VivaPia

Secret Pal package - again!!

2007-02-18T12:00:00.000+01:00

The lovely Nadezjda over at Queenfilo knits and knits has been revealed to be my Secret Pal 9!! I went to get the last package from her this Saturday from the grocery store (which also functions as a post office), and I am amazed! This is what's left from the beautiful package I got:

Pink merino and Nancy Bush’s Vintage socks. (The yarn is from Klazien's Kreatie but can't see any yarn at their webpage, strange...) I got some chocolate beautifully shaped as roses, but as you might understand, they exist no longer. I also got silkwool (bouretteseide = silk??? and wolle = wool) in a sea green colour, and as a tribute to Nadezjda, I’ve started to knit the same shawl (IK's Swallowtail shawl) as she’s knitting right now. Maybe this could be a present to my sister or mum, depending on when I finish it.

Even though this yarn is 550 m/100 g and hence heavier than the recommended yarn, I've seen the shawl in a similar yarn over at Garn Boet - The Yarn Nest, and it looks really nice! And most important of all, Tikru has proven that she only used a little less than 100 g to finish the shawl with the yarn they've been using! Fingers crossed that it works out for me as well!

I have been busy with other things than knitting lately. I remember that this autumn I had a similar experience. No lust to knit. Just an empty feeling, and then suddenly, a secret pal package got me jumping up and down, imagining all kinds of projects that should be worked on! Hopefully this will hold on until I manage to get at least one UFO for the spring!

SP9 Package has arrived!!

2007-01-14T15:11:00.000+01:00

Volia! My first package from SP9 has arrived!! A black and white beautiful package folowed by a photo of me (!) I wonder how she/he got hold on that! Anyway, I like the picture, I remember I had breakfast at a fancy place the day the picture was taken. Before I tell you what I got, I just have to say that I'm sooo freaked out of how someone could put together such a lovely package! I think it's rediculous how happy I was over everything in the package. Wow! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

The package contained Eucalan woolwash, a cuper chique eye masque in black lace (I'll show you next time I have a suitable FO), "Old Dutch" candies (my SP is from the Netherlands) and a cd with the greatest music ever. It's supposed to contain a clue, but even though I've opened the packages I can't understand what the clue is...

Of course, I got yarn, Rowan's yorkshire tweed 4ply in turquise and deep purple.
The other package contained Rowan Vintage Style - the perfect pattern book! I've already cast on for Aimee which I had the yarn for.
Don't you think it's strange that so few people have knitted stuff from the book, when I already want to knit Laurent (a version can be found here), Jarret, Salina and Demi. So I have a hole lot o' knitting to do!!

I've also just cast on for "Anna Socks" from Rowan 40. Since my friend has wished for a pair of knee-high, romantic socks that she can wear when she's at home relaxing, I skipped the Rowan 4-ply Soft, that's recommended in the pattern, and picked Garnstudio's alpaca that is much softer, and can make the otherwise quite stylish socks look more romantic.

I need some advice

2007-01-07T21:18:00.000+01:00

I've finished the body of the kata shrug. Now, I like fitted clothes more than bulky ones. As you can see on the picture below (which I've stolen from Pureknits), the sleeves seem to be monkey-sleeves. The body isn't as far down on my arms as it is in the picture, but still, I think this might be devestating for my new year's resolution.

So now I'm thinking of how I could possibly modify this. First choice is simply not to pick up as many sts as the pattern says, but this will lead to that I'll make decreases according to my own liking. An other idea I have is to pick up the right number of sts, not make any decreases and have the cuffs in elbow-hight and make puffy sleeves. Puffy sleeves are trendy now, and they always lok better than monkey sleeves. What do you think? Or is it beyond rescue? Am I defeated? Should I f**g this?

It is a new year!

2007-01-01T17:38:00.000+01:00

...and it started better than ever. I don't know why, but M and I took a long walk in the freezing wind and it made me so happy, I think it's going to be a splendid year!

I have some new year's resolutions I want to announce (though my history of keeping promises I've made here on the blog isn't promising). These are the things I will make during 2007:

My own pattern
I want to design my own knitting wear! There are a lot of beautiful patterns out there, but noone seem to design exactly the things I'm craving for. Though I figure that I should learn more about knitting techniques.

No more knitting mistakes
I know that even really good knitters fail from time to time and make things that they are not happy with. Well, I'm not one of them anymore. This year I will only knit wearable, goodlooking things that I'm totally satisfied with.

A pair of socks
Well, anything that is a bit tricky would do, mittens as well! As long as it contains a pattern based on structure or different colors and are made in pairs!

Keep your fingers crossed and maybe I'll fulfill at least 2 out of 3!

Speaking of a totally satisfying knit, here's a close up of Birch lying on my bed, blocking.

Isn't she lovely, lace really is fun! Maybe I should come up with my own lace pattern?

Can you spot my very satisfied face in the picture below? I look like a very proud mom looking at her kids. Very smug. But that's how Birch has made me feel! I'm in love with her and I honestly don't know how I'll be able to part from her.

FO: Birch!

2006-12-30T12:35:00.000+01:00

I finished Birch yesterday and wore her in the evening when M and I went to the cinema to see The Holiday. It was very warm and cosy. Unfortunately it's a gift so I wont be able to keep it.

I'll post a full picture as soon as she has been blocked and the sun comes out. I've been crazy with Kidsilk haze lately. Part from this knit, I've also started a sweater in Kidsilk haze, a purple color and the Kata shrug is in progress, though that lace pattern is taking much more time than the Birch did!

My sister gave me two balls of kashmere-like yarn in Christmas present, and I'm thinking of making myself a shawl of it. I only have these two balls, they don't have any information of name, yardage etc but it's much thicker than Rowan's kidsilk haze. Do you have any suggestions of lacey shawl patterns?

I also want you to notice the lovely bluish background color. We're using our third room for our creative hobbies; the room is packed with different paint, mosaik, instruments and other music stuff but it has been incredible dull. Not at all a creative atmosphere! White, hardly pattered wallpapers, ugly floor and left over furniture. During the holidays I've painted the walls and suddenly the whole room looks much better. I'm making some other small changes and as soon as I'm finished and have cleaned up here I'll show you some before- and after pictures. The color on the walls isn't as gray as it looks in the picture, but the yarn color is accurate.

Ciao!

Christmas knitting

2006-12-29T16:06:00.000+01:00

A friend of mine wanted me to knit a shawl for her. She picked the yarn - Kidsilk Haze in hurricane. And I picked the pattern Birch for the holidays. This has been a very quick and easy knit (not that it's finished yet, but soon my friends, very soon!)

I also have been trying to renew the look of my blog - a big mistake! I wanted to have a dark green blog with pink details. I like that color combination, it's so soft! Anyway, it doesn't seem to have worked out, so I've changed it back to one of the templates that are available until I get some new html-energy!

Just a sneak -peakof Santa's gifts

2006-12-17T20:57:00.000+01:00

This year's Christmas present will be a beret! Interweave Knit's easy piecy beret so I've already given my blog reading friend a green one knitted in Rowan's Kid Classic. Below is a picture ofone that will be a present to a friend who doesn't read my blog (as far as I know).

I'm also working on my Kata shrug... It's not going that fast. The pattern is very simple... well maybe not the lace-part, which is taking time. But the main body piece is supposed to be a simple square, more than 40 cm long, and my piece reaches 23 proud cm! And then I'm going to add sleaves to this... I thought this would be a fast knit...

An other picture of the very fast beret:

Have a nice last week before Christmas! Make sure not to but too much presents and food!

When inspiration comes, it comes en masse!

2006-12-11T19:37:00.000+01:00

Today I had lunch with Linn. It was really nice just to sit and chat about knitting with her, but we forgot about time and had to rush back to our works...

I found this book through Little Purl of the Orient who has made a beautiful little cardigan from it! All the patterns are absolutely lovely, and I will buy the book as soon as I get money! The patterns look amazing, like frosty leaves with a ray of sunshine on. Or maybe something else. The only thing I can't understand is how someone who makes such lovely patterns also can make such ugly yarns!!!
All together, I have to say that I'm looking forward to the holidays, I'll be free for more then 10 days and I have several knitting projects to deal with! Back to my secret Christmas-knitting now!

More pictures

2006-12-05T19:29:00.000+01:00

This is how it looks, my little Princess. I've folded her, because she will join me at work tomorrow for show and tell. There's only one woman at my office besides me, and she's begun to knit (again) because of me and my knitting.

Sometimes I bring my knitting to work, and noone could understand what the bulb would turn out to be. Someone suggested a hat, another a hair net!

Well, a very nice hair net :) I'm satisfied with the corners, even though I could have had more repeats of the edging pattern on the sides to make the waves more visible.

I've also understood that I made the middle where the pattern meets up completely wrong! Well, well. I know that everyone says that even the smallest mistake will bother them for ever. I don't feel like that. I just figure that I will learn and do better next time. Imagine how boring to knit something perfect! sort of reaching the end of the world...

Fortunately, I haven't reached the end of the world yet. So this is what will keep me company in the nearest future. Continuing knitting on Kata:

I think she will end up great too!

FO: Print O' the Wave Stole

2006-12-04T22:04:00.000+01:00

Tadaa! It's finished! I'm tired so you'll have to live with this one bad photo. Hopefully my pride of this one will stay until saturday when I'll get the chance to take a picture in day light!

Pattern: Eunny Jang's Print O' The Wave Stole
Modifications: Fewer repeats compared to the pattern since I used a thicker yarn and was afraid that it wouldn't be enough of it
Yarn: Habu's A-4 2/10 "kusaki zome" naturally dyed silk
Start date: June 1 2006
Finish date: December 3 2006

Saturday

2006-12-02T12:25:00.000+01:00

I got up before M this morning and started to bake bread! Then I went to the store and got juice, eggs, cheese, and of course bananas. (I eat maybe 2-3 bananas a day!) A lovely breakfast is a great start of the day. A day that I've decided that I will mostly spend on the Print of the wave stole!

I had to frog yesterday night because I realised that the edging would be too"loose" for the main stole. Also, I was afraid that the yarn wouldn't be enough, and since it's Habu-yarn it would take me ages to get another skein of it. Anyway, this is how it looks now, on my second attempt with the edging. I haven't gotten that far, but I enjoy knitting it so much, that I've been thinking on knitting another one. Lace is definitely my thing. I love it!

Eunny - the princess of knitting!

2006-11-26T18:11:00.000+01:00

Well, I don't think anyone will be surprised that some people see Eunny as the uncrowned princess if knitting. I sent her an email about the pattern problem I had, but since I expected that I'd be waiting for her answer, I reached out to you knitters for help. Tsss! Eunny's reply came as a mail in the letter box (as a Swedish saying is). So, eunny's not only talented in knitting, she's very helpful too!! As a princess should be!

Help!!

2006-11-26T17:53:00.000+01:00

Do you remember this? Eunny's Print O' the Wave stole. I'm going to get my diploma during a fancy ceremony in the City hall (the same place where the Nobel dinner is taking place) in the middle of December. My dress is soft lilac and I thought it would be perfect if I could finish the PO'W stole and wear it!

I've just started on the edging, and realised that I can't understand how I'm supposed to get the decreases right. If anyone has ad the same problem, let me know the answer to it!! Anyone who's interested in having a look at the pattern of the edge can find it here. Please, knitters out there, I need your help for this one!

Loose that flat screen, support your local cinema!

2006-11-19T14:38:00.000+01:00

Stockholm International Film Festival started this wedenesday, so I saw one movie ("Candy") friday afternoon, and two yesterday ("Sherrybaby" and "Oh là là!"). I love to visit the old cinemas in Stockholm, and I'm so disappointed that Stockholm's oldest cinema, Röda Kvarn, has closed down and will open up as a small shopping mall. What a disgrace!

Today I've been on a two hour walk in the sun, but now, I've found the time and peace to sit down and knit again. As you see, I haven't gotten far on tha Kata shrug, but it's almost 200 sts every row, and the pattern changed a lot in the beginning. I'm knitting the shrug in a single strand instead of two, as the shrug in the picture is knitted with.

