Marias Knittingneedles

My shalom cardi on the pin

2012-01-28T17:31:00.002+01:00

Actually I have moved on and knitted several rows after this picture was taken. I picked this pattern more of a coincidence - I had the yarn and it seemed like a challenge to try. I really enjoy knitting the tiny cardigan, I love to do the counting with the rows. I have no idea if I will manage to finish it or not, but I knit one stitch at a time, one row at a time!

To decide is the most difficult

2012-01-16T06:28:00.003+01:00

For how many days now have I been surfing the webb trying to find the best yarnstore but yet not reached my goal? I am just saying - how difficult can it be? Really difficult it seems. I am not finished yet. And it seems as if I start all over every time I do this. Shall I buy the yarns from US or from England? What would be cheaper? And which yarn store has the wider range of yarns? I would like to buy a lot, as the prices often are much cheaper than in Sweden.

Finished knitting my set of Lovikka wristwarmers

2012-01-07T21:11:00.004+01:00

The pattern was really easy. I added a alpacca yarn just to make it a little softer to the wrist, but frankly, I cant say it made any difference. What is left now is to sew them together and then finish the embroidery on the front, it is supposed to look like a flower.

Knitting on

2012-01-06T19:13:00.002+01:00

Impressing how much knitting one can do when just sitting down and focusing about the project. Like when I came home from my meeting with a possible client today, I just sat down in my sofa, like in the good old days when living by Danviksstrand, and just grab one of my knitting projects.

J had gone to his summerhouse with his daughter and they will stay til Sunday. I really needed to have a few days my myself, to be able to reload my batteries. I am by the way not fond at all having his daughter around doing nothing, when she is not in school. Just getting up in the morning seems difficult and after that she never even cares to clesn up her room without me having to bark or her doing other household job. Well, that was a huge out of scope comment.

So, back to knitting. I actually finished the first out of two of a pair of wristwarmers. Needs to be sawn together and then stiched a flower on the front to be similar with pattern.

I also knitted a few rows on my Shalom cardigan. Right now I am Knitting row 15 and have three more to go on this pattern section. This is a quite fun cardi to knit, I just hope I will manage to get it together and the yarn to be enough.

Looking for inspiration!

2012-01-05T22:50:00.003+01:00

Surfing on the internet for some stuff to knit during the upcoming holidays and thereafter, the following weeks. I am thinking of making a capelet for my niece, maybe to her birthday? Hopefully she never reads this page.... Also, I need something easy peasy to knit while wathcing tv, like a pair of wristwarmers or a hat/cap. Passed by the knitting store Sticka in Gamla Stan today and got splendid assistance in choosing yarn as well as finding out what to do with a pattern. While watching A place in the sun I casted on for the wristwarmers in Lovikka yarn.

Hessa angora top

2012-01-02T17:24:00.001+01:00

Hessa angora top , a photo by Maria G 1966 on Flickr.

I would really like to knit a top like this one. Angora yarn, but what colour? And pattern?

Sum of all my knitting in 2011

2011-12-31T14:52:00.003+01:00

I should do as everyone does at the end of every year. Present a sum of my efforts, don't you think? What did I really achieve with my needles this year, which was quite a mediocer one, knitwise.

So, follow this thread....
Looking back it wasn't much at all, really.
- One scarf in Kid Silk, in pearl shade
- One scarf in Kid Silk, in pink shade (gave it to a friend)
- A vest with poufig sleeve, but haven't done the finishing work on it. The knitting is done, but the sewing isn't
- A vest in angora. Not finished either. Made two of this one, just in case... I failed so bad with the neckline on the first one, I couldn't save it, so I set up for another vest. And it's not finished.
- A pair of foggy blue wrist warmers.

Gosh! I really need to knit more during 2012, because I want to. It makes me in a better mood!

Wristwarmers in shade of winter sky

2011-12-30T13:32:00.001+01:00

As the year is about to finish, I managed to knit the last stitch on my soft and sweet wristwarmers in the softest angora yarn you ever felt, from Anny Blatt. I made them in a really easy pattern, with a rib stitch 2 by 2. After having been to the fab knitting class at Garnverket at the beginning of this month I decided I should try to knit the hole for my thum, one on each wristwarmer. So I did and I managed to get them all right! I am pretty much impressed with myself!

Knittingclass payed off

2011-12-19T19:39:00.002+01:00

The knitting class I took early December has really payed off. I managed to figure out how to knit the neckline on my adorable little red vest, the one I have been working on for over a year. Also, I managed to knit a proper hole for my thumb on a pair of (so far I have only made one out of two) wristwarmer. This is something I would never have been able to do if I haven't taken that class!

A big fluffy shawl has seen the light!

2011-12-07T23:13:00.002+01:00

In a sort of a rush I finished what turned out to be a rather gigantic pinkish, purplish scarf tonight. I boughtnthe yarn when I was dyingnof lust for something to knit. Knitting on, I realized the colour was not really for me. I will bring the scarf to my girls at Work tomorrow, and see who likes it more. I think Therese will look rather qute in this colour, with her dark regime.

How long can it take...

2011-12-04T23:44:00.001+01:00

To knit a simple shawl? I did actually add an extra skein of yarn as I wanted to have rather long corners on this purple shawl, but this decreasing is killing me. It's like nothing is happening and I am only sitting -or laying -ther -in front of tv and knitting, and knitting, and knitting. A puuhh. Will I reach end during the week that is about to come?

A fab knitting class is a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon

2011-12-03T21:30:00.000+01:00

Ever since early spring I have been waiting for the knitting class where I was going to learnhow to sew my pieces together in a proper way, and how all the finishing of the work should be done in the best way. It was, as before, Birgitta, the former owner of the yarnstore,who held the class. She is one of these persons that makes you happy just by walking into a room, with all her positive energy and healthy glory. Ahe really shines about when talking about knitting, and all t he lovely yarns.

During the hours she taught me to knit with more than one colour, in a patter, wich was a vonus for the class, I learnt how to saw properly - but it will be really difficult in doing it on my own. And I had some fab coaching on my little red vest that I have been holding aside for so long. What I will do now, is to rip the neckline, stitch a new one which I will sew back on instead of knit which is what I have done right now. And I will knit the line around the armpita in the same yarn as the rest of the vest instead of making it in t he same colour as the rib at the end. I was really inspired by this class and would love to go to another one.

A comfy cowl for cold winter days

2011-11-20T21:39:00.001+01:00

Been tempted for some time to knit a really nice cowl and absolutely fell for the ome from the Purl Bee, named the Bandana Cowl. It looks rather easy to knit, which works fine with me as I am trying to get back on the knitting track since I've moved in together with J and all my life turned upside down. I never seem to have time to just sit and do stuff by my self anymore, or have time to just stare out into the open in order to boost some enegy - something I need so much as a result of a demanding job and a difficult life at home.
So, here I am, on a Sunday evening, casting off for a cowl in darkblue, and I hope it will bring me some warmth and keep the wind away.

