Oolong knits

I'm a big mathematics lover, so, when I saw the name of this pattern, I was like: peano with an e, peano with an e, it can't be? Yes, it is! A pattern inspired by the space-filling lines of Peano. Oh. My. God. I can't believe someone thought of this. How amazingly original. And how beautiful is the result. I love it. Peano No.2 by Nathan Taylor , a very nice pattern for a man's scarf, done using double knitting (I know, not for the faint of heart).

Once I've started, I can't seem to stop. I've got all carried away showing my work here. This time I'm showing a real WIP, not just a sampler. This is a bed-runner (just a big rectangle), in two colours, knit in biased garter stitch. The thing I love about biased garter is the nice edge one gets. This is what I chose to show today. In the future I may post the complete project and even the pattern, which is so easy it's really no trouble to write down. Oh, before I go. This is the project I've mentioned last week. The one which allows me to knit and read simultaneously. Something I love doing. I've already read "The lesser bohemians" by Eimear McBride, while knitting it. Heavy reading, but lovely poetic writing. I wasn't able to read for a few days after finishing it. Really, truly, HEAVY stuff. (spoiler alert) We're talking about incest, rape, child abuse, self-harming, suicide, drug and sex addition. I needed time to digest it. I...

Ingrid is a good example of the importance of the colour palette in fair-isle. In the picture on the right, you see Colorfox's choice of colours, which, in my opinion, is a great improvement over the original project . The designer of this beautiful pullover is Isabell Kraemer.

I've been knitting a lot lately and therefore have lots of work to show. Here again I'm showing another sampler of stitches and not a wearable piece. This is a sample of several mesh-like lace stitches. I'm planning a summery (I know that it's late, Winter is quickly approaching my woods) light top and am working on several stitch choices. The idea is to include only a few of these, the ones I like better and to repeat them in an almost random way. I've learned a few things with my sampler. One is that using larger needles than recommended (which I've used) is not better for this opened type of lace. The holes are too big for my taste. So next time I'll go for the size recommended or even the one below. I want my top to be lacy but not too holey. The second is that choosing a few stitch patterns and repeating them is more pleasant to the eye than a sampler of all different stitches. I'll probably still do another swatch before embarking in the final ...

Lace Boxy by Pooki is one of Ravelry's most popular projects. While Pooki claims to have used the Cancun boxy lace top pattern by Erin Kate Archer, and incorporating modifications from the Boxy pattern by Joji Locatelli, she actually did the opposite. This may seem a minor point, but it's not. The Cancun boxy is a shapeless top made of two identical squares sewn together. Joji's Boxy, on the other hand, is a beautifully shaped sweater. Note the perfect shape of the shoulders and collar and the addition of short sleeves. Shaping details can be laborious to work, but they pay in the end, when the sweater falls and drapes beautifully on the body. If you're considering using the Cancun pattern, take in consideration that this pattern is free but also badly written, read these notes for corrections.

I've noticed that most knit-bloggers use their blog to post on projects they're working on. I almost never show my own knits in here and the reason is simply modesty. I have a hard time believing that anyone cares to look at my silly stuff. Even when I love the result myself, I tend to think that is only because I did it and am consequently very partial to it. The photo on the left is a cable sampler (you can click to enlarge it). It's actually only a square of cables right now. But wouldn't these look great on a sweater or a cardigan? One day they'll be... I've used a chunky yarn and 7mm needles. Cast-on: 54 stitches. The pattern described in sections from the outer edges to the centre: Slip 1st stitch and knit last for nice edges; 3 stitches in moss stitch; 1 stitch in reverse stockinette; aran braid; the cable from the Celtic Cable Neckwarmer (used only 28 stitches from the central panel, i.e. excluded 2 stitches from each outer edge). Moss sti...

Hitofude is a beautiful, feminine, lace cardigan. It has a clever construction. It is knit flat and in one piece, and, in the end, two edges are knit together to form the sleeves. The sleeves are simple rectangles, but the body uses increases to obtain the beautiful fan-like shape.

I've written quite a few post of do's and dont's, but only today did the idea of dedicating a post specifically to things I personally do not recommend other beginner knitters after learning the hard way to not do it. This first post is a good example of what I have in mind. Knitting a sweater with no collar shaping is not what most knitters would call a mistake, or even tell you to never do it. On the contrary, most often this is recommended for a knitter attempting a first sweater. The idea is to make your first sweater as simple as possible, by focusing on the absolutely necessary, like, well... including arms, for example. So you'll find plenty of patterns and tutorials recommended for the beginner that focus on the top-down, knit in the round, raglan-shoulder sweater, which is perceived as the simplest of methods to knit a sweater. Very often these do not include any form of collar shaping. I followed one of these tutorials and... I still haven't manage t...