On the finnishing line.

Silence for a long time again!

Well I like show pictures of FO's and I'm working hard to have anything to show you but My shawl is still not done. I have spent some, a few, quite many nights knitting on it but these last rows are teadious. I have only three rows left on the pattern but then I desided to add a modified edge as the one of the Swallowtail Shawl from IK so there is about 20 rows left, and 1 row is now about 500 stiches! 500! and then the bindoff!

500 stiches takes ages and you can not see the progress so I get bored... And then I start to think and plan for next project. I'm thinking about some lime/avocado colored tee with 3/4 arms. the shawl and the F&F poncho would look soo good with a sweater in that color.

I have made some knit related orders. Latest order contained Rowan 4-ply cotton in colorway flirty on discount from Get Knitted and then Debbie Bliss Donegal Tweed Aran in the colorway 07. All Purple. This is my first purchase with some more expensive yarns. The tweed would be perfect for the Sunrise Circle Jacket. The cotton would be nice in some beaded shirt. I have to figure out a pattern and beads.

Sample of Arrowheads

I have mentioned her before, Eunny, she creates wonderfull new stuff all the time.

Last week she made this sweater, Arrowhead Pullower.

I had to make a swatch on the Lace Pattern.

I was torn between enhancing my stach or use some of the antiques stored in my xadrillon of boxes. The winner was my stash, my house will explode if stach more now.

The yarn is a cabletwined crouchet cotton bought some 20 years ago. I was then low on money and high on creativity and this quality was much cheaper than knitting yarns. It was sold in hanks of 200gram and this jeansblue yarn has been in my boxes ever since.

I have here blocked the swatch after a washing it in the mashine and it looks gourgeous. The arrowheads are pointing downwars since I plan to make a top down project with this lace.

yarn: cabletwined 12/6 mercericed cotton
needles: 3.5mm Addi Turbo

I have to plan a project in this yarn and lacepattern.

On the needles: A Shawl

When finnishing the Poncho presented in my last posting. I blocket 2 in the morning of last Sunday.

I had no plan on starting a new project but more finnishing one or more of my ufo's.

What happened?

This happened: Leaves & Flowers shawl

I think it was the purple color that got me hooked, I started just to test it out and then decided to alter the pattern because I use such a thin yarn and I want a realy big shawl approx: 70inches wide.

This is how the shawl looked yesterday evening in sunset at the sea.



I use the same yarn as in the Mystery Shawl, the Wristwarmers and the Feather & Fan Poncho.
The same purple as in the Wristwarmers and the Feather & Fan Poncho's borders but this time I knit it with a single thread on 3mm Addi Bamboo.

According to my calculations I have to spend 3 more weeks on this shawl to complete it. I would need to be true to the shawl to complete it in that timeframe and I doubt I can be that monogam.

Pika Bhoo

Hello out there

After a long, long time off the needles I am back on track again. Many thanks to Eunny for inspiring me to start clicking my needles again.
Eunny´s knittings are soo Inspiring. I just wish I could knit that good, fast and look that good in my knitted items as she does.


Pattern: My own
Yarn: Yarn from stash, 100% high quality wool.
Needles: 4,5mm (7 US)

I am above posing in my most recent FO. A poncho in Feather and Fan pattern. It took me two weeks to complete and I consider it a fast knit, to me that is. But then Feater and Fan is one of the most rewarding patterns I know. The poncho is knitted in the same wool as my latest purple wristwarmers, the Mystery Shawl and I still have tons of this yarn in my stash. The multicolored parts is two different threads from my dying experiments and they are purple-blue-green-lightturqouise.

I am rather happy with this project but there is one big minus, there is not enough room for the sholders. I should have increased faster over the shoulders to make it wider.

As a result of the narrowness the neckline is bubbling:


Any ideas on how to fix this?

I'll try to block it a bit more and maybe reknit the neckline with thinner needles.


Closeup of the edge and the colors.

Little one in New Sweater.

