A dark-side cowl

This whole winter I longed for a cowl around my neck.

Polo-necked sweaters just don't work anymore, and although there's a neat basket full of various types of scarves, I. Wanted. A. Cowl. 

A twistie cowl, almost à la Crochet in Paternoster.

A double cowl to go around my neck twice.

A snug enough cowl that would not sag down to my breastbone, but actually cover my neck and throat.

Obviously there were many starts and stops and hiccups , but then I found the Kartopu Ketenli in the yarn shop...

20% wool, 10% linen, 70% acrylic

I totally love the look of this yarn, that is also available in a handful of other colours, but the black, oh, the black is mine, with the specks of whitish yarn, and it is soft enough to go near one's neck...

Clearly the Ninja likes it as well.  No knitting on the bed while the cat's also snuggling there.

Ah - make that "both cats".

Chloe is just too cool to pretend to want to play with yarn

Okay so, when knitting, I actually only like moss stitch. Stockinette is beautiful, especially with a variegated yarn, but the sides curl.  And garter is easy peasy (and would actually also have worked with this), but.  Moss is my favourite.  Totally love the texture. 

Here's my moss.

The knitting is straight forward. I cast on stitches until I thought it was wide enough, knitted until it was long enough to wrap double around my neck, twisted in and slipstitched the ends together.  Then I thought I'd like to try a lacy pattern around the edge, just to see what it would look like...a small one.

All done and edged

Here's the lacy border - #115 from  "Around the Corner - Crochet Borders" by Edie Eckman. I did make a slight change and used SC instead of DC in the first round.

The border is small enough not to be bothersome, but you can see it :-)

Happiness!

It looks quite snug, but it's not tight, and relaxes through the day.  Lessons learnt from cowls past ;-)

And it still is cold enough that I could wear it this week, and there's a promise of a cold weekend coming. 

Lacy twisty cowl

Meanwhile, beanies

One day I was still contemplating the next topic for Blog Week and the next day it was the (end of ) the next month.

How does that happen?

Where did the days go???

The Summer Throw aka Projek Bohemia has long been finished - except for the ends...which is way I can really boast about it :-P
(where it started, and proof that it is actually finished)

So I did what I always do and that is Something Else.  In this instance, I made beanies:

First off, one for Sensei Lilian:

It was her birthday and she wanted something in black and white and "that green you're working with".  I said I refuse to do those colours but I'll do it in charcoal and she will like it. So I used Elle Classic Wool Blend for the charcoal, Drops Cotton Light in natural (frustration, frustration, the SPLITting!) and a little bit of lefover Vinnis Nikkim in Khaki.

I just recently made my first popcorns, so popcorns it had to have and I love making those!

And she loved the beanie. 

A Boy Beanie 

Completed at last was a beanie for little boy Michal whom I have promised something crocheted so long ago that I'm positively ashamed of myself.  So he gets this blue number in unlabelled handspun merino from either cowgirl blues of Karoo Moon. 

A Girl Beanie

Mich has a sister Lize who has been waiting even longer.  Mom said a slouchie would do, and stripey with pink (and I'm also not so fond of sugary pink), so it's more of a cerise with whatever matched.
And popcorns :-)

And while I'm procrastinating, a twistie:

Anneke had half the country making twisties last winter, so I had to catch up.  1 ball of King Cole Riot was enough, and I decided to make it in granny stripes instead of dc's.  I also made it a bit narrower, but higher, and quite like that. 

So now all of those are out of the way, I can go back to working away the ends working on the Cheap & Cheerful blanket start a new poncho knit something frog that knit something new...

But first, a hunting weekend.  It's school holidays! I promised myself I'd finish something during the holiday, so as also, the hooky will go along and be worked on next to the fire.

One-a-Day Granny Cowl Scarf

A couple of us got together to knit/crochet a few things as part of the Knit-in-Public-Week thingey. The plan was to donate what we made to the school, to use as and where required.   So my contribution was this granny cowl, inspired by the lovely cowls Alice hooked down downer under in NZ

...and this beanie (which I promptly decided to keep for myself, and I donated another one that I bought new!). It's the first time a beanie fits nicely over my huge head, it covers my ears, and will be perfect for our December holiday venture up north to where it is very cold and wet.

