Sunday 30 March 2014

Spring And Butterflies


The spring has finally arrived with bright sunshine. Nothing can compare with the sound of the birds singing and the thought of summer on its way.

A spring scarf was about the thing I wanted to start on. Now, I do not knit in other than wool. So wool it is. After all I never leave home without a scarf.

This pattern is originally a Finnish mittens pattern from 1947 from the book Sata Kansanomaista Kuviokudinmallia By Eeva Haavisto. From the moment I lay my eyes on it I knew I had to knit those butterflies. After a lot of searching online I found the book in a reprint from 2008. Not a good one - but it was there.

I had to make the chart work for pattern repeat and after a little drawing and gluing it was there.

I wanted to knit the mittens but found out that a scarf with a lot of butterflies would be even more fun to knit. I thought a lot of colors for this project.

Usually I do not use that much white. But I found out that for this project it would be the best.

I wanted the butterflies to stand out without any rainbow to compete with.

I use white Finull from Rauma for the background color and Kauni effektgarn for the pattern color.

Knitting pattern this way is like coming home to me. I love it so much.

Just living is not enough, said the butterfly, one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower
Hans Christian Andersen 

The Stitch Story
Yarn: Rauma Finull, Kauni effektgarn
Needles: 2.5mm
Pattern: N:o 95, Kotka
My Ravelry Page: Butterfly

Tuesday 25 March 2014

My Own Stitch Markers

Scissor, tape measure, stitch saver and stitch markers. I am ready to hit the needles.
Knitting gadget is so much fun. It may be a little geeky, but as a knitter one needs things. Sort of...

I love finding all kinds of crazy tape measures, scissors and other odd kind of things to use while knitting.

And of course stitch markers. There are millions to choose from.

This time I made my own in polymer clay. It was so much fun. I used a little clay, some paint and tiger tails.

Really not difficult. And since I had all I needed in my studio I just went for it.

I found a great tutorial for making them if you want to have a go. It does not take a lot of skills. Just a little equipment and you are there.


Friday 21 March 2014

From Worse To Better

The new sweater on the left, the used a little one in the middle and the felted one on the right.
This have be the end of the ever sagging sweater in alpaca. This expensive alpaca yarn (Tynn alpaca) was giving so much that it was now below my knees. I mean it - and I did not use this sweater that much. Mostly because the sweater was planning to touch the ground if I did. I told the story about giving all my alpaca yarn to charity in this post.

Not optional, but can be used and seems nice to wear now.
So, I decided to do something with the sweater sagging under my knees and on its way to my ankles.

I simply took the whole annoying thing and throw it into my washer on 40℃. I have tried 30℃ without any result.

I would not spent time unraveling - this yarn is not an option for knitting anything really. So, if the felting did not work I could always use the sweater as something to sit on outside.

Anyway, it shrinked a lot. In fact almost half a meter in the length.

Not to mention that the sleeves now will fit a 10-year old.

But I like short sleeves - and I managed to shape the sweater to a sort of a-shape. So, now I have this warm sweater that sort of fit. It do look a little better in real life. And hopefully the sagging will end. Never ever using alpaca for sweaters again...

It is hard to fail, but it is worse to never have tried to succeed
Theodore Roosevelt

Sunday 16 March 2014

Woolly Clementine


It would be a really dry experience to even think of the juicy and lovely clementine. While I have started my fourth Viajante that is. That is what the color is called - clementine.

Well, it must be those really old ones forgotten in the fridge. Because the color is a little off that gorgeous orange I love so much. But I really love that yarn and the heather color.

I did not previously think of orange as a color I could use, but it is so nice and fresh. I do not know how it will work in such a large garment. But bright red worked just fine.

I tend to start out these mindless knits that just carries on in stockinette stitch. But I must say I have used my other Viajantes a lot. Especially the red and the turquoise one. They are so nice to put on in a cold cinema or when traveling. At least that is a great excuse to start another one. Nice to have them in different colors. Or whatever :-)

Anyway, here are the three other Viajantes:

Sunday 9 March 2014

I Want To Play With Your Scarf

This lovely cat just wants to play.
Thank you all so very much for all lovely comments and encouragements on my exhibition. Everything went over all my expectations and many knitters was so happy about it. I am blessed beyond!!!!

My new tunic - wonderful to wear :-)
For that exhibition I really wanted to wear something colorful. I mean, I could not talk about color wearing anything else than color...

I have had this on my list and in my yarn storage since before christmas.

As all my colored knitted garments was on display, I had a turbo knitting session some weeks before it started.

I knitted a tunic or is it called a long sweater? Who knows - anyway, one can not go without a scarf.

So I knitted a quick one in stripes to go with my tunic.

I am so pleased with both of them. I so love those colors and it is comfortable to wear.

I used a previous used pattern, which I altered a lot. This time I took it all out - and there are almost nothing left of that pattern.

Red and turquoise is just my colors and I added some garter stripes as an element and a smooth transition between the colors.

The charming guy in the photo is living in my area and always up for playing. He is just wonderful - and had to play with my scarf when photographing.

The Stitch Story
Yarn: Rauma Mitu
Needles: 3.5mm, 4mm
My Ravelry page for tunic: Complementary
My Ravelry page for scarf: Complementary Scarf
The stripes varies in width to make more life in the scarf.

Sunday 2 March 2014

My Knitting Exhibition

No white, black, brown or gray is to be seen in any of my garments.
I nearly can not believe it. I was asked to put my knitting on an exhibition called "Knitting In Colors". Simply terrified by the thought of showing my knitting live I said yes. It is an honor to be asked and I love the idea that using colors in knitting is put on the agenda.

Bodils blankets and my garments goes hand in hand.
I am happy to do this exhibition with Bodil Nilsen Hodne who knits the most fantastic blankets and interior designs. She uses colors in a intuitive and spectacular way that gives a color boost that just takes you in.

There will be an official opening wednesday where I also give a lecture about how I started using colors, how I combine colors and how everyone with some simple tools can find their colors and go out into the world and shine.

My garments and Bodils blankets.
The exhibition is held on Sjølingstad Uldvarefabrik here in Mandal. You can read more about it here. I am sorry it is all in norwegian - but you can translate the page on the site.

Nearly 60 photos of my knitting will be presented on a large TV during the exhibition. I am so excited. I am so terrified. And I am so happy to be a part of this. And most of all - I hope to inspire beautiful women to use colors and not hide out in gray in hope of not being noticed.

Article in our local newspaper Lindesnes.

If you want to see more - come and visit the exhibition in Mandal.