meme

Stolen from Trine

Where is your mobile phone? jacket pocket
Where is your significant other? metro/airport
Your hair color? brown
Your mother? strong
Your father? respectful
Your favorite thing? blanket
Your dream last night? none
Your dream goal? travelling
The room you’re in? to small
Your hobby? knitting
Your fear? anxiety
Where do you want to be in 6 years? a mother
Where were you last night? at home
What you’re not? fit
One of your wish-list items? origins jump start
Where you grew up? in safety
The last thing you did? said goodbye
What are you wearing? comfy
Your TV? old
Your pets? far away
Your computer? tired
Your mood? stuffed
Missing someone? my family
Your car? none
Something you’re not wearing? pants
Favourite shop? a few
Your summer? Kragerø
Love someone? yes
Your favourite color? purple
When is the last time you laughed? yesterday
When is the last time you cried? this week

I'm off

...leaving my guilty conscience behind, and going here -

Finally FOs

I dragged the boyfriend out of the bed this morning to have a photoshoot of my two finished sweaters. Please click for bigger photos (and they work now, too!).


Pattern: Serafias Vinter, by Geilsk
Yarn: Geilsk 100% uld
Needles: 3.5 mm
Date started: June 22, 2008
Date finished: September, 2008
Mods: Knit the rib section a bit longer...



Comments: Bought as kit at Sommerfuglen in Copenhagen. I liked the pattern, the yarn is lovely (smells great and the texture and colour is lovely), and I got great service from Geilsk.
I doesn't really look that bad in these photos, but I think it is a bit large. When it has just been washed/blocked, it's okay, but it grows quickly with wear. I'm considering getting my mum to try it, she's a tad taller than me and it might fit her better. I thought I'd got gauge, but 2x2 rib is difficult to measure... :( A bit disappointing, as I'd really looked forward to wearing this thing a lot! And I was going to knit the Livstykke by Geilsk as well...

I am, however, going to knit a lace shawl for my Grandmother in the Geilsk 100% uld yarn, in the colour 10 - red. I haven't decided on a pattern yet (it's sooo hard!! - please help!), you can see the alternatives here in my queue. Please have a look.


Pattern: Wicked (worsted weight version), by Sarah & Rachel /Zephyr Style
Yarn: Madil Loden
Needles: 4.0 mm and 5.0 mm
Date started: October 3, 2008
Date finished: October 30, 2008
Mods: No pocket, seed st sleeve hems. A bit longer.

Comments: I frogged my Phildar vest for this sweater.
The pattern is really clear. I had to frog around 10-20 cm of the body, as it turned out to wide, especially the sleeves. Went back and did a couple less raglan increases than I started out with. I did much more waist shaping than suggested in the pattern.
It was meant to be 3/4 sleeves, but they are a bit short. I have some yarn leftover, and it would be great to use all of it, so I'll probably undo the bind off and continue the sleeves to I run out of yarn.
I think it fits me quite good, and with longer sleeves it will probably be a favourite sweater!


I also got some action shots with the boyfriend scarf, that I've been wearing a lot lately (it suddenly got COLD). I like it, its warm! And it goes quite well with my new sweater, don't you think?

Handmade Holidays 2008

Today is the start of Sew Mama Sew's 2nd annual Handmade Holidays - every day in November they post gift ideas and tutorials for sewing gifts.

This year each day is dedicated to a gift recipient - starting out with "Teens & Tweens".

I loved following the Handmade Holidays last year, tons of great ideas and photos - so you should definately check it out!

Considering new project(s)

As I finished Serafias Vinter Friday night (sprained my ankle on Thursday and got some extra knitting time!), and blocked it yesterday (pictures are coming!), I have started looking for a new project. I have been going through my ravelry queue, which is far to large, but I try to keep the first page (20-30 patterns) fairly accurate, with patterns I am quite sure that I will make in the foreseeable future. One of the smaller crochet projects are earmarked for the plane flight to Gran Canaria in November, though (no knitting needles from Copenhagen, unfortunately...).

