Weaving Olden Patterns

Hello fellow crafters! I can't believe March is almost over and April's on its way... I think I won't be making woolly items for some time, as right now I'm busy testing a pattern for a friend and I'm working on it with thread, and by the time I'll be finished (should I manage to get through it) it'll be quite warm, soo... well, not a big deal, as I already have some lovely cotton/linen/&such stashed just waiting for some nice projects, but before that I want to show you my latest wool items.  Today I'll write a bit about this Dragon tail scarf, or Drachenschwanz - doesn't that sound great? I've discovered it thanks to  MariaGrazia Berno 's FB group "Uncinetto tunisino, questo sconosciuto) and made it following an amazingly simple tutorial by the very talented Veronika Hug ( Nata , you should find this interesting). I strongly recommend those of you interested in Tunisian crochet (and not only) to check out her YT channel : I d...

A cascade of fallen leaves that I can always bring with me! Una cascata di foglie da portare sempre con me! Do I have to write much about this shawl? I don't think so, I'll just say some basic things: I love these Autumny shades, and I absolutely love this leafy pattern, so guess what? I'm in love with the finished shawl! : ) It's big enough to wrap around the torso and be tied behind the back - consider I'm 1.75m tall and not exactly thin... Yarn is Maddison Colorado, colorway # 11. Lovely wool though 50% acrylic, quite soft and very nice to work with. C'è bisogno che scriva molto riguardo questo scialle? Non credo, mi limiterò a poche cose essenziali: amo le sfumature autunnali, e amo gli schemi che ricordano una cascata di foglie ( qui quello che ho usato), perciò indovinate? Adoro questo scialle! : ) E' abbastanza grande da avvolgere il busto ed essere annodato dietro la schiena - contate che sono alta 1.75m e non proprio secca... Il ...

A long awaited week off took me to my beloved Sea, which I had not visited since January... did I miss her? I hadn't realized how much untill I got there and saw her magnificence again...  Luckily I brought along this wool which I bought some weeks ago: I intended to use it for a friend, but you know what? I decided to keep it for me and make something which reminds me of the Sea. A shawl, of course, whose pattern somehow makes me think about the waves, and the colours, well, they speak for themselves, I believe... I managed to finish the shawl a couple of days before coming back home, so I was able to wear it on some beach walks and take pictures of it. Now I'm back on the mountains and I'm enjoying wearing some warm Autumny colours, but I think this one will look just as fine amid the falling snow this Winter...  Oh, and in case you're interested, here 's the pattern... Una settimana di vacanza tanto attesa mi ha permesso di rivedere il Mare, da cui ero l...

Remember the Dragon Tail scarf/shawl I began some time ago? Well, last week I managed to finish it, and I'm oh so proud of it. Not only it's my first Tunisian crochet project, but it also turned out great, big and cosy and oh so soft (this thanks to the lovely yarn Géraldine sent me, Phil Bambou Laine by Phildar). It is 2 m long from tip to tip and 45 cm wide by the last scale, and the last row counts 110 stitches, which are quite a lot... : ) As I already wrote I strongly recommend this if you want to try Tunisian crochet, it's easy, good fun and you get a nice original item to wear. You might find this tutorial by Julia Marquardt helpful, but if you want to get one that's exactly like mine you have to change the pattern a little bit: I followed the instructions by a great designer, MariaGrazia Berno , who modified it a bit in order to obtain a scarf/shawl that curls up more. Her pattern says to increase of two stitches at the end of every row, just before the se...

Green is one of the colors I love the most, in all its shades, especially the darker ones - but why not try and wear something a bit lighter for once?  I made this Elise Shawl with a linen & cotton yarn, soft and natural, just what you need for late Spring and Summer. Let me tell you, I immediately fell in love with all the shades this yarn had, they reminded me of the woods, the new leaves, the white flowers, the clouds on the top of the mountains... all the things that I love! As I began to crochet this shawl, I couldn't help but notice how these shades just "worked" with the pattern, you know what I mean? I made a very big shawl as you can see (that's me in the picture, and I'm 1.75 m tall, just to give you an idea of just how big it is), and I just love it! If you're not familiar with the pattern, go and try it out - it's simple but extremely effective, plus, it's free! : ) Il verde è uno dei colori che amo di più, in tutte le sue sfu...