The importance of documentation

2011-11-04T18:23:00.002+01:00

I believed I had it all covered: the needle size, the number of skeins, when to start binding off to get the perfect shape of the scarf. But did I? No. Barely no information of importance to rad in my Ravelry journal, more than size of needles and number of skeins. But did I use circular needles? And at what point did I start bidning off as it got all wind and messed up? Am I about to make the same mistake with this scarf? Cause I will knit another one, in a sort of raspberry cerise colour, but in Drops Kidsilk. See how it goes...

Time to pick up the knitting needles again

2011-11-04T16:47:00.003+01:00

Don't know if it is autumn or just me longing for having a hoby working on at home when watching tv, but I feel a desperate urge of knitting again. Yes, I do have a tiny pain in my right arm, but I am not going to care. I'll try to knit anyway. I go kind of maniac with any of my hobbies - during summer I have been running and talking about running as if I would run a marathon or something (which I am not). I did use to do the same when knitting last time. Wonder where it will take me this time?

It was a true bless walking into a yarn store again, just looking at all the nice colours, checking out the women with lust in their eyes looking for the perfect yarn. I bought some nice yarn for a pair of wristwarmers, in angora. And a nice scarf in Kidsilk Haze, but bought the cheaper yarn from Drops insted of Rowans which is double the price. I'll just jump into the shower from my afternoon run and then knit on!

I really need to get back into knitting!

2011-11-01T18:52:00.003+01:00

All I can think about is knitting... Just kidding you there, but I was almost seriosly. I am making up big plans about what to knit and when. Thinking of which, going to work in north of the city, it must be a great thing to do on the tube heading to work in the morning, knitting, don't you think? I bet I won't have the difficult dudes sitting next to me then, or is it the other way around?

I have a class a Saturday in December to look forward to also, when I am going to learn how to stitch the little bastard of vest together. I actually don't dare to finish it as I am afraid I will ruin it. But, back to basics, I will knit scards, wristwarmers and other stuff one could need during wintertime. Just need to decide what to start with.

Spring- and summerbreak from knitting

2011-07-15T11:19:00.002+02:00

Having a tiny break from knitting, but when going on vaccation yesterday, I suddenly realised my mind started to think about what stuff I could be doing with my hands. Maybe this is the time when I shall finish my read lace scarf - or when I shall put it to the eternal sleep? And maybe I shoud try find a nice pattern for something I could knit to use after workout classes, if they are like pilates or yoga or stuff. Thinking about a scarf or something to throw over my shoulders when I'm getting cold. I keep thinking and imagining what I might do, but for a few more days, I will relax my arms and wrists from knitting.

I would loove to knit this jacket...

2011-05-13T11:24:00.000+02:00

but at first I really need to find that sewing class and learn how to put a garment properly together. I must not forget I have at least to pieces waiting to be stitched together - it's my qute red vest and the grey vest too. Need a class for this, so help me out someone!

Langett stitches are my fav. ones!

2011-05-02T09:55:00.002+02:00

An absolutely fav. amongst stitches is the langett (wonder if that is the English spelling as well?). Anyway, you can see the picture and I am sure you know the name of it. It is specially decorative on a blanket, when sawn at the end of it. Need to learn how to make them look this nice!

A pic of my soft little scarf

2011-04-21T12:23:00.000+02:00

An unsynced scarf

2011-04-18T07:34:00.002+02:00

Dont know where my mind was when I knitted my latest scarf. When binding off I realized it was longer on one side than the other. Probably because I had to estimate the amount of yarn needed when splitting one skein into two. But hey, the scarf works fine wearing and is wonderfully supersoft! Next time I knit by that pattern Ill make sure I use 4 whole skeins instead of splitting the third one.

Aouch! My left arm is giving me trouble knitting (again)

2011-04-02T22:24:00.003+02:00

I had difficulties some year ago when my left arm gave me a really bad pain from all the knitting and I had to rest from knitting for quite some time. As I fell pretty bad in a stairs about a month ago I also hit my arm, of course my left one. I need to be caucious for a while.

More yarn, more yarn

2011-04-01T17:49:00.003+02:00

Had to buy one more skein of yarn for the little scarf as I miscalculated where I should start discreasing.

On my needles - something soft for the spring

2011-03-13T07:51:00.002+01:00

You know how cold wind in early spring can be? At least here in Sweden, where it one minute seems quite sunny and warm, the next the sun has disappeared and left is only an icecold wind trying to get inside or rather under every each garment you wear. To protect me against that wind I did cast on the softest little scarf in a rib knit, which I am knitting from
One side to the other instead of from the bottom square to the top. Goes really well and is super nice! Knitting in Rowan Kidsilk Haze, which always makes fab results . am looking forward to finishing this little sweat piece!

My mood is up - I have managed to start sewing my red vest!

2011-03-06T12:24:00.001+01:00

At last, I have to say, I had time, energy and the guts to make an effort trying to sew my sweet litte fluffy, red vest together. My first attemt knitting this vest was a really bad one, didn't go well at all. The neck ribbing looked so ugly and the sewing - let's not talk about it. I realised I need a sewing class, to learn how to make it properly. I don't even dare to put my grey vest together, being afraid to crash it with my ugly stitches.

But, reading out of the book "Compendium of Knitting" by Betty Barnden, I think I got it, at last. I did sew the sides of the red vest together, as well as the under arm pieces. Now, what I have to do is knit the rib around the arm holes, meaning I have to pluck a few stitches. And I do need to fix the neckling, sewing some ugly stitches together to make it look more tidy. But I do see a light in the tunnel, and I sure can see the vest is going to be really pretty when finished. Whenever that is going to be!

A gorgeous spring scarf is working it's shape on my needles

2011-03-06T12:20:00.002+01:00

Check this scarf out. I ordered the blush colour, but the store didn't have it, so I went for the colour in the picture. In IRL it is actually much more of toffee colour, and it is absolutely fab!

Black/grey vest is knitting on

2011-02-13T12:46:00.002+01:00

The black/grey vest I am knitting from a pattern by the knit shop Strikk, is moving on. So far the pattern is actually extremely easy. I tried using the Knit Pro knits, but frankly.... Mine are bursting all the time, even though I used the following pin to tie it all up really hard. I must have done something wrong, but considering that I find it a bit stupid - you shouldn't be able to make mistakes putting a pair of needles together. What happens is that the knit falls off, even though not completely, from the wire, and that risks the whole knitting. I actually prefer my lovely ebenholtz needles much more!

I have finished the back piece and have finished a part of the front piece, and now it's only like a few centimeters left on the front. Then there are the arm pieces and the tricky thing (at least for me) to sew it all together. Hopefully, I will have a vest ready before it's summer?

