Week 129 : Gradient

I made good progress on the Gradient collection of Plucky Bello yarn from last week. I am still knitting upwards through the body but on the third skein. Almost at the underarm and one more colour (Oatmeal) after this.

I am planning a simple colour motif around the yoke when I get to that point. perhaps Neiman using the darkest skein over the lightest.

The colour change is as follows
Starting a 9cm band of colour "a",
-    then introducing colour b as; a, a, b, a, a, b,
-    then alternate rounds; a, b, a, b, a, b, a, b, a, b, a, b,
-    then back to the 2rounds/one round proportion but with the new colour dominant; a, b, b, a, b, a, and on to "b" solid colour knitting for 8cm until the next transition sequence.

That was the only knitting I did over the past week.
I did cut out the New York Cape pattern from Tessuti  using this black and white plaid wool. The grey wool fold over binding is also from Tessuti.

I was inspired by the strength of the plaid fabric in this Celine coat. (Except why is the bottom edge left raw on this runway image? The other photographs I've pinned show it with a continuing binding. Perhaps they ran out of time?)
Anyway, depending on how I feel about the fit and handle of this NY cape/jacket I might make an additional one in a bold plaid with contrasting binding.

Then after that I made a start on the wool felt sofa throw using the Mary Flanagan felt squares I bought from Purl Soho.

I bought eight bundles in all (as per the Purl Bee project suggestion and this resulted in two of each of four bundles.

I had to cut each accurately to square and according to the smallest dimension.

It was hard seeing the waste pile. But I am thinking about crafty ideas for how I can use them.

I made a sample seam on a few edges. Its a double stitch line and I have 100% cotton. So my next challenge is to set them out. The question is randomly, or in bands with the colour shifting?

Then I blocked Stasis. The gauge remained more or less the same at 20st / 30r per 10cm. the wool has bloomed out a little and the colourwork yoke is sitting a little more comfortably in the adjacent grey fabric. I think its going to be a challenge to get this yoke to sit perfectly, it is such a deep band with no decreases, then a dramatic reduction. Its hard to absorb that sudden loss of width without puckering.

Photograph: Before

Photograph: After

Week 128 : Blazing Desert Star

I have made some progress on the silk cashmere cardigan in the bright yellow Sundara Sport Silky Cashmere. I am about half way down the body.

I made time for a thorough sort of my craft room and dug out all the knitting wip. Frog or Finish! Some projects were unravelled and all 'keep' projects marked out of hibernation on ravelry.

Even though there were some long-forgotten projects which are deserving of attention, I cast on two new sweaters.

The first one is a sweater from the new Wendy Bernard book. Its a stitch dictionary and also a collection of patterns. This lace front sweater is called Checkerboard Mesh Pullover, although the pattern notes that many other charted (and written) lace panels in the book could be substituted. For my first version I'm following the pattern as written but I plan to be a bit more adventurous next time around.

The yarn is A Verb for Keeping Warm 'Metamorphosis' in the colour French Monks' Finest.


I cast on a second sweater too. This is a simple bottom up raglan. I hope it will be a basic straightforward knit. I haven't used this yarn before, its Plucky Bello in four taupe & brown colours.
They were bought as a gradient set and I will knit them progressively starting with the darkest.

I'm doing a simple 2x2 rib to the edges.

No sewing this week since my craft room was turned upside down. But I am still mucking around with jars and school fete ideas.

Week 127 : Fundraising Idea - Gift Jars

Each year my kids school has a big fete for fundraising. I've been involved in a stall selling gift baskets and even though its still several months off, I've started collecting some handcrafted items suitable for the stall.

I'm making more of the pincushion jar sewing kits I first started making in week 110.

Last school holidays I made over a hundred jar lids as a specific school fundraiser. Those were in the school uniform fabric and included sewing items appropriate for repairing a uniform, the current plan is to make a selection of non-school themed kids.

Of the two jars above, the blue one is committed to a gift for a friend but the black and white one will be filled for sale.

The black and white fabric is from a short length of Auntie Cookie fabric called Letterhead and the blue is a Liberty Tana Lawn bought a one time ago from Tessuti.


My next fundraising project is to sell play dough at the fete.

I saw some ideas on Pinterest for using jars and was inspired to raid my daughters long-forgotten box of plastic animals. The jars will contain the brightly coloured dough, (made with flour, water, salt, vegetable oil and cream of tartar. Plus food colouring.). For today and to show other volunteers what we're planning to make, I just scrunched up a square of felt inside the jar.

The animals are superglued to the lid and then oversprayed with gloss enamel.

I used the same lid and plastic figure technique to make a 'manicure' kit from a jar.

