today the weather is is feeling like spring and so am i!

i am longing for a good, thorough spring clean-up but i lack the time. however, i DID clean up our computer and discovered some photos of projects i hadn't yet blogged about, so i will be sharing these in the following posts!

first up is a pair of socks i finished in march 2013. the reason i didn't blog this pair is simple: i don't like them. there's nothing wrong with them, i just don't like the look of the yarn. they were knitted with Opal Sock yarn and it turns out, i am just not an Opal fan. ;)

(also: notice how the yarn pools a little bit on the right sock leg - for those who don't know what pooling means, let me share my knitters geek wisdom with you: pooling is when colours knit up in "blotches", creating "pools" of colour. this was my first "pooling experience" and EUGH, i do not like it.)

 

let's also share a (small) project that i do like: yesterday i made a crocheted bookmark for my moms birthday (for the record: we had a bigger gift too, i just like giving something hand-made even if it's tiny like this)

 i'm definitely making one for myself too, because this is way more stylish than a supermarket receipt, right? (and i have to admit, i love the tassel)

 (more details and a pattern link on ravelry)

last week-end i really finished paulie! i blocked the finished garment (using the wet-blocking technique), sewed on the buttons and weaved in the ends. so paulie was ready to wear! and here i am with some photos, of course!

 it's amazing what blocking can do to a garment! blocking changed the drape of the fabric and it just looks and feels better than it did pre-blocking.

 adding buttons also changed the look! a month before finishing i bought two sets of buttons: grey and yellow shell buttons. after days of being in doubt i decided (with a little help from my boyfriend, mom, aunt and grandma) to go with the grey buttons, because the yellow ones (although they were the perfect kind of yellow) were distracting the attention from the yellow stripes.

 

 

looking back, if i were to knit paulie again, i would change a couple of things. i love the colour combination, but it's a little hard to combine with my other clothes. i might go for an "easier" colour combo next time, like black and white, or dark-blue and grey. also, as much as i love the garter stitched sleeves, i would make them a little more snug.

overall, i'm still really happy with my paulie. i love the weight of the cardigan and the fit is great. and the whole knitting experience was just great, the perfect first-cardigan pattern. definitely a winner!

just a quick blogpost to share my joy: i finally finished Paulie! :)

i'm definitely experiencing a "knitters high", i couldn't be more thrilled about this. my very first knit garment!! it's far from flawless but it fits and i can't wait to have it ready and start wearing it!

Paulie taught me so much: the construction of a (seamless)cardigan, picking up stitches, i-cord bind-off (genious!!), making button holes... Paulie definitely brought my knitting skills to the whole next level, and made me more confident as a knitter! if i can knit Paulie, why wouldn't i be able to knit Miette or Benedetta, or finally try stranded knitting with Dot The I!

but: i'm not finished yet!

to do next: some more tedious tasks (for me, at least, i always find it hard to actually FINISH things when the knitting-part is over): weaving in the ends, blocking and sewing on the buttons.

any advice on how to handle this? how do you block your hand knit garments? what to do or not to do? i'm gonna read some blogposts about blocking anyway, but i could sure use some advice! :) 

i can't imagine a better way to start the new blog-year with a review of my crafty year 2013. i love seeing all your review posts coming up, so inspiring!!

in 2013 i made 3,5 pair of socks, 1 cowl, 1 shawl, 1 hat, 1 baby cardigan, 25 tiny hats, 2 birth presents, 1 pair of handwarmers, a cutlery roll and a lot of hexagons. i was obsessed by scraps (scrap socks, scrap blanket, magic ball blanket, hexagon blanket) and knitting. i knit my first baby and adult cardigan (paulie!!), and made my first knit hat ever. i received a bunch of free yarn and taught a crochet workshop at the last Maakdag.

and i'm totally ready for another handmade year!

before i begin my last blogpost of the year, i want to wish all of you happy holidays and a wonderful 2014! :) may it be wonderful, woolly and crafty!

the last weeks of the year are always so busy! first my birthday (25 already, everybody hates me for saying it but i really feel like i'm getting old), then christmas eve and christmas... days filled with parties, family, lots of food and christmas shopping. and i try to find some time for knitting, maybe some sewing or cleaning up the house... (priorities first, right?)

and ofcourse all is well with paulie! i'm now halfway the second sleeve, and it's looking more and more like a cardigan with every stitch i make. i'm also really curious how my stitches gonna look after blocking the whole thing!

 

ahh, notice my new coffee cup? it's from pip studio, a birthday present from my sister. so cute with the gold trim and the little birdie! :) my new knitting companion.

my boyfriend gave me the interchangeable circular needle set from knitpro for my birthday! i couldn't be happier with my new knitting equipment, no more wasting time and money searching for the perfect circular needle, now i have them all!! 

in 2014 i will knit like a PRO! ;)