Juliet

Pattern/織圖: Juliet from Zyphyr Style
Yarn/線材: Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece #930 Candy Apple 5 skeins (80% prima cotton, 20% wool, 215 yards) Double strands
Needle/針號: Knitpicks Option 40"#10.5
Duration/製作日期: 1/9/08~2/20/08

Juliet really was a very simple pattern, it shouldn't take me six weeks to finish this sweater; but between taking care baby and daily chores I guess it was reasonable??

I always love Zyphyr Style's designs, I like their designs being simple, casual, and knitted from the top down, I can try it on any time I want and the greatest part is no assembly (mostly me being lazy)!!

I love these Cotton Fleece yarns, I bought these yarns at LYS during their close sales, I bought 5 skeins, based on the pattern it should be more than enough. I didn't start Juliet right away, so after I finally started this project and read some bloggers mentioned that the yardages on the pattern really wasn't enough...panicking!!! The LYS was already closed, no way I could get more yarn from them and I didn't think I could get the same dye lot from other store.

Good thing it turned out OK, I finished the sweater with only a couple yards to spare...whew! I did had to rip my swatch to do the crochet chains for the buttons. And I would prefer to knit another repeat of the lace pattern to make it longer...oh well! I still love this cute top!!

And then it took me forever to find the buttons I like. I thought about using the huge wooden button like the ones on the pattern, but I couldn't find it at any LYS (unfortunately there's only one left) or the fabric stores. I kept looking and looking and looking...no luck, and really, if I use big buttons, it would make the whole sweater even "heavier"! This sweater looks really "cute", but it is also kind of bulky/heavy - it would make me look "huge"!! I found these buttons while I was re-organizing my stash...love these!! These buttons were from another LYS close sales. There used to be 3~4 yarn store near me, now there is only one left :-(


Now that I finally finished my Juliet, I want to make one like Kessanlin's, love her version of Sweet Juliet!!

Crocheted Shell pattern babydoll top

Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Cotton Frappe 6 balls (95% cotton, 5% polymide, 50g, 145m/159yd)
Pattern: Joey編織の屋 March 08 KAL

Hook:　3.5mm for top part/3.75mm for the bottom shell pattern
Duration： too long~ probably from end or March till end of May

It really shouldn't take me this long to finish this top! It wasn't that difficult!! But between watching two kids and all other house works, I guess I had a great excuse!

These Japanese patterns are always one size only and usually for a very skinny person. When I got the pattern I know that I definitely need to re-calculate all the numbers so the FO will fit me.

I probably only need to add one shell repeat for the bottom part, but I added one shell repeat for both front and back, so they would be symmetrical. I also converted it to round-crocheting; I'm lazy and main part is that I really hate assembly (I'm not good at it...hahaha)! The FO is a little too A-line to my liking, but then, it looks like it could cover up my big fat belly, so that should be OK!

I was so looking forward to wearing this top, now that I had finally finished it, I found myself afraid to wear it! Why? Because my 9-months-old is always "on" me!! And he had vomited on my clothes too many times, I don't want to take that chance! Sigh~

Red Capelet 夯夯夯的紅色斗篷

Yarn/線材: Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino 5 balls + 12gm, Color/色號: 700
Pattern/圖樣: Joey編織の屋 (2008年1月)
Tool/工具: Clover Lite 3.5mm
Duration/製作日期: 1/31/08~3/17/08


It seemed like I've converted to crochet now (ney, I still knit!), I mean crochet really goes a lot faster, I can see my FOs much faster than my knitting FOs. I love Joey's KAL, for Jan. 08 she picked out several projects for fellow bloggers to choose from, I chose this one! I joined the very last minute and already lots people finished their projects, most of them chose this capelet too, so I got to see what yarns other crocheters used for their capelets.

終於完成這件超夯的紅斗篷囉 好高興呢 粉滿意這次的成品唷!
當初在喊又時 已經是一片紅海了 但是真的粉喜歡這個樣式 就還是選了它了
我發現每次參加群編會我最大的問題就是選線 這回也不例外
原本想從自己手邊有的線挑 試了幾組 都不是太滿意 最後還是給毛線店再賺一筆了啦



This pattern wasn't very hard, I pretty much memorized the pattern after few repeats, I didn't have to make any alteration, just follow the pattern, voila!



