Wednesday, January 29, 2014

This is Knitting Country!

I heard the clickety clack of needles on the train between Snåsa and Værnes, Norway:
Next to me...
 Behind me...
And who knows?  In our two rows (8 seats) there were 5 knitters!
(Hee hee… don't you love those funny letters?  I hope blogger can interpret them for you: ÆØÅ)

Monday, January 27, 2014

Finishing the hoodie


And there's a winner!  Here's the winning entry:
Hi fellow knitter and blogger,
it's a fun guessing game you invented! After taking a good look at your project page and thinking about what would I do... I'm still not sure but I will try my best. So, I suppose you first finished the front, then embroidered the flower on the right shoulder area, next you finished the back (possibly kitchenered it to the front), then made the hood and reknit the sleeves to be wider. My guess may be far from the truth, but one thing I know for sure; you did an excellent job with this hoodie, it's very pretty.
Enjoy the last few days of your visit and have a safe trip home!

 Mimi (Serbia)
And the finished hoodie:
Done with two days to spare!  Like Brenda, a rare occurrence.
As Mimi observed, I needed to finish the back, make a front, knit the hood, knit a border around the front opening, sew in the sleeves, and embroider the final heart/flower.   Why did I have 2 days to spare?  Probably because I did NOT reknit the sleeves.  It is a miracle!  They fit!!
Yarn goes in the post today… Congratulations Mimi, and thanks to all the others who read my blog.

Friday, January 24, 2014

Update on Knitting

Here's the most recent progress, however, (spoiler alert) I just bound off!  Yay!  Two days to go, and I'm SOOOO close.
I don't know why it is sideways… It wasn't when I imported it...

And speaking of close, I want to let you know that no one is CLOSE to winning the prize from January 16!  You can go back there and review, but here's a refresher and hint:
When I asked for 5 things I needed to do to complete this project, two of them are (in no particular order) finish the back, and knit the front edging.  If you have trouble seeing the image, click on the photo and it should open up in an enlarged format.  If you want to see the pattern, you can probably get to it through my Ravelry page.
Ok, Marija!  It's up to you, and you have 24 hours from … NOW!
Good luck!  (There were more than 5 things, so don't worry if you can't get them all in 5!)
And go ahead and write them in comments… or email me.  I don't care if you spoil it for others.

Monday, January 20, 2014

North Land

A knit fest without the necessary yarn!  Yes, dear friends, I knitted feverishly on my little girl's pullover and halfway up the hood I ran out of yarn.  So I'm on hold until a return to Bergen in two days.  It's looking fine!
The sun shines on the mountains in the distance every day, and yesterday it briefly streamed through the kitchen window.  (It's hard for me to NOT be excited...)
We went for a walk... on ice.  It's crazy to feel safer in a car than on feet, but with boots with studs, convertible studs, it was easier!   Easier than without, for sure...  These special boots are made with a stud section that lifts and twists to expose studs, and the bottom boot (a second pair that I used) has a flip over section.  Pretty smart!  And safe!
 The view over Snåsa... 
 

We made a quick stop and look into a traditional Sami dwelling.  It is part of a sensory garden at a nursing home.  There are sections of the garden for Samis and Norwegians.  The bright light at the floor is an air/bear hole.  M says that bear meat is not brought in the front door, but only through that hole.


The wind was blowing and makes the -5C feel at least -15C. 
Next:  New stripey socks.

Friday, January 17, 2014

A Walk in the Park

A city park in Bergen.  The daycare is nearby, and after a day of care and play, we fed the ducks on the way home. It is 4 PM and raining unusually hard.  
Perfect for ducks!  They were appreciative of bread...
And a comparison picture can be found here (taken 6 months ago).
At 60 degrees north latitude, it's really dark BUT on a rainy day, it's darker…  Here's an example:
A day with direct sunshine is seldom, and possible for only 2-1/2 hours a day (at this time of year) so you have sunsetting
because the sun travels sideways… in a slight arc… into the next mountain, about 2 PM on January 9, and moonrise at 4 PM 

while it's still light.  Look at that blue sky!


Thursday, January 16, 2014

Almost… finished, second try, second knitter...

