-то по приятней. Топ закончу, но потом свяжу такой же из другой ниточки :-)

WIP: Searching for a stitch pattern.

Some time ago I have bought couple cones of Rayon / Linen Boucle Yarn of unknown brand:

Какое-то время назад я приобрела пряжу неизвестного производителя: в составе которой вискоза и лён.

 

The yarn is a little rustic to to the touch before washing, but after washing and blocking becomes soft and silky material like fabric with a nice drape to it. I have made one project with green yarn before. This vest designed by Anna Kuduja. My project is called "Green Grass" and can be found on Ravelry.

Нитка на ощупь негладкая и не мягкая, но после стирки становиться шелковистой, намного мягче и прекрасно драпируется. Из зелёной пряжи я уже связала один проект: жилет дизайнера Anna Kuduja. Мой проект называется "Green Grass" и его можно посмотреть на Ravelry.

Now the time has come to use the reddish colored yarn :-)) The green vest was knitted fast and without any problems. I tried the stitch pattern used in that project and I loved it. For the red yarn finding a stitch pattern to my liking was not easy. I spend more then a week now searching for the stitch pattern I liked and was suitable for this yarn as well as for the top I want to make from it. Below are some samples I have knitted, but did not particularly  liked in this yarn.

Теперь пришло время вязать из рыжей пряжи :-)) Зелёный жилет вязался очень легко и как смотрится узор мне понравилось сразу. А вот с рыжей пряжей возникли трудности. Уже неделю пробую разные узоры и мне ничего не нравилось из связанных мною образцов. Узоры не смотрелись как надо и не подходили к идею топика который я и планирую связать из этих ниток. Вот связанные мною образцы:

I asked Anna for help with the stitch pattern. She send me some suggestions and I found the pattern I think works well for this yarn and for my idea for this top. Thank you Anna :-))

Я обратилась к Анне за советом с узором и по её рекомендации нашла подходящий узор для этой ниточки. Спасибо Анна :-))  Вот этот узор:

I have started the top with this pattern few days ago. The top is going to be knitted from the top seamless and lace stitch is not going to be all over. That is all I am going to share for now ;-)) More on this project in later posts :-))

Я уже пару дней вяжу этот топ. Скажу только что изделие вяжется сверху и без швов и что узор не будет по всей топ :-)) Это пока всё ;-))) Больше о топе в следующий раз :-))

Tulips shawl pattern is now available :-))

Pattern for shawl 'Tulips" shawl is now available to download on Ravelry and my blog :-))
Please refer to the previous post here for more pictures and information on this project. I would love to see this shawl knitted by others :-))) Please drop me a line if you decide to knit one :-))

New Design: Shawl "Fly me to the moon".

This shawl is my new design. I wrote about the development of the project and the yarn selection in my previous post.

Шаль "Fly me to the moon" это мой новый дизайн. Я писала о выборе пряжи и истории проекта в предыдущем постe.

Yarn: Malabrigo Yarn Silky Merino
Project on Ravelry.

I am very happy with the way this stitch pattern opened up after blocking. Now it resembles lace, even that the stitch pattern has no lace elements in it :-))
The patterns will be test knitted and available through Ravelry and my blog at that time :-)) If you are interested in test knitting, please write to me through Raverly.

Я очень довольна как узор открылся после блокировки и теперь выглядит как ажур, хотя узор связан по принципу аранов и единственные накиды в шали использованы для увеличения её размера.
Шаль будет протестирована и после доступна на Равелри и в моём блоге. Если вы желаете поучаствовать в тестирование, пожалуйста контактируете меня через почту на сайте Равелри ;-)

Name of the shawl comes from one of my favorite song “Fly me to the moon”:
I heard this song in the movie “Once Around” and love it ever since :-)) You have to wait till the middle of the clip to hear Danny Aiello sing the song :-))

Fly me to the moon
Let me play among the stars
Let me see what spring is like
On a-Jupiter and Mars
In other words, hold my hand
In other words, baby, kiss me

Fill my heart with song
And let me sing for ever more
You are all I long for
All I worship and adore
In other words, please be true
In other words, I love you

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC9oQoFk9Rs&feature=related by Frank Sinatra
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQPiV_cauyI by Julie London

Once upon a stitch :-))

While knitting my Accidental Vest, I got hooked on the stitch pattern I used in that project. I had an idea to use it in the shawl. The question was, what yarn I should use for the shawl. For the vest I used Filatura Di Crosa Baby Lovely, a 10 ply aran weight yarn. 

