Moving house

Or small flat, at least...I decided I wanted to live on my own again a couple of months ago, and was lucky enough to find a nice, affordable place. Been dreading the whole process of moving, but everything went very smoothly. So now I'm settled in my new place, and spent my first night here last night. It's great! At the moment it's a bit bare, but more stuff will arrive next week. No kitchen gear yet, so I've been living on crisp bread and ready-sliced cheese for two days :-)I've taken some pics for you to see, and one of me posing with the Besotted Scarf. I know, I know, I haven't weaved in the ends yet, but my darning needles are packed away in one of the boxes...

Manly scarfitude& Christmas preparations

The manly scarf is coming along nicely, and turning out to be a real chunky piece of work that should keep out any cool air...The yarn is super easy to work with, fairly cheap AND machine washable! How nice is that! I'm making it extra long so I'll probably end up using nearly four skeins. And I really have to start planning Christmas present -I'm running late this year, so desperately searching for easy knits for a selected group of friends and family. The weather has not been the best int the last couple of days, and no snow to get me in a Christmas mood... Also I'll be moving in a week's time, so I need to start packing. Luckily, I don't have that much stuff where I live right now, so it shouldn't take too long. My new place is located ten minutes by underground from central Oslo, in a nice, quiet area. Can't wait to move in... And there will be enough room for a small Christmas tree as well! Yay!

The cable girl

Since I recently finished my first cable project I've been looking for simple patterns to develop my skills. A posting on manly scarves on Knitty lead me to this pattern. I've used the leftover yarn from the previous project, so I'm waiting eagerly for payday Friday to go buy some more! It'll make a nice Christmas present and the yarn is not too expensive either. It will probably be a surprise present for a friend who spends a lot of time outdoors and could use something to keep him warm. The design has a viking feel that I think will go down well... Oh, and I've finally found the time to continue my work on the long neglected Sonnet... Finished the first sleeve today, and cast on for the second right away to maintain momentum...

The first snow

So this is it...the first snow! Not a lot, but it really took me by surprise. It comes as a total shock every year. I haven't even had time to fully enjoy autumn yet! And suddenly it's less than two months til Christmas...If you look closely, you can see the little white flecks of snow. It melted as soon as it hit the ground, but still...
I've been so busy the last couple of months applying for jobs that time just seems to fly by. But I really enjoy this time of year -the cool, crisp air, chilly walks outside and staying in at night, reading, knitting, drinking tea or red wine...And it's time to start making the first of those homemade Christmas gifts! Bought some yarn for a cable scarf and got to work on it last night, and since the yarn is so chunky and I'm knitting on big needles I managed to finish it today! Got some yarn left over that will make a nice matching hat.
I really like the finished result -it's made for a man, so I've decided to go for neutral colours, but got a yarn that has little specks of colour in between so it's not all beige and boring -for me to knit, that is!The cable work was so much fun and a lot easier than I imagined it to be, so I'll probably whip up a few more to keep male necks in my family nice and warm for winter.

Need some inspiration...

Because I'm bored with my knitting at the moment. I've finally cast on for the sleeves for the Sonnet (finished the body in May...), and I'm doing them one at a time. Next time, I'll knit up the sleeves first, and leave the fun for later :-)I've also started learing cables, and it's really not that difficult. Plan on making a scarf for my BF for Christmas, so I need to get cracking! Also really want to make the Pomatomous socks from Knitty and currently looking for yarn. Oh, and I could really use some job fairy dust...applying for jobs at the moment 'cause I need a change SOOO bad! Sooo, good luck wishes are more than welcome!

Final One Skein SP package

Thank you so much, Magni,for the gorgeous package! Received this wonderful felted bag, a skein of 3-ply Rauma yarn, some beads AND candy! You really made my day! Now I jsut have to come up with something beautiful to make of the yarn -shouldn't be too difficult...

My first sock. Ever!

And I have to brag just a little...because it looks great! I've never attempted sock knitting before, but really wanted to make these lace ones from Knitty. And it was so easy! What fun pattern to knit! Ok, so they might not be totally perfect -I had some trouble picking up the stitches evenly along the edges, and I've dropped a couple of stitches, but with the lace pattern it's hardly visible. I'm visiting my aunt this weekend, and she's a really good knitter...can't wait to show her these! Oh, and I managed kitchener stitch too....I feel so clever right now...



It's knit in a silk/alpaca blend that is just incredibly soft, and the colour's lovely. The yarn does tend to split a little (almost like cotton) but otherwise it's very well behaved. Bit expensive, but I just had to have it :-)

Summer knitting

It's been ages since I've posted, but finally I have the time to leave a few words. Lately I've been working on the sleeves from One Skein, but I guess I'm doing something wrong...I've used a row counter to keep track, but somehow I keep ending up with different length sleeves. It's a complete mystery to me, as I was sure I got the row count correct, but no...Luckily, I've still got enough yarn to have another go. So I decided to make a super-easy project to relax with. Suprise -beaded wristwarmers -again :-) They make great presents though. Red baby wool and clear glass beads in a traditional Norwegian pattern. Also planning on making some in the broken-heart and skull patterns from S n'B. Other projects on the wist list include a pair of lace socks from the Knitty website. Pattern can be found here

My One Skein SP package has arrived!

