Monday 9 February 2015

My finished Colourscape Cowl, Knitting an Alpaca Jumper, some yarn love and tiny beads

Hello again!

Hope you are all having a good February so far? Thanks for all your lovely comments on my last post!

With the colder weather here I seem to have concentrated on my knitting lately!

One of my intentions for this year is to look at old WIPs that have been put to one side and left unfinished! Here is one of them that I managed to finish last Friday morning!

My finished Colourscape Cowl

It's a large cowl, knitted in a simple Rib pattern with lovely Rowan Colourscape Chunky yarn, on 10mm needles! The finished size is 70 cm x 40 cm (140 cm circumference). This is large enough to wear as a cape!!! It could also be worn as a cowl, wrapped around twice! I decided to thread a simple knit cord through it, so I can pull it tight! I do not even know why I had left it unfinished!!! At least now I can get some wear out of it in the cold!

The yarn is pure Lambswool, designed by Kaffe Fassett. It has long been discontinued.

The finished cowl laid flat



My unfinished WIP
My finished cowl/cape with a knitted cord!





Knitting an Alpaca Jumper

On Tuesday I sat down and began casting on stitches with Drops Alpaca Boucle yarn, to start a jumper. I experimented with different stitches, I tried out adding a fine colour yarn to the light grey Alpaca, but in the end this is what became the beginning of my Jumper. I started late Tuesday afternoon, then did quite a bit of knitting in the evening with the knitting group 'T Arm Schaap in Zurenborg.

Needless to say that I'm not really following a pattern, but it is somewhat inspired by this jumper which in turn is based on this one here. I also quite like a similar version as a cardigan. It's thecombination of a simple look (Garter Stitch) and using fabulously soft yarn - the prerequisites for a favourite jumper.

This is what it looked like by Tuesday evening: the first 5-6cm!

03.02.15 Starting my new Alpaca Jumper


05.02.15 Making progress



08.02.15 Laid out on top of a favourite jumper dress
08.02.15 The first 37cm

As you can see, it will be quite a large size Jumper, almost a dress, and I am knitting with 2 balls of yarn at the same time! The result is wonderfully light and fluffy and oh so soft!

I am also knitting in the round, because it means that I can knit front and back in one go. Once I have reached the armpits, I will finish by knitting either front and back panel separately. This has the advantage that there are no side seams on the lower body.

Yesterday I had a bit of an indulgent afternoon with continuing my rewatching of 'TheKilling' (Season 1 with 20 episodes!) and lots of knitting. (No, I'm not watching all episodes in one go!) By the end of the evening I had managed to get up to 46cm!!

I always wanted a jumper just like this and I'm pleased that I found such a great yarn to knit with. It will be worth the effort. I'm using 9mm knit-Pro needles with a 100cm cable.


Some Yarn love

Here a little glimpse of my recent purchases, I am trying to be careful with buying more yarn. However, I decided to expand my knit-Pro needle tips collection by adding 6.5mm and 7mm sizes to my arsenal.

I found this wonderful rainbow yarn (by Swedish label Marks&Kattens) on the last day of the January sales! It seems to be similar to my Scheepjeswol Invicta sock yarn. In the Tiger shop I found Sockyarn (last one) for 1 Euro and round knitting needles for 3 Euros. I also got another ball of Lang Mille Colori Baby Merino wool.


My recent purchases
A charity shop find - a small coin purse - in the trend colour for 2015: Marsala



Tiny beads

On saturday I had a laptop and knitting free day - I spent the afternoon playing with my tiny seed beads. I made a necklace which can be worn double and a thing that looks like a pendant, but I think I will make it into a bead brooch instead. I also made a tassel pendant (not shown). I forgotten how fiddly it is to work with such minute beads, I used my strong magnifying Craft lamp - especially useful when you need to get the thread onto a small needle!!! I enjoyed getting caught up in doing something a bit difficult!





I'm sure most of you had quite a bit of snow by now, we had a small amount here in Belgium. This is the view from the upstairs window last Thursday morning.

05.02.15 Snow
This is all from me for now. I must do a bit of studying for a Dutch test this evening! Hope you are keeping warm and cosy, sitting somewhere nice with your crochet or knitting in hands!

Please feel free to leave me some comments, you know I enjoy reading them. I need to catch up on my own blog reading, too! There seems to be never enough time for everything!!!

