Calico and Ivy Archives - Page 2 of 2

Ambrosial hoodie

06/06/2010 11:23 am \ 10 Comments \ Carolyn

Today I am wearing my newest cardigan, knitted last September. As is my usual bad habit I didn’t use a pattern but just made it up as I went along. This one has two different sized knitted-in pockets on the front, and a hoodie at the back. I went ahead with the hoodie because when the cardigan was completed I had so much leftover wool I thought why not? And I like hoodies. I feel more “with it” with my hoodie on. Even if it is of the hand-knitted variety; not exactly upping ma street cred here, but meh. Yo ready for dis!
The colour of this yarn is Ambrosia. Don’t you just love that word? I so prefer yarns to have named colour palettes, rather than a number. The right name can set off my imagination; evoking a rich daydream of imagery to spark off enthusiasm for my project. The name Ambrosia is perfect for this acidic blend of apple cider, lime and honeydew colours with small blobs of butter-yellow thrown in the mix. This sort of a word can really get the creative juices flowing. Far more so than picking up a yarn and noting the name of this colour is a technical and clinical “S102″… which may in itself be a particularly vibrant and gorgeous blend of colours worthy of some far more imaginative moniker. Yes, Noro, I’m looking at you…! although they are not the only offenders by any means… How about ditching the numbers and dreaming up something a bit more evocative for these woolly feasts for the eyes?
Has anyone else thought the same thought? or am I the only one pining for a bit of poetry in the wool aisle?
And on that note, below; a portrait of my parent’s neighbour’s lawn-mower…enjoy!

Details:
Cardigan; my own design, knitted from Jo Sharp Silk Road DK Tweed in Ambrosia
Top; Metalicus
Jeans; Little Big
Boots; Andrea and Joen, from Uggy’s in Dunsborough

Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: Calico and Ivy, cardigan, hoodie, Knitted, own design

Hot pink and khaki in the bush…

04/06/2010 10:35 am \ 9 Comments \ Carolyn

I knitted this mossy green scarf about eight years ago. It was a wool kit from Ivy and Maude, composed of an eclectic range of different yarns. Perfect for keeping the neck warm on a winter weekend away at my parent’s house in the country…

Blog innovation alert!… Since my husband, who always sources the best gifts ever!, gave me a new camera (thus this blog…) my interest in photography has increased exponentially. So from now on I’ve decided to put a random picture into my posts of interesting sights that catch my eye that day, to make a hopefully interesting and artistic addition from the ever-present sewing and fashion pictures… hope you enjoy! For today it is a picture of my parent’s and their neighbour’s letterboxes. It tickles me how these rough and rustic boxes are just propped in a haphazard way alongside the road, looking like junk but serving a practical and vital service.

Details:

Scarf; knitted by me, various yarns from Ivy and Maude

Top and cardigan; Metalicus

Jeans; Burda 7863, khaki stretch gabardine

Boots; Andrea and Joen, from Uggies in Dunsborough

Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: accessories, Burda 7863, Calico and Ivy, Fabulous fabrics, jeans, Knitted, scarf

Cosy brown cardigan

16/05/2010 7:09 am \ 13 Comments \ Carolyn

Wintery weather is well and truly upon us today (glum face). We even got a little wet on our beach walk here today. Just a light misty shower thank goodness… eau de “wet dog” is not my favourite fragrance to have around in the house and car…

Traditionally as the weather turns cold and stormy and wild my thoughts start to turn to knitting and I get more excited about getting out the old knitting needles and hunting through the available wool and yarn stores. I’m not there yet, still daydreaming about my current sewing projects for now, but it won’t be long before I’ll be curling up in front of the TV of an evening with the rain and wind battering on the windows and with a knitting project in my lap.

As well as the usual socks, which are always in the process of construction (ooh, haven’t shown you any of my socks yet!) this year I plan to make an infinity scarf, a few of which I’ve seen on the net, and a slouch beanie/beret or two.

This is a cardigan I knitted last year. I bought 7 balls and just made it up as I went along. It’s a very cosy cardigan and colourwise I just love the tiny flecks of gold and burgundy mixed in with the rough brown/grey marle. My favourite part of this cardigan is the button on the front, handmade by Dad. He sliced a bough of birch tree (grown in Mum and Dad’s own garden), drilled two tiny holes in it, and hand polished it to produce this perfect button. Isn’t it the most beautiful button ever? Dad is an extremely talented craftsman, and his handmade items are always hotly sought after prezzies at Christmas time…

Details:

Cardigan; my own design, Jo Sharp Silk Road DK Tweed in Brindle

Jeans; Development

T-shirt; Country Road

Sneakers; Lute, from Betts and Betts

Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: Calico and Ivy, cardigan, Knitted, own design, Sienna

