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?

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...

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 :)

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!

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.

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...