Lake Garda Shawl

Hi everyone, hope you’ve had a good week, mine’s been pretty packed and a little stressful so I’m glad to have made it to the weekend again!

I said in my last post that I’d show you the shawl I started knitting on holiday and finished a couple of weeks ago when we got back – so here it is.

The pattern is the UK Alpaca Pearly Queen shawl that I used for my cream version earlier in the year, but I chose a different yarn this time. It’s Artesano’s Lace Handpainted Alpaca Silk and the colourway is called Mermaid.

I actually started knitting this the weekend before we went away, but as I spent some very relaxing afternoons sitting by the huge picture window in our apartment overlooking Lake Garda working on it I’m going to name the shawl in honour of the lake – and the colours of the yarn remind me of the shades of the water and surrounding mountains.

There really isn’t much to say about the pattern, I still love the stepped edge, and the lovely simple stitch pattern used throughout. The only thing different about this one from the first shawl is that the yarn is much finer, so although it’s worked up and blocked out to roughly the same size because of the stretchiness created by the open mesh stitch, it’s not as bulky and so not quite as warm, but it’ll be fine for the next few weeks while it’s chilly in the mornings but not cold enough for a proper scarf.

I obviously made a fairly drastic over-calculation when I bought the yarn though as I’ve got a skein and a half leftover – so I may well end up making another one for someone as a gift, or finding another pattern for something a bit different, I spotted a beautiful lace cowl in last month’s issue of The Knitter.

I’ve made a good start on my next cardigan, and gone from extreme to the other - lace-weight shawl to chunky knit cardi! I’ll keep you posted with progress, and let you know if I manage to fit in any more sewing, but I’m a bit pressed for time over the next couple of weekends with extra choir rehearsals and a big performance coming up.

Only three weeks to go until The Knitting & Stitching Show which I’m really looking forward to. I know it’s the Handmade Fair at Hampton Court Palace this weekend so if you’re going I hope you have a great time, and I really must try and get tickets next year! Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Sleeveless Mimi Blouse

Hi! How are you all? Hope you had a great summer, I thought autumn was fully upon us but the last couple of days have been really warm and sunny where I am – chilly in the mornings though so autumn still knocking on the door.

Anyway, I’ve been back from holiday for a couple of weeks so wanted to give you an update on crafty progress.

I took my knitting away with me and managed to do a little bit most days working on my shawl – I’ve finished this since we’ve been back so I’ll show it to you in my next post, I need to wash and block it out first.

Last weekend I didn’t have anything else special on so I made another Mimi blouse. As I already had the pattern traced out it was much quicker to cut out my fabric, and having the experience of the first one meant I got the sewing done quicker too.

This floral fabric has been in my stash since the beginning of the year and I’m really pleased I’ve finally used it because it’s so beautiful, I love the colours and the big florals, and it’s a lovely light cotton lawn.

I decided to go sleeveless for this version for a bit of a different look, and it means it’ll layer better over a long-sleeved t-shirt and under a cardi so I can carry on wearing it over the winter. My first version is a little awkward under a cardi because of the bit of puffiness in the sleeves.

Nice and quick to sew up, I zig-zagged and pinked all my seams, got the collar and facings on straight and sitting nicely, and then bound the armholes with cream bias binding folded through to the inside.

I got purple buttons to pick out the colour from the fabric and love how they look against the other colours.

The size is great, and I didn’t make any alterations to the armholes but they’re absolutely fine and don’t gape at all.

I’m wearing it today as I type and really happy with how it’s turned out, it’ll be great for work or casual, trousers or a skirt. I’d quite like to try another version in a drapey viscose or something and see if that makes any difference to the overall look and feel.

I’ve got loads of patterns lined up for more sewing, and more fabric still in my stash, but I bought several metres of calico yesterday that I’m intending to make some toiles in, especially of dress bodices and really concentrate on ironing out the fit issues I’ve had before – I’ll let you know how I get on. There are a couple of dresses I really want to make, but I don’t want to waste good fabric on something that doesn’t fit properly and I then don’t wear often.

I had an amazing holiday and bought lots of souvenirs, but the one I want to show you is some GORGEOUS silk I bought in Venice. We spent three days there and I hunted out a couple of fabric shops, but got this from G. Benevento near the Ca’ D’Oro – they stock lots of dressmaking fabrics, many of them designer.

This is 100% Italian silk and from the new season collection for Etro – the man in the shop showed me a catalogue of some of the dresses and they are absolutely incredible!

It was extremely expensive, I bought a metre and a half (140cm wide) and it cost the equivalent of about £100!!! I’d never ever spend that much money on fabric over here, but the holiday spontaneity monster obviously took hold that day!

I absolutely love it though, the colours and the print, plus it feels amazing, but I’m going to have to do some serious thinking and planning of what I’m going to make with it, and probably a toile or two before I even dare thinking about cutting into it. I’ll keep you posted!

I’m going to start a new knitting project this weekend, and will also be visiting the Weald of Kent Craft Fair at Penshurst Place on Sunday, and then it’s not many more weeks until the Knitting & Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace, which very conveniently falls on pay day for me!

Have a great weekend, I’d love to see what you’ve been making.