Archive for knitting
June 16, 2008 at 10:10 pm · Filed under links, me, photography, knitting
Created with fd’s Flickr Toys. Idea nicked from Saskia.
1. Emma… on the prowl., 2. LOBSTER 01251A, 3. Brahehus, 4. Camouflage, 5. elizabeth - the golden age, 6. espresso, 7. teacup and outside bath, 8. So sweet…, 9. Black Hmong woman Song…, 10. Love XOXO, 11. lugn., 12. waltzing with ivar
The concept:
a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker).
The Questions:
1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name.
We (me and litte i) spent WWKIP Day (World Wide Knit in Public Day) with the Stockholm Knitters at Maria torget and Marias Garn, and had a wonderful time. I did, unfortunately, not get a chance to take any photos. Maria and Catrin were more mindful and you can find some picture proof over at Marias Garnhändelser or Everyday Life.
June 5, 2008 at 11:07 am · Filed under eco, links, knitting
A pile of silky and cottony softness. I find myself simply fondling my knitting needles all wrapped up with lustruous white silk or humble soft cotton. It is comforting just to hold it in my hands. The pile of white medallions for Norah Gaughans “Medallion Shawl” seems to slowly grow by itself. It is almost like falling in love with knitting for the first time again. There has to be fifteen medallions before I can sew them toghether and I am halfway there.
I need to share a few inspiational links, that I stumbled upon while planning and dreaming about the interior of our new house.
Gudrun Sjödén is a Swedish designer with a wonderfully creative fabric collection. Follow the link to Home Spring 2008 from the startpage. Her blankets, rugs and bedspreads are so happy.
At HAPPYsthlm I found jewellry and fabric themed “vegetation” which really appeals to me. I hope to see a lot more from them with inspiration from nature.
Hope you are having a good week!
May 9, 2008 at 3:54 pm · Filed under eco, knitting
I have started on the Medallion Shawl by Norah Gaughan from Vogue Knitting, which I fell in love with a little while ago. At first I choose a multicoloured green merino yarn that I simply adore. My original idea was that it would look a bit like seaweed, moss or fern. Imagine being wrapped in soft, velvety, squishy moss? Ah… I do not understand - is that not what every girl dreams about? My question, however, is not about the mossyness of the scarf, but if the lace pattern works with this yarn. Cool or fool?
My second swatch is made with Blu Sky Alpacas Organic Cotton. A simply divine yarn. I have wicked thoughts about mixing up the cotton hexagons with a few made out of Deeba Silk. Which is, if possible, an even more magical yarn. It would be a kind of white in white, matte and silk and very soft kind of scarf. Would that be asking for trouble or could it be interesting? I must have knitted this swatch five times, because I kept messing it up.
I cannot make up my mind. Please help me.
March 27, 2008 at 5:36 pm · Filed under craft, knitting
Look what the lovely and talented Saskia of Sas Knits It Again sent to us! The knitted items are her own design and very much appreciated by our bunch. She recently started her own business in knitting and design, so pop over and give her some good luck vibes.
Tyra loves this bag so much that she immediately stuffed it with her favourite things - three Barbie dolls, a collection of nice round stones, a sketch book, colored pens, a wand - really everything a little girl could need.
This yummy soft Blue Faced Leichester wool yarn is dyed by Storm op Zolder I think it would be perfect for a pair of socks, the Swedish thick kind called “raggsocka”, but for now it is displayed in a bowl so that I can admire it whenever I wish.
Every little child should have a a perfect, soft, knitted ball like this one. It can be tossed and kicked anywhere in the room without any risk of distroying anything valuable. As a mom I must say that I appreciate that feature.
Saskia also made these beautiful stitch markers using Delft blue beads. I am planning a new project just so that I can use them in it. I am dreaming of Norah Gaughans Medallion Scarf (Ravelry link) in a variegated green meriono yarn. Two skeins are already purchased and winded into balls.
The yummy candy included in the package was, unfortunately, gone before I had time to shoot it. I do enjoy the Jasmine tea though. 
Thanks so much for all your lovely treats, Saskia!
January 26, 2008 at 11:38 pm · Filed under family, knitting
One year old. I had really meant to write this on Ivars birthday the 6th of December, but I think I might have slipped on a black patch in my brain and got stuck. Well, I intend to shine some light into that darkness. Decorate it perhaps.
My sweet, smiley, cuddly, happy, cookie-loving little son is growing into a toddler. I am not sure if I want to let him grow any older than this. For someone only capable of saying three words (Mamma, Pappa, kaka*), he is surprisingly able to get what he wants.
He got this little sweater from me. I love the yarn, Opal Hundertwasser Wool, and it took exactly one skein to knit this with only a few inches of yarn left after finishing. The sweater did come out a little tight in my opinion. Anna had the same reflection on the very same sweater for her baby daughter. It took me forever to finish it because I could not seem to get the collar right. This is a keeper though. An heirloom. I will keep it for my grandchildren, if I am ever so lucky to get any.
