Arm / swatch

I realy wanted to do something that would knit upp fast after arisaig so I used some heavy yarn and 6mm needles and started on a arm for a lace cardigan.

I should have made a sample! the gauge is realy off 16stiches over pattern should be 4 inches but on the arm 16stiches were 5 inches. What to do? Abandon the project? recalculate the pattern?

I have not decided yet.

Arisaig - All parts done

finally!

It took me three months to do the knitting, I thought it would never end and I was so afraid to start something new. Starting something new usually leads to the current project becoming a UFO and I really want my arisaig.

Well the knitting was finished last sunday and I washed the parts and blocked them.


So that is the fronts and back during blocking, I used some toys to fill upp the bust since I made shortrows at the bust.

It looks like I have used to few pins on the back piece, I hope it will be ok anyway. I tried to uce thin knittingneedles and circular needles to make the edges straighet and more even but I would have needed even more. I hope to find some nice blocking wires soon.
Now I have to sew all parts together and knit the neckline. When that is done I will present to you Arisaig on the modell(Me that is).

Knitting Podcasts now also with Video!

Isn't that fantastic!

Check it out at Lets Knit2gether. I have not had time to see them all but I managed to see Rhinebeck, Yarn Harlot and Galina Khmeleva who has written a book about Orenburg shawls.

I still have to watch the felting show and the bead show. Cat has also announced they will make a show on Laceknitting.

No new yarn in 2007

Could you manage that? A big group of finnish bloggers has joined together aiming at that. I don't think I could manage. The only way would be stop knitting, stop surfing on knitting bloggs and quit all mailing lists. And that would realy be dull.

Actually I have already some new yarn coming in my direction any day now. It's Drops Alpacka in two shades of purple, Have I metioned that I love purple? Heh.

Now you might wonder what I have been up to during these weeks, months with no new posts at my blogg? Well I have done some knitting but not much to show. I had problems finding a uni colored yarn to my circular cardigan so it is still lying in a basket waiting.
I finally found the yarn to the edging but have not jet come up with a lace edging suitable.

I stumbled across these two(1 2) beatifull variations of knittys Arisaig and started knitting on my own arisaig a few weeks before cristmas. Result? well Two arms and the backpiece. First front panel on the way. I do not know how long you should call a project by the name of the sweater that you started with. I have changed so much, the arms are narrower and shorter, the body is all lace and longer, I have added shortrows over the bust, the bias is changed to fit the changes I have done.

I am knitting Arisaig with 3mm needles and King Cole antitickle Merino yarn on 500 gram cone from the stash, I do have a second cone in this colorlot but one might just be enough.

The backpiece was made in two weeks but the frontpiece is taking so much more time, I'm unsure of the result and constantly looking for new projects but try not to start anything, I have enough UFO's lying around to let My Arisaig become another one and I really need some nice clothes to wear.

Blue V-neck Sweater

Finally after spending months sewn together but missing the hem and edge in the neck the sweater is out of the closet.

Modell: My own
Yarn: Opal Uni
I have been so afraid the V-neck would become too deep but now I think it could have been deeper.
I had to leave my head outside the picture today, Sorry.

Expanding Circles

My becoming circle cardigan has now reached the point where I think it's time to leave openings for the arms.

The arm's would if added at this poit become 42cm(16 1/2") in circumference. The diameter of the knitting is now 54cm(21 1/4").
I find it hard to know exactly where to add the arms since this is not like constructing your usual cardi.
I am so curious in how the arms will fit constructed this way. Will they become comfortabe or just feel odd?

Knitting in Circles

Have you missed me?

I have had some knitting, tinking going on and the tinking part were not fun. ripit, ripit, ripit.

Well last weekend I started with this

I do not follow any pattern, making my own as I go along but the inspiration is: The shape of theWhite Lies Design's Madeleine Shawl Jacket And then you have theElann's Pinwheel Sweater and the Twisted Float Shrug fromVogueknitting autumn2005. As you can see they are all knitted with the same idea. But its only the madeleine jacket that I find having a flattering shape. Could it be a more draping texture that makes it?
I started my small circles with Opal Lollipop 1015(not produced anymore). I purchased it at a sale and I think I have >1kg of it(some of it is stuck in another ongoing project.
Tha knitting proceeds in good speed, I have soon reached the place where I soon should make room for future arms. The diameter is in this knitting moment double the one in the picture.
My plan was to have a uni colored 10cm wide lace around the edge and at the end of the arms, just as the madeleine jacket. I have not found a lace in my taste just yet. I did order some Opal Uni from the autumn 2006 collection but the colors were far from what I had expected.


