KnitTatCrochet

Monday, January 08, 2007

I've Found Them!


DiaMusee
Originally uploaded by Garyou.
As already written, Diakeito is one of my favourite yarn companies. Their multi-coloured yarns are famous and fabulous as well as their single-coloured yarns.
And I love those yarns, DiaMusee.
Why I love them? They really go well when you knit scarf with them.
I thought DiaMusee is out of production. It has been for sale for about five or six years ago, and since then, many multi-coloured yarns have been distributed by Diakeito. And I haven't seen it at my LYS for a while.
How can I tell you what I felt when I found them?

I have already made two Multidirectional Diagonal Scarves with DiaMusee, and they are the softest scarves I've ever knitted. I love to rub the scarf with the tip of my chin. It feels so nice and cosy, especially after you wash it.

Now I need to finish my second Kureopatora's Snake as soon as possible, and knit some scarves out of those Musee. I got 2 skeins of green and blue colourway, 2 skeins of light gray colourway, 1 skeins of red and blue colourway, and 1 skeins of dark gray colourway. I would knit a scarf with red-and-blue and green-and-blue.

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Saturday, January 06, 2007

Fetching in "Forget-me-not" Colourway

Of course I have enough skeins of each colours, but I love this colourway. I call this "Forget-me-not" colourway.

Yarn: DiaEpoca col. EP345 (left) and EP330 (right) 1 skein each
Needle: Size 6 (3.9mm) DPNs
Pattern: Fetching

As already written, the fabric is so soft and cosy. Cable stitches are crisp. It would be nice to knit a cable pattern sweater or cardigan in white or ecru.

I really enjoyed knitting this pattern. It's quick and easy, but very "fetching." I mean, "Fascinating." It is suitable for a gift especially when you knit with luxurious yarn, such as wool and silk or cashmere blend.

I've already started next pair.
The Second Fetching
I knitted this with Olympus James Dean Avenue. Olympus produces and distributes yarns have "James Dean" and "John Lennon" in part of their names.
Anyway, Olympus James Dean Avenue is made of 80% wool and 20% silk, and 77m/40g.
The fabric is denser and heavier than that of DiaEpoca, and also more prickly.
I prefer DiaEpoca. If I knit this with DiaEpoca again, I would make it a little bit longer.

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Friday, January 05, 2007

[Tatting] A Challenge


Tatting Motif
Originally uploaded by Garyou.
It is very difficult to tat with yarn. I usually tat with cotton thread, sometimes silk.
Why is it difficult? Maybe yarn are too stretchy to tat.
Still, I have an ambition to tat a scarf or a shawl with yarn. I've tried to make motifs with wool only to find obstacles all over me.

And this is the third or fourth experiment as a step to the achievement. Yes, I don't quit so easily. Being clumsy for all my life, I know too well that I can make things as well as other people after practicing thousands of times.
People often get me wrong. They think I'm a person of dexterity because I knit, tat, crochet and spin. Wrrrooong. My fingers are all thumb. I've never done any good at art or home economics classes. All I've got were "At least you have made an effort and that's all" grades.
If my works of kniting, tatting or crochet look good, that's because I've done those for an immeasurable time.

Usually people do the new things quite well with few tries.
I can't.
I need much more time than others.
I am aware of that too well.
So I don't just give up.
Or, I just quit after the first try and not wasting my time.

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Thursday, January 04, 2007

Name and Nature Agree Indeed


Fetching
Originally uploaded by Garyou.
It was one of those "Love at First Sight." I wanted to make this ever since I first saw it last summer. But as always, I haven't got started yet. Reasons? Well, it was too warm for summer and I haven't got any yarns to suit this pattern.

Today, something hit me like a thunderbolt and that made me get to it.
I knitted this with Dia Epoca and size 6 (3.9mm) needles. Dia Epoca is made of merino wool and 81m/40g. Do I like Diakeito, you may ask. Definitely! Its varigated or ombrer yarns are fabulous but single colour yarns are also splendid. Epoca is easy and fun to knit with.

