queenfilo knits and knits

I've moved!

2006-10-14T06:05:00.000-07:00

I've moved my blog over to Wordpress. You can find it here
or if the link doesn't work: http://queenfilo.wordpress.com

See you there!

2006-10-12T05:24:00.000-07:00

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

Yes!...I can post

2006-10-09T06:05:00.000-07:00

Last week I couldn't acces my blogger account from work, but now I can. Which means that I can alleviate boredom by posting, especially now that SecretPal9 has started! This weekend was very relaxing making the boring hell of work even more unpleasant. Fall has set in and I've had a very nice weekend indoors with lots of cooking, baking, knitting, reading and film/tv watching. Knitting wise I felt a sudden urge to knit a beret and decided on Pascale from Rowan 2004 winter book. It has beads and I did not know until saturday how annoying it is to knit with beads (It took me 4 hours to string the beads onto the yarn). If it starts to look like anything I will post a picture (need to upload those at home). For now I will answer the Secret Pal questionnaire. I felt quite sick on friday (stress, flu or food poisoning) so I left work early and found a sweet e-mail from my secret pal (Hi secret Pal!) that made me feel a little better. So for your information, here goes:

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I am a self professed yarn snob. The times I have found acrilycs that looked nice I couldn't bring myself to buiyng them, I especially dislike the feel. I do love blends (especially siilk blends). One of my favorite yarns is Rowan Kid Classic because it's soft and fuzzy and comes in lovely colours. I also love the RYC classic range especially the cashsoft.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
One part of my needles resides in a wooden box, the circs are in a round box and some are in a sort of pitcher. I want to make a needle roll but haven't come around to it yet (I also don't own a sewing machine)

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I have been knitting for two years now. In this period I have been at times very active and sometimes inactive for several months. I love to learn new things and tackle challenges. I've tried a lot of different things and techniques sometimes just for learning purposes. I would say I am at an intermediate level. I can do a lot and learn fast, but I really need a lot more experience to become advanced.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
No

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.)
I love spicy, heavy scents like amber, bergamot and patchouli. My favourite perfumes are Shalimar, Obsession and Coco that should tell you something. I really dislike sweer scents.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
I am more addicted to savoury foods then to sweet I do love dark licorice and my all-time favorite combo: dark chocolate with peppermint.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
Knitting is my absolute one and only craft. I would love to learn hwo to spin, but don't have the time and no one to instruct me.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I have a very eclectic taste. It runs from "weird japanese pop music" (Happy End/ Pizzicato Five) to "woman with guiter"(Martha Wainwright/ Aimee Mann) form "Nostalgia" (Mary Poppins/ The sound of music/ duran duran/ Dolly Parton!) to gay bar (Scissor sisters/ Weather Girls/ anything disco) mixed with a lot of Air some Chet Baker and John Coltrane, Madonna, Snoop Dogg. I also love classical music especially the Russians and americans (as I do in Literature) Rachmaninov, Shostakovich, Prokofiev and Gershwin and Bernstein.
So what do I dislike? Anything dance, house, without a sense of humour, prefab pop and most of all anything by Andrew Loydd Webber(or any musical except South Park the movie/musical)

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
I love natural colours. I especially like slightly muted, tweedy colours. I tend to veer to pink (ish), green and purplish. I have a red period right now feeling very attracted to red. I also like gray although it doesn't look very good on me. Blue is also good. Anything too bright or unnatural I don't like.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I live with my lovely boyfriend Giovanni, my sweet but difficult cat Lola and some of Giovanni's beautiful paintings in a 17th century appartment in the centre of Amsterdam.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Yes! I love them all, I also have to start knitting one of these for myself one of these days.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
My favorite and at the same time less favorite are sweaters and cardigans. I love these for the end result. Something you can wear out and about in the colour style and fit you like. At the same time there's is a lot that can go wrong with the colour, style and fit, besides after the initial excitement it can sometimes take too long to finish.

13. What are you knitting right now?
Pascale, a beret from Rowan winter 2004, an Under the Hoodie for my boyfriend a clapotis for my mom and a top down raglan for me.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Who doesn't!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I prefer circs (I also hate seaming!). As for the material I love bamboo and would love to try some other natural materials someday, like ebony or rosewood. That said I love Addi turbo's for anything.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Unfortunately, no.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
About 8 months. It's Veronik Avery's Veste Evereste from Fall IK 2005. Half a back panel done. I started doubting the measurments so I might frog it (It's lovely chocolate brown Rowan Felted Tweed)

18. What is your favorite holiday?
A Classic, Christmas!!!

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Except yarn? (just kidding). Not really...