I also have a few patterns not in my ravelry queue. A couple of weeks ago, Danish magazine Hendes Verden (meaning "Her World"), came with a small pattern book, with updated versions of vintage patterns from their database. I don't usually buy the magazine, but from time to time they do have these knitting brochures enclosed, and they usually have a couple of cute patterns.

These are my favourites from the 'Klassisk Vintage Strik' issue. I am considering making the cape next, but I'm not really sure if I have any suitable yarn, and I should really be knitting from my stash at the moment.

I was going to make my bf a helmetliner, but he seems kind of 'meh' at the opportunities that I'm showing him. I would like one for myself too, but would probably like one more like this or this - as I would like to be able to use different kinds of hats with it. It's really cold when biking during late fall and winter (I usually buy a bus pas from around November to February though, don't like to take risks in ice and snow) - and my nose and face can get totally frozen in the Danish winds.

I would rather make something prettier/more exiting, though, like Bottoms up in linen yarn, or Wicked - I was thinking of unravelling my purple Phildar vest for that... But both of them feels a little overwhelming at the moment, so I really don't know where to start. I guess I could make this pretty scarf, in the leftover yarn from Serafia, but I think I'll get bored using the same yarn...even though it does smell delicious!

I would be really happy for suggestions and inspiration from you!

Summer socks in a fall garden - or was it the other way around

I had almost forgotten that I'd had a photo shoot for my Summery socks (well they are maybe more like fall socks now that I think about it, aren't they?) a couple of weeks ago. I was back home in Norway for a friend's wedding, wove in the ends of the socks on the flight up, and then literally took my new socks for a walk in our summer house garden.

It's my first time photographing socks (the cable footies doesn't really count, as I didn't really put any effort into those photos), so I had to try out some different things.

The socks were made with the Knitty toe-up-generator, as I only had one skein of the variegated yarn, I figured toe-up was the way to go. The pattern was good, and I know a short row toe and heel by heart now (had to redo the first toe a couple of times, as I wasn't paying attention). I'll probably use the pattern again, when I need a mindless, portable project.
The socks turned out a little looser than I would have hoped, even though I swatched and everything. Hopefully a wash will help. I should probably measure the gauge on the actual socks, to see if anything's changed from the gauge swatch.
The yarn, Filacolana Arwetta, is really soft and I think the colours are kinda cool, even though the pooling is a bit weird. Now I'm on the lookout for REAL self-striping yarn, as in will turn out stripy. I have actually bought a few packs of Kool Aid from koolaid.co.uk, so I might try my hand on some self striping myself one day.

Serafias Vinter - progress at last

I have been knitting a lot on my Serafias Vinter lately, I was stuck for a while not knowing when to finish the rib - the pattern said to knit rib with maximum one skein of yarn - but at 18 cm I still had half a skein left ad didn't really know how to continue. I talked to the designer, who luckily was able to help me out. After I was done with the ever-lasting rib the project has been so much more motivating, I can really see it growing now! I usually only manage about 3 or 4 rows during a movie - but as the rows are getting shorter, they are fortunately also getting quicker, I have about 30 rows left now, I think.






And I was wearing my brown vest out on Friday, sushi night with friends. Enjoy the action shot!

The necklace I am wearing was custom made for me by Henriette Hastrup. It was a bachelor degree present from my boyfriend!

New banner!

I've finally finished my blog banner. The colour scheme has been present for a while now, and I started the banner to go with it in the beginning of my summer holidays. The cat and yarn was drawn in Adobe Illustrator.

"Fft fft" is how an alley cat (kitten) speaks, according to the Aristocats (in the Norwegian version, at least).

I'm not 100% sure about the text colour, but it'll stay like that for a while.

Hope you like it!

Yarn shopping, again

I stopped by Wilfert's on my way to work on Thursday. I don't usually shop there, but as I had gotten a newsletter saying they were having a sale, I decided to have a look.

