'Avril' Necklace

It's so fun to crochet! It feels like something new even though I crocheted a lot of table cloths and panholders when I was a teenager. Today I feel more like making things to wear.

The necklace is easy to make and inspires to more.

I sewed the ends together insteads of leaving it open. It feels more wearable like this.

More colors, more necklaces!



A Warming Triangle

When I created my blog my thought was that I should have a maximum of 3-4 projects going on so they could be finished in a reasonable time. But it seems like I have difficulties in holding on to that.
For the moment I have 3 knits, 1 crochet and 1 cross stitch embroidery advancing at different rates.
Moreover I feel like starting sewing as well...

This shawl in a classic Shetland lace pattern, I made for a friend a couple of years ago. You find the pattern 'Shetland Triangle' in the book Wrap Style and on Ravelry.

The shawl is made in Japanese silk. I bought the yarn many years ago at the yarn shop Menita in Helsinki.

Silk is so beautiful with its lustre and drape but it needs a gentle handling.

There's no limit to how many warming wraps you can have. Elegant, casual, classic, sporty, chic, you name it.

They are so useful!

I really like this pattern and this time I'm going to knit it in this yarn in silk and merino wool.

Silkbloom Fino from BC GARN.

I bought the yarn at Svalan, a nice yarn and craft shop here in town.

My fourth ongoing knitting project..., with a pattern that is surprisingly simple and fun to knit.

Crochet Necklace

Now I've started to make the necklace. As almost always when buying yarn I buy one or two extra balls, I bought extra yarn to make the laces longer.

The necklace is a gift to a friend. She is like me, a bit larger and taller than a japanese woman.

The bouclé yarn of unknown fiber gives the necklace a robust look. I'm using crochet hook 8 mm.

Crochet techniques used in this pattern are chain stitch, slip stitch and puff stitch. The collar consists of three laces attached to one another to make one long rope to twist around the neck.

Description of the symbols: 

An open oval ring = chain stitch

A filled oval ring = slip stitch

A half moon with a small line above, 8 inside and two chain stitches to the right = a puff stitch in the second chain stitch from the crochet hook, (yarn over, retrieve the yarn through the same stitch) 8 times, yarn over and pull through all stitches on the hook, close with a slip stitch.

What I'm thinking about now is whether to make the necklace as the pattern says or in another way. 

Crochet in Japanese

About 3 years ago, in 2009, I attended the '10th Nordic Knitting Symposium' in Japan. I came home with new experiences and more knowledge. I also came home with yarns, needles, crochet hooks, pattern books and a few materials packs with yarn and pattern for simple projects like necklaces.
I found these packs recently when I sorted up among my yarns and all needlework related stuff. It's really nice to know where everything is so now, with everthing in such a great order, I feel like crocheting in Japanese!
One of the lectures in this symposium was about reading a japanese knitting pattern. We learned that it's possible, without knowing the language, to read a japanese knitting and crochet pattern.
The Japanese people are efficient, careful and adept at simplifying and using symbols.

Clear & Simple Crochet Symbols
Amazon and yesasia have a similar book.

Yarn for a necklace, bought at Avril in Kyoto.

Nicely packed!

And here is the pattern!

Live Smartly On What You Have

This book was written in 1936 but is still relevant today.

It's a book for women with advice about how to, despite limited finances, live a life with style, ease and gaiety.

This wise and charming little book provides tips about how to create the perfect wardrobe and how to, with simple means, create a nice and cosy home and how to find pleasures and to have fun for little money. Here you also find advice that may be a little outdated for todays women but it still might be worth thinking about.

Read it with a smile!

It can be easy to feel rich!

Orchids on Your Budget, Marjorie Hillis

A Cup of Tea

Knitting and a cup of tea, a pleasant way to relaxation and creativity.

Kusmi Tea has a large selection of both russian blends, classic and green teas and wellness teas.

Above is a selection of green teas in small tins, 25g each.

A perfect way to try out different blends.

Enjoy!

A Simple Scarf

I have a skein of a very beautiful silk yarn. I bought it in Japan in 2009 when I attended the '10th Nordic Knitting Symposium'. It was an amazing and interesting journey in every way together with the silk yarn I brought back home.

Easy to make, very versatile and a skein might be enough.

I'm talking about a scarf in a simple lace pattern.

This silk yarn is fine, 100g/500m.

I found out that the needle size 3,5mm is perfect for the lace pattern below. 50 stitches gives a width of 18 cm. About the length I'll see.

In a pattern book I found this lace pattern, multiple of 4 + 2:

Row 1: k2, (p1, k3) end
Row 2: p2, (k2tog, yo, p2) end
Row 3: k3, (p1, k3), p1, k2
Row 4: p2, (yo, skp, p2) end

(skp: slip, knit, pass)

Choose a fine and soft summer yarn.
Cast on 50 sts and knit 4 rows in garter stitch.
Continue in pattern knitting and repeat the 4 rows for as long as you want. The length of the scarf is up to you. 150-200 cm and you can wrap it around your neck. Finish with 4 rows in garter stitch and bind off.