Goodness, gracious...

My 100th post!!!

Let's celebrate with a picture of a really nice pair of socks.



Another pair of Little Child's socks by Nancy bush. I'm really loving my Vintage Socks book. (Sometimes I want to knit every pattern in there.)

It's a good thing I have the chance to show something nice and colourful here because the two things I'm spending most of my knitting time with at the moment are both black. A black Koolhaas hat for my dad, made with Rowan Calmer and bunad stockings in black Dale Baby ull. Both requite a great deal of conscentration. It's either tricky, bouncy, twisted Calmer stitches or tiny needles and microscopic (really) charts these days. When I'm too tired to try to pay enough attention to what I'm doing I pick up Tuscany or another pair of Bush socks that I'm working on. For once I'm glad I have multiple projects on the needles. And I'm still dreaming of the blanket from my previous post;)

I've been inspired

This mornings coffee break blog hopping lead me to some very beautiful things

Grumperinas pretty mitered square blanket.
Awsome blanket in gorgeous colours. Squares knit corner to corner.
And Karen made a very, very, very pretty quilt!

That star shape really speaks to me! I totally don't get why, but it does. And those garter stitch squares are so sweet! And the colours in Grumpys blanket... Yum!
I spent my lunch break in my office all alone, drawing and colouring blocks and triangles. With what I had at hand; a calligraphy pen, pink and green neon markers. (I also tried to do a very small bit of math.)
Now, I want to chuck all my works already in progress into the back of my closet and just knit pretty squares! Help!

This is not good. Every time I start anything garter stitch, I have a world of fun. Then I reach the half way point and want to suffocate myself with the yarn instead of knitting more garter!
I'm armed with a gift certificate to Mauds Garn today. I'm going there before I take my Tuscany shawl to S'n'B. Hopefully there will be something there to take my mind off this garter stitch blanket idea!

IN MY MIND THIS IS THE PRETTIEST KNIT BLANKET EVER!

I am a knitter with only one hat!

One measly hat, that's all I have. I did not even knit it myself. My mom gave it to me four years ago. It is handknit, alpaca and in a nice seafoam lace pattern. I'm wearing it in my previous post. It's ok when it's just been washed. But the unsproingy alpaca gets "blocked" by my head and it's too big for me most of the time.

The last thing I did before I left work before the x-mas holiday was to forget to take my hat with me. I knit 3 hats during the holiday, but did not end up keeping any of them. I absolutely want, and need, a new hat! I've got yarn for two hats for me.
One cashmere, wool and silk (also I've got yarn for mathcing gloves and a scarf for it). However, I'm "designing" this hat myself and even though the design is very clear in my head I'm having problems actually executing it. The yarn is navy blue, would look great with my winter jacket. I need new buttons for that (lost one smack dab in the middle) and it's getting terribly worn too!
Hat two; I bought some Dale Falk yarn on a clearance sale a while ago ("some" - two bags full). Four skeing were picked spesifically with a Red light special for me in mind.


Then I found the Inga pattern on Ravelry. That thing really calls to me!

Instead of the braid, I want a liner like in brooklyntweeds hat. I want to use up the leftover from my Tuscany. Handspun, pink silk liner, makes me happy just thinking about it!

Before I get to start any of the hats I need to finish some stuff. I currently have 9 WIPs on the needles.
Tuscany
Little arrowhead shawl
Green Tea Raglan
Twinkle toes
Breeze ankle socks
Redgreen socks
Madder ribbed socks
Falling Leave socks
Bunad stockings
(not really on needles but swatched and must be done by May. Communion gift for niece!)

Before I can start a hat I must finish Tuscany. I can't start using Tuscany's leftover yarn before actually finishing Tuscany, can I? And when I'm done with all the WIPs listed above, I've promised myself I can start a sweater or cardigan for myself. Something great and challenging or simply just luxurious or gorgeous. Definately a price. Must knit faster!

New years resolutions for 2008:
-Grow an extra pair of arms
-Learn to knit in my sleep

2008 firsts

First ski trip of 2008 today. I have the most awsome skistockings/kneehighs in my neck of the wood. I am absolutely sure of that!



Not only are they gorgeous, but they are the perfect thickness to fit into my ski boots too. But I'm careful when wearing them, I don't want them to get ruined or worn out fast. So they are kept safe like this:



There is probably a good english word for "gamasjer", but neither I nor dictionary.com seem to know what it is.

(ETA: Strikkelise informed me in the comments that the proper english word I'm looking for is gaiters...)

The socks are knit for me in a Knittyboard sock swap by Susan. A full wiew of the awsomeness of this sock can be seen here or here (Ravelry). I've been waiting for the perfect opportunity to show off these socks for months now!

The second first in this post...
The first finished knitted object of 2008!
And it's not a sock, hat or other accessorie or baby knit. It's a whole garment for a large(ish) person!




I loved knitting it and both Marie and I love the result!

(Ravelry link)

Look what I found

I tidied up in my knitting basket (aka the big messy place behind/between the piano and sofa). At the bottom I found my longest surviving WIP, one and a half Falling Leaves sock. Cast on in June 2006! As I took a proper look at it for the first time in months I wondered how I could have forgotten about it. Answer: it was not in my Ravelry projects. Seems like I have come to depend on that genious of a place very much.

I joined the Finish me! group on Ravelry a few days ago. I hope that is enough of a kick in the ass to make me finish stuff. I now have 11 alive and kicking wips to tackle, and I'm ready to tackle all of them!

As I added the Falling Leaves socks to my projects page I remembered I took some pictures when I had just started them. I did not find them in my Flickr, but I had luck in my photobucket when I finally remembered my login and password (been over a year since I logged in there).

Look at Maries tan and summery, chubby, sweet toddler hand:





Time flies!

Happy new year!

With my last finished knit of 2007 I welcome 2008.

I hope this year will be great for everyone around me in person and online.



Happy new year everyone!





(The last fo is Urchin from Knitty in red Hubro from Dale yarns. More here)