Vagabundus

Mother hen

2012-02-11T09:56:00.001Z

One of my colleague is expected his first child (a boy) at the beginning of May. He and his wife have chickens, so as a gift, I thought a knitted one would be a good idea.
On FB, I've posted the building up steps of the hen, and my friends loved it so I thought I should post it here as well:

Finally, this is how it looks like:

I can't wait to see their faces when I'll give it to them!
Have a nice weekend...

Tic Tic Tic

2012-02-05T14:38:00.001Z

As promised, an overview of the knitted projects I've completed this year so far...
The latest one is for CraftHope project 16 (Lyon hat, free Ravelry pattern here)

A simple crocheted blanket for my friend Lisa's baby, Matthew. I've also made a matching mouse. I shall bring these to its owner in Amsterdam in a couple of weeks...

Ribbed baby jacket (free pattern on Ravelry here). I still have to buy a button for this one!

Easy fingerless mittens (free Ravelry pattern here)

One of my ongoing project: a hen (Alan Dart pattern). This one is for my colleague's baby (due in May so I have some time to complete it). I've changed the pattern slightly...I am knitting it in the round because I don't like sewing!

I also have a pair of socks on the go but this is for another post...

Happy New Year

2012-01-10T18:32:00.000Z

I wish you all loads of happiness for 2012!
I haven't made any resolutions, I never do them! Instead, I've decided to show you some pictures of my trip to Germany at the beginning of December...

Aachen, a nice little city at the borders of Belgium and the Netherlands, well known for its Christmas market.

Aachen cathedral:

Dusseldorf:

And Cologne:
I love Cologne, I hope I'll have the opportunity to go back. The city has 7 Christmas market in the centre, each with a theme. I had time to do only 3 because I spend some time in the chocolate museum...yumyum...

Cologne cathedral and view from the cathedral:

Next, I'll show you what's on my needles....

Brussels

2011-12-19T20:43:00.000Z

Three weeks ago, I spent a few days in Brussels visiting friends.
I love this city and we spent a lot of time wandering around. There were some amazing display in the streets, spectacular at night:

We also spent a morning at "le chien vert", a wonderful fabric shop....

After Brussels, I headed to Germany, to visit another friend...

Markets

2011-11-21T21:27:00.003Z

Here are some pictures of our stall at the makers market:

It was a good day. We were at a very strategic place: next to the coffee and cakes!!!! I don't know if it boosted our sales but it was very handy and helped us to keep warm. The day was bright and dry so it was not too bad to be standing outside all day!

D-day!

2011-11-05T07:20:00.004Z

Today is the Makers market in Newburgh! I've been selling my stuff there for the last couple of years but I never been! So, as a revenge, my friends are planning to let me man the stall on my own - LOL. Our stall is outside so I am warmly dressed up. We are lucky, the weather is supposed to be dry and sunny :o)
This year, I learned how to make granny squares and turned them into coasters and needle cases using 100% wool felt:

Needle cases (11 x 11cm):

Off I go! I'll report later....

Makers Market

2011-10-22T18:44:00.004+01:00

Christmas Markets.... It is this time of year again!!!!
This year, as usual, I am doing the Makers Market in Newburgh and my work Christmas market! The makers market is only 2 weeks away (5th November) and my crafting mojo is no where to be found! I am rummaging through my cupboards to find things I've made in order to sell them...
I managed to do a few stained glass suncatchers though. Here they are:

Luckily there are 4 of us sharing the stall so we might have a few things to sell...;oD

Cardigan

2011-09-26T06:55:00.002+01:00

I am slowly, but surely, using my stash. These past few days I used up nearly 2 balls of Rowan 4-ply cotton to knit this cardigan:

Silver cardigan (Free Ravelry download)
Size: 9-12 months
It will travel to France to its owner who was born last month.

Now, I have 2 Christmas markets to prepare, 5th and 9th November, and I haven't done much so far!!!

Socks

2011-09-04T08:05:00.003+01:00

I usually knit socks only for myself but I made an exception for a friend. She had been very generous when I went to visit her in Sicily, and because she is the same size as me, I've knitted her a pair of socks to thank her.

Pattern: Selkie by Janel Laidman published in The Enchanted Sole.

Treat

2011-08-21T10:13:00.003+01:00

I wanted one for a long time and finally, I decided to treat myself!

A wooden swift :o)

I bought it from Stash Fine Yarns.

It has been very useful already to wind 2 skeins of lace weight merino (1400m each!) bought in Florence a few years ago.

I have started knitting it into a jacket: Daydreams in lace.

Sicily - Palermo

2011-07-24T07:33:00.006+01:00

Palermo was not my favorite place in Sicily but it was full of contrasts. I let you enjoy the pictures:

Sicily - Bronte

2011-07-18T20:46:00.005+01:00

Bronte, a small town in the North East of Sicily, is the world capital of pistachio nuts. Of course, you can see pistachio trees growing everywhere.

Castello Nelson:
Pistachio nuts:

View of the Etna from Castello Nelson:

Some delicacies you can try in Bronte...unfortunately, I couldn't try them all...

Sicily - Agrigento

2011-07-16T08:49:00.005+01:00

Agrigento is a city on the southern coast of Sicily renowned for its Greek temples.
From March to November this year, the site is also used for exhibiting Igor Mitoraj sculptures.
I let you enjoy the pix...

Sicily - Etna

2011-07-10T09:17:00.003+01:00

Mount Etna is the tallest active volcano in Europe. It is close to Catania and almost constantly active. It last erupted on 12 May 2011. I was dreaming to see some lava fountain while I was there but nothing happened except a constant flow of ashes coming off the summit...

Sicily - Catania

2011-07-09T07:49:00.005+01:00

I am just back from 10 fantastic days in Sicily. I went to see my friend Mariaconcetta who spent a few months in Dundee a couple of years ago. I've been welcome like a queen by her family and friends. Sicilian people are the most welcoming and generous people I've met! She drove me everywhere to make sure I see most of the island! So I am going to post pictures of some of the amazing things I saw and ate :o)

Today: Catania.

Bench

2011-06-13T18:07:00.003+01:00

I've been painting a lot lately, trying to put my own touch in my new pad. A bench was left on the balcony, the metal part was all rusted and the wood was starting to rot so I dismantled it, sand the wood and clean the metal parts. I used the paint I bought for the balcony rail to paint the metal parts and the paint for the windows for the wood pieces.

Here is the result and I must admit I am rather proud of myself and my brand new bench :o)

Now, if we could have some sunshine I could use it...

It is amazing what a bit of TLC can do!

