mnei. ikke denne gangen heller...

Senebetennelsen blomstret selvsagt opp igjen, og jeg turte ikke strikke noe særlig. Men nå er jeg på bedringens vei, så da skal jeg snart prøve meg igjen.

Jeg er ferdig med Evas lue:


Og jeg er endelig med i Ravelry :) Nicket mitt er commutergirl. Ser deg der?

strikkestrikkestrikke

Kiwa har kommet med en utfordring: Å gjøre ferdig en ting til 7. oktober. Jeg slenger meg på, som vanlig i seneste laget, men jeg skal virkelig prøve å bli ferdig med alpakka-vesten som jeg begynte på i påsken. Så langt har jeg kommet:
Dette er bakstykket, og jeg skal begynne på felling til ermhullene. Jeg tror dette skal gå forholdsvis raskt. Og så gjenstår jo forstykket, som har et lite hullmønster øverst. Ribbestrikken bør gå raskt. Men jeg kjenner jeg har det litt travelt...

Jeg er godt i gang med Evas lue, men den blir veeeeeldig stor! Jeg skal prøve den på eksens hode, og hvis den passer skal han få den. Hvis ikke får jeg sjekket hvordan pt3 tover... Jeg har begynt på en ny, i svart alpakka med pinnestørrelse 3. Det bør gjøre susen. Foreløpig er jeg bare nesten ferdig med ribbestrikken, så den er ikke så spennende ennå.

Å ja. Jeg begynte plutselig å blogge på norsk, ser jeg. Jeg tror ikke jeg har så mange internasjonale lesere, men jeg tror jeg kommer til å bli litt tospråklig fremover. Jeg skriver på engelsk når jeg har tid :)

Search for a cardi

Over the last few days autums has arrived - as always, unexpectedly. And I start longing for warm, knitted clothes. I am not a fast knitter (I hope to finish my alpaca vest within the next month or so), and resigned myself to buy a knitted jacket. When the weather is warmer, I am addicted to zippered hoodies, but at the moment they are just not warm enough. Which is kind of strange, seeing as they are in constant use all through the winter. Maybe I just need time to adjust. But I digress :)

Anyways, I wanted a knitted jacket, preferably a hoodie, and I wanted it right away. But allthough all the shops are filled with knits, they are all acrylic or some other sort of synthetic mix. And I really hate synthetics. Comes from having a Rudolph Steiner upbringing and wearing raw wool next to the skin all through my childhood I guess.

So, there is nothing else for it: I'll have to knit one myself. But how on earth will I manage to make one before spring arrives? How do I make one that is quick to knit, but not too bulky, and still warm? I haven't been able to find anything I like at my trusty resource Garnstudio either. Well no, that is not actually true. I like this, and this, and this... but neither are really what I need. And since I am a slow knitter, I have to choose my projects carefully.

Ah well. Enough with the whining. Any tips, hints or suggestions are welcome, though :)

I am learning to knit with five little needles instead of a circular needle. And it's difficult! I can't seem to get into rhythm... But the result will be worth it! I am making Eva's hat (this is her picture):
Mine is nowhere near finished yet:

I am making this in army green pt3. Please note all the extra aids I need in order to do this: hairbands on every needle as well as a stitchmarker :) Hopefully, it will be easier as I get used to this method... The going is even slower than usual.

Productivity

Being ill for a couple of days does wonders for the crafting part of my life.
I've made a new calorimetry, one that actually suits me:

And a neckwarmer to match:

I'va also made a Bainbridge scarf from the yarn I bought from MamaLlama at Etsy:

Hm. All the pictures are very blue. How strange. Well, the calorimetry and the neckwarmer are made from a thick, lovely grey alpaca, and the MamaLlama yarn is purple and green.

I cast on 100 instead of 120 for the calorimetry, but it seems I could have reduced to 90. I will try that the next time, but it works well enough. And it is really lovely and warm :) The bainbridge was fun and fast to make, and I will definitely make more as gifts. Instead of knitting the ties, I crocheted them (just because I find it easier). I will try some more with different stitches, and possibly some crocheted ones?

Present for me!

I have recieved a present from my Secret Friend for august:


Three skeins of Rauma finull in different nuances of brown - lovely! A handmade card with hints about the sender's identity (and I don't get it...), masses of different tea, and lovely little buttons.

Thank you! I am thinking of knitting a bag with cables from this yarn - or possibly a scarf? Can't wait!

