Purple Haze Cardigan

My new cardigan is finally finished - well, it still needs washing and blocking.

Sorry for the picture quality. When I took the pictures it started to rain, just a drizzle... but...



The yarn is the most gorgeous Sirdar Blur in a divine purple colour. The real deal is almost as purple as on the pictures. :-)



The design is originally by Stefanie Japel although I ended up making lots of changes as my replacement yarn (I couldn't get the yarn recommended) knitted up very different despite a gauge test:

I changed the sleeves to flared sleeves, and used ribbing round the waist rather than the cables of the pattern (they just didn't seem to work very well with the yarn, I tried). I also made one of the two wrap straps shorter than the other to avoid too much bulk.

When I tried it on I found it looks best with the longer of the two straps thrown over one shoulder and the other intertwined with it. Looks very 'boheme' that way. :-)

The good news is, I only used just under 3 balls of yarn... so I have two left for another project. :-)

Now I just have to wash and block it and make myself a pretty flower brooch....

Smolder Shrug

This shrug took me some time, especially as it was supposed to be a cardigan!



I used a pattern but a different yarn which changed the shape. and so I ended up with a cardigan that just didn't look like it should... Here's a link to the original pattern.

So I unravelled the bottom of the cardigan (it's knitted from the top down) and changed it into a shrug. Much, much better. :-)

The picture doesn't really do it justice, but it's far too hot to try and take more pictures.... You'll get the idea. :-)



The yarn is Rowan Summer Tweed in Smolder and a little of a merino/mulberry silk yarn in a lovely dark red. The Rowan Summer Tweed is half silk half cotton and has a lovely texture.

It was very quick to knit - the whole cardigan only took me 4 days. Without the changes and extras it would have been really easy, however, I prefer my version of it. :-)

Finally

Remember the illustrations I did a while back? Well, some of them were accepted for the Big Book of Contemporary Illustrations and I had an e-mail today saying that the 'on-the-shelf' date for the book is going to be sometime in September.

Here are the illustrations that were accepted:

Dragonflies, Alchemist's Cupboard, Red Back Spider, Marilynin Ottawa Orchid

I can't wait to see the finished book. Here's a link to the book entry on Amazon.

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On another note, the Chanel-Boho top is finished but it needs washing and blocking... I've started a lovely raglan cardigan in deep red and I am waiting for some fancy threads and yarns to mix in with the mermaid bamboo I dyed to make a mermaid shawl....

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... I am also working on an illustration and bought myself some mini canvasses to play with, probably with acrylics. I thought I'd start small (the canvasses are only postcard size). I also got myself some oil pastels to play with.... watch this space. :-) Not that I am bored with painting digitally but sometimes it's nice to have a proper brush and paint in your hand (and not just to paint the walls with).