Friday, January 30, 2009

Long live the queen

So I knit a pair of toasts again, this time in a yarn that my persnickety wrists could not complain about.

softesttoast
Handmaiden 4-ply cashmere, 1 skein (170m and I used it all up).
Fantabulous pattern here (as if I needed to tell you!)
SO HEAVENLY!!!

cashtoast
My sweetheart christened me the "Queen of Cashmeria" a long time ago. I scour Value Village and St-Vincent de Paul for second-hand cashmere sweaters. I don't even care if they're moth-eaten or unflattering (those I wear to putter around the house, or when I go skiing). I own a lot of them.

Can I ask you? Am I the only one who dreams of having cashmere blankets, long johns, bath mats, tea-cozies? Would cashmere upholstered furniture be considered going overboard?

toasttake2
Cashmeria. I rule it with an iron fist in a cashmere glove.
My land!

Monday, January 26, 2009

What do you wear...

... when it's minus a million Celsius?

Kidsilkbay
A turtleneck made out of Kidsilk Haze (held double!) Wow, this is the warmest sweater ever! A great thing for a girl nicknamed Nicold.

Bay
I'm very happy with the fit. It sheds like crazy though (mental note: do NOT wear with black pants).

Pattern: Bay by Kim Hargreaves, published in Rowan # 36
Yarn: Kidsilk Haze in Glacier and Pearl, 5 balls each
Needles: 4mm
Mods: The pattern calls for only one of the colours to be held double (giving a thick and thin effect) but I wanted an even fabric, so I held both colours double.

Baycloseup

Sorry my posting is so sporadic. Things are a bit kookoo over here. Hope you're all well and keeping warm. Oh, and happy Chinese New Year!

:)

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Different kinds of stitches

My Christmas holidays were lovely (ignoring the fact that I got a weird inner ear infection that made my head spin). For the first time in 15 years, we stayed home, and had family visit us. It was so nice to be tucked into our warm little house with our loved ones.

I took advantage of my talented maman's presence to tap into her formidable sewing skills. I've been wanting to make a kimono with some gorgeous Nani Iro fabric I bought last summer, but couldn't bring myself to cut into it. With an expert hand to guide me, I finally had the courage to do it.


Naniirokimono
And I couldn't be happier with the results.

I thought I had bought enough Nani Iro, but kimonos do take up a lot of yardage, so I had to purchase more fabric for the trim. The golden hand-painted batik cotton was a real find! I think it really brings out the floral pattern.

fulllengthkimono

This little foray into sewing has given me the desire to try more projects. But don't worry, knitting will always be my #1 love. I've got delicious things on the needles right now.

Porominprogress
Here's a little taste...