My Stitch Library – Cool knits edition

After I finished knitting my seed stitch scarf, I vowed to stay away from big knitting projects for a while. I want to focus more on my sewing projects, so with knitting I'll mostly stick to learning some new challenging stitches. Here are the latest additions to the My Stitch Library. Bamboo stitch I would like to have a sweater in this stitch, though it might be a while before I have the patience to knit such a big garment. I also learned that when knitting more complex stitches, I need to knit quite loosely otherwise it becomes difficult. The stitch is not that complicated but if you knit too tight (like I tend to do) your work distorts diagonally. This swatch was ironed straight. Link to tutorial Raspberry/ Trinity stitch This stitch is not as difficult as I thought it would be. Once you understand how the "berries" are created it's pretty straight forward. Unlike the other stitches I tried the swatch doesn't roll and it's easy to keep the edges straight. I really love the texture of this stitch so I'm gonna have to find a project that I can use it in. Link to tutorial Rick rack rib Probably the coolest stitch…

My Stitch Library – Textured crochet edition

I've been thinking about making a big and warm triangle scarf for a while now, I just haven't been able to decide how to make it. Winter may be over (thank goodness!) but I've given up trying to make big projects during the season they're intended for. Instead I get started when I have the inspiration and try not to have too many projects going on at the same time. It's a constant challenge for me. Considering how long it took me to knit the seed stitch scarf ( a post on that is in the works) I think I'll be crocheting the triangle scarf. And what do I do when I can't decide on which stitch to use for something? I learn new stitches and make some swatches. It's become a regular habit of mine and I have to say I quit like the process. I'm gonna start posting them under My Stitch Library, as it is in a way a collection of crocheting and knitting stitches. I used Hopeful Honey's tutorials for these swatches. I like her tutorials because they're clear but short. Mini bean stitch Looks pretty straight forward but after a few rows I realised that my swatch…

Stitch me another letter

Last time I was experimenting with embroidery I stitched my name on a piece of fabric. I really liked embroidering letters so when I wanted to try the chain stitch I thought I'd try different types of letters and ended up using my logo. It turned out to be a good practicing ground. It's easier to compare the different stitches and swatches when the motif is the same. Here are some of my latest embroidery experiments. One thing I need to do is find a stronger heat transfer pencil or maybe try other transfer transfer methods. I had to sit by the window in order to see these lines. For this sample i was embroidering the logo using the chain stitch. Maybe not the best stitch for letters in this size or maybe I should have made the chain stitches shorter. Another option would be to stitch something along the edges of the letters. For my next sample I used my bigger hoop and tried using several colours. I chose the three colours below because I thought they worked well together and then I just improvised my way forward. Because of my weak heat transfer pen I quickly outlined the letters. Next time I think I'll…

Better late than never

2016 has been declared as the year of the scarves. My brother got one for his birthday (well, more like 3 months after) and I'm still working on my seed stitch peach dream. I've now finally finished one I crocheted for my friend Laura. Ehum, her birthday was in May. To my defence this summer was very busy. Better late than never, right? Once the scarf was done we had an impromptu photo shoot on Lauttasaari. The scarf is crocheted in a closed shell stitch. I wanted to use a stitch I've tried before because crocheting a scarf is quit time consuming. I really like this minty colour, it's mild but works great with both bold and monochrome colours. A few rows in and still in denial about how long it's going to take to finish the scarf. Tada! A few months later the scarf was ready and gift wrapped. "Hold the pretty flowers!" Me trying to channel my inner art director. But can you blame me though? These fluffy flowers were so pretty! And flowers apparently make great backgrounds. Then Laura suggested we go to the beach, excellent idea! You can never go wrong with sunsets! There was somebody filming a dance routine…

Oh brother, art thou cold?

Sometimes I'm not a very good big sister. On my middle brother's birthday I called him, congratulated him and told I hadn't been able to find a birthday present for him. I told him "if you possibly need a scarf, I can crochet you one". He's a quit easy going guy so he was like "mmmkay" and we started discussing colour options. We agreed on a dark wine red but once i was at the store I couldn't find a yarn in that colour or the right thickness. After another call we settled on a teal colour and in wool. What was more tricky was picking a crochet stitch for the scarf. My brother dresses in a quit classic style so I knew all the lace and flower like stitches were not his thing. Instead I tried to find a simple stitch that created a clean graphic pattern. I came across the Cable Stitch on Pinterest and after testing it decided to go with it. I found this great tutorial, which also shows a variation of the stitch where the diagonal lines are all in the same direction. The stitch is quit easy so I was able to finish the scarf before…

The Handicraft Master plan

25/01/2016
D.I.Y. Projects / Inspiration / The creative process
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The end of last year was quit hectic, which you might have noticed in how late I've been about posting about trips and finished projects. The good thing is that I've been busy meeting friends, going to exhibitions and even doing a bit of travel. One thing I've decided that I'll do no matter how hectic my days get is handicrafts. Finishing my green basket weave crochet scarf took too long because I was constantly putting it aside for things that usually involved sitting infront of a computer. Once I started experimenting with embroidery and rediscovering how relaxing and therapeutic it was, I decided that I need to always have one crafty project going. But since I'm a very restless person and I easily get bored I'm gonna try to have several pieces in progress at once. So that's my master plan! Nothing revolutionary really, it's basically what I'm doing with my sewing but when I thought of it I got very excited. Unlike my sewing (which takes up almost half of my room with patterns, fabrics and machines) handicraft projects fit in my lap and I can also take them with me when I travel. So here's to a very crafty 2016! Random freestyle embroidery.…