TO BLOCK, OR NOT TO BLOCK

Blocking knitting is a process that most knitters have heard about and many knitters don't do. And I was one of them for quite a while. But sometimes your knitting just doesn't come out exactly the way you want or the way it needs to look. If I put so much effort into my knitting I might as well finish it off properly and let the pattern /shape stand out..

I have always used my sofa or bed and ordinary stainless steel pins. But it was never perfect..There was always something wrong..the sofa too small, the bed being the only bed at our flat and I refuse to sleep on the sofa for the sake of blocking, not to mention my boyfriend! :-)

Photo www.knittingdaily.com

I've been wanting the blocking gear for some time now. When my birthday was due in March, my friends and family asked me what present I wanted. As they asked, I jumped at the opportunity and wished for my blocking tools. And when I received them - I jumped again..very high with a high pitch squeeee!

I received these foam play mats from my mum and my sister all the way from Prague. Thank you mum and sis! x I do have to say that my mum was a bit puzzled by these puzzles when I asked for them as I think she secretly hoped I would have another use for them then knitting...Yes, they are meant for children to play on...sorry mum, not yet..;-)

I am going to use these mats instead of a blocking board. I like the idea of putting them in shape, width and lenght as I need to. I can easily stick the pins in and they do not require enormous space to store them.

Also one more thing I like about them is the fact that they are quiet comfortable and soft  and your knees don't hurt while blocking (which can take some time) on my hard wooden floor.

The other present I received from my lovely friend Renata are these blocking wires called Blockit. And I am in love. I can't recommend them enough. The kit contains twelve 36" rigid wires, two 24" flexible wires, 20 steel "T" shape pin which are also rust-proof, yardstick, sturdy storage tube and blocking instructions. They make the whole blocking experience a lot easier!

I've just finished knitting the Taygete shawl so my next post will be about blocking this beauty. Watch this space!

In the mean time, just for fun, let's have a little survey about blocking. :-) 
Only 2 questions..

You should be able to see the results immediately after you complete the survey. Thank you!

Click here to take survey

ANNIVERSARY SOCKS

21st of March is a special day for me.

Not only it is officially the first day of spring, but it is my and Oliver's anniversary. Here is what he gets ;-)

© Yarn to Knit

© Yarn to Knit

I've used our Yarn to Knit 4 ply in "Witches' Feast" colourway. The pattern is "Tracks" by OzKnitter available for free on Ravelry. I love the "Eye of Partridge" heel..

© Yarn to Knit

H A P P Y  A N N I V E R S A R Y  O L L I E ! xx

SPRING, THE SWEET SPRING

Spring, the sweet spring, is the year’s pleasant king,     

Then blooms each thing, then maids dance in a ring,
Cold doth not sting, the pretty birds do sing:
    Cuckoo, jug-jug, pu-we, to-witta-woo!

The palm and may make country houses gay,
Lambs frisk and play, the shepherds pipe all day,
And we hear aye birds tune this merry lay:
    Cuckoo, jug-jug, pu-we, to-witta-woo!

The fields breathe sweet, the daisies kiss our feet,
Young lovers meet, old wives a-sunning sit,
In every street these tunes our ears do greet:
    Cuckoo, jug-jug, pu-we, to witta-woo!

from Summer’s Last Will and Testament by Thomas Nashe (1600)

I got 100 flowers to knit & crochet book by Lesley Stanfield for Christmas. 

I think now it is the time to use it. :-)

A collection of beautiful blooms for embellishing clothes, accessories, cushions and throws..

The flowers are gorgeous, well written patterns and nice pictures.  

A beautiful book that I'll be keeping for sure. 

Looky looky what I've made!

SPECIAL OFFER! 

21% off (yarns only) at Yarn to Knit shop this week. Offer ends Sunday 27th March 2011. Enter "SPRING2011" code in the checkout.

KNITTING IN PAINTINGS

Last Sunday I went to see the "Watercolour" exhibition in Tate Britain. While admiring painting by Walter Langley below I thought I would blog about knitting in paintings. There are quite a few out there. Here is a small selection.

Walter Langley (1852-1922)

Born in Birmingham, Langley settled in Newlyn in Cornwall early in 1882. Many of his works were inspired by the lives of the fishing community there. In this example two women wait in their cottage for the return of a fisherman missing at sea.

This work shows Langley's mastery of subtle colour harmonies and texture and his bold use of scratching-out, for example in the strands of the women's hair where it is caught by the light. Langley was unusual among Victorian artists in that he made his name purely through his watercolours - he didn't begin to exhibit oils regularly until 1892.