30 comments:

  1. Dear Ingrid, you really seem to be into knitting at the moment, aren't you? Your cowl looks gorgeous, it is always nice to have something warm and cosy to wrap around when it's cold. I wonder what your jumper will look when your wearing it. I have never crocheted or knitted a jumper and I have no clue how to do armholes or the neckline. But the yarn looks just soft. And the other yarn you purchased is a great yarn, as well. I am always tempted to buy yarn when visiting a yarn shop but I should have a look in my stock first. There is such a big amount of yarn I should use up first. Have a great week, Viola

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    1. Hello Viola! Thanks for your kind comments. The Alpaca yarn is very soft and fluffy indeed. I'm the same - I have lots of yarn at home. I plan on making more large projects such as jumpers and cardigans because I love wearing them! Ejoy your week! :) xx

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  2. Your cowl is gorgeous, love the yarn. I love buying new yarn but have promised myself not to until I use some up out of my stash, your purchases are beautiful. The bag is a real find.

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    1. Thanks, Lorraine! I fell in love with the colourscape yarn when I first saw it! (And I love Kaffe Fassett's coloursense!) My little purchases were bought with utmost restraint but I am always drawn to colourchanging yarns! Have a nice week! :) xx

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  3. Beautiful cowl, adorable jewelry!!
    Have a great week.:*

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    1. Thank you! Have a lovely week, Ljubinka!! :) xx

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  4. I love the cowl. Rowan big yarn must be wonderful.
    Great jewelry too!
    Keep enjoying every day. I get the sense you really do

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    1. Hi Kathy! I've never seen any Rowan yarn I didn't like! ;) I try my best, but the weather is so grey at the moment, I wish there was more sunshine! I love getting absorbed in a task! Have a nice week! :) xx

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  5. You're so talented, Ingrid. You can knit, crochet and make beautiful jewelry. I love the yarn in the cowl, those colors are really gorgeous.

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    1. Dear Jennifer! You are too kind! *blush* Yes, those colours are lovely - they are all in every skein! Have a good week! :) xx

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  6. Lots of wonderful knit works! :-) It seems like knitting is more favorite to you than crochet at the moment, isn't it?

    We had a bit of snow too over the last days. It usually didn't last very long though...

    Take care
    Anne (Crochet Between Worlds)

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    1. Hi Anne! Yes, it is true, I am doing more knitting at the moment, but I do enjoy both! :) Our snow didn't stay long either!!! Have a good week!!! :) xx

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  7. You are a busy lady :) Love the colours in your cape/cowl, it's beautuful yarn.

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    1. Hi Jill! Hehe, I find knitting very addictive, especially knitting in the round! I always love colourful yarn!!! :) xx

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  8. Your cowl is very pretty! Great to see your snow! xx

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    1. Hi Amy! Well there really wasn't much snow to speak of, but I think it always looks so pretty when there is a dusting over the rooftoops! Have a good week! :) xx

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  9. Your cowl is gorgeous, Ingrid! I like the color combo! Thaks for your nice comment on my blog! Have a great week!

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    1. Hello Silvia! Glad you like it!! :) Enjoy your week, too! xx

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  10. Beautiful cowl.
    my blog :http://lalanaengancha.blogspot.com.es/

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    1. Thank you! I will take a look at your blog now! :) xx

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  11. What a beautiful colorful cowl you've made Ingrid! And I must comment on the bead necklace - quite enticing!

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    1. Hello Maya! Thanks for your lovely comments!! Have a good week! :) xx

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  12. Great work !!! the yarns are gorgeous ! the sweater will look warm ... You're still productive !!! Have a lovely week end !

    http://woolandcats.blogspot.fr/

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    1. Thanks, Geraldine! (Apologies for the late reply!) The jumper is finished and is very cosy!!! I love it! xx

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  13. I do like all your knitting and you sure work with the nicest yarns. Keep warm!
    Amalia
    xo

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    1. Hi Amalia! Thanks for saying that! (Apologies for the late reply!) I'm keeping warm indeed!! Hope you are, as well! xx

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  14. Love your new alpaca jumper. It will be very warm. The new yarn looks gorgeous. Have you decided what you will make with it?

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    1. Hello Gillian! (Apologies for the late reply!) It is wonderfully warm, I keep wearing it, I love it so much! No, I haven't decided yet. And I'm back to crochet... ;) xx

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  15. As usual, you have found some beautiful colours and your cowl is typical of Kaffe Fassett colours. Do you think it might be extra valuable one day because it is KF yarn that is now unavailable? All of your colour choices are so beautiful, I could never pick a favourite. Lovely stuff, Ingrid. :-)

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  16. Thanks very much, Jodie! I don't know whether it would become more valuable, but I'm planning on keeping it! ;) xx

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