stripes and stripes

This pattern is available again, for free !

With nearly all my sock yarn leftovers 

I've made this colourful infinity scarf

I've use the 4 ply organic Poll Dorset yarn from Renaissance Dyeing

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

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:

AZIRA - ethical clothes for free, confident women.

...

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:

http://deepspaceknit.blogspot.be/2007/11/tutorial-woven-fair-isle.html

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

http://vimeo.com/6524735

...

a lot of fringes

a while back I posted this Boa Scarf pattern on my older blog

Someone on Ravelry asked me if I could please make it available again,

so here it is :

This long-fringed scarf is a very easy, fun and quick project.
Resembling a boa it can be worn in several ways

You will need:

2 balls of 50g of DK wool
- I used Lang Merino Superwash colour 340034 jeans-blue
For the fringe: 5 balls of various yarns
- I used mostly green yarn from my stash, one bright-green silk-mohair blend, one petrol-blue fun-fur, one dark-green yarn mixed with shiny thread, one turquois cotton and one paper-yarn in mixed colours: Ganpi Abaka by NORO. As you can see, this scarf is an ideal stash-busting project, all it takes is finding matching colours: blue with green and blue, orange with brown and beige, red with purple and pink, white with white and gold, black with black and silver, etc...

One set of knitting needles 4,5mm or US 7, one crochet hook 4mm or US G

Cast-on 22 stitches in DK wool using both needles (this will ensure elasticity of the cast-on edge), then remove one needle.

Knit 290 rows in garter stitch, bind-off loosely

Prepare 120 mixed groups of 50cm threads for the fringe, using five different kinds of yarn
Using the crochet hook and your DK wool, crochet 1 single crochet (US) or 1 double crochet (UK) in one corner of the long edge, then attach the group of fringe-threads by folding it in half and attaching it with the crochet hook, make a loop and fasten well. Tie a knot in the fringe with your hands, fasten well. Sc 6 (US) or dc 6 (UK), then attach the next group of fringe-threads. Make sure the groups of fringe-threads are attached 2,5cm from each other.

Work both short edges and one long edge of the scarf.

Have Fun !

I will post a new knit pattern on this blog very soon !

something Frida...

This beautiful yarn package came today !

I think I'm going to design something "Frida"

the notebook is a present from my lovely daughter

Alena's Camille

Just wanted to show you Alena's version of my Camille shawl
(A-Ko on Ravelry)

Isn't it gorgeous ???

Well, I just LOVE it !

Thank you Alena...

ooo

photos copyright A studio

http://www.ravelry.com/projects/A-Ko/camille

: ) ) ) o ( ( ( :

Here she is: Camille, my new knitting pattern...

While I was writing the pattern for my new shawl design for a kit from Renaissance Dyeing, (see post here)
I decided it was a good idea to knit the same shawl but in a thicker yarn and with different colours

Here is the result:

A symmetrical triangle shawl 

alternating ribbing, stripes and lace,

two versions: 

Fingering-Weight Medium                 and                Worsted-Weight Large

The fingering-weight - size medium:

the colours are: Purple Passion (dark-purple)- Pewter (grey) - Dill (green) - Ciel (light blue)

knitting needles: 2,5mm or 2,75mm (US 1½ or 2)

The yarn/pattern kit - size medium - is also available at Renaissance Dyeing 
(with the colours: dark purple/green/light blue/grey)
more info here

...

The worsted-weight - size large:

the colours are; grey, orange, purple and burgundy
knitting needles : 4 mm (US 6)

The pattern includes both fingering-weight and worsted-weight descriptions - more info here

I must say I'm quite proud of this new design

I'm very pleased with both my shawls

I've named the shawl Camille

after the french artist, Camille Claudel

(8 December 1864 – 19 October 1943)

She died 70 years ago this month

...

me with Camille at the Menhir du Cloître

Huelgoat - Brittany - France

how does one capture the colour changes ?

with a little help from the wind !

...

 I'm working on another new design,

a crochet scarf/cowl this time

very soon on this blog !