The yarn is lovely to knit with, soft mohair that came in small boundles that are super cute! For once I'm satisfied with the pictures, the colour's as accurate as you can get; a gray-greenish smooth colour that matches the feeling of the yarn. I have to say that I'm always so greatful when I get packages that have been packed with care and love (sorry that Iwasn't patient enough to get a picture of it). Yahaira at PureKnits had packed my stuff beautifully! Thank you, Yahaira! Now, one more look at the beautiful yarn:

I've found it!

2006-11-15T22:03:00.000+01:00

It's been gone for a long time. I've searched everywhere but with no luck. Today I got it back. My lust for knitting arrived in a small package from PureKnits. I've ordered the kata pattern and Habu's gorgeous silk mohair kusa in a greenish color and the yarn was everything I wanted and more.
Look, I don't have time to chat around, I want to knit now. Just thought that you might want to know that I'm still around. And knitting again... at least for the moment! :D

Oh no!

2006-10-30T18:41:00.000+01:00

There have been questions about me posting some close-ups of my Forecast. This last sunday, which was a really beautiful, sunny sunday, I tried to take some nice pictures. It didn't work. First, I took this with flash:

All you can see is that I've actually used two different yarns, one more pinkish wine red and one more darkish wine red. Well that's not all, you can also see the buttons and slightly distinguish the lower ribbed pattern and the bubble-pattern. All I can say is , not good enough for you readers, I know that. So I tried to take a photo without using the flash. Equally bad idea:

At least you can see that the fabric is not as flat as it looks like in the top picture, but still: not good enough for you blog readers. Honestly, I don't know what to do, get a new camera? Any ideas besides that?

I haven't felt that knitting inspiration lately, but someone out there (you know who you are, unfortunately, I've forgotten) directed me to this site. Lovely patterns, and since I have some left over wool (from the before mentioned Forecast and old Starsky), perfect for mittens I tried one of the patterns:

It looked quite good until I measured it to one of my Lovikka mittens (can you see the yellowish parts witnessing of that I've been carrying too many coffee cups that have spilled over during the years?). Ok, so I'd knittes the soon-to-be mitten to small. It's now doublled up (and more) and knitted in the round, we'll see what it turns out to be.

2 FOs!

2006-10-17T20:18:00.000+02:00

FO I: Fake-FilippaK-hat for M

My first FO for today is the big hat for M. It has a wide at the bottom and the rest is knit in plain garter stitch! It's perfect when your boyfriend doesn't know anything about knitting and thinks you are wonderful for being able to make a replica of a hat that he's seen in a shop.

I used Rowan's Scottish Tweed Aran in Winther navy and 4,5 mm needles. Perfect!

FO II: Forecast

So, finally, it's finished! My camera is making me crazy by not working, so when I finally got a decent picture of me in Forecast, I didn't even care about that my white brais shining through the sweater. Lesson learned: use another bra when wearing Forecast in public! Well, here she is:
It's an allover nice fit I think. Maybe it's a bit short, but since I think it fits so nicely I haven't even blocked it yet in fear that it will be ruined. If or when I will block it, maybe I will try to get it longer, but since I like this high-waist fashion I don't think there's any problem.

I really liked to knit this one, it's fast, it's simple to knit and the result still looks kind of special. Everyone who's seen it has remarked on how difficult it looks, well it's not! But you might continue to think so!

Off to new knitting adventures (Never-ending-norweigan-socks)! Ciao!

I'm a sewer, yes I am!

2006-10-08T18:07:00.000+02:00

After my successful experience with the skirt I made, I've now started this dress in a blue-greenish fabric. I'm more than half way through, but it's exhausting to sew!

I'm also working on a beret for my friend, like the one I made for me, but I can't seem to remember how I did. And M has seen a hat hat at Filippa K that looks quite ordinary but is slightly oversized. I think he thought it qwould be too expensive, because he asked me to knit one for him. Ofcourse, I can't say no, so I've bought yarn and even went to Filippa K this weekend to spy at the hat IRL. That one will be easy. :)

I'll show you pictures when I have a FO, otherwise you'll die of boredome.

Secret Pal Questionnaire

2006-10-01T21:37:00.000+02:00

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I like natural yarns; wool and alpaca are favourites of mine. I'm okay with cotton, but I've only used it twice, and it weren't any sensation. What I don't like is yarn that are thick, then thin, then thick... or with lots of acrylic. You can call me a yarn snob, but I know that I'm not the only one. I think I'm just going back to basic and more traditional yarns.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I've a wonderful needle case for my circulars that my Secret Pal 8 gave me! It's wonderful.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
First I learnt in school or was it my mum who taight me when I was about ten? I remember me crocheting and my sister knitting when we were very young. This time around I've knitted for one year and... 2 months? I'm intermediate and I think I'll stay at that level for quite a while.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Nope.

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.)
Fresh scents with names like breeze or forest hill. I don't like lavender for some reason.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Yes. I like chocolate, en masse!

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I don't spin, but I've recently started to sew. I've made one skirt and started on a dress! I also used to do some mosaic, but my mosaic-UFO never seem to be finished.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I like music. Recently, M and I haven't been able to say a word to each other without starting to sing and turn it into a musical. I like Dolly Parton, Depeche Mode, Sir Eric and Beyond, french chansons, the Knives...

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
For SP 8 I wrote that I liked red but that I'd never knitted anything in it at that time. I'm knitting in wine red now and my preferences have changed too. Could it be the season that make me think of puple, darker colours like wooden green and skyblue. I think it depends a lot of I'm knitting. Sometimes I like bright colours, (like my yellow Ferragamo bag), but they can be quite ugly too.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I live with my boyfriend. We have no pets.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Yes, yes, yes, it happens. Of the four, I'd say scarves are the ones I prefer most.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Sweaters that I can wear. After that comes scarves (though I have never finished anyone for me) or other things that are that are quicker. I like stylish things that I can wear. I'm thinking of knitting mittens.

13. What are you knitting right now?
Forecast and Print 'O the Wave stole. And a beret for my friend's birthday.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Yes

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Circular, preferrably in rosewood or ebenholtz.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Unfortunately, no.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
5-6 months?

18. What is your favorite holiday?
Christmas

19. Is there anything that you collect?
No, good friends?

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
I think I'm subscribing to Interweave and Vogue, but I don't know if I should renew them soon, or if I should have done that a while ago.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Yes! I'm too lazy just to learn something without reason, but if I find a pattern I like, I will not hesitate to learn what's needed to knit the pattern.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
No, I'm knitting on my first pair of socks. I don't think I'll ever finish them. I'd like to be a sock knitter, they make wonderful presents!

23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
March, 9th

FO: Beret

2006-09-30T11:19:00.000+02:00

Yes, I've been so occupied the last week that I've neither knitted nor blogged. I finished this beret two weeks ago when I was home sick. I really like it because of it's authenticy, all the berets in the stores look so plastic compared to mine.

Pattern: My own.

Size: For bigheaded

Yarn: Garnstudio's Alpaca

Start date: September 16 2006

Finish date: September 19 2006

(Let me out of here!!!)

Yarn-outage?

2006-09-19T15:37:00.000+02:00

Surprise, surprise. After my very hectic week I got sick during the weekend and I've been home for two days now. I've been sleeping and trying to knit a beret for 4 days now. I've been frogging the beret 3 times and now, when I'm almost done and think I have gotten the right shape (even though it doesn't show in the photo) I don't know if the one and only skeen I had for this project will be enough. Cross your fingers for me, ok?

Update

2006-09-15T17:06:00.000+02:00

This week has been crazy for me! But this teaching thing is amazing! People really try to make a good impression talking to me, they knew my name at once and they actually listen to everything I have to say! Boosting! And crazy! We expect a lot from our students in this course which has led to that I've been answering emails just before going to bed, sending them additional work.

Well, I forgot to accept a dinner invitation for tonight, and when I called my friend yesterday to confirm, she'd made other plans! Well, turns out she's having a "crafting-evening" with some other friends, and since I'm sort miss crafty in our crowd, of course I got invited too! So, I will work for another hour or two and then rush of to knit on Forecast!

FO: Skirt!

2006-09-10T09:09:00.000+02:00

My first sewn project in... 15 years?

I've completed the pencil skirt, and let me tell you, the green and purple striped pattern will match my Forecast perfectly!

I love the high waist. I know that a lot of people think they look more fat in it. I prefer to show that I have a little belly over having the skirt/pant waist just over the hip - the place where I have my little "extra" and get a bulk. I'm starting to sound like Eunny now. This is not a fashion blog. Though when we're at it, have you noticed that the two largest groups of female bloggers are knitting/crafting blogs, and fashion blogs. Generally, I don't like fashion blogs, because I think they only talk about expensive designerbags and only try to follow the fashion that's out in the stores. But I've found a girl who really explores the world of fashion. She also happens to like high waists! Check out the pictures on her blog, even if you don't know Swedish!

And a last picture of my skirt. Did you know that I only payed about 250 SEK ($ 30) for the fabric and everything? And I started to sew it yesterday evening, so this sewing thing is really fast! And you also can save money on sewing your own clothes!

Happy Birthday!

2006-09-09T09:15:00.000+02:00

Well, actually, there's been no birthday, but it sure feels like it! The very attentive of you have maybe noticed that even though I was in SP8, my mail box has been empty recently. Well, no problem, nemas problemas. I've known who my lovely Secret Pal has been, let me present: Sue! I'm amazed of how she's been able to put together such lovely packages for me. Remember the home made needle bag she gave me?

Yesterday when I got home, I'd not only one, but two packages waiting for me!!! Lookie, lookie:

So what have we got here? The first package I opened was from Amazon: The Knitter's Handbook! Thank you soooo much, I'll start to read it, one chapter every night! :D It will sure help me to advance from this intermediate knitter to an advanced knitter! In the other package there was a Lush-box: Creamy Candy Bar and Rockstar Star Soap! How did you know that I'm a rockstar?? I got needles, for socks, straight and round! It's perfect, because I'm currently working on several projects that need the same size in needles, but I've been short of a 3,25 mm round needle! Surely, all of your greedy eyes alreday have spotted the lovely chocolate! (I had one piece yesterday, but it doesn't show in the picture) And what is that red thing?

What is it?

It's a perfectly red crocheted Serpentine-cloth! But I prefer to call it a crocheted feather boa. I used it as a scarf yesterday when I went to my sister's 30th birthday party! And on the party it suddenly transformed to a feather boa! :D Amazing!! It's very beautiful and I got a lot of compliments for it!

Finally, thank you so much, Sue, for being my Secret Pal!
I'm so happy of all the gifts you've sent me.

You've really done a good job trying to make me satisfied, and I am !! I really appreciate that you've actually made me things and I don't know what else to say than thank you! I've already signed up for SP9, maybe we'll meet there?

Speaking of my sister's birthday party, I finished it and I think she likes it. My sister says that pink is not her color, but she's always picky. She seemed very happy, anyway. Unfortunately, the pictures I'd taken on it have mysteriously disappeared, so I'll try to get her to take a picture and send it to me.

Change of plans

2006-09-04T22:19:00.000+02:00

I was supposed to have dinner at a friends' on thursday, that's why I thought I'd better finish the RR today. Now, the dinner is sort of post poned, which makes thursday free for the RR, and this evening became free for...this:
A pencil skirt from Burda. I even bought some fabric that will go perfect together with my Forecast. You'll see when it's done!

Tomorrow, it's time for my first lecture at the uni. Gaaahh! Keep your fingers crossed for me, ok?

Sunday update

2006-09-03T20:54:00.000+02:00

I'm getting there, folks. With serious threading (multi-tasking when speaking of parallel computers -and a bit homourus when knitting) I've managed to finish the sleeves, knit 3 roses, sewn 2 buttons...

I think it looks quite good, don't you?

Well, ok, ok. I know. I still have to join the sleeves, get rid of the loose ends, sew ALL buttons and actually attach the knitted roses. The most important thing is that I will finish this before friday! Yiha!

The mind of a geniuos, how does it work?

