…this is Japie our cat! My granddaughter Zara Lynn was and still is his greatest fan. She loves him. So I thought it would be nice to make her a sweater picturing Japie. Hurrah I found a knitting pattern.
Finished, she was happy with her new sweater…but…after sometime (she was already 4 years of age) she said “Japie has no eyes”. Of course she was right. As an adult I like the silhouette, but a 4 year old…..
When she stayed with us, I asked her advice. I cut the eyes and Zara added some other ideas :-).
The problem was, I didn’t have yellow buttons and the shops were closed because of Covid-Lockdown.
In my stash I found mixed grey buttons and I used these. His nose is a piece of felt. His mouth and whiskers were embroidered.
But it didn’t feel good those grey eyes, it wasn’t him. Think. think, think…and then I knew….and gave it a try……
Now the sweater is finished, it took some time, but owner and knitter are both happy with the result. 🙂
Every year at the Annual Spinning Day we are being surprised with a small amount of tops. We always can buy some more. I show some photos below.
I spun singles! The single yarn was steamed to set the twist. I don’t know yet how to use it, but in the meantime I enjoy looking at the result.
 the yarn was wound around a container… |
 steamed… |
 dried… |
I have been busy with another ‘hip pouch’. A simple one. No real pattern was needed.
When it was finished, I thought it could have been a little bigger, but it will do!
By sewing the bottom this way, I tried to create more space!
When I am attending a workshop, I like to use my weaving.
Log Cabin…….
Shadow weave…..
Sorry, the title is Dutch! Maybe the best translation would be ‘Area in area’…but I am not certain. The pattern is a design made by Ineke Elsinga
Several years ago I dyed some colour variations, in green and red!
I was lucky, I had a sample of the colours I wanted. Then I calculated the amount I needed and dyed the wool.
The result was what I hoped for. Perfect !
It is a Summer / Winter design. I used linnen for the tabby.
During weaving I thought: ‘what will happen when I wash the finished cloth.
Wool in combination with linnen !!
But nothing happened.
It was nice and it stayed nice.
At the left you can see how the shawl behaved while in use. I couldn’t stand that and looked for a new pattern. I found it on Ravelry.
It is designed by Rutast…… a Cowl named Armonika
I liked my re-knitted shawl!
There is only one thing I regretted at first, it is shorter.
But after wearing it a couple of times, it was good this way.
“all’s well that ends well”
The next part of the ‘optical weaving’ workshop, was ‘Shadow Weave’.
I am not the sampling type, but to my surprise I did enjoy the weaving.
Log cabin and Shadow weave was done on the same warp, with the same threading. Hurrah…
I have my own preferences of the different patterns in combination with the colours.
The photo’s are not very good, sorry. They look rather dull!
Linda Wilson gave an ‘optical weaving’ workshop. I do like that effect and joined with pleasure.
The pattern does “jump out”, but that really is an illusion.
First I want to show you the colours I choose. It is 8/2 cotton.
It was important, they were contrasting ones. The photo was changed into black and white,
that was a great help!
From each photo the top cones were used for the warp. The weft was varied!
During weaving I experienced, ‘Summer’ and ‘Winter’ showed little difference. See for yourself.
A pity!
Some details….. |
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Top row: Winter Middle row: Autumn Bottom row: Summer
Made from old jeans.
My sewing machine was defective and by ‘Marktplaats’ (a sort of Dutch ebay) we found a secondhand Bernina.
When my husband went to fetch it, it was a machine with an embroidery module.
The flowery design makes it special.
Years ago (2009) I spun mechanised flax. It became a holiday project. Exactly 10 years later I finished plying. Plying is not really necessary however I want to weave with it and I thought it too thin. That’s why!
Now it is linnen. Three skeins with a total weight of 470 grams
and the length is 2456 meter. It is not yet washed.
A long time ago a present was given for my birthday. It was a colour design to weave my horoscope shawl.
The design was made bij Bonnie Tarses.
