Happy Halloween!

unfortunately i missed Deb and Rosie's pumpkin carving party (self inflicted ills) but they created some amaaaaaaaaazing laterns. My carving attempt hasn't really advanced much since last year, but this year i did put the scoopings to good use with some pumpkin and nutmeg soup. That warmed my heart.

Happy halloween!

Yours ghoulishly,
Small faced pumpkin. xx

The little ones

Mouse, Bird and Lapin.

I have been knitting little tiny ones. Here they are in the cage with mouse.

Audrey wasn't impressed by them being there. she pushed them on the floor and trod on them.

Yours 

Emilia and Audrey. xx

The times they are changin'

it is time again to post off my mixtape project for October.

this month the only thing i could think of as a good theme would be the autumn. this was a really lovely task to find those songs. i used the themes of this season as my focus. like the change of weather, nature, harvests, goldenness, hibernation, and being mellow and thoughtful. 

I tried to make sure all the songs were still pretty and uplifting as i think autumn is a grand season and no real reason to be sad. the best sounds for this time are acoustic and comforting like guitars and harmonious singing. I feel that this project has really helped me come to terms with the cold and darkness. Here is my finished collection:

I struggle a little (lot) with the artwork aspect of the project as have seen some other submissions and they seem very well thought out artistically. i am not really very good at art, but i really love my friend Yumi's illustrations of leaves so her pictures were my inspiration and it was nice to use my colour pencils. I hope that this element is not so important as the songs though. I think i will concentrate on this more next month and try my very best.


Yours harvest festivally,
emilia x

Lucky Buttons

Sometimes when i'm walking along i find a button. This means a good thing because it makes me feel like i have some good luck (like if i found a penny). Sometimes i'm lucky enough to pick up two in a day and i call it a two button day. If i ever say it, it means it's a good one. Quite recently when i was in Eastbourne i had a three button day. my heart beat quite fast.

So imagine how i felt about seeing this little lot in my path.

there are 21 of them

I was very excited. i can't really imagine where they came from. some look new, but some look like they have some thread in them so must have come from a shirt or a dress. it's a mystery to me, but i think a very good sign of fortune. and so far the sun has shone.

I like this time of year because soon i'll be finding all the lovely big buttons that have fallen off of coats and winter cardigans. Those are the nicest ones.

Yours in good fortune.
Emsy xxxx

Last of my summer twine

I have finished! My epic knit of the summer is complete! My long and colourful cotton cardigan.
hip hip hooray, rejoice this day. (it is difficult to take photos these days because there's no more sunshine)

I closed my eyes (i closed my eyes) drew back the curtain (oohoohooh) to see for certian (oohooh) any dream will do.

Here is the pattern i wrote (i am not really sure that you would want to knit one of these, but just incase):

Long Cotton Cardigan
Materials:
Colinette Banwry (100% cotton) and 4mm needles (my tension which i have based this pattern on is = 20sts x 28 rows to 4”)


The Back
Cast on 110 sts and work in stocking stitch until work 110 rows ending on a P row.
Next row – for shaping to the back – k40, k2tog, k2, k2tog, k1, k2tog, k1, k2tog five times, k1, k2tog, k1, k2tog, k2, k2tog, k40 (to end of row) [99sts]
Continue to knit on these 99 sts for a further 90 rows (200 rows in total)


The Fronts
(Create 2 – work down)
Cast on 30 sts and working in stocking stitch, increase 1 stitch at the outer edge end of every fourth row (row 4, 8, 12, 16 etc) until you have worked 80 rows and have 50 sts.
Continue to work this way until you have 167 rows (or 32 rows from finished length)Then in the final 32 rows, decrease to form a curve, ending with 27 stitches to cast off. (this is optional, but a nice little touch)


The Sleeves
(create 2 – work down)
Cast on 65 sts and working in stocking stitch for 11 rows.
Next row k2tog to decrease one at each end of next and every twelfth row until you have worked 90 rows (51 sts) knit a further 10 rows, knit two rows, rib for 15 rows and cast off.


Sew the pieces together. I learnt a new sewing technique to sew my seams. It is a stitch called mattress stitch. It is so so simple to do and is really worth learning how because it is so neat.

seamless

Finally, finish with a border of your choice. This was the hardest part of the whole thing for me. First i crocheted - too baggy. then i knitted the border in rib stitch, but first time i cast off too tight, second attempt was a bit lop sided, third attempt... juuuuust right. The moral of this story is, if at first you don't succeed, try try again. I haven't put any buttons or fastenings on as think it will be my preference to wear it open. I am not sure on what occasion i will find to wear it. Maybe just on Sundays when we go to eat lavender cake at Treacle.

I finished just at the right time, as yesterday the wool i ordered for my October project arrived. Grand!

Yours moving on up now,

Emilia xx x x x x

Pilgrim's progress

Last night i had evening class number 4. it is beginning to get exciting as the process goes on. Last night i fitted my toile (that is the basic calico skirt) to make sure it is the right size and from that i was able to make some minor adjustments to the pattern to make my own personal skirt blocks. These are card versions of the paper pattern to use as the basic templates for creating my own designs.

Here i am with some miniature versions to show you what they are like (the real ones are life size)

We are using the little ones to practise how to manipulate the shapes to create the pattern pieces for different skirt types. It is fun and now i think i just want to make clothes for small things. I hope we get to make up our final design in miniature first. that will please me.

working in miniature makes me think of Viktor and Rolf. that would be fun to make a whole collection in small sizes.

I think i have a good idea of my own design now. Here is my first attempt at a sketch (i traced from a template to get the right shape!)

The one on the left is the best version as more of a pencil skirt, and the pleats have a good shading effect. I am not sure of the fabric yet as that will make all the difference. My idea comes from this pair of trousers i saw. I only have a small picture in my scrapbook, but will try to find a better one to show you where the inspiration was from - that might help with the visualisation. I like the position of the pleats, and would like to put in some pockets if we are allowed. They are useful for when i find a button or penny (it is important that you consider the practicalities of the design)

It is very satisfying to be doing all this designing and making. It will probably be a couple of weeks before i have much more to show and tell, but i am hoping for grand things to come.

Yours trust me i'm a designer,

Emilia. xx.x

A project for October

Today it is the start of October and my mind is thinking of the projects which will be lovely for the changing seasons. The last of my summer knitting is nearing completion now (it is in construction stage - so more on this soon) and my mind is wandering off to more woolly delights for the cold days ahead.

I really like all the cream aran cardigans i see around and think this is something i would really like to attempt. Yumi has been knitting a scarf as a present for her dad. it is called a toyboy scarf, and has some cable twists in it and it looks so lovely. i am very much inspired to make the leap and learn the techniques!

I have never done cabling before, so I am going to keep my first attempt nice and simple. I have drawn my preliminary design which is mostly stocking stitch, but has a bit of cabling at the front to get me started. Maybe twists or plaits would look nice there.

here is my vision. i enjoy the imagining stage.

 this will be similar to the effect i'd like to see - maybe less mauve lipstick

I have ordered the wool (it was payday and i couldn't hold back) - it is some aran and the colourway is called dark jacob. I hope it will be a good one for this project.

my picture has pixelated a little with enlargement, but you can see the colours

I was pleased to see some cable knits in Prada's A/W 2010 collection. And also some evidence of blended yarns. I like it when high fashion accommodates my hobbies.

i like this blue cardigan - far left

I think i could recreate the look with this wool from a new range by Colinette. Perhaps when i am more confident of cabling skills.

I wonder if Muiccia Prada likes Colinette too

yours autumnally,

Emilia. x