2006-08-31T21:14:00.000+02:00

I got the perfect idea today! You remember that I'd knitted wrong (because of faulty instructions, I'd say) on the sleeves for my most ongoing projet, right? Well, I haven't been very anxious to knit because I've known what's been waiting for me since I'm "frogging" by undoing one stitch at the time. Maybe you all have found smart ways to do this faster, but I haven't. That is, until today.

This is what I did. First, I "sewed" with the needle at the row that would be the first NOT to knit:

After that, I pulled out the needle I was working with originally! Oh my gosh!! Would this even work?

After that, I started to pull out the yarn. Gulp!

And look how nice it all turned out! In just a couple of strokes, the 7 rows had been frogged and I could happliy continue with my knitting!

I believe that this is very, very smart! So, maybe you think that this is an old trick that actually every decent knitter knows about. Well, don't tell me! I'm very proud of my solution and prefer to think that I'm a genious!

Progress report

2006-08-27T20:53:00.000+02:00

So, I've made some good progress on my little project. I have finished the left front, but I haven't joined the fronts and the back yet. This is because I somehow got a different gauge on the shoulderparts on the fronts and the back. If I have time I'll rip the back's shoulders and join them later. Of the 6 roses I was supposed to do, I've only completed one, but no worry, they seem to be knitted quite fast.

What I have done though (which was assigned for next week) is to start on the sleeves. I've started shaping them, but in the instructions it says: "cast off 8 sts at beg of next row. Dec 1st at each end of next 5 rows..." This is what I have done, and now I've realised that I should have cast off 5 sts at beg of next 2 rows. Grrr, I hate when I make mistakes, but I like it even worse when it's because of unclear instructions!

I've also worked on my print 'o the wave stole, but the progress there is unnoticable without a microscope! Will I ever be able to complete it?

The Forecast's body is now finished, and I dare say that it will look gorgeous on me! I like that feeling!

Today I participated in Tjejmilen, for the first time. It's a 10 km-race only for women and I did it on the very respectable time of 70 minutes. It's not a bad time for me, but I feel quite anxious to start working out for next year's race already!

Character building

2006-08-22T17:00:00.000+02:00

I just have to show you the last project I started. I know that I've said that I wouldn't start any new projects before some stuff are finished. I'm very ashamed of this, and that's the reason why I didn't show this to you after starting to knit this weekend. Anyway, it's supposed to be Shedir from Knitty and I'm using Drops alpaca, mmmm.

That's all I wanted to share. But can you understand how hard it will be for me to stick to that sweater-you- know-which, that I have to finish??

Project Plan - Rambling Rose

2006-08-22T08:12:00.000+02:00

OK, this is the deal: my sister recently turned 30 and will have a big party on September 8th. I have promised her one of my knitted things. I will not mention which in case she’s reading this blog. I’m partly responsible for a course in project management at my uni, so I thought that I would make a very short project plan for this sweater.

1) First, I have to specify what my goal is, well it’s basically to finish the sweater on time!
2) What is my timeframe? Two andahalfweeks.
3) How can the project be broken down in smaller parts? And do I have to do things in a special order?

Sewing the steeks is depending on me getting in contact with a sewing machine. This leads to that I will start with the body, leave the steeks until I visit my parents next time (next weekend would be suitable) and meanwhile continue with the sleeves and adornments.

This week I will:

Finish left front
Join fronts and back
Make adornments

Next week I will:

Knit 2 sleeves
Join sleeves
Buy buttons
Sew steeks (in the weekend)

Third and final week I will:

Cut steeks
Knit buttonbands
Sew buttons
Add adornments
Friday: give finished knit to happy sister!

Do you think I will make it? I’ll post a picture Sunday evening and let you know about the progress I’ve made!

A one-year-old knitter

2006-08-20T10:05:00.000+02:00

I have recently realised that I've been knitting for a year or so now. I've been thinking that I should sumarize this year; as a blogger, but also as a knitter! I put together everything I've knitted (and finished) during this year, and I'm amazed to see that I've been so productive!

So, what have I done?

First up, I learnt how to do garter stitches, and it resulted in a beutiful scarf for M. After that, I started on a matching sweater for him which made me learn how to rib and knit in stockinette. This was followed by a blue-brown vest, where the new thing was the I-cord that was used as a belt. I also made wristwarmers with beads that matched the vest, and a horrible sweater which was a quick knit and gave me some more knowledge of construction . All these projects belong to what I call my naïve period!

After my naïve period, I went to New York, where i started to experiment. A horrible poncho, which taught me to make goodlooking decreases and some random projects with novelty yarns. Mistakes were followed by a real good knitting: the famous Eunny Jang's argyle vest. Not only did I knit lovely argyles, but I also made steeks!

Since coming home from NY, I've become a more mature knitter. My best experience this year has been the Ferragamo bag, not only was it fun to knit, but I also enjoyed to decide how the inside of the bag, the leather top and the knitted outside should work together. I call this my first design-experience, small scale, but anyway. I knitted Knitty's Starsky and I learnt how to cable and sew pieces together and make it look good. I've also made some baby-socks where I crocheted (!) and I've knitted a second ferragamo bag for a friend. From now on, I don't knit for friends. Knowing that someone was waiting for me to finish killed all joy. I can knit and give the finished stuff to friends, but thay can't "order" anything.

Actually, I hope that someone that doesn't know how to knit should read this and understand that anyone can go from beginner to a mature knitter (my own words, I know) in only a year. And that everything shown above is made of knit and purls in different shapes and orders. Knit and purl, that's all you need to know, baby!

Obsession continues...

2006-08-17T17:41:00.000+02:00

After a thorough reading of the blogs of the participants in SP8, I've narrowed the suspects down to lucky dog knits, Dandelion Spinnery, Extravayarnza, knitting solo, KNITTIOTHERAPY or craftomatique. All the others are excluded because they have already shown what they have sent their spoilees, or just written that they've sent yarn - something that my SP didn't send me! Now, the question is, who of you is it?

Phew! This detective work is exhausting!

Yesterday I had the last tennis lesson of the intensive course I've taken this summer. I've learnt so much! So far I've played tennis outdoors, so I have to find another tennis-place (court?). The choice is between a place who only want members that can pay 9400 SEK (more than 1000$) a year without a problem (according to their rules) and a place which has "People to the tennis and tennis for the people" as their slogan. Tough choice, eh?

I'm about to mail my last package to my SP-spoilee. I've finally found the required customs-form CN22! Yiha!

Open letter to Secret Pal 8

2006-08-16T17:46:00.000+02:00

Dear Secret Pal!

Don't you worry about being occupied, I understand! While I'm waiting for the grand finale I've been picking up on an old hobby of mine: to be a secret detective! I'm on the hunt for you, SP8! Or should I call you PurlPirate, Ignoble Jen, Sheep-frog, Sally or maybe Wye Sue? You see, I know that ou're from UK (It took great bravery and enormous brainpower to find that out). So I've narrowed it down to these five knitters! You'd better look over your shoulder, because soon I'll figure out who you are!

/S.D.V. (Secret Detective VivaPia)

This is how far I am at my Forecast. Am I this thin? Will I solve that whith blocking and/or dieting if it turns out that I'm not?

Tam-Ta-Dam

2006-08-13T21:07:00.000+02:00

I've started to knit Forecast and it feels great! I've never knitted anything top-down and it's so fun to watch the shoulders grow for every row. The backlash is that for every row, there are more and more stitches, but that's part of the deal, right?

The colours are very good on the photo for once. I think it shows quite well that the two yarns are different in colours. The wool is more purple and the alpaca is more pink. They make a perfect mix and just enough colour-exitement for me.

I've realised that I'm knitting (sort of actively) three things now, Forecast in winered, Rambling Rose in pink and Print 'O the wave... in a soft purple. Very girlish coulours! And both forecast and Rambling are cute, feminine cardigans with bubbles and stuff. I thought my taste in knitting was more clean and "cool". Obviously I was wrong. :D

My camera works!

2006-08-12T16:48:00.000+02:00

Today I've been to Marias garn and bought wool and alpaca (no tweed) for the forecast-to-be! I really love the colour! I know I've promised myself, and you, -my readers :) that I wont start with a new project until this and that, so at first I wasn't planning on actually buying any yarn. I was just looking! But then I fell in love with the colout, so I had to buy it!

About my camera, M fixed it when he got home. I don't know what he did, but he's not the violent type, so maybe some love and kind words were all it needed. :)

FO: Ferragamo Bag II

2006-08-09T07:23:00.000+02:00

Look, something terrible has happened: I've finished my second Ferragamo bag, took a lot of pictures, uploaded one of the bag hanging on a chair:

Uploaded a second one (which turned out to be the blurry one, not the good picture I had planned to upload):

And then: my camera breaks!! How, I don't know, but the picture disappeared, it started to sound funny, and the green light indicating that the camera is on was only shining a little. Now it doesn't shine at all! Guess I have to get the camera fixed, I hope I have some guarantee-papers for it somewhere.

I kept the blurry photo for you to see that since I had to give the bag away (I made it for a friend from the beginning) , I made a little piece where I sew "Från Pia" (which basically means "From Pia" in Swedish). I've already given the bag to my friend, so no more photo opportunity on that one.

When I got home today, there were 2 (two) knitting magazines lying on the floor just waiting for me; Interweave Knits and Rowan No 40!

I've just scrolled them and have already found a couple of projects I'd like to do. What do you think of Rowan's "Dotty" for M, perhaps in different colours? Or the crazy "Organic bag"? Don't you all fell that it's time for all these autumn-projects. That even if the weather's still hot, we've all noticed that the evenings are getting cooler... Right? brown, dark reddish things, that's what we want now.

I also found the Gatsby Girl pullover from Interweave. I don't like the short sleeves, but I really like the pearls on the shoulder!

Bag-progress

2006-08-04T21:41:00.000+02:00

So this is the pastel-grey Ferragamo bag I'm about to finish. It's not as big as my last one, but hopefully it will be just as charmy! So, the knitted piece:

And the fabric -inside (but shown inside-out in the picture) with an almost hidden zipper! Quite nice, I hope you all can tell that I'll soon be mastering the art of sewing superbly!

Ok, now I have to finish it!

Gosh, how do I find the time?

2006-08-04T14:17:00.000+02:00

More than a week has passed since I wrote my last entry here. So what have I been up to? well, this week, I've been to a concert with Laleh at Skansen, danced tango outside Stockholm's stadsmuseum, started a Tenniscourse (very intense: 3 times this week since I skipped wednesday's lesson because of the concert). I also went home to my friend who wanted the gray Ferragamo-bag and borrowed her sewing machine for the inner-bag that's made out of fabric after monday's lesson. All of this I've done in one work in the evenings after work. I'm exhausted!

Since I'm still at work now, I can't post any pictures of my progress. I think I'll see my friend tomorrow, at the Stockholm Pride festival, so tonight I will try to stitch the leather beautifully to the bag so it will be finished tomorrow. After I've gone out jogging, that is.

I got the last number of Vogue Knitting yesterday. I liked it, but nothing special got to me. Right now I just want to finish everything I've got on my needles. And I'm dreaming of a litlle sewing machine and all of the wonderful things I could do if I had one...

Ciao!

Vacation over!

2006-07-24T17:58:00.000+02:00

Can you see how similiar this is to Matty's sweater? All that's missing is the belt! Well, I haven't forgotten my promise yet, and even though I haven't been knitting that much lately, I've still managed to make some progress on my Print 'O the Wave Stole:

Can you see that I changed the way the pattern is supposed to "meet up" (right of the yellow thing you can see two threads). And there's a nice close-up too.

Promises, promises

2006-07-05T17:24:00.000+02:00

Isn't this a beauty? It's made by Matthew Williamson and I want to knit it! Can't be that hard. A long ribbing, a belt that I think is knitted into the sweater somehow and then very simple cables. Perfect!

This friday I'm going to my parents' summerhouse and will stay there for a while. There is no internet there, so no blogging will be done. What I can do, however, is some knitting! This is a list of the things I will bring and work on:

The Norweigan stockings (I have seen proof now that Linster actually has reached the heel, soI have to make some progress too!)
Print o' the wave stole
The Rambling Rose
Smaller, gray ferragamo bag

That's right, the list includes almost all of my WIPs. Hopefully I can finish something, or get closer to finish something and if that doesn't happen, I will probably get home with a nice sun tan at least.

