Color Fun

2 new colorways! One breezy, the other dramatic...

And the Winner is....

Thank you so much for your comments, and suggestions. Thank you for all the lovely names. I have the really hard task of picking one now. I expect the pattern will be ready by this Saturday.

Now for the winner of the giveaway...

corycoakley said...
I left this open all day because I couldn't think of the flower this reminded me of...columbine was the one! of course, a few others beat me to the punch. But columbine, totally.

Congratulations corycoakley! Use the contact me button on the right side of the page and send me your full name and your address. I will send you the supplies by mail, and will email you a copy of the pdf pattern by Saturday!

Now it's off to homeschooling for me!

New Furry Baby!

Every Monday, the boys and I host an animation group for teens at our house. Yesterday, one of the mothers brought 2 little rescue kittens with her, wondering if someone wanted one of them.
My motherly instinct kicked in right away, and so within minutes "Mittens" became our baby.

Welcome home Mittens!

Doll Play

A little doll fun for today.
Meet Wednesday, Betsy McCall's dark, spirited twin sister!

A Pixie Hat Story, and a Giveaway!

When I went to Little Miss SockPixie's girlscout meeting on Thursday, I packed a ball of Ella Rae Classic wool in a lovely lavender color with the idea of knitting a hat.

As I sat in a corner of the room, I sketched a hat. Maybe it was because of the laughter of the girls, and their little screams of excitement as they buzzed around the room... I felt like pixies were everywhere. I  envisioned a pointed hat, warm, soft, felted wool, and flowers, all in cheerful colors.

After a few calculations, I started the hat. By Friday it was finished. I stood impatiently next to the washing machine as I was felting it. I anxiously pulled it out. It was love at first sight! It was just the hat I had dreamed.

I knit the body of the hat with the lavender ball of Ella Rae Classic, and added a simple edge of mauve grey to frame the face and give the hat a well defined edge. I knit the strap of the same grey.

For the flowers and leaves, I picked through all my little left over "yarn walnuts". I needed less than 7 yards of each color!

I placed little aqua flower buttons at the center of the tiny blue buds for contrast and texture.

Who knew a hat could make someone so happy!

I will be offering the pattern as a pdf later this week. But there is one little thing I need your help with: a name for my little hat. "Pixie Hat" just does not seem enough for it.

Leave a comment in this post with your suggestion of a name by Tuesday November 16, 10 p.m. Eastern Time, and I will pick one comment at random using a random number generator. The lucky comment will receive all the necessary supplies to make the hat as well as a copy of the pattern!

New Yarns

I worked in my studio yesterday, and created some new colorways. I let myself create freely, just playing with colors, and techniques as well as materials.
My inpsirations ranged from  flowers to Madame Bovary to seashells, the matericals from Merino, to Tencel blends, to cahmere.

I have added these skeins to my Etsy store! I hope you will enjoy them.

How about a Little Knitting: Sashiko Mittens

I am an eclectic crafter. I love knitting but also so many other crafts. I love crochet. I love spinning, I love needlepoint and I love embroidery. I am particularly fond of Sashiko Embroidery. I have delighted in the embroidery of the organic, peaceful geometric shapes with oatmeal thread on indigo grounds.

I was so inspired by Sashiko, that I wanted to translate and reinterpret it into knitting. With winter coming, Sashiko mittens seemed like the perfect choice.

I chose 2 worsted weight yarns from my stash. One with a lovely indigo tone, the other a soft oatmeal.

I first knit a little swatch to decide on tension and fairisle pattern. I wanted the oatmeal design to be present but not crowd the mitten. This was my first sample, interlocking circular shapes on size 5 needles.

I loved the contrast of the colors, but decided the gauge should be tighter. The circular shapes appealed to me, but the interlocking made the pattern overwhelming. I switched to size 3, and after drafting a simplified pattern evocative of honeycombs, I started on the mittens.

I am really excited about these Sashiko mittens. These test ones will be for me. I am writing the pattern and will be offering it as a pdf as soon as the pattern is written, tested and edited. I should leave you now, and go work on them...

Hello World!

