Life LackaDaisiCal

FP  =  F inished P roject! Finally - yeah! I have no idea why this took so long....but I do know that at certain points in a sweater project, I am liable to stall. Finished the body? Want to tweak that neckline just a touch? Just need to sit down and sew it together, finish off those ends? These are all points in a project where I sometimes just get paralyzed and can't move on. With Emley, everything was done....body knit, seamed together, neckline finished! The sleeves were even knit!  This is when the Emley stall happened....but I made a vow to finish this before I turned the calendar page this month....so here it is...I actually finished this on Sunday, March 22 It was really hard to take a photo of Emley with me wearing it...honestly....the way the yarn started to pool over my womanly bosoms! My husband loves it, says it is very flattering. Of course he would say this :) When I am wearing it, I don't mind it at all. I guess from my vantage point I don't ...

In the world of good food, a palate cleanser is offered between courses....to cleanse the palate of lingering tastes...to help you digest...to prepare you for the taste delights of the next course! Sorbet is a traditional palate cleanser.... a light delicious pop of flavour that gets your taste buds ready for the next course! Want to be more adventurous?  In Normandy, locals rely on apple brandy as a digestive aid. Le trou Normand , or the Norman break, is a  fiery shot  of Calvados right in the middle of the meal.  Hmmm, Apple Brandy ! If you want to keep it simple, serve sparkling or still water, with a twist of citrus as a palate cleanser. I can hear you saying.... "What does this have to do with knitting?" Recently I have come to realize that small projects help me to cleanse my knitting palate so to speak. With a quick project that I can say is finished, I can go back to my main project with a regained enthusiasm for the next "course" of t...

Summerlite 4ply Rowan's Summerlite 4 ply is absolutely gorgeous!  It's 100% pure cotton,  the finest Egyptian cotton... with a soft matt finish!   Martin Storey designed this collection of 12 delicate feminine garments, all with fine stitch detail and a range of silhouettes. "Rosean" - When I saw this design I knew this was the one I was going to swatch! I've knit a lot of stranded knitting, but I've never used cotton! The swatch is gorgeous, the stitches so fine and perfectly formed, the resulting fabric soft and luxurious! If you love fine gauge knitting, at 28sts per 10cm, this is a yarn that will demand serious attention to complete your project, but you will be rewarded with a truly luxurious sweater! Summerlite comes in 12 fabulous shades - you can see them all here.... Summerlite 4ply Cotton Lustre Cotton Lustre is a blend of Cotton, Modal and Linen What is Modal?  It's sort of like Rayon....but while R...

What am I doing you might ask! 3 swatches for one sweater! (L-R, Rowan Felted Tweed DK, Kidsilk Haze (held double), Kidsilk Haze (single) One design, 3 options! In Kidsilk Haze, knit using two strands (left) this sweater would be great for every occasion, from house party to fancy night out! Want a dramatic sheer look? Knit it in a single strand of Kidsilk Haze....wear it with a slinky little camisole, oh my! Knit in Felted Tweed DK (right), it's a great sweater for a more casual layered look! I love this one design, many options idea by Sarah Hatton! "ROWAN Loves..." a new series of books by Sarah Hatton This first one features  +RowanYarns  Kidsilk Haze and Felted Tweed You can knit the 9 designs using either yarn giving the garment completely different looks! The cover cardigan offers design options to make it your own! The brochure features 9 designs with plenty of options.  Use Felted Tweed or Kidsilk Haze ! Gosh.....

Well, it has been a busy week here at Life LDC...... I can't believe it is nearing the end of August already....summer has flown by.  I am trying to take advantage of the great (not so hot you can't stand to be outside) summer weather and do whatever I can outside. My afghan is finished...a new project has to be cast on!  Rowan Fine Art Aran comes in hanks, so I needed to take my ball winder and swift out onto the deck!   Daisy of course likes to help! Gosh...look at that brown face! a year ago, when I took the photo of her sitting on my lap....she was WHITE!!!! what the heck? I think it is the food that I added to her menu....so out it goes! I hope to show you a pristine white Daisy soon! A trip to Georgetown for a knit/coffee "date" with my buddy Candice.....on the drive there, what did I see but this.... a tree decorated with bicycles! I had to stop for a closer look! Pedalling against Poverty..... The Lending Journey click through for more in...

I couldn't wait to knit with "Rowan Finest".  It caught my eye immediately! Fine gauge knitting with luxurious yarn and a collection of designs that are just so sublime! 50% wool, 20% cashmere and 30% royal alpaca..... an amazingly soft, lightweight, 4 ply yarn 12 gorgeous shades 87m (95yds) per 25 g ball These cute little balls of yarn have a purpose! You know you hate it when a design just takes you into that next 50 gram ball right? So with 25g balls, there is less  wastage! Sarah Hatton has designed 14 of the most elegant knits Greta - sophisticated yet vulnerable and worked in the round! Kay - bold and edgy Leona  - the button detail makes this so very versatile Una  - beret and gloves - with a bit of lace - every woman needs a touch of red! I asked Sara Hatton about the styling for these designs and the photo shoot.  She said that she was going for "50's and 60's vintage Miami". Vi...