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
I don't have any subscriptions. There are not that much knitting magazines available in Holland and the Dutch ones are all terrible. I buy Rowan Magazine ocassionally (I don't have fall/winter 2006, yet). Vogue Knitting I buy sporadically, only if they have some really nice patterns otherwise I don't buy it. Interweave Knits I always buy even if the patterns are not good the articles have proven to be very helpful. I buy a lot of books anyway and I always manage to slip in some knitting books as well so there's not a lot that I don't have yet. As for online patterns I would love Glampyre's simple bodice pattern and Eunny Jang's Argyle vest pattern

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Steeks? I'd love to try Eunny's argyle vest

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
I do own sock yarn, needles but no hand made socks so I think something went wrong there (look in the yarnbasket....find three socks I started). I have a size 40 shoe that's european (dutch) sizing)

23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
17th April

I am not lost....I am on hold

2006-10-05T12:14:00.000-07:00

Hi, i am still here...I've been working to pay the rent and looking for a serious job in the meantime. I haven't been posting much but I am planning to show some of the things I did in the meantime (dyeing with food colouring, yay!). I am posting this short message since I know who my secret pal is as of today. So if my secret pal is viewing my blog, hi! I am very excited. I'll post longe, bigger and better this weekend (wiith pictures)

Lining

2006-09-03T14:55:00.000-07:00

Bag lining
Originally uploaded by queenfilo.

Here is a close-up of the lining.

Cherie...fini

2006-09-03T14:52:00.000-07:00

Originally uploaded by queenfilo.

I started and finished this little bag today, I will christen her Cherie because she is very cute and obviously (raspberry red, polkadots!) very French. I swatched with the French wool yarn, but I came to the conclusion that wool does not make a very convincing looking bag. Instead I used Rowan's Summer Tweed in this lovely raspberry red colour. I found in my previous bag that this type of yarn makes a very nice sturdy fabric. She is actually rather small (witness the pillow in the background) but I was able to fit a book inside her. The fun of making these bags is not so much in the knitting as in the making up. I lined her with a chartreuse velvet fabric to make her sturdy and lined the top with black and wite polkadot fabric I recycled from an old scarf. I've sewed on wooden arched handles and threaded a velvet ribbon between the velvet and polkadot lining. As for the knitting part: she's basically a very large beanie, the top and decreases on the bottom are stockinette and the body is seed stitch which is a little bit more delicate then the stitch I used on the other bag. The beanie shape gives her a nice round shape. i'm probablly going to test drive her tomorrow when I start my new temporary job (!). My procrastinating days are over......Pictures of marilyn later (she's not dry yet...)

Look who's blocking

2006-09-01T06:16:00.000-07:00

Originally uploaded by queenfilo.

I finished Marilyn yesterday she's blocking right now, I didn't take any progress pictures since the knitting went so fast. I've been renting a lot of DVDs which made the knitting even quicker. My DVD rental place has this deal that if you rent something between 14:00 and 18:00 you can rent two DVDs for the price of one. So what did I watch while knitting Marilyn:
Tuesday: Reality Bites. This was one of my favorite movies when I was 15 years old thinking back it was really odd that I identified with it so much since it's about twentysomethings trying to find their way in life. Seeing it again I noticed the rather thin story, I still like it even though I don't identify with it anymore (while now is the time I should)
Annie Hall I always love Woody Allen, any Woody Allen, but Annie Hall is one of the best (maybe THE best). Even though I've seen it many times it remains funny and good with classic Allen dialogue's like "You are using this conspiracy theory (on the assasination of JFK) to avoid having sex with me" and " Don't say anything bad about masturbation, it's sex with someone I love".
Wednesday:.Transamerica I actually really liked this movie about a transgender played by Felicity Huffman who while waiting for the final operation that will turn her from man into woman discovers she has a son. This leads to a cross country roadtrip that is funny and moving. What I really loved about this movie was that it was never corny or sentimental and not reverting to happy end mode at the end of the movie.
Syriana. I had really high hopes for this one, but I actually found it all quite difficult to follow all the story lines. Even though it was at times gripping and about things that play a big role in the world today (the influence of oil on world economy and politics) it took too long to get into the story and really grip me.
Thursday: Yesterday morning whcih I had designated as big knitting day in which to finish Marilyn I started with Twin Peaks the first season. This is actually the first time I saw it because I generally don't like David Lynch. I actually did like all of this madness. As for knitting I think I might ddesign some Audrey inspired sweater (she is the only one who wears very cute 50s inspired knitwear as opposed to the rest who all wear very 80s inspired knitwear)
In the evening it was time for Walk the Line. I really love Johhny Cash even before the movie was ever made so this movie was a must see especially since it stars the lovely Reese Witherspoom who I love in every movie she does (but especially in Legally Blond!)Good music, good acting.
Saving the best for last Broken Flowers. If you haven't seen this you must immediately make sure yoou do see it. This is one of those movies in which everything is perfect, the story, the actors and the music. This is Bill Murray at his very best it is about a guy (Don Johnston) played by Murray who gets an anonymous letter telling him he has a twenty year old son. This leads his next door neighbour (very well played by Jeffrey Wright, you know the guy who played Basquiat) to send Don on a road trip revisiting some ex-girlfriends who might be the anonymous letter writer. I won't say anything else about except that you should SEE IT.