Listen closely now, because here comes a promise to all of you out there. I will not start another project, neither teh Forecast nor the Matthew Williamson one, until I'm finished with RR, one of the stockings, the knitting part of the Ferragamo bag and I'm halfway through with the stole. Ha! I will make progress now so look out!

P.S. If someone has an idea of a yarn that could be suitable for the Matty sweater, let me know, ok?

And the show continues...

2006-07-04T22:25:00.000+02:00

I have been on a combined work and vacation trip to Las Vegas for ten days. I brought some projects and had looked out some yarn stores I wanted to visit. What a fool I was! No knitting, no blog reading, no blogging and no yarn shopping at all!! I simply didn't have time for any of it!
When I got back yesterday, there were some 150 new messages on bloglines! Phew! I'm down to13 now but don't think I will finish tonight. Anyway, since I hadn't even missed my needles for over a week, I thought I was in some anti-knitting mode. Maybe I've been knitting too much this last year? Maybe it's the Rambling Rose that is giving me this reluctant feeling to knitting? But I've promised to knit a smaller Ferragamo-bag for a friend, and since I have the yarn and everything, I thought that I atleast could try to make it. Here it is so far.

Gray yarn with pink textile for the inner bag. And you know what? I started to knit, and I thought, maybe I actually should finish the rambling rose (Erin, over at Girl Who Knits is blocking her pieces as we speak!), what happened to the Norweigan stockings I started?(I've heard that Linster at Yarnlove has reached the heel! Pff!! Believe it when I see it! Liar, liar, pants on fire!) And I've seen many beautiful Forecasts out there and I should really make my own! So you know what? I think I'll spend tomorrow night alone with my needles on the balcony! But pretty please, don't tell my friends, maybe they will get the idea of visiting me and spoil my knitevening!! ;)

I'm very satisfied!

2006-06-19T22:37:00.000+02:00

And this is the reason why:

I haven't bought it, no! But I've convinced M that if we're going to California this summer (which we are) I won't settle for anything less than a convertible to cruise around in! I just hope that the one we'll get is red too!

Too much work needs to be done before the trip, so I haven't knitted that much. Just keep up your own good work, and I'll be back with some progress eventually!

What was my mantra now again?

2006-06-14T20:08:00.000+02:00

Ok, maybe I should know this, but when a measurment is given for the width of a slightly fitted sweater, is it the widest part at the bottom, the waist or the chest that is given??

I'm knitting on Rambling Rose, ofcourse, and it seems very BIG all of a sudden! I don't want to knit something that's not going to be flattering and just look like a pink garbage bag on me with roses on! Help me!

So what was the mantra? Yes, that's right: the journey is the goal itself. The journey is the goal itself. The journey....

Progress report and a forgotten gift!

2006-06-11T10:34:00.000+02:00

It seems like I had missed one of the presents in the package from my Sp: markers that were hidden in one of the pockets! Soon I will start telling you how great she is, because I think you will try to steel her away from me! The lovely markers have already replaced the ugly, boring red and blue rings that helped me keep track on the repeats of my "summer of lace"-project:

Here is a better picture of the knitting (?), I hope it will look good all stretched out and blocked when it's finished!
So should I say thank you again? I actually feel that thank you isn't enough, I hope you understand, Sp that I'm soo greatful that you've sent me those gifts, they are so perfectly put together to suit me! So, thank you! :)

What else? Well, even though I didn't mention it yesterday, I was at mariatorget yesterday for the WWKIPD. There are some pictures of it here (I'm to the left in the right photo), here and here.

Mostly I've been knitting on the Rambling Rose. I think I'm a very slow knitter... will it never be finished?? Well, I've got some 10 cm left to the armhole shaping, if i ever get there!

Here's a close up of the pattern. I think it's really difficult to get the pattern to look good, but since I'm no perfectionist, I'm just hoping for it to get better along the way! :)

A present... for me?

2006-06-10T20:04:00.000+02:00

This is a post with lots of pictures, mmm!

My lovely Secret Pal first sent me a greeting this tuesday. It was the Swedish national holiday, and she sent me an ecard with the swedish flag on it! Thank you, sweetest, secret pal! I was so touched that you thought of me. And it doesn't stop there! On thursday I got a package from her as well!

A card with my name on it, what can it be?

Let me tell you; I love, love, love Cadbury chocolat and
one of my favourite colours is red so you got it all right, Sp!

The red is a bag for my knitting needles, better shown here:

Inside it looks like this:

And look! It has my name embroidered on it! Wow!!
It's so great Iwould like to sleep with it under my pillow
if M wouldn't think I was insane if I did it.

So what can I say? My exams are over, the sun is shinig and I got this amazing gift from my Sp.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Are you ready to ramble?

2006-06-06T20:50:00.000+02:00

It is more than a week ago that I started to knit on Rambling Rose. I got a shiny bright idea of knitting it in the round even though I'm using pure cotton and then make a steek in the middle. Very smart. So I knitted the 15 cm long rib on 2,5 mm needles without complaining. When the ribbing was done I read more of the pattern and saw that I was supposed to put 9 sts from each front piece on holders. That is, on both sides of the planned steek I should put 9 sts on a holder. Should I repeat it again? Or just take a silent moment so we all have a chance to figure out how to make proper steeks while the adjoining 9 sts should be put on holder?

I was puzzled. Then I figured that the journey is a goal in itself, so I put 9 sts on a holder on each side of the steek and then I made the steeks a bit longer, so that they "covered" the space. Voilà: a close-up of one of the holders and the pattern on the left side.

Summer of lace... or summer of tango?

2006-06-04T07:51:00.000+02:00

There hasn't been much tango this spring, not since I came back from NY. But yesterday, the first outside-milonga took place. Stora Skuggan lies just a walk from us and there is a lovely wooden floor there with a roof built on it, just next to the fake lake. (the picture is from some lindy hop-dancing, not tango).
When we first got there (M and I), there were some kind of lesson, so we just jumped right in. We later understood that some foreign students had passed by and they had been offered a quick introduction. As most beginners, the students didn't have much flow in their dance. So afterwards, people we haven't talked to before came up to us, assuming we were among the foreign students and praised us for our fluency and that we looked like we had tango in our bodies! it was quite fun, but then we had to come clean and tell them that we weren't beginners on that level, so we actually should look sort of good.

Anyway, this summer, there will be outside tango with introduction all over Stockholm. So all of you knitting bloggers, put on that knitted boleo and some high heels and get your but to any of these places, ok? Thursdays throughout July, there will be tango at Skansen. I mean, how romantic isn't that? And wednesdays, you are all welcome to Wednesday dancing at Eriksdalsbadet. There will also be tango some more saturdays at Stora Skuggan, unfortunately without any introduction. I've heard that Statsmuseet (at Slussen) also will be used as a dance floor this summer. I don't know when, but you can go to Tango Norte if you want to know more.

The team of "Amazing Lace"

2006-06-01T18:02:00.000+02:00

So this is a love story that started out the way any love story starts: wanting gazes which lead a soft feeling against your skin, and a warm feeling in your heart.

Sure, the girl had had many affairs before with different yarns, but this yarn was special. She had seen it in a far away land, in a small store were women looked Japanese, were the walls were covered with bamboo, the atmosphere was calm, no noise at all. Outside, on the hectic street, (the street was very wide, was it called "Widestreet"? She didn't remember) people had been shouting at the girl, but there, in the store she had felt safe. And she had seen the yarn, pinkish, silkish and imediately, she had fallen in love. This yarn was special.

The girl and the yarn knew they had to be together. They wanted to be close, so close that nothing could be between them!

And maybe one day, the girl and the yarn could give life to something else...

I'm a business woman!

2006-05-31T17:57:00.000+02:00

So, my bag has gained so much fame and fortune that a friend of mine wanted me to make one to her. She doesn't like larger bags (less for me to knit) and wanted it in pure gray. Not blue-grayish, not green-grayish, but pastel-black, you know, black and white together. This is what I got for her:

While I was at marias garn (do I shop anywhere else?) I also got some Alpaca yarn from Garnstudio. I've felt some ache in my joints recently, so I thought that I would make something to warm my wrists.

Back to my friend. She really is amazing. She has her own business where she sells things like this:

I wanted this pinkish necklace, earrings and hairpin which I got as "payment" for the bag to knit. I also got these white-brown hairpins, which I love:

My pictures don't do them any justice at all, so please check out her webpage: Lavish Design!

Please don't tell her that I got the better part of the deal! I tried to pay her, but she thought this would make us even! :)

FO: Starsky!

2006-05-28T21:29:00.000+02:00

Here it is in all it's glory: Starsky!
Pattern: Knitty's Starsky.
Size: M
Yarn: one strand of wool and a thicker strand of alpaca from Marias garn
Needles: Lovely 6.0 mm rosenholtz needles
Modifications: I downsized the arms a bit, both in width and in length.
Start date: April 22 2006
Finish date: May128 2006

I loved to knit this, it was fun, speedy and I really like the result! This willn definitely be a favorite of mine. I know this because I've already been using it for two days before it even was finished!

Prisoner guard away!

2006-05-28T10:01:00.000+02:00

M, who has been guarding me this weekend (and also helped me with my studies) has went home to his parents for Mother's day so I'll use this study break for some blogging! Ok, first up, secret pal, I'm studying for two boring-to-death courses that I should have taken several years ago: electronics (analogue and physics for semiconductors) and theory of signals. The first course is sort of ok, and the exam is on thursday, but the other one (which is on saturday) has been killing me! Fortunately, M wrote his master thesis within signals, so he's being so sweet and is helping me. I have to take these courses, otherwise I'll never get my master of electrical engineering, and I have to get that one to be hired as an PhD student. Right now, I've an employment on a project basis, and the project being my PhD. It's ok, better than being a student, but not as good as being a PhD student (my professor says I need a carrot to finish my degree, and probably it's true). Maybe I should say that the subject I'm doing my PhD in has nothing to do with analoguos electronics or signals, which makes me even less ncouraged to learn about it. Enough about school and work!

I've been knitting some actually. The Starsky itself is ready since yesterday, and I've been wearing it while studying :) You will get to see it as soon as the belt is finished too:

Right now, I'm using the Rambling Rose and my laptop-cover to ease the presure on my brain while studying. The laptop cover has been lying in the knitting-basket for ages, but I haven't sewn it together. I'll try to do this today, but it won't be finished because I'm planning to get some buttons to it.

The RR is getting taller, slowely but steadily. I've reached the first button hole, but that's it. 2 cm out of 15 cm of pure ribbing! But very easy to knit, p1, k1, p1, k1... well you all know how to rib! ;)

And while I had my camera ready, I got some pictures of M's new toy: an old veteran-TV that origianlly was bought for the world olympics in football 1958. It works, but only for a while, and only for one channel. Well, I think it's more beautiful than the big tv screens that you young people buy today!

Back to my books now so that I'll have lots of questions ready when M gets back home! Ciao!

Clay and cherry blossom

2006-05-25T17:16:00.000+02:00

I'm supposed to be studying hard now, because I'll have the two last exams of my life (hopefully) next week, and my professor is sort of expecting that I will make them both since he's already hired me... Well, I think I've managed to study quite well today, and knitting in between onlykeeps me in a good mood.

My Starsky has passed the knitting stage, is up from the sink and lying flat drying now.

How can something so potentially beautiful look so ugly? Blää...

Well, I don't want to be without something to knit, so I went to Wincent this week and got some yarn for Rowan's Rambling Rose: 4 Ply cotton in the colour Orchid, but I think it looks more like cherry blossom (or whatever tree I got the branch from :) )

I've started to knit it in the round, because the needles are so small that it will take me forever if I have to knit purls every other row. So does anyone know how to dp steeks with cotton? I think that Mia or Marika once mentioned that she had just went back and forth with her sewing machine. Is that possible? I've also bought some extra yarn if I want to make the sleeves longer. Hopefully, there will be some fast progress on this one, but probably it wont...

Love -again!