I can't believe how long it's been since my last post. I'd like to have something more to say, or better yet, I'd like to have more time to think about what to write and really write it down. But unfortunately, I don't. I'm sorry my blog isn't more inspirational, as many of yours are, I wish it was. It's just one of those moments, you know... I'm so busy with too many things. So, want to know what I'm up to these days? Well, there you go: I enjoy long walks in the woods together with my boyfriend every weekend (we're so lucky, I know, and I'm oh so thankful!). I crochet (and knit a bit) every time I can, though not as much as I wish. I try and take good care of my plants and especially my beloved cacti, which continue to grow in number and are preparing to bloom, some of them for the first time, and that's exciting. I also purchased some new hooks and knitting needles, and I'd like to tell you about them in the future, becaus...

Hello everyone! I haven't forgotten about my promise to share with you the pattern of my Shamrocks Shawl, I've just been too busy to write a post on here, though the pattern's been on Ravelry for quite some time now; anyway, there you go: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/shamrocks-shawl. I'd be more than happy if some of you should decide to hook it, and in case you do please let me know what you think! : ) Oh, and of course:  Happy St. Patrick's Day! Sláinte !

... The harp, the Shamrock,  Green, white and gold... I almost never write about my love for Celtic culture, I don't really know why; but it's somethind deep rooted in my spirit, a connection that only grows stronger as years go by.  I had the chance to write my bachelor's degree thesis about W. B. Yeats and the Celtic elements within the folk traditions of Éire, a few years back, and thanks to this I got to know Irish culture much better than I did, though I still haven't had the occasion to visit the place. Needless to say, I love everything related: mythology, folklore, traditions... Plus, I absolutely love green, so: a few years later, here's my tiny tribute to the Emerald Isle of Éire, or Ireland, if you wish. : ) What do you think? I know it's simple looking (and simple to make, in fact), but I really like the way it turned out, and I'm quite proud of my shamrocks all around... Would you like to wear your own Irish-related shaw...

Today I'd like to show you a shawl I made... well, about a couple of months ago in fact! It was meant to be a gift for a friend, but I've finally been able to give it to her only today, so I couldn't show you before, since she visits my blog from time to time. The pattern, you may know it, is the pretty famous "Seraphina's Shawl" by Doni's Stuff (in case you're not familiar with it you can get it on Ravelry for free, and I highly recommend it: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/seraphinas-shawl ).  I used a thin wool, Four Seasons Gründl Hot Socks Spectra , shade 50, and it took me quite some time to finish, but I'm pretty satisfied with how it turned out. So, not really a Xmas item as you can see, those are soon to come! : ) Oggi vi mostro uno scialle che ho realizzato un paio di mesi fa. Doveva essere un regalo per un'amica, ma sono riuscita a darglielo solo oggi, quindi non potevo mostrarvelo prima, dato che di tanto in tant...

E' iniziato uno dei miei mesi preferiti dell'anno. Le giornate si stanno visibilmente accorciando, le temperature scendono, le nebbie sottili abbracciano gli alberi e le loro foglie si colorano e volano accompagnate dai venti dell'autunno. Per inaugurare al meglio questa bellissima stagione mi sono regalata uno scialle nelle sfumature che tra poco assumeranno le fronde intorno a me. Si tratta di un enorme granny triangle dotato di frange, morbidissimo e avvolgente. One of my favourite months of the year has just begun. The days are getting visibly shorter, temperatures lower, thin mists embrace the trees and the leaves get all coloured and fly away with the winds of Autumn. To start this lovely season in the best way possible I crocheted myself this shawl, its shades being those of the foliage that will soon surround me. This shawl is in fact an enormous granny triangle with fringes, very soft and embracing.   Sarà perché amo i grannies in tutte le loro ...