A pullover with hood has been on my Ravelry page since last summer, and it proudly is described as C's project, not mine!  Six months later, I arrive for a visit and now it's mine.  I'm a finisher, that's for sure.  In fact, I detest unfinished projects.  Sometimes (sometimes) I don't start things because I KNOW it won't get finished…a noble life to live…but sometimes my startitis gets a grip.  But now the pullover is officially mine.  My last question to C was, "If I can't finish in 2 weeks, would you be willing to finish, by knitting the hood and assembling the pieces."  The answer was emphatic, and it didn't sound like "not finished" was an option.  So I have a schedule, that doesn't look especially realistic…
It's a beauty!
When I started, the sleeves and the bodice pattern part were completed.  I was asked to finish so I knitted merrily around and around without pattern instructions until after a few inches there was a discussion as to whether it would be big enough for Juju.
I measured this one, and I measured sweaters that are in use, and determined that no, it wouldn't fit.  Then there was further discussion about cutting it open and inserting side panels, or a front (cardigan) opening, and it all seemed too much trouble, so with great gnashing of teeth (not mine, of course) I ripped the bodice back to the garter ridge bottom border.
Of course, I used the previous model as a gauge sample, and knowing what I know about garter ridges compared to fair isle construction, I decided to increase from 150 to 180 for the color work.  And I decreased at the end of the color work.  It looks a bit…roomy… but I console myself with "better bigger".  It now is a size 6.
So here's a little challenge for all you followers:  I have a nice ball of Big Delight (DROPS) in charcoal colours (OK, I'm using a Norwegian keyboard which insists that colour should have a U in it, and I'm tired of fighting with it…).  It will be YOURS if you can tell me how much more I need to do before January 27.  (Hint: I shouldn't be sitting here blogging…)
There are five things to complete before I can leave it here and travel home.
If you email me, and don't spoil it for others in comments, I'll put your name in a hat as a prize candidate.  If you don't know my email, comment and I'll get back to you.  You have until Tuesday to give me your answers, and you can use any means available to figure it out.  I don't care if you think I can actually get this done…:)  Let's just say I have some airport and train time ahead of me this weekend.
And the prize:
It's a beauty.  I bought and used the same yarn for a wonderful scarf.
Good luck!  Have a great weekend!  Stay warm, and KNIT!

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Bag-o-blocks

Without meaning to advertise a certain type of building blocks, I would like to show you something fashioned from a pin on pinterest which deals with a number of problems.  Number one problem is TINY pieces, lost on the carpet.
Now they are easily contained, and the minky fabric is a delight to sit on.  I tried a drawstring first, but it's too bulky to cinch up, so I sewed eight tabs which can be collected with a carabiner, and YAY!  There's also a pocket for some set booklets and building ideas.  
One of many projects around the house with a four-year-old.

Monday, January 13, 2014

Gothic Spire Socks


Intricate design which would be very much appreciated in a solid color, but my thing is color AND design...
Confession:  My daughter isn't fussy...  If she wasn't wearing these right now I would be removing a chart repeat from the leg of the left one.  Alas, it is an inch longer because I followed the pattern, and the pattern/chart is a "yarn eater".  I normally would get two socks from 384 yards, though I know 400+ is best, but there are wrapped stitches...and they are bulky and warm...and (second confession) I'm not entirely sure how it would unravel if I were to cut it open. And then what kind of mess would I have kitchener'ing it back together?  I love my daughter. She's not fussy in the best way!
Pattern:
Yarn:
Happy Feet by Plymouth Yarn, Fingering / 4 ply
90% Merino, 10% Nylon, 192 yards / 50 grams

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Necklace

A little something that needed only the clasp for the past month or two...

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Recommended Reading

Certainly not a cop-out when I encourage you to read someone else's blog!  I'm all for quality over quantity.
Please, PLEASE LOOK UP  Panopticon to the right in my "Blogs I Read" list.
Or
http://the-panopticon.blogspot.no/

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

A new year look!


Can't believe it!  Four and a half, a tinkerbell fanatic, an on sale Halloween costume, and pompom slippers!
Remember the old slipper pattern from the fifties?  I'm quite sure it was the very first thing I knitted as a kid.  (I still need help with the pompoms...) I remember it well, in fact.  I smile, I touch, when I see these slippers at bazaars, and yard sales.  For all of the fancy and creative patterns listed in Ravelry, this one is the go-to functional slipper that never fails me. 
In my closet I have one pair of little worn slippers like this one, and while packing after Christmas, with a sleigh full of toys in my suitcase, I threw them in. At the time it seemed like a cop-out since I didn't knit them, and they were so little used, they could hardly be my favorite... But when space is a premium, I look the other way.  The giveaway that tells me that they didn't come from my knitting needles is the perfectly thick and rounded pompom on each slipper.  I've never been able to recreate such a full puff of perfection. And they didn't go unnoticed!
I arrived on Sunday, I slipped them on on Monday, and immediately the above little scrutinizing little being exclaims, "Those are tinkerbell slippers!  Look, Mommy, she has tinkerbell slippers!"  What makes them so is the pompom as any scrutinizer of tinkerbell will tell you. And the next day I was feverishly improvising a pompom for a little girl (who was too overwhelmed by a fireworks display at midnight to sleep) to finish off one slipper so she could rest assured that her tinkerbell feet would be adorned by the same. 
It worked, somewhat... I also had to swear by the hair on my chinny-chin-chin that a second slipper would be finished the next day.  And it was...

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...