2006-05-20T13:25:00.000+02:00

This is one of the beautiful sweaters in Debbie Bliss' new book Pure Silk. It is, apparently, knitted in pure silk. It's my dream sweater and all of the other patterns are equally beautiful! Love it, love it, love it! One day I will knit it, but my wallet is, oh, too thin to be able to purchase the yarn to me!

I also have to say Thank you! to my secret pal who sent me a really sweet e-card to wish me happy thursday! Thank you!

I'm knitting on the sleeves on Starsky. No more pictures of that now. I'm knitting them both at once, which is so smart! I always make some changes when I knit, like not increasing or decreasing as much as the pattern suggests, and since I'm so short I never make sleeves as long as they are supposed to be. So when I'm knitting them both at once I don't have to remember the changes I make! Lovely!

My last entry got strangely sick, that's why I couldn't include any links, so I have them here for you:
Forecast,the lovely sweater i want to knit. There's also a Forecast kal, where you can see more finished Forecasts.
Girl Who Knits, the lovely girl who has knitted forecast, and through whom i found out about Summer in Lace.

New idols and adventures!

2006-05-17T10:11:00.000+02:00

When I was younger, my cousin was my idol (my elder sister claims that she was my idol, but that’s just in her dreams ;) ). My cousin had a room that was decorated in pink; she always had pink clothes, was good at drawing and always seemed to have her room cleaned (something I am very much in awe for). Idols change as you grow up, and nowadays I don’t want to copy the exact behaviour of my idols, only let them inspire me to be me.

Eunny has been a source of inspiration, but sometimes I get a notion of that I will never be as knowledgeable about the whole area of knitting as Eunny is. Someone who I “found” recently and whose knitting actually inspires me more in my every day knitting is the Girl who knits. She is mortal, just like me (and unlike Eunny) but everything she has been knitting is just beautiful! She has started on Rambling Rose from Rowan, and she is knitting Forecast from Knitty which is beautiful. I’m thinking of making it for myself when time’s right and the summer’s over.

Right now, the girl who knits has got me hooked on the Amazing Lace It’s sort of a lace KAL during the summer, but with challenges along the way. The first challenge is called “Meet the team” where all teams should present themselves. The team is me, the chosen pattern (which will be a secret until I present us properly), yarn and needles; heck, everything that together will form the lovely lace. I think it will be a fun adventure for us all, and I hope that the readers of this blog also will appreciate to read about how we tackle our challenges!

Finished objects: Baby socks

2006-05-14T16:03:00.000+02:00

I love tulips. My birthday is in March, so every year I get tulips from my mum. These are from my mum's garden and I figured I had to take a picture of them before they would get to old. I didn't get then for ny birthday, ofcourse, they are from last thursday when I went to my parents for dinner in the middle of week. :D I love the diversity of this boquet, pink, red, yellow a purple that doesn't show and some orange-yellow.

So, I have found out whose SP8 I am. I don't know how much I can say without him/her finding out that I'm the SP8, BUT I have to open my hart just a bit and maybe get some advice. The person has only three posts on his/hers blog including the SP8-questions! This means that I have very little to base my gifts on. I don't know what kind of person this is at all. Help!

Speaking of gifts, both of the baby socks are finished now:

First a pic
ture of the small socks with the top unfolded, as they are supposed to be:

And then the socks with the top folded down, which I think looks much better!

Pattern: Garnstudio's Drops' "Rätstickad toffla", found in swedish here.
Size: 6-9 months
Yarn: Frog Tree's, Alpaca wool sport weight, colour #000 (white), maybe 2 oz or 60 g. And Garnstudio's Alpaca colour 7139. Knitted with two threads.
Needles: crochet needle 2,75mm and
Modifications: Since I can't read crochet-instructions I just made the crochet parts according to what I remember from school .
Start date: May 8 2006
Finish date: May 14 2006

Thrilled!

2006-05-13T19:38:00.000+02:00

I got a warm feeling, a chill through my spine, a tendency of a tear in my eye of movement, and then, just a bubbling laughter! Are these signs of me going crazy or just a normal reaction to finding this in the comments:

Anonymous said...
I'm here and ready to begin spoiling!

I've got a secret friend out there! I have been occupied by checking my inbox to see if I've gotten the info of the person who I will have me as secret pal and been thinking of possible gifts to send him/her so I almost forgot that someone will actually be my secret pal too! I'm just amazed that I've got this really thrilling feeling. Have a perfect weekend, secret pal, cause you certainly made mine just by showing up!

Problems of a busy knitter

2006-05-12T08:25:00.000+02:00

The new number of Interweave Knits laid on my doorstep when I came home this wednesday. I'd been to an end-of-the-semester-dinner for some younger students and went to sleep before even eyeing through it. Then yesterday after work, I went to my parents for dinner and on the train to get there, I finally got some time to check out the patterns. I actually like the top on the front cover the best and I'm thinking of knitting it. Ofcourse, i have to look through all patterns again, and maybe I'll find something more interesting then. :)

I've had so little knitting time lately so I wonder how I even will be able to finish the second baby sock! And with Starsky going on and me dreaming of Rowan's Rambling Rose, I don't know what to do!

Has anyone else ever had this same feeling: so many projects waiting to be done and so little time??

Some of the participants of Secret Pal 8 have already started to send cards and emails to their SPs and I don't even know who my Secret pal is yet. I'll try to have patience, but I'm just eager to start this!!

From babies to Marilyn

2006-05-09T08:07:00.000+02:00

This is how it looks, the baby sock I've made so far. I think it looks quite cute, but compared to the sock in the picture, it's a bit long. That's why I've folded the top, it looks better when it's not that long! I'm using what I've got left of Frog Tree's alpaca yarn from the deep V argyle vest, and I think it's a bit thicker then the recommended alpaca from Garnstudio. The bluish edging is in alpaca from Garnstudio though.

I hope I'll get the next one done before the baby comes. But the first baby is always a bit slow to "get out", right?

I've been thinking about my next project. I know that I'm not even halfway with Starsky, but nonetheless, I'm dreaming of that perfect knit that is fun while working on it and will make me look fabolous. I want it to be feminine and show off the best of my body, which sort of goes hand in hand, but it's not easy to achieve. Do you have any suggestions of how I will make myself look like Marilyn?

You are Maryiln Monroe

A classic tortured beautyYou're the dream girl of many menYet they never seem to treat you right

What Famous Pinup Are You?

Lat det swinge, lat de rock'n roll....

2006-05-08T15:45:00.000+02:00

A guy at my department (who I am very fond of) are supposed to have his first baby by the middle of May. I think it's nice to give people gifts when you're not expected to do so and this is why I thought I could knit these baby socks* to the little one! I have some alpaca lying around, these seem very easy to knit, so why not? Sometimes I get a feeling of that when you're giving someone a present, it's almost like asking for a present in return when it's your birthday or whatever the occasion is. This is why I like this idea even more, because i'm not planning to have any kids in the near future and hence, I can not expect to get. Can't wait to get home and start to work on them!

*OK, very far fetched, but the title of this entry is because of the Norweigan duo "Bobbysocks" who had a hit (?) where they sang "lat de swinge..."

Starsky on the go

2006-05-06T17:00:00.000+02:00

The largest piece, the back is done. So... two fronts, two sleeves and one neck/front-line left! The pattern is seen from the reverse :) just not to bore you with it until the Starsky is ready.
I think it's quite hard to keep track on where to start in the pattern after the shaping for the sleeves. And it gets even harder with the neckline. Lucky me, there are not much of it.

I want to thank all of you who left such nice comments on my Ferragamo bag. I know that I made it in a colour that maybe isn't everone's favourite, but at least some of you appreciated the coolness in it!! And Olga, your guess that I live in Norway is qite close, but I live in Sweden!

Maybe you've also understood that I'll be one lucky person's secret pal this summer! I hope I can come up with something nice for the person and, ofcourse, that someone will send me maybe... a nice card? I don't ask for much. (who am I kidding?) I haven't seen a button for Secret Pal 8, but maybe someone will make one soon.

Secret Pal 8 - my first!

2006-05-05T12:10:00.000+02:00

I've joined Secret Pal 8. Below follows a description of me that shows a much more boring side of me than I'd like to show! Well, well...

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
What I like? Wool, cotton, alpaca. These I like and I don't play favourites with yarn, they are equally suited for different things. I don't like synthetic yarn. I've knitted with bulky multicoloured yarn but realised that it's not for me either.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
-Their original packages if still existing, or loose in my yarn-basket.

3. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
-I've been knitting since last summer, say 9 months? I still think I'm quite advanced, anyone who disagrees can leave a comment. :)

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
-Nope.

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
-I don't like scented candles, for other things I like fresh and/or sweet scents.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
-Guilty as charged. Chocolate. Chocolate with orangecrisps. Chocolate with caramel. If you're from Suisse, I'm addicted to Ragusa . If you're from Great Britain, I also love Cadbury's milk chocolate mix. Well, you all get the picture.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
-I've made some mosaic, but it's unfortunately on hold now. I don't spin. I'd like to know how to and I'd like to learn how to weave.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
-A little bit of everything. Depeche Mode, french chansons, Yeah Yeah Yeah's, swedish pop/rock, well anything that's not boring to listen to. ;) My computer plays anything!

9. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?
-Favorite colour: RED! Haven't knitted anything in red though. I actually like most colours, and can't come up with any colour I don't like... Maybe I can say that I like bright colours, and more pale/pastel. But I don't like "ordinary" colours. Whatever that is...

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
-No pets. I live with my boyfriend.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
-I prefer scarves among the 4 mentioned above. The others are ok, but not any favourites.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
-Sweaters and cardigans for me.

13. What are you knitting right now?
-Starsky and Norweigan stockings.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
-Yes.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
-Circular. I think I'll sound like a snob now, but I just bought needles in rosenholz and I love them. Before I preferred bamboo.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
-No, and my boyfriend has actually asked me why I don't buy any.

17. How did you learn to knit?
-At school when I was maybe 10, and then from internet when I picked it up again last summer.

18. How old is your oldest UFO?
-2 months?

19. What is your favorite holiday?
-Christmas.

20. Is there anything that you collect?
-No.

21. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
-Interweave Knits. I've subscribed to Vogue too but haven't received any yet. I've seen a book about Bohus-knitting (at Maria's yarn) but I don't remember the name of it... What I need is a good reference book about differnt techniques, not patterns, but techniques so that I could move up from intermediate to advanced!

22. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
-Lace. And everything else I don't know. Oh, I don't even know enough to specify!

23. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
-I wouldn't say I am. I've started my first sock but haven't reached the heel yet.
I'm a swedish 37, which I think is an American 6½?

24. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
-March/9

FO: Ferragamo bag

2006-05-01T12:35:00.000+02:00

I feel quite pleased with myself. It is ready, enfin!

Viva Ferragamo! Viva Pia!

Pattern: Kates Beta-pattern for the Ferragamo bag, found here. Pattern for the curlicues can be found here.
Size: One size, BIG
Yarn: Garnstudio's Muskat, color 20 (yellow), 550 g = 11 skeins. Knitted with two threads for the bag and one for the curlicues.
Needles: Unknown brand, 5,5 mm round needle for the bag and 5,0 mm needles for the curlicues.
Modification: Well, since the pattern wasn't quite finished, alterations were done all the time, and the top is all my version.
Notes: I've also used leather, rivets and a riveted-locker for the top and fabric and a zipper for the inside.

I've been working hard on this one. Yesterday morning I sat down on the floor to work with all the cool tools in my bathrobe. (That's why I show some unimpropriate leg in the picture.) There are so many things that have to be measured all the time, and while you can rip and reknit while knitting, working with leather doesn't allow that kind of alterations.

Here are some photos of the details of the bag. First I was thinking of ditching the curlicues because they look a bit strange, but I'm so glad I didn't do that! They are gorgeous!

And one more picture of me and the finished bag:

I'm off to new adventures now, see ya!

