Tag Archives: Scarf

Moebius strip, in wearable form

20/08/2010 4:21 am \ 11 Comments \

Oh, I finished a new scarf.  Or cowl, more accurately.  A ginormous cowl.  I finished it a coupla weeks back and put it in one of my photos yesterday, in the outfit that seemed to have been the most popular with my kind commenters. (and thanks all, for your comments!  I do love comments!)  But the cowl hasn’t been properly introduced here, so here it is in its own showcase post….

I used Patons Jet 100% wool, about six and a half balls.
Tension; 16 stitches to 10cm.

Cast on 50 stitches, K2 P2 ad infinitum until one reaches the required length.  I knitted mine to 175cm long.  Sew the ends together remembering to put one twist in the scarf before sewing up, so it’s really a giant Moebius strip rather than a loop.
Done!

I like it with two drapes around the neck, but it’s easily long enough for three drapes if I want.  It becomes more of a big pseudo-turtleneck collar with three loops.
Seen on my walk this morning below: definitely signs of spring in the air, the arrival of the cygnets.  I love watching the new batches of cygnets grow into adulthood.

Details:
Skirt; my own design variations, based on Vogue 7303, pale pink damask
Top; Country Road
Trench; Burda 7786, modified to be double breasted and with added tabs, beige cotton
Scarf; my own design, cream wool
Boots; Andrea and Joen, from Uggies

 

pinterestmail
Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: , , , , , ,

Cool Bunnykins

06/08/2010 2:10 pm \ 7 Comments \

This is a very late post today!  Been a busy day…

This is a beanie/scarf thingy I knitted for my daughter Cassie several years ago.  Knitted from a variety of different yarns, to my own design…
I used four balls of yarn, three solid colours (1=pink, 2=blue, 3= lavender) plus one ball of chunky, bobbly one ply yarn.
Tension; 12 stitches to 10cm
To start: make the pom-pom first, also wind off enough yarn of each of the colours for the tassels on the ends of the scarves at the start of the project.  This will ensure you have enough yarn for these bits.
Tassels are approximately 30cm in length, I use a small paperback book to wind the yarn around, and you will need approximately 20cm worth for a good thickness.  I used lots of colour 3, lavender in my tassels, which is why there turned out to be not much lavender in the beanie itself! *blush*  Colours and numbers of rows in each colour are up to the individual according to taste, the following is the combination I used here.
Beanie: the beanie was knitted in the round, from the crown down to the rim.
Cast on 7 stitches.
Row 1; K2 in each stitch (14 stitches)
K 1 row
K1, inc 1 in next stitch, repeat until end (21 st)
K1 row
K 1, inc 1 in next stitch, repeat until end (31 st)
K 1 row
K2, inc 1 in next stitch, repeat until end (41 st)
K 1 row
K3, inc 1 in next stitch, repeat until end (51 st)
K 1 row
K4, inc 1 in next stitch, repeat until end(61 st)
K 5 row
(change to bobbly yarn) K 3 rows
(change to colour 2) K 7 rows
(change to bobbly yarn) K 6 rows
(change to colour 1) K 4 rows
(change to bobbly yarn) cast of very loosely in bobbly yarn, until there are 24 stitches left, divide into two sets of 12 stitches and continue knitting on each set of 12 stitches separately.
Continue in stocking stitch, alternating yarns as follows:
(colour 2) 10 rows stocking stitch
(bobbly yarn) 4 rows stocking stitch
(colour 2) 10 rows garter stitch
(bobbly yarn) 4 rows garter stitch
(colour 1) 24 rows garter stitch
(bobbly yarn) 4 rows garter stitch
(colour 2) 18 rows garter stitch
(bobbly yarn) 4 rows garter stitch
(colour 3) 30 rows garter stitch
(bobbly yarn) 8 rows garter stitch
(colour 2) 6 rows garter stitch
Cast off.
Loop tassels through the cast off stitches, and sew pom pom onto crown.
Done!
Of course, colours and the numbers of rows in each colour are up to the individual according to taste, this pattern is the combination I used for this particular beanie.   Really though, colours can be used however you choose, basically just keep changing colours at whim and knitting away happily until you get the length you want, or all the yarns are used up completely; ta-dah! zero waste!
pinterestmail
Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: , , , ,

