first one up!

abrazo = a hug, and what a pretty one!



pattern: abrazo from twist collective summer 2010
yarn: seasilk in forest; ca. 70g (approx. 280m) (why am i always obsessed by running out of yarn, and ending up having actually a lot of leftover?)
needles: 4.5 mm

i knitted it a bit smaller - casted on 339 sts to include 23 repeats of the leaf pattern (instead of 25); recalculated decreases and added an eyelet row at the top.

i think this pattern has a truly organic feel in this colourway!



my desperate attempts in photographing abrazo on myself, to demonstrate the size: well, you can see that the shawlette is not that large, actually. it's gonna make a nice scarf for my aunt, i hope.



i think this shot is the only one that actually shows the true colour (and no, i did not care to adjust the curves in the photoshop). you can also see my new woolen skirt.


that's what its label said:

ABOUT WOOL
wool is natural. you can make everything out of wool; from a light and cool summer dress to a thick warm sweater. wool contains air which helps you keep your natural body temperature. wool has high absorption capacity, so it will keep your body dry. wool will not absorb water from the outside and withstands dirt. wool is very elastic and does not shrink/wrinkle if treated correctly. wool makes colours deeper and more beautiful than most other materials. wool is comfortable and simply a wonderful material. wool fibers are covered by small flakes like cones. when washed or treated roughly, these flakes rub against each other. this causes the wool fibres to get tangled up. wool will therefore shrink when rubbed and washed at high temperatures.

:-)

grey, alpaca, seamless... will it make a wearable cardi?

i don't know.



i like it, but... BUT:

1. alpaca is not a great idea for a seamless sweater - too drapey;
2. alpaca is not a great idea for a sweater for me - itchy, itchy...
3. alpaca is... stretchy? or my sleeves grew too much downwards in blocking. what might not be a bad thing in winter ;-).




pattern: based on a model in Drops (113-28).
yarn: Drops Alpaca, 2 strands held together;
needles: 4.5mm;

naturally, i modified the pattern to my needs. long sleeves and added body length made it suitable for autumn and winter, increasing the yarn usage. i did not keep all the bands, so i am not sure how much i actually used. about 550g, i think. it took me ages to knit it - 10 months - most of the time in the finish-when-you-have-less-exciting/urgent-knits bag.

now, off to my more recent knits!

thomasina

thomasina from Rowan The Milk Cotton Collection;
yarn: rowan milk cotton, as recommended, 8 balls, in Licorice;
needles: 3.25mm and 3.75mm, as recommended;

i knitted it in a size between S and M - the fronts are M, the back is S. the fit is allright :-).

i love, love, LOVE the final result! of course I made modifications in the original pattern: knitted the cap sleeves from top down, and picked stitches for the collar instead of sewing it to the body. it just made more sense to me. apart form that, thomasina is knit as in the design. how very unusual of me.