Thursday 14 April 2016

New crochet projects - Lacy Feather and Fan Wrap and another Windowpane Cowl and lovely new Yarn!!!

Welcome back!


As promised, I want to show you more about the recent new crochet projects that I started during the last two weeks, as mentioned in my last post.


The Lacy Feather and Fan Wrap


This is one of those amazing patterns that I had long favourited in my ravelry account, but at the time I was not ready to try it out!

Lacy Feather and Fan Wrap on Ravelry
This pattern is available as a free download.

If you check out the various projects from this pattern you will be amazed just how versatile and beautiful it is!

The basic pattern is based on 76 stitches which will have 3 shell and 4 feather sections. Of course you can vary the amount of stitches to a different width (multiples of 19 stitches).

Here is a first glimpse of my own work in progress! Isn't it pretty?

Lacy Feather and Fan Wrap

The story behind this project

Ok, back to the beginning. It began with an email that informed me about a brand new yarn by Louisa Harding, called Pittura. It is inspired by great painters. I fell in love with the shade Kahlo!

So I looked it up where I could get this online (after phoning my local wool shop which did not yet stock it). And I found a new online shop called https://www.tangled-yarn.co.uk/ where I decided to order from.

Whilst browsing their fabulous yarns, I came across a brand called http://www.walkcollection.com/en/ . Cathrin dyes her yarn in small batches by hand in Germany. The colour combinations are gorgeous. Her batches sell out fast!

So, suddenly I decided to order a skein of delicate Merino from the Walk Collection, in the shade called Salina. It has got a dark hazelnut brown, lighter brown, Rust, Lichen. Mushroom, Aqua Blue, bright Turquoise in it.  All these colours remind me of my recent walk in the woods to see the Bison!

When my package arrived, I was thrilled with the new yarn!!!

Louisa Harding Pittura (Kahlo) and Walk Collection (Salina)

Here is Salina, in a skein, then unwound and after winding it into a nice squishy yarn cake!!! It is Heavy Lace - 600m to a 100g. The colours are really difficult to show on a computer!





I decided to make a swatch to see how the pattern would look like and how it was put together. I had wanted to try a chevron, zigzag or ripple pattern for a while. What I like about this pattern is that the number of stitches remains constant in each row!


After that little swatch I was ready to get started!!!






My lacy Shawl together with my new spring flowers
I took the above two photos on the balcony to get better light. I love the lace effect against the light!

This time I am using my Addi hook 4mm, and I am crocheting so very loosely. This shawl will need some serious blocking afterwards. I have just done some maths and realised that I need to get a second skein!

So, you can see from this story, whilst I set out to find out about an advertised yarn, I actually ended up (also) with an entirely different yarn and entire new project!


The Windowpane Cowl


As you might remember, I recently made the first Windowpane cowl. You can read the post here! It also tells you more where to find this free pattern.

I liked this pattern so much that I decided to start another version, this time with a different yarn. I found some Drops Alpaca in a Teal colour in my existing stash. Oh, this wool is so soft with a kind of fuzzy halo. Some of the fibres actually looked green amongst the blue.

Below you can see the swatch I made from cotton yarn and then the new swatch from Pure Alpaca Yarn above it. The cotton swatch looks much crisper!









You can see I am slowly making progress. I love holding it in my hands, it feels incredibly soft!

As for the Louisa Harding Pittura yarn, I have already found a new project idea in that new Simply Haekeln Bookazine that I bought in Germany! I am itching to get started, but I better continue with these two projects, plus the green Spring Airy cotton Top, first blogged here.

Thanks for your support, as always! I look forward to reading your comments!
And thanks for following my blog, and a welcome to my latest followers, feel free to join in!

17 comments:

  1. Such delightful yarns and I love the beautiful woodland colours. Great pattern, looking forward to seeing the lacy feather and fan wrap complete it looks amazing.

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    1. Thank you very much, Lorraine! To me it was the perfect match for yarn and pattern! xx

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  2. Your crochet is beautiful and those yarns are gorgeous.....love the colour palette of the Pittura and the inspiration behind it.
    Helen xox

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    1. Hi Helen, yes, it seems to be an interesting range. I love all the subtle shades and it feels so incredibly soft! xx

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  3. Wow, ik kan bijna niet geloven hoe snel jij weer met nieuwe projecten begint (of met verschillende tegelijk bezig bent)! Grappig om te lezen hoe je van het ene idee naar het volgende gaat. De shawl met het verenpatroon ziet er vooral erg super uit! Succes verder en de groetjes

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    1. Hey lizette, Je weet het Zeker, beginnen met een nieuw project is geen enkel problem, hahaha!!! Bedankt en veel haakplezier ook! :) xx

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    2. Lizette, dat denkt mij ook! Erg snel met veel projecten. Verbazing!

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  4. Those yarns are amazing, just so beautiful. Enjoy playing with them.
    Meredith

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    1. Thanks, Meredith! It is a pleasure to work with such soft and lovely yarns! :) Have a nice weekend! xx

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  5. Hi
    what a lovely shawl the yarn is fabulous.
    You have a good eye for colour.
    I should do a test sample before starting to crotchet.
    It would save me alot of time pulling it out when it goes wrong

    Jacky

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    1. Hi Jacky! Thanks for your comment. I have learnt the hard way - it really is best to do a swatch sample first and calculate if the finished item will be the right size (more important with clothes!). :) xx

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    2. ...and that you will have enough yarn! I too learned the hard way and still have a WIP hibernating because I ran out of a dye lot and can't decide what to do with the project.

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    3. Hmm. I think it would be worthwhile to get more yarn, even with a different dye lot and see if it works out ok. (ever the optimist!) xx

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  6. Hi Ingrid,

    It's great that you have finally got around to the ripple/chevron project that you have wanted to do. I find ripples/zigzags very addictive - once I start it is hard to stop! The rhythm of the pattern keeps urging me on...just one more row, one more repeat, just until the next peak/valley...

    Your comparisons between the cotton and alpaca samples are very interesting and helpful for visualising how a yarn might look in a project.

    Thanks for sharing your processes - we learn a lot by sharing with each other. Have fun! xx

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    1. Yes, it's funny that I haven't done a ripple/chevron project before! I guess I just follow wherever something gets my interest and the time is right to do it! I've been wearing the alpaca cowl since I finished it, you wouldn't believe how the weather has gone from nice to colder and windy/rainy again. I want my sunshine back, please!!! xx

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    2. I feel for you about the weather. I'm reading the same sentiments on a number of blogs and overhearing similar comments from the You Tubers that my daughter watches. There seems to have been a lovely run of fine weather for you all until now. I hope it returns soon

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    3. I feel for you about the weather. I'm reading the same sentiments on a number of blogs and overhearing similar comments from the You Tubers that my daughter watches. There seems to have been a lovely run of fine weather for you all until now. I hope it returns soon

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