Hi everyone! I am so happy to be back. I want to thank all of you for your well wishes for Little Miss SockPixie. These last few weeks have been difficult for her and of course for the whole family. I think we are finally on the right track.

I thought it would only be appropriate to start my first post in more than a month with Little Miss SockPixie.

A few weeks ago, we gave her a vintage SmithCorona typewriter as a gift. She had been dreaming of owning one for a long time. We told her a computer was in many ways more practical to use for writing but I guess she had already imagined herself writing novels on a typewriter like the great writers of the past, like the heroes of her favorite movies, like Hubbel Gardner in the Way we Were!(Odd movie I know for a nine year old!)

Little Miss SockPixie, her typewriter and her stories have been inseparable ever since. I could not resist taking pictures of her today. It was so wonderful  to see her expressions as she wrote. I had to capture them.

Pensive at times...

Looking for inspiration or for that perfect word ...

Bursting with frustration with every typo...

Furiously typing away...

And most of all enjoying every minute of it...

Thanks Little Miss SockPixie. You and your stories made my day!

Quiet

I have had no time to write in the last few days. Little Miss SockPixie became very ill. I am so grateful for the wonderful doctors at Children's Hospital in Boston. Little Miss SockPixie is recovering and doing a little better everyday.
I hope to have a little more time to write soon, as I miss it a lot.

Fall Roving and Yarn Sale

It is Fall and before I bring in a lot of new fibers, and create new colorways, I am having a Fall sale in my Etsy store!
All yarns and rovings are from 25 to 35% off!

Have fun!

Mr SockPixie's Socks

A few days ago, I believe it was Monika who asked me if I was still a single project girl. My answer would be most of the time yes. I did make an exception lately when I knitted the Citron shawl. I had been working on Mr SockPixie's socks, and was procrastinating on the second sock. We will blame this sudden bout of SSS on the length of Mr SockPixie's feet, which makes knitting socks for him a very long long project, though still a lovely one as it makes him so happy.

When I was done with the Citron, I started dreaming of a February Lady Sweater but this time knew I could not give in to the temptation. So I grabbed my sock yarn and needles and got to work on the second sock. I finished the leg last night, and I am now on to the heel flap.

I am once again a single project girl!

Wheat Fields

The other day I told you I had been dying some worsted weight yarns in golden tones. The yarns are dry and they are so beautiful. What makes them special is their tonal quality. It is a 3 ply merino, with 1 ply being a superwash resulting in the dyes being absorbed at a different rate. This creates an almost barberpole effect very similar to the appearance of a handspun with incredible tonal subtlety and harmony.

I could not help but see glorious wheat fields at harvest time in these skeins. I dyed 5 skeins in this dye lot, because I was thinking of the perfect yarn for the February Lady Sweater.

I have just added them to my Etsy Store. I am off to dye some more but this time for me!

A Little Creativity

After a long day last night, I allowed myself the pleasure to create a little. The results were 2 beautiful 4 oz rovings, one inspired by Scottish tartans in tones of blues and greens. Such boldness always makes me smile.

The other, was at the opposite end of the spectrum.It is as subtle as the first roving was bold. It is inspired by the paintings of Chagall. Soft corals, aquas, almond greens and plum greys seem to echo the love in Chagall's paintings.

I just added these rovings to my Etsy Store. I am dyeing some glorious Worsted Merino in ochres today. I have been thinking of perfect yarns for the February Lady Sweater. (After I finish Mr SockPixie's socks, I will knit a February Lady Sweater.) I will show you tomorrow.

Welcoming the New Year

The last couple days were busy with holiday preparations for Rosh Hashanah . The children and I cleaned the house, preparing it for our New Year celebration with my parents.

I started Citron last year, and finished it today in the new year. I like the metaphorical bridge it represents tying one year to the other, bringing the promise of continuity, and at same time new beginnings.

I know this is ascribing a lot of meaning to a little shawl, but to me knitting is magical, kind of like life, a succession of individual knots which after hard work, and a lot of enjoyment become a whole.

The shawl turned out beautifully. I am so fond of its ruffled edge.

