As you may be able to guess by the title Sochi was completed during the 2014 Olympics in Sochi Russia. Back during the 2014 London Olympics I went 100% UK by using yarn that I had spun from British Breeds and then knitting up a hat using a Scottish designers pattern. While the finished project didn't come out perfectly it really ended up being a great memento of the games.
With this in mind I wanted to do something similar for the Russian games but I was a bit stumped. As I pondered however I came across the Faberge pattern. Faberge = Russian, perfect! Plus it was a project that I really was very intent upon actually completing. And being me this involved spinning up my own yarn. I had already completed 3 of the 4 skeins of yarn that I would need. So in January there was a sudden burst of prepping and spinning fiber for the project. By the day of the opening games the final skein of yarn was spun up, although still sitting on my spinning wheels bobbin.The pattern itself is great and well worth the price. One of the key points she makes is to have you knit up a little sample to test out all aspects of the pattern. The primary reason is to gauge that your yarns have enough contrast to show the beautiful lattice. For me however it was also largely about the beads.
When it comes to knitting I am not a sparkly shiny person. I think most yarns/projects with glitz are tacky and not something that I care to be doing. But the more I thought about this project and its Russian-ness and the idea of Faberge the more I realized that I mu
st add the beads!I purchased a back of goldish/brozey beads to add to the project without being too gaudy. I knit up the gauge and while the beads weren't necessarily my favorite thing ever I still loved the project. Bonus hint to all knitters blocking was key. I don't know that I will ever get over just how much of a difference it can make when you take the time to block out something that is freshly knit.
Ok this recap is getting long winded. I think I'll break it up into a few different parts. So stay tuned for the rest!
First I was zentangling on some blown eggs. I love doodling and there’s something about doing it in 3D that makes it extra amazing. It was addicting and I ended up staying up far too late Saturday night/Sunday morning doing this.
ady Londonderry.
Awamaki: The story of this yarn/project needs a few posts of its own but in recent history this project has become my I-can-take-this-anywhere project and is largely being accomplished during my lunches at work. I absolutely love the yarn and the pattern is great but I'm worried the finished project will be a bit on the short side.
Yarn Eater: This project was started almost 2 years with the goal of using up gobs of the random acrylic yarn that has been donated to my stash over the years. When I got caught up in lots of other crafty objectives the project was set to the side and more or less forgotten. But it has come back out lately and nearly doubled in size! I feel like I'm never quite so good at random as other folks but hey it will serve its purpose of using up my yarn and keeping me warm even if the finished blanket is kinda ugly looking. Its a good anytime brainless project although being a blanket its no good for traveling.
Needle Felting: My alpaca benefactor and the reason I do any spinning at all asked back in December I think about the possibility of some-what life like alpacas from the fiber of the animals itself. After much thinking, and finishing lots of other projects that were first in my personal queue, I managed to create a somewhat decent prototype from some scrap wool. Working with alpaca itself and getting the project(s) perfected will surely be a pretty large undertaking but I really ought to get rolling on this.
I'm thinking perhaps some of these animal blankets. (Available for sale in my store [see tab at the top of the page!])[/caption]
