PF 2007

About me

I do not like to talk/write about me, but I understand that people want to know who is author of blog so I will introduce myself.

My first name is Ivana, age 41, mother of two teen boys. From my youngest age I love to play with threads and fabrics. I studied on collage of textile technology. My favourite textile techniques are knitting, dyeing, patchwork and emdroidery. Knitting is number one. And I love to combine them, for instance to dye yarn before knitting.

My another hobbies are digital photography and internet. I love blogging because it allows me to share my ideas and pictures with world without complicated work with html and webdesign.

Where you can find me:

On del.icio.us like rupr. For bookmarks about fiber art I use tag RUPR.

On flickr.com I use name imichalova. Flickr is wonderful public gallery that has members from all world. You can look at my gallery or to gallery of my favourite photos uploaded by other people.

Copper christmas

Every year we decorate christmass tree in one or two colours. We started many years ago with red and gold, what are typical christmas colours and our tree was very nice.

This year I felt a little boring, because I have no idea about colous, it seemed to me that we tried already everything. But we did not. On shopping I have seen christmass decoration in copper colour! I like it so much and I have to buy it. Our christmas tree will be in white and copper.

I have to make something white. Probably I will crochet some ornaments from white cotton yarn.

My FOs and UFOs in November.

Here is list of my finished, unfinished and planned objects at the end of November 2006:

FINISHED:

1. Beige wool pullover for small son of my friend. My own design. I love to make my own designs and I am boring when I have to follow somebody else's pattern.

2. Scarf for my niece.

Did i really finish only two things? I am surprised, because I knitted quite a lot. But I work on some more projects they will be finished (hopefully) next month.

UNFINISHED:

1. Wooll pullover. Christmas present for my darling, I make some progress nearly every day. Again my own design. I have made part of front and back, but I did not decided, how to go on.

2. Socks from special sock yarn. I want to finish before christmas and to give them to my sister.

3. Poncho for me. It is nearly finished. Nearly, not completely. Now I have no motivation to finish it because it is already too cold to wear it.

4. Cardigan from acryl yarn in light blue/green for my niece. I am working on this mostly on the visit at my sisters.

5. Cap for horse. Funny piece of crocheting, covers head of horse between ears and tassels on the edge of cap help horse to drive away flyes. I do not know, I was told that, I have no experience with horses.

6. White crocheted tunic from cotton yarn. I have no motivation to finish it just now, because I cannot wear it in winter.

7. Burgund and pink pullover for me. I bought very nice yarn and very pleasant to touch. And it must be knitted very loosely and it grows quickly.

8. Cardigan for my niece in light colour (something between blue and green).

PLANNED (FOR NEXT MONTH) BUT NOT STARTED YET:

I planned a lot of xmass presents, I am afraid that I cannot do everything from my list.

1. Cushion for my dad. I want to use Fair Isle technique that I have learned several month ago, but I did not something reasonable, only swatch.

2. Socks. For my sister, for my sons, for my darling.

3. Crocheted Christmass decoration. Probably only a few pieces but I really want to try that.

How I knitted pullover from silk yarn in poncho style

Pulover from silk yarn
Originally uploaded by imichalova1.

I started bottom with beige. Yarn was tie-dyed by me, something completely red, something only part of yarn.
Odd rows:knitwise, in centre of every piece I knit 3 stitches together, at the start and at the end of row I cast on 1stitch, becasue I wanted to keep same number of stitches.
Even rows: purlwise, without casting on or off.
At the neck I wanted to make something special, so I did three modelar squares, the rest of neck is beige.
All pullover was made in stockinette, no ribbing. Borders are twisted a little.

Detail of Big ben

Detail of big ben
Originally uploaded by imichalova1.

Embroidery on black silk. I made for local exhibition, it is 87*87 cm. I never before made so big embroidery.

Navy and pink on silk scarf

Navy and pink on silk scarf
Originally uploaded by imichalova1.

Something I made long time ago.
Tie-dyed in two steps, at first in pink colour, then in dark blue.

Silk scarf

Silk
Originally uploaded by imichalova1.

