Pattern – Sunrays Creations and Yarns

Posted on May 20, 2014 by mindovermanasa — 2 Comments

Hooking Away

As a couple of friends pointed out here, I’m just too used to “needles”. And I finally found the need to change my terminology to “hooks”! 🙂 Crocheting has recently become my go-to option when I’m tired of knitting. While knitting usually involves wearables of some sort, they take a lot of time to complete. On the other hand, I crochet only to take a break from garments. So these are small projects, doilies to be precise.

Here are a couple that I’ve completed recently:

Floor Show: Every bit of this rug/mat is a gift. The yarn was a gift from Rinku, and the pattern came from a crochet magazine gifted by Swapna… And I just couldn’t resist putting it all together!

Mallika: My very first test pattern. Designed by Srividhya, and tested on the Crafty Dozen forum on Ravelry.. and helped through the process by Jaishree and Swapna on WatsApp! 😉

Dove Doily: I wanted to challenge myself… and challenge I did! It definiltly challenged my patience to stick to it till it got done. As it is i skipped the last few rows. 😛

Clematis: this was pretty motif that I found in a book… and decided to make a couple. Not sure what I’ll do with them though….

Posted on May 16, 2014 by mindovermanasa — 4 Comments

Pine for Me! :)

This one is freshly completed, though it actually slid off my needles a couple of weeks back. Unfortunately, I’ve just not had the time to wash and block the garment, not to mentioned finish off the weaving in of threads n sewing on of buttons. But here is the finally product, and am really really thrilled with my lovely Pine Cardigan!

The design itself is a test knit run on Ravelry from the very talented designer/s Tincanknits. Its been fun, though the sleeves were boring… I mean how fun can 20 inches of stockinette be?! But the end result more than made up for it! 😀 <3

Here’s my lovely Pine!

Posted on January 31, 2014 by mindovermanasa — 2 Comments

Hat and Mittens – Crafting for Gifting!

Once I completed the Gilbert sweater, I realized I hadn’t made anything for my niece! So I immediately went looking for a new pattern. However, Lara Simonson (who designed Winter Chill reversible hat) connected with me for this new design, Little Elsa’s Hat. It was just perfect for my niece. The cables were not over-whelming, and the button was a fun touch.

So that was the story behind the hat! At the end of the project, however, DH remarked that its “only” a hat, can’t I make mittens to go with them?! But then I didn’t know how to make them. But I figured: how difficult could they be afterall?! Well, the answer is: difficult till you actually get the experience to knitting them. 🙁 After 2 froggings, I finally managed to make these mittens in record speed: 3 days… Of course they were toddler size! 😉

Posted on December 18, 2013 by mindovermanasa — 3 Comments

Regal – Finally Complete!

This sweater has been long time in the making. But yes, it’s been finally completed. I do thank the designer, Linda Marveng, for being nice to me by letting me take my time with this sweater.

This sweater is my first “assembled” sweater, where I’ve made all the part separately and then sewn them all together. It’s been a long journey to get it all together, and I’m really happy with the final result. 🙂

The yarn that I’ve used is a lovely variegated yarn in reds, and is of fingering weight. As is most yarn in India, this too is acrylic. The whole sweater is knit on 3.25mm and 3mm needles to give a lovely thick fabric.

buttonholes made with extra sts to give a slightly loopy effect :) — buttonholes made with extra sts to give a slightly loopy effect 🙂

Mid-week WIPs (sunraysartyarns.wordpress.com)
Finally – Progress! (sunraysartyarns.wordpress.com)

Posted on September 4, 2013 by mindovermanasa — 3 Comments

Mid-week WIPs

My brain’s working over-time! I have so many ideas and too few hands to make them work!

Having said that, I’m right now working on 2 sweaters. Yes, 2, like one wasn’t enough. One is a test knit from Linda Marveng called Regal Purple, and the other is a Design-Along by Anna (Kuduja on Ravelry).
Both are amazing – in construction as well as design.

The sweater for Anna has just got modified from Sweater to Sleeveless Jacket, as in the last 20 minutes. The yarn I’m using is from Oswal and has short color variegation in blue. This yarn called out to me sometime back when chopping with the In-laws, and always remind me of Old Denim… and that’s what it’s called! The premise is to make a completely customised sweater for oneself. So there are no fixed measurements, and one would have to check the size while knitting. This is definitely a very good learning experience for me. The only requirement of the Design-along is that the stitch pattern is supposed be a zig-zag pattern. There is a choice of making the exact one Anna made, or making out own. SO i opted for my own choice of pattern.

The front right panel with zig-zag pattern

The back panel with the neck stitches on holder

The 2nd sweater I’m working on by Linda is really slow-moving. It is a traditional sweater with sleeve length options, and seamed. I don’t think I’ve made a seamed sweater before. Once I discovered the joys of seamless knitting, that has always been my choice. However, I’ve read that when it comes to sweaters, seamed is probably what lasts longer! Hmm. I just hope that with the effort going into this one, it does last!

I’m calling my sweater Regal (as it’s not purple 😉 ) and its being done is another Oswal variegated yarn, this time in reds.

It was a choice between color and clarity: I chose color! :( — It was a choice between color and clarity: I chose color! 🙁

Bothe of these sweaters need to be done by the end of September. While, I’m sure the old Denim will get done, I’m not so confident about the Regal. Here’s to fingers crossed! 🙂

Posted on August 9, 2013 by mindovermanasa — Leave a comment

Crossroads Hat

This was a lovely quick project! I started a couple of days back, and here I’m DONE! 😀

This pattern has been designed by Elena Nodel, and was contributed to the Project-a-Month group on Ravelry.The hat is made with 2 colors, and is a great beginner project for using different colors as well as cables. Made with DK weight yarn, it definitely knits up fast! Of course, I didn’t really buy DK weight yarn, I just went ahead and used 2 colors of fingering weight held double. What a wonderful way of emptying my stash! 😉

It actually is paired with a cowl, which would help my chances of winning an exclusive dyed merino Skien from Elena, but I’ll have to forego that. I really don’t have the need for a cowl in sunny Bangalore! 🙂

Here are the pics of this lovely knit!