I started thus with my own granny cowl, to match said beanie.  I will hook 7 squares, of 6 rounds each, using the colours in the beanie, but replacing the light blue with this denim blue:

The plan is to make one every day, as it goes so quickly, and next week I should be able to show off my granny cowl.

And then, some of you might ask...what happened to The Great Romany Blanket, that was going to be finished in time for winter??

Ah, yes...I'm still working on it...albeit very slowly...23 rows so far, and 23 chains.

I got a bit side-tracked.

But One-a-Day will again provide the needed momentum, so here I go!

In the meantime, have a cappucino and hook away :

 If you would like to participate in One-a-Day, please link your project in the Tuesday's Tallies at Carole's blog, Gingerbread Girl.

Klaar! My Malabrigo-serp

Hier is dit, my Malabrigo supersagte supermooie groenste groenbloue serp!

Here it is...my Malabrigo supersoft superbeautiful greenest of greenblue scarf!
(note that I got the spelling of SCARF right now :-D )

(dis eintlik al lankal klaar...ek probeer dit net hier, was nog te warm)
(it's actually been finished a while ago...just trying it out here, was to warm still)

Ek weet ek spog nou, maar ek is net so totaal in my noppies hiermee.

I know I'm bragging...but I'm just so totally chuffed with myself. 

Onthou, ek het die wol op Suzanne se blog gesien, en hier is die storie hoe ek dit in die hande gekry het.

Remember, I saw the yarn the first time on Suzanne's blog, end here's the story of how I got it.  

My sisi het help bolle rol:
My sisi help to wind the balls:

Die serpie het begin lewe kry op die klein strand by Mosselbaai Punt

I started working on the beach at Mossel Bay Point.

Deur die vakansie het dit gegroei oor lekker koffie by Baruch...

Through the holiday it grew over lovely coffee at Baruch...

...en 'n Israeli bord.
...and an Israeli platter.

En eendag was dit klaar.

And one day it was finished.

Lief dit!

Love it!

From the tag...

"Río means "river" in Spanish.
Malabrigo Ríos is named after the four major rivers in Uruguay: Río Cuareim, RíoUruguay, Río de la Plata and Río Negro.
Each river is represented by one ply. These plies twist together like winding rivers.
Ríos also signifies the yarn's washability; for millennia rivers have provided water for washing garments."

Hier's die info:

1. Wol - Malabrigo Rios
2. Patroon - www.mypicot.com Patroon 2030 onder Crochet
3. Koste - E27! (min of meer R270! Vir 2 bolle)
4. Resultaat - Prysloos

Here's the info:

1. Yarn - Malabrigo Rios
2. Pattern -  www.mypicot.com Pattern 2030 under Crochet
3. Cost - E27! (more or less R270! For 2 balls)
4. Result- Priceless

En hierdie week was dit vir die eerste keer koel genoeg om te dra.

And this week it was cool enough for the first time to step out with my scarf.

(Playing with a cleaner layout...how does this work?)

3KCBWDAY6- Improving My Skillset

One year ago, I took up my mom's old 4.5 mm crochet hook, some DK I had in the house, and proceeded to learn how to crochet.

Three days later , I gained muscle control over my fingers and the crochet hook.

At one stage I sat with The Happy Hooker on my lap, You Tube open in front of me, and my sister on the line from Ireland, to try and figure out how to make a DC.

Since then, I proceeded to successfully make one square.

Hot on its heels followed various simple cowls, a baby blanket, a vintage stripe blanket -gone-wrong-gone-wrap, two mug warmers, some coasters (actually testers),  two cushions for our beach house, a giant granny for my boy, flowers to mark my new suitcase, part of my aunty's to-be African Flower blanket, a Rainbow Ripple, another baby ripple still to be revealed here, some simple Christmas decorations, two winter scarves for my sisi, a flower scarf for me, some potholders, two amigurumi, a vintage brooch, a cushion for my cousin, a cushion and hearty garland for a Curly Girl, and a monster pouch for my iPhone. And a beanie. And a superlovely MyPicot scarve for me.