My fingers are bleeding

2006-04-30T21:49:00.000+02:00

Well, not really, but they hurt! It is so much nicer to knit than to sew through leather. Sewing through leather hurts yout fingers, even if you have something between the fingers and the needle to ease the pain. Maybe a sewing machine would help, but I don't have one.
Conclusion: I'm not finished with the Ferragamo bag yet. Tomorrow, yes, tomorrow my Precioussss bag will be finished.

I'm getting there, folks!

2006-04-29T20:10:00.000+02:00

This is the idea of how my bag will look like. Before I cut the leather I made a paper-model, but it looks quite nice even with the paper I think, maybe even more stylish? I had made one curlicue and then one of my friends called and wanted my attention.

Fortunately, the curlicues don't need much attention to knit, so when I got home again I had made all 7 of them. Perfect! ( have you noticed how I use my floor when I take pictures of the Ferragamo? It's because I think the yellow looks gorgeus against that warm, brown color.)

Anyway, the leather is cut, the two pieces are sewn together, and the handles are cut and have holes in them for the... rivets (according to all-knowing M). The friend calls for my attention again though. Her sister is playing at Nalen tonight, so It will probably be fun. I leave you with this picture and promise to show you the finished bag tomorrow and the details that are taking so long time!

Two first-ones

2006-04-24T21:10:00.000+02:00

This is what I've been up to the last week.

Starsky! I bought the yarn that Maria at Marias garn recommended; one strand of wool and a thicker strand of alpaca. It is the first time I'm knitting cables, but so far I think it looks good.

It is important to knit thoroughly, and that's why I made a swatch for this project. This is a first timer as well. My swatch was a bit larger than it should have been, but according to my measurments I should be a size between M and L. And guess what? If the same proportion that was between my gauge and the recommended gauge remains when I start to knit the pattern, I will end up with a cardigan perfect for me! I think it looks a bit too small actually, but I'll knit some repeats of the pattern and then I'll make an assessment of the size.

I've noticed that Kate at Knitlit has posted the beta-pattern to the ferragamo bag now. She has also posted a picture of her version of the bag, and I have to admit that it looks a lot better than my bag. But still, my version, it's like... me! A bit too big, a bit too bright, too much, but still quite adorable! :)

My dad will hopefullt stop by with some tools I need to finish the bag (for the leather-work) so hopefully, we'll see the finished bag real soon!

Just to make sure...

2006-04-17T21:05:00.000+02:00

that you get it right: the pictures are taken of the bag turned inside-out. ok?

My personal sunshine

2006-04-17T16:38:00.000+02:00

Phew! This sewing thing is soo... energy consuming. It took me the whole day to do all the sewing for this bag. Ofcourse, I had easter dinner, played with my nephew and gossiped with my sister as well, but still.

The inside of the bag is now covered with a yellow bag. Everything is so yellow that I can't help but feeling happy when I look at it. Tomorrow i hope I will have time to get the leather for the top, and then, finally, I'll be able to use this magnificent bag! Well, my yarn ran out so I haven't made the curlicues either, but they are coming!

The piece I had knitted turned out to be too long, so I decided to fold down one of the boards. On the inside I also sewed a small pocket with a zipper.

The bag itself wont have a zipper so I figured that at least my money, lipstick and other important stuff could be secured with a zipper.

Ferragamo bag turns Easter-bag!

2006-04-15T17:40:00.000+02:00

The leather-store wasn't open today, but I found a very nice store at Drottninggatan were I bought some yellow fabric! They have dark wooden display cases (according to the dictionary, vitrinskåp in swedish) were they kept the lace-fabrics. Very authentic.

Anyway, I bought some fabric, a zipper and sewing thread in matching, easter yellow.

So tomorrow I will delight my parents with a visit and use my mum's sewing machine! I hope everything will go alright. I actually bought something to strengthen the fabric with in the bottom, but that doesn't show in the photo. And the zipper isn't meant for the actual bag, but for a small pocket inside the bag.

Annelie at Konststycket asked about the pattern for this bag. The truth is that there is no pattern for it, yet. There is a knit along for the bag, which only has been a "try to figure out the pattern"-along so far. Kate at knit lit sent out a beta-pattern for some of us to test. I tested and then I thought it was good enough. I wanted the bag and I wanted it as soon as possible, so I just went with the beta pattern. I think the final pattern will be out soon, so anyone who wants the best, most authentic Salvatore Ferragamo bag he/she can make should just wait. If you're as sluggish as I am, try to get hold of the beta pattern, or just ask me and start knitting pronto!

Glad Påsk!

2006-04-14T22:15:00.000+02:00

To celebrate that Eastern is here, I have finished the knitting on my Ferragamo bag. Here are the back and the front piece next to each other, so you will see that there actually are two of them.

And here is a picture of the two pieces sewn together.

So, only the non-knitting stuff left to do. I haven't bought anything for that yet, so I will continue to work on the bag as soon as I've been to town. I know the bag doesn't look very impressive but I think it could be really beautiful with some fabric inside and some leather on the outside.

Next up is a picture of my Norweigan stocking that has been growing! I feel slightly out of season knitting on these now, but I really like the yarn so I don't mind.

I can't be knitting socks all summer, so I've been thinking more and more about the Starsky-pattern. Nina at Nysta recommended using Drops Alpaca with double yarn or Paris, but I'm not thrilled of any of the suggestions. Mia had tried Alaska, but not with a very good result, so the hunt of the perfect yarn will continue as well!

What's missing in this picture?

2006-04-12T07:39:00.000+02:00

That's right! one of the needles! Instead of grabbing the free one to knit with, I simply grabbed and puled out one that was in use. Well, well no harm done and this gave me a reason to take a picture of my ongoing sock and show it to you.

I'm knitting much tighter when I use two yarns which leads to that the ribbing on top (or in the bottom of the picture) is wider then the rest of the sock. I assume that it shouldn't be like that. Has anyone got any tip? Do I have to frog, or could I just leave it like this?

I am hard to please

2006-04-11T21:35:00.000+02:00

The new Knitty is out, and I'm not very excited about any of the patterns. Maybe I could do the exchequered scarf, but I don't want to knit a scarf when the summer's almost here! (some wishful thinking doesn't hurt)

What I can knit, though, is some nice socks! I got my sock books last friday, and that's one of the reasons why I haven't posted anything lately! Not that I've come very far, I started on some socks that I frogged and now I'm working on the Norwegian Stockings from Folk Socks. They will be a present for my dad, so I'm making them in the colors suggested in the pattern. Pictures will soon be up!

Wishes and future plans

2006-04-07T16:34:00.000+02:00

I want three things to happen right now.

1. I want it to stop raining.
2. I want my second piece for the ferragamo bag to be finished
3. I want my sock-books ( Socks Socks Socks and Folk Socks) to come.

That's all I'm asking for right now! But I've decided that I will sit down, watch bad tv and knit the 2nd Ferragamo-side until the mail comes, and then please, please, please, my books have to come! Or at least that little paper that says that I can go and get them from the store. (I don't have a post office here, so I leave and get packages at the only nearby grocery store.)

My hands are longing for a larger project, something I can wear. I've been thinking Starsky. First i didn't like it at all, but then I saw the beautiful back and changed my mind! What I still don't like about it is the ribbed shawl collar. I did a collar like that for my first project for myself (that finished), a vest that makes me look like a square. and that has sort of got me to loath all ribbed shawl collars, very unfair! And besides, I'm a much more experienced knitter now than I was i september, so maybe I can pull this one through?

Does anyone have a good suggestion on substitute yarn for the called for KnitPick's Sierra (70% wool, 30% superfine alpaca; 110 yds/100m per 100g skein)?? Or, does anyone know if it's possible for Scandinavia to order from KnitPick?

Ferragamo is taking shape

2006-04-05T21:03:00.000+02:00

It is yellow. For you who haven't noticed yet, the fashion color of spring 2006 (and hopefully summer too, I will want to use this for a looong time) is yellow. How practical!
It's lying on a cow-skin and I'm planning to add some leather details in the same brown color. I've been to Gamla Stans Läderhandel and seen what they can offer me, but I haven't made any decisions yet. It looks quite big, but I like big bags, it makes me feel like the Moomin mother. Which is a good feeling.

According to Amazon, my sock-books might show up tomorrow!! I can't wait!!!

First work, then rest!

2006-04-05T07:16:00.000+02:00

I presented my master thesis yesterday, but not without any trouble. For some reason I lost my brain for a moment in the morning while I erased my ppt-presentation. How can someone do that? How could I do that? It's just plain stupid! Anyway, I managed to put something half-decent together before it was my time to speak, and I guess it went alright. Not very good, but alright. I also went to "boxersice" with my friend R in the evening, and since R is a he, it was even more exhausting than if he would have been a she! My whole back is hurting today!!

Altogether, I figuered that I deserved a day off today. I'll start my new work on monday (PhD-studies) so maybe I need to go shopping and shape up my work-wardrobe? And ofcourse, I will sit down in a chair and just knit! I've finished one piece of the Ferragamo Bag. It's yellow, yellow, yellow and quite beautiful! I've sort of tired of the pattern, and that's strange! I'm more tired of this than I get on normal stockinette stitch. Very strange. I will get a picture here later today! Yaaawn! I think I will start with the knitting now! Have a nice day!

Flash it!!

2006-04-01T15:18:00.000+02:00

I'm not worse than anyone else. I' m ready to Flash my Stash ! Since I'm a very tidy person, it's not because of a visit of M's parents that I cleaned up the ugly traces of my yarn-abuse. (more about what that visit lead to later), it always looks tidy like this! I have my yarn in the TV-furniture and I don't want any readers to be upset of the extremely small TV that can be seen on top of the very 80's, black piece of furniture. It's true that the TV itself is small and I think that M got it when he was about 10 years old (he doesn't recall how old he was, but remembers that he used it for his Nintendo 8-bit games) and since it's still working, and we don't watch tv that often, give me ONE reason why we should buy a new one!! I guess that the black thing would have been in the garbage a long time ago if it hadn't been very suitable for the tv itself. If we ever would buy a new tv, we would certainly buy a new tv-furniture as well. Well, back to the yarn...

So, on the top shelf, I have some random left-overs that I like. Well, did I say left-overs? From left to right, there is M's hat, seats for the chairs to the balcony and left-overs (told you there were left-overs) from my laptop-case. Speaking of it, it will go round, round today, we've got laundry-time!

And on the bottom, that's where I keep my new Dale-yarn that i got yesterday and some other random yarns. The left-overs that i don't like is in a white box in the back so I don't have to see them. The light purple cone is from Habu and the brown thing to the left is left-overs from the Moebius.

My parents stopped by today today to give us some longed for- furniture for the balcony, you know the gray balcony that will be transformed to heaven! This is how it look like now.

And as I mentioned, M's parents visited us today as well. And as the custom seemed to be today, not without bringing a piece of furniture, a chair that has been "redressed" (what's the word for it??) in Josef Frank's fabulous fabric from Svenskt Tenn:

I got a package today!

2006-04-01T11:00:00.000+02:00

A package filled with yarn! A couple of weeks ago, I ordered two books from Amazon, Socks Socks Socks and Folk Socks, but then yesterday, I remembered that I actually don't have any sock yarn! I have looked and felt at yarn from Svarta Fåret, Garnstudio and some others. But, either the yarn didn't feel quite right or they didn't have the right colors. So what did I do? I took a chance! I ordered Dale yarn from Carinas Garn och Broderi in some random colors! Carina herself was so sweet that she sent me a sheet she made herself with the colors I didn'n order! Isn't that sweet?? I've felt obsessed with socks for a while now, but all I can do now is wait for the books to get here (Amazon says I'll have to wait one more week, arrgh!) and then I'll start producing socks!

A beautiful knitting bag, and a FO!

2006-03-30T14:29:00.000+02:00

Today I'll show you the bag I'm using for my sewing-needles, holders, small needles and everything that is reasonably small and you might need when you're knitting. I know that most knitters have beutiful bags for their needles, but this is not as modern or advanced. It's just a bag I've made myself when I was in kindergarden and I found it when I was moving last year.

The bag has a different motive on the two sides, one shows a house, tree, sun and a flower and the other one shows a sun, flower and a blond girl. The girl has quite chubby arms, that should NOT be mistaken for brests!

