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Considering the Tunic

Published
by
Deb
on February 25, 2008
in Design Junkie and knitting
. 0 Comments

Cabled yoke sweater from Sandra magazine
While in Moncton on Saturday Kelly and I each got a different issue of Sandra. I love this magazine; it’s full of beautiful patterns and cheap to boot. I’ve got one from several years ago and there are sweaters in it that I would happily make and wear today. This issue, Dec. 2007, is a mixed bag with some great pieces and some rather odd ones. Here’s a variation on the cabled yoke sweater that we’ve been seeing everywhere. There are a lot of cables in this issue, over half the designs have cables or twisted-stitch/ faux-cable patterns. Most of the rest have some other sort of deep texture, too.

green tunic with fair-isle cuffs
There’s also a goodly portion of tunics with bell-like sleeves. This green one really caught my eye. I like the idea of the cables and colourwork combined, the contrast of colour and texture. I don’t know as if I’d make this exact sweater but I’m certainly inspired by it. I can never stick to a pattern anyway. And I would definitely make it shorter. The line where the cables stop is more the length I like, about the top of the hips. I’m too short to really be a tunic person.

80sswtr.jpg
Speaking of oversized: I thnk it was totally appropos that I found this one while in a store I visited a lot in my teen years, because this design is straight out of the 80’s. Even the sunglasses on her head mimic the scarf that would have been tied around her head back then. Mind you, a real 80’s girl would have had her collar turned up, giant poofy bangs, leggings instead of slacks and a double-wrap belt full of grommets. And even though this gal has some broad shoulders, shoulder pads would have been de rigeur.

Ah, the days of my youth. Like, totally ;)

In search of Bamboo

Published
by
Deb
on February 24, 2008
in Fibre
. 2 Comments

I spent the day yesterday running around with Kelly and fondling yarn. Kelly had never been to London-Wul and Heidi is having a sale this weekend so we drove up (Kelly drove, I apparently just babbled for the entire day. Kelly probably knows more about me and my family than she ever wanted to.) to see if there were any goodies to be found. I made my little wishlist before we left with a few special projects in mind.

We left a little early, so I navigated us downtown to Reid’s magazine shop. Kelly had never been to this magical emporium either (actually, come to think of it, she’d never been to any of the places we went yesterday) and I think she was quite pleased witht the selection. I have loved Reid’s since my Dad first took me there in the early 80’s. They’ve always had the best magazine selection in the city, and certainly much better than any magazine shop around here. I forced myself to stop after I had 5 mags in my hand but I did pick up a yummy chocolate bar (they’ve also always had a great selection of candy bars, and were the first and only place downtown to carry Zero bars for years. Yum.). I got the new FiberArts, a Marie Claire idées (the Christmas one was surprisingly still on the stand so I grabbed it) Sandra and Jewelry Arts mag. I also found the latest Polymer Café for Mom.

When we got to London-Wul there were several people wandering around the shop already. I looked around for a while, chatted with Heidi, helped Kelly find some black roving and picked up a skein or two I liked. I ended up putting them back, though when I discovered the shelves of odd-lots. Lots of beautiful stuff to choose from. I found a gorgeous fluffy mohair in powder blue and some wool/silk 3-ply hand-dyed in sweet pastels. And, cof couse I got some of Heidi’s hand-dyed roving in a very spring-time colourway. I also got to meet Kelly’s friend and fellow knit-blogger, Jennifer, in town for a mini-vacation.

We headed off to Jean’s Restaurant for lunch. This place has been there for as long as I can remember, and that’s a while ago since I lived in Moncton through all of my teen years. I’ts not very big, has several booths and lunch-counter in the middle and is one of those working-man’s diners that every city has and cherishes. I think it was probably the best place to take Kelly who is a big fan of the Big Stop. We had hot turkey sandwiches and I couldn’t finish half of mine (I never can, they come on those big platters. I should really learn to ask for just half the food).

After we waddled out of the restaurant, I once again displayed my superb navigational skills by managing to get us to Cricket Cove. I did, however, not point out the parking lot until we were passing it… oops. Yeah, those navigational skills? Not so much. This was the second time I had managed to lead us beyond our intended destination. Anyhooo… We ran into Jennifer again coming out of the shop. She showed us some bamboo yarn she had gotten in a lovely pink colour, Sirdar Snuggly Baby Bamboo. This looked like exactly what I needed for one of the items on my list, to make a pair of booties for a brand-new wee cousin in Florida. Inside, I looked around and found lots of the bamboo yarn… but Jennifer had apparently bought every ball of pink! Oh, well, Cherie had said everybody had given her yellow and green stuff, so the green would do. Then Kelly, who is much taller than both me and the clerk at the shop, found one last ball of pink tucked in behind the others up on a top shelf. Yay, Kelly! You’re my hero! I managed to check another item of mylist with some Marisol Sulka, and left very happy with both the pink and green babybamboo.

After a quick trip to the Corn Crib (whole foods store) for some gluten free oatmeal for my aunties and dark chocolate for my mother, we headed back out and I proceeded to talk us back home (I mentioned the babbling, right?).

I made it home with all my swag and took off my shoes and relaxed. You know it’s a good day when you need a nap afterwards.

Loot

Doin’ the Amanda, part 2: Done!

Published
by
Deb
on February 22, 2008
in Uncategorized and knitting
. 0 Comments

I finished this hat several days ago but just got some photos last night. K graciously donned the chapeau and smiled real purty for me.the Amanda hat

If the edge looks a little stretched out, that’s because it is. This shape of hat really doesn’t suit me so I was trying different ways of wearing it, widening the brim, folding up part of the brim. I think I’d like to make another  with  more garter stitch at the edge so I can fold it up in the front and wear it like a ’30’s cloche.

another shot of the Amanda hat

I used Handpaintedyarn.com’s Handspun Buky in the Trienty Tres colourway, on 5mm needles. The colours are gorgeous and rich and the yarn really softens up with handling. The fabric is very flexible and stretchy. I had several people try it on and none of them felt it was too small or too big, including me with my humungo-noggin.