Happy new knitting year 2014

It's been slow blogging this fall. I've spend more time knitting and the almost FO pile is growing (will become UFO pile if I don't watch out).

I hope to get the camera out and take some pictures soon.

I ended 2013 with a visit to Dansens Hus in Stockholm and a show by Cirkus Cirkör,
 - Knitting Peace. WOW!

Happy new knitting year and a great start in 2014.

This is the (not so) traditional New Year "pensée" in my garden.

Stjärnhop II in progress

Cutting time. There are better places than the car in the dark, but it worked.

Liten kofta

In the car and ready to be given away as a Christianing. Lade in BC garn Alino.

Lost and found

I brought yarn to work the orter day (we har a very nice knitting lunch) and managed to loose one ball on the way. Luckily it was still on the floor in the parkering space and still dry and almost clean.

Color Affection completed

First time to uselt my Color affection.
I used less than 2 skeins of Drops Alpaca of each color.
It's veeery looooong. :-)

Q3 to Q4 UFO

I managed to add the buttons, not much for 3 months. I have spent some time thinking about how to decorate the cardigan. I'll give it another go during Q4.

Green memories hat completed

I had to start over with my Green memories (the purple and orange were too ugly together). I found some other colors in my stash(!) and went ahead. I knitted the whole hat on 2,5 mm and the hat is only 30 grams in total.

Green memories KAL

Using yarn from my stash I've started on a New hat.

Vodka Lemonade by the sea

It's like knitting with butter.
The Manos Silk Blend is very soft.

One more summer cardigan completed

Of cause the oldest sister also needed/wanted (or actually got, as I wanted to knit one for her) a cardigan. This is a bolero from the book Knit for Kids by Paula Hammerskog and Eva Wincent. 
It is originally in alpaca and Kid silk but I made it in Allino (linen and cotton mix 50/50) and kidmohair.
I've found that warm sweaters are not used that much so thinner cardigans are far more popular by both daughters.

...and my youngest liked her cardigan.
Today I'm a happy mother and a proud knitter.

Child cardigan completed - all threads done

It has been fun. I took cotton from my stash (Rowan 4-ply, Erica Laurell, Huskroken, Drops Safran, Drops Cotton viscose and some others) and based this on my standard children pattern (I made it here, here, here, here, here and at least 2 more nor documented) . The pattern is Strawberry Bud from a Rowan magazine. This is however the first time I make size 4-5 years. I made the front and back in one piece
The fair isle pattern is based on this Debbie Bliss pattern. I decided to take random colors and then also noted that I didn't follow the pattern (but I thought it was OK and I had vacation).

Now I just have to wait and see if she likes it!

This means I can now start Vodka Lemonade, so with superb logic I started on a Color affection!!!

View of Gotland

Very nice.

Soon I can start a Vodka Lemonade

I promised myself to start my latest knitting urge, a Vodka Lemonade cardigan, as soon as I finished the weaving in of all the threads in the cardigan I'm making of stash yarn. I'm passed the knitting (apart for the buttonband and neckline) and this is the exact point I normally put the project in a plastic bag and start a new knitting.

This time I set up an own rule: wait with the new, very nice pattern, wait with the soft and super "feelgood" yarn Manos del Uruguay silk blend - wait until all threads are weaved in.

I think it works - I'm on the last sleeve!

Knitting by the sea

Still vacation!

Raka rör shawl

Blocking by the sea!

 I thought of this as a good project to have at hand as a good project to do one row here and then another without thinking too much. Suddenly it was just finished. Lovely yarn, very nice pattern and a beautiful color.

Result of a trip to Öland & Kalmar

The family went on a trip to Öland and then Kalmar and before going home we had two days at Astrid Lindgrens Värld.

The first stop of related yarn shipping was on Öland. A small handpainted sign stated "GARN" and I ended up with some buttons, needles for children and a small embrodery (maybe a book mark in thye future). 

The second stop was to Ullcentrum in Kalmar and this will be a Stjärnhop, intented as a gift.

