Colorful jacket in yarn Simpson

Sometimes it takes very long time to photo things that I’ve done. This jacket I finished in May but it was never used yet. So, recently I picked up a pile of finished but not photographed things, persuade my boyfriend to go out with photo camera and as soon as we started photo session it started to rain. Typically.

Anyway, this jacket is made from one of the yarns, which I bought at Syfestivalen (fair for some hand crafts) in the last November. Oh, I bought a lot there. In my Latvian blog you can look at the picture of that days balance. And now I strongly decided not to go to this year’s autumn market if I will not knit out at least half of the yarn, which I bought there. But I think that I am almost there ;)

Pattern for the jacket I found at the book Kreativ stickning by Ingelisa. Yarn Simpson: acrylic and merino wool. Needles 7 and 8 mm. Used 5 skeins (one skein 100g).

Jewelry for Indra

As everyone else, I can tell some interesting stories how people meet each other. Here my acquaintance with Indra. Once I searched at Latvian friend web based community if there are many people who carry the same surname as my mother had before marriage. Nop, not many at all (just few). And the only woman also happened to have the same name as my mother. So I wrote to her and she wrote back and we found out that we agree quite well. Next two times I visited Latvia we met and I am so happy now to have her as a friend.

I also made some small simply jewelry for Indra and she was so nice to make photos and send them to me.

Ledas bracelet

Well, now Leda has the bracelet also. I just had the idea of crocheted bracelet in my mind and finally that was ripen enough to make it happen. So I made simple crochet chain with heart-formed beads and then crocheted from both sides in treble crochet. But as with earrings also here the silver wire leaves special impression.

Dolls jacket

After finishing Fabel jacket for child and the similar one for myself (not showed yet) I am still in such love with this pattern that I made the clothing for the doll. So far, poor creature she had just hat ;)

Beaded necklace and earrings

This was very easy. I bought the mix of the beads at Panduro and then just strung them. My child lend a hand, so it went fast, the only thing was to watch out not to string the big ones too close to each other. Before to string the necklace I picked out some beads for earrings.

Wire knitted necklace and bracelet with beads

Again, the book Wire Knits by Heather Kingsley-Heath had the necklace pattern which I wanted to try. I used the metallic wire and mix of the beads. Then I made matching bracelet, but as the necklace is quite impressive, bracelet is more modest.

Hairpin lace skirt

Pattern from Stitch Diva Studios. Just wanted to try. So far had them on once, at my friends’ dissertation party. I made a mistake not to think properly about waistband. I just crocheted that, thought that tight enough but during the evening it got more and more loose and I almost lost the skirt. Now I bought satin band and will fix it.

My mohair shawl

This shawl was made to complement the skirt, which I crocheted in hairpin lace technique. Used green mohair yarn and yarn Salsa from Garnstudio.

Earrings for knitting geek

At tradera.com – web based auction page I put an eye on those earrings. Mine! Even if somebody already bid I didn’t give up and finally overbid!

Vest for the child

My child has a cousin. This vest I made for Noah in soft Alpaca yarn, needles nr.3 mm. Pattern I looked from the vest that Noah’s grandmother made for his uncle when he (uncle) was a little baby. But after finishing I started to doubt how appropriate is my chose of yarn for such a garment for so little person (1 to 2 years) as it should be washed very carefully.

Knitted trousers for the child

Child needs some colors on and to be warm. That’s why I knitted those trousers. Yarn Big Verona from Järbo Garn. Buttons I bought at Syfestivalen. Now I know that straps need to be done differently, as they have tendency to fall off. But then I am crossing them on the backside and it works well.

Knitted poncho for the child

This poncho is my first half done poncho ever. Half because the second half was done by our friend Mary, living in Uruguay. She is so good at crafts and while visiting their family she said that she want to knit the poncho for our soon to be born baby. Thought she wanted to finish another project and then I asked her to show me how the poncho should be done and as I had nothing else to do, I started to knit. After some days we went to excursion and meanwhile Mary finished the poncho. This is so lovely, it also suites one for very long time. Baby wore it as newborn and as 2 years old.

Hairpin crocheted jewelry

Yes, it is addiction to knit or crochet with wire. Pattern for earrings I saw at Stitch Diva studios home page, but for bracelet made up myself. Earrings could be smaller and to be honest, I don’t really know if I will ever have them on. But bracelet is just fine. Golden copper and those orange beads make them look SO!!!!!

Ledas earrings

What should I say? Inspiration for those earrings I got again on Ravelry. I made them for the friend and colleague Leda, who, when looking at my blog give me a lot of compliments. So, I wanted to make something special for her. I used heart formed beads and crocheted with silver wire, 0.3 mm.

Wrist warmers for Wendy

This piece of garment I never imagined to make. As I can´t understand their function apart from just being beautiful. Isn’t it so, that fingers are first to freeze already when there are less that +10 degrees outside? ;)
Whatever, those I made for the friend who asked me for a pair. She chose yarn and I made them ready.