:)

...the troubadour collection

Reposting from my older blog

The Troubadour collection is inspired by Medieval Times but with a modern feel to it.

Knitted in six shades of an organic 4-ply Dorset Poll and plant dyed by

Renaissance Dyeing in the French Pyrenees.

These shades are dyed with the plants woad and madder

that would have grown wild and used for dyeing in the Middle ages.

The pattern descriptions are available in two colour combinations

now available as downloadable ebook,

more info here

The Troubadour Collection,

an eBook

three knitting patterns

a beret – a cowl/hood – a pair of gauntlets

two different colour-compositions

Three patterns for the price of two

:-)

The patterns are also available in separate kits containing both pattern and wool.

For more information see: Renaissance Dyeing

...

...swedish inspiration

I'm going to delete my older blog soon, (Mary Lena's Blog) which I don't use anymore.

That's why I'm going to re-post a few of the most viewed posts !

This blog post is about two knit patterns inspired by a visit to Sweden

houses in Ronneby

Not only is Sweden a very attractive society to live in, 

there is also something everybody loves about the Swedish style.

A certain “je ne sais quoi”

the architecture, the traditional patterns, the colours...

300 years of Swedish textile design

Some 40 years ago my mom bought me this Dala horse when she visited Sweden 

a very old fashioned Dala

In the older days the Dala horse was mostly a toy,
but nowadays it is a symbol for the kingdom of Sweden.
The earliest reference of wooden horses for sale is from 1624 !
The pattern reflects a style of painting known as 'Kurbits". In the 19th century, Sticka-Eric Hansson from Mora introduced the technique of painting with two colors in the same brush. Today it is still a handicraft article, made of pine.

So I designed this beanie with these colours in mind 

Blue, white, red, green, yellow and brown 

and of course the Dala horse, the snowflakes...

I used the fantastic Organic Poll Dorset yarn

"Troubadour" from Renaissance Dyeing 
located in the French Pyrenees

Fingering / 4 ply (14 wpi) 

Ecru, Puivert, Troubadour , Miraval , Narbonne , Os.

I really love this yarn !

Ingrid's Beanie is available as a knitting pattern and as a kit, 
more info here

A big thank you to the model, Ingrid Anna

photos taken at the winter beach

De Haan - Belgium

but one could easily imagine oneself
on the famous Island of Sandhamn
in the Stockholm Archipelago 

Strindbergs house on Sandhamn

To go with the matching beanie:

Ingrid's Mitts
I designed these mitts with the same colours:
Blue, white, red, green, yellow and brown
Organic Poll Dorset yarn "Troubadour" from Renaissance Dyeing
Fingering / 4 ply (14 wpi)
Ecru, Puivert, Troubadour , Miraval , Narbonne , Os.

these mitts are available as a pattern and as a kit -
more info here

...

Kristianopel

Sweden is a wonderful country with lots of nature,
beautiful houses and very friendly people.


I hope I will visit it again soon !

:)

...a new knitted shawl

I've knitted this shawl with 4 different colours 

a mix of alternating stripes, lace and border stitch

The yarn is a 4-ply Blue Faced Leicester sock yarn from Renaissance Dyeing

Gitane

Meet these two wild "Gitanes"...

Introducing... My new knit design Gitane, 
a Colourful cardigan named like thus for its bohemian twist.

This cropped cardigan is knitted in a fine lace Merino and is available in two different colour versions,
the Mid Pink version and the Sea Green version.

Gitane is the French word for gypsy woman

Have a look:

with a big, big thank you to my wonderful models, Ingrid Anna and Valeria

It was great to work with you both, 

gracias - dankjewel

:)

The patterns are available here:

Gitane, the Mid Pink version

Gitane, the Sea Green version

The kits with yarn and pattern are available here

Gitane, the kits by Renaissance Dyeing

In the pictures,

Sea Green Gitane is knitted with 3,25 mm needles: size large or with a oversised look with only three buttons in front

Mid Pink Gitane is knitted with 2,75 mm needles, size small, with 10 buttons in front

...