I love the buttons, thanks, sister for helping me choose the button!! It's a perfect match!!
扣子是妹妹幫忙挑的喔, 那時接近過年, 想說紅扣子超搭的說, 結果花這麼長時間才鉤好.

It's very difficult to take a good photo on "red" garment, flash or no flash, just can't seem to get a correct color.
紅色很難拍咧, 怎麼拍都有色差!

Newsboy Hats 報童帽

Yarn/線材: Rowan Handknit Cotton #318 Mint Green 薄荷綠 1.5/1.75 balls (small/large)

Pattern/圖樣: Courtesy of 桔寶寶
Tool/針號: Clover 3.0mm (small) 3.5mm (large)
Duration/製作日期: 2/9/08~2/16/08 　

Ever since I started knitting I think I only made two sweaters for my 4-year-old, one is because everyone knows kids grow too fast, and with my knitting speed (slow!) I can never catch up; number two reason is it's a lot cheaper to buy sweaters than buy yarns to make them (this way I can more money to buy yarn for myself)!

When my 4-year-old saw this hat, he wants me to make one for him; he was so excited that he got to pick the color and the buttons. I never crochet a hat before, so I just followed the pattern, and it was fast, took me about 6 hours to make it, while I was making it, it looked kind of small, but I thought his head is not so big, it should fit if I stretch it a little bit... Well, it didn't fit!! It was too small, good thing it fits my 6-month-old! Whew!! Now, I need to make another one quick!! But I didn't know how to do increases to make it fit my 4-year-old, so I crochet crochet crochet, I increase increase increase, too big, ok, rip rip rip, crochet crochet crochet, rip rip rip....Finally it fits!!! The second hat took me 6 days, well, with couple hours of crocheting each day! Both kids are happy!! Me too!!

無意間逛到這頂可愛的報童帽, 從沒鉤過帽子的我一時興起問了四歲的老大喜不喜歡, 他馬上就催著要我趕快鉤給他!

從我開始迷上編織起, 很少有成品給小朋友, 總覺得他們長的太快了, 等我完成一件作品, 要不是季節已經不對, 要不就是他們又長大不能穿了. 而且說實在的, 買的還比我織的要便宜多啦, 所以扣扣還是留下來買我的線吧!

從來都沒有這麼快, 這麼打拼的完成一件作品, 我們家老大早催晚催, 一看到我就問, 只好犧牲睡眠趕工. 第一頂鉤好後, 居然太小了, 老大非常不爽, 還好六個月大的弟弟戴起來剛好(沒作白工呢)!
又趕快趕工, 還要加大尺寸, 又不會算, 真是頭痛呢! 努力的鉤, 鉤, 鉤, 鉤完了又太大, 就這樣拆拆鉤鉤, 總算交差啦!

最後是帽子加針的部份多鉤一圈就嘟嘟好囉!

Pineapple scarf 鳳梨花長圍巾

Yarn/線材: Rowan 4 ply cotton (100% cotton, 170m/50gm) #129 Aegean - 2.5 balls

Hook/針號: Japanese #3/0 (2.3mm)

Pattern/圖樣: Courtesy of Sheep House

Size/尺寸: width(寬) 20cm, length(長) 151cm

I decided to make this scarf all because of Margaret's FO! Just loved her Pineapple scarf, especially the variegated color, love it! I didn't want to spend more money to buy yarns (I really really need to be on yarn diet!), these 2 balls of Rowan's 4 ply cotton were the leftover from my Orangina, 2 balls...really couldn't make anything except maybe a scarf. I like long scarf, but I wasn't sure how far I can go with these 2 balls of yarns, so I use the food scale to measure how much yarn is needed for each pineapple pattern repeat, each repeat uses about 9gm. The original finish size is 194cm long, my yarns are not gonna be enough to make that long, probably not even enough to make the tassels. So I asked my sister to buy one ball of the same yarn from her LYS, of course not the same dye lot; but maybe it would be close enough to finish the scarf.... After I got the yarn, the new ball of yarn is brighter, so I decided to use it for the border and the tassels. Another project done!!! I'm proud of myself!!