General news - no craftiness

A lot has been happening in my life lately. As some of you know, I usually take time off from my regular job (as a web editor) to work on a festival in the south of Norway in the summer. My festival job mainly involves organising and bossing everybody around, and I really enjoy it, being a control freak and a bossy bitch ;)

Over the past six months, I have grown really tired of my daily routine. You see, I have spent the last ten years of my life hurrying through university in a rush to be a grownup. And of course, now that I am, I am bored with it. I really regret not taking the time to travel and be irresponsible, and now I don't have the opportunity, what with the mortgage and the job and everything.

So, I have quit my job and am starting something more fun: I'm returning to the music business. Come November 1st, I can wave goodbye to regular working hours, a structured daily life and any kind of sense - and I really can't wait. Some of my friends undoubtedly think I am crazy for leaving what is in fact a high status job, but I really think I will be happier. I won't be able to travel much more, but I hope I will have more fun.

The beginning af a shawl - and a secret project

I have started to knit a shawl in Bånsull's Merino wool/silk mix. I unashamedly copied one my friend's mother made for her, a simple pattern of one increase at the beginning of each round.


The going is slow, with 3 mm needles and my arms tiring easily, but it will be lovely when it is finished :) I plan to add a crocheted edging if there is enough yarn at the end.

I am also working on another projct, but as it is intended for someone who might be reading this, it will remain a secret for now. For those of you who read other crafty blogs and not just mine, I have a hint: It is something colourful that a lot of other people are making at the moment. I am, for good reasons, using very different colours from most others, though...

Slightly Back

I'm slowly starting to knit again. The last weeks have frankly been hell, with severe lack of sleep and an increasing amount of problems. Now, however, everything seems better. Let's hope the light at the end of the tunnel is not an incoming train.

I have started a scarf in my knotty alpaca yarn. No pictures yet, I'm sorry...

And I have sailed the Færder regatta, in a total lack of wind. But it was incredibly warm and sunny, and altogether a nice trip:
We were actually able to swim around the boat while sailing...

The water remained calm throughout the night...

On the following morning, we got ourselves into what you might call a tight situation...

Some weeks earlier we sailed the Breidangen regatta, when the conditions were a bit different:

Blogging Break

The reason for my absence is mainly a beginning tendonitis, a condition I am tryong to avoid. In connection with that, I don't do much knitting or crocheting at the moment. I also have too much to do at work.

I'll be back :)

ow.ow.ow.

Sailing season has started, and I have the marks to prove it:
On the left is a large scratch on my leg, made before the boat was even in the water. On the right is the back of my knee, and in the middle is my wrist.

Yes indeedy, I took a bath on April 15th. With all my clothes. Twice. The first time, we were in the process og raising the mast, when I took a step backwards onto nothing and fell in the water. It was about 6 degrees, but at least it was sunny. In the process I knocked both my knees, the result can be seen above. I am not able to walk today.

When my clothes had dried, we went sailing. Which was very nice, but I got wet and cold again. And then, I slipped when I tried to jump from the boat to the pier, and fell in the water. I managed to hold on to the pier, but I scratched both my wrists in the process, and got wet from the waist down.

It can only get better from here, right?

Easter Activities

This is the world's largest Calorimetry.
I learned a few things from this:

• My head is small.
  
• I knit very losely.
  
• Checking the gauge is a good idea.

I can use it, but I have to make a knot from the ends...

I am learning to knit, and lace patterns are fun! It demands concentration, and I think it would have been easier with a thicker yarn - it is really difficult to make out the pattern as I go. Fortunately, the mistakes are nearly impossible to spot as well :)

I finally finished the red mittens. Apparently, I crochet tighter now than I used to, and they became smaller than the last pair. So, I only felted them at 40 degrees, and I am rather happy with the result.

I have started making jewellery again: these are some of the latest examples.

I have also tried making stitch markers for my knitting. The cutest beads! Flat and circular, like little buttons :)

Yay!

I finally got my present from my secret friend at Hobbyboden, and it was great!


Three skeins of a lovely yarn with patterns (which I have been trying to get my hands on for a loooong time...), coffee, tea and a necklace :) I am a VERY happy camper - and just in time before easter! Can't wait :D

New Scarf (in one night)

Supernøtt made a lovely scarf, and I had to make one myself:

Mine is in off-white silk alpaca, and is wonderfully long: It wraps three times around my neck and still has long, floppy ends. And it was so fast to crochet! I made it in front of the TV last night...