The softest red vest in angora is waiting to be sewn

2011-02-01T12:51:00.000+01:00

Since I was so extremely lousy in sewing the last vest toghether, I almost don't dare to start the work on this one. The yarn I used to knit the main part of this vest was angora and it's completely adorable, it reminds me of a little red bunny! I have applied for a sewing your knits together class, but that doesn't take place until April, and I do want to use the vest sooner. I have found a book that I hope will lead me the right way, if I only dare to start!

Do I dare starting on the neckline???

2011-01-29T20:33:00.003+01:00

Having difficulties in what to do about the issue with the neckline on my red vest. On the vest I already knitted but then unraveled, I knitted the neckline to high. When it was time to sew all the pieces together it did not look as nice I had expected. This time, having knitted in a wonderful fluffy angora yarn, I expect myself to knit a more perfect result, but I am not sure I have the capability of it.

There is actually a knitcafé starting up at my local library, but they don't start until February 15th, which feels almost too late - by then I should be wearing the vest already. That would for instance be the perfect piece for Valentines Day, raspberry red as it is and all! I need to think this over before I make any stitch at all.

Tv and knitting might not be my perfect match

2011-01-22T22:42:00.002+01:00

Seems to me as most of my knitting mistakes are being done in front of the.tv. I have trouble counting stitches, knitting pattern and talking to my spouse at the same time. I am getting used to unravel and start all over. That might be one of my more super skills!

One vest and a cardi coming up

2011-01-20T22:44:00.002+01:00

This time the knitting, on both pieces, works much better. Tried the ipad over christmas (but did not get one, unfortunately) and it was perfect reading how-to instructions from. Kept it close to me in the sofa while knitting and the device was perfect as my helpout and inspiration tool. Changed yarn in the red vest, the center piece is now knitted in angora. Absolutely gorgeous!
And the Shalom is moving forward to row 21. Love knitting, clears my mind!

Shalom - does not go well on me...

2011-01-09T22:37:00.002+01:00

At row 22 I realized something was wrong. Ripped. Again.

Started all over again, for which time in order I have no idea. I read the pattern totally wrong. To me it looked like as p1 tb1 was 2 different stitches, but I realized it actually is only ONE stitch. Rip rip - and here I go again. That explains why my number of stitches never was right.

A new red vest is about to see the daylight

2011-01-08T13:38:00.002+01:00

Got the new skeins of yarn from the webshop in Gothenburg on Wednesday, but didn't pick up the mail until Thursday. Got really happy when I found the bag of yarn in the mailbox. Did cast on, on circular needles this time, the stitches for my red vest. This time I am using the Angora Super from Anny Blatt, instead of the Fine Kid, which also means I can knit with only one thread of that instead of two threads. So, I actually by no have the following knits ongoing:

- a grey vest
- a red vest
- a red scarf
- a Shalom cardi

Wonder how this will turn out...?

Shalom!

2011-01-08T13:36:00.001+01:00

Just to try how the yarn would look like, I casted on for the Shalom cardi. As usual, I had to rip it twice, but am now heading on row 20 and it looks really nice. I have no idea if my skeins of yarn will be enough, but I will knit on.

Another vest goes on

2011-01-04T18:42:00.002+01:00

I found it rather nice to knit a vest, even though I hade severe trouble in sewing my red vest together. When almost finished, I ripped it. Ordered new yarn from the shop in Gothenburg and waiting for new yarn to arrive hopefully tomorrow. Thursday is holiday in Sweden, so if I don't get the shipment tomorrow, then Friday is next time we get mail.

I realized I needed some new circular needles, as I was going to knit both of my vests on circular ones. In the store they had a great selection of needles from KnitPro. As I prefer wooden, and preferably rosewood, I choose the lacquered wooden needles, in Swedish size 4 and size 5,5, with exchangable cable of 60 and 80 cm. Great invension, absolutely fantastic! I have come to knitting heaven! So tonight, I did cast on for the grey/black vest with a poufy vest. I am going to knit on circular needles, and have to be careful when marking up the back part and the front part. Once that is done, it will be easy peasy.

My little red vest is no more...

2011-01-04T12:40:00.002+01:00

Almost finished, I raveld it. I was really bad in sawing the vest toghether and the more I sawed, the uglier it got. I did try to reuse the yarn, but it was too complicated to rip - I have to rip stitch by stitch. What is it with me and stuff that I knit? I seem to be able to only knit straight forward items, like shawls and stuff. Can't rememeber I was this lousy at sawing my pieces together, or is it my demands that has increased? I really want this vest though, so I called Strikk and ordered another set of yarn, and this time they gave me an angora yarn from Anny Blatt instead of the Kid Mohair. See what that will look like when I get it. If I am lucky, I'll receive it by mail like tomorrow. During the time I am waiting, I can always try to keep on ripping for later use of the wonderful yarn to knit one more time. I am going to use circular needles next time, that's for sure, so that I won't have to sew really that much together. You learn as long as you live, don't you?

Vest is progressing, but not as I want it to...

2010-12-28T16:04:00.002+01:00

I have started to put the little vest together. The shoulder pieces are now shoulder by shoulder and I have alse finished the neckline. Which did not look as nice as I had expected. The stitches around the neck looks nice. After having read several notes and articles about how difficult it can be to have it look nicely I was surprised my stitches were so neat around the neck. But the ribbon around the neck does not look good at all. It is too high to begin with. I should have made it much lower, not 5 cm as I did. Shall I rip, or shall I leave it and frankly just make myself a whole new vest instead, as I have been thinking of? I need to block this one, that is for sure. We'll se what happens when more pieces are put together, but I have little faith. How could I ever expect myself to knit a sweat vest like this after just having knitted (well, at least almost) shawls and scarves for such a long time?

A wristwarmer to stay warm in the coldest winter ever

2010-12-24T21:11:00.002+01:00

The winter in Sweden has been colder than ever. Someone said it hasn't been this cold since late 1890-something. Wow! Maybe I should be glad to experince this freezing winter? One of the best ways to stay warm is to keep your wrists warm. Therefore I am knitting me another pair of wristwarmers. Soft as a lamb. Soon finished!

Front side of the vest

2010-12-24T18:21:00.010+01:00

I am moving forward, or rather knitting forward, on my litte raspberry vest. It's quite an easy pattern so far, but I haven't come to the neckline yet. That might be a tricky thing to manage. Or not...? This is how the front side of the vest goes. Not finished, as you can see.

It is knitted in the softest kid mohair and alpacca. This is the back side, but of course it's not finished.

A raspberry vest in mohair and alpacca

2010-12-04T17:04:00.008+01:00

After having knitted so many shawls and scarfs, I thought it would be about time to sign up for a bigger challenge and knit a vest.

