Lots of things

It does not feel like I get a lot of knitting done these days, but when I look in my at my knitting photos on Flickr I see that I am in fact finishing things.

I've finished a tiny Tuscany shawl

I used 4mm needles and one ball of Rowan Damask. A pretty viscose/linen/acrylic blend. Very nice and shiny! I wish I had used one size bigger needles, after washing and ironing the shawlette it did not become as drapey as I thought it would.
I came up with a little cufflink thing to use to fasten it around my neck. The buttons are from a knittyboard secret pal round. The leaves go so well with the lace pattern on the Tuscany. I think it's very pretty (and smart).


I usually wear the the tiny thing like a neckwarmer, like this:

It can also be worn in other ways, but I prefer the one above.


Then I finished the Roza's socks I started sometime in september. I was a bit disappointed in these socks. I do like them, it's just that I was a bit bummed about not realising the yarn in the two balls I used was wound in opposite directions. Especially since I made an effort to get the stripes to match in the beginning of the socks. (also blogged here)

The pattern was great though, and the brioche stitch made the knitting easy but not boring.

Then I'm trying to get Marie ready for winter and snow.
I had mentioned for her that I could knit her a pinc "ice cream" hat, and a month ago she started to ask me (a lot) about when it would me done.
It finished it a finished it two weeks ago and the hat is already in regular use and is very much loved. "Mom, the other kids are pretending I'm an ice cream and are licking my head" she told me the other day.

I learned that I have been doing my backwards look increases the wrong way while knitting this hat. I frogged half a hat when I realised it, and then there was some minor ripping incidents later on too. There are only two increases that are the wrong way now. I did not see them until I had bound off.
I also love this hat because it's the first thing I have knit from my own handspun. I had to use the yarn double stranded to get a nice fabric on 7mm needles. I adjusted the cast on number too, to make the hat child sized.

Marie also has new mittens. I knit them with the leftover Cascade 220 from my Subway/Flexus mittens and some mystery leftover yarn I've had "since the dawn of time". They are loosely based on the Subway Mittens pattern too. The thumb is the same and I used twisted rib for the cuff. The rest was made up as I knit.


(as always all photos can be clicked to take you to Flickr to see larger versions if you like)

Why this long and full post? I'm sitting here with a small suitcase beside me, holding all the important things you would pack for a long weekend in London. Except knitting... I did not bring any, I don't think I can fit any knitting in between being social with my collegues, spending a day with my friend Boyce, seing Lord of the Rings (musicla), spending hours looking at and tasting food and beverages at Borough market, etc. I did remember to bring my camera. There will probably be a picture or two taken. Maybe I'll try to look up one of the yarn stores. Are there any pubs near by do you think?

Also, another thing I'm really happy about; one of the bands my brother is in have released a new cd and are getting great reviews. After listening to it and seeing the cover I do understand his x-mas gift wish "anything as long as it is in black and white and looks vintage".
This band has the greatest drummer ever! He's a sweetie:)

Have a nice week end! I will!

Baby it's cold outside

Subway mittens from the latest Interweave Knits. A very fast and easy pattern. I think I would have been able to knit the pair in one day had I not been distracted by other things.* The yarn is Cascade 220. That is actually the yarn the pattern called for. I've been dying to knit up my skein of 220 since Theresa gave it to me in February (Thankyou, sweetie!) . Since I'm in Norway, but knit mostly from english/american patterns I don't have the chance to knit with the yarn a pattern calls for very often. I've been very close to ordering some Cascade online many times, but there is something scary about ordering large amounts of a yarn I have never knit or even touched before. Now I know it's safe next time I get the urge. I really like it. I also think there is enough yarn left for a pair of mittens for Marie too.



Coming soon to this blog; a tiny Tuscany and an icecream hat.

Just in time I think

I finished another baby bonnet. Just in time for it to go in the mail and be at my aunts house by Sunday I hope. She asked me to knit this bonnet to go with her (and my) family's christening gown.

I struggeled a bit to get this thing together. First I had trouble finding a lace pattern I liked that went well with the gown. It has a fair bit of lace on it, waves and flowers theme. I did not want to knit a flower lace pattern. It was hard to find one that worked well with the lace on the gown while at the same time not being too feminine. I know baby boys can pull off feminine quite well but it was not what I was after. So I decided to try the waves instead and went with the wave/jigsaw pattern I fell in love with when I knit the Jigsaw socks during the last sock swap I was in.



I struggled a bit with the cotton yarn (Rowan Cotton Glace) and knitting this particular pattern flat. It involves a p2tog tbl, and I find that very hard with cotton yarn with minimal give. It did turn out very pretty in the end though.
I also had to knit and rip the ribbing around the neck 3 times before it all looked pretty the 4th time. Very frustrating, messing up simple ribbing and a row of eyelets multiple times!



My favourite thing about my way of knitting these bonnets is the back. The decreases add a certain somethin-something that makes it all come together so well.



As you can see I'm now heading into the poor lighting photos period known as winter. I had to take these pictures at work. It's dark when I leave home in the morning and dark when I get back home in the evenings. You might end up seeing a lot of Ikea office furniture this winter. I'm not patient enough to wait until weekends and home time during daylight hours to take pictures of my knitting.

When cheating works out just fine...

I cheated! I wore my Tuscany shawl to a party before it was done.



The punishment for this kind of thing is red eyes and a shiny face, even though I did all I could to avoid both.

How I did it: after the last row on the 8th pattern repeat I threaded a lifeline through all the stitches. I used "button sewing thread", it looks almost like machine sewing thread but it's much stronger. Then I bound off all the stitches using the knitted bind off, because that one is fast to do and easy to rip out.
Then I spritzed the shawl with water and let it rest for a while, before steam ironing it on the reverse side.

I loved wearing my Tuscany, but I'm glad it's going to be bigger still. The more lovely, soft, shiny, silky goodness there is the happier I am.

I'm no Yarnstorm

But I can make a cake look nice too...


Also, I can assure you that the toes inside these socks have no nailpolish. In fact, I don't think they've ever had a pedicure.


If you don't know Yarnstorm, you should go check her out here. Be sure to bring chocolate!

I knit the socks for my cousins partner. I gave them a pair of tiny tiger baby socks this summer, and since then Stefan has been totally in love with the thought of owning his own tiger socks. So when my cousin told me about his love for the tiger socks I really didn't think I had any choise but to knit him a pair. He'll get them on his birthday on Sunday. They are knit with Opal 6-ply yarn on size 3.25 needles on 52 stitches (instead of 44).

The cake... I did not make that! I did not even put it together. I did put the flowers and hearts on it. Looks good I think. It's for MIL and FIL's 75+70 year birthday party tomorrow. I have a new dress and all, and will be wearing my Tuscany shawl, even though it's not quite finished yet. I have a cunning (I hope) plan!

I'm going to London at the end of the month. I'll try to pick up Yarnstorms book then. And yarn!