Some years ago I made this scarf. It is made of natural silk. I love this material because it could be easily coloured and any colour looks very nice on it. And it is very fine to wear.
Several days ago I made for me skirt from black silk and it is very nice to wear now in those hot days.
BTW, instruction for this type of coloring you can find on my web
http://www.rupr.com/articles/44.htm .

Cushion for my mother

Cushion for my mother
Originally uploaded by imichalova1.

The cushion is quite big, about 60x80 cm. Brown and red fabric was dyed by myself and rinsed very carefully.
I started with squares, then I joined them together.

Summer picture

Summer picture
Originally uploaded by imichalova1.

Picture was taken last year on our holiday. I look forward to naxt holiday sooooo much.

Poppy

Poppy
Originally uploaded by imichalova1.

This picture was taken on the garden of my friend. I love auqares so I trimed it to square.

Butterfly

Butterfly
Originally uploaded by imichalova1.

This picture I took last year on our holiday. Those butterflies were really attracted by one flowering bush. It was in Botanical garden in Liberec, Czech republic.

Lavender

Lavender
Originally uploaded by imichalova1.

It doesn´t flower yet, this pisture I took last year.

Violet pansy

Violet pansy
Originally uploaded by imichalova1.

I love violet flowers and with yellow spot it looks even more beautiful.

Watter-lilly

Watter-lilly
Originally uploaded by imichalova1.

Those flowers are have seen on your last holiday in Botanical garden in Liberec (Czech republic).I love them very much.

My gold medal

This is my gold medal! I am really happy!

Heart pullover

Heart pullover
Originally uploaded by imichalova1.

My nephew´s Barbie wear pullover by me. Heart was embroidered on finished pullover.

Modular knitting - detail

Modular knitting - detail
Originally uploaded by imichalova1.

Close view to my olympic project.

Modular knitting

Modular knitting
Originally uploaded by imichalova1.

Knitting Olympic 2006 - my project is finished

Knitting Olympic 2006 - my project is finished
Originally uploaded by imichalova1.

My olympic project. I managed to make it in time.
Pullover for my little niece. It looks short but I think it will be longer after washing.

Powder batik on silk

Powder batik
Originally uploaded by imichalova1.

I call this color technique powder batik, because you work with color powder, probably there exists any better term in english. More about this method on www.rupr.com/articles/44.htm

I finished my olympic project!

Tonight I finished my olympic project. I tried to make some pictures, but they are not prety, I will make some more tommorrow in day light.

Easter eggs

Easter eggs
Originally uploaded by imichalova1.

I have a lot to do with my olympic project, but I found interesting picture in my archive. The pattern is made with wax. I have a pin fatened into old pencil, pinhead is put into hot wax and then it make print on the egg. Egg is coloured in cold colour and wax then removed.
It is traditional in Czech republic (my home), but traditional patterns are more compicated and more beautifull then my eggs.

Cushion

Cushion
Originally uploaded by imichalova1.

I made this cushion to my darling and I chose colour he loves. His hobby is reading in the bed and he like the cushion.

Olympic project - 10. day.

20.2.06 (1)
Originally uploaded by imichalova1.

I spend whole weekend with needles and yarn and I still feel that I have a lot to do. Smal parts are for sleeves, big one for front and back part of pullover.
I wonder if I didn´t something wrong: I wanted to teach my nephew (six years old, she will be next owner of this pullover) something about knitting and we use this project. And she made about five or seven stitches herself without my help. Is not it problem? Didn´t I broke rules? I am afraid that I will be disqualified!

Log cabin bag

Log cabin bag
Originally uploaded by imichalova1.

Finished bag.
Black and white fabric, lining is red. All made of cotton.

Block for bag

Block for bag
Originally uploaded by imichalova1.

I made two such blocks and join them together to make a bag. The lining will be red what goes nicely wiht the center square of the block.

Log cabin bag - detail

Log cabin bag - detail
Originally uploaded by imichalova1.

My project for Olympic knitting - modular knitting

My project for Olympic knitting - modular knitting
Originally uploaded by imichalova1.

All pullover ought to consist of those squares. I made four squares for first row separately, second row is cast in previous, so I don´t have to sew them together.
I hate to sew together a lot of smal pieces.

