A sweater for me.

About a year ago, a few days before Christmas I received this little beauty from my sister.


It's soft, warm, and it fits perfectly.
I have finished my very first project using dpns:



it's a beanie for F. but he won't model for me....!
And finally this mohair scarf.


I decided to use size 4 needles to knit it because I only had two 40 gr. balls and obviously not enough for an average length scarf. So the stitches seem a bit loose, but I'm hoping it will look a bit better after washing it.

I'm here.

The last couple of weeks have been rather chaotic for me and to make things even worse I developed a bad pain in my back which kept me immobilized for a few days.
Then I had to deal with a small family crisis. Nothing serious, but you know....family has always priority.
At the moment I'm concentrating on finishing a project for the knit and crochet calender contest. Deadline in on the 1st of February fortunately so I still have a little time, then I will be starting another project for another contest, as well as a shawl I'm designing. I should say thinking of designing really, because it's mostly in my head at the moment. I will definately have pictures to show very very soon. It's a promise.

Nothing to report.

except that a terribly sore back has been keeping me immobilised since last Monday.
I'm not sure how it happened but I'm quite sure it was while tidying up my hobbies room. This is a medium size room where I have a table, a couple of chairs, a small wardrobe (actually it is an antique in urgent need of repair), my sewing machine, two knitting baskets, and at least a dozen cardboard boxes of different sizes which contain anything from oil paints, brushes, tubes and bottles of various paints and colours, various instruments for almost every craft you can think of, as well as anything for which a can't find a collocation anywhere else in the house. This is where things disappear for months, years even, or forever. For this reason it is also known as the "lost and found room" and sometimes even the "haunted room". I suppose there's a room like this in almost every home.
So at the moment knitting is out of the question, but here are a few of things I knitted back in the 90's.

Dpns: a new experience.

l have a confession to make. Ladies please sit down.....here it comes...:-
I have never knitted socks! Yes, really!
And there's more. I bought my first dpns just before last Christmas, dropped them into my knitting basket and waited to build up enough courage to pick them up and attempt a couple of stitches. Last friday I decided I was ready for the new experience, took a very deep breath, opened the pack and arranged the 5 needles neatly one next to the other on the dining room table.
I have never felt so stupid in my life. I picked them up and dropped two of them on the floor right away. How clumsy! Rita, relax..take another deep breath...good!
At this point I felt the urge to replace them back into their box and drop them (again) into the knitting basket (or out the window), but I decided to leave them on the table. Who knows? , I thought, I might get inspired.
And I finally did. It happened one day later but I will not bore you with the details of one of the biggest failures of my life: the twisted stitches, the noise of needles falling on ceramic tiles ....maybe some of you have experienced the same frustration. I was ready to give up but my little sister came to the rescue and made a great tutorial for me. So last night I started a simple ribbed beanie for F. I hope to get it finished before the weekend, wish me luck!!!

Back to normality at last.

With the festivities over and all the Christmas decorations out of the way, the ideas that just a couple of weeks ago were nothing but confusion in my head are now becoming more and more clear and starting to make sense. Having nothing interesting to show yet, here are a couple of fos from last year:
the Kiri shawl-


the Clove stitch shawl-


oh, and this-

St. Moritz scarf.

Scarf measures cms 26 x 157 ( ins 10 x 62 )
Any type of wool can be used. ( Avoid thin wool unless you want a very narrow scarf.)
Pattern:

Cast on 38 sts
Row 1) [sl1, k2, *k2, k2tog, yo, p2, yo, sl1k1psso,*] k5, sl1k1psso, yo, k2, yo, k2tog, k5, rep from *to*,k3.
Rows 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and all even rows of cable sequence: work sts as they are, purling yo's.
Row 3) Work from [ to], k4, sl1k1psso, yo, k4, yo, k2tog, k4, rep from *to*,k3.
Row 5 and 7) Work from [to], k3, sl1k1psso, yo, k6, yo, k2tog, k3, rep from *to*,k3.
Row 9) sl1, k2,*k2, k2tog, yo, p2, yo, sl1k1psso*, place next 3 sts on hold at the front of your work on cable holder, k3, k the sts on hold, yo, k2tog, k3, rep from*to*,k3.
Rows 11, 13, 5, :- work as Row 5.
Rows 12, 14, 16, :-work as Row 2.
Repeat from Row 9 to Row 16 three times.
Rows 34, 36, 38:- work as Row 2.
Row 35) Work from [ to ], k3, yo, k2tog, k6, sl1k1psso, yo, k3, rep. from * to *,k3.
Row 37) Work from [ to ], k4, yo, k2tog, k4, sl1k1psso, yo, k4, rep. from * to *,k3.
Row 39) Work from [ to ], k5, sl1k1psso, yo, p2, yo, k2tog, k5, rep. from * to *,k3.
Row40 and all even rows of diamond cable stitch :- sl1, k2, p15, k2, p15, k3.
Row 41) Work from [ to ], k4, sl1k1psso, yo, k1, p2, k1, yo, k2tog, k4, rep from * to *,k3
Row 43) Work from [ to ], k3, sl1k1psso, yo, k2, p2, k2, yo, k2tog, k3, rep from * to*,k3.
Row 45) Work from [ to ], k2, sl1k1psso, yo, k3, p2, k3, yo, k2tog, k2, rep from * to *,k3.
Row 47) Work from [ to ], k1, sl1k1psso, yo, k4, p2, k4, yo, k2tog, k1, rep from * to*,k3.
Row 49) Work from [ to ], sl1k1psso, yo, k5, p2, k5, yo, k2tog, rep from * to *,k3.
Row 51) Work from [ to ], k1, place next 3 sts on hold at the back of work on cable holder, k3, k the sts on hold,p2 place the next 3 sts on hold at front of work on cable holder, k3, k the sts on hold, k1, rep from * to *,k3.
Row 53) Work from [ to ], k7, p2, k7, rep from * to *,k3.
Row 55) Work from [ to ], k4, place 3 sts on hold at front of work on cable holder, place next 2 sts on hold at back of work on cable holder, k3, p the 2 sts on hold at back of work, k the 3 stitches on hold at front of work, k4, rep from * to *,k3.
Row 57) Work from [ to ], k7, p2,k7, rep from * to *,k3.
Row 59) Work from [ to ], k1, place 3 sts on hold at front of work on cable holder, k3, k sts on hold, p2, place 3 sts on hold at back of work on cable holder, k3, k sts on hold, k1, rep from * to *, k3.
Row 61) Work from [ to ], k1,yo, k2tog, k4, p2, k4, sl1k1psso, yo, k1, rep from * to *,k3.
Row 63) Work form [ to ], k2, yo, k2tog, k3, p2, k3, sl1k1psso, yo, k2, rep from * to *,k3.
Row 65) Work from [ to ], k3, yo, k2tog, k2, p2, k2, sl1k1psso, yo, k3, rep from * to *,k3.
Row 67) Work from [ to ], k4, yo, k2tog, k1, p2,k1,sl1k1psso,k4, rep from * to *, k3.
Row 69) Work from [ to ], k5, yo, k2tog, p2, sl1k1psso,yo,k5, rep from * to *,k3.
Row 71) Work from [ to ], k6, yo, k2tog, sl1k1psso, yo, k6, rep from ] to ], k3.
Row 73) Work from [ to ], k4, sl1k1psso, yo, k4, yo, k2tog, k4, rep from * to *,k3.
Rows 75 and 77) Work from [ to ], k3, sl1k1psso, yo, k6, yo, k2tog, k3, rep from * to *,k3.