  A heavy aran weight yarn, like the one used in the cardi definitely presents the stitch pattern to it's best advantage. However, a shawl in aran weight seems too heavy to me. I do not want to knit a blanket ;-)) I thought the DK weight should work nicely. I really wanted to use something from my stash, but I did not have a suitable DK yarn available. I have tried the pattern on 4 ply and knitted it with 1 or 2 strands, but I did not love the results. I could not let go if the idea of the shawl and decided to order something. I choose Maiko by Noro, a DK weight yarn. While the yarn is lovely, soft and a little silky, the pattern looked lost to me on the sample I have knitted.

I have turned to my stash once again and this time tried Brown Sheep Nature Spun Sport, 5ply sport weight. 
The resulting knitted fabric was quite lovely, but the yarn is a tiny bit itchy for me for something that is going to be worn around the neck and I also was looking for a little more depth and variation in the color.

I have decided to order again ;-)) After much search on Ravelry for appropriate DK yarn, I ordered Malabrigo Yarn Silky Merino, DK weight yarn.  I love this yarn. It is very soft and the color variation is just what I was looking for. I started knitting my shawl and I loved how the stitch pattern was coming out with this yarn. 

  It took some time and some sample knitting, but I am happy with the way my new shawl is coming out. I have called my new design : "Fly me to the moon". You can find my project on Ravelry and read more why I choose this name for my shawl :)))
I had very little time to knit or to blog since the summer started, but  I hope to finish the shawl this weekend ;-))

A gift :-))

Few weeks ago I received a very spacial gift from a wonderful person and a friend I have made through Ravelry Alena :-))) She also has a blog. The gift was a bear she had made herself. My kids and myself could not believe this is hand made :-))) the craftsmanship is just superb. Look for yourself. I tried my best to capture all the wonderful details this little bear has. Thank you so much Alena for the gift and for the friendship. I cherish it very much :-))) and the Bear, as you can see, is already enjoying the live in Southern California :-))

Несколько недель назад я получила подарок, вот этого милого медвежонка, от замечательного человека и друга Алёны. Вот тут её блог.Мишка этот не простой, а сделан руками Алёны. Мои дети, да и я сама, не могли поверить что такое можно сделать руками. Мастерство Алёны просто поражает. Я постаралась запечетлить все детальки на фотографиях. Смотрите сами какая замечательная работа :-)) Я не перестаю восхищаться :-)) Алёночка спасибо большое за подарок и за дружбу....а медвежонок, как вы видите, уже наслаждается жизнью в Южной Калифорнии :-)))

Accidental Vest

I have wrote about this project and the challenges I had with it in the previous post here.
Thank you to all of you who gave me ideas about how to knit the trim on this cardi/vest. I have redone the trim in garter st. It was the better choice for this vest, since the pattern is quiet busy. I have decided not to do the sleeves. I have given this a lot of thought and decided to re-knit this cardi in completely different yarn (wool instead of cotton) and to add sleeves in this new project. I am not completely happy how this cotton yarn behaves in this project. The pattern does look very nice in this yarn, but the yarn is too soft and has no memory. It is not a very good choice for a garment with shape.
I just want to mention again, that the vest is seamless and knitted from the top.
More details on the yarn and the project can be found on my Ravelry page.

Начала истории этого проекта можно найти в предыдущем посте. Девочки спасибо всем за помощь с моим кардиганом, который как видите превратился у меня в жилетку ;-)) Края перевязала платочной вязкой  и мне так гораздо больше нравиться, а вот рукова решила не делать. Не совсем мне нравиться эта нитка для кардигана. Она очень мягкая и совсершенно не держит формы, хотя узор смотриться на ней отлично. Решила что перевяжу из шерсти и тогда сделаю рукова ;-))
проект на Равелри.