I love its simple yet striking geometry.

Thank you Hilary Smith Callis for your wonderful Citron Shawl pattern!

Innocence of Morning Lights

I love the light in the early morning. It seems to me that everything looks innocent in the morning. The colors are clear, yet muted, as if they were just waking up, and had not put on their full coat of intensity yet. Colors in the morning feel fresh and optimistic, full of the promise of a great day to come. I guess after the colorless darkness of the night, I find great joy in seeing colors again as I open my eyes.
I wanted to capture this feeling of fresh, optimistic innocence in a colorway. I worked on it yesterday afternoon. I dyed a single skein of Merino sock yarn in light, muted lavender, pink, sky blue and soft buttery yellow. The skein seems to glow... I called it Innocence.

I cannot tell you how much of a joy it has been for me to dye these unique skeins. I  am so fortunate that I can work with colors everyday, and that I can just let my imagination lead me to create these unique colorways for myself, and for you through Etsy.

Citrons Grow Fast

The Citron Shawl is growing fast. I worked on it last night while at the bookstore with the children. I really like the pattern, it is so simple, yet not boring at all. I find myself entertained by the play of textures and colors.

It is going to take me a little more work to be done with it. But the good news is we are starting homeschool again tomorrow, which means that I will be sitting down for many hours, and will need somthing for my hands to do while multiplication tables are being memorized, while essays are being written...

Knitting My Own Citron

Ever since I saw Citron, in the Winter 2009 issu of Knitty, I have wanted to knit it. What a lovely shawl! I just had not found the yarn I wanted to knit it with, that is until I created wonderful overdyes on Bamboo!

The pattern is wonderful, and the yarn is so soft, has such wonderful drape, and the slightest sheen. I chose to knit my citron using the colorway I called Peaceful. The color variations only add dimension to the rushed effects of the shawl.
I find knitting this shawl so relaxing.

I added 3 skeins of Bamboo to my Etsy store. I will leave you with Rhapsody...

Busy

I have had very little time to write in the last few days. We are preparing for the new school year (as a homeschooling family, it means a lot of planning!)and working on Little Miss SockPixie's new room. She felt too lonely on the third floor with her older sister gone.
I have had so little time that there will not even be a picture today!
Have a great day...

Fall Rovings

Today I played with rovings in fall tones. I used my 2 step process to dye the rovings, dyeing them once, and then using shibori techniques overdyeing them in a gentle color bath. I cannot tell you how much I love the richness of the colors. I also love the fact, that each batch is unique. Each day I dye fibers is a unique experience for me.

This week has been a busy week for me, as Miss SockPixie left to study in France for the next three years. I will miss my dear friend with whom I shared so many special moments talking about her dreams or mine. I am adjusting...

Kimono

You have heard many times about my favorite possession, my vintage kimono. Today it inspied a roving colorway. I simply called it Kimomo

I won't say anything more. I will just let you enjoy the color...

Monet Rovings

There is nothing like the subtle colors of Monet. I felt better yesterday, and worked on some rovings inspired by my favorite paintings of his. I dyed these rovings in a 2 step process, first applying a base color, and then using Shibori techniques, overdyed them, thus leaving some of the original colors visible.  I love the results. They are subtle, and share the watery quality of Monet's paintings.

I jus added them to my Etsy Store and hope you will enjoy them!

Crochet's the Cure

I had grand plans this weekend, I wanted to dye yarns and rovings, but I finally came down with this cold I had been fighting for days. So as a result, I am in bed resting.
But you know me, there is no way I could sit and do nothing. So I have been doing some crochet, a retro looking circular pillow. I am using Mission Falls 1824 cotton, and loving it! No thinking required. My head is so foggy now, I can hardly write.

Back to my crochet, and my sneezing!

Color Inspiration

Wouldn't this Vogue picture make a beautiful colorway? I am in the mood for greens...

Let's see what I can create!

A Dollhouse Full of Adventure!

