Every one needs.

This post is about sweet nothings really.
- Happy finds.

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Tag (made by our friends R.W. Scissors)

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Pincushion cats (from OUI boutique)

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Op-shop sunhat she actually wants to wear.
(because it is like a soft towel mum.)

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Every-one needs a pinkish picture in a frame.





Happy tuesday
-Lies

Little bramble set

I found this lovely yarn. It was the color more than anything, that attracted me. Heather. Hues of lavender, blue, taupe, brown and dusty pink, all in one, depending on the light. And softer than soft. And so : what to knit...

I tried this intriguingly beautiful bobble stitch-motif : 'bramble', in French 'point Astrakan'. The bobble effect shows on the purl side of the work, so pretty!
-the motif-:
-R1 (and all uneven rows): purl
-R2:*make 3 stitches out of 1 (k1, p1, k1) then purl the following 3 stitches together* repeat till end
-R4: knit
-R6:*purl 3 stitches together, make 3 stitches out of the following stitch (k1,p1,k1)* repeat till end
-R8: knit

I felt very inspired and decided to knit a baby set with both of the above. The (very simple) design is my own, and it would be great if you could try it out too.
You need : about 350 meters of 4 ply yarn (alpaca will be snuggly warm and soft and will give the bobbles a bit of a halo - linen or cotton will be more breezy and make the motif look more abstract and modern...) and a set of 3.25 mm needles (I'm hooked on Addi circulars).


Vest (size 6 to 18 months) :
-start with right front : cast on 66 stitches and knit in bramble motif until work measures 9 cm(for a dainty short vest, very pretty over a dress) or 14 cm (long version) ending with row 8 of the bramble motif. Start decreasing as following : bind of one stitch on the purl side, bind off 2 stitches in the knit side), repeat decreases until you have 27 stitches left on the right side of your piece. Work these 27 stitches in the pattern for 2 cm (one pattern repeat), put stitches on holder, break yarn.
-work left front : same way as right front (be careful to keep the pattern correct as you work the decreases) until you have 27 stitches left on the left side of your piece and work those stitches for 2 cm in pattern ending with row 1 of the pattern (a purl row)
-work the back : cast on (added to your 27 stitches of the left piece) 20 stitches for the neck edge, purl the 27 stitches on the holder of the right front piece, knit these stitches (total of 74) in bramble motif until back measures 17 cm from the neck edge (or 22 cm longer version). Cast off.
-finishing : sew the side seems together (the arm openings should measure about 10 cm at the front), sew 4 little buttons to the underlying front piece - yup you didn't knit buttonholes and you don't need to, the buttons will just hook into the little holes of the bramble bobbles.


Hat (size 12 months)
note : I didn't knit this hat in the round as the yarn is quite fragile and snaps easily when I pull it hard (which you kinda have to do when knitting in the round, to avoid ladder-holes), but if you have a strong yarn then go for it - it saves you sewing up time, cast on 88 stitches, knit everything (no purling) and just omit the k1 at the beginning and end of the decreasing knit rows - these stitches are added for seam-allowance.
-cast on 90 stitches - knit in bramble pattern for two pattern repeats, then knit in stockinette for about 12 cm. Start decreasing on the knit side : k1, (k2tog, k13) 6 times, k1. Purl one row. Decrease again on the knit side : k1 (k2tog, k12) 6 times, k1. Repeat these decreases as follows [k2tog, k11] then [k2tog,k10] then [k2tog, k9] and so on, starting and ending the knit row with a k1, and purling every alternating row until there are 24 stitches left. Then : k1, (k2tog) 11 times, k1. Thread through and secure crown.
-finishing : sew up the side seam with mattress stitch. Flip the bobble pattern (on the wrong side) of the rim over so it shows on the right side of the stockinette pattern.


Other than that - I found these beautiful knitting links

-Nini Naphtaline (my favorite of the moment)

-Knitting a lot (wonderfully clever patterns!)

-The blog without a name (oh that swing cardi so sweet)

Have a lovely november/december week all
in the northern hemi' (Kimberlee!!!) : cosey up and perhaps even smell the coming of snow...
in the southern hemi' : to the refreshing beaches now...
-Lies

Oh you pretty things

1. gorgeous tiny and softest matinee-jacket (Elisabeth Zimmermann pattern) knit by our dear friend Emily, for Noor. I added the buttons, Emily hates sewing on buttons, but I love!

2. i'm at it again friends - managed to sew two new pinafores for the long suffering Etsy shoppe, still have to add some finishing touches - hope to post them on wednesday

3. wonderful earflap-hat sewn by our dear friend Hanna. The flowery-flaps are baby-cord. Snuggalorious. Originally for Lieveke, a tad too small now but I think perfect for Noor come springtime.

