La Marea cowl + Treehousehat

In the previous post you can find a free pattern for La Marea cowl.
A simple, versatile and easy to wear garment.
You can wear it solo, with a hat that repeats the color of one of the sections.
Or you can choose a contrast color, like this Treehouse hat I knitted for my daughter.
I knitted it like a test knit. My friend from Moscow asked me to knit this hat so I wanted to see how this pattern works with the yarn we chose.

I knitted it with Garnstudio DROPS Lima yarn. It is a bit thinner then required in pattern and I always prefer the hats with more positive ease. So I knitted 4 instead of 3 repeats of main pattern.
I made the 2×2 rib.
The crown is knitted also in different way (I used Il Giardiniere pattern, free pattern you can find in the following post).
You can find this project here on my ravelry page.
https://www.ravelry.com/projects/NatieKnits/treehouse-hat

Strolling around hats II and III.

Yes, I knitted 2 more hats! All of them with different yarn and with small modifications.
They are all very different, the first Strolling around, which you can find here
https://vintagecasahandmade.blogspot.it/2017/07/strolling-around.html
is warmer, more elastic and smooth.
For the second version I wanted something bright, contrast to grey...
And I found this Multifilo egyptian cotton by Adrianwool.

 I don't like so much mercerized cotton as it seems rather stiff to me.
So I tried even some other yarns and different stitches. I wasn't sure about the result so I decided to knit and see what happens with the top, with the drape. As you can see, at the beginning I made a progress with grey Sesia hat, which lately I undid, and now I knit another hat with this yarn.

 After different cast on, unripping, cast on etc...

I made another border (simple garter stitch with crab stitch finishing instead of double picot edge) and this hat is shorter as this yarn is not the best for draping. 

Now I like it, the color is great and it looks cute.  

One more thing, always for better draping, I sewed the upper part from the wrong size, so the pleats look much better.  

Then I continued my Strolling around series with Piuma (machine knitting yarn). 

I knitted the double picot border with 5 threads and the main part with 6 threads.

This yarn is smooth and lighter, I wanted this hat to be a bit more slouchy, so I added one more pattern repeat. Sewed on the wrong size. Even this hat is a bit shorter than the first one, and the pleats look better being sewed on the wrong size. 

Now you see the difference?

Starting more WIPs.

Well, the spring has come, the time of aggravation for any knitaholic.

So, I'm starting, let's see... 4 new projects:

- Riyito sweater http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/riyito as I'm fond of wool boxy sweaters. 

- Striped hat for my son as we lost the one I've knitted a year ago http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Natie379/striped-hat

 - Sage cardigan  http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Natie379/sage as I bought a beautiful yellow cotton yarn and it would look nice with some summer dresses. 

- Waffle pillow http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Natie379/waffle-pillow as I promised a couple of pillow covers for my friend who has moved recently in a new apartment. 

Sure the hat and the pillows are more urgent, but I can't help starting even the Riyito which I'll be wearing only next autumn. And the Sage?

Birthday Newborn pull.

One would say: "What a strange name for a sweater...".

Why did I call my Bailiwick Pullover by Courtney Spainhower this way?

I've started it on the 14 or March, 4 days before my birthday, not planning to celebrate this date for the first time of my life, renouncing any present... Except this one, starting a new winter sweater in blooming spring, 9 days before the expected delivery.

I was choosing between 2 colors of DROPS Alpaca: light grey 0501 and pale blue 7120. Maybe the second one was closer to the original the grey one matches perfectly the skirt I have on my mind… mini skirt! 

I decide to knit the rib with 3,25, making the size shown in the magazine. 

The pattern was easy to follow, in one day I made the rib, saddle shoulders and some repeats of Diamond and garter stitch. Only 1 correction: instead of k2tog at the end of set-up row I decreased 1 st in the middle of the row. Just to do it symmetrical. 

The same with Arrows stitch - changed it to place it exactly in the center of the previous stitch pattern. 

Decided to knit the front and back separately, started the bed jacket stitch part. One skein used for the upper front part shown on this photo.

The next day I decided to change the neckline, as the boatneck with larger needles was too large on the shoulders, open shoulders on winter pullover wasn't exactly what I wanted. With the 3,25 needles, at the contrary, it was too narrow, and not having a long neck, I've abandoned this idea. That way I had a feeling of being choked.
I undid the rib,  made the front part of the neck lower (I’ll reknit the rib after having completed the whole sweater). It was rather intricate, but fortunately I didn’t spoil the whole thing. And the front part became the back part, obviously. Surely, I had to interrupt the whole thing for the weeks,  and it was such a pleasure to came back to knitting for such a long absence.  A woman with a newborn child should have an hour for knitting, it’s the best baby blues therapy. 