Mittens for the child

Well, not really the season… But I am trying to catch up with publishing most of my handwork here, at my blog. Those are mittens made for my child when previous got too small. Used Alpaca yarn from Garnstudio. Should I say that even those are too small by now?

Rose

The same book Wire Knits had the pattern for rosebuds. Actually very first time I saw this pattern at ravelry. It also inspired me to buy the book. After trying with hearts I changed to roses. Not difficult at all, and beautiful. I am afraid that this one will not be the last one.

Two love hearts necklaces

Not just earrings but also necklaces one can make from knitted hearts! Here I made one for me and one for the friend Liza.

Love hearts earrings

In one of my recently bought books, Wire Knits by Heather Kingsley-Heath I put an eye on the pattern with hearts necklace and earrings. Before I never had a clue that from simple knitted square one can make such a thing as heart or other forms. So, I tried and! Voila! It works!!!!

When I started to make earrings I thought abut my friend, but when I finished, I decided to keep them for myself.

There will be another pair for the friend.

Wire knit leaf earrings

Pattern for those earrings I saw first at Ravelry. There was a picture with beautiful wire knitted earrings. Pattern seemed easy and I tried to make a pair. They could be little bit more even, but still I am satisfied. Also feeling to wear self-made jewelry is special.

Books are here!

Few days ago I got books which I bought from Adlibris. Surprise, surprise, all of them are about some kind of crafts! (Actually I ordered one more book which was not about crafts, but delivery of that was delayed).

Now I have a lot of inspiration and guidance.

How do you recognize my friends?

By bracelets, of course ;)

After my first attempt to knit with wire and beads, I made some more bracelets for my friends. As I went to Latvia for 1 week and planned to meet some of my nearest friends, I wanted to make something special for all of them. This is what I managed. Thought, I forgot to take photos with few of the bracelets.

knitted earrings

My knitted bracelet needed some matching earrings. Here they are!

korknissar

Too much yarn?

I together with my child went to Latvia for a week. Partly to work and partly to visit my parents. Meanwhile my friend Jo and cat Tova stayed at home in Stockholm.

One evening we chatted throught internet and I told that I was at yarn shop, but bought nothing ;( (never happened with me before)

Jo answered: oh, thats good, because I opened one drawer of a bureau today – just yarn, opened second drawer - just yarn, opened third - just yarn. Then I thought, isn´t this too much?

Me: Did you look at one bureau or both?

Jo: one.

;) ;) ;) ;)

Knitted bracelet

This is my very first attempt to knit with metallic wire as well very first attempt to knit with beads. And you know what? It is very easy, and beautiful, and fast. Both wire and beads I bought at Panduro.

Fabel yarns jacket for child

Looking through different projects at community Ravelry, I saw jacket for child made by this pattern from Garnstudio. It looks very effective with two colors, but I decided that it would look as effective with this Fabel yarn, color 151, which I happened to have at home ;)

Pattern is just genius, cause one needs sew just two lines: those under sleeves. I made size for 2 years old except that sleeves seemed too tight if just 18 cm, so I made 20 cm instead. All the rest knitted as described. Buttons are from coconut shells, matched best with jacket and don’t take over the yarns own color blend.

I am very content with result!

Sunsmile jacket for child

Last year, while at Latvia, I went to yarn store Musturs and bought this yarn called Sonrisa made by Katia. It consists of 55% cotton, 30% acrylic, and 15% nylon, color 9. As soon as I saw the yarn I thought about my child, who really is the largest sunshine in my life!

Now, at the beginning of June, I was knitting and planning a lot of projects but started to think more about my little one and realized that almost all sweaters or cardigans are to little already or yet too big but still all my mind was directed to things to be made for myself. So my conscious pushed at me and I started to make this jacket. It was one of my fastest finished objects. I knitted it in two days and in third sew together as well as attached the buttons. Somehow I had this itching in my fingers and obsession in my mind to make it ready soon. Maybe because I am still having a lot of plans and want to do it all.

But now I am on my second child jacket on row… soon that too will be ready!

Shorts made by Jo

Once my boyfriend told me that he would be happy if I started to play chess. I, from the other hand said that I would be happy if he started to knit. Both of us started to make each other happy! I can play a little chess. And he started to knit. First he made a scarf for his grandmother, and then those trousers for our child. They are very nice and look great!