A couple of years ago I went to an evening class, where this woman a few years older than me participated. She had the most adorable vest in striped dark pink, green, white and maybe orang, and ever since I've been thinking about either buying one or maybe knitting one myself. On the left side of her vest (or was it the right one - me and left and right you know, I can't tell the difference...) she hade the cutest like horse- or dogwinning prize tags, also knitted. A detail I am not going to make, but anyway, it was stunning!

On my needles at the moment is this nice and hopefully easy enought, vest in pattern from Strikk in Gothenburgh. I am knitting it in a wonderful raspberry red, with a darker alpacca yarn and the mohair in a bit lighter tone. It's fun to knit something that is not going to be around my neck and I am really inspired to knit another vest, but in another kind of shape.

The midnight blue shawl is finished

2010-11-08T12:39:00.001+01:00

And wow it got loong. I was actually quite pleased with it after having finishing my four hanks of yarn, but what would I do with the fifth one? So I knitted that one too into the scarf. Which made the scarf about the longest of all scarf I have ever worn, but I love it. And all of my friends comment on the scarf, saying it's a beautiful one and also that it goes nicely with my eyes. When they realize I made it by myself the get impressed, as the sweet lace pattern looks much more complicated than it actually is. I did work on the pattern a bit, made the scarf of 44 stitches (the original pattern is 36 or something like that). Picture is on it's way!

A midnight blue winter shawl

2010-10-21T20:17:00.003+02:00

I have ripped it twice, having seriously doubts about which pattern to use. The first one was a lace pattern, too boooring to knit, which I realised after having knitted almost one skein. The second pattern was a regular knit two purl two, but I didn't like that one either. I was actually looking for a more... romantic? kind of look. So, now I will try a pattern I already have knitted, the Easy Lace Pattern shawl, but modified in my way. I am using a dark blue merino wool.

What's been going on - or what's been not going on?

2010-07-25T18:12:00.003+02:00

Not much knitting during last months. What I actually did do, was ripping one piece. Lost focus while knitting the lace shawl, for what time in order I do not know. Had to start all over again, but decided to do so, when we have moved. Yes, that's the reason for not having knitted one single little stitch lately. That is, since late April when we signed the contract for the apartment. Since then it's been a total race against time trying to get everything ready for the broker, trying to sell my apartment, I have never been cleaning my place so often during such short period of time. Eventually, the deal was set and I sold my apartment, all satisfied. And on Friday, July 30th, we are moving in together. After all the boxes are unpacked, I'll get back to my relaxing hobby again. Knitting, that is. Talk to you soon.

Looking for a new project

2010-04-06T22:05:00.005+02:00

As always, when visioning the goal of the current knitting project, I set my mind on what is to come, what shall I knit hereafter? I have been thinking of a cardigan or maybe a short sleeved kind-of-tee-shirt, but with some lace pattern on the back. I was also thinking of a nice and warm summer sweater, to wear on our boat during cold Swedish summer nights. But the US Dollar decided for me, actually. On my Ravelry project list I have a really nice short sleeved sort of cardigan that I now decided will be my next project. I also clicked home some more yarn from the US while I was "at it", as the US Dollar is really priceworthy for us Swedes at the moment. The other item I am going to knit is a short sleeved cardigan with no buttuns, just an open cardi. In dark denim blue, of all colours - what will all my happy grey cardigans say?

Some call it a stola, other say a shawl

2010-04-06T21:54:00.003+02:00

And someone else actually mentioned it as a "pellerin". Have you ever heard that efore? I haven't. And while names keep popping in my head of what this item really is, yesterday I finished knitting the shoulder-piece. It have been quite fun as well as easy, to knit. Just two cables, one on each side of the piece and between them knits and purls. Now I need to knit the long bows, so that I can make the qutest bow at the front of the stola. Looks a bit like a fur by the way, don't you think?

I keep knitting the red Dagashawl

2010-02-18T23:17:00.002+01:00

And it actually works out much better than the blue one. Have no idea why - is it the yarn or the bigger size of the needles? Unfortunately, I managed to drop a few stiches when I rushed up from the sofa to pick up the phone, the just fell off my needle. Since it is quite a big lace pattern it is quite complicated - at least to me it is - to pluck them back on again and make it all get together. I am still trying to find that one little stich that I dropped and can't seem to manage to pluck again... There will be an unexplainable hole in the pattern...

Yihaa! My delivery from Colinette has arrived!

2010-02-18T20:00:00.000+01:00

When coming home from work today I had this huge package in my mailbox. It was the two skeins of Colinettes Mohair, in the absolutely gorgeous colour Mushroom. It was even more lovely in real life than the website showed. I am going to knit the same kind of little cape with cables, as I made for my sister-in-law for maybe a year and a half ago. I used another yarn then, but this time I will try to change to a heavier one. I had a correspondence over e-mail with the woman who has created the pattern, and she was certain it would work out just fine. The reason I orderd the yarn directly from Colinette in UK is the price, of course. For less than the amout of what ONE skein in Sweden cost, I had TWO skeins including expressmail delivery from UK.

This weekend is knitting time!

Ordered yarn from Colinette in UK

2010-02-07T19:15:00.005+01:00

As it's much cheaper to buy yarn at the moment from UK. Therefore I just orderd two skeins of Colinettes Mohair in the shade of Mushroom, which I hope will look nice when I knit the little cape I've done before, then to my sweet sister-in-law. This time I will try to knit one to myself, as I believe it could be a great item to wear at work, where I often have to put something extra on as it's quite cold where my desk is. I expect the yarn to arrive at the end of the week, if I am lucky. Meanwhile, I will keep knitting my red Daga shawl, which by the way is much more delicate and fun to make than the blue one. Wonder why?

...And I changed my knitting mind once again

2010-02-06T09:51:00.002+01:00

Didn't have time to update my blog before heading off to Thailand, but I ripped my other project and decided to go for the Daga shawl anyway. I do believe the pattern would make a lovely result in the nice silky red yarn, just me that has to knit properly and not make all the mistakes I have made with the blue one. With the red scarf I am using a bigger size of the needles, see if that will help me out. Maybe I knit a few rows later today, just to get the speed up and to keep my mind in this nice lazy holiday-kind-of-mood.

...And changed my travel knitting project

2010-01-02T10:00:00.003+01:00

Late last night, after having cast on my stitches and knitted a few rows I realized I did not like the look of the Montego Bay Scarf or what it would was going to look like in the yarn I had chosen. I was somehow a little... like an older person than me was going to wear it. I did not get a fashionista feeling of it - not saying I am one, but I could not see that scarf go with any of my clothes or with my new gorgeous silk dress from Swedish dressdesigner Smirk, which I am to bring with me to Thailand.

So. I did what I often do when knitting. I ripped. And looked for another pattern. Stumbled over another scarf, the Rivolo, which I think will look much better for this yarn. I also had the LaLa's Simple Shawl in mind, but I don't like the heaviness with the big parts of purls and knits, I am looking for a scarf with much more lacepattern. Which Rivolo actually have. Right before midnight yesterday I cast on for the Rivolo. Here I go again...