I have hestitated to post about my fantasy-along, because it is not quite finished yet. However, the only thing that remains is the sholder strap, so you can imagine the rest:

On the left is the front of my bag, in the centre is a close-up of the embroidery, and on the right is the inside. It is made in black corduroy, and the lining is an old skirt that I cut up. It has a large pocket on both the front and the back. I will add a long shoulder strap and a snap closing on each of the pockets. The theme for this along was the number three. Therefore, this bag has three separate pockets, I have used three fabrics, and I have embroidered a tree (ahahahaha). This bag will probably end up as my knitting bag. It is large enough for big projects, and has in fact got room for my laptop as well.

New Shoes! And New Beginnings.

I have bought new shoes! They are absolutely lovely, and I am sooo happy with them :) The colour is, as usual, not that good in the picture, but they are a lovely light green-turqouise, and they are extremely comfortable. Yay!

I have started on my Granny Ripple baby blanket, which will be all green and white. It is a small beginning, but I hope to get a lot done over easter.

I have also startet a crocheted bag in mustard yellow cotton yarn. This will probably be the front, but I plan on making a little front pocket as well...

And Now: Project Bonanza

This is the beginning of my alpaca vest from Lene Holme Samsøe's book Feminin strikk. I am not a fast knitter (as mentioned), but I am immensely proud to have knitted all of five centimetres :) Hopefully, it will go faster by the time I'm finished with the back...



This is a half-finished hat in single crochet, made in fat cotton yarn. This is for a friend who had his birthday tomorrow - I hope he'll like it!

I have a lot of projects at the moment - I am crocheting a bag in mustard yellow cotton yarn, knitting scarves and sewing a dress. Luckily, the easter holidays are not too far ahead! I will have to study a bit over easter - exam in just over a month! Eeeeek!

Scarf in Progress

On the left is the way I transport my crocheting. Make it into a roll, and stick the needle through. Otherwise, long items, like this one, will tie itself to my headset in the bag, coil around my keys and eat my cellphone. This is a scarf I'm making for a friend's birthday today. I will add fringes in turqouise, and hopefully manage to take a picture of the finished product. The scarf is crocheted in half double crochet and a few rows of treble crochet (mainly to keep me from fainting from boredom).

This weekend, I'm suddenly going to Kristiansand to do some pre-production work for this summer's festival. It will be a four hour train ride each way, but that's the only time for knitting/crochet all weekend. I'm not sure if I dare to bring any knitting - I live in fear of the whole thing unravelling by itself while I'm not looking. Crochet is more trustworthy that way :)

I am not able to finish my jacket (mentioned below) because I have apparently done something strange while cutting the pieces for the hood: it does not fit propely. I'm not sure what to do about it, except put it in the closet and forget about it until I get a bright idea.

Instead, I will start on a dress (paying close attention to the pattern this time...), but I expect it will have to wait for about a week.

WIP

This is what I'm doing at the moment. On the left is my scarf in Noro Kureyon. I decided to knit it in ribs(knit two, purl tw0), and I imagine it says a LOT about my marvellous knitting skills that I am actually very proud to have achieved as much. To think of the knitting projects that I have decided to try makes me shiver in fright... I have decided on a vest, and traditional Selbu mittens, and a little jacket. I am not sure how this will turn out, but stay tuned :D

I have come to love the Noro yarn - just look at the amazing colours! My crappy photo does not do them justice. One skein will not do for the scarf, however. And I'm horribly broke, so the scarf will have to be a temporary UFO until payday.

On the right is one mitten, minus thumb, pre-felting. Crocheting mittens is excellent for the train ride every day, as they are comparatively small, does not require a pattern, and won't unravel in my bag if not watched carefully throughout the day (have I tried knitting on the train? yes.)

My 2do-list is getting longer by the minute, but I am at least very inspired at the moment. Everything is taken note of for a later occasion - now I'm looking forward to starting on the fantasy-along (and hopefully finish before April 1st), the Granny Ripple baby blanket, and the knitted mittens. But first: hood and hem on my woolen jacket (tonight). And fixing the hem of my silk dress.

Finished: Beige Shawl

Thougt I'd post the finished shawl. Here, you see the difference between my digital camera (on the left) and my cellphone camera (right). I tried to lighten the picture taken with the cell phone, because it was surprisingly dark, but it did not turn out too well... At least, you can see the size of the shawl. It is rather long, so it reaches down my entire back, even if it is not very wide. The heavy alpaca yarn makes the shaw lay nicely over my shoulders, and it is AMAZINGLY soft and lovely. And warm.

