New yarn - German report

This morning I took a look at the Geman website Martina's Bastel- & Hobbykiste, and here are a few interesting things I found there.


Stahl Regenbogen is a yarn that seems to be coloured like Phildar Onde, with a gradual change. The yarn is not yet available, but the colour combinations in the sample look gorgeous. I would like to see this yarn live. The strange thing is that it is sold in very big balls, 350 g, and 300 g is supposed to be enough for a medium-sized sweater. I can't imagine that the colour changes subtly over 875 meters, and if it did, it would be very difficult to make something goodlooking. Maybe it changes backwards and forwards a number of times.

8 Farben. ca. 875m/350g Großknäuel. 60% Polyacryl, 15% Schurwolle, 15% Alpaka, 10% Polyamid, Nadelstärke 4,5-5, handwasch, Materialverbrauch ca. 300g bei Gr. 38/40 Langarm

Stahl Rheumawolle is a fine wool which is supposesd to be extra warm and suitable for warm garments close to the body. Can be machinewashed without felting. This might be a good yarn for shawls. I don't suppose people with rheumatism will find it easy to knit with, though.

100% Schurwolle, 300m Lauflänge, 50g Knäuel, Nadelstärke 2,5-3, 30° waschbar

Stahl makes the Fortissima/Socka sock wool, and they have scores of interesting selfpatterning yarn. If I would order something from that page today, it would be from the Missoni-ringel selection. A multidirectional scarf with matching socks, in Gift, that would be a great Christmas present for one of my sisters!




My intention was to cover more than one producer, but I'm expected to work now... Please let me know if you find this intereresting, if you do, I'll continue with other marks later. If you don't, well, I might continue to bore you anyway...

The art of blogging

Wendyknits had a very good posting some days ago, describing how to create a (knitting) blog. In the comments someone said that if the blog has no pictures for more than two posts in a row, sh goes elsewhere. Looking at the endless lines of text in Life de Luxe knitting, I can only agree. This site needs pics. I hope to be able to upload some this weekend, but I'm afraid you've heard that one before, haven't you?

I diagnosed myself as suffering from Knitting Attention Deficit the other day - I just couldn't bear the thought of casting on for the front of my baby barkarole 2 (unofficially called the French sailor). Instead I started on (my first, but certainly not last!) multidirectional scarf. I'm knitting it in the mohair bouclé I got in the first round of the Nordic secret friend swap, and so far I'm very happy with the result. Next time, I think I will try something discreetly striped, the colours in the mohair are not stripey, just beautifully mixed with no pooling. It might not be the best choice to show of the clever multidirectional shortrows, but the finished scarf will be a joy to wear anyway.

Talking of colours, I can see some experiments in that field in my near future.

In June, I made a list of on-going and upcoming projects. Here is a revised version:

1. finish the Onde Pull. (Phildar Ondé) Done!
1b. Onde Volcan cardigan Need to knit it before shocking pink falls out of fashion.
2. a striped tank in black, charcoal and khaki. (Four Season's Firenze) Not started. This would be useful in winter too, under cardis or jackets.
3. a new version of my Sangria tank (Schachenmayer(?) Microfiber) On-going, slowly
4. something very soft and nice for an upcoming niece or nephew Done!
4b something soft & nice for three more babies under way Done the back of the first sweater.
5. a cardigan (Filatura di Crosa Sunday) Not started. it will be a quick knit, but I need to find a pattern I like.
6. a second sock for Jonas Not started. Not likely to happen...
6b. 2 new socks for Jonas, and other family members I really would like to try the new Fortissima socka tweed, and the Missoni colours.
7. finishing touches for the morning surf scarf Not started, need to do it before Christmas
7b. Multidirectional scarf in Trind Mohair Ongoing, quickly!
7c More multidirectionals I really like this pattern!
8. finishing touches for the Düsseldorf Zero Five bag The knitting is done, I need to sew the pieces together
8b finishing touches for the "Danish October" bag The knitting is done, I need to sew the pieces together
8c more bags?
9? A black sweater (Filatura di Crosa Piu) I didn't even buy the yarn. Abandoned.
10. An entrelac hat (mixed mohair-mix leftovers) maybe one day

A revelation

I was explaining to my colleague where I had bought the nice t-shirt I'm wearing, when a revelation struck me, and I feel that the knitting world must be informed. (But I suppose this is old news...)

It so happens that I bought my multicoloured t-shirt chez Phildar. When I said Phildar in French I realized that the name is a play with words, it is pronounced just like Fil d'art, which means Thread of art.

(The Phildar ready-to-wear collection can be seen at the Phildar website. Strangely enough they don't show their yarns, only the pattern catalogues and their clothes. For a peek at the autumn/winter collection of Phildar yarn, I recommend (once again...) their Belgian reseller Phildar Wervik )

Back again

Four weeks of holidays, with very little knitting but lots of rest and nice little trips. I have finished the Barkarole pseudo-aran, and the baby who will be wearing it has arrived. He is a little Oskar, but I have not yet had the pleasure to meet him. I have started a new baby sweater in Barkarole and Phildar cashmere, but I think it will be for one of three other new world citizens to be.

"Fuglemamma" in Norway has made a pair of beautiful socks from the Secret friend sock wool (Regia) and she has started on a striped hood in Barkarole. I hope to send out the second secret friend package at lunch today. This time it is a small gift, as an end-of-summer encouragement. The recipient doesn't have a blog, so it feels a bit like a shot in the dark. The third Secret friend package will be sent off in October, and it will be something homemade. I already know who I will send it to, and it is a person whose blog I read regularly. It is slightly intimidating, this is a very talented knitter who shows one amazing thing after another in her blog. I will have to think of something clever...

My youngest son and I made a trip to Lille and Roubaix, and I found my coveted Volcan Onde on sale (-50%!). I now have six 100 gr balls, and I need to find a good simple cardigan pattern. To keep the fading consistent, I need to split the back and seam it up. I don't know if I should make the seam invisible or if I should use my remaining ball of white Onde to make I-cord edges as accents.

My crocheted shopping bag is growing, and I hope it will be OK. For the moment I'm running out of "yarn", we have switched grocery stores and Delhaize only uses sturdy reusable plastic bags, too thick and "fat" for crocheting. I might need to go to Auchan next time, to get a bunch of flimsy paper thin little sachets. They will promptly be cut into stripes and tied into "yarn".

The Phildar sale also brought me ten balls of Phildar Cotton 8 in a slightly variegated grey (acier). It will also go to baby clothes. Zippered cardigans, with some kind of gender specific embroidery once I know who the recipients are. Or maybe just cute animals. (Pandas? Giraffes?)