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October 26, 2006
A bundle of fun
It's a dreadful photo, taken on a particularly dark October morning: this little bundle of fun, two skeins of Koigu in squashed berry colours, a set of Blue Sky dpns in their own dinky tin (and a set of sock patterns) are on their way to Jasmine in North Carolina.
Thank you Jasmine, 3501st commenter, and thank you everyone who has ever left a message. And thank you everyone who reads, too. I noticed too that we recently passed the second anniversary of the inaugural Fashionable Life entry (made October the 16th) so it is a double celebration.
Posted by Amelia at 06:59 PM | Comments (19)
October 22, 2006
This sea of grey
This sea of grey is the indirect result of my Bad Buying Decision of the Rowan Biggy Print. As soon as I got the wrong yarn home, I immediately knew what I wanted to make, and what the right yarn would be. So on the following weekend I took the bike along to stalwart Bunty at Daniel, one of the last remaining sources of cheap yarn in west London, and bought a bale of grey Sirdar Click. It's going to be something like this:
I saw a cardigan somewhere, a magazine or a shop window, and this is my interpretation. It was the decreasing ribs that caught my eye, and I think it will look just right, and keep the wearer toasty, over a dress for sort of Fitzrovia bohemian look.
It's not gorgeous yarn: it's 70% acrylic, and feels it, but it's the right colour and warm and cheap. Cheap being a particular consideration after forking out for thirty balls of Jaeger EFM chunky for a lavishly cabled cardigan after this Alexander McQueen. His is so beautiful, with the simple cables and braids; I think mine will be a bit more rococo.
Taxider-milinary optional.
Posted by Amelia at 09:44 PM | Comments (30)
October 16, 2006
Another autumn
It seems impossible that another year has passed, but Thursday found me once again exhausted, overheated, sore-footed, laden with yarn and staggering away from Alexandra Palace lighter in pocket.
Koigu for another pair of tabby socks. A skein of Shaefer Anne in reds from tomato to crimson, from Hipknits - I am so looking forward to seeing my copy of Yarn Forward magazine (have you seen it yet?). A solitary ball of Sublime silk/cashmere aran - I am still nursing an idea for a knitted dress, and thought this might be a fibre contender, but alas there aren't the really rich, saturated tones I'm looking for.
The buttons are for a new cardigan. Red (again), a raglan based on Jemima with detail added: fully-fashioned shaping, knit-in pockets, darling buttons.
The largest purchase, the one trying to escape from its bag when I bumped into Amelia (which is always a lovely surprise), was 10 balls of Rowan Biggy Print. A Bad Buying Decision. The right colour, a good price, but what was I thinking? Totally inappropriate for the project in mind, I think I had yarn blindness. So they are for the 'ebay, one day' pile.
Another, constrasting, Good Buying Decision, was made at the weekend. New shoes, modelled here with new socks. When I saw Yai Ann's 'Child's First Socks' in pale blue, I had to follow suit.
Will you be the lucky 3501st commenter on My Fashionable Life? The 18th commenter, as of the time of writing, wins.
Posted by Amelia at 10:24 PM | Comments (82)
October 10, 2006
Bridie:
There are errors on the left front piece. I know that some people have successfully made this cardigan, presumably by following their intuition about the shaping, but the instructions for the left front shaping should read like this (changes shown in bold):
Cont from Row 2 in lattice pattern as set.
Taking new sts into pattern (except last stitch of each row (selvedge st)), inc 1 st at beg of 9th (RS) and each foll 10th row until there are 44 [48: 50: 54: 56: 60] sts.
Next row (RS), place marker: Pattern 3 sts, place marker, pattern to end. Stitch marker will show you how many stitches you have increased at underarm edge (3 so far).
Cont in pattern, increasing at beg of each 10th row until there are 7 sts to right of marker.
AT THE SAME TIME: When work meas 26.5 [26.5 : 28: 28: 29: 29] cm (10.5 [10.5: 11: 11: 11.5: 11.5 inches), start shaping left front neck (etc from pattern)
Posted by Amelia at 09:22 AM | Comments (11)
October 02, 2006
Try me again
I'm terribly behind on email - if you've sent a pattern query, and I haven't got back to you, do please send it again and I will make it my first priority.
Posted by Amelia at 10:34 PM | Comments (10)