On holiday in Swakopmund, Namibia, April 2011, trying to figure out this DC thing

I learnt about British and American crochet language. Now, just for fun, throw Afrikaans into the mix - the terms are totally unrelated to the English counterparts. And for more fun, try Dutch, 'cause that where Afrikaans comes from, and no one can blame you if you want to throw your hands into the air and run away.

I learnt that crochet has a back and front :-D

I started blogging about my adventure, and in the process learnt so much from great ladies around the world, who are generous with their patterns and advice, not to mention inspiration.

And with online friend and fellow South African-based-in-London, Natasja King,  I started a crochet group on Facebook, that is now 1120 members strong.  What a joy that is!  At "Ons Hekel" I have seen the most beautiful ideas, met up fellow hookers and learn more every day.

So, in the next year, I Will:

1. learn to hook from a diagram
2. complete a Japanese flower scarve adapting from an existing doilie type pattern
3. learn to hook from a diagram
4. go beyond simple amigurumi
5. learn to hook from a diagram.
6. continue meeting new hookers at Ons Hekel and meet up with them where possible.

Did I mention I want to learn to hook from a diagram?

Then I'll order One Japanese Book for myself, as reward :-)

'n Kombers met 9 lewens (vervolg en slot) (Hopelik)

Onthou die Kombers-Met-9-Lewens?

Wat die lewe begin het as 'n poging tot 'n Vintage Stripe?  Waarmee ek begin het om te LEER hekel?

Hy's nou in sy 4e lewe.  Die wrap dingetjie het nie vir my gewerk nie. 

Maar toe plaas Natasja hierdie link, vir 'n patroon wat sy in die hande wil kry, en ek dag...wag, wag, dit lyk dan amper bekend, as ek nou die wrappie weer lostrek hier, en op die punte vaswerk...nee, trek los, gee een twist en ryg gou weer... JA dit werk!

My kombers was amper 'n kussingoortreksel was kortsondig 'n sjaal en toe 'n wrap, maar is nou...'n...COWL WRAP!

Kan om die nek/oor skouers gaan as dit net normaal koud is.  Kan laer aftrek oor arms en lyf as die koud koud is.  Die dubbele vou oor bors maak lekker warm.    Roll on winter!

So lyk dit (Natasja se gesoekte patroon links)...TAH DAAH!!  (Eerste en laaste keer wat ek daardie term gebruik, belowe ;-)...

(Ek wou nog bietjie meer kleurgekoördineerd aantrek, maar wat! Die bewerige, dowwe fotografie my 7e jarige Mannetjie s'n).

Almal kry 'n serpie

Nou lê die Groot Kombers eenkant want ek moet 'n Babakombersie klaarmaak...maar my wol is te min! Aaaaarggh! Gaan nie binne 'n week dit kan kry nie, so dalk moet ek maar 'n paar blokke losmaak en uitleg bietjie verander dat buitenste rand 'n rooi rand is...ggmrmppf.

SO. Ek moet my aandag eers aflei met iets anders: Serp vir die Mannetjie. Want die Bulkalf het nou die dag een gekry en die bolle wol lê opgelyn vir die volgende serpe.
Ek het die serpe op Natasja se blog gesien, en sy het hierdie patroon gebruik. Sy het hare bietjie nouer na bo gemaak (goeie idee) en vir die seuns het ek net tot die helfte gewerk.
(Het ook vir die eerste keer reggekry om deur albei steke van die ketting te werk, yeay!)


Hy was erg in sy skik.



Het bietjie malkoppie geraak.

En gaan dit waarskynlik wil gebruik vir 'n volgende jag saam met Pa.

Everybody's getting a scarf

Aaargh, I ran out of yarn for the Baby Blanket! And it's to ordered from Jhb, not going to get it before the end of the week. Maybe I must change the layout and play around the colour.

In the meantime I started knitting cowl scarves, first for the Little Boy, then for the Big Boy (pictured here, quite in his element).