Birds of a Feather

In a quest to find the perfect knitted stuffed animal pattern to make for a friend's newborn baby, I settled on the owl, the most endearing design of the litter. Yet, I soon discovered the animal is so much more! The owl was Athena's emblem, Greek goddess of wisdom, war, and the liberal arts (pretty much the coolest gal ever) and that symbolism has carried all the way to today where we still like to get just a little bit closer to nature. While some cultures considered them to be evil omens, the modern depiction is anything but - plus, have you seen baby owls?! Dignified and instantly recognizable, owls are popping up across the design spectrum. It can be hard to get right however. I find the necklace trend of late to be too kitschy. I prefer a less obvious, more graphic design, something that has been done so successfully in home decor. How gladly I would paper my walls in those motifs! Below is also my knitted owl which turned out just dandy. I followed the pattern kindly provided here but chose to use felt for the eyes for a cleaner look. With luck she'll bring the baby a lifetime of wit and wisdom!

 

PS: An honorable mention goes to owls in architecture - Amsterdam's Art Nouveau style owl facade (as if I needed another reason to talk about Art Nouveau!) and the Rotulos Roura Company building in Barcelona.

1) calendar, wall paper
2)wind chime 
3) wall paper, lamp
4) ceramic, wall paper
5) building, tower

That was a first! : Baby Blanket Complete

Once again with the reviving of old timey mainstays, let me present to you my first crochet project! And let me tell you, granny squares never looked better. When I heard my good friend was expecting, I knew a baby blanket was in order. It turned out to be a super opportunity to teach myself the craft while on my European adventure earlier this year. Sixteen squares later (plus one late, late night), a blanket emerges!  I put in most of the time on various trains during my trip. Turns out handicrafts and quaint old world scenery go hand in hand. It was great to be working on individual pieces which made the things much more portable plus I got to try out four different designs. I adapted a bigger blanket pattern to make the piece more child-size. Gift wrapping this item proved to be a challenge but my friend Cassidy had a nifty idea - lose the paper entirely and just fold up with a big bow. It's hard to appreciate it now since the temps in New England are more on the tropical spectrum right now, but come winter this little one is going to stay warm!

Images via: Me (turns out my iphone camera isn't half bad!)

It had been interesting to compare crochet with knitting. To me, they are horses of different colors and each have different purposes. You can't beat knitted apparel but crochet generally has more possibilities since it holds it's shape better.  For example, this adorable apron may be my next project. Can't wait!

A Labor of Love: Knitting Project Complete!

I will not even disclose how long I have been working on this.  The point is, my lovely shawl is finished and ready to enjoy! I should be clear - the pattern was for a shawl but I went up a needle size to make more of a throw. Let's call it a wear-around-the-house shawl. I came across this gorgeous (and free) vintage pattern which was a perfect project as I wanted to try my hand at open work. A funny story - since my genius self decided to switch up the needle size, I proceeded to forget this detail when I started the second half. I'll never forget this first experience of having to unravel hours of hard work! According to Mom, knitting veteran, it probably won't be the last time. At least now the 6 row pattern is forever ingrained in my mind... Well, the final product is just stunning if I say so myself. I was skeptical about using a rainbow hued yarn on such an already intricate design however, it turns out to showcase the color scheme of rich browns, blues, greens, grays and purples very nicely. The yarn was spun in a non-traditional style - woven into a mini tube rather than just two strands wound together - which made it extra study. My result and the modified/simplified pattern are below. 
Also making its debut below is my prized rocking chair. My parents purchased it in Italy when I was a baby to rock me in. How did they know my style?! The piece is exquisite with clean, modern lines and a wonderful upholstery.  Each dot of the fabric is actually woven, not printed so the texture and colors really pop. And talk about functional, it actually comes apart for easy storage. Maybe that's how Mom and Dad managed to keep it 11+ moves later across several states and continents. 

Images via: Me and Free Vintage Knitting (b&w image only)

Allegro Shawl

You need:

8-10 balls bulky yarn color of your choice

1 pr. wooden knitting needles No. 12

Gauge: I don't measure this usually :)

1st Section: Cast on 63 stitches (sts) and work in pattern as follows:

1st Row: Knit (K) 1, K 2 together (tog), * K 9, slip (sl) 1, K 2 tog, pass slip stitch over K st (p.s.s.o.), repeat from * 3 times, K 9, K 2 tog, K 1.

2nd Row: K 1, Purl (P) across row to within last st, K 1.

3rd Row: K 1, K 2 tog, * K 7, sl 1, K 2 tog, p.s.s.o., repeat from * 3 times, K 7, K 2 tog, K 1.

4th Row: Repeat 2nd row.

5th Row: K 1, K 2 tog, * yarn over (y o), K 1, repeat from * 4 times, y o, sl 1, K 2 tog, p.s.s.o., repeat from 1st * 3 times, (y o, K 1) 5 times, y o, K 2 tog, K 1.

6th Row: Repeat these 6 rows 23 more times. Place all these sts on a strand of yarn, cut yarn. Make another section in same manner but ending with 5th row of pattern, leave on needle, cut yarn. Place right side of both sections together and with free needle, * sl 1 st from 1st section, sl 1 st from 2nd section, repeat from * until all sts are on 1 needle. Bind off as follows: attach yarn at beginning of row, K 2 sts tog, K the next 2 sts tog, * pass the 1st st over the 2nd st, K the next 2 sts tog again having 2 sts on needle, repeat from * until one st remains. Cut yarn and draw through remaining loop.

FRINGE: Cut fringe in length of your choice. With the help of a crochet hook, attach two, doubled over stands at once, on every other stitch on each end of the piece.