My purple Hair?

As much as I have enjoyed my purple hair, I've had to change it. It all started with my new car. If you want to read that story it's on my other blog: http://bananacars.blogspot.com/

What I did not expect is that purple hair is a "crazy" magnet. If there was a crazy person in a mile radious of me they bee-lined it right over to me and just started talking. The purple hair seemed to give people a license just to start talking to me. But I really got a lot of compliments though.

So after having my hair purple for a couple of years I have decided to go back to a more normal hair color. What I affectionately call the "skunk" look. Light Blond in the front and dark in the back. I have discovered that my hair is naturally two tone. Gray white in the front and very dark brown in the back. So I call it the "skunk" look. So I simply "enhanced" the look.

My girlfriend Brandi says "enhanced" ??? You dyed your hair! Ok I bleached it a little.

Banana Ballerina

The original Ballerina is "back" heavy and as I wear it after a few minutes it starts sliding back. I find this bothers me and it looks sloppy, just a personal preference. Probably the way it was meant to like Japanese kimono feel and look to it. The front is short and the back is very full and heavier and as you wear it, it pulls back and this annoys me, I want it to stay put so on the new one I made less panels in the back and made the front longer. I've worn it before it got so hot and it still looks pretty much the same but feels much better then the original Hanne Falkenberg Ballerina. So here it it modified to my specifications and colors.









And this is what the original Ballerina designed by Hanne Falkenberg. This is the first one I knit following the pattern exactly, I might say it was not an easy task. You can see some of her other designs on her site;
www.knit.dk There is also a Hanne Falkenberg "knitalong blog" http://hannealong.blogspot.com/ here you can see many members knitting several different designs of Hanne.

She only sells kits, there is no books or yarn or patterns sold separately. I like her "scratchy" wool. But once you have bought a kit you can knit the pattern from other yarns.

Just Got my Hanne Falkenberg "Mermaid"

I'm a glutten for punishment, what can I tell you. I love knitting this thin rough wool on smalll needles with difficult to understand instructions.

But I'm not alone there are others I'm part of a knitalong: http://hannealong.blogspot.com/

So I'm knitting along and the piece is getting bigger and bigger, resting in my lap...you guessed it HOT....wool ...it's the first day of summer and it's warm. I can't knit a wool sweater in this heat! So I decided to make the "The Parrot" it's a cousin of the Mermaid. All cotton in this lovely rusty color. The gauge is about the same as the Hanne wool but it's cotton and light weight. This is a great knit! I love knitting it. I think I'm only going to make a vest, no sleeves, I'll post pictures as I progress....

Twisted Sister's "Electra" again or my version of it..

My newest creation, a light weight summer cardigan. Feels wonderful made of rayon/cotton mix

Separated at birth?

Painting by Ellen Bloom on paper.

and needle felted on felted wool by Ana Petrova



I was totally amazed at the similaraties! Love your Art Ellen!
http://www.picturetrail.com/ellblo

In reality this is the picture that was my inspiration. But obviously Ellen's painting is closer match.

Moth & Wool

It is that time of the year again even here in Venice Beach California. I know we are not supposed to have seasons but we do. It is finally too warm to wear my wools. Also I have a huge collection of "wool" stash.

Here is what I know about storing and the mortal enemy of wool "The Moth".

Well there is always the obvious stuff like moth balls but I hate that smell. Then there are various natural moth repellents that I know:

Lavender, rosemary, mint, thyme, ginseng, whole cloves, whole black pepper corns, lemon,

Cedar chest, cedar shavings.

To sum it up moth's do not like smells. When I lived in Europe we used to keep soap bars in the sweater drawers, ie lavender soap, dove soap any soap bar or we made pot pourri sachet. To make a sachet: a pair of nylon stockings and some ribbon, and your pot pourri or cloves, or lavender or black pepper corns etc. and tie little handful and cut, sort of like making sausage.

Now here are some methods I've only read about.

It's not really the moth that eats the wool but it's larvae the little worm is the culprit. By the time they fly around it's too late they have layed their eggs. So it's the eggs and larvae that need to be killed.

Pop the wool garment or yarn in the microwave. What I have read was 10 seconds but, I've been doing it for 1 minute per load. Seemed to work but I don't know. After microwaving I am putting the wool garment or wool yarn in a paper bag.


So as I was stuffing the microwave full of yarn, spraying a little water and setting the timer and stepping aside....I notice my husband kind of giving me that look......"I won't even ask"

My response was "This is the latest thing! Everybody's doing it! You have to Nuke your wool!"
Funny I didn't notice any of this last season. So much yarn so little time.

I got a "review"

Thank you MonkeyGurl!
http://monkeygurlknits.blogspot.com/

"........I spent the day last Saturday, just sitting and knitting at my favorite yarn store, and it was just the kick in the pants I needed. Maybe not enough to make this a daily blog, but at least something more frequent than once every 2 1/2 weeks.

So, while at Stitches, in addition to the excellent company of proprietor Brandi and my BFF@W, Jac, I had the certain fortune of meeting Anna, a very creative and inspirational character. She is a HOOT. She is how I'd like to be in a couple of years. Despite all the good and bad experiences she has lived through, she remains positive, enthusiastic, energetic, artistic and just a blast to be around. She taught me the "twisted German cast on", which I love not only for its usefulness (it's a stretchy version of the long-tail cast on), but for its inherently amusing name. Plus, she regaled us with stories about the tours she's taken, the people she's met and the class she may (or may not) teach. I'll tell you this much - if she's teachin', I'm so there.........."

I was invited to teach a class on FreeForm Knitting. I'll post the dates and places when appropriate.

Happy Knitting,
ana