Crocheted carpet

For my daughter's new room I have crocheted a carpet from a kit by FROSTA Design. It has about 70cm diameter and took only a couple of hours to crochet. The hevy weight yarn (rope?) probably looked very easy to crochet with, so my 7-years old daughter asked for some of the yarn and a crochet hook. Once she got hold of it she started crocheting and she is still going strong... it is now at least a 20m long chain :-).

Torpavott

To match the new winter clothing for my daughter I am knitting a pair of Torpavotter from the Norwegian place Gjövik. 2mm needles and two balls of Rauma Inca Alpakka, then I just followed the adult version of the pattern. 5 pattern repeats before the thumb and 8 before the take-in part starts. They're very thick and I will skip the sewing on the inside else they will be too small for her. Next time maybe 2.5mm will be better suited to get more space for the sewn on lining (or does anyone know how the Estonains/Lithuanians get the lining yarn knitted in while the mittens are knitted?). I will knit more of those! Lacking the thumb gusset this is a quite quick knit. And easy. The instruction gives a neat star-shaped pattern at the fingertips.

More cuffs

I have to stock these cuffs of my own design, they have become popular gifts. See http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/frilly--lacy-wrist-warmers where the pattern can be downloaded.

And another pair:

Rådisar from Kalle K, Kalikå

Plenty of projects have passed my hands this summer, but nothing has been published. It is time to show them off, even if everything isn't knitted. I'll start with the cute rats. The orange one I made before my daughter was born, but this summer she finally started to play with it. Actually, it is not just a toy, it is a sleeping aid too which according to my daughter needed a friend. Sometimes you just have to check your stash when inspiration hits you and there, at the very bottom, some brown velour saw the daylight after a long hibernation. The pattern and instruction is from a book which is out of stock called Kalle K och hans vänner. It is from the shop in Stockholm named Kalikå. The book is a treasure!

What I have been up to?!

In case you wonder if I have stopped knitting?... well no, I haven't :-). I have been up to other things for a couple of months like moving, knitting gifts (Nowegian baby mittens and some lace cuffs). I have also published another lace shawl pattern, the Estonian Butterfly.

At the moment I am designing a new Estonian lace shawl in Grignasco MerinoSilk. Very exciting!

Easter knitting

I had such a nice Easter Holiday! I seldom publish photos of friends or myself on the internet, but this time I'll make an exception. I'll share one with you. Knitting with friends is one of my favourite hobbies. Yes, I know I knit almost every free minute I have, but seldom with friends which is so much more fun. The weather was fine, the company was excellent! To the right, in action, Strikkoman is knitting her vendestrikkjakke. To the left there's me and my Big Butterfly shawl. All lined up in front of my office which dressed up with its Janus Face "Stickarboden" for the occasion (it's just a play with two Swedish words meaning "knit" and "carpenter's workshop").

For Lapariagotte, poncho

Laparigotte,
I will try to describe how to knit the poncho main body by some text and the two pictures below (please note the diagrams are an example I haven't got the Poncho pattern at hand at the moment so please follow the instruction carefully):

The poncho main body is knitted in the quite easy Feather & Fan lace pattern. The front and back section are separated by two plain stitches and on each side of these on every other row you are supposed to increase a stich before and after those (4 stitches in total every other row). As the number of stitches increases more repeats of lace holes and corresponding K2TOG may be inserted. Keep track on the YOs and make sure there is an equal number off K2TOGs else the body will grow or get smaller than it is supposed to.

On the very first lace row the pattern has no decreases at all. It's the "set-up row" as you can read in the Sharon Miller "Heirloom knitting" book, Cobweb crepe shawl pattern frame. Like this:



Therfore the number of stitches increases a lot after the first row. Just mark the centre stitches before you start (make sure the number off stiches match the pattern)and follow the written instruction as many times as you can fit in before you reach the first marked stitch.

* means just a plain knit stitch
o means yarn over

Then the lace rows consist of the basic pattern repeat on every fourth row:


* means just a plain knit stitch
o means yarn over
/ means knit 2 together
\ means slip one knitwise, knit next stitch and pass slipped stitch over the one you just knitted


Good luck! and welcome back if you meet more trouble.

/Knitritious

Butterfly Shawl

Finally I managed to finish my Butterfly Shawl. It has been a UFO for months, I have been knitting and frogging and knitting and frogging. Finally I just decided to get it off the needles. Here it is, an Estonian influenced shawl -My way! I used nupps as pixels to make the big centre butterfly. Very untraditional, naughty me!

Hi Precious!

Welcome back little Tulipa turkestanica! The petals open as the sun rises and in the evening they close again. It's the earliest botanical tulip of all the bulbs I have planted. It'll be followed by many of its relatives: tarda, clusiana, bifolia sylvestris and the humilis varieties.

Wrist warmers

I popped in at the Husfliden store in Drammen today, and the owner really has stashed up with new yarns. I just couldn't resist this... ecological yarn. It pretty much looks like something in between cashmere and angora but it is much softer. Nice fluffy halo, a bit dry feeling and matte finish. I bought it with sparkling fibres (sequin it was called) but unfortunately it is not visible when taking photos of it. The "sequins" consist of something that looks like sari glitter fibres that are randomly spinned into the yarn. Beautiful! I think it'll make nice presents (yes it was a success!).

Lace up your apple!

I am not sure why I knit such things... I used to hate knitted unuseful things, but since I became a mom and I got a little fan club of young girls that really appreciate the knitted toys I make it has grown into a habit.

