Tänk vilken julklapp

om jag vann den vackra stickgömman.

Oops - what happened?

I was too curious and just had to start the dress in Kalinka for N. I changed the pattern to make it in the round and started with the green pocket. What more can be done to minimize the finishing up part?

Winter and Christmas is getting closer - look at this beatiful flower - thanks!

Want to start (another) new project

With the snow coming to Stockholm I wanted to get a new scarf, a warm cosy one that would look good with my new jacket. I also spend a lot of time in the playground and swings with N (and A) and I'm cold after a while.

Last week I took a walk to Trassel and bought a really soft and thick alpaca yarn.

I'm thinking of making a scarf or a cowl inspired be the pattern on this book cover.

But then I want to start on the dress to N, and a hat for her and A and the green cardigan and all the other ideas and dreams I have ready to start working at.........

Top Down Round Yoke Cardigan started

I have now played with the software and hope to have a pattern that will fit me. I'm using a 3.5 mm hook and got 19 x approx. 14 on 10 x 10cm.

Here is the start of the cardigan. I like the color and the feeling of the yarn. I only bought 1 skein this summer but got great help from Eva to buy the extra 3 I think I need to complete the cardigan.

I think that I've increased where I shouldn't but hope to correct it as I go along.

I think that the button bough Sunday will look great.

I didn't do an UFO last week, maybe this one..... have to think about it :-) I now want to do the new projects and just enjoy that.

Investments from Syfestivalen

Here is the catch I made at Syfestivalen Sunday.I got some wool detergent from Färgkraft, with anti-moth scent. I hope it also helps againts "pälsängrar", I think I have at least one feasting in my closet.

Two to party

N claimed that one cake was not enough, we need at least two for a tea party.

She is so right!

When will I use my fair isle capelet?

I've completed another project as well. Actually, I had a few ready for some days but daylight and T at home to take a picture took time to coordinate.


My Fair Isle capelet is now completed and blocked!


I like the colors and I'm glad I switched to larger needles so the size got right, at least in width. I'm not fully sure the length is OK, it might be loo long. If it's not raining I'll try it tomorrow with a 3 yaer old and a stroller - will I be able to move my arms enough?


I'm happy with the colors and also that it all came out of my stash!

Eleanor in Delight

New project:
I found 1 (actually 2) balls of Drops Delight and decided to make Eleanor. This time I think I blocked it too much and in combination with not changing to a smaller needles the last rows it turned out a bit too loose.

I like the pattern and I'm thinking of using it again with a thicker yarn for the winter.

It was also interesting to see the color combination, the contrast was bigger than I imagined.

Hourglass sweater completed UFO ->FO

Finally finished!

I bought the yarn last year and did the knitting this summer (a fitted knit with a big belly was not my cup of tea). Then it ended up in a bag just waiting for the sewing parts.

The yarn is lovely and it was a fun project to knit.

UFO frogged

The yarn from Färgkraft is lovely. T wanted a scarf that wasn't to thick. It didn't turn out well - at all.

The good thing was that it was fairly easy to frog. Maybe something for me in lace in the futue....

Chrochet pink pig/mouse

While at it I made a pig, or a mouse if N decide - and she does. Both patterns can be found in this book.

Change of plans for UFO work

On Friday the first chicken pox dot appeared on N so I put my hour glass sweater aside and finished a cake instead.

Next UFO - Hourglass sweater

It happened again, my project halted at the finishline.

The knitting is done - "just" to finish the sawing.

I can always dream....

..but maybe I can be the winner. Read more about it here (in Swedish).

My knitting corner

When we moved last year I talked about a knitting room. Now I have, not a full room, but a knitting corner.

I need to decide which drawers to buy (all from IKEA), transparent so the yarn can be seen or basket, or boxes with lids, or..... Mean while I'm using baskets that my mother painted with roses.

I also realised I need yet another shelf to hold my stash. T wondered if the amount of yarn shouldn't be decreasing since I do knit from it. I have informed him that a yarn stash will rather grow.

I also noticed I have a lot of knitting books.

I'm happy!!

What to do next? Maybe Eleanor

My UFO pile is still huge but why not start a new project, Eleanor from Knitty looks like a must have. I'm thinking of using yarn from my stash, Drops Alpaca or maybe Delight.

Swallowtail completed - UFO 2

Another quick fix - 2 threads to fasten and then blocking, I wonder why that took more than one year?

Aeolian completed - UFO 1 done!

I've finished it! I like the color and the "heaviness" of the beads. I made the largest size but used 3.25mm needles and Malabrigo lace so the finished size it much smaller than suggested.

I had to start on the 3rd skein to complete the last rows.

Next UFO project is my Swallowtail shawl.I knitted it last summer in one of Färgkrafts yarns, I think the color is named Trollskog.

Aeolian UFO - hmmmm

First out in my UFO pile was my Aeolian shawl.I thought I only had to block it but during the 15 months since I finished knitting a small bug(?) decided to enjoy it.

I'm leaning on a "quick and ugly" solution - otherwise it will go back in a bag for years to come....

Fair Isle capelet

There must be somethink wrong with me!

I don't complete almost any projects, I just start new ones.

Lately when my hourglass sweater came to the place when my project normally comes to a halt, when I'm done knitting and should just do the finish up part (and for an hourglass sweater that is extremely complicated (not) since it is done in one piece). I then started a zipped raglan cardigan in cotton (Muskat and "kabeltvinnad") for T, and realized it will not stretch as I thought. Back in the bag whith it to later be restarted.