Tomatoes

2011-06-05T11:13:00.003+01:00

I've taken a new hobby: gardening. My new pad has a balcony so I've decided to have a few edible plants. I've got loads of orchids and they are dead easy to maintain (just need to water them once a week) but tomatoes are much more demanding! I've planted them at the end of march and left them behind my south facing window. I've dispatched them in various location now that I've moved. 4 are in the kitchen, 2 on the balcony and 2 on the landing. They all have flowers and the ones in the kitchen have started producing fruits. I have 5 little green tomatoes so far and much more to come :)

I also have some alpine strawberries:

In July I am going to plant a pumpkin as well. I am dreaming of having a huge one on my balcony :o) I'll report on that later....

BACK!

2011-06-04T08:26:00.004+01:00

What's my excuse this time for not blogging for more than 2 months????

MOVING!!!!

I moved into my new place on 6th May but I haven't had time to sit down and enjoy it yet! I've been painting, entertaining friends, travelling, gardening, decorating, planning holidays, working....

Knitting is not on the list because I simply didn't have time for it! I did some before moving though:

Pattern from Lucinda Guy book "Designs for kids". Half of them have now moved to their new owners. A couple of them are enjoying sunshine in France and one will be flying to Poland soon...

I've arranged a little knitting corner in my new pad:

That's it for now. Next time, I'll show you my tomatoes :o)

Inspired by the sea

2011-03-27T09:31:00.004+01:00

I've been trying to design a mirror for my grandma for weeks now...Finally, inspiration arrived yesterday...
I knew the color scheme had to be blue, my gran favorite color. I also wanted to use some beads. So the inspiration came from the waves....
The dark color is teal. If you look closer there is some stripes of blue and green.
Dimensions: 30 x 20 cm

At the same time I made a little suncatcher for a colleague who loves sailing and is going to retire at the end of the month.

Enjoy your weekend!

Mirror

2011-03-20T13:53:00.003Z

Finish at last!
I've started this mirror a few weeks ago and as I was putting the finishing touches, I broke a glass piece! Luckily it was the outside part of the flower so it wasn't too bad to repair.
To consolidate it, I framed it with tinned brass sticks.
Size: 50x50cm.

Now, I am going to wrap it very carefully and my parents will bring it back in France next month (they are making the 1700km journey by car). It is a gift for my godmother.

Cheeky Monkey

2011-03-08T18:05:00.003Z

This is what fell off my needles lately:

another pair of socks! Cable rib socks from "Favorite Socks: 25 Timeless Designs from Interweave". I've modified the pattern a little: started from the toe and did a short row heel.

For one of my friend's nephew, I've knitted this cheeky jumper (pattern from knitting magazine 050, May 2008):

Now, on my needles, I have another pair of socks (for me, as always) and a lace smoke ring (vent d'est vent d'ouest, free Ravelry download) using the nice yak yarn camoun sent me :o) (and this is for me as well!).

Alsacian Biscuits

2011-02-21T20:11:00.003Z

I spent Sunday baking some some alsacian biscuits from Suzanne Roth's book "les petits gateaux d'alsace". Here is the results:

Oatmeal macaroons:
200g oatmeal (I used porridge oat)
200g grounded almonds
225g sugar
3 egg whites
Beat the egg whites until fluffy and add the sugar while beating.
Mix almond and oatmeal and add to the egg white.
Roll the dough into 2.5cm balls and roll them in oatmeal.
Bake around 20 minutes at 120 C

Lemon stars:
100g butter
70g icing sugar
250g flour
1/2 tea spoon of baking powder
a pinch of salt
lemon zest
1 egg yolk
3 table spoon of cream
Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and lemon zest. Add the egg yolk, cream and butter (soft) cut in small pieces and beat together. Put it in the fridge for 30min to rest.
Roll out the dough and cut star shapes.
Bake 10 minutes at 180 C.
Icing: mix an egg white with the same quantity of icing sugar and some lemon juice.
Cover the stars (once cool) and let it dry.

Linz:
125g almond powder
125g butter
125g sugar
125g flour
1 pinch of clove powder
1/2 tea spoon of cinnamon powder
1 pinch of baking powder
1 egg
jam (I used bramble)
Mix the flour, almond, sugar, baking powder and spices. Add the egg and the butter (soft) and beat together. Make a ball and leave it in the fridge to rest for 2-3 hours.
Roll the dough into 2cm balls and make an indentation in the center with a finger. Fill with some jam and spread some almond on top.
Bake for about 20 minutes at 180 C.

I've tried these biscuits on my colleagues at work today and I am happy to say that there isn't any casualties to report (so far), therefore, they are quite safe to eat :oD

They are delicious actually and they will keep for some time in a metal tin.

Tradition

2011-02-19T07:21:00.003Z

It is now a tradition! Every year before Christmas I send a parcel to my friend Camoun and at the beginning of the following year she send me one. I forgot to take a picture of the one I sent her, but I managed one of the parcel she sent me before I had a go at the chocolate...
As you can see, she's been extremely generous: 3 tablets of chocolate (there are only 2 left now...), a bag of bergamot orange sweeties (a speciality from Nancy, yum yum), a soap scented with bergamot as well, a recipe book to bake Alsacian biscuits, and a huge ball of yarn (50% yak, 50% sheep, dead soft :o) from Bellelaine.fr)

Tomorrow, I am going to bake some of these biscuits and try them on my guineapigs at work on Monday ;oD
I'll report here later...

Meandering Vines Shawl

2011-02-06T13:36:00.003Z

I've been wondering for a long time what to do with 6 balls of Artesano inca cloud alpaca I had in my stash when I found this pattern: Meandering Vines Shawl. It is a free ravelry download. It is a very easy pattern and the result is really nice.
I did 6 repeats of the lace pattern on 5mm needles.
Before blocking it looked like a mess:

Once blocked, you can see the nice pattern:

It is a gift for a friend I will be visiting in June...

Hearts and Flowers socks

2011-02-03T18:32:00.002Z

One more pair!
For me, as usual :o)
But I must admit that I am glad to have so many pairs (a dozen) of hand knitted socks because they are warm and cosy and, with the weather we had this winter, they've been put to good use!

The pattern is called hearts and flowers socks from Wendy Johnson book "socks from the toe up". I used one ball of Zauberball and 2.25mm dpn.

Now I have to decide on the next pair of socks I am going to knit (for me again, I am so selfish when it comes to socks). I like to have a pair to knit as it is a small portable project you can take anywhere :o)

1 sheep, 2 sheep, 3 sheep...zzzzzz

2011-01-16T15:33:00.003Z

This is my first completed knitting project this year (started 1st january 2011):
A sheep yoke baby cardigan. The pattern is a free Ravelry download and can also be found here. I used 4mm needles and Jarol Heritage classic DK yarn (55% wool, 25% acrylic and 20% nylon). I've knitted the 9-12 months size. It is for my friend Ilka's baby who's due in 2 weeks.