02/05 Having gone through the worst days of varicella it’s such a pleasure to knit a bit. Even if my hands need more training.

09/06 Started the sleeves… several times. The sleeve was too narrow on the elbow. I didn't feel very comfortable, after making several decreases every 3rd row, continued for every 4th and 5th. It consumed a bit more yarn, but it's OK.
01/07 What a wonderful sweater! It will be my favorite. A little girlish but feminine.
08/01 Now as I'am updating this post I can say that it is really my favorite sweater so far. I still didn't sew the mini skirt, but it looks perfect with jeans. The color is beautiful, the silhouette is rather boxy but being short this sweater looks great, doesn't add any weight and hide the defects you have... or imagine to have.

.

Baby blanket - Copertina verde.

To my surprise the photo of my recent WIP had a success after publishing it on Facebook. Some knitters had asked me for a pattern, so I decided to write it down. It is simple and quick, but still of a great effect. It was "inspired" by a pattern from Mani di Fata magazine, but after trying to knit the original slipped stitch pattern I gave up and found this simple leave stitch pattern in one of stitch dictionaries. 

The blanket is knitted with Garnstudio DROPS Merino Extra Fine yarn, using 4,5 straight needles (I knit very tightly). 

The pattern is:

Cast on 120 st.

Knit 10 rows in garter stitch

Continue knitting 6 st in garter stitch, 13 st in main pattern till the late 6 st, 6 st in garter stitch.

Then knit 10 rows in garter stitch. 

Make the necessary number of stripes and finish with 10 rows in garter stitch. 

Main pattern:

1, 3, 13 rows - Knit.

2, 4, 12, 14 rows - Purl.

Row 5: K2, yo, K3, K3tog, K3, yo, K2.

Row 6: P3, K3, P1, K3, P3.

Row 7: K3, yo, K2, K3tog, K2, yo, K3.

Row 8: P4, K2, P1, K2, P4.

Row 9: K4, yo, K1, K3tog, K1, yo, K4.

Row 10: P5, K1, P1, K1, P5.

Row 11: K5, yo, K3tog, yo, K5.

Then you can knit a border if you like. I'll knit one. 

Waiting for an inspiration...

Finally I'm able to enter my blogspot page! I'm not very clever in computers. It took me one hour to understand and resolve the problem - my browser was not updated. For a miracle I've managed to install the Google Chrom and now here I am. 

While waiting for a nice occasion to make some photos of my last completed projects (one of them is of my own design and before publishing the photos I have to publish the pattern on Ravelry) I want just to make a few notes on some WIPs.

Today I'm not in the mood to complete any of them which need any concentration or adaptation. Besides my little daughter is at home and I can't concentrate on my work.
Some examples?

1) Quaking Aspen Shawl http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Natie379/quaking-aspen-shawl:

I'm not sure I like the colors and it doesn't help to continue, even if all I have to do is to complete the border. I've tried for a couple of times this morning, but I didn't like the original lace pattern. May be I'll find another matching lace pattern. I'll think about it... next week.

2) Milano http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Natie379/milano:
To start the sleeves I have to calculate stitches and rows. I'm not able to do even this simple math.

3) Ena's sweater http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Natie379/enas-sweater-2,
Come una volta II http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Natie379/come-una-volta-ii,
To wear with a summer suit http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Natie379/to-wear-with-a-summer-suit:

I have no idea when my waist will be thin enough to wear any skirt, so both this projects are not actual (sometimes I'm practical and knit the things which I REALLY need). 

So, today is dedicated to Umaro blanket http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Natie379/umaro-3, which has become rather boring to knit (taking into account the size and the name of the project). It would be nice to get rid of this WIP - it occupies a big packet in the middle of our living-room. 

 

Some other knitting plans? When I'll get my straight 7 mm needles I'll definitely knit Market jacket

http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Natie379/market-jacket, 

and next days I should knit legwarmers for my daughter. For now I chose this simple pattern

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/undercut-legwarmers.

Halcyon blouse.

This project took me almost a year to be finished. 

Well, sometimes we knit just for the process of knitting itself...

14/07 This project is planned to be a travel one. And I’ll start it only after completing the Little Chris. For now I’ve knitted one piece for testing the pattern and prepared the yarn balls. 3 ply should be enough. 