I ended up with 6 skeins of Rowan Summer Tweed, in the colour oat. I am going to use it for Daylight, by Martin Storey, as I think it looks beautiful in white. I have had that pattern in my queue for a while, and bought the book, 'Rowan Kasbah Collection' this spring.
I had originally planned to use Madil Loden for it, as I couldn't afford the Summer Tweed, but now I got 6 skeins for 200 Danish Kroner (around 40USD) - I am so happy, because the feel of the yarn is really different from the Loden. It's lighter, and much better for summer.

Then, yesterday, I decided to go back to have a look at the 'take 10 skeins for 100 or 20 skeins for 150'-basket. I ended up with 20... (big surprise!) 14 of them are a linen yarn from Løve Garn - Lima, in five different colours - that I would like to one day make a blanket from.

The remaining 6 skeins were 4 of Rowan Classic Natural Silk Aran, in a beautiful shade of light green (not entirely sure what it's for, but probably some kind of summery top), one skein Louisa Harding Kashmir aran (for the Bainbridge scarf, another neckwarmer or a pair of wristwarmers) and one skein of the really soft GGH Soft Kid.



What a bargain! I have only one skein of Rowan yarn previously, the Ribbon Twist that I have no idea what to use for. I'm really looking forward to knit with one of the silk yarns. Yum!


In other news, I have finished my vest from 'Feminin Strik', by Lene Holme Samsøe.
I knitted it all in one piece, with 'fake seams' on each side. It's a tad on the smallish side, but I haven't blocked it yet. It's also missing buttons, and for now, it stays closed with a ribbon.

I was really happy to make it in one piece!! And I knit much tighter this time around (I tried making this vest once before, it turned out far too large, and I hated doing it in three parts).

The summery socks are coming along, I'm about halfway on the leg of the first one. It has been really quiet at work this week, so I have knitted a tiny bit in between, when my fingers aren't all covered in paint. It took some courage pulling out the knitting the first time, but I think I'm okay with it now.
Today I got the day of - it's raining, a lot.

I love finishing things! And knitting in public! And yarn! Yay :)

Oh - and the summer vacation pictures are coming (it's just that my hard disk is almost full...)

The Pratchgan 2008 - it's outrageous & over-the-top & brilliant

Ramblings of a yarn junkie: The Pratchgan 2008 - MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!!!:

"He said it's outrageous & over-the-top & brilliant & he's gonna put it on his bed."


I'm so proud of what we've done, and that it was received so well!!! And the pictures are great! I nearly cried looking at them!

Pratchgan

Pratchgan
Originally uploaded by cherryred2001

The afghan we made for Terry Pratchett is finally done! The Ankh Morpork Knitters Guild on Ravelry decided to make him an afghan after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's last winter. Everyone made one square with a motif from one of his books, and cherryred put it all together. Hopefully, she will be able to hand it over to Terry in person in Edinburgh in a couple of weeks.

My square is on the second row from the bottom, number 7 from the left. It's feegles.

It turned out great, and I'm really proud to be a part of this project!

Ravelry stuff

I got my order from Ravelry today, a Hanes Women's Daily Dose Tee - Animals
and a button pack. I had hoped to get it today, as I'll probably go to the Stitch'n'Bitch Oslo meeting tomorrow, and I wanted to wear it then, especially the 'My name is' button, of course.

I have been on holiday at our summer cottage in Kragerø (South-Eastern Norway), I will post pictures from my new camera (got it from my Dad as a Bachelor Degree-present!) when I'm back in Copenhagen. Until the end of the week I'm staying at my Dad's house.

I haven't knit much, as it has been too hot. But when I got tired of reading tabloid newspaper, I simply HAD to knit something. I had brought arwetta sock yarn to make toe-up socks from Knitty summer 06, but the needles are in use for the tabi socks, that I also brought, but realised that it's been too long since I knit them I don't remember exactly where I was, and my notes unfortunately weren't good enough...
So I got myself a new set of 2.5 mm dpns, and started knitting the socks about a week ago. I had to redo the short row toe several times, but finally got the hang of it. I haven't gotten very far yet, but my Grandma, who was also staying in Kragerø, thought they look promising, and wanted me to knit a pair for her :)

Nooooo!!