She does not know what she is having, hence the versatile color scheme.
I've bet chocolate with another friend that it would be a boy.... we should know soon ;o)

Happy New Year

2011-01-02T10:05:00.004Z

I wish you a lot of happiness for 2011!!!!

I can finally show you my latest creation, a despicable minion:

Free pattern here.

Take care and keep smiling :o)

Aeolian shawl

2010-12-20T20:05:00.003Z

I've done a lot of knitting last week, and I finally managed to finish a beaded shawl I started in March. It is a shame, we can't see the beads (about 2500) on the picture but to give you an idea of the size, it is pinned on a king size fitted sheet. I probably should have done the shoulderette size, it would have taken much less time and would have been easier to wear...

The free pattern is here.

I used about 150g of lace weight baby alpaca. It is very soft.

I've also finished the socks I was showing you in the previous post. The pattern is called circle socks and is free on Ravelry.

I've started another pair of socks. The pattern is called hearts and flowers socks from Wendy Johnson book "socks from the toe up".

Now, I should pack my bag and I am away again till next year....

Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Knitzi

2010-11-20T21:07:00.003Z

Last month I decided to treat myself with a must have knitting accessory: a Knitzi!

It is a sock-in-progress holder. It comes in various sizes so I've chosen the one that fits perfectly my beloved KnitPicks dpn :o)

I also had to start knitting some socks before showing off!

I've done the foot plain, turned the heel and I now have to decide on a pattern for the leg.

The yarn, hand died 100% pure Blue Faced Leicester from Laal Bear, is a pleasure to work with.

The Knitzi is both beautiful and extremely practical so some of my fellow knitters at the knitting group have asked Santa to bring them one ;oD

Mirror mirror

2010-10-31T13:52:00.002Z

With the first Christmas market only a few days away, I've started wrapping all the little things I made and finishing the bigger projects.
The gloves were done a while ago and I used the left over yarn to make some crochet flower brooches.

I also finished the mirrors this afternoon. They are about 35 x 22 cm.

I might do a few more stained glass suncatchers before the event.
Now I have to think of pricing these items...

Some craft

2010-10-17T16:27:00.003+01:00

I am sorry I don't update this blog very often but this year is far too hectic!

However, I've decided to take some time to do 2 Christmas markets with my friends. They are very early, 3rd and 6th of November, so I do not have much time to prepare a few things!
I've only got a couple of weekend free before the events so I've started preparing some stock. I am making stained glass mainly which is time consuming!
This morning, I've wrapped some suncatchers and Christmas decorations:

I've made some progress on one of the mirror:

and I have to come up with a design for this one (I've got the color scheme!):

I have one more mirror (I don't have the color scheme for this one yet) and I will make a few more stained glass Christmas decorations. I also have knitted gloves that I made during the summer and I am making a few matching brooches.

Now, I have to prepare my suitcase, I am away again next week!

Some knitting

2010-08-29T09:54:00.005+01:00

I haven't done much knitting lately (or much posting either), life is too busy!

Anyway, I am making some gloves to sell at Twist.

I also have a lace WIP: I started it in March and it will probably take me another year to complete it because I am knitting no more than 2 rows every week. It is a free pattern from knitty: Aeolian shawl. I am using Misti Alpaca lace yarn and 2250 beads.

I am also working on some stained glass projects for the Christmas market but that will be for another post.

Holidays in France

2010-08-01T09:55:00.003+01:00

At the beginning of July I spent 10 days in France. We first went south to Montpellier. We had to cross the beautiful Viaduc de Millau, the tallest bridge in the world!

Then, we came back to Clermont-Ferrand through the beautiful Tarn valley and canyon.

The weather was very hot at the time, it was 38 C in Clermont-Ferrand so we escaped the city to go to the surrounding mountains, "la chaine des puys". These mountains are extinct volcanoes, the highest one being the "puy de dome".

We walked up to the top where you have a beautiful view on the rest of the "chaine des puys".

Nanner Socks

2010-07-20T21:49:00.000+01:00

As promised, this is my latest pair of socks:

This is a pattern from Wendy Johnson called Nanner socks (free pattern, and more, here). I didn't follow the pattern for the heel. I've knitted a wee bit too much for the feet and I was too lazy to rip it off so I didn't do a gusset and did a simple short row heel instead.

Books

2010-07-12T20:12:00.003+01:00

I do not count the number of days, or weeks I should say, since my last post. My excuses: lack of time and laziness! I should add holidays as well. I am just back from 10 days in France...
Anyway, this is not today's topic. I wanted to show you two wonderful books I bought in the US:

Some of the patterns:

And:

Some of the patterns:

I have not tried any pattern yet and I am not sure which one to go for!
I have a pair I want to finish first! I should be able to show it to you next week...

San Francisco

2010-06-21T14:50:00.004+01:00

We spent 3 days in San Francisco. It was far too short! I wish we had stayed at least a week.
Anyway, it is a good excuse to go back :o)

Bodie

2010-06-13T21:57:00.004+01:00

Bodie is an authentic wild west ghost town situated in California, in the middle of nowhere.
The town was built after gold was discovered on the site in 1859.
Nowadays, only a small part of the town survive. It has been a State Historic Park since 1962.

Mono Lake

2010-06-12T08:20:00.004+01:00

Mono Lake is an alkaline (pH 10) and hypersaline lake in California (2.5 times saltier than the ocean). The lake is famous for its tufa tower rock formations. No fish can live in the lake but it is home of the Mono Lake brine shrimp that are found nowhere else on earth. They are staple food for the birds in the area. Mono Lake is a vital habitat for millions of migratory and nesting birds.

Yosemite

2010-06-10T20:00:00.004+01:00

Yosemite National Park is one of the first national park in the US and is well known for its waterfalls. I must admit that we were very disappointed. To us it looks more like a giant picnic area. We were stuck in traffic jam, thousands of cars, everywhere. Going on a Saturday doesn't help I guess.
At that time of the year, waterfalls were amazing. Here are a few pictures, not very good I'm afraid...

Bryce Canyon

2010-05-30T20:39:00.003+01:00

Bryce canyon National Park is situated in Utah in the Colorado plateau. It is only a couple of hours drive from Zion National Park. This is a unique and stunning site well known for its colorful hoodoos.
I must say that the wild life has been extremely cooperative :o)
I let you enjoy the pictures (don't forget to click on them to see them full screen):

Zion National Park

2010-05-29T22:04:00.003+01:00

Zion National Park is situated in Utah at the edge of the Colorado plateau. It is a magnificent and diverse park, well known for its canyons. Hiking possibilities are endless. Spring through fall, Zion Canyon scenic drive is open to shuttle buses only avoiding long queues of cars.

Grand Canyon

2010-05-23T10:12:00.004+01:00

We didn't have time to do the Grand Canyon but, as I was arriving in Las Vegas several hours before Stephane, I took an helicopter tour to go there.
The airport is next to the strip so we had a nice view for take off and we flew over when we came back. That was a fantastic experience. We landed in the canyon and enjoyed a champagne picnic. It was full of flowers at that time of the year!

