Thursday, August 26, 2010

Knitting gadgets/Kleine Helferleins

Last week I visited Ikea and found this piece of fabric:



I think it's quite interesting - makes me feel inspired to use as a background, or outlining, for using the embellisher and a bunch of wool and fabric scraps ...!

My mother is visiting me right now, which means I won't get too much time for blogging and posting within the next fortnight - but I did some more row- and stitchmarkers lately:



I must admit I love these little useful gadgets - especially when they are so easy to make yourself!



A few I will keep, others will be passed on to knitting friends!

(German summary: Nur ein paar Kleinigkeiten, diesmal - ein lustiger Stoff von Ikea, den ich als Hintergrund für Resteverwertung mit dem Embellisher verwenden werde - und ein paar Reihen- und Maschenzähler, die ich für mich und für ein paar Freundinnen gemacht habe.)

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Recycling shopping gear/Einkaufs-recycling

While browsing the big web, I saw some tiny Granny squares put together to a keychain coin holder somewhere ... There was just a picture, no sale, no description - and I just cannot find it anymore.

But as I thought it to be a great idea, I've tried to crochet something like this by heart - especially as you are always in need for a coin for the shopping carts, at least here in Austria.



It's basically made out of two tiny, simple Granny squares, crocheted together with a loop for your key ring.

I used a crochet hook 2,5 mm and a bit of thin sock yarn, but a strand of embroidery yarn would do as well, I think.

The important thing is just about to cover the coin required and then crochet the two parts together on three sides.

(If your little bag should turn out to be a bit too big to hold the coin, you could always diminish it at the opening with a few stitches.)

Another thing which I wanted to try out for so long now, are these recycling purses - they are quite handy as a beach money bag - or holding a travel sewing kit - or tampons, lipstick, a small mirror ...





At least I know where I found this tutorial, it's from the Austrian recycling-artist Regina Lustig's homepage - it's a free pdf-download - in German, but the pictures are so clear, you'll understand it anyway.

And while we're talking recycling, this is the link to morsbags, where you'll find a free DIY-tutorial to easily sew the plastic-avoiding bag yourself!

(German summary: Eine kleine Münztasche aus einem Rest Sockenwolle gehäkelt, ein Geldbörsel aus wiederverwerteten Getränkekartons - und der Link zum Selbernähen von einer Stofftasche - voilà!)

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Knitting sea waves .../Wellenstricken!

No, no, I haven't been lazy though I'm still enjoying my holidays!

I've been carding and spinning and knitting my blue water into a sea wave pattern, altering between knitting and spinning and spinning and knitting ...

and just for some change, treating myself to a couple of matching stitch counters after taking a dive into my magic stash!



...knitting ...



... carding ...



...spinning ...



... knitting!



And well - it wouldn't be me, if not - a couple of other projects as well ... But that's another story!

(German summary: Nein, ich liege nicht faul herum, trotz Urlaub - ich kardiere, spinne, stricke meine 'Wasserfasern' zu einem blaugrünen Meer ...!)

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Spinning blue water .../Wasserspinnen!



Sorry for being absent for so long now - I'm fine, just enjoying my holidays ... Today I started carding and spinning 'water': blue and greenish silk and wool fibers, which remind me of the sea ...

I'm mixing my own self-dyed silk/wool fibers with those I bought from 'Dornröschen' - you can read about these fibers in my earlier posting here and have a look here - spinning a thin, quite even thread for a 2-ply, which I will probably knit with that 'feather&fan' pattern to make a gorgeous water-coloured sweater ...

(Ich spinne gerade so etwas wie 'Wasser': Blau- und Grüntöne von Seiden- und Wollfasern, handgefärbt von mir und von 'Dornröschen' ... luftig, seidig, erinnert mich ans Meer!