Christmas bag of yarny goodness

Been crazy busy at work lately, with lots of hours overtime, so I'm a bit behind posting to my blog! Just a short notice to let you see these pics of the X-mas goodie bag from my aunt! It's packed full of lovely yarn from PT plus a hank of unspun wool for felting. Nice bright colours too. A couple of skeins of turqouise in different shades, some orange and a lovely dark brown.

Although I have been busy, I've got some knitting done too. The Luna Moth Shawl is finished and waiting to be blocked (strange how I don't seem to find the time to do it???), and all the pieces of a baby cardie to be sewn up...still need to knit th button bands and add crochet edging to it. Bought some really cute horse-shaped buttons to go with it.





Spring is getting near, but it's still cold in the mornings, and I wanted a pair of wrist warmers. Bought some yarn off a seller at Etsy, and decided to have a go at designing a pair of my own. The yarn is multi-coloured in different shades of red, yellow and orange. Got the first one done with a bit of tweaking along the way, and started working on the second, totally forgetting that all humans have a right and a left hand...so now I have 1.5 wrist warmers, both left-handed...forgot to make the thumb-hole on the other side!

New year, new knitting!

I haven't updated this blog for ages 'cause I've been so busy moving in with the new BF...Now live in a nice apartment in central Oslo. It's been a hectic couple of months settling in, and preparing for celebrating Christmas together. We spent X-mas Eve and X-mas day with my mother and grandparents, and had his parents come down and spend New Year's with us. Since they live 10 hours away, they stayed until Jan.2. We had six guests over for New Year's Eve and had a wonderful three course meal! I got to play hostess, which was fun, if it wasn't for the cleaning up afterwards... Heh, I've become really homesy over the last months, baking and cooking and doing my best to impress my new MIL... She's really sweet.

And I'm going to become an auntie in May! I've already knitted a few baby items; a lace bonnet and some socks. Recently started a baby cardie as well. The parents to be don't wish to know the sex of the baby, so I've been making the items in off-white to match both sexes. It's knit from Lanett baby wool in a simple moss stitch pattern that alternates rows of moss stitch with garter stitch in a nice diamond -shaped pattern.

I've joined the Shawl yarn club at Strikk Innom, and the first package consisted of a lovely laceweight yarn in silk and merino wool from Zen Yarn Garden. The lovely lady from Strikk Innom had also added pattern suggestions to go with the yarn. I instantly fell for the Luna Moth Shawl from Elann. It's knit from the top down, and since you start with the center stitches and increase outward, you don't have to cast on a million stitches, which is a relief as I always get the wrong stitch count... I've chosen to go down a few needle sizes and knit the shawl on size 3.5mm circs to make a denser fabric. The lace pattern is still very defined.

Knitting resolutions for the new year:

• Entrelac. Printed out a few patterns to try and learn this t echnique


• Colourwork


• Mitered knitting. I've been replacing bedtime stories with the Mason-Dixon book lately, and the BF commented on a colourful bedthrow made from mitered squares. Would look really cool wouldn't it? It's a lot of squares...


• More socks

And finally, pics! A few FO's, and the shawl in progress.

Ingjerd is done

So I finished Ingjerd's Shawl this weekend, and I think it looks great! It was fun to knit too. I haven't blocked it yet, but it still looks ok. The edges could use a light blocking but apart from that it doesn't require much finishing. I've also started collecting Knitpicks Options circs. So far I've bought two cables and three sets of needles. Really really wanted to to get the luxury set, but at 700 NOK it was a bit pricey for my tight budget....although I did spend a couple of hundred on some Rowan KSH... It's going to be made into the Birch shawl. With such fine yarn it's a slow knit, and I really have to stay focused not to make any errors (or too many). I miscalculated the amount of yarn for long-tail cast-on, and let me tell you it's not much fun runnig out of yarn a measly 10 stitches short... Grrrr...

Ingjerd status report

Things have really been speeding up on Ingjerd's Shawl...so bad in fact, I couldn't get myself to go to bed before I reached the stripe part of the pattern last night. Looks like I'l be finished in another couple of days. Strange thing though: I thought it was worked from the bottom up, but it appears to be the other way round :-) It's a really simple pattern to work with, and I can't wait to see the finished shawl.