Can you guess what numbers I ordered?
Here are the photo presenting the Autumn 2006 colors.
I must say I was surpriced when I opened the package, The colors does not even come close to the picture the produser has taken.

The correct answer is 1414, 1412, 1419. Did you guess the correct numbers? Congratulations!

I am mostly dissappointed with the pink yarn called 1412. I do not like that shade of pink!

Packages

I do not knoe where they all come from but I get them every week! Small packages from all around the globe. This internet is indeed a dangerous place, you find all kinds of lovely, tempting and lovely stuff that is hard to avoid ordering. I have yarn everywhere and the amount of needles are increasing continuely. I have more knitting books than the library and still there are more that I have to restrain myself from ordering.

I have to leave you now to get some knitting done, Bye.

Knit Picks do not sell outside US/Canada!

Is that not a big shame?
I guess I am not the only one who is dissappoined with that.

So when I first saw the KnitPicks new interchangeble needles I was sad but then I was offered help from an fellow knitting blogger so I ordered the needles to her house and then she send it to mee and Oh, my, she also send me some handmade Stich Markers, She made them herself!
Check these out:

They are so pretty I considered to use them as earrings, :) .

And the needles are lovely:

I have not had any time to make a proper review on them but I have made a few rows and they seem to be all I hoped them to be. I did order some extra cords since I like them looong and some extra needles.

If you check in the background you can see a pattern there too. A purple cardigan called "Starburst Sweater". I think that is such a lovely pattern, elegant and romatic and also suitable to wear at work.

So lets see what will happen with all this stuff in the near future, Curious? You better check in on me again to see.

Stash Enhancement and book

Will I never learn how to avoid yarn?
It seems not. A couple of weeks ago I visited GetKnitted and what happened? Oh, shame on mee I ordered some yarn, purple of course but still. I should have restrained myself.

The Purple cotton was on sale, but the Purple tweed were something that just arrived to the store.

As you can see I got the latest book by the Yarnharlot there too. A nice book but so far I discovered nothing new to me. Stephanie's book just jumped in to the basket when ordering "Big Girl Knits". BGK has not arrived jet but it is a book I have high expectaions on as I am now being a few, maybe 4, sizes larger than I used to bee. I have already joined the KAL for this book so I have read some comments on the patterns and the advices given and it seems to be a realy nice book.

Posing in NEW SHAWL!

Ohh, it's lovely purperly lightly perfectly!

Well I still think I could have made it bigger, next time I will make a shawl that I can cheat on while knitting. This time I stayed true. (Almost anyway just some small swatches and sketches were done on the side).

The last rows were truly tedious. I would need to be allowed to cheat on during the knitting of these rows of >400stiches or I'll stop knitting completely!

But look, I do look happy, right?

Contrasts

So what does a yarn obsessed woman do when a project is BO? Reaches out for one of the 20(?) UFO's hidden in boxes, drawers, wardrobes, bags...

Oh NO, she starts to crave for more yarn and...

She leaves work running, throw herself in the car, drives on two wheels to the LYS and enhances her stash with some...

Lime cotton yarn, Mandarin Petit color 8514


The yarn Obsessed knows that without a tee in this contrasting color her newly knit shawl will not be shown off properly so she need this yarn, right? Well of course I'm right!

This yarn is so soft! wonderful, lovely a swatch is being created at this very moment.

Knitting is done

Under blocking at this very moment.

Size unblocked 65x140cm
Size blocked 85x178cm
Having problems with upploading pictures but they will come=> Here they are

Only the edge row pattern left.

I am pleased to say that I have kompleted the actual pattern. I had calculated 100g to the shawl and the weight is 97g! This calculation was done before I decided to add some edge rows but I still will end up quite close to 100g.

I do not think I will be able to complete the shawl this weekend. The little one demands to much attension but my guess is that the knitting and blocking will be done before next weekend so please be patient there will be no pretty pictures for 5-6days from today.

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, ;).