This morning the light was good, and I felt inspired to take some pictures of the dollhouse. I had originally intended to take simple pictures of the house, but as I started to play with it, rearranging its furniture, choosing the objects I wanted, I felt Barbie, or I should say Eve,  had to be part of the house. Before I knew it, there was a story...

... The year was 1964, in a London apartment, night had fallen... Eve was getting ready for an evening at the opera. Her make up and perfume sat on her bed ready for her...

Eve was quick, maybe even a little quicker that night because she was nervous. She had chosen dramatic make up, giving depth and mystery to her eyes, she put on her pearl earrings, tied her hair up, and placed the flower comb that M. had given her earlier that day...

All she needed now was the rendez-vous point with James at the opera house... She sat on the satin covered couch waiting for the phone to ring...

The phone rang...

It was James. In his suave voice he said only 3 words: " Intermission, main staircase," and then hung up. She stood up slowly, and leaned against the wall rehearsing one last time. She would be standing at the foot of the stairs, she would readjust her comb, and drop it to the floor. James would walk by at the same time, pick it up and substitute her comb for a similar one. That is all she had to do to transfer the microfilms that were hidden in her comb...

She walked over to the couch and absentmindedly touched the soft fur stole...She found the softness reassuring...

She went back to her room to put on her evening gown, but paused one last time. What if she failed?

After putting on her gown, wrapped in the warmth and comfort of her fur stole, she walked back to the living room, and sat on the couch, waiting for her car...

...

OK, I am done imagining crazy stories for the day! But you know, secretely, I wonder what will happen to Eve. Will she succeed in her mission?!!!

No Dollhouse Yet

I know you must have been hoping that this post would be about the dollhouse and that I would be showing you pictures. I am afraid I have to disappoint you. You see, in order to take the pictures, I have to transport the house to that one corner of the house where the light is just perfect, which means that Little Miss SockPixie would have to relinquish the house to me for a few moments.

She will be out tomorrow, playing with friends... If the light is good, I should be able to take the pictures, which means tomorrow's post should be about the dollhouse!

In the meantime here is a color treat for you, some superwash Merino Venitian Sunset Roving I dyed yesterday.

My heart is beating a little faster just looking at it! I guess that's what color does to me!

Sashiko Embroidery

I am fond of crafts in general, but particularly inspired by Japanese Crafts. I covet the Japanese craft books, and routinely browse Amazon Japan and get inspired by all the beautiful photographs.

A few months ago, I saw the wonderful post on the Purl Bee about Sahiko embroidery,  and immediately felt like trying this type of embroidery. I love embroidering and love the simplicity of the Japanese designs.

I ordered a kit from the Purl Soho site, got it quickly, picked the thread, but as is often the case, unfortunately put it aside, and practically forgot about it, that is until last weekend.

You see, every weekend, Mr SockPixie, the children and I, go to Rockport to visit my parents, and spend the day at the beach. This last Saturday, I was in a hurry, and had no time to prepare my projects to bring with me. I was about to leave empty handed, when in the corner of my eye, I spotted the sahiko kit, all ready to embroider, on the shelf.

I did not think twice. I grabbed it. I am so glad I did! It was a perfect project for the beach, relaxed, and thoughtless, almost magical as a matter of fact. As I sat effortlessly embroidering, the pattern appeared.

I finished it last night. It will be a pillow for my bed as it matched the colors and geometric patterns of the quilt I finished recently so well.

A Final Look at Little Miss SockPixie's Dollhouse

I never told you how Little Miss SockPixie reacted to the dollhouse we created for her birthday.

She indulged us the whole time we were working on it pretending she believed our story of it being a submarine for Young Mr SockPixie. She was so sweet.

When the big day came, she could hardly wait to play with it. The night before she had discretly prepared a box of items that would go into the house.

We brought the house to her room while she was still asleep, and she saw it the moment she woke up. She was so happy, and so were we.

The house is now fully inhabited by Barbie, and Betsy McCall, but also by some unexpected guests. I did not really intend the posh decor for them, but they seem quite comfy...

I am so happy the dollhouse is fully lived in, and to see her so happy to play with it fills me with joy every day. I am so happy I am thinking of another house, a fairy house, but who knows who will move in!