Quale colore sarebbe più adatto per andare a passeggiare nei boschi rigogliosi alla ricerca del fresco?  Il verde è uno dei miei colori preferiti, soprattutto nelle tonalità più scure, mi ricorda le grandi foreste misteriose e indossarlo mi trasmette sempre una sensazione positiva. Chi mi è vicino lo sa, il che spiega questo cotone regalatomi quest'inverno dai miei genitori, troppo fine perché io mi cimentassi nel lavorarlo, ma per fortuna la mia mamma ha più pazienza di me, e questo è il risultato del suo lavoro: un bellissimo scialle realizzato a filet! Inutile dirlo, lo indosso ogni volta che posso, ovvero diversi giorni alla settimana, complice l'estate freddina - lo adoro! Which colour would be better to go out in the woods looking for shelter from the heat? Green is one of my favourite colours, especially its darker shades, it reminds me of the great mysterious forests, and wearing it always gives me a positive feeling. Those near me know this, and that's w...

Ho pensato ai fiori selvatici quando ho trovato questo cotone multicolore.  L'ho preso senza un'idea precisa, solo più tardi mi è venuto in mente di provare qualcosa di diverso. Uno schema molto semplice, una rete, però mobile, in modo che lunghezza e ampiezza del capo siano regolabili a seconda delle necessità: può essere indossato come coprispalle che copre per intero il tronco, oppure come foulard se si sente fresco solo al collo.  Sono molto soddisfatta di come è rimasto, trovo che sia versatile e adatto all'estate, visti i colori vivaci. I thought about wildflowers when I found this multicoloured cotton. I bought it without knowing what to crochet with it, only some time afterward I decided to try something different. A very simple pattern, a net, but a moving one, so you can choose its lenghth and width: you can wear this item as a shawl that covers your entire torso, or as a foulard if your neck feels cold.  I'm really satisfied with how it t...

A marzo chiedevo alle mie lettrici se sarebbero state disposte a danzare insieme alle fate... Oggi, notte di Mezza Estate, apice della bella stagione, vi propongo questo nuovo baktus del colore delle Fairy Pools. Ne avete mai sentito parlare? Si trovano nella lontana Scozia, sulla selvaggia isola di Skye, e sono speciali pozze la cui acqua assume un colore turchese davvero magico, e in cui naturalmente le fate amano radunarsi per trovare un po' di fresco durante i giorni più caldi dell'anno... Ho scelto questo colore per il mio secondo baktus proprio perché mi ha colpita la sua tonalità brillante, che mi ha immediatamente ricordato quei luoghi incantati, così simili a quelli che si trovano lungo il torrente che attraversa il mio bosco, e dove sono certa che le fate danzano e si rinfrescano numerose... Ho usato un mio schema, ispirato ad alcuni lavori visti in rete, e sono molto soddisfatta del risultato finale. Anche il bordino a contrasto, che vorrei richiamasse il m...

Avevo letto che una volta finito un baktus ne sarebbero seguiti molti altri in maniera inesorabile, ma non ci credevo, e invece... sabato ho comprato dei gomitoli stupendi in filato naturale, un misto di cotone, seta e lino, di una morbidezza unica e di un bel colore nature , con l'idea di provare a realizzare un baktus... eccolo qui, finito in un giorno e oggi finalmente fotografato. Un modello semplice, direi, il bordino un'aggiunta per movimentare un po' il lavoro, con un tema a triangolo che richiama la forma dello scialletto. Che ne dite, vi piace? Io ho già il cotone pronto per altri due di altri colori, perciò devo dire che me ne sono proprio innamorata... I read that once you finish a baktus many more are soon to follow, but I didn't believe it, though... Saturday I bought some wonderful natural yarn, a mix of cotton, silk and linen, incredibly soft and a marvelous natural colour, and I had in mind to try and make a baktus... so here it goes, finished in a ...