Cast-on method I used is Twisted German Cast-on. I double-knitted the thumb. This was my first time to double-knit. It would be suitable to knit thumb or fingers of the gloves and mittens.

I was knitting this while I was watching "Die Fliegende Klassenzimmer " on TV. I know, I know. Everybody says that the original novel is far better than the movie. But I reqlly enjoyed watcihg it. Boys and Girls acted so well and their dubbed-in voices were good, too.
I love that dark and dull winter in Leipzig in the movie. Snow covers everywhere and the sky looks gray and dreary. Everything looks faded. Wonderful.

Today is the last day of winter holiday. So much for the knitting.

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Wednesday, January 03, 2007

The Second Snake


Kureopatra's Snake
Originally uploaded by Garyou.
I love this scarf a lot. I've already knitted one with Toasty Toes.
As the designer says, Diakeito yarns work very nicely on the pattern. Here I'm knitting with Diakeito's Dia Silk Ombrer and it comes out really good. This yarn contains wool 70%, mohair 20%, and silk 10% and 132m/40g. I took this picture after I finished the first skein. Two skeins would be enough for a short scarf.
The fabric is light. It would be pretty to knit with lighter colourway and use it from autumn to spring.
It is delightful to knit this scarf, however, entrelac is not for a slow knitter like me. Entrelac and Domino-Knitting are for those who knit at the speed of light.
Well, but I don't mind. It is fun to knit it anyway.

Slowly but steady the scarf gets long.

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Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Premiere at the Kabuki-za


Premiere at the Kabuki-za
Originally uploaded by Garyou.
In the good old days, Ginza used to be filled with clean and solemn air on the day of the year's first premiere of the Kabuki-za. Fewer people walked down the street; cars were hardly seen.
No more solemn air. Hyenas with full of 'lucky bags' are all over the street. Oh, dear.

Well, so much for retrospection.

I went to the Kabuki-za and saw the very first premiere today.
I'm so happy to see Harima-ya (NAKAMURA Kichiemon the 2nd) on the very first day.
I'm very lucky. Luckier than those who bring lots and lots of 'lucky bags' and strut along the street.

By the way, I knitted Jaywalker during the intermissions.
How I desperately want to knit during performance!

The picutre above was taken as peeping through the door. The right part is the stage.

Monday, January 01, 2007

Just One of These Days

It is so cold today. It's been chilly these days, but it was much colder last year. I'm really worring about global warming. It is already too warm to wear a handknitted sweater for me even in the middle of winter. If I'd stay at home, the sweater made me nice and warm without a heater. It may help preventing global warming a lot. Still, it is not cold enough to put it on and go outside. And I don't usually stay at home.
Instead, I knit vests, waistcoats, or whatever you may call it. I love vests. But as a knitter, I want to knit a sweater or two once in a while.
Dilenmma, dilenmma.

Anyway, today, I knitted a Brioche Stitch cap, a Fiona Bag, and a Kureopatra's Snake bit at a time. The cap is for my father. I knit it with Dia Epoca and the colours are brown and orange. This orange is just fabulous. It looks like filling of a pumpkin pie. It really goes well with dark brown. The colourway seems too 'dolce' for my father. Well, it could be mine.
I love Brioche Stitch. The fabirc is very soft and stretchy. I heard that the fabric is not stretchy enough, but my tension might make it stretchy.
Dia Epoca is worsted-weight yarn with sufficient twist and colour variation. I'm really enjoy knitting with this yarn.

I haven't written here yet, but I've started spindle spinning last September. Still a novice, but is is really fun to spin. I'm not really for spinning wheels since I spend very little time at home. I usually bring my spindle (Bosworth Mini. A purpleheart whorl and a birch shaft), and spin with it whenever and wherever I find the time.

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