Back to the sweater, all this movie watching did lead to avery nice sweater. The pattern was very clear, I tried her on yesterday and she fit perfectly. I knit the smallest size since I didn't want a baggy sweater (with me being busty and all) I will post some pictures of me modelling it when she's dry (might take a few days).
Next project, I think another bag. Remember the red yarn I bought last week? I bought some handels and lining fabric yesterday, today I'll swatch...more later.

What came in the mail today

2006-08-28T07:53:00.000-07:00

Originally uploaded by queenfilo.

Yesterday I almost finished the back of Marilyn I'll post some pictures later. Not much knitting today, the weather sucks it keeps raining (not just raining, but almost biblical rainfalls every hour or so). Today I am preparing to look for a job since I am (hopefully) done with my MA in literature. I have to find a temporary job to pay the rent and from there start looking for a "real" job. Fortunately, the mail cheered me up with a copy of Vintage Style by Rowan and The Time Travelller's Wife which is next month's book over at Knit the Classics . I joined Knit the Classics last week and I am really looking forward to the reading and knitting.

Back from Maastricht

2006-08-26T09:09:00.000-07:00

Originally uploaded by queenfilo.

On thursday and friday I was in Maastricht with my dad. It was about sixteen years ago that I las visited Maastricht. It was even better than I remembered. The people are very friendly, the city is beautiful with a lot of tiny medieval houses and city walls and the food was amazing. I had the best 'Limburgse Vlaai' ever (we ate it for breakfast and had to wait for the delivery guy who delivered them fresh from the bakery). I am definitely going back. Ofcourse I had to visit a yarn store, the best one in Maastricht (according to internet sources) was Buttons and Beads (no website). I thought it was lovely, it is a store that specializes in buttons, beads and yarn (not included in the store's name) even though they stock a lot of the usual suspects (Rowan, Phildar etc..) they also had the yarn in the picture called Franse Landwol. It is a hundred percent wool in a lot of unexpected colours (like the green in the picture). The shop is made special by the very friendly (and young!) staff and the cosy interior. I bought 8 skeins of the green and I think they are destined to become Marilyn. I deskeined them yesterday while watching a really scary French film . Took me two hours. I also bought two skeins of red destined to become some sort of hat.

Present!

2006-08-23T08:17:00.000-07:00

Originally uploaded by queenfilo.

My boyfriend's parents visited us today. I gave my boyfriend's mother, marjan, her scarf (sans cat). And because she hadn't seen me for a while we went to the yarnstore where I got 3 balls of Kid Silk Haze in the colour I wanted to make Kiri. I do hope that a darker colour yarn is the answer to my problems otherwise I'll become the girl who has balls and balls of Kid Silk Haze without being able to do something with it. I could easliy make this with it and i am thinking of using the light pink Kid Silk Haze for this pattern. I only understood the charm of this pattern when I saw the trailer of Annie in Zomergasten last sunday. When I saw the trailer I suddenly thought about the Grace pattern and it clicked, but maybe it should be in yellow and not in pink.....hm, decisions, decisions.

Cat and Scarf

2006-08-22T07:26:00.000-07:00

Originally uploaded by queenfilo.

I finally finished the scarf I for my boyfriend's mother. I've been working on this for a long time. The pattern is Misty Garden by Jo Sharp from Scarf Style. I used two strands of Kid Silk Haze held together. One a solid colour the other, Kid Silk Spray, is slightly variegated. Therefore the scarf has subtle colour differences. It turned out real nice. She's blocking now and I hope she's dry by tomorrow so I can gift her.
Lola was slightly disturbed by the wet mohair scarf and was not willing to pose with it properly (probably because it wasn't for her)

Finished bag

2006-08-21T07:52:00.000-07:00

Originally uploaded by queenfilo.

