Crochet for Vanya Earthia

Hello ;)

Summer is in full power, yet we can't help but have glimpses of thoughts about winter. 

Perhaps, some have traveling plans for the upcoming cold season, or moving plans, or creativity, entertainment or other plans.. 

And I have been thinking of fall and winter accessories, among others ;))

Tulip Upside Down

I am making water bottle sacks for kids too! ;)  

Notes on yarn

I have been experimenting with yarns as long as I can remember myself knitting. The touch, the thickness, the care - it all plays important role in making and wearing a garment. Over the years I came to conclusion, that 100 % wool yarns are not necessarily the best option, when hand knitting a piece of clothing or accessory, especially, when an item is going to be worn against the skin. I have found, that yarn blends are so much more convenient and easier to use and care for, especially for such things as hats. I have a custom request from my beautiful friend Katya - she wants me to knit a really chunky hat with pom-poms here and there, and I can't imagine making one out of pure thickest bulkiest wool, - it simply will be too hot to wear, and, quite possibly, too heavy and even itchy. Will she be able to lift her head, if I use 200 grams of, say, thick alpaca? I don't think so! ;) Plus, you can only hand-wash wool, or else it will felt and shrink! Still in search for perfect super bulky yarn for her. Here are some yarns, mostly pure wool, great color choices, but not exactly what I'm looking for. Just an eye candy :) 

Creative mess

in preparation for the Tribal Market event  I wrote about in one of the previous posts, my table is about to overspill with knit goods ;) Over past few days I've been discussing this trunk show/gathering/party/market with my friends and organizers and it really looks like nothing else, simply a different type of a selling - buying experience, although, I wish it was at an outside space, it will be held in a store. 

Giving is Receiving ;)

I contemplated for a while what present to give for a birthday of my friend  and decided that she'll appreciate a scarf, made with unbleached organically grown cotton - naturally so! ;)
Oh, btw, knitting with the needles, that my dear friends Katya and Sergey gave me, is such a pleasure to the eye and to the touch, combined with the feeling of natural combed cotton yarn is pure bliss! 

Scarf Face...

...is the same as the back! My favorite garter stitch makes up a wonderful pattern out of one of my favorite yarns, that I'm using for knitting the longest scarf evah! Lyon Brand Landscapes yarn in "Autumn Trails" has wonderful texture of colors, so perfect for any season, if you ask me ;) 

I couldn't really knit with regular size needles, they were too long and I was moving too slow, so I used some laying around rubber bands, the ones that hold together bunched-up broccoli and salad greens at a grocery store. Maybe it will be helpful for you too, when in need of short needles with single ends: use 2 sock needles, wrapping rubber bands around one of each needle's end, voila! you have a set of short single-ended knitting needles!

Have a wonderful weekend! ;)

Working on...

This alpaca yarn is so incredibly soft! Perfect for a hat, I decided... 

Mary had a little... sheep!

I was searching for yarn to make the model of a "fur" vest I have had an idea of in my head for a while, and stumbled upon several opinions that make me consider to look at Lopi yarn. I looked, I decided, I got it :) Here's a story about this Iclandic yarn...  100% pure wool has a tradition of quality, which began in 1896.  Icelandic wool is lighter, warmer, and more water-resistant than that found elsewhere.  Over the centuries, their wool has developed to ensure as much protection as possible from the harsh northern climate. Icelandic sheep therefore maintain their unique properties which make Lopi such an outstanding yarn. 
Icelandic sheep fleece is double layered, and in the same way that the sheep are kept warm and dry, the wearers of Lopi can expect the same results.  The wool of Icelandic sheep consists of two types of fibers, inner and outer.  The inner layer of light fine fibers are soft and crinkly, insulating well against the cold, while the outer fibers are long and course and smooth - and as a result, water repellent.  Moisture cannot penetrate, because it runs down the outer fibers. These fibers are irregular, and they create air spaces when loosely bound together. The two combined create a light but sturdy water resistant yarn.
The color selection is astonishing. For my first item I choose white. Here's the yarn and what's coming out of it... It's going to be a bohemian-style "fur" vest, oh, so warm, for oh, so free spirited! :)

 

I am considering to knit the same vest in Fawn, and Ecru, and I will have to search for a beige shade... I want there to be four different options for my customers :)

                 

New yarn!

I have ordered plenty of new yarn for my collection, which is going to be sold at my online shop. Here's a preview of some of the yarn. I'm very excited to put my paws onto the delicious texture.. most of the yarn is organic, by the way :) I really want to put another inspirational collage, which I'm already picturing in my head. There're much more of different goodness, I'll take pictures as soon as my parcel arrives. 

 

Peace, 

Vanya