Saturday, 17th of May…

…was very nice day. First we went to Latvian school. My child being half Latvian should keep up the language. There all children got piece of wood (with magnet) to make it as ladybird. This is what we made.After school through the rain we slowly went to knitting café, organized by Maria, Marias Garn (Marias Yarn) owner. It was my first time to participate in such an event. But definitely not last. I liked it a lot to be among many other knitters, most of them more experienced than me. Before I went there I had some questions about techniques or finishing but in there I got answers. One such a question was about my just started socks from Garnstudios home page. I bought yarn Fabel and wanted finally to make some more advanced socks. Those in so called modular or domino or patchwork I thought would be very interesting to make. Partly because yarn makes them so un-proportional and special, partly cause that would be my first project and challenge with modular knitting. I have read some books and magazines about that, but as long as you don’t do it yourself it is rather difficult to understand. Especially if I just read two sources and both of them says controversial things about some of the knitting part. Yes, so I just made first row of socks but then I didn’t know how to continue. Perfect that in this knitting café were some people who could help me with advise for making next row. And what a beutifull things other people do!!!

We even get on the picture by Maria- look here!

After being there for a while my child got tired and I decided to leave.

Next stop was vegetarian restaurant Seyhmus. Just delicious food and nice company- friend, who came to drink some tea together with us. After some while even my boyfriend joined for late lunch.
At the evening I continued to knit socks but but ;( …. they showed to be too large for me. I hate to pull out things so I tried to think for another application of my first modular knitting project and decided to make hat for the doll. After all it turned out not so bad!!!

What about socks? To be continued…..

The snowman at May?

Yes, such an incredible thing! This guy was enjoying the spring flowers when we met him. He was not at all sad that the winter has gone (as the real winter this season never came to Stockholm). Just one thing he asked us: pick him up, bring to home and put in the freezer. But on one condition- that we let him out every day, to look at all beautiful flowers!

Cutwork lace embroidery

I grew up with the Soviet school system, with ready programs what should one pupil learn in what order and do it on exactly one way. But finally when I was at higher grade, the new teacher of handicrafts got work at our school. She was very democratic and let us to choose projects, which we were interested by ourselves. I saw this work in attachment of Women magazine (very good monthly attachments on different crafts, I am using them still) and was so ambitious to do it. Somehow I managed. Now, when I look at this work, I hardly believe that I made it. Should I say that it is never practical used? It feels somehow so precious that I am afraid to take it out from shelf and bag. What if it will get dirty?
So I let it be. So far ;)

Socks

For a quite long time all my knitting were to knit socks and gloves for my parents. Not for beauty, but for work. As they have a small farm and almost everything is on manpower there, they wore out 4 till 5 pairs of socks or gloves per season. So, at autumn I started to knit and at spring finished. Then I even hadn’t time for something else, as I also hadn’t explore knitting or crocheting as my passion. Now I sort of stopped to deliver hypes of socks for them, due to many reasons. One is that I live far away, second, that I have been taking more time for myself.

Here is a pair of socks for my mother and a pair for father. Yarn Fabel from Garnstudio and Lanett from Sandnes Garn.
As you can see they are very simple. Just now, when I am looking at other blogers pages or knitting community pages, I see and am amazed how beautiful socks some people makes. Soon me too will try some so called monkey (have no idea why it is called like that) or cabled or…. pattern of socks.

Crocheted shawl

I saw this pattern for shawl from Garnstudio and liked it a lot. Winter 2006/2007 we spent far away from home. I was without near friends and possibilities to go around, so I had nothing else to do as to buy yarn and make one shawl. I chose not to make it in mohair, but wanted to have it thicker. Yarn Rosita Veslon 100% acryl, colors 51, 9, 29. One makes square by square, then works it together. After all I overdid the crocheting (difficult to stop) and shawl was too big. Later on I pulled out two lines of squares and now I am making some kind of coat/jersey for my child out of those.

Crocheted poncho for baby

When our friends were expecting the baby, I wanted to make the present for little one. I decided to crochet the poncho, as we have good experience with poncho for our child. Namely, it suits for longer time as other clothing. Pattern for poncho is very easy, one crochet just around and around, without need to sew pieces together (which I actually hate). Yarn Pingouin Sedificada rom Paramount Fios 70% akryl and 30 % wool.

Scarves a la boa

At the beginning of every month I try to go to the magazine shop and look for new interesting craft journals. Once I put an eye on magazines Simply Knitting attachment- some kind of plastic thing with which consumer were promised to make utmost beautiful scarves. Should I say, that I bought the magazine? ;)

At the same evening I started to make scarf for me. I used those yarns: Järbo garn Tindra 100% polyester, color 210, Idéna Happy, 100% polyester, color 800 and Järbo garn Big Verona 100% acryl, color 021. This is the clothing which had given me the most compliments…. so far. I like that scarf very much and it is also very warm.

After some time I made one more scarf for Andrea. She was friend and baby sitter for my child at Uruguay for almost 4 month, for two hours, three times per week, while I went to train karate. There I used following yarns: Veslon Malaga 100% polyester, color 298C; Pingouin Sedificada from Paramount Fios 70% acryl and 30 % wool; and Pingouin Família 100% acryl. I hope that Andrea likes the scarf.

So far I’ve made one more scarf. But unfortunately, I didn’t make picture before to give that away as present for my very good friend Daina. Maybe, Dainīt, some day we can do something about it?!