I had swatched for a knitted bag earlier this week and actually knitted it yesterday. I simply knitted it in the round decreased for the handle pieces and sewed the bottom. The handles I took from an old hideous bag. Because I wanted to finish it nicely I wanted to buy some vintagey fabric. Since the craft movement is not really evolved to something that is hip and happening in Holland I had to search the internet to find a store that has some stuff to my liking. I found Handmade Heaven . This is a really beautiful and hip store. Looking at the website you can see what kind of aesthetic she is going for. She has all kinds of cool things for crafting. It was here that I found the vintage fabric for the lining (you can see a little bit of it on the picture) very swirly sixties style in the perfect colour for my bag. I also bought the blue ribbon and the pink which is not really a ribbon but resembling the string they use for corsets. i also bought the cute flower to sew on top of the ribbon. I am really pleased with the results, especially since I made up the pattern myself (and having never sewed a lining). Here a re the details:

Knitted Girly Bag
Yarn used: Katia Scotch Tweed ( 65% silk, 26% wool, 9% viscose)
Knitted in the round using Inox 4,5 mm 60 cm bamboo circular needle (I would actually recommend a metal needle for this type of yarn)
i used Moss stitch for the body and garter stitch for the handles.
lined with vintage fabric. Handles recycled form old bag. With Ribbon threaded through the top

Things I learned from Kiri (and Birch)

2006-08-20T08:20:00.000-07:00

Originally uploaded by queenfilo.

How I wanted, no lusted after, Birch. Especially when other people posted their beautiful examples like this and this. I caved when I tried on one in my LYS. I bought the yarn, Kid Silk Haze in the lightest, frothiest baby pink. I casted on and made a mistake, cast on again made another mistake, frogged, tried again well you can probably guess what happened next.....I crashed and burned on Birch. But I still want a lacey mohair scarf. So I found Kiriand discovered i can knit lace if I only remember these things :

1: I have to understand the pattern. The pattern repeats must be logical.
2: I actually like knitting lace from a chart better than from written instructions. Since kiri has both I was able to discover this (I always thought I would hate charts)
3: I can't knit lace for hours on end. it's better to do one or two pattern repeats, do something else, do another repeat, it keeps me from becoming sloppy.
4: I am not very fond of patterns that make you cast on 299 stitches.
5: My first lace project should probably not be made of a colour yarn that, when it's on needles, is hardly visible (Looking at this yarn on any needles makes me feel like I am snowblind).

Having learnt all this, she is getting frogged (can you see my mistake?) and made into something that does not require any yarnovers.
I am buying me some darker colour of Kidsilk Haze next week (what about this colour?) and start my new Kiri. It may be a long dark road that leads to the perfect lace scarf, but eventually I WILL PREVAIL!

Baudelaire

2006-08-17T14:32:00.000-07:00

Originally uploaded by queenfilo.

I swatched for the bag yesterday and I figured knitting in the round and sewing the bottom would be the smartest (and easiest). Since my hands were still hurting from swatching the yarn for the bag I've started something new.
In honour of the movie I watched tonight (second time) ,Lemony Snickets about the Baudelaire orphans, I've started Baudelaire the sock pattern from the latest Knitty . I am actually not a really experienced sock knitter. But the nice pattern, interesting new technique (toe up) and having bought some really pink sock yarn last week lead me to believe that it's destiny.

Will it work?

2006-08-16T09:39:00.000-07:00

probeersel tas
Originally uploaded by queenfilo.

My paper is not yet finished, but I did swatch for the bag. I like this yarn which is made by Katia en is silk, viscose and wool. I want the bag to be sturdy, or at least not lose it's shape so I've looked in my Vogue Stitchionary. The yarn is not very comfortable to knit with so I gave up on using complicated stitches like purse stitch (even though it has a very appropriate name). I've settled on moss stitch (row 1 and 2 K2 P2 row 3 and 4 P2 K2) I am thinking of knitting a base and picking up stitches for knitting in the round. The handles are from an old granny like knitting bag (rest of bag very unstylish) making this project budget friendly!

First Post

2006-08-16T04:15:00.000-07:00

I used to have a different blog called 'adventures in knitting' on which I posted a whopping five times.
Time to start afresh or anew or whatever you may call it. I now have a good computer, an acceptable camera (well not really, but it takes pictures) and have been knitting a lot. Today (or tomorrow depending on how quickly I finish my final paper for my masters degree) I am going to swatch for a bag. I've wanted a knitted bag for a long time, I have been looking for patterns but haven't found any nice ones. I will attempt to design one myself, more on that later.