I Am Still A Knitter But .....

...... I also crochet ! Yes, I have just learnt crochet. I tried learning many years ago but was not so successful. But recently, I was tempted again when I saw all the lovely projects that my friend, Lisa is making.

Lisa is so creative & all her crochet projects are gorgeous. Every time she shows me one of her crochet project, I feel so inspired & so with Lisa's encouragement, I pick up the hook. Lisa is a great teacher & she makes crochet so easy.

With Lisa's help, I started with the Winkle Bag & it turned out so well. I really enjoy crocheting the bag & it was fun ......

I used 2 balls of Patons Regal 4ply cotton from my stash. I am using this bag for my crochet project. I just love the look of the stitch & the base with it's pretty edging .....

I never knew that a simple crochet stitch can make such a great looking bag & it's all done in the round. I am so inspired that I also crochet this .....

... this scarf was done in a day with leftover sock yarn. I am so proud of myself as I read the instructions on my own (but I think I made a few mistakes) without Lisa's help. Isn't it lovely on my grape vine against the jasmine flowers in bloom .......

I love the pattern ! It's so easy & looks so pretty - like flowers in a row ......

Thank you Lisa for the inspiration & all the guidance!

Damson & Gretel

I am not referring to the fairy tale but to two of my projects. Damson is off the needles .....

This had been a fast knit & I would have finished it earlier if I did not frogged twice. As Damson is not a triangular shawl, there are 6 points of increases. It took me a while to get use to the pattern. Anyway, I did enjoyed all the garter stitch knitting & the plain lace pattern.

It's knitted with Swiss Mountain Sea Sock, a mix of 51% silk, 29% merino & 20% seacell. This is my 1st time knitting with this yarn & I love it. It's so soft & silky & I think it's the perfect yarn for this shawl. Look at the drape ......

If anyone of you is thinking of knitting Damson, just be warned ..... I ran out of yarn after the last row & only had 50cm of yarn left & I had to cast off more than 500 stitches! The pattern asked for 440 yds/402m & I had 400m. Even if I had the extra 2m, I would still run out of yarn. Thank goodness, I found some leftover merino in almost the same color & just cast off ......

..... can you tell the difference?

The other project that I should have finished weeks ago ......

...... but it's still on the needles. This is Slanting Gretel Tee which I started off quite well until I came to the armholes. It's quite an unusual construction where I had to do a provisional cast-on on waste yarn to hold the stitches for the sleeves & then cast them off later. So the sleeve is just a cap. I was not so sure if I would like the sleeve & was thinking of just knitting a sleeve separately & then attaching it when I start knitting the yoke. I just could not decide & so put it aside for a while.

Yesterday, I decided to pick it up & just carry on knitting & follow the instructions. I hope I am doing the right thing .....

Rose Buds

“ The center panel of double moss stitch reminds me of little rose buds on bushes of slipped stitch twists on the sides – a lovely combination ! "

This is my 1st design for Knitting Inspirations Sock Club released in Winter. These toe-up socks are knitted in Handmaiden Casbah (Wine colorway), one of my favorite yarn.

This design is now released for sale in ravelry .

I Am Back ......

..... & I can't believe that it's been a month since my last post. Where did the days went? I have been so busy with the girls' activities - piano exams, rehearsals, performances, meetings ..... & I have to do all the driving as my husband was away on a business trip. I was exhausted at the end of each day & all I wanted to do was just sit down with my knitting....

And I also managed to get quite a bit of knitting done as I sat & waited during all those events. 1st FO ....

A 2nd Milkweed Shawl for myself. I love this pattern as it's all garter stitch & not too much lace. It's a great project to take everywhere. Of course, I knitted the shawl in Casbah again & I love the colors (Stardust) - grey & blue! I managed to use the whole ball & knitted 4 extra rows of the edging. The shawl is 120cm x 60cm after blocking.

The 2nd FO is the Featherweight Cardigan which I cast on sometime in June & had neglected it for a while. I picked it up again also for the simple knitting (all stocking stitch) & as a go everywhere project. I also love this pattern & the yarn is gorgeous to knit with - a 2ply merino/tussah silk blend from Zen Yarn Gardens in a red wine color (Vino) .......

This cardigan has turned out great! I used a feather & fan stitch pattern for the front bands & the sleeves as I thought the plain rib bands will be boring. I am so glad that I did it as the f & f pattern had added the extra touch to the cardigan. I also added length to the body & knitted 3/4 sleeves.

This is the 1st time that I knitted a garment in lace yarn & I can't believe the weight & feel of it - it's so light & soft. It's like wearing feathers, no wonder the name of the design - Featherweight!I love this cardigan! Knitting lace yarn on 3.75mm needles with 200 - 300 stitches can be tedious but I will be more than willing to do it again as the result is fabulous. Even Lynette is asking for one as she tried it on & love the feel of it. Now I am starting my search for more lace yarn with about 1200 m in a skein!

I have also finished 2 pairs of socks (a test pair & then the actual pair) for the Spring Sock Club for Knitting Inspirations. Here's a peek at the socks .....

This is my 2nd design for the Sock Club & all the patterns will be make available soon. I am now back to the drawing block for the next design for Summer ......