Repeat cable sequence :- Row 9 to Row 16 ( my scarf has 9 repeats, but they can be increased to get the desired length).

Repeat Rows 35 to 77.

Work cable sequence for 3 times (Row 9 to Row 16).

Last 7 rows:-
Rows 1 and 3) Work from [ to ], k3, k2tog, yo, k6, yo, sl1k1psso, k3, rep from * to *,k3.
Rows 2, 4, 6) work stitiches as they are, purling yo's.
Row 5) Work from [ to ], k4, k2tog, yo, k4, yo, sl1k1psso, k4, rep from * to *,k3.
Row 7) Work from [ to ], k5, k2tog, yo, k2, yo, sl1k1psso, k5, rep from * to *,k3.
Bind off.
Wash and block.

Crochet bedspread, etc.

I learnt to crochet in my teens, fascinated by the beautiful things my mother used to make (and still makes) : tablecloths, bedspreads, tops...you name it. It's funny how I can often reproduce a crochet stitch without even following a pattern, and have a hard time following some relatively simple knitting patterns. Beats me!
This is the largest thing I have ever made, a cotton bedspread I made a few years back.


It took me years to finish it, about seven, and although I am quite proud of the results I doubt I will ever make anything similer to it, or so elaborated.

Another thing I learnt as a little girl was embroidery. Simple stitches of course, first of all cross stitch but not only that.
I have been meaning to get this framed, but I still haven't found a large enough round circular wooden frame for it. ( Sorry about the poor quality of this photo, it is a very nice piece of work I assure you!)


And now for this stitch, does anyone know what it's called?
I learnt it at a summer course held by nuns in a convent not far from here, and they called it "flame stitch". I find it very effective and beautiful and it reminds me of swedish weave....what do you think?



Well, if anyone has ever come across it please let me know.

Tunisian.

Hallo knitting ladies, I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas day.
My family and I enjoyed a quiet but pleasant day with delicious food (cooked by moi, of course), sitting in front of the fireplace mostly as the weather outside was "frightful", as the song says. In other words my knitting basket has been put away but fear not....I have already a few ideas buzzing in my head....all in good time.....
Have I mentioned that I have other passions besides knitting? Well this is one of them..


Those of you accustomed to crocheting surely know what Tunisian crochet is. I brought this particular hook back from Australia last year and have been making these squares mainly in summer, as I find it a bit difficult to knit when the weather is particularly warm. I still haven't decided what they are going to become, maybe a throw....any suggestions?

Happy Christmas to all!

.... The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,

With peace on earth, good-will to men!’

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Christmas bells are ringing...

....and I still have to buy a lot of things, In particular I need some ingredients for the dishes I'm planning to cook. My shopping list is rather long although this is going to be a quiet Christmas for us. The truth is that I would love to have the rest of my family who lives overseas here to enjoy a cold Christmas for a change. They are in Australia and most of them have never experienced it. Who knows...maybe one day.
Back to reality, yesterday was market day at Capo d'Orlando ( a pretty town about 25 minutes drive away from here) but , as I espected, it was sprinkling when I arrived and by the time I parked the car and walked to the actual market grounds it was showering. I decided to take a look around anyway, and 2 minutes later realized it wasn't such a good idea (the sleeves of my coat were soaked by the water from other people's umbrellas).
Since my idea was to get some dpns, a 4.5 circular, a cordless phone and something for Fabio I took a walk through town and managed to get everything including 3 balls of a gorgeous pink wool for me. But that was it, and so now I'm off to the supermarket. I have a feeling the next two days are going to be full!