又完成一條圍巾囉! 會鉤這條是因為看到瑪格的成品, 她用段染線鉤出來的圍巾, 美的呢!! 所以去我的屯積線線堆找出這組線, 是以前織衣服剩的, 就剩兩球, 大概也只能拿來鉤圍巾吧! 因為不確定兩球夠鉤多長, 我就拿出電子磅秤來量看看每一個花樣會用掉多少線, 這招不錯呢(從妹那兒學來滴)! 這樣子就不怕鉤到花樣的一半才發現線不夠, 會吐血咧! 我知道妹家附近的毛線店有賣這線, 我也知道是不可能買到同缸號的線, 但是兩球真的是不夠啦, 多一球, 若顏色有色差就拿來鉤緣編跟流蘇也好啊! 結果, 真的兩球就夠圍巾的主體, 新線色差蠻多的就決定用在緣編跟流蘇. 又消掉一組線了, 給自己拍拍手!!

ネツト編みのやわらかボレロ 鎖針地獄

Yarn/線材: Filatura Di Crosa Brilla (42% Cotton, 58% Viscose) #406 pink - 5.5 balls
Hook/針號: Japanese crochet hook #6 (3.5mm)
Pattern/圖樣: Joey編織の屋 群編會10月份活動
Duration/製作日期: 11/9/07~1/9/08

When I saw Joey posted the Oct. 06 KAL projects, my first choice was the first crochet top, I immediately joined the KAL, not thinking that I just had a newborn baby...where would I find the time to crochet??? Oh well, I love that top too much, I'll find the time even if it will take me 6 months to do it! I did several swatches using different yarns different crochet hooks, nothing worked to my liking, I just couldn't find "the right yarn" that would give me the right feeling. Then I saw most fellow bloggers made the third bolero, some of them turned out real nice; I especially like the one prattflora made (Thanks her for providing the border pattern!), and I found this Brilla in my stash, perfect fot this bolero! This bolero really wasn't hard, it just between taking care a 4 year old and a newborn baby, I can't really crochet all I want, that's why it took this long! But at least it's finished now, yeah!!!

距離上次參加群編會已經有好幾個月了, 一方面是懷孕後期超懶超累大概無法在期限內完成作品, 不敢喊有; 一方面也是因為打好以後短期內也不能穿. 本來還很慶幸Joey大大這幾期挑的衣衣都難度太高, 自知能力不夠, 所以可以只在旁邊看看大家的作品, 結果10月份就來個百變造型秀...我最愛這種可以換穿式的衣衣了, 二話不說馬上就去報名, 決定不睡覺也要鉤第一件上下顛倒穿. 誰知道試了好幾組線, 也用了不同的鉤針, 就是找不到我要的感覺. 後來是看到了阿福的華麗版鎖針地獄, 好美喔! 當下變節, 找了這組線, 動手鉤起鎖針地獄. 阿福的部落格裡有很詳細的說明她如何改編, 我也就照作啦. 後來再去請問她花邊的鉤法, 她也非常幫忙的把圖樣po上, 真的很謝謝她呢! 其實這件鉤起來一點也不難, 只是要在照顧兩個小孩之間找空閒時間來鉤真是很難呢! 還好終於完成囉!! 又可以去喊有囉! 一月份的斗篷很美呢....

Neck warmer

Yarn/線材：Rowan Silk Wool (50% Silk, 50% Merino wool) Silver - 2 balls , 1.5 yards of 1" Hana silk ribbon

Hook/針號: Clover crochet lite D (3.0mm)　

Pattern/圖樣: Cape, shawl, stole, bolero 3日で編めるカンタンかぎ針　

Duration/製作日期: 1/4~1/5/08

I made this for my cousin Catherine, she lives in Taipei Taiwan, she is always so helpful whenever I need something done, a very clever girl! This was an easy project, the original design uses a crochet chain to tie the neck warmer, but I like the idea of luxury ribbon - Hana silk ribbon. I found this ribbon at LYS, a lovely grey-purple-ish ribbon. I think it's perfect with this neck warmer!! I hope she likes it! This is the way the book shows, I like it with the ribbon tied on the side...

會織這條領圍是為了謝謝小表妹的幫忙, 她住在台北, 要什麼都買的到, 真的也不知道送她什麼好. 翻了幾本書, 覺得這個領圍我還能勝任, 還好織起來蠻快的. 本來是用書上建議的鎖針帶子來綁的, 但是看看送人實在有點單調, 就去附近毛線店找了條高級緞帶(Hana silk ribbon)來搭, 這樣滿意多了! 希望她也會喜歡呢! 我喜歡緞帶綁在側面的方式...

This one is the original.

下面這張是原版的照片, 有像嗎?!