Crocheted draw string bag with beads

Crocheted draw string bag with beads
Originally uploaded by imichalova1.

Funny bag from acrylic yellow yarn decorated with beads. Probably it would be better to use cotton yarn but I had no when I crocheted this bag.

Three crocheted draw string bags

Three crocheted draw string bags
Originally uploaded by imichalova1.

I made those bags a long time ago, but I still love them. How to and more pictures you can find on my website http://www.rupr.com/articles/30.htm .

A little of math

Simple question: how much I have to knit every day if I want to finish olympic pullover in time? It will consist of 96 squares (probably less), 96 divided by 16 is 6. I have to make 6 squares every day. One square is made in 25-30 minuts, it is 3 hours of knitting every day.
Yesterday I had nearly 14 squares, but today I feel tired. I believe I manager, but I have to work hard.
Probably I ought to take day of my work for this project. I don´t think my boss would like it. J

Some links on modular knitting

I want some more ideas about modular knitting, so I wanted to find on google and there you can see what I found:
http://www.koigu.com/products.htm
http://www.cu-needleworks.com/Galleries/Bags/thumbnails.htm
http://www.distanceknitting.com/
http://suanknits.blogspot.com/2005_09_01_suanknits_archive.html#112603453838273329

Olympic knitting

I am joined!

They add me to the list of olympic knitters. You can find me on their list. Yarn for my olympic project is ready, today I bought some pink, because I was afraid, if I have enough.

Today I have to go on with my son´s scarf, it will need about three or four hours of knitting and it must be finished Sunday. It will be dark blue, close to black. I will not take pictures, because it is too dark. I promised some socks to him, but I gave up to knit them and we bought them.

It is funny to go to yarn shop with boy of sixteen. He is familiar with knitting from his childhood, because I knitted very much, when I was at home with children. He (and his younger brother) grouw up in my pullovers and other things, but in recent years hand knitting is not very popular between my boys. He looked at me and then he show me yarn that he want for socks. And then about pullover and if I can knit one for him. I was really surprised.

Test: Knitted Block

Test: Knitted Block
Originally uploaded by imichalova1.

For The 2006 Knitting Olympics: I want to learn new way of knitting, modular knitting. My firend gave mi some scrap yarn only four days ago. Perfect colors for daughter of my sister. She is six and pullover for her is my chalenge for The 2006 Knitting Olympics. I tried how to make those sqares but on my nephew´s pullover I have to change a little. There will be of light orange and less of bright orange. The top of tha shape is pink. Strange colour combination, but it will suit to girl of six years.

The 2006 Knitting Olympics

Several times I have seen Knitting Olympic logo on internet and I wanted to find out what it is about. I found more information on http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/olympics2006.html .
Interesting idea, I was thinking if to participate or not and suddenly I find myself trying a new kniting technique for the project. So decision was made, I am going to take my chalenge. I want to knit pullover for my sister´s daughter. She is six, she is very beautiful and I want to make something nice for her. Rules say that the project must be finished in 16 days, I believe I can do this. And after the Knitting Olympic I can make similar pullover in blue and green, because my sister has a son two :-)

Crazy blogging

I love blogging. I have three different blogs in Czech language and one in English, it is dedicated to photographs. And now I start another blog.
Probably I have to introduce myself. I am young wife (I believe that 40 years woman is young), born, educated and living in Czech Republic in the heart of Europe. My family consist of two sons, sixteen and fourteen years, and my boyfriend.
And mother, father, sister and her children, brother. We all live in one town.
My hobbies: anything connected with textile. I tried nearly all textile techniques, my favousit is knitting, patchwork-quilting and tie-dye. I studied on textile collage but now I work in another field. I have website with my things and ideas and yahoogroup connected with it.
I love taking pictures wiht my digital camera, some of them you can see on my another blog rupr.blogspot.com. I wanted some interesting wallpapers for my comp and found a lot of girl, celebrities, what I really don´t want to look at. Evidently they are made by men for men. So I prepared my own wallpapers and they will womanish. Feel free to come and download any picture you like.
Oh, I forgot nearly: I have even blog og blogs - Best of textile blog, where I collect some interesting posts from other people blogs.