I ordered a skein of Noro Kureyon lately, a multi-coloured yarn that is highly praised by many in the blogging world. Unfortunately, I got a different colour than I ordered, but I decided to take the unfamiliar colours as a challenge rather than return it. I am not converted to this yarn yet, however. I have real trouble deciding what to make, and it does not really appeal to me in the same way that alpaca does. Maybe I'm just not used to it yet?

I will be working on finishing the shawl for my grandmother this weekend, as well as sewing the hood and hem of a wool felt jacket that has been lying around for weeks. I also have an idea for one of the alongs I'm in - finally! I have been struggling with this for a while...

I am very much looking forward to try my hand at knitting again: I will try to make a vest as well as traditional knitted mittens! And then there's the Granny Ripple baby blanket... A lot on my plate at the moment, but that's just fun :)

I Can't Seem to Stop the Sillyness...

You scored as Tyr.

You are Tyr!
You are the God of bravery, honor, justice and battle!
You lost your hand to a wolf so that you could keep the world safe.
You are a great fighter and are very strong.

Which Norse God Are You?
created with QuizFarm.com

Another shawl...

...but this is for my grandmother. Her birthday is on sunday, so I hope she will like this:

I took the photo on the train, but you get the idea even if it is a little blurry, right?

I frogged the black one a few posts down, because I wanted to try and make one with beads! It is really lovely, but it takes a lot more time. The beads make the knots fiddly to do, so I get impatient. Better to do a little at a time, I think :)

The colour for March...

...is burgundy.

I had problems deciding what to make with my burgundy alpaca yarn, and also with finding something I actually wanted to make. My rescue was the fabulous Garnstudio/DROPS design webpage, filled to the brim with downloadable, free patterns. I found a lot more things I want to make, so my inspiration is back in full bloom...

I decided to make this scarf:
I am quite pleased with it - it is very decorative, and a lot more practical than my last "fancy scarf". I made a spiral scarf in green mohair, and I have not used it more than once. It is just not very practical. This, however, I think I'll use a lot. I really love the colour, which is not very good in the photo, unfortunately.

I learned an important lesson over the weekend. I recieved a yarn, which was in coils instead of a ball of yarn. I had not used that before, being rather new at this, but I figured I'd have to make them into regular skeins. I had not been at it for long, however, when the pretty coil turned into a pile, a mess, a bundle of yarn:


Afterwards, I remembered holding yarn like this for my mother while she "skeined" them, when I was little. Did not remember in time, though....

A hundred metres of yarn all knotted together in the middle of the floor is not all fun and games. I managed to un-knot it, but I have definitely learned my lesson...

Drunken Crochet was a huge success (again), and my pie was loved by all. I'm already looking forward to the next time!

Favourite Friday

Another favourite: Home-made müsli! It tastes soooo much better than store bought, and is hardly any effort.

With this weekend comes another Drunken Crochet - wine- and crochet-night with some friends. This time, I am the hostess, and I am very much looking forward to making pie for the occasion. I LOVE pie, just like I love a million other dishes, but this is one of my favourites because it takes a bit of effort to make. It is quite complex, but sometimes, that is part of the joy of cooking :)

I am a bit uninspired at the moment, hopefully this will untangle very soon... Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

New Shawl

I've started a new shawl in Vivaldi Mohair. I had planned to use the whole skein, but the yarn is so thin! I have not gotten very far yet, but I suspect the finished shawl will be a triangular blanket by the time I'm finished...

Another little test

I never tire of these things:

Your Birthdate: May 11

Spiritual and thoughtful, you tend to take a step back from the world. You're very sensitive to what's going on around you, yet you remain calm. Although you are brilliant, it may take you a while to find your niche. Your creativity is supreme, but it sometimes makes it hard for you to get things done. --- Your strength: Your inner peace Your weakness: You get stuck in the clouds Your power color: Emerald Your power symbol: Leaf Your power month: November

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

WIP

This is what I am working on at the moment:


It's a shawl with a small fold-down collar in a lovely alpaca yarn, which I bought on sale from garn.dk, and I am really pleased with it. It's so soft!

Speaking of alpaca, I have of course bought yarn in Russia, along with a few buttons. The lady in the shop got awfully impatient with me, though, so I only got a few:
And I got some new necklaces and a little painted brooch as well :) Love them!