Posted on August 1, 2013 by mindovermanasa — 1 Comment

Who Knew…

Who knew how difficult it is to write out a pattern??? Well, I did, which is why I haven’t had the guts to try it.

So I’m faced with a dilema: either write the pattern and publicize the really pretty bag I’ve knit. Or, just keep quiet and knit, and say “sure, I’m just writing it down!” whenever someone asks you for the pattern.

To be honest, I’ve been following option 2 for a bit too long. But now I really want this pattern out. It’s going to be my very first downloadable pattern after all!

There are so many thought processes involved. First and foremost is the patience to figure out the fonts (in case of written to chart) or try to explain the rows (in case of chart to written). Then this has to be put together cohesively so that the end-user manages to get a proper knit item at the end of the process.

And then, finally, glamorize the whole document! I need to give an introduction about why this design, why this name blah blah. The design itself should look good, and neat and crisp. Not to mention better photographs with my non-existant photography skills.

But how to write? My biggest issue is whether I should go in for written instructions or charted ones. I’ve tried making the chart, but I’m just so confused! I did manage to (finally) install a set of knitting fonts on my system. But the main design looks.. well, not good. It looks great when knit. But I just have to figure a way of making the chart look good too!

Now finally I came to the conclusion that I’ll have to give both knitting and chart instructions. That’s going to be some work!

I hope to complete it by next week. At the same time, I’ll probably try to get all the other pending designs written out. So when they come for submission, they aren’t waiting for me to start writing again! 🙂

Oh, did I mention that I’m already buried under loads of other knitting deadline to be completed in August?!

Posted on July 29, 2013 by mindovermanasa — Leave a comment

Left Bank Cardigan – Completed! :)

One more project finally has come to the completed status. I am so relieved! Now I can happily start one more! 🙂

I’d blogged about this one some time back. Finally I did manage to get another needle. But boredom had set it, and I was dragging my feet over the last few bits. Hence, the complete relief that it’s done. 😉

Here are the pics:

Related Aricles:

Left bank Cardigan

Posted on July 26, 2013 by mindovermanasa — Leave a comment

Project: Finished!

I’m finally done with the Quadrant project. Unlike the original, I didn’t use so many colors, and I made only 2 quadrants. But joining the 2 parts, and then crocheting along the border were all new to me, so I’m pretty happy with myself!

Crocheting doesn’t really come naturally to me. I’m essentially a knitter. But i hope to also develop my skills in other crafts. This is just my first step in learning crochet. Sill a long way to go….

Here are the pics:

Quadrant : New Craft, New Project (sunraysartyarns.wordpress.com)
Squared Away (sunraysartyarns.wordpress.com)

Posted on July 22, 2013 by mindovermanasa — 1 Comment

Squared Away

Am I thrilled with myself or what!?! I started with the Quadrant design a few days back. The purpose of that one was still in progress as I was crocheting. But the design was just so easy! The main thing is that there is one stitched that you have to learn. And that’s it.

That stitch is the Double Crochet (dc). One of the basic stitches in crochet. It’s not even a design, for God’s sake! But the design was formed using this one little stitch. So it’s a great beginners project.

Have done one Quadrant, I was thrilled to bits. Also at that time I found some leftover yarn, which wasn’t good for any project. So I thought why not make some coasters. I’ve always wanted crochet coasters. But most designs seemed to do it in thread. Umm. Not yet for me! So I went ahead and made it in yarn.

This is the final result. A quick 2 hr project (I’m guessing it took 2 hours because I’m a newbie), and fun too! 🙂

small sized beauties! ;) — small sized beauties! 😉

Quadrant : New Craft, New Project (sunraysartyarns.wordpress.com)

Posted on July 6, 2013July 6, 2013 by mindovermanasa — 1 Comment

Completed: Twist-er!

This shawl was a pretty interesting design. I’ve been wanted to do a cables shawl for some time. Yes, I do have one in my Ravelry library, but i wanted something else. Am I hard to please or what?!

Anyway, I came across this test knit for a cables shawl and decided to take it up. Like I had any less work with the In-laws and nephew around for a holiday. But yes, I did take it up. The shawl is called Twist and has been designed by Siew Clark. It is a top-down cabled shawl. The edges are what actually caught my attention. It has a lovely twist made with cables!

… And spent the last one week furiously knitting to make it to deadline! And its done, with 4 days to spare. Here are the pics!

the tip of the shawl with cables inter-twined

Posted on June 2, 2013 by mindovermanasa — 2 Comments

Longyan

I finished this particular shawl on 10th May, but just couldn’t get around to blocking it. And it’s finally done!!!

The design is a test knit for Joyce Lu (YuLian on Ravelry), and was knit top down. I had opted for a custom size, and its worked quite well for me. It did take longer than expected for me to actually complete it, but then it’s finally done!

The shawl was made with 8 repeats of the lace pattern and its final dimensions are: 1.88mts in length and 86cms in width. It has been made with Vardhman acrylic light fingering yarn in hot pink. and definitely makes for a good-looking, distinctive and warm cover on a cool day! 🙂

DSCN5808 — Lace edge of the shawl and side tip

DSCN5802 — curve of the shawl at the top

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