In The Mood For Blogging

This beauty is off to be auctioned at the charitable event at the Claridges next week. The event is being organized by the fundraising team at St. John's Hospice. It will hopefully fetch a tidy sum for the hospice and find a good home.
I just adore this beret. It is 100% finest Mongolian cashmere, and I seriously suspect that I won't be able to make it through the winter months without one myself!



Pod socks were a hit with Pod and I am pleased with how they came out. Currently working on the pattern, which will be available soon at Stitchville!



I found this ball of sari silk, hand-spun in Nepal, in the massive stack of yarn in the store room (yes, I need a store room for my yarn, that's a fact). I decided to make a cushion cover from it and made a start on it already.



I like the complete lack of restraint of this yarn, both colour and texture -wise. It would intimidate a bird of paradise, I am sure, it is so bright and soft.



This whole cushion thing leads me on to another thread of tale, which is that today is a special day (well, for me at least) as tonight I am hosting an inaugural social event here, in my house.

I had this idea some time ago, and it stuck around for long enough to become an item in my diary. I will be inviting a bunch of local women I know once a month. Some of them I bump into on the school runs, some are neighbours, some are my knitting students, and some are friends (and some are more than one of these at once!)
We will be meeting in my sitting room on every last Friday night of every month, to have a cup of tea and a catch up. A project of sorts obligatory (can be knitting, crocheting, sewing, embroidery). A sort of revival thing, inspired by the times past.
I'm curious how it will do in these busy times we live in. I'm hoping that it will be an opportunity for myself and all these busy women to relax in each other's company and enjoy ourselves thoroughly whilst being creative. We shall have open fires and mulled wine when the winter closes in on us. I am really looking forward to it, and so wish that some of you, dear fellow bloggers, were a bit closer so that I could include you in this invitation! Yes, I am hoping it will be terrific!

And this is where the sari silk cushion comes in! I've decided that I will follow a theme through these crafty nights. I am planning to make a large collection of soft, textured, unique, knitted cushion covers for home. Brainless knitting and will benefit the space too.

Persona Non Grata

A main character in this story is Emilia. She is an avid knitter, who has fallen into the knitting trap so far that, in order to make things work, she ended up arranging her whole life around her passion. Luckily, this approach really worked, fitting perfectly with her artistic ambitions as well as her aspirations as a mother.

Emilia was delighted to find out that a new yarn boutique opened in a vicinity of her husband's office and became a regular customer and an enthusiastic fan of this Knitting Temple.

As seasons changed Emilia's vision slowly became a reality. Now she taught knitting and spent all her free time designing. Her work attracted attention of publishers. Her classes allured keen people wanting to learn the craft. She was in her element.

The Knitting Temple was owned and run by Sarah who was bent on making it a great success and who went about it in a very matter-of-factly fashion.

At the beginning her manner around Emilia was perfectly pleasant. However, as the months went by and it became obvious that Emilia's knitting classes were becoming an attractive alternative to the classes offered by the shop, shop-owner dropped her attempts at civility without further ado.

At first Emilia thought that maybe she was becoming overly sensitive and decided not to take any notice of this. After all, it would have been very presumptuous to think that she or, indeed, anything she did was a cause of Sarah's odd humours.

More time went by and more awkwardness stifled the air during subsequent visits to the shop. Sarah would flee from view when she saw Emilia coming in, and on few occasions when she was at the shop on her own, made every effort to attend everyone but Emilia.

Emilia ignored this, as she was optimistically inclined and thought Sarah a little extravagant, maladroit even, but definitely not vicious!

One day Emilia found herself near the Knitting Temple whilst out with her baby, and decided to dive in hoping to find a particular needle for her new project. As she entered, she noticed that there was only Sarah at the shop, which was otherwise deserted. She was working busily at the till and acknowledged Emilia with a reluctant nod. Emilia had a quick look at the needles on display and couldn't see the size she needed. She browsed quickly through a shelf stacked with colourful skeins of yarn. Little boy grew impatient and started whining. Emilia took her chosen skein of yarn to the till and waited patiently to be served, but Sarah appeared determined to take no notice of her customer. Emilia stood there, holding a skein of gorgeous alpaca yarn feeling heavy, weighed down by growing sense of unease as uncomfortably long minutes stretched into eternity.

Meanwhile Sarah was tapping away on the keyboard and happily talking to someone on the phone about bright jackets and her website, completely ignoring Emilia and her baby boy's loud protests.

How much more evident could Emilia's presence be? Barely a couple of steps away from Sarah, there was a storm of emotions surfacing within Emilia.

She put down the skein of yarn she was holding and walked out of the shop pushing the buggy with a disconcerted boy in it. As she was closing the door she saw a satisfied grin on Sarah's lips.

The Last Knit

Something to cheer you up. x

Stupendously Fabulous YCK

It's hard to know where to start when there is so much to tell, so I uploaded the pictures randomly and now am going to follow through to tell you the fabulous tale of the You Can Knit course just past.

There was a small camp of "expecting" and "baby-adoring" participants, who were very much interested in creating gorgeous knits for the babies. Just look at this lovely cardi-to-be by Elie,



or this little baby tunic-to-be by Michelle - fit for an angel!



