Knitting with t-shirt yarn

My knitting mania is still not over! While browsing knitting websites and blogs I came upon this pattern (in Dutch) for a cushion made with t-shirt yarn (also known as tarn). I realised I still have a basket full of t-shirt yarn after my braided rug project in 2013 (still not finished...) and began knitting with white tarn. When the first ball was knitted up, I dug through hubby's white shirts and cut up two old shirts. When those were gone I went to my local op shop (thrift shop) and found another one. Now that one is all used up as well, and I'm still only halfway!



I visited another three op shops, but none of them had any white shirts without side seams. It's winter here in the Southern Hemisphere, so op shops don't have many t-shirts on sale at the moment...
So I've put this project on hold for now and picked up my Josephine shawl in rainbow colours again:



What I love about knitting is that it's so portable - I can take it with me when my middle son has his acting class, and knit in the car while waiting for him. And at night I can knit and watch tv, or listen to an audiobook. Perfect!

Pattern Modern Lone Star Quilt now on Etsy

Last year I made a Modern Lone Star quilt using the iconic Unikko (Poppy) print in nine different colourways. Unikko was designed by Marija Isola for the famous Finnish company Marimekko and became one of their most succesful fabrics - even though Marimekko's founder had sworn never to print floral fabrics!

After showing the quilt on my blog and on Instagram, quite a few people asked if I could publish the pattern. It took me a while, but I am happy to announce that it is now available for sale in my Etsy shop.

The back of the quilt is another gorgeous Marimekko print called Hetkiä (Moments), designed by Maija Louekari:



I quilted this Modern Lone Star (affectionately known as Starimekko) in straight lines through the diamonds, ½” from the seams, continuing in the white spaces outside the star, using a walking foot and white Aurifil 40wt thread:



It has a thin cotton batting, so it's a spring quilt - not warm enough in winter. Here it is on our bed last year - oh, I do love this quilt!

More knitting

It's been cold and wet here in the past week, and the boys have all been sick, so I have been at home a lot and done a lot of knitting. My youngest son is very much into Harry Potter at the moment and asked if I could make him a Gryffindor scarf. Of course! I started it on Friday and he was overjoyed this morning when it was ready for him to wear it to school.



Hubby needed new slippers so I made him some with a blue and white yarn that I bought in Holland before we moved here. It was meant for a jumper for me, but I'm sure that will never get finished...



I decided to make some slippers for myself as well with 100% wool and felt them (in the washing machine). I'm really happy with how they turned out!



Now I can go back to my rainbow shawl:



I've been thinking that I really need a knitting needle case... Hmm, might go and see if I can find some nice fabric in my stash!

Hoot hoot!

Look what I have made! I found the pattern for these adorable owl wrist warmers here, on a Dutch knitting blog, as I thought it would be easier to have my first project that is a little more complicated than a simple scarf in my first language. I love them, they are so cute and warm, perfect for winter nights in a cold Queenslander house!



And here is my Wimbledon scarf - made while watching the tennis at night, finished during the men's final on Sunday! Well, Monday actually - it was past midnight! It's funny - having grown up in the Netherlands, I associate Wimbledon with summer afternoons and now I watch it at night in winter...



I have fallen in love with knitting all over again - I did a lot of knitting when I was in high school and then again when I was expecting my first baby. Here is one of the little jumpers I made for Hugo:



Then I started sewing, next I discovered quilting, and the rest is history... I did bring my knitting needles when we moved to Australia in 2007, and have made a few half-hearted attempts at knitting since then, but this is the first time I have finished something. And I am not done yet - here is my next project:



It is the Josephine Shawl I found on Ravelry. I have made a profile there (actually I discovered that I already had a profile since 2013 - although I can't remember why I made it then) - if you are on Ravelry too, let's be friends!

However, I haven't abandoned quilting - I even thought of a new quilt design while knitting and will start on it this week!

Winter holidays

We had a lovely mini-holiday in Caloundra (some photos can be found on my photo blog). The boys did well in their gymnastics competitions and we enjoyed visiting the beach and the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. The majestic view over the Glass House Mountains is from the Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve near Maleny. The kookaburra in the photo above was also enjoying that view ;-)



Once we got back home I dug up my knitting needles and yarn, and taught my boys to knit. This brought back happy memories of my beloved grandmother who taught me many years ago. My two eldest boys got the hang of it quite quickly:



But after the initial novelty wore off they weren't that interested anymore... I found that I did want to knit something though, and a visit to Spotlight resulted in a thick pair of bamboo needles and some gorgeous chunky yarn in sea colours:



A perfect project for the cold nights, while watching Wimbledon! It's going to be a scarf - just simple stockinette knitting, nothing that needs too much attention. I have been drooling over some cute ceramic yarn bowls on Etsy (or how about this hand turned walnut and maple one!) but until I win the lottery one of my t-shirt yarn bowls with a large safety pin works quite well too.



I couldn't resist this rainbow yarn either - I'm planning to use it for a shawl. I did buy some fabric too:



Not sure yet what I will do with this Melbourne fabric (and the matching green) but I'm sure I will think of something!