Communing with the lorikeets

03/08/2010 5:30 am \ 5 Comments \

Today I asked Tim if I could borrow the scarf I made for him years ago to photograph for the blog here; he is far too busy for me to needle him to model it…  and found this lovely bench underneath the flame trees which are considerately blooming quite magnificently right now… the sight of the brilliant scarlet blossoms against drinkable blue skies was breathtaking in its sheer intensity; and above me was a flock of these little fellows feeding and squawking to each other.  The hues of the rainbow lorikeet provided an extra blast of saturated primary colour.  Flitting about from branch to bloom in vivid splendour, they were chatty and busy little bodies cheerfully banishing solitude…

Details:
Scarf; made for Tim from anny blatt pure wool bought when we were all in Paris
Tops; both Metalicus (the cardigan new to me but second hand!)
Jeans; Little Big, from Labels
Boots; Mina Martini, from Marie Claire shoes
Bag; Gucci

pinterestmail
Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: ,

Black with rose-pink accents

28/07/2010 4:50 am \ 4 Comments \

My husband wittily suggested I title my post “Amish chic”, he he  cheeky…  It’s my hat.  But we’ve lived amongst the Amish and I never saw an Amish lady in jeans.  “Amish menswear chic”?  I hope not.  I prefer to think I look more …err, “kind of equestrian”?… yeah, well maybe.
 Yesterday I visited a second hand shop and op shop with my friend E, or “went thrifting” as Americans say…! (lol, I’m already imagining my grandmother, a stickler for correct English, giving me a strict grammar lesson on that one!  But hey, language is supposed to be an organic ever-changing tool for communication, right?  Right.)
Oh, back to the haul.  I got this hat in an op-shop, it’s of stiff felt and lovely.  I also picked up two Metalicus cardigans and a lovely beaded Wheels and Doll-baby cardigan second hand, the latter only needs a few buttons stitching on more firmly to be perfect.  Score!!  And I’m so thrilled I got my Metalicus fix without having to break my Wardrobe Re-fashion pledge!
This morning I noticed for the first time that this scarf actually goes beautifully with the little silk chiffon pockets on my cardigan.  A small detail.  Just a touch of rosy pink to warm up the black elsewhere.
And since lately we are having reasonably warm sunny weather today I’m wearing a summer top, a little white lacy short-sleeved thing, last seen here.  Believe it or not I still have three lengths of different white lace in my stash, awaiting my attention…  I’m really being very good about my stash.  I’ve cut out four more projects ready to go.  Unfortunately three of them still require a visit to the fabric shop, to pick up some needed extras such as a bit of extra lining for one, some matching braid or ribbon for another and some buttons and braid for the other.  I just hope I can escape from the store without succumbing to the siren call of all the new spring fabrics that I know will be there… wish me strength…

Details:
Top; my own design variations on New Look 6483, ivory cotton and crocheted lace inset strips
Cardigan; Alannah Hill
Scarf; knitted using 3 balls Colinette chenille
Jeans; Burda 7863, black denim
Boots; Andrea and Joen, from Uggies
Hat;  op shop

pinterestmail
Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

On growing old gracefully

26/07/2010 7:02 am \ 3 Comments \

Today met my girlfriends for a get-together and debrief after the school holidays…

{You know how when something is troubling you, a good bit of advice is to write a long letter to yourself where you can purge all the negativity out of your system?  Then you are supposed to rip up same letter and toss it out?  Well I just did that with this blog post.  I had written a long rambling lot of introspective balderdash…. I knew it was kinda silly when I wrote it, and even my husband came home and advised me it was not worthy…  the long and short of this is that the “blah blah blah” that was here before is gone from this blog.  If you have already read the first draft of weirdness and scratched your head wondering where was the expected sewing, knitting and fashion, well I apologise sincerely.  Sometimes one needs to vent.  And vent I did.  Sorry!}

Man…  as an afterthought; what on earth am I wearing? back to business… today wearing the khaki and air-force blue colour combo I predicted would be my staple for this winter.  Well, the denim is close enough to the “dirty” blue I’m loving; and the texture and colour of my scarf works just perfectly right for what I wanted, considering I dressed without much thought this morning.  Some of my favourite ensembles have been the result of a rushed thoughtless random grabbing of separates…

Details:
Dress; Cue, found secondhand and refashioned here.
Jacket; Ezibuy
Scarf; knitted by me from various wools
Leggings; Metalicus
Boots; Andrea and Joen; from Uggies

pinterestmail
Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: , , , , , ,

Birthday scarf

17/07/2010 3:05 am \ 5 Comments \

It was A’s birthday a week ago, my sister-in-law, and I’ve made her a loopy scarf for a present.  She has a lovely olive complexion and reddish and caramel highlights in her dark hair, so I’m thinking these warm strong colours will suit her beautifully.  I’ve held off putting the scarf up here because I think she reads this blog occasionally and I didn’t want to spoil the surprise of her pressie by her reading about it and seeing it here first! until I had a chance to go over to visit her…  I hope she likes it!
The pattern I used is the same as this scarf, using one ball of Colinette Fandango, a scrummy all-cotton yarn.