The yarn is trekking, very soft and nice. The sweater is knitted on my mashine but the neckline is an i-cord done by hand in Opal Uni. Has been waiting for it's neckline forever and when finally done, it's soon to small! You can see his yellow shirt peeking out under the lower edge.
It takes some convincing to get the sweater on.

Not knitting much...

So what am I then up to?
Well this:


I am trying hard to get in shape for smaller sizes so knitting a sweater will be faster and of course cheaper, ;).

Lacy Purple Wristwarmers

Made the last rows on wednesday night and sew them up, My Purple Wristwarmers. They started as a test on adding lace frills to a garterstich wristwarmer and I think they turned out fine. I was a bit concerned that they were too frilly but after using them biking to work and in the office I came to the conclusion they are perfect.

You can see on my big smile I like my wristwarmers and that I drink alot of tea, about 2 litres a day.

Below a closeup while knitting on a scarf in the same yarn as I used in the wristwarmers.
I almost always use circular needles, also when I knit back and forward. I find it more relaxing on my arms and shoulders and much safer when knitting in the car or in the sofa with a jumping toddler all around.

Short of time.

Three weeks of sick leave has soon gone. Tomorrow morning it's time to go to work again and my knitting time will be limited again. So I wanted to show whats on my needles right now.
I have hand painted some Opal yarn to stripes.

Using this Turkish Cast-on I started two Feather & Fan socks toe up, My own variation, using the stripy yarn.

I am also working on some wrist warmers with a lace ruffle in purple.

So thats all from me today. I better get back to my knitting projects when I still have time. I will get back to you and report when I finnish any of my ongoing projects.

Gecko Eyes

Adrienne Fong has designed a pair of socks that rocked my world when I saw them, The Gecko Eyes Socks.
But since I wanted to knit another hat instead I used the stichpattern and designed my own hat. Though the winter surely is melting away this very moment I know that next winter I will have a very stylich hat.
It took me more time than I expected to knit. First I had problems with the zigzag rib but with the help of Adrienne I overcame that. The Cable pattern were though a bit more snugglish than I have encountered before. I even bent my Addi Turbos when knitting them.

Yarn: Opal Uni color 18
Beads: Gutermann Rocailles 9/0
Needles: 2mm and 2.5mm.

New Hat

Have you seen Odessa by Grumperina?
Well I decided I needed that hat to hide my hair that has not been washed for since before my operation a week ago, doctors order, so here is my version:


Needles: 3mm and 3.5mm
Yarn: Notita's Nalle.
Beads: bigger than 8/0 but I think smaller than 6/0. 7/0???
Conclusions: I should have needed to make one more patternreport, the hat is very tight. It should also been made one report longer. I made 11 reports, should have made 12.
The shawl I'm wearing is my Mystery shawl, yes its blocked now but still too small, More like a scarf actually. The sweater is one I knitted 4-5years ago.
So now I'm off to the hospital for the doctor to make a checkup on my ear. I am allowed to wash my hair after that. Yipee!

Lazy swallops!

I planned to knit Sockbugs Lazy swallop socks. When I started I discovered that the pattern and the yarn stripes fought eachother so I let the yarn win, sorry Sockbug. So I present my mini Feater & Fan socks.

knitted on Addi turbo 2.5mm with Trekking sockyarn.

Little one showing his Granny how to knit.

Usually I get nervous when the little one grabs my knitting. This time it was one of the swatches for my planned wintercoat so no damage could realy be done.

Isn't he quete?

Craving for color

Not just any colors but colored yarns. I read on the socklists I'm on all praice for STR-"Socks That Rock" but have not realy fallen in love in their colorways. Koigu on the other hand...
Well as you all now: I have a huge stash! And I have dyes for protein fibers. So Today, on a sickleave alone in the house I dug out my dyes and some old hanks of weaving wool and I started to paint. The yarn is not the soft yarn you would like to have close to your skin. I have made a sweater of it before and it worked fine. A hat I made became to scratchy though.

I had in mind doing something that could be used in a wintercoat I plan to knit. The base yarn for that is purple, what else? I wanted something that made the purple look more alive and I wanted some lime color in it.