Las Vegas

2010-05-22T18:38:00.007+01:00

I am now back in sunny Dundee! We tried hard to stay a few more days but despite the volcano and some strikes, we made it back as planned...
As usual, I took far too many pictures (about 3500) so it will take me some time to go through all of them. I've decided to show you pictures from Las Vegas first. It was very impressive. What a fun. It was mobbed with people. We didn't win much at the casino (Stephane won $11, but we spent $25) so we had to come back to work and earn some money for our next trip!I let you enjoy the pictures...

Colorado (part 2)

2010-05-05T03:43:00.004+01:00

Here are some more pictures. From Friday I won't have internet access for a couple of weeks, so you'll have to wait for me to be in San Francisco or back home for more pictures...

Denver:

Mesa Verde National Park:

Carved wood:

Chipmunk:

Various pictures from the Rocky Mountains:

Colorado

2010-05-01T23:21:00.003+01:00

Just a quick post to show you a little photo montage I put together quickly. I am in Colorado for a week. Today we were in Rocky Mountain National Park. We had some snow but the weather was nice. We saw some elk, mountain bluebirds and chipmunks.

Tomorrow we are going south for 3 days, to visit Mesa verde national park and Great Sand Dunes national park.
I am not sure I will have time to post anymore pictures before heading west, so you'll have to way till I come back in 3 weeks.
Cheerio.

Owl

2010-04-22T08:20:00.004+01:00

I've knitted an owl for Rory who was born 2 weeks ago.

Pattern from this book: "knitted Toy Tales" from Laura Long.

For my mum

2010-03-27T08:33:00.002Z

Oops, I forgot to show you the lamp I made for my mum...

Now, I am enjoying it at the moment because I have no clue as to how to bring it to her in France !

Chickadee

2010-03-25T05:47:00.003Z

It's been a while since my last post...
Well, I've been traveling a lot lately so I don't have a lot to show you :o(
I now have all the equipment to do stained glass at home and my first piece was a birthday present for one of my colleague: a chickadee sun catcher.

I am now working on a butterfly sun catcher.

One more!

2010-02-21T19:40:00.003Z

Today, I finished another pair of socks. Considering the weather, they will be put to good use straight away.

I used the lovely ball of Noro Camoun sent me three weeks ago and this free pattern: interlocking leaves. Fairly easy and well written.

Whisky... with ice

2010-02-14T11:25:00.004Z

Winter is colder than usual this year but it is also sunnier. We had a lot of sunshine this month and this week I took a couple of days off to explore the countryside with my parents...
We went to the famous grouse experience at Glenturret distillery, just outside Crieff.

Then, we took the small roads to go to Aberfeldy (A822 and A 826) and then, the A924 from Pitlochry to come back to Dundee...

The next day, we went to St Andrews, Newburgh (to stop at Twist Fiber craft, of course!), Alloa (I needed some stained glass supply) and finally, Falkirk wheel, "the world's first and only rotating boat lift".

Surprise

2010-02-06T16:27:00.003Z

This week I had a great surprise in my mailbox: a gift from my blog friend Camoun :o)
Last year I sent her a few bits and pieces from Scotland (pictures here) and this year I received this:

Thanks again Camoun (I don't have your talent for writing so I keep it short).

Art Nouveau

2010-01-31T18:52:00.006Z

I went to Musee d'Orsay last week while in Paris. They have an amazing, and quite unusual, exhibition about Art Nouveau at the moment.

I also had time for some shopping: I went to Championnet Carrelage where I bought some mosaic tiles for a stained glass project...

Mackintosh style mirror

2010-01-30T14:31:00.004Z

I finished it in December last year but I didn't take it home before last week.

I am extremely pleased with it :o)

Paris was great, the weather crap and, for the first time, I visited Orsay museum. I'll show you some pictures in the next post... I am having some trouble downloading pictures from my brand new camera, Panasonic Lumix tz65 (fantastic), to my 7 years old computer...

Schooner socks

2010-01-19T17:24:00.002Z

I've finally finished the socks I've started beginning of December!
The pattern (called Schooner) is from this book: "knitting socks with handpainting yarn" by C. Sulcoski. I made a few changes though: I used my basic toe-up pattern and then followed the chart for the legs.

I used 100% merino wool from Violet Green, a pleasure to knit and wear.
With the left-over, I made a sock for my phone:

Well, I am off to Paris for a loooong weekend :o)

Cheerio !!!

Craft Hope for Haiti

2010-01-16T12:50:00.006Z

To help people in Haiti, CraftHope has set up an Etsy shop where you can give handmade item or buy them! All proceeds from sales will go to Medecins Sans Frontieres / Doctors Without Borders.
I am giving nine of my fabric gift bags (3 of each):

If you want to donate some of your hand craft item, follow the instructions here.
If you want to shop, then click on this button:

Thanks for your help :o)

Diet

2010-01-10T16:21:00.003Z

I need to go on a diet... ;o(

... a very strict one...

Today, I did some winter cleaning and decided to take all my stash out to see where I was up to with it since it is dispatched in several locations in the flat.
I decided to put it all on the lounge floor to have an idea...
it is a bit scary...

I took a picture (I had to climb on a chair to take it):

Well, it would be a lie to say it is a picture of my whole stash... I should say, it is nearly my whole stash (the picture shows you only the untouched balls of yarn). I doesn't include the few balls of acrylic I have for toy knitting and all the left over yarn from all my projects (there are quite a lot actually).

I really need to go on a yarn diet :o(

Winter

2010-01-09T19:56:00.004Z

This morning we braved the snow to go to Newburgh to our monthly knitting group at Twist.
The landscape was fantastic and Diane took some great pictures.
We had a wee wander to the Tay river before coming back to Dundee.

First time I am seeing ice on the river and so much snow for so long (and I've been here for nearly 9 years!). It is great to have a proper winter!

Swap

2010-01-06T17:58:00.005Z

Before Christmas I took part to a swap on this French blog: J'ai plus d'un tour dans mon sac.
We had to make a little case and send it along with some bits and pieces. It was a chain so I knew who I was sending it to but I didn't know who was sending me something.
I sent my parcel one day earlier then anybody else because it takes a bit longer from Scotland however, it was the last one to arrive, probably due to the weather conditions!
This is what I received:

A very well made case, lined with liberty fabric, 2 very nice chocolate bars, a lip balm and a row counter bracelet. Thanks a lot Startare!

I sent this parcel to Malilou:

I made the case with the nice wool felt I bought at entrée des fournisseurs in Paris in November, and lined it with some fabric I bought at Créations et savoir-faire fair.

