Showing posts with label fingerless gloves. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fingerless gloves. Show all posts

Thursday, December 1, 2011

W.E.S.T. November Design Challenge Results

The design challenge for November was based on the Fall 2011 colour trend forecast from Pantone:


Four WESTers took up the challenge with fabulous results! I'm going to start from the last to the first entry with this post.

Just under the wire, Kat from aeliodesign entered this beautiful one of a kind cuff:

OOAK Luxurious Horn Cuff Bronze Metalwork Emberglow Agate Stone set in Sterling Silver by aeliodesign


Kat notes that she had plans to make a necklace for the challenge, but on the last day of the challenge, she just sat down at her bench with some metal and a saw, and this was the result. The cuff itself is "bamboo," with some rippling through it, and the stone is "emberglow."

You can see more of Kat's Original, contemporary & stylish jewelry designs in her shop aeliodesign. When you go there, you will see she is currently living in Greece, but she will be moving back to Winnipeg soon!

Our third entry was based on the colour Quarry:

Modern Elongated Swarovski Crystal Hoops Earrings, Light Denim Blue and Argentium Sterling Silver - Roxie by Toxie Designs


Jennifer says earlier this year she purchased vintage crystal in the colour Indian Sapphire, which she thinks best matches Pantone's Quarry hue. These crystals are in a discontinued shape in a large 10mm size.

Vintage light grey blue faceted crystal saucers floats on an arced earwire which meets at the bottom latch. These sexy earrings, made of Argentium Sterling silver* (anti-tarnish, nickle free and ethically mined) are hand-shaped and hardened by me. The crystals are brilliantly cut vintage saucer beads in pale light denim blue or quarry blue from Swarovski. These are limited edition earrings as only three pairs will be made.

You can find more of Jennifer's Modern Geometric Jewelry in Silver and Gold in her Toxie Designs shop!

The second entry was from MonCherieCreations:


Cafe Latte Fingerless Mitts by MonCherieCreations


Just the thing for a cool fall day in November! Miriam notes: I love the colours for this challenge! This was a pattern I'd been wanting to make for a while, and I had two perfect colours with which to make them.

With these fingerless mitts, you'll keep your hands warm with comforting colours and style. Perfect for running errands or an evening out, these mitts will keep you hands warmer but leave your fingers free to use the outdoor ATM, pay your parking, order at the drive-thru, or fasten your kids' seatbelts. A great gift for yourself, a teacher, a bus driver, or anyone else for whom you'd like to get a thoughtful gift.

You can find more of Miriam's handmade crocheted bags, hats, headwraps and more in her MonCherieCreations shop!

And last, but not least, Susana from lemon dear was our very first entry, and she made a very cool moustache calender for 2012:


2012 calendar. Printable PDF. Original illustrations. Moustaches by lemondear


Susana writes:
Ever since I was a child, I've always found moustaches to be absolutely charming - and I don't mean just Clark Gable and John Waters' cooler than cool pencil thin moustaches. My fascination has always included the magical bearded lady of the amusement parks, fairs and circuses of yore, and of course, Groucho Marx's grease moustache and the millions of imitations that followed in the form of "funny guy" masks. While thinking of a calendar idea, something one will see all through the year, I thought: I'd like to see colourful moustaches. It was a huge aid to have this challenge and the Pantone colours available, since I am still a bit scared about colour--hence one of the lines of my manifesto goes "Do not be afraid of colour." This was a perfect chance to run wild with the amazing hues presented. Using the suggested colours was like writing an exquisite corpse: no one knows what the previous verse was or what the following one will be, but somehow, they match beautifully.

You can find more of Susana's embroidery patterns, embroidered hoop art, customized colouring books and 2012 calendars in her lemon dear shop!

We will be taking a break from the design challenges in December. What theme would you like to see for future challenges in 2012?

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Fall Colour Trends Design Challenge Entry #2

Here is our second entry into our November Design Challenge based on Fall Colour Trends from Pantone:


Cafe Latte Fingerless Mitts by MonCherieCreations

Just the thing for a cool fall day in November! Miriam notes: I love the colours for this challenge! This was a pattern I'd been wanting to make for a while, and I had two perfect colours with which to make them.

With these fingerless mitts, you'll keep your hands warm with comforting colours and style. Perfect for running errands or an evening out, these mitts will keep you hands warmer but leave your fingers free to use the outdoor ATM, pay your parking, order at the drive-thru, or fasten your kids' seatbelts. A great gift for yourself, a teacher, a bus driver, or anyone else for whom you'd like to get a thoughtful gift.

You can find more of Miriam's handmade crocheted bags, hats, headwraps and more in her MonCherieCreations shop!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Tutorial Tuesday: For the Boys!


Okay, let’s face it: Winnipeg is not one of those places where you can get away with fingerless gloves during the winter. But these gloves are a trendy option for gifts (one day spring will come!), and they’re very useful during time spent on public transit, or quick breaks outside. This is a great pattern for men’s fingerless gloves, from a Beehive “Woolcraft” pattern booklet published in 1915. I have changed some of the wording in the original pattern to make it easier to follow. Sadly no gauge was included, but this project doesn’t really demand an exact size. The mittens that I made were done with a much heavier gauge yarn than I should have used (Noro Kureyon), but they turned out fine and fit the recipient well.







Men's Mittens

Original description: Knitted plain (except for the ribbing, to give elasticity in the wrist) these mittens are simple to make and very comfortable in wear, especially where the fingers require to be free.


Materials: 2.5 oz (around 70g) 3-ply yarn

Four 3.0mm double pointed needles


Instructions:


Cast on 52 stitches, placing 16 stitches on the first needle and 18 on each of the other two needles. Work in 2x2 rib for 36 rounds, or to desired length. After a few rows, place a stitch marker at the beginning of the round.


Work 10 rounds in plain knitting.



Begin the thumb: P1, increase in the next stitch (by knitting through the loop in the row just underneath the stitch, then knitting the stitch regularly), K2, increase again in the same manner, P1, K to end of round. The two purl stitches mark the outside of the thumb.


Knit two rounds plain, but continue to purl the two marker stitches.

* Increase row: P1, increase, K to the stitch before the next P stitch, increase again, P1, K to end of round.


K two rounds plain, continuing to P the two marker stitches as established*


Repeat * until there are 18 stitches between the two P stitches. Knit two more rounds plain without increasing. In the next round, K1 (the first purl marker stitch), place 18 stitches on a holder and leave them for the thumb, cast on 4 stitches, K the other purl marker stitch, continue on in plain knitting to finish the round.


Work 10 rounds in plain knitting.


Work 10 rounds in 2x2 ribbing. Bind off loosely.





Thumb: Take up the 18 stitches that were left on the holder and divide them evenly on two needles. With the third needle, pick up 6 stitches along the space between the other two needles.

Knit six rounds plain knitting


Work six rounds 2x2 rib.


Bind off loosely.

Weave in all ends. Block or steam as desired.



This tutorial originally appeared in my personal blog, Lovely Stray.