Being optimistic I intended to dye the yarn that was needed. However time went by and I thought; if you want to weave it just dive into your stash, otherwise it will take another 5 years.
Mercerized cotton.
Winding the warp was a challenge. The thread colours changed frequently.
However the result is beautiful!
Bonnie’s advice was to weave tabby, but no colour advice for the weft was given.
I decided, after several try outs, to use the warp colours!
400 threads became 100 fringes.
A glass bead was added and 4 fringes were braided and the result was 25 fringes!
Once upon a time a workshop was given by Heather Adamson on the Online Guild.
It was in the year 2008.
I did like to participate. Always wanted to make a puppet like that.
I started optimistic, but couldn’t decide how to make it to my full content.
So I thought ‘let it simmer a while’ and that ‘while’ became alsmost 9 years!!!
When the Ufo (unfinished objects) workshop started last january, I thought it is now or never.
I took my time again, but I did it….
May I introduce…… Reppy Reptile.
A very nice workshop it was, given by Jane Robinson. Almost all participants made a sheep.
The flock was growing and growing. It was such fun.
Here are mine:
Coburger Fuchs and Wensleydale
Coby and Wensley
I bought this yarn in a charity shop. It felt like cotton! The sweater is knitted top down.
That suits me the best. The quantity of the yarn will always do, because I can adjust the length.
The collar was annoying. Every time I didn’t like it or it didn’t feel right.
Three times I changed it and finally I was content.
I did crochet a flower to brighten it up.
and made a special edge.
The yarn looked like a band.
but it is a net and the core is cotton (?) I really don’t know.
But cute it is!
Approximately 35 years ago I wove a cloth. The colours were modern 🙂 Dark brown and orange (and off white)!! When I finished weaving…I could not decide what to do with it.
After all those years I thought ‘enough is enough’.
I threw it in the washing machine and dryer and knew it would extremely felt.
A coat it was ment to be.
The lining was bought and the pattern chosen.
A zipper was used for the front.
The buttons are only for show.
Nice wearing because it feels warm and keeps the wind out, but ‘retro’ it is 🙂
I had a lot of yarn. Six balls each 50 gr. and each ball was approximately 400 m. / Lana Grossa: Lace Merino Print, 100% Merino Extrafine.
As I am looking at the photo it is really very long. Maybe I will ad a photo of it when I am wearing it. I am not small but neither am I a giant.
In the meantime at the backside there was a huge hole from a screw in my loom (was very busy climbing in and out of it). But that was easy to repair because of my knitting ‘top-down’.
I was able to adjust the seam at the same time. I lengthened the pattern.
Look at this beautiful yarn….it was a present….
What more is there to say…..
Last year we were invited to knit at a charity shop ( I am a member of a S&B group ). I went there with my spinningwheel…..It is the beginning before knitting isn’t 🙂 ‘There’ I found yarn I couldn’t resist. My colour and fluffy! At home I knitted a sample and I thought it too green. So I blended it with my indigo dyed chenille. That softened the colour. Lovely! I had enough yarn and decided to knit a long cardigan!
Nowadays I frequently use this book for knitting: It makes me more creatief!
It is a warm and cosy one!
I frequently take a look at the website of Ineke Elsinga. Visiting I noticed a pattern called ”walking waffle’ (literally translated from Dutch language’). Wow this…I wanted to have. I like optic illusions in weaving. Buying the pattern was easy done.
The warp is as straight as it always is (we can’t change that :-)), but every weft changes 70 times and then you start with the first weft again. The waffle really walks 🙂
When I took it of my loom and washed the cloth, I was so happy. It was beautiful.
I almost regretted it was woven for lining a bag from the grocery store.
Then I had to use my pair of scissors 🙁 I warn you!!! Sewing was a hell of a job!!
Some time ago I knitted a sweater from my handspun yarn. After undoing and changing I finally was happy with the result. What about the leftover yarn? Normally you never use it.
However look….. a bag is a nice solution. I often wear jeans and this way it became a nice combination.
