Last month I got to know that my friend's mother is suffering from cancer and undergoing chemotherapy. I decided to knit her a cotton/acrylic hat, hoping to keep her spirits high and at the same time providing some warmth. It flew all the way from Malaysia to Washington.
I used 3 techniques for this hat. Crochet for the band, pick up stitches and machine knit with tuck stitch and finally hand knit the decreasing part for the crown. The name of this hat is Edwina, after the name of Carole's mother. I think it's such a beautiful name!
Today I have a lovely surprise when I peek into my post box. It's a card from aunty Edwina:
Did you notice that it's her favourite colour? I didn't know what her favourite colour was and was afraid that she might not like it. So glad that she likes it. I heard from Carole that her mum said it is the most comfortable thing to wear on her head!
You must be wondering why I have not blogged for so long. Well, to cut long story short, I was not feeling well for almost a month. I lost 80% hearing in my right ear somewhere in late January this year. You may think that loosing hearing on one side is not a big problem since I still have my left ear. It is not that simple because there was this very disturbing loud noise I hear on my right ear. So I actually can hardly hear. I couldn't eat or sleep and lost a lot of weight. Doctor couldn't explain the reason for the sudden loss of hearing. Life was totally upside down and I felt so helpless and lost. Didn't know how to live the rest of my life. I was hospitalised twice and I all I can do was to pray hard. One day, I heard my phone ringing so I automatically used my right ear to hear. I could hear my husband talking to me! My hearing is back, thank God!
I am back with my knitting again and have completed these projects:
My first project is Liesl.
This is Duet by Linda Wilgus from Knitty.com. Yarn and buttons are gifted by Nikki and Karin. Thank you ladies! :)
My own design that I call Sonata after the name of yarn which is Elann's Sonata Pink Pearly. At first I thought that lace weight yarn would be perfect for the flounces, but I found out that dk weight work as well too.Love how it turned out!:)
This is an earlier project that I designed myself too. Saw this beautiful cable stitch pattern from a stitch library and simply fell in love with it. The name is of course none other than Cables, Cables, Cables which explains it all! Yarn used is Rowan 4 ply soft in Bright Rose and buttons are made from key rings. This is a pretty and cute hat for Candy's niece called Lacy Girly. Modified to add bow instead of ribbon which I feel is more practical for a new born baby.
And, my latest design is Autumn Leaves knitted from my spindle spun and hand dyed yarn. This is a simple and easy knit that will bring out the beauty of hand dyed yarns. I love the wavy effect of the scarf. If you like it, these are the instructions:
Yarn weight : Fingering
Yardage : 245 - 248 metres
Gauge : 7 stitches and 8 rows = 1 inch in stockinette stitch
Needle : 3.5 mm
Cast on 28 stitches.
Knit 3 rows.
Row 1 : Sl 1, knit 1,* k2tog, yo*; repeat * * 3 more times, knit 8, repeat * * 4 times, knit 2.
Row 2 : Sl 1, knit 1, purl to the last two stitches, knit 2.
Rows 3 to 12, repeat rows 1 and 2.
Row 13 : Knit 10, *yo, skp*, repeat * * 3 more times, knit 10.
Row 14 : Sl 1, knit 1, purl to the last two stitches, knit 2.
Rows 15 to 24, repeat rows 13 and 14.
Repeat Rows 1 to 24 till end of scarf but when you come to the last row of scarf, do not repeat last row of pattern.
Knit 3 rows and bind off.
I first cast on for this top in November 2009. Can't remember it was that long time ago! Finally, I finished knitting it on 15th January 2010. I used Jaeger Trinity Zest yarn which is a mixture of silk, cotton and polyamide fibre. The yarn is not so smooth and my arms just ache after knitting for an hour or two. That is why this is the longest time that I have taken to knit a top.
The original pattern is supposed to be a cardigan. I modified it to a short sleeve top and made some changes in the pattern too. It is knitted in the round from top down. That is my favourite part...no seaming! :) I also added crochet edgings for the neckline, sleeves and hem.
I am glad that it turned out well. I hope that my friend, Soon will like it!
This is a beautiful and ever popular feather and fan stitch pattern from Scarf Style book. The original name is Misty Garden but I like to call it Feather and Fan Scarf. It is knitted from my own hand dyed and hand spun yarn Cotton Candy. I used 5 mm knitting needle for this project. My scarf is a little bit shorter because I only had 223 metres.
The roving before spinning :
Spun to this :
And the finished scarf:
I just love to watch how the colours changes as I was knitting along. Every row is a different colour. It was fun to knit and I couldn't wait to finish it. I am pleased that it turn out well. What do you think?
Finally, my first student for knitting. Her name is Low and she is my friend. She started knitting 10 years ago and has lost touch, so she ask me to teach her. After many weeks of coaching, her first project is complete. This is the result. Not bad huh?
Started : August 2008 Finished : September 2008 Yarn : Elann Sonata Tarragon, 7 skeins Needles : 4.0 mm Pattern : Keito Dama No. 135 Modification: Short Sleeves and neck line