Then since I had superglue enthusiasm, I experimented with buttons on a jar lid. Not sure what this will contain. Maybe hair accessories.

… and tried my hand at fabric covering with this silk and braid version.

On my knitting,. I finished Stasis. Its bigger than I was expecting but otherwise a perfect casual throw-on sweater for cold weekends out of the city.

I'm not keen on the yoke decreases. The dramatic stitch reductions are a bit more obvious in this yarn than I would have liked.

Week 126 : Felt flowers

I was thinking about the end of year school fete this week. I have loads of felt in bright colours and thought I might try making some hair clips.

I was inspired by lots of felt flowers on Pinterest and in particular the Purl Bee site.

They were very easy to make. I cut ovals with a slight point in groups of five or seven.
Then using sewing thread made a stitch through each of the pointed ends and tied the group together.

Using the thread tail, I sewed the metal clip on. I added a little clear glue just to secure the thread loops.

The red flower is my favourite. I made this with a wavy spiral of red, then added around that the circle of seven petals.

My first flower attempt was the yellow. I miscalculated the size. So I sewed a safety pin to make a brooch.

I clipped all of these to cards (except for the red flower) and wrapped clear cellophane over them. A small start for donation to the school gifts stall.


Then I saw I had lots of felt petals left over. So I randomly stuck them on a jam jar lid. Not sure what this jar will contain. It was more an experiment.

I did wonder if the colours were poinsettia-like whether it might make a nice Christmas themed gift.

The glue is still wet in places. It will dry clear. I blobbed glitter glue in the centres.

I continued to knit the bright yellow cardigan. I am still working on the yoke (its top down).
The yarn to finish Stasis hasn't arrived, so that is still on pause.

Week 125 : Desert Blazing Star

I have cast on a new project. A cardigan  in sport silky cashmere by Sundara Yarn. The colour is Desret Blazing Star and it is the brightest, most saturated yellow I have ever seen. My iPhone isn't doing it justice.. imagine even more and deeper than this photograph.

That plus the silkiness of the 65% cashmere is making it an absolute delight.

I am knitting a very simple cardigan. With ribbed bands and raglan seams. Top down construction. I am hoping to find some vintage buttons on my next shopping try to All Buttons.

I was inspired after what started as an interior design conversation by another raveller. She showed me pictures online of this parisian apartment featured in Architectural Digest and I was drawn to the pop of yellow in the cardigan when worm with neutral basics.

Here is the link to the Architectural Digest site. There are lots more photographs of this apartment... all beautiful and worth examining. 

I have some charcoal grey wool Ponti fabric and I'm currently experimenting trying to find a good cut of slim legged pants.

And I have white linen for a shirt making a start on my new Spring wardrobe.

I have paused on my Stasis sweater. It is knit in Rowan Tweed and the contrast colour is in Noro Silk Garden number 301. But I have run out of yarn on the yoke!
Another skein is on its way to me and for now it has been put away.

A close up of the yoke colours.

School holidays start tomorrow and I will be out of the city a lot over the next three and a half weeks. Its a good opportunity for sewing and finishing some knit projects.


A late night Pinterest-ing led to an online shopping splurge and now I have some lovely wool felt coming from Purl Soho.

I'm inspired to make this throw. I will show the colours I've chosen as soon as I can.

Week 124 : Linen knit t-shirt

A quick t-shirt this weekend. I was sorting the craft room and discovered this long forgotten project.

I bought the fabric a long time ago, its a stretch knit. Linen or a linen blend in a soft grey. Its very drapey. Its not sheer, but its a fine enough fabric I might need to be conscious of what I wear under it.

Bought from Tessuti. I used the reverse side which is a little more matte in finish.

I overlocked the seams and hand stitched the hems.


I finished a few other projects in the to-do box (alterations mostly). So I have a clear run for school holidays in two weeks. we'll be leaving the city and I have hopes I'll get a lot done.


I knit on my Stasis sweater. I've now finished the second sleeve and have joined to do the yoke. This picture shows how the transitioning Noro Silk Garden yarn contrast has worked. I'm pleased my sleeves are both in the deep colours and somewhat balanced. I have fuscia pink and lime green coming up in the skein, which will be interesting to see on the yoke.

Nothing to report on the green Compassion silk sweater. Just more of the same and then plain sleeves after that. Until I get to the lace design on the yoke its going to be a boring knit.

Week 123 : Finished Floral Raglan Top

Only an afternoon to finish! Raglan construction makes for a very speedy assembly with an overlocker. The pattern was traced from an existing top in my wardrobe. Its a bit longer at the back than the front as the side profile shows.

I will definitely be making multiples of this.


























I slipstitched the hems under.

I finished the pink Windmill Cardigan too from Week 120.  Ready to post.