When I saw my daughter in April she asked for a scarf. She likes shiny and colors in the red, pink, purple family. She also likes lacy. At first I thought well I'll need to buy some yarn but then I remembered I have a ton of undyed Habu bamboo. It's fine weight and will drape beautifully. So I decided to use two strands of Habu A-155, 1/17 Bamboo for the Gossamer Stars Scarf. I'm using bamboo needles size 3.75mm. I had started with some 3.25mm metal needles but they were too slippery. Sometimes bamboo needles really help with the thread weight yarns.
By now it looks like Kat Coyle pays me to knit and blog her patterns but that's not the case - I just love her patterns.
I've put the can of Telana Dye in the photograph because once I have this knit I will ombre dye it in shades of pink and purple. I found a good little video demonstrating ombre dyeing technique here.
Since finishing the Moorish Diamonds wrap I've also been thinking about lace with a contemporary feeling or deconstructed lace. It's a bit hairy territory because I'm not wanting to create things that look like they marched out of a 1970's macrame class - although give me truth serum and I will confess that I was there in the 70's and I did make a macrame purse. Well alright a few purses and a couple of belts. But people wanted to buy them. Thank goodness we are out of the 70's.
Anyway now I'm thinking more along the lines of Rodarte's sweaters from a few seasons ago, Missoni's recent crochet lace dresses and even some old Vivienne Westwood designs. And of course there is always that Japanese influence (Yamamoto, Limi Feu, Junya Watanabe and Rei Kawakubo) in the back of my mind.
Some of you might remember the cotton gima cardi I made about a year and a half ago. I ran out of cotton gima and so finished the cardigan off with some gold crochet cotton and it was a disaster. My plan was to frog it all and use the cotton gima for Mel's Chrysalis but once I got the gold crochet cotton off I had trouble frogging the rest of it. So it went in the back of the closet for awhile and was forgotten about. I found it recently though and am giving cardigan another go but this time with a deconstructed and wonky feeling. I can assure you this will not be to everyone's taste - but I kind of like what's happening so far. It will certainly end up looking odd and wonky and misshapen - kind of wild but that's the idea. Here are two progress shots.
On the left front I've used the tiny bit of cotton gima I still had to create some random yo's and decreases and then at the bottom have done a few rows of old shale stitch on large needles. This section is on waste yarn for now until I decide on a cast off or edging.
I will finish the sides and back with a few different colors of crochet cotton using a stretchy crochet stitch. You can see the start of this here.
Again I'm not expecting everyone to love this.
I like the idea of making something original, something organic especially after some time has passed and you can approach the cardigan with fresh eyes. And your daughter is one lucky young lady, she will look smashing in habu.
Posted by: Lucette | May 31, 2009 at 10:55 AM
I love where you are going with the cardi - I think it will definitely work!
And I also love the idea of ombre dyeing the scarf - it will look fantastic - that pattern definitely suits what you have in mind - can't wait to see it!
Posted by: Rose Red | May 31, 2009 at 03:44 PM
you go girl!!! i love how you are so fearless. i am full of fear these days but ehh i'm sure this too will pass. as far as the 70's go they are alive and well in my closet!!!
Posted by: gay | June 01, 2009 at 03:03 PM
I love it!!!
And I remember those 70s days too. I have quite a fondness for them, actually.
Posted by: nicole | June 03, 2009 at 12:01 PM