4. aha. my. new. dress. From Gabe and his parents, for my birthday. To wear at Emily's wedding. This friday, yay.

Have a happy week now!
-Lies

To give (2)

First, because I've never done it before and I'll have my second kid in three weeks (yes three ooh!), I figure if I don't do it now, I never will. And things will be fairly quiet from my side I think after B-day... So, I'd like to give you my simple sewing pattern for a tiny baby dress - if you're into it, scroll down or click here.
I had greatest fun developing/sewing/drawing this pattern for our blog - but I'm sure I've forgotten heaps and not everything will make sense to you... Let me know what you think! This is what the dress looks like :



Second, here are the lucky winners of the bamboo baby beanies, Lievie (who had a wee bit of trouble restraining herself from trying to fit the tiny hats) drew two names out of both beanies :
- turquoise bbb : 'auntie' Jen in Melbourne!
- black bbb : mama Rhiannon!
So girls - send me a small Email with your address please X


And last (but not least?) and third : my second give-away, a 'happy land' baby pinafore. It fits a baby from 6 months to approx 18 months (depends on the babe really), closes with cross-over kimono-style snaps, is made of 100% cotton fabrics and is reversible (happy land and flower diagonals on the one side, yellow-white gingham on the other). Please leave a little comment if you'd like to 'win' this little pinnie ( I'm sure there's a baby girl you know that would look super cute in it!). Next week Wednesday Lieveke will draw names again.


Hey, many thanks for all your enthusiasm in the draw and also for your lovely comments on Lieveke's nearly three...
-Lies X

To give (1)

Made this simple but very sweet cardy for the new baby - in softest bamboo again. Then I had some of that lovely stuff left, and so why not knit a few baby beanies to give to you! I've made a black one and am currently working on a turquoise one (will be finished tonight I hope). If you want one (for your wee one, your niece/nephew, your neighbour's new sprout, your best friend's...) just leave a comment, next week Wednesday Lieveke will draw some names out of a beanie.


Hey why don't you give it a go yourself? Here's the in-the round-pattern for the newborn (up to 6 months) beanie, I've sort of made it up along the way. I used 4 bamboo double sided knitting 'sticks', size 3.25 and Cleckheaton pure bamboo - I really recommend this yarn, it's light, silky, ever so soft and it knits up an even and slim stockinette. You can use any yarn that fits the 3.25 sticks really, but some yarns (for instance Debbie Bliss's Baby Cashmerino) will make the beanie more bulky. Takes about 2 sessions of 2 leisurely hours for you to finish this enormous project.

• CO 80 st, spread over 3 needles (26,28,26)
• knit in the round till about 5", then :
• round 1 : [k8, k2tog] x8 = leaves 72 st
• round 2 : [k7, k2tog] x8 = 64 st
• round 3 : [k6, k2tog] x8 = 56 st
• round 4 : [k5, k2tog] x8 = 48 st
• round 5 : [k4, k2tog] x8 = 40 st
• round 6 : [k3, k2tog] x8 = 32 st
• round 7 : [k2, k2tog] x8 = 24 st
• round 8 : [k1, k2tog] x8 = 16 st
• round 9 : [k2tog] x8 = 8st
• knit the beanie cord in the round on these 8 st till cord is about 4",
• thread through, secure, turn hat right side out, tie a knot in cord
• as easy as that!
• if you try it out, happy to help and please do give feedback on the above simple pattern, always room for improvement.

And in the giving atmosphere, those pretty fabrics and the little 'berry-forest' baby vest (hand knit from homespun wool!) came from the generous Sally. Thanks so!

Next week and the week after I plan some more to give - and I know Kimberlee has something up her creative sleeves too, we did promise oodles of time ago (gnaw gnaw guilty conscience) and I for my part am sort of realising that when the new babe arrives I just won't get to it, so there you go, March will be give-aways month, don't miss!




-Lies X

Purple and yellow, as it happens

Funny how sometimes the colors of things in the house are all coordinated... I got the sweet green crochet teddy from Joanna at Organic Island Baby - where I have some new skirts for sale. The teddy 'beertje' is for our second girl (30 weeks now!), but Lieveke is 'minding' it for her. I did sew the 'comic clouds' cushion cover Beertje is leaning on. The glads are from Gabe, ta love. And yes, some belated knitting pics (knitted during our holiday) : a cardy, a stripey hat and more mocs - all in size XXXS.

Here are some gorgeous knitting inspiration blogs :

-Black Dog Knits (with excellent links to other fab knitting spaces)

-Water and Wool (plus yum food!)