Have finally decided what to knit on my holiday

2009-12-31T21:58:00.003+01:00

Been surfing through Ravelry, my favourite knitblogs, been reading my books about knitting showing the most lovely patterns and when I done it once, I started all over again.

I found a really yummy, Mulberry silk yarn in a reddish/pink Color. Winner of the knitting pattern was finally another scarf… The Montego Bay Scarf, found on Ravelry bought for only 3 USD.

For some evenings now, I have been trying to unwind the yarn and make it manageble to bring it with me. Decided to knit a few stitches at home, to be certain I bring the right needles with me. I am not so certain it will be THAT easy to find needles on the tiny islands in Thailand, were we are going. Or, if I don't find the right needles, mabye I have to use pencils?

On Christmas Day I finished my green cap as a gift to myself

2009-12-25T19:46:00.003+01:00

And only because I had a phoneconversation with my sweet sister-in-law. She really inspired me, since we started to talk about my little green cap, to finish it. Which I did later in the evenening on Christmas Day. It actually fit my head just perfect (even though I look like something of a mushroom with the cap on my head, but never mind, at least it's warm). Pic's coming up.
Merry christmas on all of you!

I'm a slow knitter...

2009-12-12T11:00:00.002+01:00

It's taken so much time for me to finish my green cap... I have only a few stiches left before it's finished, but I've been working a lot lately and when I come home from work I am so tired my eyes are crossing. By the way, I got so many nice comments on the cap on Ravelry, thank you all. I shall try to finish it this weekend, but right now I am on my way to my mother-in-law to help her move to a new apartment.

I need to find some nice pattern and yarn to bring with me on my wintervaccation to Asia. We''re going to Thailand and Malaysia in January and I really need something to do during this 3,5 weeks vaccation. Maybe a shawl in a fine yarn, but I seem to have great problem deciding what to knit. If I shall make the order for yarn online, there is not much time as Christmas holidays are coming up... Need to decide during this weekend...

My Seaside coloured cap might be finished during the weekend

2009-11-13T22:17:00.001+01:00

Knitting on, my greenish coloured cap in Seaside from Rowan. A wonderful yarn to knit in, by the way, Cocoon that is. I have only to finish up the top of the cap, draw a thread through a few stitches and tight it togehter. Then it'll be ready to wear. Great project, only 160 Swedish kronor for a little hat!

Mailorder works fine, a cap is about to see the light

2009-11-05T12:57:00.004+01:00

After thinking back and forth about what should be my next knitting project I decided a cap would be a perfect item both when it comes to the money aspect and the time consuming part. From the shop Strikk in Gothenburg I found this cute cap, in the yarn Cocoon from Rowan. Takes only 1 skein. For once I tried some other colour than grey or toffee. I went for the Seaside, which actually was prettier on pic. than live, but what the heck, it will go perfect with my skintone and my grey glassess and my eyes anyway. Time to cast on again! (The pic. is borrowed from Strikk.se)

Another shawl has moved into the basket

2009-11-02T21:21:00.004+01:00

Finished my which-ever-number-of-shawls-that-was, in Manos-yarn mixed with a Fonty one, knitted in a triangular shape with a tiny lace pattern every 15th row or so. Feel pleased with the result. Pics are on it's way. What I do wonder now, is what to knit next. Waiting for my cap pattern and yarn therefore, but I think I also need something more challenging. Suggestions anyone?

October-fest?

2009-10-25T01:38:00.001+02:00

Ska bli en trekantssjal
Originally uploaded by Maria G 1966

Bought three skeins of wonderful Manos del Uruguay earlier this year, but didn't really have a plan for them. So, decieded after all to knit another shawl and added a mohair yarn just to make it a bit softer. Did want something to happen in the pattern, not just use the regular knit and purl, so I used a pattern from a book and re-organized it a bit. Have finished to of the three skeins now, so there is not much left to knit before the shawl is ready to wear. I'll get back to you with a picture soon.

It's such a nice evening therapy

2009-10-16T22:31:00.003+02:00

It's so nice to knit again, really peacefull having something to do while watching the telly. I'm on a new shawl project actually, a three-squared-one with a tiny pattern. Not difficult at all, but I made it up myself mixing a pattern from a book with some ideas I had in my head. Maybe it's something about this time of the year, making one just wanting to go home after work, cocooning at home and just make it cozy? Knitting goes really well with that concept...

Feels nice to hear the klickty-klock

2009-10-11T22:43:00.003+02:00

from my needles again. And watching tv did get another dimension to it, when I can knit while I am watching. Not all films or shows goes with knitting, but some do. I actually prefer watching Dr House straight up, no knitting at all, just focusing on what he says and does. But a show like Idol or maybe the Swedish Wallander, there you have the perfect tv-knitting-company.

My secret object may now be revealed

2009-10-07T22:10:00.000+02:00

Got the sweetest e-mail from my sister-in-law today, telling me she receieved the little scarf I had knitted. I just hope the colour was okey as well as the feeling of the scarf. There might be a reason the scarf would be itching around the neck if she would wear it directly onto the skin, but hopefully it will work. Otherwise Bettina maybe can wear it as a walk-the-dogs-scarf? It was fun to knit!

One object finished

2009-10-04T22:38:00.002+02:00

Wow,I am actually impressed by myself. I did finish one object I've been working on for a while. This is a gift for someone, so I won't talk about it until I know the person has gotten it. It just hit me, how on earth did I manage to knit so many pieces last year and the year before, when I began knitting again? And where did I found the money for it? I believe I bought yarn and stuff for at least 1000 Swedish kronor each month, there was always some lovely yarn I "had to have" and with the yarn came extra tools. I still have some yarn bought on sales I am knitting with now, that feels rather comforting being able to knit nice pieces without having to buy all the stuff, since we're going on this really nice Asian-tour in January. By the way, has anyone ever brought their needles with the when travelling? Must ask at ravelry.

Cold winds inspires me to pick up my needles

2009-10-03T13:10:00.003+02:00

I have really been out of knitting mode for quite some time now. Guess it's been the summer and the following warm autumn weather that got me out of scope, so to say. But yesterday I picked up a tiny piece I am working on, trying to finish it - and all that resulted in was me mis-knitting. Is that actually a word by the way? Looked into my yarn basket and found my lovely yarn from Manos del Uruguay I bought in January, when the sweet yarnshop KnitLab closed. Decided, even though I have lots of shawls, I am going to knit myself a shawl. Wanted to mix the wool with a more fluffy piece and found the most lovely colour in a Fonty-yarn at Sticka on my way home on Friday. So, I am casting on once again, feels really nice. Starting to think about what kind of piece would be working to bring when we're going to Thailand in January.

