This was the result (photo taken at the end of the day):

My hair is quite long and hard to define, but I felt it came out beautifully!

Made with Arduino.

]]> http://knitisses.wordpress.com/2011/06/09/yarn-monster/feed/ 0 knitisses http://knitisses.wordpress.com/2011/05/17/151/ http://knitisses.wordpress.com/2011/05/17/151/#comments Tue, 17 May 2011 12:13:39 +0000 knitisses http://knitisses.wordpress.com/?p=151 Continue reading →]]>

O Ciclo da Lã from Tiago Pereira on Vimeo.

Aldeia.org is organizing a workshop on the 28th and 29th May about rural activities in extinction, called “The Wool Cicle” (“O Cliclo da Lã”). It has the following program:

• Walk with Shepherd and Sheep
• Clipping Wool
• Wool Wash
• Spinning
• Natural Dyeing
• Loom and Knitting Workshop

Doesn’t it sound great? Unfortunately it is in Miranda do Douro, very far from my hometown…

There is a time (sometimes more than one) in every person’s life that a change is needed. When you’re a kid, you change between schools. When you’re a early teen, you change hair styles. When you’re graduating you change between boyfriends. When you’re a grown up, you change between jobs. When you have a family, you change between houses… That’s life!

For a certain number of reasons, this was not a good year for me. Lots of things did not go as well as I wanted, starting the year by loosing a very dear and close friend.

At the end of 2010 I am ready to write down what I want: I want a change!

January to April

May to August

September to December

Every icon of each month is personalized, like for example, the color difference between me and J on the Summer: I always get darker with the sun, but J always stay white. Hope you like it!

Would you be my Valentine – February 2010

When my parents were celebrating their wedding anniversary I have done a similar drawn but with the two of them when they were young. They loved it! And they loved it so much that they asked me to do a similar illustration to their friends so they can give it on Christmas. Adding this to my other Christmas projects, I am guessing I will have so much work to do on the following weeks!

I love the colors on Baby Panzner Blanket – Greenway (Ravelry) by Donna Yacino.

Baby Panzner Blanket – Greenway (Ravelry) by Donna Yacino

Having in mind my last post, I am super interested on buying some Capra Cashmere yarn, with 85% Merino Wool and 15% Cashmere. Have you seen the range of colors? Wonderful! Unfortunately this store is in the US, I have to find some European shop that sells this.

Capra Cahsmere yarn, on Knit Picks

Today’s book is “The Knitter’s Book of Yarn”, by Clara Parkes.

“The Knitter’s Book of Yarn“, by Clara Parkes

First of all I want to say that I knit since I can remember, but I always found it difficult to find good yarns on my country (quality/price). Thus, four years ago (when I start working) I started buying yarn in other countries. But lately I realized that I needed to learn more about my material. I wanted to know the characteristics, the small nuances from type to type that make all the difference in a finished project, what type of yarns suit best my projects. This brought me to a quest: find a book that could teach me more about my yarn. After an exhaustive search, I came upon “The Knitter’s Book of Yarn”. It seemed interesting, therefore, I order it. I am glad that I have done so.

I haven’t read it all, but I have read the first chapters that talk about the basic types of yarn (protein, cellulose, cellulosic, synthetic fibers), explaining the general characteristics, how is it made, and what to expect when knitting with them. These chapters fascinated me because I am currently with different projects at hand and each with a different type of yarn. While reading it I could feel the yarn, look at the details referred on the book and compare the materials. It was so fun! From these first chapters I can say that I took a valuable lesson: now I am sensitized to look to the yarn labels and best select my yarn. This lesson is also applicable to my clothes, since by looking at the label, I will know, for instance, if the yarn is suitable for my sensible skin, if it stretches, if it is itchy or too heavy for that design.

Now I am reading the chapters that describe how the yarn is made in general. Parkes gives an insight on farm yarns, fiber festivals, how the color is added to the yarn and much more. The latest chapters on the book explain how the different types of yarn can be putted together, adding some patterns (that seem very simple, but I have not yet tried any) for testing!

I think one should look at this book as a reference, not as an exhaustive yarn characteristics’ description manual. “The Knitter’s Book of Yarn” fulfills my expectations, therefore, I recommend it!