March 2011-2018

Basketweave Baby Blanket   2018

March break!! Sun! Yarn! Knitting! My this year March Break creation was a three-colour knitted blanket for Amelia's little sister - Zoey. She is due May 2018! 

I picked great yarn and the colours that would hopefully match the stroller - a beautiful baby pink, a girly rosy, and a contrasting but not very bright purple.
​
The pattern is one of the most popular for baby blankets:basket weave - which is a simple combination of knits and purls.

---

Like any other stitches, the basket weave stitch has many variations, and it's all about texture. It looks even more variable and textured when you add other patterns to the squares. I have 'garter' diamonds, some simple 'lace hint', and funny 'garter' foxies in all colours in the 'stockinette' squares. It was fun to knit!! Hope this knitted  with love blanket will keep Zoey cozy.

Sintra Inspired Tea Cozy 2017

March break in Europe is great. You get the sun that you missed in the winter and you get ... history... and sightseeings ... and beautiful nature ... and lots of knitting on the road :-) Visiting Sintra is a must if you are in Portugal.

Crocheting small colourful blocks is the best craft on the road. You can make one while you go from one place to the other. After the trip to Sintra, it was clear to me what colour the background of the blocks could be. I had some yarn leftovers with me, and I also bought some yellow yarn in Lisbon. I was just making blocks enjoying the combination of bright sunny colours. Almost all squares are made by a single crochet stitch.

---

You can see the rooster of luck and happiness like this in many places in Portugal. Wait! 2017 is the year of the Rooster! Happy New Year again! Good Luck!! Why not make one from the yarn? I put all the blocks together on the plane on the way home. Let's have some tea! This colourful tea cozy reminds me of the beautiful Sintra.

Made in March 2015

When the weather is still cold in March (which is always:-( , a nice warm vest comes really handy. And it looks like our little Amelia agrees. Yarn:
Misti Alpaca made in Peru 50% Alpaca, 30% Merino Wool, 10% Silk, 10% Nylon and Loyal made in New Zealand 100% Wool 
​
One of a Kind Design Who am I kidding? I am sure the design like this exists! But I haven't seen such a cute baby outfit anywhere :-) I decided to come up with something soft, warm and stretchy. Something that would go with both light baby clothes and thick overalls. I didn't want any buttons, so instead, I crocheted two flowers and two big loops. The flowers are also nice accessories to this vest. The pattern is simple: Garter Stitch. 
I've got her back!  I know that it will keep her back warm :-)

---

Definition: Spring

Hur-ray! Spring sprang!
This year (2012) though, it is not very different from winter
​which was pretty mild. 

---

March Madness  2011

The weather in March is crazy: snow, rain, sun, greyness. We are longing for the warmrth and the spring. This madness is about to change, but not yet. Winter just doesn't want to leave. March is crazy -  Si, i miei amici - Marzo è pazzo.

---

When I was in New York at the Vouge Knitting Live 2011 in January, I bought a ball of yarn to do my homework for the Nicky Epstein's workshop Knitting Block by Block. (amazing designer, amazing workshop, amazing book, amazing experience!)
My homework was to knit a block (or a few) for the class so that then they could be transformed into some garment. I did that, but at the worshop I couldn't come up with anything really interesting. But I liked the yarn and decided to buy two more skains in case I would like to knit something else. The yarn and the knitted blocks were sitting in my "craft" bag for a month. And just a few days ago all that was transformed into several nice pieces.

​Yarn: Julia from NASHUA Handknits: 50% Wool, 25% Alpaca, 25% Mohair

---

These wrist warmers are just two knitted blocks. One is Double Seed Stitch
Row 1 (right side) *Knit one, purl one; repeat from * to end.
Row 2 Repeat row 1.
Row 3 *Purl one, knit one; repeat from * to end.
Row 4 Repeat row 3.Repeat rows 1 through 4.

For the other you just knit every row: Garter Stitch.​ Then you knit a few rows in the Stockinette Stitch with a different yarn (a soft colourful Alpaca and Merino blend) which will fold nicely and you will see the purl stitch inside.

Another block is a hat. Ribbibg:
Row 1 (right side) Knit one, *purl one, knit one; repeat from * to end.
Row 2 Purl one, *knit one, purl one; repeat from * to end. Repeat rows 1 and 2. for 5 cm
Continue in Double Seed Stitch for 12 cm

The scarf is knitted in the  Stockinette Stitch: Row 1 knit, Row 2 purl.
Yarn: Misti Hand Paint Sock from Colorful Stitches: 50% Alpaca, 30% Merino Wool, 10% Silk, 10% Nylon

Whenever skies look grey to me, 
And trouble begins to brew,
Whenever the winter winds become too strong,