Knit Happens: Retro Tie

There are so many things that can be knitted, including ties for husbands, boyfriends and dads, who feel obliged to wear them. Watching them produce an artifical smile, keep calm and carry on going to work with their new handmade fashion accessory attached just makes my twisted day.

And here's my latest creation, an 80s retro tie as featured in the June 2010 edition of Simply Knitting Magazine. Isn't it fabulous? I have used the recommended yarn, just a different shade:

Regia Design Line by Kaffe Fassett, shade 04350, 2.5mm needles

And now that I've knitted my first ever tie, I can continue creating more contemporary designs. Surely my husband will rejoice.

Medieval Corset Belt

I've always been interested in medieval style clothing and how it can be incorporated into 21st century fashion, so when I noticed this lovely crochet pattern in Debbie Stoller's book Happy Hooker, I just had to try it out. You can see the result on the pics, and I must say, I'm really pleased with it.

For this project I have chosen Sirdar's eco wool dk shade 203, which is 100% undyed virgin wool -very medieval I think :)

I'm now working on a medieval style corset top, which is based on this design. Once it's finished, I'll let you know.

Hooked on Crochet Lace Scarves

My obsession with crochet hasn't waned yet; the recent edition of Let's Knit! (May 2010) came with an additional crochet booklet, in which I discovered this very easy crochet scarf pattern. Click on the image below to get a better view of the instruction, if you want to try this yourself.

For a supersoft velvety summer scarf I recommend King Cole Bamboo Cotton DK, which comes in a variety of strong, bright colours (slim summer scarf on the left is in purple, shade 524 - and I only needed one skein!). If you prefer something more snuggly warm, then any wool DK yarn will do, and you can see an example here.

Overall I find this pattern so versatile; you can make the scarf any width you like, from long and slim to wide and wrappy. And of course in your favourite colour! It would also make a lovely gift!

Knit Happens at Cosmic HQ

When friends recently phoned and asked after me, hubby replied: "She's knitting a house. Front's nearly finished." That should give you a clue, how much yarn I process each day; hardly time to blog about it, that's for sure!

But I do have time for a quick update; the red Louisa Harding yarn pictured in my previous post, has been turned into a crochet lace scarf.

The purple/pink/cream Louisa Harding yarn has been turned into a cushion for the lounge. No more granny squares for the time being...

New wool is on the way to knit a retro tie for hubby (yes, and I'll make him wear it...) and a shrug for myself.

I'm also using Bamboo yarn for the very first time to crochet some light and wonderful lace summer scarves. More on that later.

And then I have this destructive thought of unravelling a work-in-progress and turn it into a more exciting medieval-style corset belt - decisions, decisions...

Louisa Harding Yarn Details

Scarf: Kashmir Aran Shade 9, Red

Cushion: Kashmir Arran Shade 21 (Mauve), 22 (Grape), 37 (Chamois)

The yarn is a mix of merino wool, microfibre and cashmere - very soft and cosy; hook size 5mm.

Well, as you can see no doubt I'll be able to show you more of my creations very soon. Until then...

Happy Hooking and Nifty Knitting!