Riva Del Mare {a mama knit}

Posted on October 9, 2013 by rosalindentree

I recently completed this beautiful Riva Del Mare shawl.

finally knitting something for myself and lady it’s had a lot of wear and a lot of admiration.

the delicate lacy knit has a leaflike pattern along the outer edge which appealed to me. i haven’t done masses of lace projects, but i enjoy the concentration needed and turning lines of gobbledeegook code into something oh so gorgeous!

i may make those socks one day mama…

i ended up test knitting the pattern for Joan and enjoyed it so much I will use it as one of the patterns in my Introduction to lace knitting workshop {for adventurous beginners} at Weave in Bellingen in November. don’t be scared. adventure beyond knit and purl into the holey land of lacery…

can you even guess the piece begins at the top centre and you knit in a ever increasing arc? so clever!!!

Joan appreciated my photographs so much she has featured them on her pattern! That was exciting for me! you can see them here.

fun fun fun

i have found the small kerchief a very satisfying size project! i;m looking for another…

might be the thing for that ball of Canadian handspun…

thanks to my beautiful model, you know who you are x

ps i even blocked it! i’ve never done that before….. proper good one knitter now!

fisherman pullover & little scallops

Posted on August 20, 2013 by rosalindentree

I began and completed the little fisherman pullover in Tasmania earlier in the year but lo and behold here it finally is. documented proof i can make a pullover on round needles! hooray!

i am gradually progressing to more complex and larger items of knitting which is sensible isn’t it?

these original shots from Tassie are so adorable! look at that long golden hair.. all gone now…

and remembering to use the pattern as a guide, don’t stress out about a stitch here or there i say… or a row of knit instead of purl…

i made the sleeves short so he can wear it two thirds of the year instead of just the few cold months.

the fisherman pullover was knit from hand spun, plant dyed alpaca found in the salamanca market Hobart.

it can be accessorised in many ways…. tractor and wings, or drum and no pants….

beautiful fluffy yarn. hot tip, berry berry fluffy so don’t use for smaller children as they tend to eat the fluff stuff.

beautiful though. and cleverly made too large to get some good wear from it!

Cedar calls it his ‘packa’

Yes thats my own designed Windy Day Bonnet above… still fits!!

here’s another windy day bonnet for a little English Rose

and then the little scallops beanie. inspired by Fox’s Lane

intended for the 3rd birthday but came in a day late as i had to make and unravel three times to get the sizing right. yep third time lucky. {next time just follow the pattern Rosi} i knit quite loosely and my things stretch quickly too big so i try to compensate. this knit taught me how to carry over colors when making patterns, fun!

took a while to get the tension right. check out my progress

details on Ravelry

cuties! Lily has on her Perfect Beret

what are you knitting?

I can’t decide what to make next… i have one ball of divine turquoise blend hand dye 4 ply which Jesse got me in Canada years ago i am ready to use! any ideas… {he will now get me multiple balls of yarn the clever man}

Cedar’s blanket

Posted on August 4, 2013 by rosalindentree

When I was pregnant with Cedar I moved far far away from my own family and friends (well mostly, i actually moved a little closer to some..)

At times i felt so lonely on my journey. disconnected from established support as i grew this great belly, endured immense ongoing nausea and began to put tender roots into my new community.

I drew comfort from the idea of a love blanket for this new baby.

I put out a letter to friends old and new, Australian family and distant relatives; to send me yarn in ocean shades and i would craft a blanket for my new babe. Weaving together the threads and thoughts of the beloved people in my life.

From all over Australia and Europe came little parcels, cotton, wool, indigo dyed hemp, silk, mohair, alpaca in all shades and textures. some with tales describing a special ocean moment of the sender for me to enjoy. some with memories of our relationship or good wishes for birth and baby.

as i crocheted i would hold my thoughts on the sender of the yarn and reflect on our relationship and memories. i knotted the strength of love into this warm wrap for my little one soon coming. {by the way, i was convinced baby was a little mermaid girl named Iona}

it was a beautiful way to feel connected with my extended network and bring the reality of this baby into my community.

and now i wrap this gentle, nut brown, three years grown boy in these aquamarine, turqoise, royal blue, azure, teal, deep green, gold and tawny shades; i never fail to be reminded of how precious beloved friends and family are. no matter where i am or they are, the richness of our relationships has the warmth of my heart.

thankyou dear ones, i am thinking of you

do you recognise your yarn?

have you made something special for yours or others babies in utero?

Roselinde

ps on a technical note, i began my first ‘proper’ granny square and kept on expanding from there. most yarns an 8 ply with a 6mm hook. as he grows beyond the bounds of this blanket i imagine i will extend it to single bed size as i did with Lily’s.