I like to be able to see that even if I was quite good at working with my hands as a child, I'm still much better today, so maybe I'll be able to make even more progress in the future. What do you think?To convince you, I'll show an other picture of something I just finished...

...the Moebius I started... a long time ago. Sometime last autumn. Once again I've let my chair be the model for my wonders of knit.

I started to knit this since I was so fascinated about the math connection of it. I found a lovely colored yarn (from Ullcentrum) I think the color combination is called jeans or something. Atleast, I remember that the reason why I chose it was because i thought it would look very nice with jeans. And now, now I'm planning on giving it to my mum (isn't mother's day coming up soon?), who never, ever wears jeans. Though I'm sure it will look good even to black!

A picture tells more than a thousand words

2006-03-25T13:03:00.000+01:00

This picture is supposed to tell you that my Deep-V Argyle Vest is finished! Alles klar! Tout pret! Helt färdig! I will publish a better photo later. I promise. The yellow thing you see in my hands is the beginning of the Ferragamo-bag from the Fake-a-gamo KAL.

I'm using Garnstudio's Muskat, an Egyptian mercerised cotton, on 5,0 mm (US 8) needles. The instructions recommended a similar yarn, but using US 9 needles. One triangel is 11,5 cm (4,5'') long and 8 cm (3,15'') high and according to the instructions it should be 5'' and 3''. Not bad, right? I'm very happy the way the yarn look, and this is a fun pattern to knit. I'm so ssatisfied that I will go right to Maria's yarn and buy the missing 10 or so skeins!

I have one comment on the pattern. It is recommended to twist the 'yarn overs' before knitting them purlwise to avoid holes. I would like to add that yarn-overs on the left side respectively the right side of the triangel's center should be twisted in opposite ways. It's a very small detail, but I think it looks better that way!

Has anyone an idea of where to find nice leather details?

Plastic seats are back!

2006-03-23T14:01:00.000+01:00

Yesterday, M and I went to Alvik for a little tango dancing with Tango Norte! I love dancing with him even if he gets grumpy when he gets hungry. Wednesday nights offers an introduction for beginners, so on sunday there's an introduction at intermediate level, so maybe that will be even more fun!

I have got a test pattern from Kate at KnitLit for the Ferragamo bag. I'm a little ashamed that I haven't made any efforts of solving the pattern-riddle, so the least I can do is test-knit the pattern and give some feedback to it. I'll go to Marias garn (a yarn store that opened in Stockholm whileI was in New York) tonight and see if I can find some good yarn for the bag. Hopefully there is some yellow, beautiful yarn suitable for bags!

What do you think about my skirt on the photo? Colorful, right? And please note the charming red chair that are made of some plastic, rubbery-like material that is a 70's excuse for leather (galon in swedish).

Blocking deep-V

2006-03-22T09:17:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I met Linster and we went to Ginos as planned to knit with other Stockholm knitters. It was very nice and I'll definitely do it again soon!

I finished all the knitting on deep-V at Ginos and went home to soak it in a bath. My first blocking and I think it went alright. I'm using a notice board in cork as blocking board. Since Eunny recommended a surface that wont soak any water, I just cut a plastic bag and put over the notice board. Before I started to pin the deep-V I took a fitted t-shirt and painted the contours of it on the plastic bag. These lines were supposed to work as a guideline for me of how much I should try and stretch the vest. On the picture you can see that I didn't manage to go all the way, but I sure got a nice curve on the vest, right? So now I'm just waiting for it to get dry. How long can that take??

It feels a little bit empty when the deep-V is almost done, but fear not! I took the brightly colored wool I bought at Habu and started to knit a cover for my laptop. I didn't do a felted swatch, but a woman at Habu had felted the yarn and said that it shrinked 10 %, so I hope that it will do that for me too. This is how happy it looks right now. I will have some pink lines too, but the main colors are orange and turquise. Love, love, love the clumsiness and harshness of this project compared to the deep-V that was very stylish.

2006-03-21T09:20:00.000+01:00

This is how it looked when I started to prepare for the steeks. I thought it all went well, but yesterday when I was knitting the ribbing some yarn came loose from the vest, I froze, but managed to fix it thanks to my unbelievable knitting skills (and some black magic)! I thought I'd be able to do the blocking yesterday, but since I went to the gym (yes, sir! I did) for the first time in ages I didn't have that much time to knit in the afternoon.

My deep-V looks something like this now. I will go to Gino's tonight, because I have made a date with Linster (who started up the Argyle Vest-Along) so I simply have to show up! And when I get home, it will definitely be ready for the blocking.

My body is definitely not as tall and thin as the body the image suggests the vest is made for. I have never performed blocking, because it has never been needed, is it possible that it will work wonders with the width of the vest? Will the vest be big enough for me? Or will I be forced to give it to someone much thinner then myself? Maybe the renewed membership at the gym will make it possible to squeeze in to the vest??

Why...?

2006-03-20T15:36:00.000+01:00

The little image for the WIP is not that little. I ask myself "Why?" I'm working on it though.

I present to you:

2006-03-20T12:59:00.000+01:00

M in his sweater!
Standing on top of Empire State Building in a sweater made by me! He must feel like he's on top of the world! Please note the UN building on his left side.
This is the first sweater I started to knit. It has been... boring! Even though M is slim, it felt endless to knit it becauseof the size. I don'treally liked knitting with the yarn either, Karisma's superwashed. I like the result though, the arms are a bit large, but the sweater is actually quite fitted even though it doesn't show in the picture. Being much older and wisernow, I wonder why I picked something that ordinary to knit, but I know the answer to that question. I wanted to see M in a striped sweater!

The bag is back!

2006-03-19T22:26:00.000+01:00

The deep-V was returned intact, in it's bag and I'm sooo relieved! I have made some progress on it as well, finished the knitting and cut the steeks!! It actually went quite well, I just want to finish the ribbings and do the blocking now!! Weeeiii!!
For some reason I can't upload any photos, but I'll give another try tomorrow.

I've also been to some thrift stores to find cheap bags with beatiful handles. So far I haven't found any, but as soon as I do, I'll start to make that fabolous Ferragamo-bag.

Has anyone missed the fabulous jacket Eunny is working on? I think it can be a nice project. She is just... amazing! I love everything she does!

Tomorrow monday, I have to face the old, cold reality I left earlier this year. I'm gona embrace it with energy! Get a membership at the gym, and on tuesday I hope I'll be brave enough to go to Gino's where Sthlm knitters knit together (I'm not really sure if I'm ready to out myself as a knitter yet) and on wedenesday I want to dance some tango! Well, stay tuned to find out if I succeed to live such an energetic life! :D

one, two, three... breathe...

2006-03-16T18:21:00.000+01:00

OK, so I'm back, back in the blogworld and back in Sweden! Since my last posting here I have done some of tourist things in New York with M. We've been up in Empire tate Building, seen the roller skate disco in Central park etc. And today I came back to Sweden. Lovely, except that one of our 4 bags are missing! A big bag full of shoes, presents and, listen now, folks, ALL the knitting things! My yarn, my needles, my knitting books and, ofcourse, my Argyle! i honestly don't know what to do!! I know that bags have been missing before and been returned, but this doesn't feel good at all. So while I try to tell myself that the bag will come back, I just keep breathing, in... and out... in... and out...

Happy Birthday!

2006-03-10T04:06:00.000+01:00

So, let's start of with a teaser of M's sweater. It's not a master piece, but it will surely dress a master piece soon! The man himself is probably on his flight to London now, and tomorrow afternoon he will be here with me!!

I've had a quite lousy birthday because I woke up with a fever, stayed home and slept almost all day, so I haven't even knitted! But, since my work here ends tomorrow, I'm quite happy anyway.

Here's a picture of my Argyle vest. Can you see that there's a monster at the top with red eyes and a mouth? That's for the steeks and will be cut up to make the deep V-neck. This vest is very fun to knit, I love the pattern and repeating it in my head; green white, green white, 3 green, white green, white green, 3 white...

Have you seen that Eunny has posted an introduction to lace knitting on her webpage. I wonder what she's doing for living. She seems to knit and study knitting all the time!She's so creative and productive!

2006-03-09T04:30:00.000+01:00

Phew! I'm knitting like crazy when I'm not trying to sleep, are chasing mice or working, but I still doesn't have any pictures to show.

M's sweater is almost all done. I thought I will sew the arms to the body when I have M here to avoid puffy shoulders. So you will soon get to see the sweater, but then it will be perfectly fitted to, and on my loved M.

Before I go to sleep I will start with the steek-thing on my Argyle. The vest-along has got a lot of new members, check it out!

It has been a great day today, first a 2 hour+ lunch at The Delegates Dining Room (thank you, supervisor!) and then dinner at the Mozart Café -with my best friend's brother's old girlfriend! We met in 1998 (when they still were a couple) and it was fun to meet someone so strangely known and unknown at the same time!

Tomorrow is my birthday, so please leave a message so I don't feel so lonely!

Ferragamo Knit-Bag-along

2006-03-07T17:42:00.000+01:00

There is a new knit-along for the Ferragamo bag, and I'm in! I can't really start with it now, no yarn, no pattern and no bag-handles so I know how big the bag should be. But I can start making some swatches and let the people on the knit-along help me figure out the pattern. :D

And, yes, the f***ing mouse problem is back! Two are dead, but yesterday I saw one again. I look terrible because I can't sleep, and soon M will come, so what is a girl to do?

Ooops, guilt trip

2006-03-06T20:44:00.000+01:00

I've been very upset with my supervisor some days. Ugly words have escaped my mouth. I am deeply sorry for that, but remember, I never published these horrible thoughts! And I said them in a moment when I didn't think you cared for me. I hope you accept my apologize!
Oh, and yes, you may take me out for lunch on wednesday!

We're getting closer

2006-03-06T20:01:00.000+01:00

4 days are left until my sweetheart M comes to save me from this emotional violence*! Finalement! I miss him sooo much! I haven't finished the sweater I'm making for him yet. The elastic collar is made with a 3mm circular needle, and it hurts to knit with that. When the collar is done, I only have to add the sleeves, so I will still have it ready by the time he comes!

Can you imagine, it was because I wanted to see M in this very sweter that I started to knit last summer! It has taken me half a year to finish it (!), but during that time, I've also made a couple of other things, and since I came to NY I think I've learnt a lot of new things about knitting!

*Depeche Mode: Leave in Silence

School Products and Habu

2006-03-06T00:11:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I continued my yarn shop odyssée. First, I went to School Products. They have a lot of cheap, quality yarn (this sound like a commercial) that can be bought in larger quantities. You get a feeling of being back in school (hence the name?), everything is arranged very neatly, and it's really nice considered how much yarn they have. At the same time, a big yarn store simply can't get the nice feeling of a smaller yarn shop. Which leads me too... Habu Textiles, a very special yarn store. A picture tells more than a thousand words:

These yarns were on sale, and the other yarns were in an other room, were they had one sample of every yarn. It was very calm, peaceful and they have only yarns made of natural fibers. This store you almost have to visit!

I had to buy some yarn at Habu, some wool in bright colors that were on sale. I plan to use it for the felted cover for my laptop. I love the combination of orange and turquise.

To the right in the left picture you can see a silk-cotton blend that I bought for my up coming lace-shawl project!

Don't forget to keep updated on my progress on the amazing Deep V Argyle vest.

So many projects, so little time…

2006-03-03T17:08:00.000+01:00

There’s one good thing being alone in a city with bad weather and where you don’t know that much people: you have time to knit as much as you want! I think I’ve been very productive, M’s sweater has seen some progress, UltraFemme is almost finished, Megan is completely finished and I’ve some smaller projects I’ve started, redone and redone, and don’t forget the Argyle vest! The problem is that I only have one week left of this solitary knitting life. And I have, of course so many projects in my head that I want to see in yarn.

I’ve already mentioned the yellow bag, but I also want to do something for my laptop, I haven’t found anything to keep it in that’s neither to big nor too expensive. I think this will be a felted laptop cover. I've also mentioned the blanket that will be used on our balcony and the matching cuchions for the chairs at the balcony (that do not exist yet). And, I'm also dreaming of a knitted bikini-top that i saw on a picture of Marilyn Monroe. Oh, I almost forgot, I want to make a lace shawl and my green-and-white striped socks! Hmmm, so how will I have time to do all this? And what will I start with?? Well, maybe I'll try to finish a couple of the things I'm working on before I start with something new? Good intensions are never bad!