Time for next project:

In the book Inspired to knit I found this great capelet and using some of my left over yarns (mostly Rowans Magpie, but also thinner wool used with 2 strands).

This is a fun knitting. I'm using 5,5mm needles so it will be much larger than origibally, on the other hand the girl in the picture looks really petite.

With only the threads to saw in and maybe do something about the edge I should be able to finish it.

Then it's time to starting blocking shawls.

UFOs work to be done - I'm joining Marias idea

Maria has i great idea and I'm joining in the UFO work. I have a huge pile of things to complete, many of them are just to block or saw together.

Here is a snap shot of the things to do:

Crochet jacket, crochet hat (the olymic one), swallowtail shawl, crow waltz shawl and lemon shawl.

First out is the Aeolian shawl from 2009. Remaining to do is blocking :-)

Vill vinna vackra stickor

Gina firar många besökare med en utlottning.

Tänk att snart vill jag inte bara klappa garn utan också stickor :-)

Inspired by Pippi

She liked it!

Last summer I bought Muskat yarn at Marias garn and started a sweater for N. I took a pregnancy paus so I frogged it and restarted this summer.

I got inspired from the "Pippi sweater". Here I changed the main color and kept the stripes the same. I used a basic Rowan pattern I used before.

I used a version on the strips that I have on my Pippi sweater.

The next best thing?

If you cannot knit outside in the sun, winding yarn is almost as good. At least it takes me one step closer to knitting (or crochet if I follow my plan).

A very nice morning with A sleeping outside and me winding yarn in the sun.

The yarn is from my trip the other week to Gotland. The result (investment) looks almost the same as Toves :-).

The 5 in the from are from Gotlands spinneri and the 2 in the back from Mejeriet.
At home I regretted not getting more of the green instead, a crochet cardigan would be great. Next time maybe......

In addition I also bought some ceramics, the bowls from Mejeriet and the cup from Thord Karlsson. The cup is filled with coffee!

I just couldn't resist this one! The colors are so beatiful.

Oriental Lily ready

N is posing in the Oriental Lily dress. It shows that it's made with 3 different shades but I think it works fine. Just hope she likes it.

New name labels

After many years I ran out of name labels so I ordered new at Minanamnband.

100 new ones - better start knitting again :-)





Happy midsummer!!!

(Too?) many books!!

This morning felt like Christmas Eve.
It all started last week when the Hurt sale was announced at Interweave. I spent some time making a nice list but in the end realized that shipping would be 60% add-on to the price and the delivery time was rather long.

Instead I made the same list, first at Adlibris in Sweden and then at Amazon in the UK. They had so many more books and I probably got a little carried away. (But it is an investment!, at least that what I tell T). One book will be shipped separately but these will keep me busy dreaming for some time ahead.

First visit to Litet Nystan

Yesterday the girls took a trip into town to visit Karin at Litet Nystan. N knows the way around in the store and helped walking the toy snail.

Isn't it great what support you get in many ways, Karin managed to get A (now 6 weeks old) to sleep so I could choose yarn. I decided for some fairtrade Pima cotton. I've made a dress last summer to N and will probably do another one, this time in green & blue.

Olympic knitting result - Cork blanket

During the winter games I started on a cardigan in Cork (from my stash since a sale at Wincent some years ago). Having come this far and also redone the back once with smaller needles I frogged it and made a blanked of it instead.

Now it adds a nice Spring color to our sofa.

Oriental Lily in progress

Earlier this Spring when Marias garn started the yarn sale I got three hanks of Araucania Ulmo Multi (2 different colors and 3 different shades, Maria talked about them as three sisters).

I love the colors of this yarn, all three versions.

N first said she wanted a cardigan but then having seen the Oriental Lily dress picture decided for one. I'm making the big sister version, in a size 3 & 4 combined.

I'm not completely happy when multi colored yarns creates this pattern of one shade "moving" over the garnment. So I frogged part of the skirt and I'm now "cutting" the yarn every 2-4th row to prevent this further. I'm making the top part in one shade, the skirt in a second and the sleeves in the third. The contrast part i Garnstudio's Muskat.

I'm now trying to get N to try it on prior to finish making it up (OK, I'm actually begging). So far no luck.......

Stickfrossa bag

Even if I didn't knit much last fall I got my hand on a bag from Stickfrossa. She has now opened a webshop with a lot of nice and beatiful things.

Calmer sweaters ready for my girls

I passed Wincent earlier this spring and found the following yarn on sale, calmer for two sweaters and some 4-ply for a very girly cardigan (which can now be 2, one for each of my girls).

I made some changes so that A got a cardigan instead of a sweater, which makes it easier to dress and undress. I found the buttons at Trassel (my new closest yarn store).

Last buy from Marias garn

Saturday was the last day for Marias garn, one of my preffered yarn stores, located only a short walk from our old apartment and day care (which made me an N frequent visitors).

N and I made a last visit and brought home the last bag with very nice yarn.

I was inspired by Marias latest projects, the Crow Waltz Shawl and N decided she wanted a blue cardigan in Classic Alpaca.

Today is the first day for Litet Nystan in the same location, time to plan for the next visit down town.

Our daughter A, three weeks old

Our daugther A is here, now three weeks old.

N is a very proud big sister, already over three years old.

She is one reason for not blogging, in the sense that the only "morning sickness" feeling I had was when knitting. That over now so I may post more frequently than last year.