Knitting on, as the song would say

2009-08-08T10:08:00.003+02:00

Haven't written many words here for a very long time, but I do have been knitting. On a little surprise to someone else, so I can't reveal what it is. But the piece is moving on, have been knitting on late summer evenings, after coming home from nice trips on the sea with our lovely boat, with the best name a boat ever could have if you ask me - M/S Sieasta. What about that! Doesn't that just make you wanna throw all your do's and must's and just hop' on for a nice trip to the sea, maybe later sipping on a glass of wine or perhaps a little summerdrink. Oh, sorry, talking about knitting, was I???

Back on track with Daga

2009-07-16T01:06:00.002+02:00

I am not known as a person with lots of patience, but somehow I manage to just made my mind up, specially when it comes to knitting. As I have with the Daga shawl. I am back on track, knitting it once again. Let's see how far I reach this time before I need to rip?

And my Daga was ripped again..

2009-06-08T19:03:00.002+02:00

What is it about my Daga shawl that doesn't work with me? So here I was, having knitted up til report 6 and row 24 when the counting was mismatching again. So I just had to rip it, there was no other way. I dropped a few stitches on my way and therefore I ended up having ripped the whole shawl once again. Not much to do about it than to start all over again. But I do know what is wrong. I have been knitting this, for me, complicated lacepattern, while I've been watching TV. That doesn't work for me... So, for now on, I really need to focus on my knitting, and only knitting there is. No other activities while the Daga gets finished.

And I am back on knitting my Daga shawl

2009-05-24T21:13:00.002+02:00

Love the mulberry silk yarn, but frankly, I would prefer a more chereful colour. This blue one is a bit... dull? Maybe, before going any further, I shall change or rather start another project, in a rubarb red that I've seen which really made me happy. Feel a bit lost at the moment, thinking of what to knit? A sweater doesn't really feel right since summer is waiting around the corner and I am not very fond of knitted t-shirts and that kind of garments. Still thinking and meanwhile, knitting on like Sarah Dawn probably would sing.

Knitting the wrap is finished, sawing needs to be done

2009-05-15T20:15:00.002+02:00

The not-so-funny-part left. Or the part left that tends to be... left. Pieces of my knitting, finished, is piling up on my sofa, just waiting to be sawn together into one garment. Soon...

Moving on...

2009-04-29T07:07:00.001+02:00

Like Sarah Dawn Finer said :-) I finished the two sleeves and keep struggling with the shawl-piece, which is about 130 centimeter now. The pattern says 150-180 cent. so I still have quite a bit to go, but I'm on my way. Will be really interesting to see what this looks like when it's sawn together, at the moment I can't really imagine.

What a few Easterdays can do for your knitting

2009-04-13T19:31:00.004+02:00

My wraparound is moving forward. I was going to write "coming to pieces", but I am not really sure that would be the right way to say it about a piece you're knitting. About a person, yes, but about a wraparound-jacket? Anyhow, I did knit one of the cuffs during Easter Holiday. But, I might rip it after beginning on cuff number two, which looks much more perfect, if I may say so. Ripping and re-knitting is a great practice, that is how I see it. I am not finished with the shawl part, have about 80 centimeters or so to go, but needed something more challenging than just purl's and stichtes back and forth. Maybe, just maybe, I will finish this object before June is over? Am thinking of what to knit hereafter and I would really, really do a summerpiece. Something I can bring with me when we're off to Thailand in January 2010. Yes, we are! I'm thinking of a reddish something shawl or small jacket or top, in Handmaidens Sea Silk yarn. Looking for patterns...

My tubeshaped cowl

2009-03-24T22:27:00.007+01:00

At this picture I put the light part of the cowl inside of the dark part, imagine it like a huge stocking turned inside out or something like that :-)

and here it is just all of it's almost 2 meters down around my neck, like the longest poloneck without the sweater you could imagine. I got more fond of this item than I thought I would be, thinking of how boring it was to knit. It is really soft and warm, almost like having a kitten around my neck!

Mission completed - my cowl is finished before March is

2009-03-20T23:38:00.002+01:00

Feel really good about myself. Kept the goal I had set up and today I finished the grey cowl, before the end of March like I said I would. Was surprised when I tried it on, was actually not sure I would get the cowl over my head but I did. And it was a great piece, pictures coming up on this blog and on my flckrpage later. Now I am trying to find something to knit for the summer, but I am not really sure what that would be. Not a scarf but rather a small top, or maybe a nice sweater to wear when we're out in our boat perhaps. I keep looking and meanwhile I keep knitting my wraparound.

Oh, my, how I've been knitting but getting nowhere

2009-03-18T21:17:00.002+01:00

Knitting in circles I am. This time literally. It's the Boring cowl. My dark grey hank of yarn is soon finished, I do have another one hanging around in my yarnbox, just waiting to be knitted into pieces with it's other little yarnfriends. Do get kind of aching underarm on my prior aching side (is that left or right? I don't know the difference in left and right in Swedish, so don't make me even suggest the right word in English...) My wild guess would be it's my left arm, but hey, who I am to tell? It could as well be the other one. The right one?

Anyway, everytime I fall into my couch, I pick up the needles and knit a few stiches. I CAN see the light in the tunnel... Before March has come to an end, did I hear anyone say that? Or was that me?? Better knit on then.

The most boring knitting I've ever done

2009-03-08T13:25:00.007+01:00

Ever since October 6th I've been working on my grey/darkgrey cowl. Actually it's 95 centimeters of lightgrey yarn, knitted in a circle and then it's another 95 centimeter in a darker grey. The result will be like a really long tubeshaped cowl, which you can wear either as a double: put the darker or if you rather prefer, the lighter, part inside the other and turn it over your head, wear it around your neck. You could alse skip the double-ishing and just put the 95 times two over your head just as is, which means you get a really fluffy big shawl-like thing around your neck. Or, as a third option, you could use the cowl as a shawl.

I've been knitting, desperatly actually, for two evenings in a row, just to finish this piece. It's taken this long to get it done since the knitting itself is pretty boring, there are no challenges and no funny moves there, just round and round and round... Is getting a bit tired of watching it every night and not having it ready to wear. The winterseason is soon over, would be great if I could finish it up before...

Manos del Uruguay - the loveliest little yarn there is?

2009-03-08T13:19:00.002+01:00

At Knit Labs sale I bought 3 skeins of a wonderful toffee-coloured yarn from Manos del Uruguay, for the price I would have payed for only one skein, if the world would have been it's normal self. Haven't got a clue what to do with it, but the woman who owns the shop (for still a little time) suggested I knit a fake moebius (spelling anyone) shawl but that I could sew it together instead of knitting it with all its complicated ways of casting on. Really liked the piece she showed me. If I don't find any other object, on Ravelry or any other great source of patterns, I'll try that one. I'm quite good at ripping you know...