This little baby wrap top-to-be was only cast on in the session last week and is coming on very well. I believe it is destined to end up in a little wardrobe of gorgeous Teresa, who was a delightful participant of the August PicKnit and is very lucky indeed to have a passionate adorer in Stephanie, who happened to be on the course!



And here is another creation by Stephanie:



A fabulous scarf made of Noro silk blend - a short number to be worn with a glamorous pin (many more scarves were produced in the early stages of the course, all gorgeous and very different and very absent at this improvised photo shoot).

And below is the source of Pod's bewilderement in its early stages, to which I claim credit:



Barely one very busy week later it transformed into this:



Look out for proper pictures of these beauties, as well as the pattern which I am currently working on.

And below is the peplum for Kam's ambitious second project (after a lovely scarf she has produced at the beginning of the course) - a fab and ultra-complicated cardi.





This vest was produced in a couple of versions by one of the speediest participants and its twin is in Japan now (totally by accident via China), shipped as a gift for a very special person:



This cabled vest is just fabulous and in the fervour of today's session I missed my opportunity to photograph it on its maker!



Next comes an opulent silk cardi for Clara, which I am currently working on (look out for the free beginner-friendly pattern on Stitchville):



And here is a lonely wrist warmer - its mate is still on the needles and due to go to my wonderful mother-in-law tomorrow (yes, yes, I know, time is running out!).



And if all that was not enough, we were also treated by Stephanie to a delicious home-made carrot cake to mark the last session.



It's hard to believe that for most participants this was the very first encounter with the knitting needles , but it actually is the case! Amazing progress has been made by all and I am so very impressed by all the work that has been accomplished (I smile thinking of my very first projects).

Hip hip hooray for all of you! It was so much fun working with you all - keen, ambitious and fabulous people. Hope to see you around and keep it up with the knitting thing!

:)

Bewildered Pod

A precious moment in a wonderous life of a knitter:

I was on the phone yesterday evening when Pod brought back children, and I nearly missed the only opportunity before the deadline to take the measurement I needed to finish the thing.

I tried to come up with a plan to measure Pod's hand without him noticing, as to preserve the total surprise factor of the upcoming event. I thought about it very hard for quite a while and ultimately had to admit myself completely defeated.

Back to yesterday.

Engrossed in a phone conversation I caught a glimpse of Pod headed for the front door, panicked, apologized to the person I was talking to for an unexpected squeal I let out and warned him that I would not be paying much attention to him for a minute or two, asked his forgiveness, grabbed the measuring tape (thank goodness I could place immediately this elusive object hardly ever there when needed!) and run after Pod - all in about 30 seconds.

I caught up with disappearing Pod on the doorstep and hastily asked him if I could please measure his hand.

I have known Pod for nearly 10 years now, and I think I can safely say that I have never seen him more utterly bewildered than in the short moment that followed.

He obligingly extended his hand.

8.5"

"Thanks Pod. See you Sunday."


Now, Pod is not a fool. He can put 2 & 2 together: she's a knitter & she needs my hand measurement MEANS I'll be getting gloves.

Ladies and Getlemen, 2 + 2 doesn't always = 4.

TBC.


Key:
deadline is "the Sunday party"
thing is "the knitted gift"
event is " producing an exquisite box encasing "the knitted gift" and presenting it to Pod

Slowly But Surely

First things first. This went off to Sarah on Friday, to celebrate 30's:



And inside was Jade Sapphire 2-ply silk & cashmere blend. (BTW, the quote was from "The Cat In The Hat Comes Back"). Well done Sarah!

Other than that I was busy producing samples last week (deadline met :) Sorry, pics are mediocre. Please note that I had to fend off little Oli whilst I was taking these pictures as he has recently developed a camera fixation.



My two favorite ones were Chunky Harris Tweed organically looking (hard to photograph) fabric above and one of my favorite patterns ever in fabulous Debbie Bliss Pure Silk, below.



I know I've been quiet recently - knitting furiously, holidaying and launching my new website. I have to get back into my blogging routine!
So far I have missed my 1st blogaversary, which was sometime in June or July, as well as the Rockin' Girl Blogger badge I was given by Sarah ages ago and didn't even say "Gosh, I'm speechless" and "Thank you!" Until now, that is.


Thanks for putting up with my very slow self.
I bumped into my friend in the street the other day and she asked me how I was. The closest analogy that came to mind was: "Like a computer which has all its applications open". That about sums up being a working (and blogging) mum.

Knitting Romantique

"After nightly prayers we would go back with our candles to the large sitting room to have café con leche while the women knit or embroidered and we children listened, terrified, to the ghost stories our uncles told us."

Isabelle Allende, Portrait in Sepia.

Primed & Ready

Amongst the one zillion things that happened last month was PicKnit No.1, which happened to fall on Bank Holiday Sunday. The weather was gorgeous - clear blue sky scattered with flocks of light and fluffy clouds. The company was of finest sort, coffee was strong and ice creams - delicious. We spent all afternoon there thoroughly enjoying ourselves!



Titus posed for a picture with the socks I was knitting :) Does he not look convincing? You would have no clue at all that he is not of a knitting sort if I didn't let you in on the secret...

PS: Kids were up a tree, hence only represented in the photos by gorgeous Teresa, who was simply charming and I am sure will make a wonderful knitter one day.