Spring inspiration # 3

When I was looking through one of my boxes with fabric ( I have several…) for the colored leather that I new I had somewhere I found this fabric that I had completely forgotten. It is the color of spring tulips.

It will be perfect for a spring skirt. Maybe together with my black cardigan with multicolored buttons? I better hurry up and get started on both....

Jeanette

Spring inspiration # 2

When I was buying the yarn and fabric I found this beautiful piece of white leather too that I couldn’t resist buying. I am thinking about making a little purse, maybe something like this?

Scandinavian Folklore. (Foto Laila Durán)

I have some lovely pieces of thick wool that I think would look great with the white leather on a purse.

Oh I want to get started right away! So many ideas and so little time.

Jeanette

Spring inspiration #1

The leaf is off to the exhibition. Finishing the blasted thing has really been hanging over me…..so now when I am finally rid of  it I can focus on new and fun projects.

Of course I had to get started right away.

I bought black cotton yarn to make another cardigan. Not expensive yarn at all this time. I am going to mix the cotton with a thin tread of linen to give the cardigan some structure. As you can see it’s the happy color of black so I thought I would add some buttons from my collection to give it a more spring feeling!

I also bought some fabric to make a dress. Not so colorful either but I fell in love with the polka dots. They make me happy.

So if last weeks posts were the week of knits this week just might be the week of spring projects!

Jeanette

Shibori

Books are a great source of inspiration for me when it come to knitting ideas and patterns. I am usually too cheap to go buy them I borrow them at my local library instead. On my last visit I borrowed the book “ Shibori knits, the art of exquisite felted knits by Gina Wilde.

I was intrigued by the title because I had never heard about shibori before and when I did quick browse my heart started beating…. The shibori knits looked absolutely fantastic.

When I read the foreword I knew that this must be something for me

“ Shibori is an empowering tool for knitters; it`s a method for introducing possibility and also asks that a bit of risk be taken – like an adventure where the destination is new personal expression”

Now who can resist a bit of adventure eh? Certainly not me.

The art of shibori knitting has its traditional roots from Japan. So in the same week I have discovered both Noro yarn and shibori. I just might call this the Japanese knitting week instead.

Do you want to learn more about Shibori? Here is a link to the World Shibori Network.

Now I must hurry up and finish my Noro cardigan and then I will give the shibori knits a try.

Jeanette

A week of knits

I am a yarn-o-holic of great proportions. My collection is huge and varied. My mother taught me how to knit when I was six years old and I have knitted on and off since then. I had a period of almost frantic knitting in the 80: ies when it was high fashion to knit mohair cardigans and pullovers in bright ( we are talking neon here…) colors and with large knitting pins. Large knitting pins suited me very well since I am a woman with very little patience… You could start on a pullover one night and be finished the next.

The sad thing about my knitted stuff over the years is that I am very seldom satisfied with the result. That’s why I mostly knit shawls nowadays because I am almost always pleased with the outcome of those.

Right now I am in a knitting period! My head is spinning  with all kinds of ideas and things I like to try out….like shibori knitting or knitting with scraps…using all those tiny balls or just strings even of my left over yarn… I simply can’t throw any away you see, however tiny yarn there is left.

I am inspired by this fabulous book by the Finnish author Sanna Vatanen. The book was a Christmas gift from me to me!

I am so obsessed with knitting right now that I decided to dedicate this weeks posts entirely to knitting.

So welcome to a week of knits!

Jeanette