Walter Langley - But Men Must Work and Women Must Weep

John Thomas Peele (1822 - 1897)

Painter of genre, landscape and portraits. Born in Peterborough but at 12 emigrated to America with his parents and settled in Buffalo where he began to paint. Studied in New York then worked in Albany for several years as a portrait painter. Returned to NY but about 1851 returned to London and lived there apart from some recorded stays in Liverpool and the Isle of Man. Exhibited at the RA and elsewhere. Often featured children as subjects.

John Thomas Peele - The Knitting Lesson, 1858, oil on canvas

Jules Adolphe Aimé Louis Breton (May 1, 1827 – July 5, 1906)

was a 19th century French Realist painter. His paintings are heavily influenced by the French countryside and his absorption of traditional methods of painting helped make Jules Breton one of the primary transmitters of the beauty and idyllic vision of rural existence.

Jules Breton - Young Woman Knitting

William Dyce (1806-1864) 

was originally from Scotland and came to Wales for his health and a change of air in 1860. The artist was immediately captivated by the area. This painting, based on sketched material from his excursion, was probably painted in the studio on his return to London.

William Dyce's Welsh Landscape with Two Women Knitting, 1860 © Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales

Jozef Israëls (27 January 1824, Groningen - 12 August 1911, Scheveningen)

was a Dutch painter, and "the most respected Dutch artist of the second half of the nineteenth century".

He was born in Groningen, of Jewish parents. His father intended for him to be a man of business, and it was only after a determined struggle that he was allowed to enter on an artistic career. However, the attempts he made under the guidance of two second-rate painters in his native town Buys and van Wicheren while still working under his father as a stock-broker's clerk, led to his being sent to Amsterdam, where he became a pupil of Jan Kruseman and attended the drawing class at the academy. He then spent two years in Paris, working in Picot's studio, and returned to Amsterdam. There he remained till 1870, when he moved to The Hague for good.

Jozef Israels - Three Women Knitting by the Sea

FALLING LEAVES SHAWL COMPLETED

I have completed this shawl a while ago but it took me a while to take pictures of it. I had it on display in the Big Knit show in Exeter and it was quite popular. Knitted from my Yarn to Knit hand dyed yarn, 4 ply.

 The pattern is called "Cherry Surprise" by Preita Sayler. You can find it on Ravelry for free.

I think there is a little mistake in the pattern..

I THINK it should say in Pattern Repeat: 2.row: K2, P2tog K2 tog till 1st before marker, p3 (P2tog K2tog till 2 last stitches), K2

I did one more repeat of the edging at the end. (starting with “Knit 4 rows in garter stitch…)

I am pretty sure I did some mistakes along the way but I think it turned out quite well!

I am very pleased with it, my first shawl. Love it.

FALLING LEAVES SHAWL

Yesterday I dyed this 4 ply sock yarn.
I love it so much that I have started knitting a " Falling Leaves Shawl".
You can find the pattern "Cherry Surprise" by Preita Salyer on Ravelry.
Easy to follow and memorise pattern. Thumbs up Preita! :-).

You can have it too! 1 skein is available at my shop.

Falling Leaves

Now..where are my glasses..?

I can't wait to finish it and block it!

       

ALLY PALLY 2010

I went to Knitting & Stitching Show at Ally Pally yesterday afternoon with Oliver. We had a great time. It was not that crowded as I expected, probably because it was the last day of the show. So all good.
I absolutely loved the art hats by Deirdre Hawken.

Chilli Hat

Mushroom Hat

Also this red dress by Emma Philpot where she used variety of crochet and machine knitting techniques.

Little bit of embroidery by Hazel McEwan called "Under Nature's Cover"

And finally this very cool knitted plane by Claire Platt

I also bought 1.1kg cone of New Lanark Aran Wool in Limestone from Woolfish to knit a coat. Just waiting for the delivery. So watch this space! :-)

KICKING BAG

My friend asked me to knit this Kicking Bag for Babies by Anika Lange available on Ravelry  for her baby boy to be born in January 2011.
It is very easy (a bit bored of stockinette stitch at the end..).

I used 1 skein of Yarn To Knit 4 ply - Ellie and I am very pleased with how the stripes turned out.

Love it.

WHAT IS ON MY NEEDLES?

I have started knitting this Neck warmer by Drops Design. I am using our hand dyed BFL wool in brown colour (not available for sale yet, but it will be soon..)

NOBLE COWL IS DONE!

..it was a present for my sister and she loves it. Free pattern on Ravelry. I used Artesano DK in Chile colour.
(The true colour is not as on picture below - it is deep red..)