Friday 28 September 2012

Me Love Mittens

I am about to really really love knitting mittens. Especially when I can use up some stash in a lot of colors. I wanted some colorful finger warmers for the winter that would be a match to all my knitted scarves and shawls. Yes, I need a new closet. And some good arguments to knit even more. Anyone having some good ones??

Anyway, I found this pattern in a rather expensive mittens book in swedish, Solveigs vantar. I bought it because a lot of people were praising it. And it really has a lot of wonderful motifs.

But, I was so dissapointed. Why does a skilled knitter publish a knitting book without gauge, measure or yarn suggestions?

Only a 2ply yarn is suggested. And what is that??? I searched Ravelry for it - and came up with lace yarn. Excuse me, but this is like a cook book where you have to guess your ingredients and how much to use.

For this pattern I was told to use 60st, but there were only 58 in the chart. And with no gauge I was lost.

I discovered I had to knit more pattern for the mittens to cover my fingers. All in all I am pleased with my mittens and I may knit more from the book.

In spite of being a really bad knitting book. I just have to use a lot of guessing and some luck.

Anyway, why bother being annoyed about that book. When there are so many good english knitting books with proper patterns and explanations. Why is it always the small things in life that annoys the most?

Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace
Victor Hugo


The Stitch Story
Yarn: Rauma Finull, Pt2 (Colors from stash)
Needles: 1.75mm, 2mm
Pattern: Irma
My Ravelry Page: Stashy Mittens
The mittens works fine with my heart warming alpaca scarf. Ready for winter...

Friday 21 September 2012

Stripes From Stash

The necklace is made of polymer clay by me. 
The sweater pattern that hit Norway this summer has practically emptied yarn stores for the colors grey, brown and beige. As I look really sick in those colors, I soon found out that it would be a nice idea to use some of all the stash.

So i picked out my complementary colors and started knitting this sweater with absolutely no shape other than straight down.

I added a strand of mohair to the wool and that did the trick. It got so soft. I sort of followed the pattern but cast on 90st instead of 80st.

I also knitted the sleeves shorter and not that wide. Not fun to get food in your woolly sweater when the sleeves are hanging into your spaghetti sauce...

I did not have any thoughts about the striping other than the colors should match. I made it up as I knitted.

As I used my stash I knitted in the round - one row knit and one row purl. Yes, that is boring but it was ok once I got started.

That was to get both back and front alike in the colors.

The neck got too deep - but I picked up stitches and knitted a short edge. Unraveling is not fun when using mohair. I knitted the sleeves top down to avoid sewing.

The polymer clay necklace that will go with the sweater.
So, here we are. Ready to hit a party back in the 80s. All I need is a heavy perm, pink denim trousers (I actually had one of those) and white tennis socks. Need I say more??

Have a lovely weekend!

The Stitch Story
Yarn: Rauma Finull, Pt2, Plum, Plumet
Needles: 6mm
PatternSkappelgenser (norwegian)Sweater (english)
My Ravelry PageOversized Stash
My little fury friend is always curious.

Wednesday 19 September 2012

A Warm Hug For A Baby

What could be better than to be wrapped in soft baby wool on a chilly winters day? A little girl is about to get a very warm and soft hug.

I knitted this baby blanket as a part of a christening gift. I finished it during the summer and have just washed and blocked it.

New labels made for the blanket.
What I thought should take a few days took a very long time. Tiny needles and thin yarn kept the knitting going for a lot of time.

But I am glad I chose the thin yarn. The blanket is more versatile and nice to use.

So now I am hoping that it will be used until it is worn out. And that the little girls parents will like it.

I have knitted a lot of love and hope into it.



The Stitch Story
Yarn: Sandnes yarn Lanett (6 skeins)
Needles: 2.5mm
Size: 85cm x 63cm
Pattern: Pamphlet 201 from Dale yarn (Babyblankets)
My Ravelry Page: Soft Sea Foam

Monday 17 September 2012

And The Winner Is


Thank you so much for all your wishes and comments on my birthday giveaway. I really appreciated that a lot.

Now, the winner got back to me in time and I am very happy to say that Britt won. She lives over 2.000km from me way up north in Norway. Now my chrysalis and the wishes are about to go on a long trip. Congratulations Britt.

Visit Britts blog and see her lovely crochet work and photos from her mountain hiking where she lives. Very impressing nature.

I used the random number generator to draw the winner.

