Smockie

 

Some yarns just give an idea.... Originally I had bought this yarn (Sock Candy from BMFA) to make a "Darwinia" but it didn't feel right. This yarn is quite stiff and I didn't really think it would work for that pattern. So I put it aside and let it be. Then some weeks ago I thought that a smock pattern would maybe work instead, so that's what I decided to make instead. The smock pattern I have used is a Mock Honeycomb stitch that I found in a Japanse Stitch book. It also can be found in Barbara Walker's first stitch collection. I think it works really well with this yarn. There is also colour variation and only obvious patterns-stitches can be used if one does stil want to see the pattern.

M is happy with it, which is always an important factor too!

 

 

Kiba!

 

I never knew that Manga could be popular around here.... S and most of her friends have become "obsessed" with Naruto and on a good day all I hear is stories about Naruro, Sasuku, Kiba, Kakashi, Neji and who not. I can't really follow...but I did read the 2nd book.

Anyways S has been very nice and helpful the last couple of months with all kind of things from helping in the house without complaining to looking after her little sister, so when she requested a Naruto based knitted item I thought it was a nice reward. She wanted a black shirt with a big Uchiha Sign on the back. The first thing we did was chart it. She actually made the chart. I used intarsia to knit this symbol.  Since she wanted it for summer wearing I used BC garn Allino. It comes in a very nice range of colours and is quite nice to knit with.

The front is plain black, with a polo like opening for the neck in seed-stitch, I tried to photograph it on two different days but I can't catch it, black just obscures all details.  Short set-in sleeves make it more T-shirt like. The hems are seamed and plain.

Scullery Trouble

It is supposed to be the warmest bit of the summer.... but no instead we have rain and cold and miserable weather. I'm in a lousy mood since we are rebuilding the scullery and of course it takes much longer than we thought it would. We have too little tiles, they have to be re-ordered and thus a week delay. It wouldn't be so bad but the scullery is the place where we have the washing machine and so on and that means that at the moment we do NOT have one. Sweden doesn't have many launderettes (if you life in a flat there is a communal one attached to it) and that means that we have to do washing by hand. Not my type of fun! And with all the rain nothing dries either. Bleeh.

I probably wouldn't complain that much but we had to go to the Netherlands for a week and coming back there were just piles of stuff to be washed and then suddenly one realizes how much help modern devices really are. It was planned that things would be kind of functioning when we would come back, but instead we are in a heap of turmoil. Best laid plans and all of that.....

On the bright side, it was quite nice weather in the Netherlands, so we had a nice visit with my parents. Lots of knitting time too, all that car travel... I finished Uhura and was able to wear it, some photos in my mother her garden:

 

On the way back I worked on a Naruto inspired polo-shirt for S. On a good day we do not hear anything else but Naruto, but she has been really helpful the last couple of months so it was easy to grant that wish:

 

ps. I do like the word "scullery", so much more evocative than "grovkök" or "tvättställe"......

Day and Night.....

The woolly one got finished. M thinks it is really cool that it can be worn either way. She also thinks it is practical since if it gets dirty you just turn it around and presto...... I hope that this will not cause extreme stains to appear on this little top since I do like it quite a bit. The yarn works just as well as the linen and with a long sleeved t-shirt underneath it can be worn long into the autumn which makes it pretty versatile.  I do love the different impression the dark and light sides make. Colour play is quite a nice game.

I have the pattern for Moineau nearly written up, I just need to check some math for the in between sizes and then it should go to a tech editor. I hope that I will be able to do that little bit of work tomorrow. I know it won't be a lot of time but it sometimes difficult to find the time to do things in a concentrated manner when at home. Also the last couple of weeks/months have been very hectic at work and that means that in the evening I just find it very difficult to do "pattern writing".

I have holiday now so it should be easier and it also feels so good to have holiday.... On Wednesday however we'll go to the Netherlands so for a week nothing will happen. It is about 800 to 900 km driving, so I better have some things to knit too.... But really I ought to do the last writing bit tomorrow....

 

Thumbs Up

 

 

Green is so much better.....