Window Shopping: Dear Golden Vintage
When I lived in Michigan, I used to walk by Dear Golden just to see their window displays. Now that I am far away, I look at their spectacular knitwear on the screen. And sometimes I take notes for future knitting projects.
Handspun Dolman Sweater
This was a really fun project. It was the first time I knitted a Japanese pattern and it took me a while to figure out how to read it. (Really enjoyed reading this piece about Japanese patterns!) There were some false starts, but, once I got into it, I found the chart method really intuitive and helpful. I will definitely be knitting some more Japanese patterns soon!The yarn is Portuguese merino in natural white that I spun between 2013 and 2016. The two-ply texture works perfectly for both the tiny cables and the lace. I also used twisted rib, after I heard about it at a knitting group. Can’t get enough of it! It’s a great stitch. More pictures and info here.
Este foi um dos projectos de tricot mais interessantes dos últimos tempos. Nunca tinha experimentado um modelo japonês e a verdade é que demorei um bocadinho a perceber o esquema (este é um bom artigo sobre o assunto). Depois de ultrapassar as dificuldades iniciais achei o modelo extremamente intuitivo. Gosto de ver a peça planificada como um todo. O fio é merino português fiado por mim entre 2013 e 2016. A textura de dois cabos funciona mesmo bem para pontos torcidos e rendados. Experimentei a usar um canelado torcido e gosto imenso. É um excelente ponto! Mas imagens e informações aqui.
Winter & Mittens
It’s been a long and complicated winter, but days are getting longer already. Over the last few weeks, I put together a pair of mittens using some yarn I had leftover from sweater projects. The Tin Can Knits free pattern is brilliant! It was very easy to convert it into a lined version, using the different yarn weight variations. And this charcoal Icelandic wool feels just right. More details here.
Merino and Silk Handspun Dress
Handspun Cotton Top – Top de Verão
My struggle with this cotton fiber has been a little epic (spanning 8 years and 4 countries). It’s organic, naturally colored and absolutely stunning. But, as a wool spinner, this was a real challenge, and there were more than a few false starts. When I finally I figured out what this yarn wanted to be, I couldn’t find a pattern that would work well. So, I picked up Good Night, Day’s Welland Sweater Pattern (which I had knit before), did some math, heavily modified it and voila. The result turned out great. I feels and looks even better than I imagined. It’s wearable and light, with a great drape and a very consistent fabric. More pics and technical details here.
Depois de 8 anos e 4 países, finalmente consegui dar a forma que queria a esta fibra de algodão. É orgânico, as cores são naturais e o toque é extremamente suave. Mas foi difícil fiá-lo e tricotar uma peça em que ficasse bem. Como não encontrei um modelo perfeito para a forma que queria, decidi inventar um pouco. Peguei neste modelo que já tinha tricotado antes (em lã), fiz as contas e adaptei. O resultado excedeu as expectativas. É leve, fresco e tem um bom cair. Mais imagens e detalhes aqui.
Off the wheel….
Hand spun Portuguese merino, hand dyed with sourgrass (oxalis). Still have some more to spin – this may become a sweather! Very happy with my progress on consistency and twist in this light DK.
On the needles – Nas agulhas
Este algodão, finalmente a ganhar forma. // This cotton, finally getting to its final shape.
Back to the Wheel – Na Roda
Sheep to Sweater: Natural Dye Turtleneck
More knitting from my handspun stash. I used 5 different colour shades on this sweater – all naturally dyed by me using onion skins. The yarn is handspun Portuguese merino, in a chunky single ply.
I used a pattern, but modified it heavily, to fit my gauge and to get the shape and style I wanted. I am particularly happy with the texture of the fabric and the balance of colours – I was aiming for chunky but subtle. And it was immensely satisfying to use up all this yarn I had been making for years. More pics and details here.
Outra camisola feita ‘de raiz’, com os fios que tenho fiado ao longo dos anos. Usei 5 tons diferentes, todos obtidos a partir de cascas de cebola. A lã é de Merino Português, fiada em fio singelo, com pouca torção (na roda).
Tive de adaptar um modelo ao fio e ao estilo que queria, o que ainda deu algum trabalho. A combinação de cores ficou melhor do que eu pensava e ajudou a manter a textura uniforme. Mais detalhes e imagens aqui.
Knit Your Basics
I mostly like my knitting ambitious and special. But it needs to be functional too. Over the last few years, I have started knitting pieces that seemed less exciting to make, but that I really need. (The inspiration has been in part Karen Templer’s ‘Make Your Own Basics‘ series.)
These are two of those. They were mostly knit on flights, when straightforward knitting was the only thing I could focus on. I tried to go with sturdy, hard-wearing yarns and simple, clean patterns. The top one is a spring/summer scarf in cotton and linen blend, knit to replace my old black scarf I lost. The bottom is a wool shawl I badly needed. I’ve been wearing it daily during the winter – and I am still not tired of it. More details here and here.
Normalmente gosto de tricotar projectos ambiciosos e especiais. Quero sempre que sirvam, que fiquem bem e que se usem. Mas nos últimos anos tenho começado a pensar em certas peças em termos muito mais funcionais. ( Inspiração: esta série de posts.)
Foi o caso destas duas. Foram tricotadas sobretudo em aviões e aeroportos, quando não tinha cabeça para nada de mais complicado. Tentei escolher fios resistentes e modelos simples. A primeira é uma écharpe de verão em algodão e linho, para substituir uma que usei durante muito tempo e acabei por perder. A segunda é um xaile de lã de que tenho usado diariamente – e ainda não me aborreci. Mais detalhes aqui e aqui.
The Flying Fleece 