Shop after shop is shutting down

2009-03-07T10:29:00.003+01:00

In a period of only a few weeks, two of the most prominent knittingstores in Stockholm are being shut down. Is it a result of the financial cirisis, or where they going to anyway? I imagine it is difficult to run a shop with all it's cost instead of just keeping a webshop. One of the knittingstores is Nysta, the other is KnitLab. Both really great knittingstores. Let's hope the other great ones will stay in business.

For those of you who still haven't tried

2009-02-22T16:55:00.004+01:00

For those of you who haven't discovered knitting - or other pieces made by hand such as embroidery or crochet for that matter - I strongly recommend you try it. To me, both knitting and embroidery is a truly meditative action, and it gives me lots of options to let my mind flow in just about any direction I want. Working with my knitting is a great way to also work with trouble shooting, the answer to a tricky question often solves more or less by it selves.

I read an article a while ago, that some American executives where knitting when having board meetings (and no, there where NOT any women around, only MEN) in order to create a more creative climate during the meetings. Wouldn't it be fantastic if that would be more of a common thing amongst the board of directors?

And knitting I am...

2009-02-15T22:27:00.002+01:00

Knitting is moving forward, but going slowly... Every time I pick up the needles, I knit for a while, and the following day I get a small pain in my arm. Hmmm. But I am not givint this one up, it's just going to take a bit longer than before.

Keep on knitting

2009-01-28T23:02:00.003+01:00

My wrap around is slowly moving forward. Because of my aching arm I don't dare to knit for too long each time. Love to knit in the Gotlandsull, the Gotland wool-yarn. It is soft and feels really natural, a bit greasy on my fingers. Am still knitting on the middle part of the wrap around, looking forward to the part when I am supposed to knit the arms!

The with or without wraparound is currently on my needles

2009-01-18T18:12:00.005+01:00

Since my left arm is still aching, I have to be careful when knitting and try not to knit in too long sessions at a time. At the moment I am knitting a kind of a shawl or rather a wraparound with arms, which you can twist around you in a funny and smart way. The pattern is from the Swedish book Stickverk, by Birgitta Enghardt. Have the book at home, and I find pattern after pattern that I really want to knit. For this item I choose a toffee coloured woolyarn, a Gotlandsull, as we say in Sweden. I'll put up som pictures when I have something to show.

Happy New Knitting

2009-01-01T18:32:00.000+01:00

A New Year, new knitted items to be shown on the blog. Please stay tuned...!

My very first cap!

2008-12-31T17:43:00.000+01:00

Min första mössa
Originally uploaded by Maria G 1966

It turned out to be really nice and warm. It's much more heavy in the neck than the picture shows, I knitted something about 55 rows, so you can imagine it looks more like a long stocking or similar to that.

Some Christmas knitting required

2008-12-22T18:32:00.006+01:00

Remembered my book Knitted by me and looked into it in case I would find any patterns for nice cap to knit during Christmas. And - yeah! I found this nice one. So I took the bus to Slussen, walked to the nice yarnstore Marias garn and bought three skeins of Eskimo in a greyish shade. After having cast on the required 52 stitches I just kept on knitting, it was really fun and easy-peasy done. Love the colour, hope the cap will fit on my head. What if it gets too tight? If that would be the case, I just give it to someone with a smaller head than me. As a Christmas present.

Haven't showed you my grey moucheshawl, have I?

2008-12-21T20:47:00.001+01:00

Here it is. Really soft and nice. Need to put a few stitches on a some of the mouches, but that's ok. Love the colour and the Kidsilk Haze yarn from Rowan. This was my first knitting experience with a Rowan yarn. (Why do I look so serious - I should be joyful and very happy after having knitted such a great and useful piece!)

In case you're wondering

2008-12-21T20:42:00.003+01:00

Yes, I am still knitting on my mouceh-shawl. Trying to take it slow, since I still feel pain in my right (or is it left, I have really no idea which is which) arm and wrist. Trying to finish this item during Christmas. Am thinking of knitting myself a nice little hat, or "mössa", as we say in Sweden. What do you say about this one?

Decision is made!

2008-10-28T22:18:00.004+01:00

After having changed my mind a couple of times of what to knit next, I decided to go for the Scoop Neck Vest which is a Blue Sky Alpacca pattern. Had some trouble finding the right shade of yarn, the two colours I am going to mix is oyster (from the Silk) and marshmallow (from the Suri). Stumbled over fabulous Tangleonle and even though they didn't sell Suri they were kind enough to bring it home and then ship furhter on to me. If I would have bought this yarn in Sweden I would have had to pay like 2,5 times more and that is even after the dollar has raised against the Swedish Krona.

One project I began with today was my grey soft shawl with mouches. Realized I don't have any nice shawl, warmer winterish one to wear at work or at home, not for outdoor purpose. Found a lovely mohair, Kidsilk Haze from Rowan, in a beautiful grey shade called Smoke just calling out "knit me, knit me". Knitting in stockinette stitches, in a pattern made up by myself. Making some mouches along the way just to make something happen and make the shawl look more interesting. Maybe I will be able to finish it this weekend? Or maybe not, still have to be slow on my arm...

What am I going to knit hereafter?

2008-10-23T18:30:00.005+02:00

So many things on my fav-list at Ravelry and even more on my queue list at the very same website. Maybe that is the problem, too many things to choose from? And all my books where there are lucious things. I would luv to knit the Scoop Neck vest from Blue Sky, but it's not easy to find the to shades of yarn at the same webshop. Buying the yarn in Sweden will be far to expensive. Or should I knit this one, a shawl that is like a sweater?

En sjal som är en tröja?

This one?
Or should I knit a sweater? Or a pair of legwarmers? Or....Or....?

Hurrayh! My Iris is finished!

2008-10-22T22:10:00.002+02:00

Too bad the camera isn't at home, otherwise I would have taken a picture and uploaded it for you to take a peak at my piece of art/yarn/hardwork. Need to block it though, to get the perfect result, but I can tell it's gonna be great! Where I sit at work, close to a drafty window, I have really use for something warm to throw over my shoulders. And this something I made all by myself.

Knitting once, knitting twice, knitting third...

2008-10-21T19:19:00.003+02:00

Like I told you in my prior post that I'm knitting three items at one time. Which actually means none of them is being finished ever... Decided to sign up for and focus on the Iris shawl tonight, trying to finish it. Am going to watch an episode of Midsummer Murders, perfect to knit meanwhile.

Yihaa! Back on track - found the stitches!

2008-10-19T21:32:00.002+02:00

Still have to knit slow and be a bit easy on the stitches, my arm is still aching when working with too monotone movements. Managed to discover what went wrong with the Iris shawl and am back on track with knitting. Did also buy the 6.0 circular needle today for the neck warmer pattern from Garnstudio. I have knitted all the way of the 5.0 pattern, time to move on to use 6.0 needles, which I didn't have at home. And, my last piece is the tubecowl from Nysta. Which I had to rip from the start, since I made it to tight - couldn't get my head inside it... Now I am knitting and knitting and knitting. It's rather boring actually, since it's only garter stitches. But hey, who am I to complain, I'm back on track and am really really happy about it!

