Really fast pattern! Knit with chunky Wool Ease Thick & Quick. This fits my 7 inch Lenovo idea-pad. (7" by 5") .....
Uses less than one ball of chunky yarn. Knit on 6mm needles (bit smaller than recommended on the ball band, but we want a tight stretchy cover!)
Sorry this one's blurry, but you get the idea (pad).
This new felt piece is designed to hang on a wall, and was made by wet felting the background, including the "rocks", then forcing the rocks to bubble out with small rocks! Once dry the rocks are removed and more yarn and fleece and felted bits are then needle felted into place. The bulrushes are boucle wool, needle felted into shape then needle felted onto the piece. The flag stick is placed in a hole in the green. And of course there is a felted golf ball in a very favorable position on the green. The piece is inspired by the eighth hole of my golf course, with a creek in front of the green. Natural tree branches, found in the park after the most recent wind storm, make the frame and the whole piece is laced into place.
Detail of creek and rocks and bulrushes.
This piece stands 2 feet high and uses wet felting, sewing, and bead work. I call it a Dragon Vase, but it certainly won't hold water! I think I was influenced by reading the Game of Thrones series of books, where there is a fascinating dragon plot line...
The body of the vase is wet felt in one piece around a bubble wrap resist.
There are wet felt spikes and balls, including a white center - black outside ball that I cut in half after felting and drying. Large balls support the bottom, like feet, to keep it really steady.
There are dragon scale beads on the back end, and large crystal beads at the neck that peak through slashes in the fabric (the slashes also show the various colour layers that make up the vase.
The overall pebble texture make it look a bit like pottery, but touch it and it is as soft as a lamb!
Here are a couple of photos of the merino cable sweater underway. I love the traditional look of 4 stitch cables over and over all over the sweater! It is such a simple repeat, I think even beginners can master this pattern. It also makes such a stretchy fabric, it should fit really nicely. The photo below shows the back, and the raglan detail. The four stitch edging will be stitched to another four stitch edging from the sleeves to create a wide diagonal band to contrast the vertical cable lines.
I also love the single purl row that divides the ribbing from the cables. It also hides the 10 stitch increase in that last row before the cables start. Details!
It is such a sunny day here in the beautiful Niagara Penninsula, that I decided to take my Shisshie outdoors for some fresh air. She is precariously balanced on the railing! I wanted to photograph some jewelry I had been making (check the sewing blog) in natural light, so finally got the photos done for the new sweater pattern! I used the white turtleneck underneath so that you can see how sheer the lace weight mohair can be. On me (scroll down to the photo of me and Shisshie) you will see it layered with black underneath, the way I have been wearing it. Also notice the almost green grass and amazing lack of snow here in Canada... It's been a weird winter indeed.
Mohair Cloud Sweater
Yarn: Elann Light Mohair (75% mohair, 25% nylon) lace weight mohair, 50gm = 225m, 5 balls. Black
Also: small pieces of contrast yarn to mark edges.
Needles: 4mm straight needles,* ball band calls for 3mm, but 4mm will make a lacier, sheer look to the fabric, light as a cloud! Also 4mm circular –short- or 4mm double points to finish neck opening.
Gauge: 15 sts = 4 inches on 4mm needles, in stocking stitch
Size: oversized (for me) 48 inch around, cropped (for me) at 20 inches shoulder to hem! Sleeves, short and kind of bat winged.
Body – worked in one piece from lower back edge: Cast on 90 stitches on 4mm needles. Work in knit2, purl2 ribbing for 3 inches. Change to stocking stitch (knit right side, purl wrong side) and work even for 3 more inches. Increase one each end every 4th row until 114 sts on the needle, work even until 13 inches from the start. Using contrast yarn to mark the start and end of this row. (marks where sleeve opening will be). Work even until 7 inches from this marker (top of shoulder). Mark both ends of this row with contrast yarn.
Neck opening: Knit 43, cast off 28, knit 43. Next row purl 43, join a new ball on other neck side and purl 43 there too. Work both sides with separate balls, without increasing for 2 inches.
With right side facing, Cast on one stitch at neck edges only . Repeat cast on neck edges, every right side 5 more times (12 stitches added so far, 6 on each side of the neck).
Cast on two stitches at each neck edge once, then cast on 5 at each neck edge once. Next row, knit right across both sides using one ball of yarn (joining right to left front neck opening). You should have 114 stitches again on the needle. Work even until you have worked 7 inches from the last yarn marker (top of shoulder). Place yarn markers on each end here.
Working down the front half of sweater, decrease one each end every fourth row, until you have 90 stitches on the needle. Work even until Length from last yarn marker is 10 inches. Work in knit2, purl2 ribbing for 3 inches. Cast off VERY loosely (use a large needle if you cannot do this on the 4mm ones)
Lie flat with right side up, pick up 60 stitches between the outside markers for the sleeve. Work in k2, p2 ribbing for 2 inches, cast off loosely. Repeat on other sleeve.
Neckline: with small circular needles ( or four double points) pick up 76 stitches around the neck opening, and work in k2,p2 ribbing for 2 inches for mock turtle or more if you want bigger neck or cowel. Cast off loosely. Sew underarm/side seams.
Happy Family Day for those who celebrate it, Happy Presidents Day for those "over the river" from me!! Happy Monday to the rest of you!