Just got back from a week's holiday to find that my One Skein SP has sent me my first package! It contained a hank of Ekatra wool/silk blend and a small skein of Opal sock yarn. Oh, and not to forget the two handmade stitch markers! Thanks, SP!

Sonnet pics

As promised, pics of my Sonnet progress! Since these were taken, I've actually finished the body and will begin working the sleeves shortly. I'll be going to the Roskilde music festival in Denmark tomorrow, so I thought I'd bring something simple to keep me occupied during the long bus drive. The silk sleeves from One Skein will be the perfect companion!

Sonnet update

Just a quick word to let you know that I'm making great progress on my Sonnet sweater. I've even tried some short row waist shaping as suggested on the Sonnet knit-along blog :-) Hopefully it will turn out ok. At the moment it looks a bit long, but hoping it will sort out during blocking. So far, I've done the right front and the back, and now working on the left front. Took some photos of the evidence, but I left my camera at my mum's when I visited last weekend... I also treated myself to some Rowan Kidsilk Haze -horribly expensive, but I just had to have it...so it will be made into the sleeves from One Skein. It's a gorgeous greyish lilac colour...mmm!

17.mai champagne breakfast +Sonnet progress

Thought I'd post some pics from my 17th of May celebration! My flatmate+I had friends over for champagne breakfast, and then went downtown to see +join the parade. The weather wasn't the best... I hadn't bothered to bring my bunad this year (it weighs a ton and takes up too much space in my already bursting wardrobe), so I just wore a pretty summer dress. Good thing I have so many knitted shawls to keep me warm :-)Just managed to get a few pics as I ran out of batteries (as usual -I'm a terrible photographer...), but it will give you the general impression. Apologize for the bad quality...





The Sonnet is coming along nicely. I've even tried some short-row shaping at the waist -hope it turns out ok. Looks like it'll be a bit long, but hopefully that will straighten out when blocking.

No knitting at the moment...

Sigh. I'm just focusing on my exams at the moment, so no time for knitting. Hopefully, I'll both have more time and money for new projects in three weeks' time. Still need to get yarn for the Sonnet sweater for my KAL, thinking of using an alpaca/silk blend for a sweater that's not as warm as wool, but still wearable for most seasons. Also plan on making something for my friend's five year old daughter as a surprise. Oh, and a nice tank top for summer for myself...and, and, and... So many ideas, so little time!

To be assembled

All the parts for the children's colour block cardigan are now done. This must be the quickest project ever! But really fun to make. It knitted up so fast, i just couldn't stop once I got the hang of it! Planning on making another one for my friend's daughter, who's five. Other projects to start are the Kitty Pi for the knitalong, and go look for yarn for the Sonnet jacket for myself (another knitalong project). Wonder how I'll ever find the time to study for my exam with so much knitting to do...

Wha-hey!

I'm finally working my way round those ***** (insert naughty word here) html codes, and getting a decent look on my blog. Spent the last few hours adding new buttons to the page, and trying to figure out why it didnt't look the way it was supposed to. And by freak accident, I seem to have gotten it worked put! Still not quite sure how, but as long as it looks better than it used to, I'm more than happy! Can also tell you that I've finished the back piece of the colour block jacket from One Skein, and currently working on the right front piece. With the thick yarn and large needles, I'm making great progress! Really having fun with my knitting at the moment!

Brand new pair of wristwarmers, fresh off the needles!

Finished my pair of wristwarmers tonight. It's been so much fun and so easy working with the stitchmarkers that I had to finish them straight away. Also I've picked up my package from Amazon today. Fell instantly in love with One Skein! So many nice projects! Think I'll have to brush up my crochet skills too, for those cute little bags. I had to buy some yarn for that gorgeous colour block children's jacket, which will make a great present for my friend's son who's 17 months. The smallest size will fit a child age 2, so it will be a bit large, but on the other hand it will have a longer life-span :-) It looks really easy to make, and will be an ideal project for my first "real" garment.

Amazon, I love you &the wonders of stitch markers

Thanks to all the people at Knittyboard for ideas on new knitting books to buy. I've ordered One Skein, and it was shipped yesterday. Can't wait! I've also discovered the point of stitch markers, working on the matching wristwarmers for the shoulderwarmer. It was easy enough following the pattern for the shoulderwarmer without using stitchmarkers, but for the wristwarmers....not so easy. Lost count on where to start the pattern, som now it's all off and not in the place it should be. Looks like some frogging is called for....sigh. Hopefully I can just frog the second repeat of the pattern.

