Mirabila - Garden Verses WIP
Labels: my other passion, sew gorgeous
Thursday, May 12, 2011
For my non-stitching readers, WIP is short for Work In Progress. I thought I'd clarify as wip means seesaw in Dutch. According to the Hubby, it's also Dutch slang for something rude but I choose not to remember what.
The Dutchess of Cookalot whipped this up at 2:23 am
Belated Happy Dance
Labels: my other passion, sew gorgeous
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
I am two months late with this Happy Dance. Truth is, I'd taken the photos the day after it was completed but never got round to uploading it. Anyway, here it is, from Nora Corbett's Pixie Couture, may I present you Poppy in all her sophisticated glory:
I enjoyed this so much because of all the different reds involved. Red, as you know, is my favourite colour. Then there was also the beading and metallic threads. Thanks to chicchicbaby for this birthday chart. Hope I've done it justice.
Note: For fellow stitchers who like to know these things, this piece was stitched on 32 count Lugana.
The Dutchess of Cookalot whipped this up at 11:57 pm
Nora Corbett's Pixie Couture - Poppy
Labels: sew gorgeous
Thursday, January 27, 2011
The warm-up piece is a lovely little pattern called Poppy from Nora Corbett's Pixie Couture range. Here she is after a week's work:
The Dutchess of Cookalot whipped this up at 9:50 pm
Sleeveless Knitted Top For Eldest Aunt
Labels: my other passion, sew gorgeous
Saturday, October 24, 2009
I haven't posted any of my knits lately but that doesn't mean my hands have been idle. In fact, I've been knitting like a fiend (Sonny-boy has been raising my blood pressure to astronomical heights) and there are other garments waiting to make their debut on my blog but I haven't got round to editing the photos yet.
This particular sleeveless top was made with Eldest Aunt in mind. I picked a classic pattern which can be dressed up in the office or dressed down for the weekend. The main bodice is knitted while the neckline and armholes are finished with crochet work. And in keeping with the green revolution, I selected an eco-friendly organic 3 ply cotton yarn. It fits her perfectly (lucky too, since I knitted this without her measurements!) and if I dare say so, she was very pleased with her present. Here she is, Eldest Aunt sportingly posing for my camera with her new top:
Mooi, heh? (Pretty, eh?)
The Dutchess of Cookalot whipped this up at 9:20 am
Crocheted Dress And Cardigan Ensemble
Labels: my other passion, sew gorgeous
Thursday, February 26, 2009
As every well-heeled fashionista knows, a lady should have at least one LBD - Little Black Dress, hanging in her closet. I'm starting my 19 month old niece young. A little black dress and matching cardigan is on its way to you, Isabelle. All you need now is a matching kid-size 2.55 purse and black patent Mary Janes and you'll be the spiffiest looking kid in nursery!
This crocheted dress and cardi is made up of cotton yarn using a Clover 4/0 (2.5mm) hook. It was straightforward enough but hoover damn! Was it tedious work or what? All them repetitive rows! But it turned out to be such a beauty, so all is forgiven. Even Hubs oohed and ahhed at it, thereafter giving me The Look. I flatly told him the factory was closed.
Instead of the usual pastels, I chose black with off white as an accent colour to give it that stylish edge. And to finish off the Chanel inspiration, I added the Camelia at the neckline.
I didn't want my niece messing about with safety pin brooches so I stitched the Camelia right over the button loop as shown by Bear.
Sis, I hope the fit is good and I want photos of Isabelle in the ensemble!
The Dutchess of Cookalot whipped this up at 7:33 pm
Vintage '70s Cape
Labels: my other passion, sew gorgeous
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
For as long as I can remember, my mum has always been crafting when we were kids. She had a crochet phase too and as a result, collected a couple of pattern books. On our last trip to Singapore, I borrowed a few of them. Here is a cape I made from from a 1976 issue. It may be 33 years old but because fashion always come a full circle, this design is still fresh as daisies.
Check it out:
This was done in a lightweight 3 ply acrylic yarn using a Clover 6/0 (3.5mm) hook. I updated the cape by adding buttons down the entire front of the opening and shortening the overall length. There is no reason to go around looking like Sherlock Holmes , if you get my drift.
The Dutchess of Cookalot whipped this up at 7:25 pm
At Random
Labels: home life, my other passion, sew gorgeous
The Little Miss received her little green vest a while back. Here she is in it, and mum too, in her shawl. Oh, and here's The Girlfriend's account of the present a certain crazie sent her.
Putting a smile, even better if it's a giggle or two on someone's face is so satisfying.
The Dutchess of Cookalot whipped this up at 7:15 pm
Baby It's Cold Outside ...
Labels: my other passion, sew gorgeous
Thursday, January 22, 2009
... but I'm keeping toasty warm with a deep cherry red cape I knitted last spring.
The Dutchess of Cookalot whipped this up at 7:15 pm
And For The Little Miss
Labels: my other passion, sew gorgeous
Monday, January 12, 2009
I had leftover yarn from The Girlfriend's shawl and thought I'd make a vest for Cutie Pie, said Girlfriend's two year old daughter.
Here it is, fresh as daisies:
This time, I used the two yarns separately, the darker for the main bodice and the lighter as edging. I love, love, love the flower button-hole thingamajig detail.
And the cheeky bear in the photo is Sonny-boy's most cherished bedside bud. He's called Bear Grylls, yes, the Bear Grylls. Sonny-boy is a fan and has been bugging me to make Bear (the teddy, not the man) a light blue shirt and matching kaki pants just like what Bear (the man, not the teddy) wears on his Man vs. Wild adventures.