I really enjoyed this swap and I am hoping to do a few this year :o)

Bonne Année 2010

2010-01-01T09:25:00.004Z

I wish you all the best for this new year!

More gloves

2009-12-13T13:30:00.003Z

The gloves I've knitted for the craft fayres proved so popular that I don't have enough for my Christmas presents! Yesterday I had to buy more Rowan felted tweed and started knitting...

Tagged

2009-12-12T08:30:00.004Z

I've been tagged by Camoun! I must tell you 7 things that you don't know about me unveil by my guy!
J'ai été taggée par Camoun ! Je dois vous révéler 7 choses que vous ne savez pas sur moi mais dévoilées par mon mec ! (Désolée pour les accents, je ne connais pas tous les raccourcis clavier)

So, here is the list / Voila donc la liste:

She grinds her teeth during the night / Elle grince des dents la nuit
She has a piggy at home / Elle a un cochon a la maison
She loves food/ Elle est super gourmande
She likes old american TV series / Elle aime bien les vieilles séries americaines
She writes as she speaks / Elle écrit comme elle parle
She doesn't spend a lot of money on clothes / Elle ne se ruine pas en fringues
She hates noise from the neighbours / Elle déteste le bruit des voisins

It is your turn to play / A vous de jouer .....

Socks

2009-12-08T18:11:00.002Z

I am in a socks knitting mood at the moment.
Last month I made this pair:

Although there are loads of free socks patterns on internet and Ravelry in particular, I love books so I bought this one last week. I received it yesterday and I am going to use one of the pattern (and the next pair of socks will probably be the one on the cover).

I am using my basic toe-up pattern and will be knitting some fancy legs.

I am using Socrates SuperSock merino from Violet Green. It is a very soft wool, a pleasure to knit with and my feet can't wait to wear them ;o)

Lantern

2009-12-02T21:02:00.003Z

Yesterday I took my lantern home!
I bought it a while ago as a candle lantern but I wanted to turn it into a proper lamp so it needed wiring. So after I made some stained glass panels to replace the plain clear glass ones I had to wait a little for it to be ready.
The wait was worth it, it looks great and I love it :o)

Shopping

2009-11-28T19:59:00.002Z

I bought some nice fabric and felt while I was in Paris. Now, I have to turn them into something nice instead of forgetting them in a cupboard ;o)

I've just finished an order I had for a fingerless pair of gloves. I've made a matching brooch as well.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Liberty and Tiffany

2009-11-24T19:38:00.006Z

I am back from my wee trip to France. I spent a few days in Paris where I had the chance to go to a Louis Comfort Tiffany exhibition at Musee du Luxembourg. It was amazing to see the pieces for real, the details are incredible. I took a few pictures but it is much better in reality.

Then, I spent a day at Créations et Savoir-Faire with my mum and a friend.

The theme this year was Liberty fabric.

We registered for two card workshops and learned new tips.
There were about 250 exhibitors: fabric, cross-stitch, food, cooking, paper, craft, jewellery... It took the all day to go around them all! It was much better than last year's exhibition :o)

To end this post I wanted to show you that knitting is definitively back to fashion as this film advertisement proves it (trailer here):

Finished, at last!

2009-11-13T07:17:00.003Z

I started it in March! I knitted it in no time but then the sewing seems to take me forever (and I am not mentioning the zip hunting...). Anyway, I sewed the zip yesterday evening because I have to give it to its owner tomorrow....

Free pattern here.

Tomorrow I am going to France for 10 days. I am planning to see some family and friends and also spend a few days in Paris. I am going to spend a day at "Creations et Savoir-faire" exhibition. This year, the theme is Liberty fabrics !!!

I have also booked tickets for a Louis Comfort Tiffany exhibition at Musee du Luxembourg.

And a whole day should be dedicated to haberdashery and fabric shopping :o)

Back to basic

2009-11-08T09:39:00.003Z

I've made a couple more keyrings for next Saturday's craft fayre,

and a couple more brooches with some Rowan felted tweed left over.

Then, the weather having turned quite chilly this weekend I decided to knit myself another pair of socks. Hand knitted socks are really comfy and warm, perfect for cycling to work everyday :o)
I am using a basic toe-up pattern from Simply Knitting magazine (no 38, March 2008).

Enjoy the rest of your weekend :o)

Craft Fayre 1

2009-11-04T15:16:00.003Z

I've done my first craft fayre today!
Well, it wasn't very busy but I managed to sell a few things.
I took a couple of pictures but they are not very good.
Before:

After:
It looks very busy. We reorganized things a little later but I forgot to take a picture.

Well, the next one (14th November) should be much better, it is a proper craft fayre (this one was at my work place). Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend this one because I am traveling to France on that day, but, luckily, my friends will (hopefully) sell my stuff for me. I probably won't blog about it but I am sure Di will, so don't forget to check her blog in a couple of weeks.

Keyrings

2009-11-02T17:12:00.003Z

Yesterday evening I had a bit of fun with some felt... I just wanted to show you...

And tonight, I made these...

They might end up on the table on Wednesday :o)

Final countdown

2009-10-31T15:39:00.004Z

More than 3 weeks without a post! where was I? Well, not very far, just very busy with the craft fayre preparation. Only 4 days left before the first one! and still plenty to do...
This is where I am up to:
I've knitted 15 pairs of gloves: 14 with Rowan felted tweed (50% merino, 25% alpaca, 25% nylon) and one with 100% merino. I've made nice labels and attached them to the pairs with matching left-over yarn.

I sewed 25 cotton gift bags:

I hand cut 140 fabric circles to dress the jam jars:

I've made around 100 cards:

The lavender bags still need to be stuffed...

That's it for now. In the next post, I'll let you know how it went...

Touring Scotland

2009-10-06T10:51:00.008+01:00

Last weekend I hired a car to show some part of Scotland to an Italian friend.

We've been very lucky as the weather was gorgeous (although very windy).

On Saturday we went to Pitlochry. Just outside the village you can visit Scotland's smallest distillery, Edradour. It produces in a year what bigger distilleries would produce in a week! It is a lovely place, the tour is free and you can sample a dram of whisky :o)

After visiting a few more distilleries (Blair Athol in Pitlochry and Dewar's world of whisky in Aberfeldy), we went for a walk in the woodlands at the hermitage.

Then, we ended up in Dunkeld. A charming village with a ruined cathedral and loads of lovely cafes.

On Sunday, we went North along the East coast. Our first stop was Dunnottar castle, an amazing ruined fortress built on a cliff.

We had a quick wander in Stonehaven harbour...

... before heading to Crathes castle.

We came back through central Scotland (glenshee) and we saw the first snow on top of the mountains.