Long n’ skinny scarf

10/05/2010 6:10 am \ 7 Comments \ Carolyn

Today is the first time I have showcased this scarf on the bloggeroonie.
I made this about two years ago when big woollen loopy scarves made a small splash on the fashion scene. I bought three balls of lovely soft black wool, cast on 23 stitches and simply K1 P1 rib stitch until all three balls had been finished. Sorry, can’t remember the brand of wool. I think it could have been Debbie Bliss. The result is a marvellously long affair that wraps easily three times around my neck, with plenty to spare for artistic looping and draping and for the ends to be left hanging loose (as here) or to make a loose knot if desired.
I’m also wearing in my new winter shoes. They actually only “sort of” new; I bought them last October in the post-winter sales, always the best time to buy good quality winter shoes. Since I’ve got very big feet I’m often lucky enough to find my size in the after season sales… well there’s got to be one advantage to having gigantic feet… This morning is the second time I’ve worn them this season, and my poor feet are now a little tender; ouch! Hate wearing-in new shoes; well I did fall in love with the witchy vibe of these little booties and plan to wear them a lot so this painful early stage has to be borne…
Has anyone got any tips for a non-painful wearing-in of new shoes?

Details:
Skirt; my own variations on Vogue 7303, lined, python print satin
Top; Morrison
Cardi; own design, snakeskin printed rubber coated jersey
Scarf; knitted by me, no pattern
Shoes; Django and Juliette, from Zomp shoes

Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: Calico and Ivy, cardigan, Fabulous fabrics, Knitted, own design, python, scarf, skirt, Spotlight, Vogue 7303

Tea Cosy, specimen 11

07/02/2010 12:33 am \ 4 Comments \ Carolyn

This is the tea cosy I knitted for my friend A for her birthday. It’s actually the very first tea cosy I made out of all of them and I love its little bobbles. It’s made from Jo Sharp wool; and from memory. I saw an example very like this one in a Jo Sharp knitting book and made this cosy pretty much from what I could remember of it. On a side note here, something that really bugs me is how yarn manufacturers bring out these veeeery expensive pattern books for sale which usually, often, contain about fifteen or twenty patterns. How ridiculous is that? You might only want to make one, or possibly two of the patterns in the book (how much knitting is the average person capable of, really), and you have to pay $50 for a whole bunch of patterns you’re not even remotely interested in. It would be so much more sensible if the patterns could be available singly, on a pamphlet and you could then just purchase the ones you want. That’s my opinion, anyway. What do others think?
Anyhow, getting back to this cosy; my friend A is a very classic and tasteful dresser and I’ve always thought of these subdued sophisticated shades as being her kind of colours.

Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: Calico and Ivy, Jo Sharp, Knitted, tea cosy

Tea Cosy, specimen 1

15/11/2009 12:55 am \ 3 Comments \ Carolyn

Today I’m not wearing anything particularly exciting, so here instead is the tea cosy I gave my friend J yesterday for a belated birthday present. It is from Loani Prior’s excellent book “Wild Tea Cosies” which I saw in Calico and Ivy and bought for myself as a present. I made quite a few of these tea cosies in various designs and colours and gave them all away as gifts, so a new goal I’ve set for myself is to hunt them down and photograph them in their new natural surroundings for this blog. Be that my friends’ kitchens, or bottom drawers, wherever they now reside. As well as documenting my wardrobe.
Looking back over my blog I can see it’s turned into a bit of a daily outfit post, which wasn’t it’s original intention. Like the authors of books often complain that their lead character won’t behave as planned but develop a mind of their own, this blog is taking on it’s own character. Hmmm. Have to keep on top of this.
I’ve loved this tea cosy book; the only drawback is the abundance of designs that are purely for crochet, which I didn’t notice at first flip-through before whimsically purchasing. I. Don’t. Like. Crochet. I can tolerate it for very short stretches, but it’s really not my cup of tea (ha ha!)
J’s tea cosy here is the Roly Poly one from the book, which has small crocheted balls on the top, a manageable amount of crochet for me. The rest is knitted. It is actually lined! With a whole separate knitted lining! Perhaps to keep that teapot well and truly insulated.
The label (right) sewn inside the cosy is from a rubber stamp given to me by my Monday morning gals several years ago for a birthday gift, which gave me the name for this blog and which I now use for fun labels to attach to the things I make. The silver spoon in the picture above was made by my grandmother, and has my maiden name initials in relief on the handle.

Other details:
Silver spoon; made by my grandmother
China; all from op shops or secondhand shops

Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: Calico and Ivy, Knitted, Spotlight, tea cosy, wild tea cosies

Patchwork

19/10/2009 9:16 am \ 1 Comment \ Carolyn

Found this one and only picture of the other version of the dress I posted about earlier today here, from McCalls 4454, elongated to dress length; the one made out of patchwork fabric bought in Calico and Ivy. It was bought as a collection of “fat quarters”, from which I cut large, medium and small squares. The squares were pieced and the pattern cut out so that the smallest squares were at the bodice of the dress, and getting larger in size down to the hem of the dress, at which all the largest squares were. All were on the diagonal.

I loved the seaside-y colours; it may not look like much from the back but it really was a lovely dress and got a lot of compliments. Sigh. I think it got a rip in it eventually.

I think it looked better than its follow-up, partly because of the pretty fabric, and partly because the skirt was a lot more billowy, a better look for me.

(On a pictorial note, I’m at the top of Mount Lycabettus looking out over Athens …. we walked up to the top and back and really earned our drinks! It was fab!)