FO:the neckwarmer

My new shoulder/neckwarmer is done! Stayed up late last night just to finish it. And it looks great! Was a bit worried that my larger size needles would make the edges look weird, but it's turned out just fine. I've also started working on the matching wristwarmers, but they're a bit more difficult to work with. It's hard to keep track of the pattern, so I might reknit them later. I also keep dropping stitches because I'm having some trouble with yo's knitting in the round. It's so easy to drop those extra stitches when passing from one needle to the other. Tried knitting part of it flat and then joining in the round, but then the lace pattern stretched the whole thing out of proportion. At least I still have enough yarn to give it another go :-)

Needles, needles everywhere

I've now completed the "scarf" part of the neckwarmer, and have picked up the stitches for the ruffled edges. All in all it took three sets of circular needles, plus one extra to actually knit with, to fit all the stitches. And if knitting in the round with dpns can sometimes seem difficult, try using circs... They twist around like mad, and act like they've got a life of their own. And who owns four 2.5mm circs? After rummaging through all my stash (and my mum's leftover needles), I managed to find three 3mm and one 3.5mm, so that's what I'm using. So far it looks good, so fingers crossed... Only problem now is I find knitting way more interesting than studying for my political science exam next week...

Update on WIP

It's been ages since I've had the time to both knit and post on my current projects, so I thought it might be time to post some images of the neckwarmer in progress, along with some pics of previous projects. The Alien Illusion scarf is in daily use at the moment, as it keeps me warm yet still is light and soft against the skin. I've learned much about yarn weight and gauge since this was made, and now realize it probably should have been made using a thicker yarn. Still, it looks good though. I've still got approx another 1ocm (4inches) to knit on the neckwarmer before adding the ruched edges, but it's progressing a lot faster than I'd imagined.
...Still can't seem to get the images to line up, or paste, no matter how hard I try...Soooo, for your information: the top two are of the Alien Illusion scarf, the bottom one is of the neckwarmer.

More images

As I can't seem to figure out how to post images without them ending at the top of the post, here are some more images of the current WIP... Lovely, soft, very thin yarn. Yum!

Work in progress

I've finally had both the time and the money to go yarn shopping! Visited a yarn shop I spotted a couple of weeks ago, not far from where I live. Great shop, excellent service and nice selection. I bought some chunky yarn to knit the one-hour baby booties from S n'B Nation, for a friend who had a baby girl just about a week ago. I chose a lime-green yarn, as I think it will make a nice change from all the standard white and pink baby gear. Also got some green alpaca wool for myself, and pattern for a shoulder/neckwarmer and matching wristwarmers. The set is really nice, the kind of vintage style, girly accessory that I love. I'm a true girly-girl, me... It's knitted on 2.5mm needles with quite fine yarn, so it's gonna take some time...

WOW!

I know this might be off-topic, but I just have to make an entry about tonight's great concert. As a dedicated Mew fan for the last year, I've already seen Mew twice in six months. But I couldn't miss the chance to see them again, at Rockefeller, Oslo tonight. And what a great show it was. They kicked it off with Special, and from there it was a true joyride. They did all the songs we know and love, and a few of the lesser-known ones from the first two albums. Jonas's voice is a great as ever! Snow Brigade sounded just awesome, as did Zookeeper's Boy. Two final numbers, as always SheSpider and Comforting Sounds. I took a lot of pictures with my phone, so if I can work out how to download them to the pc, I will post them here shortly :-)

Almost done!

The capelet has now come off the ironing board, and it looks great! Made crochet cords to tie at front so all I need now are some pompoms to finish it. I had so much yarn left over from the previous that I decided to make another one straight away. The pattern is really easy and it will make a simple and pretty gift. I've also cast on for a alpaca hat for a friend, and I hope to get it done and send it to her this week. It's made out of chunky alpaca wool in a pattern from the first S n'B book (I know, I'm really hooked on those) -the sparkly hat. The original pattern has sequins added to it, but I think it looks good without them as well. Haven't been able to find somewhere that sells sequins with large holes, only thread-sized small ones, but I've bought a pack so that I can sew them on afterwards...or I might just leave the hat as it is. We'll see :-) I've also discovered a new yarn shop I'm dying to visit -luckily I'm getting paid this week...

Currently blocking...

...is this lace capelet from the Stitch n'Bitch Nation book. I had a few problems with this, as the pattern had an error that caused me to get way too many stitches, and I had to frog the whole thing. Luckily, it unravelled fairly easily, and I actually finished it in just one day. Must also mention that it's my first lace project, and I'm really proud of it. Can't wait to get it off the ironing board in the morning and finishing the work...

First entry!

I've just started my own blog! Although I'm Norwegian I'll try to keep this blog in English for all you non-Norwegian speakers out there. I'll use this space to post my knitting projects and day-to-day stuff.