Wednesday 12 September 2012

Wishes For My Birthday

This giveaway is now closed. The winner is being contacted. Thank you so much for participating.

There are so much hope in wishes. All those dreams that flow in our lives. The 12th was my birthday and instead of wishing for a lot of yarn, diamonds and peace on earth I have made a wish. Not for me but for someone out there in blogland.

This polymer clay chrysalis has sealed wishes inside - you can not get them out without breaking the pendant. The wishes are secret and only one more person will know what they are. Maybe that one is you?

I am giving the necklace away. Only the winner will know what the wishes are. In a little paper roll you will find a text that is a copy of the wishes inside the chysalis.

I love the stories of metamorphosis - that something beautiful can grow even though it seems hopeless.

The pendant is made of polymer clay, textured and antiqued with acrylic paint. It has a little bird and a real pearl underneath it. It is stringed with a leather cord and there are beads on the cord ends.

You simply tie it behind your neck and let those leaf textured beads a part of the necklace.

This giveaway is free (no blogging, facebooking, or other fancy hoops). Just leave me a comment.

Most importantly: Leave your email address if it is not in your profile. If do not leave a way to contact you via email, I will draw another winner.

The giveaway will be open until Sunday 16th of September at 13pm (CET). The winner will be contacted and will have 24 hours to get back to me if you win - or another winner will be drawn.

Thank you for being a part of my giveaway - and good luck!!!
Copy of the wishes is printed in the little paper roll for the winner to see.

Sunday 9 September 2012

Strucked By A Knitted Star

There are a lot of shining stars walking among us every day. We meet them in the grocery shop, on the streets and in our relationships. But these are knitted and rather woollen - and may not shine. And they may not make others happy either - besides me.

It took a little longer than expected to knit the scarf. But it was such fun to knit the pattern. The pattern is from the book Kiri Kari.

As I realized that my stashed Drops Delight yarn was not as bad as its reputation - I used it for background color for the scarf.

The colors are great and the yarn soft and nice to knit with.

I added a feather and fan edge to the scarf. The white color got a bit too dominant but it works in a way. I am not a short scarf knitter obviously.

I tend to knit and knit - and end up with over two meter long scarves. But I like to tie them one more time around the neck.

I think I am going to use this scarf a lot. And who knows - maybe I can wish upon a star and get my wish granted. Be sure to check in on wednesday - there will be surprise for you.

A life lived with integrity - even if it lacks the trappings of fame and fortune is a shinning star in whose light others may follow in the years to come
Denis Waitley


The Stitch Story
Yarn: Drops Delight, Pt2 Panda
Needles: 2.5mm
Size: 2.4m long
Pattern: Chart from the book Kiri Kari
My Ravelry pageWool For A Star

Monday 3 September 2012

Blooming And Woollen Happiness

I am going to dance with them. I am going to sing with them. I am going to be warm in them. 

My mittens are finished after some turbo knitting. I love them so much. They came out just blooming and woollen for my taste.

I am very happy about using tiny needles on 1.75mm - they did the trick as I am a loose knitter most of the time.

The mittens fits me just as I wanted. I have always thought that mittens are a quick knit.

Well, there is a lot of work on mittens and I need to knit more to get it into my fingers. And onto my fingers... I admire latvian women that had to knit over 70 pairs of mittens to give away to their family in law when they married. They knitted for a hope chest and at the most it contained hundreds of pairs.

Just waiting for the hot chocolate with marshmallows.
And they knitted on 1.25mm needles. Sigh! I have absolutely nothing to complain about. I knit for fun and to keep me warm.

Anyway, now I know I can knit mittens without having to felt them because they get too big.

To get the duplicate stitches to cover entirely was not easy.

I could have used a thicker yarn, but I wanted those two colors for the flower and did my best.

After all I am the one wearing them. I would have been terrified if they were a gift.

Why do we always need to be so perfect? So afraid of others finding out that we are just humans?

It means good luck if there are some errors in the knitting. Well, I should soon be a millionaire with these mittens.

I am going to knit more mittens. There are so many lovely patterns out there just waiting to be knitted.

And the joy of making these will follow me into the winter. I love daisies and now I can wear them together with my favorite color turquoise.

The Stitch Story
Yarn: Rauma Finull, PT2
Needles: 1.75mm
Pattern: Skåne
My Ravelry Page: Woollen Daisies
Technique: Latvian braid, Duplicate stitch, Knitting in the round