These are the four hanks I made all in blue, turqoise and purple, two with lime and two without for other unknown purposes. The turqoise and the ble color became a bit pale but a test swatch gave a very satisfying result.

And the balls are beatifull.


I might never want to order any colored yarn again. The result is so much what I love and like that it's almost scary.

They are perfect!

New yarn needs to be dyed A S A P !!!

Presenting Jaywalker

So I was up untill 3 in the morning and managed to finnish my jaywalker socks. They look and feel just fine. The only downside with the finnished sock is that I have a problem getting then on. the leg is so narrow!

I used size 2mm(0 needles), magic loop, Opal Indigo(in US Opal Ocean). 88stiches(modified the pattern a bit) and adding my own favorite heel and toe.
Good thing I managed to finnished them since all my socks needs to be washed and now I can use these tomorrow so I can wait with the washing until tomorrow.

Against the stream...

So what's up? I have been absent for a long time and you might wonder if I stopped knitting, right?


Well I haven't but it has not been so much results lately.
I have finnished a mini poloponcho.
I am happy with the finnished product.

---

And then I present to you the turquise sweater I knitted on my mashine some month ago. I had some closeups before this is the complete sweater.
I feel kind of unhappy with the modell inside the knitted items, one reason for my absence here but it is me in there, no matter how much I try to ignore it.
Well, well. These two are now in use almost every day so what is on my needles right now? You might say what is not, since I have so many UFO's so I can't keep track on them all. Anyway, you might remember a green sock I knitted last year from socks, socks, socks? I did not like knitting it and it still misses it's mate. Well I read all lyrics written about Jaywalker from MagKnits and wondered how come that is such a popular sock since it was kind of similar to the green sock. So I decided to give it a try, and the result is, I hate knitting it! It has been three weeks now and I am working on the gusset of the second sock and I Hate it, Hate it! I must be a freek of somekind since everyone else seems to love it. Well I wan't to finnish this unloved socks cause I can't have more UFO's in this house. I expext them to be done by next week, It takes time when I don't enjoy my knitting. They look good though, I like the finnished sock.
So next post will be about the Jaywalkers by Mitz.

Must dye for colors.

I have for a long time had dyes at home, actually very long time, but not been dyeing at all until I read about dyeing in the microwave. I did some test autumn 2005 but they did not end up 100% satisfactory to me. Now I found a new approach on the microwave dyeing that I just have to try:

* Knit up a fabric with the yarn you wan't to dye.
* Soak it in water with some vinegar(ättika).
* Apply colors using the knitted fabrik as canvas.
* Micro.
* Wash.
* Dry.
* Unravel.
* Knit the yarn to your final product.

For more and visual bloggs and websites about this start here:
Bithes blogg(Check November 2005 postings done 15th and 22nd)
MACHINE KNITTING TO DYE FOR
Woven Thoughts

Well thats all for now, No pictures today

But,
I'll be back...

In LOVE!!!

My very first sweater to myself made on the BKM are ready. I knitted it in tourquise Opal Uni and made the edges in purple Opal Uni. On the edges I tried for the first time to knit I-cord and although I am not so happy with the hem of the body and the arms:

The neckline I-cord is perfect!

I had pinned the sweater on the floor on the night to monday so I went up early to remove the pins and I just had to wear the sweater to work and I walked as on clouds, I felt as if being in love. I just love this sweater with it's flaws and now I have to make another one because wearing it was like heaven and I feel addicted, I need more Opal sweaters.

The most surprising thing is that I did not even use 500g tourquise and I am a full sixe XXL person! This means I can knit double as many sweaters as I had bought yarn to knit. In the future I have to limit myself and buy less of each yarn not to end up with so much extra. I did the pattern myself and to fit my figure and I love the fit. Only one thing should be corrected before knitting the next one, make even steeper shoulders to avoid the access cloth at the front arms.

Orange!!!

