Yasmine Shawl Version Test Knitting 雅思敏蕾絲披肩版測織

Test knitting Yasmine by Marie-Adeline Boyer in shawl version with Malabrigo Lace Merino in Emerald. Yasmine shawl weights about 40g and measures approximately 160 cm wide and 70 cm long.

I gave myself two weeks to test knit Yasmine. For the scarf/sock yarn version that is. Since I finished it in two days, I couldn't help but also test knit the shawl/lace weight version, which was completed equally fast.

I am in LOVE with this pattern. It is really an easy knit. The design is so pure and simple and yet elegant and sophisticated. After knitting both scarf and shawl version with two very different yarn, it is needless to say that Yasmine is the most versatile accessory for this fall/winter.  Should I say more? Want a Yasmine, or maybe two, anyone?

Now, some pics of me with my dear Yasmine, just to let you know what a marvel this is. I know I need to get outdoors and take some real pictures with my face visible, but before that please bear with these self-taken crappy pics a little longer!

Please look out for the publishing of Yasmine pattern on Marie-Adeline's Ravelry page. Besides Yasmine, we will be seeing more of Marie-Adeline's designs very soon!

Yasmine Scarf Version Test Knitting 雅思敏圍巾版測織

Test knitting Marie-Adeline Boyer's latest scarf/shawl design: Yasmine.

The scarf version was knitted with Noro Kureyon Sock. Variegated yarn wasn't what I intended for Yasmine but I really wanted to try this pretty Noro Kureyon gifted by Mary L. I thought if I didn't like the color combination after a few rows, I could just rip and switch to lace weight and knit it double stranded, since I have plenty of solid lace weight yarn.

Surprisingly, I finished Yasmine scarf version in two days. Yes. Two. I myself was alarmed by the speed. This pic shows how it's being blocked.

Yasmine scarf version is about 120 cm wide and 60 cm deep. And used up way less than one skein of Noro Kureyon Sock.

I had some issues with Noro Kureyon Sock. First, I didn't like how it feels. It's kind of hard and not smooth. Second, the yarn goes thick and thin while you knit, and sometimes the thin part comes to be so thin that I think it would break while blocking. But after the scarf was removed after blocking, I couldn't find that assumed would be breaking part which I intended to reinforce by darning.

 

And third, I was afraid I wouldn't like the color combination of the famous Noro yarn and that it would compete with the design itself. Luckily, the yarn lives up to its reputation and it actually shows off elegantly the beautiful scarf Marie-Adeline designed.

Guess what? I'm in love with the marriage of this yarn and the design!  Now I'm off to knit the shawl version of Yasmine. Will keep you posted!

Few pics of me wearing Yasmine scarf:

 

Alice 愛麗絲

Alice was planned to be knitted up right after Cassandra, but Alice was busy with her life and so she didn't come out until a few days ago.

It was a very quick knit, even for me, who had a four-month knitting break. I could have finished it in two days, definitely less than three, but when I started the leaf border, my stitch count was off. I had more stitches on the first half of the triangle, and I couldn't fix it unless a visit to the frog pond. Besides, the garter stitch main body makes any fixes glaringly visible. So, I ripped back to row 10. Yes. 10. Row 10.

It took me another half day to re-knit the garter stitch body, but the leaf border was easy enough and it was finished in no time.

Alice used up almost a whole skein of cotton silk blend yarn. Only a little was left. No modifications were made, except the way I did the ssk: slip 1, place slipped stitch back to left needle, k2tog tbl. That way the stitch definition was great for it resembles exactly the k2tog.

Selbu Modern 色布配色貝雷帽

Selbu Modern was 2011-1 KAL project of Taiwan Knit Along.

And that was way back in Jan or Feb.

Scarlett asked for a hat in pink and magenta and Selbu Modern was a perfect match. I knitted to around row 30 and found the whole knitting really miserable. 

I used the tubular/invisible cast on featured in Interweave Knits Fall 2008, and tried to hide my float while knitting to avoid snag. I had had tension problem with stranded knitting, and thinking back now I wasn't really concentrating while working on it. Crappy results. Decided to rip. And then the weather got warm.

More than six months have past, with much cooler air, I started knitting again. Especially after two successful stranded berets, I thought, why not finish what I started? So, Selbu Modern was officially ripped and re-started.

This time I used tubular cast on with Judy's magic cast on. Way easier than IK Fall 2008 tubular cast on. No fuss at all. The only set back was the ripped yarn was so crinkled like ramen... but of course it got better after using up the quantity for the first 30 rows!

After finishing the pink Selbu Modern, I think I know why I was not able to concentrate the first time. The pattern has been updated and although I didn't compare the versions side by side, I was sure the newer version was better.

Delighted, a second Selbu Modern was cast on, for Sebastian. The yarns were the same type as the pink version but in yellow and blue. And I found that the newer version of the pattern was written and colored exactly like how I was going to knit Sebastian's Selbu Modern! Seriously, when I re-started Selbu Modern and before getting out the pattern, which I downloaded again from Ravelry instead of going through my hard drive, the color combination was already decided!

Seba and I really liked the colors, although it's kind of more Swedish than Norwegian!

Béret Généreux 大方配色貝雷帽

Beret Genereux was the 2011 4th KAL for Taiwan Knit Along.

I With the permission of Isabelle Allard, had the beret in mind for quite while, but never got to pick up the needles and yarn. Even when I was helping on the translation, doubt was still lingering in here about whether or not I would knit it.

This was the first project I made after the four-month stop on knitting. And I ended up knitting two berets. One for Sebastian and one for Scarlett.

It's not my first stranded knitting, but I had always had a problem with the yarn float. Since the pattern called for worsted weight yarn, I figured it might also be a good project to destash all those fingering weight yarn I have. An off-white merino fingering was used double-stranded to pair with a blue jean/various colors variegated sport-dk weight wool yarn.

It was really interesting to knit for the brim was corrugated ribs and I tried a new tubular cast on: Tubular Cast On with Judy's Magic Cast On. The colorwork chart was so easy to follow that it took only one night and one morning to finish!

After a successful stranded come-back knitting, I cast on for a second beret, pairing the same off-white merino fingering double stranded with the same type of sport-dk weight wool yarn, but in magenta/various colors variegated.

The first beret was knitted during a weekend, but the second had to span into the week, but still, it just  took two more nights after work and dinner & etc to finish.

Scarlett and Sebastian were impressed by the colorwork! And I have yet to take pictures with S&S wearing them!

Cookie A Socks Cookie A 設計的襪子

Although it seems almost impossible but I have been abandoning my blog for six months!! Actually, I've been also kind of abandoning my knitting for about four months, only occasionally I continued to knit Mandala II for my aunt.

Before I went on a hiatus on updating the blog, I actually had three pairs of socks done, all of them were Cookie A's design: Hedera, Pomatomus and Marlene. And all of them were knitted with Knit Picks' yarn: Stroll and Stroll Tonal.

Marlene was the last project I worked on before the four-month break from knitting, but I still have to take pictures of them.

So, here they are: Hedera in Knit Picks Stroll Burgundy




The leg length was shortened, shorter than I used to like, for after wearing and washing the socks grow....






These are Pomatomus in Knit Picks Stroll Tidepool Heather:




Knit Picks Stroll are quite nice to work with. Stroll Tonal's even better! Really nice quality and equally nice price!