Oi.
The Dutchess of Cookalot whipped this up at 11:00 pm
Special Request Knitted Shawl
Labels: my other passion, sew gorgeous
The Girlfriend had her eyes on a particular shawl pattern a few months back and asked if I would make it up for her. Sure I would! The pattern was a challenge and I would rate it as moderately difficult. I splurged a little (what are friends for?) on a cotton and silk blend yarn in a green I knew she'd love. It's lightweight and feels lovely on the skin, perfect for Singapore's tropical climes. And although you can't see it here, I'd combine two strands of different shades into one. The effect is a very subtle tweed.
I hope she likes it.
The Dutchess of Cookalot whipped this up at 10:33 pm
Pink Tweeded Cardigan
Labels: my other passion, sew gorgeous
Thursday, December 11, 2008
On Tuesday I posted about a work in progress. Here it is, all done up:
This is me, looking mighty pleased with it. Don't be fooled by the wide grin. It's the Fenbid.
For the tweeded effect, I used specialty yarn found in the discount bin at my regular yarn store. I love poking around the bin as one can find gems going for dirt cheap prices. For instance, I grabbed this 800g bundle for about €7! How could I refuse?
I still have half of the stuff left, let's see what we can do with it. For the moment, I'm just going to enjoy my warm cardi.
The Dutchess of Cookalot whipped this up at 11:15 pm
Work In Progress
Labels: my other passion, sew gorgeous
Monday, December 08, 2008
Can't talk, must knit.
The Dutchess of Cookalot whipped this up at 11:03 pm
Sparkly Black Bolero
Labels: my other passion, sew gorgeous
Thursday, November 27, 2008
The Girlfriend made a mint bolero recently and I liked it so much I decided to go ahead and make the same one too. This was last Thursday and here it is, a week later.
My glammed up version:
This is the first time I'm using camel hair yarn. I thought it was going to be pokey but it's surprising soft. Well, not cashmere soft but soft enough and - this is paramount as I've got sensitive skin - it doesn't itch either. I was specifically looking for black yarn with a silver strand running through it but my regular yarn store didn't have them. Well, they did but not what I had in mind. However, yours truly has become a valued customer (the ladies there always brighten up when I arrive and when I leave, their smiles are even wider, with kerching! still echoing in their ears), the sales assistant said it's not a problem, if I could wait fifteen minutes, they would have the yarn of my choice spun up with silver thread. For me. Wow!
The resulting bling factor is tastefully subtle. Under strong light, the bolero twinkles and sparkles, something which try as I might, can't seem to capture on camera. A pity, because that's what makes it pop. Oh well, some things have to be appreciated in person.
The Dutchess of Cookalot whipped this up at 9:23 pm
Faux Fur Stole
Labels: my other passion, sew gorgeous
Monday, November 17, 2008
This must be the fastest time in which I knitted a stole. I started a few rows on Thursday, left it alone on Friday but put some serious elbow grease in it over the weekend. Something happened yesterday which left me seeing stars and every colour of the rainbow but not in a good way. It was not physically possible for me to stab the person with my sharpest and longest stileto - I believe they call it first degree murder - so I channeled all homicidal thoughts into my project instead. I must have knitted at bullet train speed for I finished the remaining two thirds in no time at all.
This is a self-styled pattern (meaning I made it up) using specialty yarn I bought last week.
It's a good place to start if you've never knitted before because all you need to do is:
The Dutchess of Cookalot whipped this up at 9:58 pm
Deep Violet Top
Labels: my other passion, sew gorgeous
Monday, November 10, 2008
Completed this violet top two months back but as usual, my photo taking had to play catch up. I love this three-quarter sleeved crochet top so much - it can be dressed up or down, with a camisole during the summer or a blouse for more warmth.
The Dutchess of Cookalot whipped this up at 8:36 pm
Raspberry Sunrise Bag
Labels: my other passion, sew gorgeous
Monday, September 22, 2008
I made a mistake at a yarn store the other week. What had seemed like a lovely vibrant mix of variegated magenta, red, orange and yellow turned out to be a hideous combination to wear. And I had bought 300g of the blinding stuff! Argh!
However, redemption came in the form of a tote bag. It was fast work - taking only all of three days to complete.
Redemption
For some reason, while crocheting this, the words 'raspberry sunrise' stuck in my head and refused to budge so I gave in and named it so. It's sturdy and roomy enough for a girl's essentials and finishes off any casual outfit on a cheery note.
A little sunrise on the arm
The Dutchess of Cookalot whipped this up at 9:01 pm
Flower Motif Top
Labels: my other passion, sew gorgeous
Thursday, September 18, 2008
This is a project I completed almost two months ago but didn't have the time to post.
I rather enjoyed this one, even though it meant joining together piece after piece of small flower motifs. Just to keep me on my toes, I had the grand idea of using four different colours.
Birth of a motif top
As with my previous top, I took the basic motif pattern and flew with it. I honestly didn't know how it'd look until it was done but it came out pretty nice, especially the sweetheart neckline. And for fellow crafters who want to know, this was done in a cotton/silk blend yarn. The yarn itself is loosely woven making the garment light and airy to wear.
Voilá!
Next Week: Raspberry Sunrise Bag
The Dutchess of Cookalot whipped this up at 9:27 pm