Stained glass

2009-10-03T07:20:00.004+01:00

My blog is being neglected at the moment because I am working on my stock for the craft fayres in November. I have nearly completed my 12th pair of gloves (2 fingers to knit), only 3 more to go :o)
Today I am going to show you where I am up to with my stained glass projects. The Rennie Mackintosh style lamp made it home safely and I found a little bit of space next to the sofa to display it:

The Rennie Mackintosh mirror just need some lead around it to be complete. The teacher doesn't have the right thickness of lead so I will have to wait a bit before finishing it. I am going to a stained glass supply shop at the end of November so I am hoping they will have what I am looking for there.

A wee while ago I bought this lantern:

The glass panels are removable and I designed new ones with hexagon to match the top of the lantern.

I've done one panel and this is how it looks like for now:

The teacher is on holiday for a couple of weeks so I am having a break. It gives me a bit of time to think of my next projects...

Gloves

2009-09-20T09:28:00.002+01:00

I am knitting a lot of gloves at the moment for the two craft Fayre I've got planned in November.
I am on my eight pair!
It is a bit boring but I am using several colours...

I am planning on knitting a dozen of pairs. If I don't sell them, it will be hand knitted gloves for my friends and family for Christmas ;oP

Rennie Mackintosh style lamp

2009-09-17T21:10:00.003+01:00

It's been a while since my last post, well, three weeks. I've been in France for about 10 days and then I was very busy making bramble jam. I've ran out of jars so I have some time to show you my new stained glass lamp. I finished the shade a few weeks ago but only last week the teacher manage to find a supplier for the right base. I am not entirely sure about it but, unless I have it custom made, I won't find what I exactly want so this one will do.

Initially, I wanted this base but it was far too big for the shade. I kept it anyway as I am designing a lamp shade for my mum and this base will be perfect. I am making sure the shade is the right size for the base. You'll see it in a few weeks, or months...;o)

I've also made good progress on my mirror. The teacher is giving me a hand to tidy up all the soldering as it is very time consuming. The last step will be to lead the edges.

More later...

What came off my needles?

2009-08-27T06:16:00.004+01:00

I've been knitting a few things lately and finishing of others.
I finally finished a men jumper (free pattern here): I only had the collar to knit but, for some reason, I never did it. I decided to go for it on Sunday, I hate leaving things unfinished. I now have to find a zip (on Saturday, I am going zip hunting) and I'll be able to show you a picture of it.
I made a dress for one of my friend's little girl. The pattern is from Bergere de France 08/09 (pattern 897) and I used Katia Peques (100% acrylic but extremely soft).

I've also started making some stock for the two craft fayres I've got planned in November. I am going to sell my cards, jam, crochet flowers brooches and gloves.
The gloves pattern is from Erika Knight's book "Classic, 15 timeless designs to knit and keep forever". I've modified the pattern slightly to knit it in the round instead of flat (I hate sewing). I am using Rowan felted tweed (50% merino, 25% alpaca, 25% viscose). You just need 1 ball for a pair of gloves :o)

Palais Ideal

2009-08-22T08:07:00.002+01:00

Some of you wondered where the picture on the banner came from....This was taken at "le palais ideal du facteur Cheval" at Hauterives, near Valence.

Ferdinand Cheval (1836-1924) was a postman who built his dream (between 1879 and 1912): a magical palace. He was a self taught builder and sculptor and found his inspiration in nature and pictures from all other the world printed in illustrated magazines. Ferdinand Cheval is considered as the international precursor of primitive art. He was admired by Picasso and influenced numerous artists like Max Ernst.

If you are in the area, it is a very pleasant visit, don't miss it.

Lace

2009-08-17T08:26:00.003+01:00

Just before going on holiday last month, I had time to finish a lace project (more details here). I couldn't knit the whole pattern because I ran out of yarn, which is probably better otherwise I wouldn't have had enough space at home to block it! The cast off stage took me about 6h and to pin it on the carpet to block it about 1h! I am very happy with the result :o)

More pictures from my holidays will be posted soon...

From Grenoble to Valence

2009-08-09T08:04:00.007+01:00

For 1 week we rented a car to go to the South East part of France to visit some friends I haven't seen for 14 years !
Our first stop was Grenoble. We took some cable car to have a panoramic view of the city.

We also made a detour to go to Alpes D'Huez, a famous ski resort and one of the main Tour de France step (not this year though).

A lot of people cycle the 13.8km to the top (average climb 7.9% and 21 hairpin bends) everyday. The view from up there is spectacular.

Then, we had to go to Piegros-la-Clastre, South of Valence. We chose to take the small roads going through the Vercors Regional Natural Park instead of the motorway (it would have taken 2h instead of 1day). The roads are very picturesque but there are treasures hidden in the mountains.

We stopped at the Choranche caves. One feature of this cave, unique in Europe, are thousands of very fine stalactites (4mm diameter) called "soda straw". The temperature inside, constant all year round, is 10 C.

The water in the cave is joining the Bourne river.
A few kilometers from Choranche, we stopped at the beautiful medieval village of Pont-en-Royans, renowned for its suspended houses over the Bourne river.

Then, just before arriving at my friend, we spotted the first lavender fields, typical of the Provence area.

More later...

I am back

2009-08-06T19:22:00.003+01:00

We spent 3.5 weeks in France, enjoying amazing landscapes, drinks, food, friends and family. As usual, GG and Leon came with us, and, for the first time, Hariette joined us. She joined our family a few weeks ago (thanks to Charlie).

I have hundreds of pictures to go through, and in the meantime I can show you what I have done in my spare time in France. I asked my mum to give me some sewing lessons because I wanted to make a gift bag for this mirror instead of wrapping it in paper.

Then, after a trip to the local fabric shop, I made this bag:

More later...

Rennie Mackintosh style Lamp

2009-07-10T05:43:00.003+01:00

I've finished soldering my lamp this week. It took me two sessions. My soldering skills are getting better and I don't need much help from the teacher now :o)

Now, I only need to apply the patina, and most important, find a base which will be quite difficult because the choice is very limited in the UK. I'll deal with it next month when I'll come back from my holidays.

Woolfest Booty

2009-06-28T10:06:00.003+01:00

As promised, this is what I bought at Woolfest yesterday:

Hand dyed sock yarn: 1 skein from Wild Fire Fibres and 2 skeins from Laal Bear.
Schoppel Wolle sock yarn: 2 zauberball
2 skeins of undyed 90% Alpaca/ 10% nylon (I forgot where from)
2 skeins of cobweb/lace weight from KraftyKoala: Alpaca/Cashmere/Silk and Merino/Silk
1 cone of lace weight 65% Wood/35% Milk fibre from Uppingham yarns
Thanks to Andrea who found Fiberspates Fairy Wool bargain basket, I bought 3 skeins of hand dyed lace yarn and one of hand dyed sock yarn for a fraction of the regular price :o)
a cotton bag with a B-ewe-tiful sheep
a pair of sock blockers

Now, I should go knitting...