I have also finished a little hat, in black silk alpaca with a picot edge:


More on my trip later, with pictures!

Heklede votter

I've written this post in Norwegian as response to a request for pattern to my felted mittens. If asked, I will try to translate it into English at a later point.

Jeg har blitt spurt om oppskrift på vottene mine, og ble selvsagt veldig smigret :)
Så her kommer den:

Legg opp 45 luftmasker
Hekle staver i 13 runder
Der du vil ha tommelen, hekle 10 luftmasker og hopp over ti masker før du fortsetter med staver. Jeg liker å ha "skjøten" inni håndflaten, og har derfor plassert tomlene på hver sin side.
Hekle i tre runder til før du begynner å ta inn.
Jeg har heklet sammen to masker for hver tredje maske i en runde, heklet vanlig rundt i en runde for så å ta inn i neste igjen.
Fortsett med dette i til sammen ni runder.
Nå har du så få masker at du bare tar inn fortløpende.
Hekle rundt tommelåpningen i ti runder, ta deretter raskt inn.

Mine votter er heklet i PT2, og tovet på 60 grader. De må formes litt når de er våte, men de passer perfekt!

Jeg har en veldig liten hånd, så du må nok gjøre den litt større. Jeg synes det blir bra når man beregner ca 1/3 større enn det du ønsker å oppnå etter toving.
Vær også oppmerksom på at hvitt garn tover mindre enn annet garn. Jeg har blitt fortalt at dette er på grunn av blekingen av garnet.

Off to Russia!

I'm going on holiday to St.Petersburg on monday! I am really excited about it, I have not been to Russia for five years. My Russian is more than a bit rusty, but I think I will manage. I have not planned anything beyond hotel and the flight, and I think it will be awesome. I have recieved a tip that yarn is very cheap, so I will probably stack up. I hope I will be able to not fill my suitcase entirely, so that I will have room for more yarn!

I will also try to find some fabric, trimmings and buttons. There is bound to be something different from the stuff at home.

I have finished a hat and mittens for a friend, all in double crochet in Drops Ice yarn (thick cotton). I think she must be mad - who wants cotton mittens? But she picked the yarn herself, she must take the blame:

I am trying to reconstruct the pattern for the crocheted felted mittens (on request), and will hopefully manage it before I leave.

Oooooo! Mittens!

I haven't shown you the finished mittens yet! I am really, really happy with them, I have been wearing them every day since they were finished:

Before felting on the left, after felting on the right. Aren't they CUTE? I really feel the need to brag about this. Aside from the slippers, this is the best thing I've ever made. And I even made them entirely myself, without a pattern!

Oh, blogger

I've had a little trouble with blogger lately (posts refuse to be published), but I feel really helpless about it. Is there really anything to do, except wait?

Anyway, it's been a while since I posted a favourite, so here goes:


This is a little vase in a lovely yellow, which I inherited from my grandparents' house. It is not very practical, as the opening is really narrow, but I adore the colour and the subtle pattern!

I am soon finished with a hat and mittens made in chunky cotton yarn for a friend - the colour combination is unusual, a bright red with a sort of brownish-purple dusty colour. It worked out better that I thought! And the chunky yarn makes it so quick to complete, too.

I've got the blues

...but I'm not feeling sad.
I am on a roll with the blue colour for february! I have finished the lavender bag for my mother:

And I made a little bowl as well! It was really cute :) Eskimo yarn felts so nicely, and is a treat to work with.

I could not resist this petrol silk alpaca yarn, so I actually knitted (!) a little neckwarmer, and crocheted the edges with black mohair:
I made one edge in picots and one in mussels. I think it turned out well, and the yarn is so amazingly soft and lovely!


And I even started a vest, with Sys Fredens' pattern from "Hæklerier":




Also in turquoise mohair, a yarn that's been hanging around my apartment forever.

I didn't even think I liked blue! Petrol is another matter entirely, though...

Blue and green

I finished the green bag last night:


I still have to felt it (tomorrow) and embellish it, but that's the fun part! I am really happy with the result so far - I even started a blue one for the february colour-along. I realised that I wouldn't be able to finish a vest in shell stitch in time for the challenge, so I went for another bag instead. I hope my mother will like it!


There will be a vest, however - just not yet. Upon reflection, I'd much rather try something else in shell stitch first. Something smaller, like a scarf perhaps.