I am devastated! I want to cry!! My lovely, kid mohair bolero felted in the wash! Wool cycle! Cold water!! How is this possible??!

I guess it's bound to happen to every knitter sooner or later, but I have always been really careful. I wore that thing A LOT :( Now it will probably fit a four year old, and as I don't know any four year old girls - I have no idea what to do with it...



It was so light. So soft!!

On the bright side - nothing happened to my second hand, one of a kind Japanese kimono, that was in the machine with the bolero. That would probably have turned my hair white on the spot.

Discontinued yarn!

On my way to work on Tuesday, I decided to stop by Bette Design on Klosterstræde, to see if she had anything left of the Drops yarn Highlander, that is being discontinued.

It's a very unique kind of yarn, it looks kind of felted, and I'm hoping it is able to keep some of the Danish wind out. All the mittens and gloves I had from Norway are almost of no use here, the wind goes straight through. The exceptions being a pair of felted mittens and a pair that are lined.

She had a lot of the yarn left, so I got the colours I wanted. I got four skeins of brown, for the Martin Luther hat from the Danish book "Hippe huer, hatte og kasketter til ham og hende",
and a pair of mittens to match -




two skeins yellow-green for a crocheted Drops neckwarmer (I have a skein of Vienna in Norway, that I think is the right colour to match, but if not I'll have to go back to the store to get some, as that colour is discontinued also!).



The three blue skeins is probably going to be a vest similar to this on Ravelry. It's this Drops pattern, but it looks quite different in Highlander.



It's kind of funny how my blog makes it look like I'm this huuuge Drops-fan. In fact I have only made one pattern. I guess I'm just in that mood right now... Plus the yarns on sale helps, of course...

DROPS fall winter 2008

Inspired by gaffah , my favourites from the new DROPS pattern release.



I hope to knit at least the vertical striped cardigan FA051 (bottom left) and the 'fair isle'-cardigan Z338 (bottom right).

The patterns can be found here (eventually).

Summer organizing

My yarn and knitting supplies were slowly taking over the space around the sofa in our living room. Yesterday, I decided to remove all yarn that's is not part of a WIP out of the living room knitting basket and into the 'yarn space' in the bedroom. It was kind of a relief, and I got quite motivated to finish some of the WIPS - the Vest from Feminin Strik, that I started last summer, have almost finished the back but it might be to big - the wrap-around shawl from Designstrik, not awfully challenging but great for lectures or in between projects- the Heirloom bag that is missing the crochet decor and lining, and the pink tabi socks that I got tired of but I want to finish them to wear them this summer. I also found a couple of finished projects that haven't been photographed or added to Ravelry...

Today, I finally had time to sew a long awaited organizer for my circular knitting needles. It can hold 24 sets of circulars. Currently, there is around 14 sets, but I think there is a few more laying around and a couple in use. I'm very pleased with how it turned out, and I'm sure it will be used a lot.

I now have a complete set of needle organizers. The circular needle organizer matches the rolls I made for my crochet hooks and double pointed needles back in February.

I have been playing with the thought of making a couple of 'project needle organizers' - smaller organizers that are carried along with WIPS and can hold two sets of circulars, two sets of dpns, and maybe a few notions like a pen, notebook, scissors and measuring tape. Hopefully, I will manage to make one or two during the summer.





Yesterday I was also finally back at Café Retro for knitting night. I have been so busy with the bachelor project that I almost haven't have time to knit at all (although I have made a vest and a sweater..!), and I hadn't been to Café Retro for more than a month. It was good to be back, and I had a soft start, since we were only four yesterday. I was knitting on my swatch for Serafias Vinter, (which I had ordered more than a month ago, and finally got it the day I finished school - they probably knew I would have time to start it sooner...) and crocheting the first flower for my Heirloom bag, that have been in hibernation since Autumn.

Unfortunately, I will be working several coming Tuesdays, so I don't know when I will get to go next. There's nothing wrong with coming directly from work covered in paint and glitter, I suppose, so I might do that when I'm off early.