Ahhh, I have recived some more yarn. This time from Martinas Bastel- & Hobbykiste. I just don't seem to be able to controle myself when yarn is involved. This time I was surprised mysef of the yarns that I recived. I had ordered 400g of orange Trekking and 100g of green Regia, and 100g of somekind of turquise striped yarn. No blue! No purple! You might wonder if I by any chance are ill but no, I am not. The little one likes yellow and orange and I am going to make him more sweaters on my Brother Knitting Mashine.

White Christmas - The last projects of this year

Finally the christmas planning and arranging is done. This year we stayed home and we even forgot to watch the traditional "Kalle Ankas Jul"(Donald Ducks Christmas). We decided to stay home this year to avoid the long trip to Gothenburg. And we were blessed with snow, actually it is still falling outside.

Well so what has happened here since my last post you might have asked yourself. I have got some worried mails but all has been fine. There has just been so much to do and the winter tiredness has not allowed me to sit up so many nights.

Have I done any knitting? Oh, yes of course, alot! A pair of gloves to the little one:

Two pair of socks in Opal:
The first sock is a variation of the feather and fan sock from Socks, socks, socks. I have used Opal Creme with 2mm needles.
The second pair is knitted in Opal Musica with 2,5mm needles from the toe up. Pattern from my own head.
2,5mm needles seems to be the perfect needles for me to use when knitting socks in Opal 4-ply.

A neckwarmer in some yarn that has been a stockwarmer since the 80's( I left with 30cm after this project):
--- Picture coming ---

I have also one lonely sock made in Opal that awaits his mate: The pattern is again one from Socks, socks, socks. This time the ripple socks I have though made the leg shorter that in the original bacause this suits my legs better. The yarn is once again Opal. Uni and Mosaic and knitted on 2mm needles. I like the pattern but not the color mix so these will be a gift to my mother in law when finnished.


And then: I have bougth a knitting mashine! I send out an add on the swedish speaking radio here and I got a lot of answers. The mashine I bought was a Brother KX-395 and I love it! It is a simple mashine, not hard to learn, and you can knit with both thin, I have knitted with Opal, and bulky, I have tried some swathes with a yarn called Budget that are no more to be bought, 100m/100g.

To learn the mashine and fing the correct settings for different yarns there has been a lot of testing but there has been one cardigan and one sweater done. Both for the little one.

The sweater is knitted in Novita's the 7-brother's yarn after my own head. The gauge became to loose but the little one is using it and it is warm. I had some problem with the neck cause the beatifull neck I first made would not go over the head of the little one so I made another one and it is floppy but easy to get over the head...


The Cardigan is knitted in Opal Uni and Opal Brasil after pattern in knitty: http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring04/PATTdevan.html . All that know me would also understand that I have not followed the pattern, ;) , I have knitted the sweater from up to down, that meant some recalculattion but I think it was worth it. The front and neck edge was knitted by hand since there are not enough needles on the mashine.
The little refused to put it on for a long time but finally I convinced hit yesterday.

I used One ball of Opal Brazil and almost one ball of Opal Uni. If you watch carefully you can see that the stripes are not the same on the belly. There was something wrong in the color report so I was not able to fix the differences because I just had yar enough as it was, actually I had a little less as you can see I used more yellow at the bottom edge of the sleeves.

And soon there will be some sweaters for me made on the mashine too. I am making patterns in excel all the time. Since I am adding shortrows for the bust and shoulder and try to make a sweater follow my full figure in a flatering way it takes a lot of planning.

Two pair of Feather & Fan Socks

I finnished my second and third pair of "Feather & Fan Socks" from "Socks, socks, socks". My first Pair can be seen here: Feather & Fan Socks done

Pair no.2: Opal Indigo 226 socks - I Love the way these turned up, like waves on the water a sunny day.	Pair no.3: Fortissima Mexico and Opal Mosaic in purple/white

And then as you saw in my latest posting, knitted in Garter stich and while picking Lingon berries, a pair of Wristwarmers/half-mittens in Opal Indigo 226.
Wristwarmers

I have also started another pair of socks from "Socks, socks, socks" but they are not as fast knitted as the "Feater & Fan Socks" so you will have to wait for them.

I'm tired today so enjoy the pictures untill next posting.