Shawl in the making

Just a short note to let you know I'm making good progress on Ingjerd's Shawl. A guesstimate at having 30% done at this point. The pattern is really easy to follow once I got the hang of it. Had to rip back two times before it ocurred to me to use a row counter though... And I've been using English patterns for so long now, I'm sometimes having difficulties reading the Norwegian instructions! Hehe, go figure. I've also gone up half a needle size from 4.5mm to 5mm mid-pattern, so it's slightly bigger now, but I think it will block out. The yarn I'm using is Evilla (Estonian), and it's got different shades of red mixed with black. So far I'm still working black, so really hoping for some red to appear soon...but it still looks good though.

Summer fun

From this




To this


And this


Eventually it will look like this

Isn't it pretty? I finally plucked up the courage to wind one of my hanks of yarn into a nice ball. Did it all by hand, it took a total of two nights. Now I know how handy a swift can be...need to get someone to fix the old swift that's been lying in our basement for years. It works fine, just need the part that holds it open repaired. DOn't think I'll bother thinking about a ball winder just yet. I just wrapped the yarn around my thumb, and that worked just fine!

In a knitting rut

I'm feeling a little bored with my knitting at the moment. I've started the Ribena and have now reached the stockinette stitch part...and knitting stockinette flat is plain dull! Ordered some new pattern books yesterday that hopefully will give me some fresh ideas to kick my knitting back into place. Hmmm, maybe I should start a new pair of socks? A pair of lace ones? Don't feel like knitting anything too warm or too big right now, but socks could be an easy way to cure this rut.

Spring is here!

And I've turned 30. Had a great dinner with some close friends, and went bar-hopping afterwards. It was so much fun! I have yet to buy fabulous yarn as a gift to myself, but I got 13 skeins of Safran cotton on sale at my favourite LYS. Paid 130 NOK (approx. $20 for the lot), which was more than 50% off. Great! Not sure what it wants to be yet, but I've started swatching for Ribena from the latest issue of Knitty. I was hoping to find some yarn in a similar colourway, but ended up getting the Safran in a nice caramel brown, which would make a nice top for summer. Or I might knit another clover wrap...we'll see.

Lucky clover

My wrap cardi is done! Managed to finish both fronts during Easte holiday. Phew...the worst/most boring part was knitting 62 inches of 1x1 ribbing. Won't be doing that again in the near future! Although I'd love to make another one in a different colour -sometime :-) Next time, I'll knit the smaller size as it's a tad big, but still it's better than it being too small. I've learned so much making this, I'm not scared of knitting more sweaters/jackets in the near future. Now, what to knit next? Still got some socks OTN, but that doesn't really count as knitting...does it?

Hey, I'm back!

For some reason, I've been unable to access my old blog or move to new Blogger, but finally I've regained access. Don't know if I'll keep the new one I've subscribed to, or just keep posting here. But I'll give you a quick update on my knitting. I've finally caught the sock knitting bug and so far made one pair in Opal Crazy, colourway 1900. I never knew self-patterning yarn were so much fun! Didn't bother matching the yarn perfectly so the two socks are slightly different, but I don't think it matters much. I've also bought my first hanks of Lorna's Laces, and OMG is it wonderful! Incredibly soft, and the colours are just gorgeous. The one I got is called Gold Hill. So far I've done a whole pair in Crazy, and a sock and a half in Gold Hill. Easter plan are finishing (or at least working on) the wrap cardi, and starting a pair of knee-high socks.

Look, socks!

They are soooo comfortable, I want to wear them all the time... They've been for their first ride in the washer&dryer and came out just fine. Well-behaved yarn...
Here's the Gold Hill pair...

Oh yeah, and I got some Estonian yarn too...don't know what I'll do with it yet, but I'll think of something...

SP8 and knitting updates

I've decided to sign up for SP (Secret Pal, for those less familiar with the term) at Knitty and this morning I received my spoilee's details. I've already started thinking of things to send, and she's got a birthday coming up soon, so I guess I'll have my first package on its way by next week! Knitting-wise, I'm making good progress on the clover wrap. I love girly knitwear, and this should be perfect to wear over a shirt or dress for spring and summer. Hopefully, it will turn out looking as nice as the picture :-)

Christmas knitting

I've finally finished the Sonnet -still not set in the sleeves, but I'll get to it eventually -and I had to start a new project straight away. Bought some yarn with money I got for Christmas and started working on a clover lace wrap cardie from S n'B Nation that I've been coveting ever since I got the book. So far I've finished both sleeves and I started the back yesterday. Can't wait to finish it...It's knit in a 4-ply cotton from Garnstudio in a light cocoa brown colour with a hint of lilac...it's gorgeous! Hmmm....already considering making another one in a different colour...

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