corner view: flowers

We went to the park the other day and made some flower wreaths. I used to make lots of them when I was a little girl and it feels like it was yesterday that I was picking up flowers in the meadows; but now I see my daughter picking up daisies and dandelions, trying to tie them together in a wreath, and I can't stop thinking how quickly time flies...

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Happy Wednesday!

Dyeing workshop.

Some time ago I attended yarn dyeing workshop organized by Mica of Yarn Pony in her Edinburgh studio. I’ve been interested in dyeing yarn for some time now and after experimenting at home with some food colouring as well as with acid dyes, taking a part in the workshop seemed like a natural next step for me.

The workshop was an amazing experience. Not only I could see a real yarn dyer’s studio but I could also see and learn the art of hand-dyeing step by step. Mica shared many useful tips and advices with me, things I wouldn’t probably have learnt on my own from web tutorials or books. She showed me the magic of coming up with new colours. I think I enjoyed that part the most: playing with different dyes and mixing them together in search for some interesting colourways.

And this is what I brought home:

I still don’t know what I will knit with this yarn but I will definitely use them together. I think they match each other perfectly, don't they?

Happy knitting!

Today...

...I finally picked up these books from the bottom shelf where they were gathering dust for way too long. I think it's time to start improving and polishing my Italian- I only have few months left before our new adventure starts. We are ready!

FO: Little Ancolie.

Few days ago I finished this lovely cardigan for G. It was a test knit of the newest design by talented Nadia. Some of you already know that I'm a fan of her designs. This one is my new favourite.

Pattern:

Little Ancolie by Nadia Crétin-Léchenne.

Fantastic design, great pattern that gives beautiful result. I loved working on this sweet spring/summer cardigan. It fits Gaia perfectly and she loves it. It’s very girly and the picot edging is a cute detail. The pattern itself is nicely presented; the instructions are well written and easy to follow, the charts are clear and easily memorable. I hope to see many Little Ancolies popping out this spring and summer!

Yarn:

For this project I used Malabrigo Arroyo in English Rose (Gaia’s choice). I knit with this yarn for the very first time and I don’t know what to think of it. There are many Arroyo enthusiasts out there but I’m not one of them. After reading quite good reviews about Arroyo I had quite high expectations about it, I guess. The colour variegation is very pretty but the yarn itself didn’t win my heart. It felt a bit squeaky on the needles and I have a feeling it will pill terribly. Plus, there were several knots in each skein, a rather big disappointment if you ask me. But then again: it’s not very expensive if you think of its yardage, so maybe you shouldn’t expect too much from it. I’m not sure if I will use it again.

Note to myself: You know how you buy few skeins of hand-dyed, variegated yarn and the label suggests to alternate skeins every few rows while knitting for the best result, and you think: “Meh, maybe I’ll get lucky”? Well, think twice because chances are you won’t get lucky. Don’t be lazy and alternate the skeins. I didn’t and I can see a difference between the sleeves and the rest of the body. Not a big difference but it is there and I can see it.

More photos on my Ravelry project page, here.

Happy knitting!

Corner View: Birds

A seagull overlooking Edinburgh.

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