 Many hours in the car ment a lot of knitting. A cardigan using left over yarn from the stash!

Pippitröja completed and delivered

I have completed the sweater with inverse Pippi stripes and it's delivered. Now the sisters have matching sweaters and the first one has been used a lot. It is always good to hear that things you make are liked and used.

The sweater was first tried on my 3-year old, but she will have to wait until she can have this size.

Another Pippi sweater

Last Fall I made a sweater in Muskat inspired by the traditional Pippi sweater for a cousin to the kids. Now if was time for ger sister to get one.

Layering shrug

I also managed to complete a Layering shrug. I followed the pattern and made it in BC Allino.
Great pattern and an interesting model.

Caramel cardigan

It took me 3! months to bind all the threads but now it's completed.
My Caramel cardigan was started over new year on Teneriffe and I know that I completed all the knitting during Q1 (I thought it was a too easy project for UFO in Q2 - no knitting and not yet at "real" UFO).
The yarn is Alpaca Silk from Blue Sky Alpacas.

Sweater for Pia completed (Q2 FO)

Here are some more pictures of the sweater that I after many years completed.
I hope it'll fit and be liked.
I made an Eleanor cowl to match or to wear separetely. The sweater is based on Bond from Rowan mr 28 and knitted in Superwash Safir from Marks Kattens.

Gift wrapped and in the mail!

Q3 UFO Crochet cardigan

It's time to finalize this cardigan. The idea is to put som embroderies on it, I just need to figure out what and how. Efter waiting more then 4 years it's time.

I was only going to buy....

...some vacation reading. Click, click and these ended up at home.Lucky me!
I already had the patterns for "Fritt etter.." but the book is so inspireing, many beautiful pictures and I'm starting to plan for another project.  Cast-on Bind-off is hopefully a good handbook.

"Ketchup effect"

After I don't know how long I finally managed to complete 4 objects within hours!
It's my Q2 UFO, Eleanor cowl, Caramel cardigan and Layering Shrug.

The camera is "on strike" so more pictures to come.

Now the new problem of what to do next, and soon it's vacation time........

Last minue buy of Drops supersale in May

I made it - with only a few minutes left of May I put an order to Kaki.
The first part has arrived, Alpaca to make a Color affection, some more Lima to maybe change colors in the Equinox Yoke Pullover I'm planning and one additional Lett-Lopi in organge (carot) to maybe make Brynja. I bought some dark red a few years back at Syfestivalen.

I'm still waiting for Lima i petrol to make Celtica cardigan from Drops.

Apart from buying yarn I'm focusing on knitting and now to finish the Q2 UFO. The knitting is done - now the (not so) fun part begins.

Raka rör shawl

When Tant Kofta showed the hand dyed yarn I had to buy (or invest!) one skein.

Will be a great summer project.

Pop Spots completed and makes me happy

I'm happy with the result. The colors are great and the size is big as I like it.
The yarn is a bit harsh but at least softer after washing so I hope it will improve with wearing.

 

Pop spots off the needles

I'm done and I actually learned the border pattern. I made the larger size on 4 mm and I started the second Einband ball for all the colors. I'm looking forward to wear it tomorrow :-)

UFO Q2

I'm going to finish an old "depth" to a friend.
I volunteered to finish a wool sweater for a friend. I made a mental picture of something suitable for needles 5-6 mm but found M&S Safir for 3,5 mm. I did three balls before understanding it was far too small and stopped. Time to start again, and this time finish.
Pia - I'm planning to have it ready by Midsummer!!!

I'm knitting Pop Spots

It's been great fun, all the way to the border.....

At this point I started doing the math: lace pattern of 12 rows (and I know that I will not learn it!) and 111 repeats............. after doing one repeat I put it aside for a few days going into a mode of surfing Ravelry and my knitting books looking for a next project. Currently I'm drooling over Boxy and trying to remember if I may have a possible yarn in my stash.

Back to Pop Spots and and I'm now 12 repeats done and 99 to go.