-Assemblage (beautiful sigh...)

ps. been having heeeeps of trouble with our broadband - 'outages' the experts call it, 'xcept that those lovely experts still haven't fixed it... I can post on the blog and surf (at times - with a lot of patience) but am currently receiving no Emails at home... If you've written, so sorry, it should work soon (arghhh...)

-Lies

A bit of random

1) sublime reading
2) Marimekko - dress and jodpurs for Lieveke, I think
3) making baby sunhats again
4) blue and red
5) red and blue (and mess...)

I find great inspiration in Mieke Willems' beautiful blog these days. She's Belgian, the light in her photographs makes me homesick...

Have a lovely week dears
-Lies

Indian summer

We are slowly heading towards autumn here in NZ. Often the days of March are beautifuly sunny though and the light has a gorgeous golden haze. I love March, I did in Belgium (the first warm springy days with crispy clear blue skies) and I do here in Auckland (Feijoa fruit, tamarillo and figs are ripening,yum).

A parcel with new textiles arriving makes me bask some more. Big dots with Cheetah's, and the wavey geo-patterned fabric matches the colors, as if by magic, what a sweet coincidence. I quite like turquoise with chocolate and aubergine with chartreuse at the moment. So deep and rich.





We had one or two wetter and slightly chilly days in between, and that made me feel like knitting again. This week's project was a little beret for Lieveke : Easy Peasy and Fasty Fasty (only a few hours of a rainy day). I found this supersoft and bouncy yarn : a mix of angora and merino.




And because I was feeling autumnal (I think that's what it was) I had to make this gathered top in autumn leaves (fabric from C!) for Lieveke with red knee-pants (yes I made those too!). I like the light dancing with a lock of my daughter's hair here.



The daughter is almost two and really so delightful... She's been doing some amazing (well duh I'm so objective) lateral thinking, such as "mama work at Muka (the gallery), Lieveke work at daycare, papa work at work (ha)" and 'where is papa lieveke?' Answer "He toiling" (meaning he's on the loo!). She says these things so naturally, without a blink, sigh... I'll just stop now - just being a slightly overexcited mum (wow I guess sometimes I still can't believe it! LUCKY ME!)

I'd like to say thank you so for your comments every-one, we don't always have the time to reply to your nice feedback but it is very very appreciated! We are getting to know some new special blogsouls here :

The ruth spoon (hey Blackie in Tasmania, your 'wit woo' sounded uber-cool)

The anti fashion league (Rhonda from right around the Auckie corner, you are one of a creative wunder kind)

Fine little day (you made my little day - I so so admire your beautiful Swedish blog!!!)


Oh, and isn't this a cutey (from these guys). L is only one point...
BUT what a point eh.



Enjoy the week!
-Lies

New things

First, a few 'old' new things, in our house :

The leopard chair!
- a spiffing gift from Gabe's brother
who's moved back overseas to England
and knew I had a soft spot for it!

Thrifted cutesey cups!

Deco-ish found table-lamp in lovely blue, hmmm bit of a dud photo

Now onto just a little selection of new things I made for yesterday's Craftwerk-fair (Kimberlee took loads of photo's - so I'm sure there's a whole post on the fair to come!). Most of these sold, yay!

Simple large tote-bags in fun fabrics

Bird-and-dot-hats

Still fresh (so counts as new thing eh) this little funky top I made for Lieveke. She calls the big buttons on the back 'my bicky-buttons' and yes she did at first try to eat them...



Also, lets add a few new names to the inspiration-list :
-last week these ladies had beautiful textile-pattern inspiration :
Mecozy
O (Lena Corwin)
-top 'I've nothing to wear'-inspiration with these girls :
Bits and Bobbins
Only shallow
-and last but definitely sweetest: I would like to get this goooorgeous lavender dream dress for Lieveke, but it's for a five year old sigh

Muu muu dress at Fifthavenuesouth's Etsy shop

Have a happy week!
-L

More little things

Echoing my previous post, these are little things I made, worn by such wonderful little people, it makes me warm up to the world... From top left to bottom left : Remi (hat), Sian (skirt), Hanna (hat) and Astrid (pinnie).

Bless

Gosh, I find this little girls dress, 'Dana' by Rito co Rita, so beautiful. I found it at Mooi in Antwerp. I like their statement : '..if the only thing you ever buy from us is one sweater, make sure you buy it large, so that it can be worn for years – until the cuffs don’t reach and the elbows have worn thin – that would make us happy.'


And how about this sweet collection of toys, from the latest brochure at Amsterdam's Keet in Huis.

Fun toys

I hope your weekend will be sunny
-Lies