* mammy, daddy and cookie in Swedish.
December 10, 2007 at 10:15 pm · Filed under knitting
Pattern: Cobblestone by Jared Flood from Interweave Knits Fall 2007
Yarn: Rowan Felted Tweed
Needles: 4 mm Addi Turbo circulars
Knitting sweaters for men takes a very long time indeed. At least, if your knitting time is limited to bits and pieces between feeding, clothing, cleaning and playing with your children. The progress I have made on Cobblestone thus far is proof that these rare moments actually exists. It gives me some sort of hope.
After about 20 cm (8 inches) of lovely smooth knitting I had to rip all of it out and start over. Actually, if I had not decided to knit openly (as opposed to secretly) on Cobblestone it would have been a sweater sized perfectly for ME and not for a grown-up man. I thought I was clever and measured my knitting against an old sweater of K. It looked a little snug but not too much. Not until K found out about the project and hinted that the said model sweater was (and has always been) a bit too snug for comfort. It turns out I am not all that clever after all.
I hope that any remaining sizing issues can be adjusted with a good firm blocking.
November 17, 2007 at 12:00 am · Filed under knitting
It feels like I won a competition. Look what the lovely Elemmaciltur sent me and the kids today! It is a mini version of Jason Floods hat pattern Koolhaas. Read the full story about this hat over at his blog.
Thank you!
That camera makes funny bleep noises.
Mama put a hat on my head. Indoors?
Mama is crazy. This thing is getting OFF.
Look my hand can move with superspeed!
I get it. It is game. Hats indoors… Silly mama!
Catch me if you can! I can pull this hat off faster than you can say shutter speed.
November 12, 2007 at 12:15 pm · Filed under knitting
Look, the Blue Striped Mohair Sweater is finally finished!
Yarn: Fonty Ombelle Mohair in turquoise and light blue
Needles: 8mm (US 11)
Size: 5-6 year old
It lay abandoned for days at end because of the fiddly sewing. If I ever knit another mohair sweater it will be done totally in the round with absolutely NO seams. The seams are actually not pretty, but in the end we really wanted to see it finished, especially Tyra since she designed it and choose the yarn. We went to our LYS Nysta together and had a great time patting different yarns and talking about texture and colours, running to the door with balls of yarn to see how colours change slightly when you view them in natural daylight. It left me with a warm fuzzy feeling seeing Tyra totally engaged in yarn. Her directions to me was pretty clear. She was able to tell me exactly what she expected from the sweater - big and soft, stripes as wide as her thumb, wide arms and a high collar.
I looked quite a bit at two similar sweater patterns from Drops Design while planning Tyras sweater and then heavily modified them to suit Tyras instructions. It was a great learning experience. The importance of calculation cannot be stressed enough and is something I really need to practise. One immensely great thing about knitting is that you always get another chance if you mess it up. A second, a third or a tenth chance if you should need it. All you need is a big helping of patience.
* The post title is from Sufjan Stevens song “The dress looks nice on you”
October 31, 2007 at 11:56 am · Filed under links, knitting
The last beret has only just been cast off, but the urge for knitting these treats is not gone. In fact, I find myself a little obsessed in finding the perfect hat. Or hats. Just look at these beauties and tell me you can not feel a hint of that love.
First, the Cabled Rangoli Hat by Desi Knitter, which is just so beautifully cabled. I could look at those lotus shaped cables all day.
The Urchin by Ysolda Teague from Knitty Fall 07 is so cute and quirky. The construction really appeals to me - simple, straightforward with a cool finishing trick. It would be a great way to practise shortrows and grafting too.
The Big Blue Beret by Kelly Maher finds the way to my heart too. That big pompom on top of it makes me smile.
While you are at it, check out this Kaura Hat by Tikru on Flickr. I wish I could find the pattern for it too. All the patterns above are free, which I find totally amazing. Thank you so much!
Edit: This beautiful Chevron Lace Beret by Katya Frankel in the November issue of Magknits caught my eye and I just HAD to add it.
October 24, 2007 at 5:52 pm · Filed under knitting
This is the Last Minute “Purled” Beret by Wendy Bernard knitted in Noro Kochoran
It does fit my head perfectly, but you all know my recent trials with the self-timer. I did try to take a photo of me and the beret. But it came out either blurry, with only my nose showing or with an insane facial expression. So I did the only logical thing and bribed my daughter with a lollipop to get a good detail shot of the beret. Lucky kid. Happy mama.
Ah, I bet you were hoping to see a finished sweater? I lost my patience with the fiddly sewing of the kids sweaters and had to have a quick fix. Besides, that Noro Kochoran yarn is way too soft and lovely to sit on a shelf for too long.
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