Where did all the stitches go???

2008-10-12T17:11:00.002+02:00

By a sudden, some of my stitches of my Iris shawl where missing. At first there where only 4, but when trying to fix it, I lost a few of the stichtes that were round the needle - the just disappeared! And now I lack of almost 20 stiches... Have absolutely no idea how I am going to fix this, maybe going back to last row of the 12th report and try once more.

One stitch at a time

2008-09-11T20:58:00.002+02:00

My arm is slowley getting better, but I have to be easy on it. Picked up my stitches the other night and knitted 4 rows on my Dragon shawl. It was great to be able to knit again, but I could feel after such a short time that I couln't have done any more. It was almost like after a really hard workout at the gym. But hey, I'm back on track, and on Friday I'll go and see my acupuncturist again for a new set of needles in my arm. And in my neck. And in my head.

The story about my aching arm...

2008-08-29T22:30:00.004+02:00

Thank you so much Koko for encouraging words :-)

Our body is an amazing piece of art.
I knew I should have taken care of my aching lower back when it started to feel bad again in the early summer, but as the positive minded spirit I am, all I had in mind was: "

it will get better by it self

". Which it never does, I know that. Yes, I ignored it.

My bodytherapist (the one who gives me massage on a regular basis) told me I should go and see my chiropractor. Which I never did. And the pain in my back sort of moved in to my body in the early summer. And started to wander its way upwards my spinal. The pain decided that my neck was a good place to nestle in. At that time the pain went from my lower back, along my spinal, rockethard in my neck, moving its way out of my head on the front - that is the pain was like eating pieces of me around one of my eyes. This is something that kept on hurting all summer. This week I've been to one massage, one appointment with the chiropractor and today I had some acupuncture in the aching arm. I wonder for how long this is going to be...

Not allowed to knit for a while

2008-08-18T23:08:00.003+02:00

Which feels really bad. I've got what we in Sweden call "mousearm" - a muscle injury in the lower arm, from the elbow and down. The pain keeps me awake at night, it's a real bugger. I can't carry the smallest bag in that hand at the moment, nor hold a magazine or a book. Therefore I can't do any knitting at either right now, and have to take it slow on the surfin' on the Internet too. I practice to manage the mouse with my other hand. Meanwhile I can dream about my next knittingproject, which I have severe problems with. I would love to knit a cable sweater, in a denim yarn, but maybe that would be too heavy for me to hold on to, this close to this arm breakdown. I'll meet my chiropractor tomorrow, see what she says...

Iris shawl

2008-08-10T22:04:00.002+02:00

Working my way through the stitches, row after row. Each report is 20 rows and then the pattern starts all over again. That's what makes the diagonal lines so neat. I have finished the first hank of yarn, have two left and that is what set's the size for this shawl. This will be a perfect shawl to wear when sitting close to the aircon.system at work.

My poncho is finished

2008-08-05T19:39:00.000+02:00

During my vaccation I finished my poncho by the "Verkegård"pattern. It was really easy to knit, but I didn't realize it got so big until I put it on when trying it on for sawing the pieces together. I knit the middlesize. It might sound as I am unpleased, but it's the other way around, I was surprised in a happy-kind-of-way, thought my poncho was going to be a tiny thing not going to warm me enough but this darling will sure keep me warm during autumn and winter. Didn't get the neckline as neat as I wanted though, have to arrange it and maybe saw a few stichtes on the inside to make it look perfect. I am really pleased with my self - hey, I actually made my first poncho!

Getting closer to the finishing line on my poncho

2008-07-30T23:01:00.002+02:00

Today I did cast off my poncho, so what I have left is to figure out how to saw the piece together. I am really lousy (spelling anyone?) at reading "how-to-put-things-together-instructions" (therefore I am not the best of friends of IKEA when it comes to that part). Also some "piffing" left, but I count on using my poncho on the summernights thats is left of my vaccation. I am about to update my Ravelry pics., so I can show the result IRL.

Unwinding for the Iris Shawl

2008-07-19T00:34:00.002+02:00

Unpacked my latest mailorder of yarn from the US. Made a super-bargain when buying Noro Silverthaw for almost a third of it's normal price.

For a long time I have been wanting to knit the really nice "Iris Shawl", found on the Internet. Discovered the pattern-creator also put it up on her page at Ravelry. I just loved the colour of the Noro Silverthaw which is used on the pic showing the pattern., so I actually bought the very same. It's a mixage with olivegreen, lavendelblue, grey and some other colours in between. What is absolutely wonderful about this yarn is it's softness. You could without any problem knit a bikini from it and wear on a hot summers day. Anyway, I printed the pattern, put it in a plastic folder as I'm travelling back and forth between home and different addresses during my vaccation, so I better protect the paper. And, did unwind the first skein of yarn. I'll do the other one tomorrow.

The largest piece of my poncho is finished

2008-07-15T23:54:00.003+02:00

I've been knitting and knitting and knitting on my poncho. 120 centimeter in "patentstickning", a word I can't find the right English for. It is not "ribbed knitting", which is a completely different tech. My ponchopiece got really heavy, about 90 stitches wide as it was, and not knitting on circular needles you can only imagine...

After some thinking and reading the the pattern several times, I managed to pick up 80 stitches from one side of the first piece, so that I could keep on working on the second part of the poncho, where the neckline is supposed to take place. I have never done a poncho before, at the moment I find it a bit differnet to imagine it all will look when finished.

At the end I will have to saw some seams, to get it together, just as it says in the pattern. Hopefully, I will have the poncho ready for our late August nights in our beautiful boat M/S Siesta, as the summernights can get a bit cold in Sweden..

At last! My moucheshawl is finished!

2008-06-22T23:54:00.003+02:00

A soft shawl in soft colours

I absolutely adore the colour of this yarn, it's a toffelike greyish light powderybeige or something like that. The last minutes of our Midsummer-weekend I managed to finish the shawl, so hopefully it'll work just fine as a summershawl at work now. My desk at work is right underneatch an airconditioning area, where it is always freazing cold, so my newmade stole will be just perfect. And the colour goes really good with at bright summertan too!

The heat is on (but off at the moment)

2008-06-19T19:37:00.002+02:00

The past few weeks have been amazing here in Sweden. We've had a wonderful summersun shining and it's been really hot, so knitting hasn't really been on my agenda. Frankly, I didn't think this would happen, so I am a bit surprised. When I picked up my needles last autumn I had this fantazie about me knitting all the time, everywhere, come rain or come shine. But come shine was more than I could take, I have to admint. The last few evenings I have been knitting, though, in front of the tv, watching footboll (my Good, I have never been a football fan, but since everyone at work talk about it, I almost felt as if i HAD to watch it. And you know what? I enjoyed it!