Welcome to the international blog!

2006-03-02T17:33:00.001+01:00

I have decided that my blog from now on will be written in English. I've been asking myself if it's really necessary -who wants to read my blog anyway? But then I thought; there have to be more english speaking people who find my blog interesting, then there are swedish speaking people who find my blog interesting. So, here we go!

Today I got an email from a friend of mine, she told me that she had seen some really nice scarves that were knitted, so she's gona knit one herself! I've been trying to get her to start knitting, because she's always so stressed, so I hope she will get more relaxed by doing this.

Yesterday, all I knitted on my Argyle vest was while I was doing my laundry. Instead, I spent most of the evening working on M's sweater. I've decided that it has 1st priority unitl it's finnished! I believe it will be finished during the weekend, and after that I'll continue with Argyle.

I've been looking at KnitLit and I am really interested in Kate's aspiration of finding out how to knit this Ferragamo bag:

And do you know what!? I'll follow her lead if she manages to fnid out the right pattern. I want to make it yellow! You know, first I wanted to make the Argyle yellow, but obviously I could not find the right color-yarn combination. So maybe this bag will be beautiful in yellow instead? I just have to find nice handles and that thing on top. Which means this will have to wait until I get home to Sweden. Aaaah!

Dag-vrak

2006-02-28T15:35:00.000+01:00

When it's 8 pm o'clock here in NY, it's 2 am in Sweden, and since the other participants in the vest-along are in Sweden, I thought I could start with the Argyle-vest tonight! I think it looks really good, the pattern is fun to knit (so far) and really easy.

När klockan är 8 här i NY är klockan 2 på natten i Sverige. Och eftersom de jag stickar ihop med är i Sverige tänkte jag att jag kunde småbörja med Argylevästen ikväll! Jag tycker att den ser riktigt bra ut, mönstret är roligt att sticka (än så länge) och riktigt roligt.

Jag har satt min UltraFemme på vattning och torkning. Jag hoppas att hon kommer i form nu. Håll tummarna!

Det ar inte bra att bara sova ett par timmar pa natten och sen vakna upp och inte kunna somna om ordentligt. Forutom musen som trakasserar mig sa tycker hyresvarden att elementen ska ga for fullt non-stop sa fort vadret ar kallt. Jag har fonstret oppet sa mycket det gar, och det ar fortfarande for varmt. * Jag ar ett element i mig sjalv, sa jag vill sova svalt. Sa aldrig mer ska jag bli charmad av lagenhetsannonser dar det star "med New York-kansla", det betyder bara moss och element man inte kan reglera. Nu har jag i alla fall skaffat två "no touch, no see"-musfällor som jag har lagt lite ost i som lockbete. Och kvinnan jag hyr lägenheten av ska ringa hyresvärden imorgon!

*och elementen ar inte pa for att jag har fonstret oppet. Jag har provat med stangda fonster, men da blir det varmt som i en sauna, det riktigt angar!

Natt-vak

2006-02-28T09:15:00.000+01:00

Jag tror att jag blir galen! husmusen är tillbaka. Klockan är 3 på natten och jag har varit uppe i 2 timmar. Jag vet inte varför jag inte kan acceptera att den springer omkring här. Jag är skittrött men samtidigt på helspänn hela tiden och kan absolut inte slappna av. Jag förväntar mig se den i sängen vilken sekund som helst.

Ge mig en råttfälla!

Lillgammal?

2006-02-27T01:40:00.000+01:00

Igår kväll (lördag) satt jag hemma och stickade på UltraFemme och idag har jag varit i New Yorks botaniska trädgård och tittat på deras orkidé-utställning. (M säger att våra orkidéer mår bra där hemma, så jag får väl tro honom), sen gick jag på garnjakt i ytterligare några affärer och köpte garn till Väst-alongen (som har fått en knapp!), och här sitter jag nu efter att ha stickat en provlapp och lyssnat på radioteatern på P1. Det här får mig att ställa mig frågan: Hur gammal är jag?

Jag har bara besökt 2 garaffärer idag, den första, Seaport Yarns, ligger långt nere i down, down down town. Det var INTE värt resan! På femte våningen i en kontorsbyggnad gick man in i ett gammalt kontor från 80-talet där en del av kontorsmöblerna fortfarande stod kvar. Sen fanns det garn i "korridoren" och inne på alla småkontor. Det gamla konferensrummet stod konferensrums-möblerna kvar och där brukade man tydligen hålla kurser. Seaport måste ha det största garnutbudet av alla butiker jag besökt hittills, men välkända garmärken (som Rowan) hade de bara tråkiga färger av, så det hjälper inte. Man blir liksom inte sugen när det ligger garn kors och tvärs, man får bara en epilepsi-attack! Inte hade de något garn till mitt stickprojekt heller! Helt klart en garnaffär för gourmander och inte för gourméer!

Nåväl, bättre lycka då hos Downtown Yarns. Trevliga garner i härliga färger, trevlig personal, böcker och småpill man ville titta lite extra på, stamkunder som diskuterar färgkombinationer fram och tillbaka. Precis så som det ska vara. Och så fick jag ju hjälp med att hitta ett bra garn till Argyle-västen. Resultatet ser ni till vänster, grönt och vitt ska det bli, "Frog Trees" Alpaca. De tyckte att mönstret verkadeså roligt att de skrev ner Eunnys* webadress, så kanske kommer det komma flera till Vest-alongen? Mmmm, så Downtown tyckte jag om. Värt ett besök, och det ligger så fint i East Village, så det är inte så otillgängligt!

*det är hon som har gjort mönstret

Dålig dag, till och med musen har stuckit!

2006-02-25T16:53:00.000+01:00

Husmusen, Stuart Little, Råttjäveln -kärt barn har många namn - hat inte synts till sen jag kom hem i fredags. Jag hoppas att det betyder att jag har ett singelhushåll igen.

Jag har varit på garnaffärs-turné uppe i Upper East Side. Knitting 321 stod först på tur. Förutsägbart urval av garn, tråkiga tanter som satt och stickade och bara småbarnskläder och syntetiska flerfärgshalsdukar uppstickat. Om man förflyttar sig lite närmare Central Park hamnar man i de rika tanternas garnaffär istället, String. Här kan man köpa fina garner och i butiken finns många stiliga plagg och filtar/kuddar uppstickade. Man kan också köpa boken Luxury Knitting vars beskrivning börjar med:

The owner of New York City's premier knitting boutique--String--takes knitters on a tour of the world where superior fibers are found and woven into luxury yarns. The softest cashmeres, sensuous silks, fine merino wools...Knitters are inevitably drawn to the look and feel of gold-standard yarns found in a Gucci sweater or a Zegna suit.

Trevligt, men jag kände mig inte riktigt hemma där. Så, färden fortsatte till Wool Gathering. Mycket tjusigt inrett med garnhyllor i trä upp till taket, och en stege för att nå garnen längst upp. Tyvärr verkade det som om alla tre som besökte affären mitt på denna lördag bara hade kommit dit som av en slump, och visst är det mycket trevligare om en affär har återkommande kunder som affärsinnehavaren verkar ha en personlig relation med? Det är ju ett kvalitetstecken! Här verkade affärsinnhavaren snarare lite sur över att hon inte visste vad "steeks" (som används för Argyle-västen) var. Inte verkade hon gladare över att jag charmigt svarade att jag inte heller var riktigt säker, men att jag säkert skulle lära mig. Surt, sa räven. OK, sista stoppet var The Lion & The Lamb som såg helt ocharmig ut utifrån och främre halvan av butiken innehöll bara broderigarner. Den bakre halvan hade lite utplockade hyllor med garn... Ett litet plus för roliga knappar, stickmarkörer och stick-hållare. Men näe, upper east side är inte garnälskarens Mecca, om man inte är ute efter någonting lyxigt, då kanske man kan besöka String.

Så till min stickning. Mitt första seriösa försök till att ändra i ett mönster har lett till en katastrof! UltraFemme är ett totalt misslyckande. Jag blir så nedstämd att jag funderar på att sluta sticka, ta tillbaka min anmälan till Arg yle vest-along och bränna allt garn jag har. Vart gick det fel? Finns det någon räddning? Vågar jag visa en bild på mitt misslyckande eller kommer ni skratta elakt då? Jag tar chansen. Så här ser den alltså ut, oformlig och för stor! Jag har en underklänning på mig, och det är ju inte tänkt att jag ska behöva ha en sån på mig!

Så, jag har två olika förslag;

1) antingen så syr jag helt enkelt ihop de två sidorna på "urringningen", enligt bilden till vänster

eller,

2) så skapar jag en V-ringning genom att lägga sidorna omlott.

Jag har satt till ett skärp bara för att ge en bild av hur det kan se ut, men tyvärr så hittade jag inte något mer passande i min resväska. Vad säger ni? Ni ser ju själva att jag behöver tips, stöd och råd för att kunna

Oskulden ska bort!

2006-02-24T20:17:00.000+01:00

Japp, det later kanske dramatiskt, men jag basunerar harmed ut pa varldsnatet att min knit-along-oskuld ska vack och aldrig komma ater! Mia tipsade om Linsters kommande Argyle vest-along.

Ser den inte valdigt snygg ut? Detta ska bli min forsta KAL, sa ar det skrivet och sa skall det bli! Det ska maskas pa den 1a mars och jag tankte gora den i gult om jag hittar nagot bra garn. Det riktigt vattnas i munnen!

Jag har gjort lite undersokningar och upptackt att Downtown Yarns saljer Dalegarns garn, som rekommenderas for vasten.

Undersokning!

2006-02-24T15:54:00.000+01:00

Jag har surfat lite pa natet och hittat The Yarn Connections hemsida. Pa den star det att "The selection is one of the best in NYC". Det kan jag ju inte bestrida, jag hittade ju garnet till mig UltraFemme dar, men... ga inte dit om du kommer till New York och forvanta dig NY basta urval av garner! SnickSnack! Sa vart ska man ga och kopa garn om man ar i New York pa semester? Man kan ju tydligen inte lita pa vad affarerna sjalva skriver pa sina hemsidor!

Stockholms knitters har listat Purl SoHo och Habu textiles som de stallen de koper garn ifran i NewYork. Alltsa inte ett heltackande urval... Sa, jag ska personligen besoka ett antal garnaffarer i det stora Applet och ge er min asikt om dem! Det ar nagot att se fram emot, va? Jag har ju redan besokt:

Sa jag har gjort en liten lista pa de affarer jag borde besoka under mina 2 (tva!) sista veckor har:

Som ni ser sa ar det inte en liten lista, jag borde alltsa besoka en affar varje dag om jag ska hinna med det har! Vilken harlig utmaning!

27 Maj

2006-02-24T02:48:00.000+01:00

Nu är fem platta saker utplacerade på populära mus-stråk i min lägenhet. Jag har sett en mus springa omkring och -ve och fasa- undvika de små plattorna, men sen har inte Stuart Little synts till, så kanske verkar de avskräckande ändå! Vi avvaktar och ser vad som händer...

På vägen hem från jobbet idag så kände jag mig lite äventyrslysten, så jag tog en annan väg hem än vanligt. På Madison Avenue råkade jag springa på the Yarn connection -ännu en garnaffär! Jag kunde ju inte bara gå förbi den, så väl inne hittade jag Rowans Kid Silk Haze i den färg som jag använder till UltraFemme!! Alltså behöver jag inte vänta tills jag kommer hemför att avsluta den stickningen! Yippiie!!

Squares and Twists heter mönstret i kalendern för 27e maj. Det är också mönstret som jag stickar mitt blåa summer tweed garn i. Ni vet, det där som ska bli en stoldyna till min balkong! :D Tyvärr kan jag inte ta någon bild som gör mönstret rättvisa, så det blir ingen bild på det, men jag bedyrar att man faktiskt KAN se mönstret!