Details:
Scarf; knitted using one ball of Colinette Fandango
Top; Country Road
Cardigan; Country Road, found secondhand, originally oyster white and dyed
Jeans; Soon
Boots; Mina Martini, from Marie Claire shoes

pinterestmail
Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: , ,

Undersea-garden crocheted scarf

03/07/2010 5:17 am \ 4 Comments \

Now, I am no crochet-er.  I struggle with each and every stitch.
I think it comes down to this, when I learnt to knit, my mother taught me.  I was taught.  Mum took the time and effort, it was a bonding exercise and fun, I was little, with a thirst for knowledge…
In the crochet department, I was self-taught.  And an adult.  And we all know the old saying about the difficulties of reconciliation when it comes to an old dog and new tricks…
I made this about six years ago.  I saw this scarf pattern in a friend’s knitting magazine (can’t remember any details, sorry) and instantly decided I had to have one.  Armed with a book from the library with the different crochet stitches illustrated in all their scary hand-contortionist detail, some lovely mohair wool (I know I know, mohair, huh?) and a copy of the intermediate level pattern, I set out on my first crochet project with determination but no idea of what I was doing.  Pretty stupid, yes?  It’s one of my failings, to just throw myself into a possibly difficult new project with not a clue of technique and no pre-conception of failure.  I say “failing”, but I guess it is a trait that has got me this far, so shouldn’t rail on myself… 
I did not enjoy making this scarf, mohair is a tricky enough yarn to play with, without trying to manipulate intricate stitches in it with a crochet hook.  I solemnly vowed it would be my last crochet project, but I do still love the look of this thing and I admit it, it would be impossible to achieve this lacy, oldfashioned look, which has an air vaguely reminiscent of “granny” squares about it, while still managing to look coolly distinct from the usual run-of-the-mill scarves around.
A hard earned success.

Details:
Scarf; crocheted by me, mohair yarn
Top; Metalicus
Jeans; made by me, Burda 7863, khaki stretch gabardine
on feet; cropped out, but I’m wearing my daggy old slippers and put on my biker boots to go out later!

pinterestmail
Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: , , , , ,

Caramel “loopy” scarf

28/06/2010 5:34 am \ 6 Comments \

I made this scarf a few years ago, not really sure now how many.  Originally I had done a class at Ivy and Maude, and was so inspired I went on to make dozens of these.  Well, maybe a few more than a dozen, anyhow!  I gave nearly all of them away as gifts.
The stitch is a very clever stitch where you wrap the wool around your thumb as you are knitting and then cast the wool over to “lock” the loop in, creating permanent loops.  A friend once told me she had seen the stitch in a very old knitting book, so it’s been around…  I thought for about a split second of trying to describe/draw how to do the stitch on this blog but abandoned that thought; its just too complex for my limited descriptive/illustrative skills…!
The beauty in these scarves is always in the wool you choose.  All the ones I made were out of Colinette Fandango; just bought one ball of this divine all-cotton yarn and knitted up the whole ball in this fashion; bingo, instant beautiful scarf.  The colour ranges available of this stuff are what “make” the scarf, imo.
This one has a mix of caramel, cream, fawn and grey and has long been a favourite (it’s got so thin!!)  I have also made ones for myself in red/pink and one in pastel blue/green/pink.  The other ones I made for friends were all of other colours, I never doubled up on shades.  Didn’t have to! every time I went into the shop there seemed to be so many new fabulous shades to choose from, my enthusiasm would be re-ignited all over again!

Details:
Scarf; made by me, Colinette Fandango yarn
Jeans; Burda 7863, black denim
Top; Ezibuy
Cardigan; Country Road
Handwarmers; Sportsgirl
Boots; Andrea and Joen, from Uggies in Dunsborough
Bag; Gucci
(New!!) Sunglasses; Ray Ban

News; I decided to join up to Wardrobe Refashion again, for another 4 months.  I may not do heaps of refashioning this time but I’ll be sewing my own (as usual), and staying away from shopping for readymade clothes…
Also I signed up for this: 

‘I, Carolyn (Handmade by Carolyn), sign up as a participant of Self-Stitched-September. I endeavour to wear handmade and refashioned items of clothing and/or accessories and jewellery every day for the duration of September 2010’.

Should be fun!

pinterestmail
Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: , , , ,
Switch to mobile version
↓