05/08 Finaly it is on the needles. The first thing to change is the size of the needles. I’ll knit the rib part with 2,75, and the rest with 3,25. 

08/08 Last night (or this morning, it was almost 4 o’clock) I made the first 24 rows of the pattern. Now I should understand the increasing part. It was easy, but i realised that 2,5 and 3 needles are better. So, back to the rib part. 10/08 This morning I’ve finished the bottom part, 366 stitches. This time without any mistakes. It took me less time that I’ve expected, and the lace pattern was easy to remember. It looks great, I was planning to make it in yellow, but wasn’t sure of the amount of yarn. But this color looks even better. My Mom likes it, and this matters a lot. After 366 stitches 172 stitches of the main part seems nothing. I made the provisional cast on for the rib part, so I picked up the stitches for knitting the main part. 

12/08 Today we are leaving for Moscow. Ultimate photos at dacha, the first photos of my Halcyon. 

26/08 172 stitches seem to be not enough for the original loose shape.  But I  like it the same (I can’t not like it, I’ve knitted too much to  restart  it).  A added 34 stitches to  knit the front part. Maybe, I’ll make the sleeve shape to make it less bulky in  the shoulders. At  least  the  original (almost) pattern remains. 

28/08 The front bottom part is done. 439 stitches. It looks great but needs so much time. With all those beautiful paterns I have in my queue... Will I wear therm when I'm 70 years old?

03/09 The front part is almost finished, I've got back to the back  front (i found a mistake  in the 4th pattern repeat, so I had to undo it). I have to finish it by the middle of this month. Sardegna should see it. 

20/06 Almost a year has passed... Yes, this sweater has travelled even to Sardegna, knitting is a great idea to spend hours on the ferryboat... And now we're in Civitanova Marche to make some photos. 

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Now or never!

Yesterday I started this new vintage project. First it was intended to be "Ena's sweater" made with Drops Alpaca Mix and Drops Alpaca (I saw some nice projects on Ravelry with contrast stripes). Then I transformed it in "Summery - And A New Pattern with Drops Baby Alpaca Silk". Modified (I used twisted stitches).

But I didn't like some stitches and today I reknitted the front using the stitch which is similar to Ena's sweater, but the "paw" is a bit shorter. I don't have the Ena's sweater original pattern, so at the end my sweater is another "New Pattern".

Great expectations...

My birthday is coming, so I'm choosing the present for me.

It will be about 25 skeins of different colors of Drops Alpaca, with some of which I'd like to knit Milano sweater by Carol Sunday http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/milano-6, and 7 skeins of Drops Baby Alpaca Silk for another vintage sweater. Looking through my digital collection of patterns and old photos of vintage sweaters, I found this one. So simple, but attractive. It would be perfect in light color. I chose the 2110Wheat, exquisite light yellow. It would look good with this fabric Shopping in Moscow.

It is not in Ravelry database, but I found one project made from this pattern. It is Ruby by Jennipenni. It looks gorgeous! http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Jennipenni/ruby

I have only this old photo to work with... Well, even when I have all the instructions, I don’t follow them!

Bette sweater.

Accessory for your sping suit is still in process, but I want something new and sunlight.

It will be a sweater based on Bette top with keyhole neckline published in "Knit Vintage" by Madeline Weston and Rita Taylor:

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bette-top-with-keyhole-neckline

Original pattern is

I use yellow Drops Alpaca yarn (2923):

http://vintagecasahandmade.blogspot.it/2013/12/chritmas-time-first-present-has-arrived.html

With 3,5 mm needles I cast on 116 st for the back part. I'll knit the ribbon in the round when the back and front are completed. It will be a little boring at the beginning, but the bright yellow color helps. I need something to knit in the car tomorrow.  It will be a long "full of pain" day... 

I'm going to get rid of my brackets!

This is the third Joy I knit. One of the most popular designs of Kim Hargreaves on Ravelry.com and Osinka.ru.

It is knitted with Lana mondial coton yarn "Surf", needle size 3 and 3,25. The yarn is rather rough and perfect for this kind of cardigan, it keeps the form perfectly well.

I added some stitches, some rows, short rows on the shoulders and the darts.

I wore it for the first time in Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow.

At the Patriarshie prudy in the centre of Moscow.

Very vintage "pirozhok s kapustoi" (cabbage pie) and a cake called "kartoshka", which means potato. Cappuccino was horrible. Never order any kind of coffee except americano in Russia.