Woolfest 2009

2009-06-27T21:09:00.002+01:00

Today, we went to the lake district (300km from Dundee) for Woolfest :0)

Andrea, Diane, Louise and I had a great day.
We saw several breeds of sheep, alpacas, angora....

There were loads of amazing fiber, yarns, buttons...to spend our cash on...

Some of the knitted goodies looked really yummy...

Check out Diane and Louise blogs for more details and great pictures.
In my next post, I'll show you what I bought....

Just on time

2009-06-26T22:47:00.003+01:00

I need to have something I've knitted to go to Woolfest tomorrow. So, I've worked hard to get this cardigan finished:

I made the pattern as I was knitting it (top-down). My mum gave me this yarn (Plassard, Lassive, 100% bamboo) a while ago. I had only 7 skeins, so, I wanted to make the most of it, hence the top-down design. It is a bit heavy so I expect it to stretch a little. Otherwise, it is very soft, pleasant to wear and perfect for summer :o)

Mirror

2009-06-25T17:28:00.004+01:00

Just a quick post to show you the progress I've made on the stained glass mirror, my most complicated project so far.

On Saturday, I am going to Woolfest with Diane, Louise and Andrea. We are leaving Dundee at 6am and we should be on site by 10am.

Finished, at last!

2009-06-20T18:19:00.003+01:00

It seems to me that I started this cardigan years ago (free pattern here). I finally finished it today. It is a fairly easy knit, but as it is knitted in one piece, every row seems to take ages and it is very heavy, especially when you do the raglan.

I made the sleeves less wide so the lace pattern does not match at the yoke but it is not too obvious so it is fine.
It turned out about 1 or 2 sizes smaller than expected so it is pretty fitted. I am hoping it will loosen a bit as it is linen and cotton...

Lantern, lamp and mirror

2009-06-11T17:55:00.002+01:00

Last Tuesday, I finally finished my leaded lantern:

I now have to work on the base. My idea is to have a pine base, a wee bit bigger than the lantern (probably 20x20cm, the lantern being 15x15cm), with a groove to slot it in. A trip to the nearest DIY shop is planned next week, so I am hoping they will cut the piece of wood to the required dimensions, then I'll ask the carpenter at my work to dig the groove. Then, I'll work on the finish...

The other stained glass project I am working on at the moment is a Rennie Mackintosh style lamp. All the pieces are cut and ground but I can't solder it together because I don't have any black coated copper foil left and the teacher didn't get delivered this week :o(

So, I had to start on my next project :o)

It is a Rennie Mackintosh style mirror. I found it on the Internet here. No pattern was available so I just increase the size of the picture to an A3 size. The one on that website is much bigger, it is leaded. I am doing it with copper foil, it is not as strong as lead so I have to make it smaller. I will finish the edges with lead though.

West Coast

2009-06-06T17:43:00.005+01:00

Last weekend we went to the West Coast of Scotland. We spent Friday night in Oban (which is only 3h drive from Dundee) in Order to meet with our friend Elise. The next morning the 3 of us set off early to go to Mull. We took the A828, along Loch Linnhe, to Corran where we took a ferry to Ardgour.

Then we took the A861 and A 884 to Lochaline and took the ferry across to Mull.
The weather was perfect. We had lunch in the harbour in Tobermory before going to the cheesery (Just outside Tobermory, on the road going to Glengorm castle).

We had a walk at Glengorm castle, along the coast before touring the West coast of Mull.

The next day, We had booked a boat trip to Staffa, an island 10km west of Mull, well known for its basalt columns. It takes 1h to go there and we had 1h to spend on the island. We saw some birds, mainly cormorants, and, coming back, we saw some puffins having a swim (sorry no pictures).

We then spent the rest of the afternoon on Iona where Elise and Stephane had a swim.

In the evening we took the ferry back to Oban where we dropped Elise before coming back to Dundee.

we felt like we had spent a week there, it was so relaxing! The West coast of Scotland is amazing and well worth a visit (well, several I would say).

Sun Kissed

2009-06-03T20:53:00.003+01:00

We spent the weekend on the West coast of Scotland. We've been extremely lucky with the weather. Everything was perfect; blue sky, warm breeze, 20-25 C.
I am hoping to have more time and post more pictures in the next few days. In the meantime, I can show you these:
Loch Lubhair:

Calgary bay on the isle of Mull:

GG and Leon enjoyed themselves, as usual...

More later...

What's on my needles?

2009-05-24T14:34:00.006+01:00

I haven't shown you any knitting for a while. I am still knitting but long term projects that seem to take forever as I keep knitting smaller ones in between...
I am knitting a men jumper (free pattern here). The pattern is very simple, 4x2 rib, with a nice cable pattern on the sleeves only. It will probably be turned into a zipped jacket. I haven't done the front yet, I am on the second sleeve so I have some time to make up my mind.

Last weekend I worked on 2 quick projects:
a head band called bamboozled (free pattern here)

and a pair of fingerless mittens (free pattern here).

Both are for a friend who's leaving next week.
I am also knitting a jacket for myself, called decimal (free pattern here).

Front and back are knitted in one piece, then you knit the sleeves and finish with the yoke (therefore, no sewing is required!). I am on the second sleeve for that one. I found the sleeves too wide to my taste so I had to change the number of stitches. As a result, the pattern won't match at the yoke so I am not sure how it will look. I might have to frog it...

Finally, I am still working on a lace project I mentioned earlier. I am now on row 157 (70 more to go) but progress is slow as it now takes me about 45min to knit a row.

leaded stained glass lantern

2009-05-24T12:15:00.005+01:00

I had my first lead class yesterday.
I made a simple design for a square lantern.
It is 15x15cm. By chance, my friend had 5x5cm square bevels, which are perfect for the centre of the panel.

Then, I had to choose the glass. I decided on several shades of yellow/orange.

I didn't take pictures of all the steps. Leading is much more time consuming than copper foiling but it is very interesting to learn. In 3hours I just had time to cut all the glass and lead came pieces for the 4 panels and to assemble one panel. I still have to solder the lead joins. I couldn't do it for this panel yesterday because my friend didn't have flat lead came needed for the top and bottom of the panel. I will ask the teacher at my class on Tuesday.

My friend explained me how to finish it (she lives too far for me to go easily), so I'll do that during my Tuesday classes.
There is an additional step when doing leaded glass compare to copper foil: cementing. It helps secure the glass in the came, strengthen, and weatherproofs the piece.
For more details about leaded glass panel, click here.

Another lamp

2009-05-19T22:05:00.003+01:00

Stained glass project number 4 is a Rennie Mackintosh style lamp.
I am at the grinding stage.
This lamp is going to be for me (again) :o)

On Saturday, I am going to learn another stained glass technique: leaded stained glass panel. I am not sure of the project I will be doing yet, a garden lantern or a window panel probably. Pictures should be available on Sunday...

