Wednesday, December 31, 2014

stripes and stripes


This pattern is available again, for free !


With nearly all my sock yarn leftovers 
I've made this colourful infinity scarf






Alternating small stripes and large stripes gives a nice colour contrast




I can wear it long or double loop close around the neck




I even made a pair of matching knee warmers
(I really love to wear knee warmers)

This is a simple design with a very colorful result.
Made with sock yarn leftovers but it would work in most weights of yarn,


with 3,5 mm (US 4) needles in at least 9 colors,
more or less 92 meters or 100 yards of each color

The pattern/tutorial is available here








Monday, December 29, 2014

Please read, sign and share !





"At a time when the European Commission is trying to lower trade barriers for the world's largest businesses, they are putting up trade barriers for the smallest ones, thereby stifling innovation and creativity in small start-ups who could be leading the way and taking advantages of new opportunities in a growing digital market place. We need the EU to realise the impact of these new regulations before it is too late and they have completely destroyed the EU’s sole-trader and micro-business community"

"You don’t think this affects you because you aren’t a business owner? Not only will the range of products available for you to buy be greatly diminished, but the information collected by those businesses that do survive needs to be retained for 10 years - creating a huge data security risk for us all. Where currently you only have to worry about your payment provider/card handler storing your personal data, going forward millions of small businesses across the world will now have a requirement to do so."




PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION to call for THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION to unilaterally suspend the introduction of the new EU VAT laws for micro businesses and sole-traders, which if allowed to come into force will unfairly disadvantage the EU’s smallest businesses:

https://www.change.org/p/pierre-moscovici-a-unilateral-suspension-of-the-introduction-of-the-new-eu-vat-laws-for-micro-businesses-and-sole-traders







I'm hesitating between carry on as normal or retire and move to a tiny tropical island 
to cultivate my own avocado's




I’m a EU seller and I sell digital goods all over the world. To cover the additional VAT and the administration costs I will have to put my prices a lot higher, which I don’t want to do! So no business for me anymore. This new EU law is a very bad decision for small digital business, I’m so sad and angry right now ! January 1th 2015 will be a dark day for enterprise and innovation.


more info, to read:
http://euvataction.org/



Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Akna's Caponcho...


...a new handknit design



I designed a warm capelet/poncho with a touch of folklore
but with a contemporary feel.





















Wear this colourful caponcho whenever you want to feel like a Nordic Goddess.






The photos were taken on a cold and grey afternoon

in the dunes of De Haan aan Zee - Belgium











with a big thankyou to my lovely daughter Ingrid Anna for modeling
what would I do without her !





Ingrid Anna is wearing a dress designed by:



...

The knitting pattern
is available as an automatic pdf download
pattern with written and charted instructions

4,90 euros



It is knitted seamlessly from the bottom up, in the round.

Materials:

DROPS Andes Garnstudio, Super Bulky 65% Wool, 35% Alpaca
circular needles size 8mm and 9mm
4 colours: Light grey, Medium grey, red and powder pink



a few knitting tips:

Weaving the yarn while you knit the stranded colourwork section

For a tidy look in the back of the work I suggest the technique of stranded weaving to avoid floats on the back . The results will look so much better.  With a little practice, you can master this technique and it will become indispensable in working with colour patterns. It looks difficult at first but once you get the hang of it you will never ever knit stranded colourwork or Fair Isle the old way.

I know I won’t ! I'm using this technique for several years now and I just love it !

I found a tutorial where everything is explained, so much better than I ever could.
Here it is:

Why Weave?
"Traditional stranded fair isle has you carry the unused yarn in the back of the work until it is time to knit with it again.  It works smoothly for section where colors change every few stitches, but does not carry well across floats.  A float is a section of knitting where one color is carried along the back for an extended period of time.  
     Most knitters agree that it is safe to carry (strand) your yarn behind the work for up to 5 stitches.  Many traditional patterns put a tiny stitch (called a peerie) into long expanses of a MC to prevent stranding for more than 5 stitches.
     This method of weaving lets you lock the unused color into the one you are using so there is no loose strands hanging behind your work.  It also allows you to work more than 5 stitches between color changes, and helps prevent bunching and tightening of the fair isle work."
Read more:


and here’s a video on how to do short rows, the turn and wrap method





...