Kasuti it is....

I had the good opportunity to learn this traditional embroidery pattern from an aunty who was visiting her son from India. This is basically done by ladies that are construction workers, I'm told, not sure though. However , It is a neat embroidery that looks the same on both sides of the fabric. This is mostly done on Sarees and is beautiful to look at.

The above image is a part of the sampler i had made with all the patterns learned. The next time i had put it to use was at Diwali when i had made cards with this embroidery and sent out to family back India. Just that i did not take any pictures so did not post.

So now that i have the supplies for making a bookmark from the craft store, i will go ahead with making one. Now the time to count and decide, the decision - what pattern and how it fits on the bookmark..... One thing though, as lovely as it looks its addictive too, just like a say a good book difficult to put down and difficult to get off your mind.

a little knitting after ages

Its been a long time that i have blogged, not for the reason that i have not been doing stuff, its just that sometimes there is lots of things going on.
Looks like we need o search to get wool. Half the things we wear have synthetic in them. My mom asked me to get a couple of skeins of wool for her back in India for her to knit as she is not satisfied what is available there. So as i went to buy the wool i wanted some for myself loved the feel for the material. So i got some Lion Yarn and began knitting a multi directional scarf with directions from a dear colleague of mine. it is also found here its about 7" wide and 68" long.

Once completed, i also made a hat with the left over wool with a nifty knitter. I just took up the needles after years.

There were many firsts in the exercise. Learning to knit multi directional. Learning the loom for making the matching hat and reading the knitting terms. It was an interesting journey. If i do make the scarf next time it will be in variegated yarn to show off the directions. Also learned that a tighter knit makes more slipped stitches - knitting loose makes a wonderful fabric and something that just goes by.

So motivated was i that i decided to go in for a challenge. Through the years i have seen my mom and grand moms - avid knitters- bless their heart, do some wonderful designs. They made a couple of items a year, i usually got one sweater every year. So when i do see a design - i am reminded of a design i have seen somewhere in the past. However when i saw the brioche stitch i was hooked. Loved the stitch and the result as i have never seen anything like it. So began by trying to swatch, and learn myself, a challenge.

The scarf is reversible double coloured ribbing one very thick and very stretchable, much more than the 2knit - 2 purl or 1knit-1purl ones.

What i learned as part of this was the Italian cast on this took a while to get right but the seam is very very flexible. The cast off was also a first, the Kitchener's cast off, a flexible cast off. Since the pattern changed so much i had to constantly check for it and me careful as it is very easy to make mistakes an very difficult to correct them.

Now thinking whats next - crochet?, kasuti? or a cap for the reversible scarf - yet to decide. Currently just enjoying the accomplishment.