Math and Crochet

2009-05-09T06:21:00.004+01:00

One of my friends sent me a link to a great talk:
Margaret Wertheim: The beautiful math that links coral, crochet and hyperbolic geometry.
If you are interested, follow this link.

Have a great weekend :o)

Stained glass mirror

2009-05-07T14:53:00.003+01:00

I have finished another stained glass project (Well, I still have to apply the patina): a mirror.
One of my cousins is getting married in September and I asked him and his fiancée if they would like a stained glass mirror as a wedding present. They liked the idea and I had carte blanche for the design, the only condition was that the colour had to be white/cream. I decided to use some mosaic tiles I had, white glass and some translucent beads with a thin line of white inside.

Now, I will have to bring it back to France without breaking it.
I hope they will like it, the wedding is in September.

BUPA 2009

2009-05-04T18:08:00.005+01:00

Yesterday Stephane ran the BUPA Great Edinburgh Run (10 km race) in 39 min 37 s. Over 10,000 people participate every year. The atmosphere is fantastic and yesterday the weather was gorgeous :o)
A Dalek was running as well. I am sure it motivated a lot of runners to go faster, out of its gun range ;oD

The Dalek made it in 1h37, not bad with that bulky costume!

Stephane finishing...can you spot him?

Craft Hope (part 2)

2009-05-03T20:27:00.002+01:00

I can now show you the girl doll I made for Craft Hope project 2:

I am really excited as my boy doll have a putative owner already! I posted the picture on Craft Hope Flickr group and I had this comment from Eren (she is going to bring the dolls to the orphanage): "P.S. I know JUST the kid who's getting this one. His name is Armando and he loves to swim!". I hope he will like it...

Craft Hope

2009-04-30T17:37:00.002+01:00

I am taking part in a great project organised by Crafthope. The aim is to make dolls for children at Casa Bernabe orphanage in Nicaragua.

The dolls can be sewn or knitted. You can sign up and find tutorials for sewing dolls on Crafthope website. The deadline for receiving the dolls is June 13th. You can be as creative as you want, the only "restriction" is that the dolls have to have brown hair and brown eyes, to resemble the children they are going to.

I don’t have a sewing machine so I am knitting 2 dolls, a boy and a girl. I also enrolled a few people at my knitting group.
I've finished the boy doll:

I might knit him a shirt...
Go to Crafthope to sign up and if you can't do that one, you might be able to participate to the next project...

Belgium

2009-04-21T17:35:00.004+01:00

We spent a few days in Brussels to visit friends. I love that city, so diverse and culturally rich.

First, we went to the atomium on the outskirt of the city. We couldn't go last time because it was closed for renovation. It is a giant iron molecule, magnified 165 billion times, and built for Expo'58.

Inside, from the highest sphere, you get a panoramic view other the city and Mini-Europe. In the other spheres, two exhibitions were on display: one about Expo'58, the first World´s Fair of the post-war period, and a second one, Bipolar (from South to North, the extremes), about arctic and Antarctica.

We planned to go to Bruges on Friday, unfortunately the weather was appalling so we went to the musical instruments museum instead. This museum is really worth a visit. The art nouveau building itself is beautiful.

Some amazing and unusual instruments are on display and headphones allow you to hear the sounds of the various instruments.

We spent the weekend on the Belgium coast at Oostduinkerke. The weather was beautiful and we had a great time wandering around.

GruikGruik and Leon had fun as well :o)))

We are now back in sunny Dundee and we have to wait 11 weeks before our next holidays (3.5 weeks in France)...

Balmoral

2009-04-12T14:58:00.009+01:00

This weekend, the weather was absolutely beautiful. Yesterday, it was our monthly knitting group in Newburgh and as we had no chauffeur (Diane was coming back from Japan, and Louise was in London), Andrea rented a car. Then we (Andrea, Amberly and I) went to St Andrews for lunch before going to Anstruther for an ice cream and a walk in the harbor. The place was mobbed and there was a 30 min wait for the fish and chips! I would like to show you some pictures, unfortunately I forgot my camera :o(
Anyway, today was nice as well so I took a picture from the window:

I can show you some of my WIPs. First, a cardigan from knitty, called decimal (free pattern here). The body is knitted in one piece and the sleeves separately to underarm. Then, everything is knitted together for the yoke. The great thing is that there is only the sleeves seam to sew.
I've done the body and just started on one sleeve. The yarn I am using is Katia linen (53% cotton, 47% linen).

The second one is that lace project I mentioned earlier using 100% merino from Violet green. The pattern is called Balmoral. It is from this book:

The pattern is the one on the cover. The "small" version on the cover was initially a doily and the bigger version, a dinner cloth:

My version will be a shawl. I don't think I will have enough yarn to knit the whole thing but it will be big enough for a shawl. I am currently on row 136 and I have 816 stitches. I am still on the first ball of yarn but it is getting near the end. I am hoping to have it completed by next autumn, however life is getting busier with the nice weather so this deadline might be a little too optimistic...

It doesn't look like the book picture but the essential part will be the blocking stage. I have no clue how I will be able to do that, I am not sure I will have the space at home.
I am also working on a man jumper but no picture for this one.
On Wednesday we are going to Brussels for 5 days. I'll have my camera with me this time (hopefully) ;o)

Lantern (the end)

2009-04-09T17:31:00.003+01:00

Done! I brought it back home on Tuesday and applied the patina yesterday. The lid took much longer to assemble than I thought. Also, I broke one large purple piece so I had to re-cut/grind and copper foil it. Luckily, I had enough glass left to cut another piece!
The teacher helped me for the finishing touches (especially making sure the lead is smooth) as it is not my strong point yet (it comes with practice I've been told) and it takes me ages (so I would not have been able to take it home).
This is it before the patina...

and after:

The lead is silver when it's just been melted but then it becomes greyish. The patina I used gives a black finish. There is another type of patina that gives a copper finish.
So, now, I just have to put a candle in :o) Actually, I was thinking putting a photovoltaic cells instead to have a sun powered lantern (on the same principle as the "sun jar"). I should have a trip to the DIY shop one of these days...

My next project is a mirror for my cousin's wedding. I made the design myself :o) and I will incorporate some mosaic ceramic tiles with the glass.
There is no class next week, teacher is on holiday :o(, so you will have to be patient (I'll try not to forget the camera next time).

Mousie Mousie

2009-04-05T10:10:00.002+01:00

I know some of you have been waiting for pictures of the lantern. Unfortunately, it is not finish yet (I need to solder the lid) and I forgot my camera last time, so, no photos :o(

Instead, I took a picture of the couple of mice I made yesterday:

I am only knitting long term projects at the moment so I needed a quick one for a change (and I ended up making 2). This pattern is from Lucinda Guy book "Designs for kids".