Saturday, November 15, 2008

Very Useful Freebie Patterns for Holi...

1. The New Winter Twist Collective is Up!
an ariosa cowl! Now i know what to make pluto for hannukah this year! for me, a Dietrich Hat ...
or a Heroine Jacket ... it's made with cascade 220!
2. Very Useful Freebie Patterns for Holiday Decoration ...
Christmas craft: Knitted ornaments
Santa Suit Christmas Ornaments (I have no idea what the round thing on the right is, do you?) from Lion Brand Yarns: Just Gifts

Sunday, November 09, 2008

update on projects

Caveat Emptor: many links in this blog are from Ravelry. If you are waiting for your Ravelry account to be activated you can use our client account: login = knitomatic2, password = knitomatic
manos hat ed by you. This is a hat we are making for the store so you can see how beautiful the new Manos Silk & Wool is. The pattern is from the Manos booklet 'Primera'. Liane started the hat but our good friend Mary has done the bulk of the work because she loves this technique! Thank you Mary!
misti cardi wrap by you. Progress on my Universal Cardi-Wrap pattern was put on hold while i prepared a wedding shrug and a project for my art class. It was a good break thiugh, I feel trefreshed and ready to get back to it and finish the arms.
shrug by you. This was the wedding shrug. I finished it in time (15 minutes to spare) but didn't end up wearing it - it looks like a sweater and the wedding was dressy. I should have known, but you know how it is, you don't really have a full idea of how a garment is going to be until it's done. On the upside, I dodged a bullet by not blending with the table settings. Unknown to me, my cousin's new wife has a love-on for Cranberry Glass. The entire dining room (the wedding was staged in many rooms, it was held at the Carlu) was decorated with cranberry coloured roses in cranberry glass vases (they looked mostly like this )and decorative arrangements of scads of cranberries impaled on mini pikes. Cranberried floated in clear vases of water and occasionally in a cocktail. The wedding party was also decked out in cranberry, ties for the men, dress for the maid of honour, and of course all the kippah on all the male guests (it was a jewish wedding). Not only would i have been under-dressed, but i would have looked like a tool. i found a little sparkly-black cardigan in the basment of the store, which was fine in the end. What can I say, every one needs a little black dress, a little black sparkly cardigan and little black heels.
doll fronted by you.
For my art class i'm making a doll from a sock. the hair is Koigu KPPPM and I'm working on her coveralls in Mission Falls 1824 wool.

Friday, November 07, 2008

Freebies!



Freebies!

here is a pattern for a knit poppy for remembrance day

or you could make free Perky Poppy Pin !

here is a free felted crochet pattern for a poppy from Knitting Astor

or a crocheted poppy from Essie


 


Thursday, October 23, 2008

One million acts of green knitting

Ten Acts of Green Knitting & Crochet

CBC has launched it's One Million Acts of Green, which is populated by a list of Planet Saving habits and changes. My next change of habit is to turn off the power-bars at night (at work and at home) and to unplug my phone recharger when it isn't in use. I'll also take my air conditioner out of the window for the winter and fill in the little holes with spray foam.
 

But we are about knitting, so here's a list of Acts of Green Knitting & Crochet (all the links will be Ravelry, so if you don't have an account you should get one!):


1. Make a SHOPPING BAG
and carry it with you for daily incidental purchases.

2. Make a COFFEE CUP SLEEVE COZY and forgo the extra paper sleeve.  Scratch Espresso even sells them!

3. Hand wash your woolies in cold water with Eucalan.

4. Make new Christmas ornaments from your leftovers:

5. Buy closer to home: Mission Falls, Brown Sheep Company, Cascade, Manos, Misti: Mission Falls is milled in Montreal and Brown Sheep is in Nebraska, Cascade & Misti are Peruvian, Manos is from Uruguay, so they have a much shorter distance to travel than other more international products. Also, ships create three times more carbon emissions than airplanes, but overall truck and train have a smaller environmental impact.

6. Organicly dyed yarns are not necessarily more eco-friendly.
The processing of oragnic/natural dyes takes twice as much energy are regular chemical dyes. Now, I'm not says you should forgo the oraganics, less chemicals is no doubt good, but it's not a panacea.

The following Ideas consist of making things to warm yourself so you can turn down the thermostat (much of the green house gases are created through heating & electricity`):

5. AFGHAN/THROW BLANKET:

6. FAST & SIMPLE SWEATER:

 
7. SOCKS:

 


9. SLIPPERS:


10.GAUNTLETS/ARMWARMERS/WRISTWARMERS:










Friday, October 17, 2008

Free Cowls Collected

mmmm, cowls (reincarnate of neckwarmer) are sooooo cozy, i will certainly need one or two this winter!

Fingering Yarns

cowl2.jpg

Cashmere Cowl: worked on 5mm needles! sub Misti Alpaca Hand Painted Lace or Solid Lace


Ice Queen: any kid mohair, but I say go for the kid silk haze, it's only 1 ball!


Aran, Worsted & DK Yarns

Aspen Cowl: i've already made this one, it's a welcome part of my winter wardrobe in deep winter. sub Misti Baby Alpaca Worsted,  Suri & Silk, Manos Silk & Wool.


Dark Side Cowl (Ravelry): sub Manos Silk, Jo Sharp Silk Road Aran Tweed or Cascade 220 Heathers.


Morning Side Cowl (for men and women): sub Jo Sharp Silk Road Aran Tweed for the tweedy look.


Chunky Yarns

Limulidae Cowl (and hat!): sub 2 strands of Nashua Brushed Alpaca held together, Misti Baby Alpaca Chunky, Cascade Eco, evem Lamb's Pride Bulky.


Cherry Garcia Cabled Cowl: sub Lamb's Pride Bulky, Misti Alpaca Chunky.


Bulky Yarns

Sophia Knits Cowl (on ravelry): sub brown sheep Burly Spun or Estelle Woolly Bully, only 1 skein of either.


Envy Cowl: i really like the cable up the sides! no need to sub this one.

Totally Cute Boot Toppers from Berroco

Freebie for Friday!




Totally Cute Boot Toppers from Berroco, much prettier than the cheap  acrylic faux-fur that feels like barbie hair after a date with a hair dryer.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Free & New

New Freebie!


Classic Elite La Gran Mohair Mittens

mmmmm, soft & fluffy mittens. i am not keen on the mohair they are pushing in the pattern, i would be inclined to substitute Nashua Creative Focus Brushed Alpaca (holding 2 strands together to make it nice and thick & warm).  I think i will take muself up on that as soon as i get a chance to breathe.