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

Darest men.

Over the weekend I took part in the DYI project hosted by my friend Irina, it was like a family gathering, where everyone created something using all kinds of art supplies. The pieces were then put together on an attached to the wall door, that serves now only as a display of the magical time we spent together with friends. But this is not the story. I taught 3 people how to knit. Two of them were men :) Three days later I stumble upon a Wall Street Journal article at Craftzine.com that talks about truckers, yes, truckers, who pick up knitting. I am beyond amazed at these brave men. Many applauses to them, courageous creatures that they are! 

The article 

Ornamented wrist warmers.

Yesterday, while doing yoga, I understood that it might be a good idea to have some wrist warmers on my arms, for such occasions, when practicing outside, or on a cool day... for comfort and warmth. Here is the one from the right wrist, and I can assure you, the left one looks exactly the same ;) I used organic cotton yarn and Landscapes "Autumn Trails" that I still have half a skein left, for trimming the edges and embroidery. I used needles and a hook for the edges. 

Scaling the possibilities

 

                                                          Seen on  Design*Sponge

I saw this tile and at once got an idea of knitting something resembling shape of fish scale, and the way they overlap. I'm thinking a mini-skirt... All these ideas make me wait for yarn even more impatiently :)