Quote of the day

In the rhythm of the needles

there is music for the soul.


Breiclub in Oostende : om de 2 weken de zaterdag van 10 u - 12.30 u in de bieb



zaterdag 31 maart 2012

My green sweater is finished !

The pattern is from Debbie Bliss, a magazine I picked up when I was in the UK during the Christmas holidays.


This is the sweater I liked very much. 



 'Putting on the Ritz' was the title.  I really liked the colour, green is my all-time favourite colour, because I have greenish/gray eyes.  When I wear something green, my eyes light up, so I'm told.

I was very lucky to find a green tweed in the collection of Bergère de France, at Rebecca's shop. It knitted really well, with a soft result.   I treated myself to a pair of wooden needles nr 4, it was just perfect.

I knitted it a bit longer, as I'm quite tall

The huge collar was knitted in short rows

I found some cool wooden buttons

a view from the back
Now I'm ready for a next project.  What will it be ?

donderdag 29 maart 2012

barbie fever

I have found my inner - child thanks to ... 

an old love rediscovered
 
It all happened when I visited a local flea market.  There was this old barbie-doll, lying on the floor.  Not very clean, hair a real mess.  But what caught my eye, was the hand-knitted dress she had on.  It was a beautiful purple dress, half knitted and half crochet, with a small purse and a nice hat.

I combed her hair and broke the comb.
I picked her up, to examine in detail and to admire the craftmanship of the knitter who made this ensemble.  It was a perfect fit, put together by someone with an eye for detail !  Then the seller said, 'only 50 cents, dear'.  Who could refuse such a deal ?  The little dress was worth so much more, so I paid and put her in my bag.

a lovely hat, finished with an elastic band and a cute flower

perfect bodice, a lovely stich is used
 At home it started.  I took off the dress, and put it back on, memories flooded my mind.  My sister and I have played with barbie many many hours.  We had rather old-fahioned barbies, and 1 Ken.

I had this Stacey,
for my birthday in 1972 this hair growing barbie
Ken belonged to my sister.  She would never lend him to marry one of my dolls !
My sister had a Francie, a brunette
the last one I got was Malibu barbie


And on sunday afternoon, we crafted many dresses with leftover scraps of fabric, and designed the most outragous outfits.  (I'm talking Seventies here,  when everything silly was possible - remember Abba ?)

That's when I learned about shaping with 'darts', making buttonholes, adding hooks and eyes, sewing hems, ....  you name it, I found out about it.  All thanks to  barbie.  I never used a paper pattern, didn't know it existed...  We just cut and folded on the doll itself. 

We also knit stuff, and crochet ruffles and ribbons to put on the dresses,  and unvented many ways to increase, and decrease, and mix the most impossible colours together.  We were happy with a new ball of wool, some left over handed down to us from grandmother or mother.

Anyway,  I wondered if I still had it in me.  So all last week I've been knitting and sewing barbie stuff.  My husband and sons are wondering if there's anything seriously wrong with me, or if it's just a little nostalgic craze...

these are pics of my designs, probably more will follow.  Barbie fever isn't over yet....
a circle skirt, lots of fabric needed
I used small straps of velcro to close it.

She can get away with this sexy decolleté

a solution for big hair...

how cool is that ?
a summer dress
with a little belt

in gold, ready to party !
I found inspiration on this website : www.stickatillbarbie.se, an amazing 1000 different patterns to knit for Barbie.  but I always change or add something of myself to it.

Greetings from a big barbie fan !

maandag 5 maart 2012

workshop Kaffe Fassett & Brandon Mably

OMG !!!   WTF ????   Can this be real ?????  
the world's best knitters are coming to Belgium ? 

Brandon Mably



And they are going to give a workshop in Antwerp ? 

Yes, it's true !  And I am so happy that it is on a date that I am free, so I can participate. 
It's not cheap, but hey, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity !

so, I have booked my seat, and I'm going to listen to a brilliant man, telling me all about knitting.  Weird, isn't it ?

lesson nr 1 : choose your colours ?
 
Can't wait, this is really wonderful - crazy - super - mega - nice  

I particularly like this design by Brandon Mably, in the new sping/summer book :


I will keep you informed ! 
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