Rainbow slippers and a non slip soul

Posted on May 30, 2013 by rosalindentree

my crafty fingers have been springing forth a multitude of projects in the past weeks

the creative processes soothe me while my inner processes spin me

there has been much sewing (a dear friend has lent me a machine while mine is still in the depths of storage, she needs a cake or something in gratitude…) of trousers, a skirt, a dress, curtains, mending, a witch hat, a witch dress, many cutesy felt toys {more photos and tutorials soon}

just the sunhats on my list did not eventuate…

some knitting of baby bonnets and some crotchet of boy slippers

he chose the yarn, row by row and the pom poms (bom boms)

this means he is more willing to keep his toes warm because he was a part of the creation journey…

clever mama moment!

lily made her own pair, proclaiming about how much faster crotchet is to knitting…

i painted on latex to make a slip free sole

{if only sometimes i could paint my own life with latex to prevent slip ups}

the rainbow slipper tutorial

crotchet yourself a rectangle which is as long as the foot and wide enough to meet over the top of the widest part

gather the toes and stitch up the topside about half way

stitch up the back of foot section

you may want a gathering string around the foot entryway particularly for children

make and join on pom poms {essential for good humour}

if you can get a little paint on rubber latex, coat the soles evenly for non-slip and longer life

be warm toes and soul

ps remember to make a second one…

cedar loving being spooked by a hiding papa

{yes i made his vest and his doll… she had bath later this day}

{did you enjoy all the bracketing in this post?}

Baby Babushka toy {a tutorial}

Posted on May 6, 2013 by rosalindentree

A babushka doll made for baby D by Lily

An easy soft stuffed toy, easily modified or decorated at your whim.

Lily created this doll one day while we visited friends, it really didn’t take long and she was proud of her efforts.

{i am learning to stay out of the way of her inspirations more and more as her skills develop

and i know she is capable to see it through}

Begin with two large rectangles of felt fabric and a scrap for a face circle

needle and strong thread of various colours

fluffy wool to stuff it

half a cup of rice or similar large grain to fill the bottom of the body

sketch a babuska-esque pattern, fold in half and trim the shape to mirror each side

trace this pattern onto your two felt rectangles {front and back of body}

cut out a circular piece in contrasting colour to become the face,

stitch the face circle into position with small neat stitches around the edge

adorn her with features, hair, etc at this point

lay front piece on top of the back and begin stitching around the body, Lily began at a shoulder and left the head open to stuff the body

pour the grain into the base of the doll so she will stand up

fill the rest with fluffy wool

stitch up your last opening

adorn as you wish, with embroidery, buttons or fabric clothing etc

gift it to a little person who will surely enjoy chewing on the arms….

Lily’s February sweater

Posted on December 5, 2012 by rosalindentree

Well, I finally finished Lily’s February girl sweater!

hooray! my most complex and challenging knitting project so far.

I learnt so much with this project, practically and internally

so much required from me

including patience

persistance

invention

commitment

persistance

imagination

bravery

overcoming tedium

presence

attention

there are alot of p words aren’t there?

one last one…

pride!

beautiful aint it!

it’s the February pattern from Elizabeth Zimmerman’s book, The Knitter’s Almanac

adapted to big girl size with lots of trial and error! remember this...

an excellent, amusing guide to knitting projects throughout a year.

you can see my ravelry notes for the February girl Sweater/cardigan here…

Are you still knitting this late in the year if you are in the southern hemisphere?

and what are you starting to warm yourself in the coming months if you are in the north?

happy clicketty clacking

Windy day Toddler Bonnet

Posted on October 3, 2012 by rosalindentree

The Windy Day Bonnet is born…

Well I did it! Yes I really did.. see evidence below…

I adapted this gorgeous bonnet for Cedar from another simple pattern to fit my boys noggin snuggly and embellished the designwork for my own interest, challenge and enjoyment.

You would not believe how hard it has been to find a pattern for this two year old in a bonnet style! who says children over one year don’t need cosy bonnets anymore… so now there are at least two bigger bonnet patterns out there! if you know of any more please share with me as I love this style, they stay on better at this busy age.

look at this lovely big boy… i mean lovely bonnet…

we rummaged for a long time through my mama’s button tin looking for just the right button. Important business for this fellow and me. While my heart swelled and stretched with the dual joy of having made something from these stumpy fingers of beauty and use, and the joy of quiet buttoning with my boy just as I did with the same buttons as a little one…

i am capturing all these glimpses of time here in my heart and storing them to replay in my mind as time zooms in front of me and my tears well up and I start packing my bags again to leave the nest of my beautiful family…

in the end he put aside the fabric covered vintage buttons, the carved bone, the plastic orange elephant, the sparkle encrusted jewel, the leather square, the big red retro and chose the plainest little white plastic button.

“now i’m ready to go out into this southwest wind and play mama…”

anyway, I now need a test knitter or two, game enough to knit up my pattern The Windy Day Toddler Bonnet and give me feedback before it goes up on Ravelry!

it’s easy, honest!

I used 4mm knitting sticks and about 70g of Misti Alpaca Tonos Worsted {aus 10ply} in Tealing Blue. You can use whatever you like of course…

the pattern used to look like this…

{I did go to art college for three years to be able to make it look so, well, artistic…}

please contact me if you are willing… {it is beautifully legible and sensical now!! and downloads as a neat pdf file…}

In celebration of my achievement I bid you good night!

and in celebration of yours, whatever they may be!

Good night *

ps thankyou littlelom for models cutest toadstool singlet and cord whale trousers…

RosaLindenTree

Category Archives: patterns