This is an apple cozy, to prevent the apple to get brown areas when being transported, and to save the handbag from stains too.

I had no instruction, just made it up while knitting. I garter stitched it to make the decreases and increases less visible and crocheted laces and green leaves around the opening.

Tell me about your disasters!

Oh my godness, the yarn snapped off after only 5 Love Darg edging tips. I can't really blame it on the yarn being too weak, no at the contrary it is quite strong (for being spun 40000m/kg...) it just couldn't bear the weight of the cone. Does this mean I should wind off a piece (no, no, oh no!) or that I can start on the frame instead? I mean, what if I find out that me and my Love Darg will not make close friends, then 124 edging tips would be wasted.

I put a standard sewing thread (Güterman polyester) besides the 2/80nm from Colourmart. They are pretty mutch the same, except for the sewing thread is tighter spun. So, I'm knitting with sewing thread!!!

Tell me about your knitting (or whatever) disasters!

Meanwhile I'll tell you a little secret, the pattern repeat on page 34 looks like this knitted in a 3/48nm Merino wool yarn on 3.25mm needles. Neat, isn't it?

Love Darg

I started a new huge project. The Love Darg Gossamer shawl. It's a beutiful shawl. Last summer I bought a 150g cone of 2/80nm merino silk blend arn (thread!). 6000m of turquoise/petrol lustrous yarn/thread. I have been saving it for something special, and now I have decided this pattern deserves it. The edging is the one Sharon Miller suggests, not the original. It is only 7cm wide using a 2mm needle. Though, knitting 128 repeats (all way round) made me hesitate to add another insertion to get a wider edging. I'll probably be busy knitting this all summer :-)

Estonian Jewel in Mohair

I knitted another Estonian Jewel in 10 days. This time in Rowan KidSilk Haze, shade Splendour :-). Three balls exactly, i e 75g. A sturdy but still lacy jewel.



I added another edging. And tassels :-)

Second Lingonberry Leaf shawl

This is my most recent creation. It was finished and blocked here at Grönolen Fjellgaard. We're on vacation in the beautiful Valdres, Norway. We keep returning to this place owned by our friend, the Grönolen Brothers (an excellent chef and an excellent host). It is our second home :-)
The vacation was almost cancelled because the car engine gave up in Årjäng. We had to take a recovery truck back home, change cars and pack it all over again into the old car. Do I have to say, my knitting collapsed too? It took three nights to repair the inner lace edging. We'll, here it is, finally. Valdres-blocked.





Second Lingonberry Leaf shawl is in progress. I chose to knit another one because I got a request for the pattern and it is easier to write while knitting. I just love to knit this shawl so I don't mind. Lovely yarn from Colourmart.com, 3/48nm CashMerino in two shades of purple.

More Barbie knitting

We're throwing a party! 4 off 7-years old girls have invited their classmates and a few more friends to a big party. The guests shall bring one present each and the receiver is unknown. I knitted this dress in case of there will be a number of presents which is not evenly divideable by 4. My daughter is planning to try to get this one, she really-really wants this dress. Of course I have promised to knit another one if she doesn't get it, but she has still got her mind set up to go get this one.


... and then I just had to knit another one :-)

Barbie Birthday

Happy Birthday my little darling E! I'm really glad you appreciated the Barbie clothing I knitted for your 7th birthday!
Here's the swim suit you wished for: The yarn is a stashed vintage cotton from my grandmother Rut.
And the dress:

Knitted in Rauma Röros Lammullgarn. The pants were a suprise, and so was the poncho with braids and tassels:



Please, wish for more of these fun projects!

Lingonberry Leaf Estonian Triangle

I added some details to my Lingonberry Leaf Triangle. An additional lace edging and tassels. I am much more pleased with it now.







Another Estonian triangle of my own design. Lovely nupps all over, and this time, for a change, I choose a wide lace edging. Actually, this is blocked and finished, but I have more plans for this shawl, so If you return in a couple of weeks you'll se what I have in mind.

The CheerMom's KAL

Some of us Moms´, waiting when our daughters are training Cheer, have started a little KAL (Knit Along). It will be a shawl or a Möbius scarf which can be worn as a poncho, scarf, neckerchief or... A very versatile little thing. The chosen yarn is the lovely Rowan Kid Silk Haze (or equivalent about 215m/25g). The pattern, we haven't got a proper pattern, is just a few scribbled lines of instruction to follow. We are making a bias knit (stickas på skrådden).Two of us are using size 7mm needles, so it's a very quick and easy knit. Therefore I bought the whole KnitPro Rose special edition interchangeable needles. They are just wonderful when knitting the thin mohair yarn. I'm not sure I really needed new needles, but good equipment is essential isn't it?

Delivery

It's my Birthday and someone obviously remembered...Thxs a lot!

10 shawls 2010, price

Last year I knitted 12 shawls and I participated in the 10 Shawls in 2010 challenge. I won!!! very nice stitch markers from www.etsy.com/shop/TessYoungCreatives. Thanks a lot! They're lovely! and I consume lots of those :-)

OK, it was random prices though :-).



Packaging is everything :-)

I am a published designer

I am a published designer. Yes, I know, I published my own pattern on Ravelry :-) so it wasn't difficult at all. Well, writing a pattern is difficult. But, lately people have asked me over and over again to write a pattern. So I did. Now I hope they see that it is their fault that I have published it... I mean I hope they like it, because I did it for their sake... kind of. And mine, it was fun.

Keep on knitting my jewels!