Tuesday 28 August 2012

Daisies To Keep Me Warm

I just love daisies. And I ordered the pattern for my new mittens the instant I saw it on Ravelry. But it really took time to get started. I had to knit a latvian braid - and thought it would be hard to manage. I was so wrong. I found this excellent video and that made it so easy.

The second cuff will have my name on it.
Latvian braids are so lovely on knitted mittens and it was really about time to learn it. I love how it came out.

And I can not wait to get the mittens finished. These are my second pair ever knitted.

My first pair got so big that I had to felt them several times. They are still big.

So I decided to find myself some tiny needles to avoid those huge mittens.

I finally got hold of 1.75mm needles on 15cm. They are so lovely to knit mittens with.

So, this is almost like laying down in a meadow of daisies on a warm summers day. That is what my mittens reminds me of.

Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower
Hans Christian Andersen
The Stitch Story
Yarn: Rauma Finull, Pt2
Needle: 1.75mm
Pattern: Skåne
My Ravelry Page: Woollen Daisies
Green and orange for the duplicate stitches for the flowers.

Sunday 26 August 2012

New Sweater In A Week

My knitted sweater is finished. The pendant is my creation in polymer clay. 
I started last sunday and have knitted a lot. I finished it yesterday and I was very excited to see the fit. After all I changed the yarn, number of stitches and how the sleeves were knitted.

I simply must say: I am so pleased with my new tent. So soft, warm and light. It is like sitting inside feathers. In spite of being alpaca. And I like the color - I do not look alive in grey or brown as the pattern calls for.

I find it a bit boring that we are supposed to wear those colors until next June. Well, a lot of people look amazing in those colors. But I do not.

The pattern says to cast on 80st. I cast on 94 for the front and the back. The front is 73cm long and the back 3cm longer. That made a perfect tent for me - after all I am tall.

I saw another knitter on Ravelry who picked up stitches for the sleeves along the front and back.

And that was a great tip - in spite of me unraveling to get the right amount of stitches and the decreases to work.

With some jewelry and a shawl or scarf it actually looks like something I could wear outside amongst other people. LOL!!!

The leaf on the photo is my polymer clay creation made some time ago. It fits the autumn that is nearly here.

I do love my new sweater and that I chose a color I like. I am prepared for hot coffee, snow and a lot of months with dreams of summer. In colors!!!

The Stitch Story
Yarn: Tynn Alpakka (Du Store Alpakka), Plum mohair (Rauma)
Needle: 6mm
Size: Front is 73cm long, back is 76cm long, sleeves are 44cm long
Pattern: Skappelgenser (in norwegian)
My Ravelry Page: Completely Oversized
A red shawl is just what the sweater need.



Sunday 19 August 2012

I Am Knitting A Tent

I completely lost my mind and ran to the yarn store to start knitting what is really hot in Norway right now. An oversized sweater with absolutely no shape and I will probably look like a wandering tent when it is finished. I may consider knitting a sleeping bag as well.

Suddenly a lot of people empty the shelves in yarn stores to knit the sweater designed by a norwegian celebrity. She took her daughters to a breakfast show on TV to talk about her design, all dressed in the sweater, and it made people go woollen. The good thing is that people are knitting and love it.

As her daughter published the pattern on her blog it was done. Maybe we are just so tired of running around in too tight garments?

Or maybe it is just to get a feel of fame? Or maybe we are back in the 90s - when sweaters should be tents.

Who knows? I just convinced myself that I would need a large sweater for the winter.

There is something about a large coffee, cold weather and cuddling into a large sweater.

And with some knitting in the hands. At least it worked thinking that on my way to shelves filled with alpaca yarn.

As the sweater originally is knitted in another yarn than I picked, I added some more stitches. The originally yarn would have made it very warm.

The pattern is in norwegian but for a knitter this is really simple. I cast on 94 stitches and after a short rib the sweater is knitted in garter stitch.

The yarn is so soft and light - and I happen to love turquoise. I need a color I like and feel good in. So, here we go. Not that I need a new project. I am just weak and let myself lead into this. Gosh...

The Stitch Story
Yarn: Tynn Alpakka, Plum (mohair)
Needle: 6mm 
Size: Oversized
Pattern: Skappel genser
Ravelry link: Completely Oversized

Monday 13 August 2012

Plastic Is Fantastic

Since diamonds are a girls best friend - plastic could be the second best friend. And shaped into toy animals they seem like a little precious thing. In spite of millions of them all over the world.

I have this philosophy that almost every thing could be turned into jewelry. Apart from food and cars. Oh, and books. Too heavy if you ask me.

I found a penguin and a swan in the toy shop and drilled holes in them.

Then I used small hooks with a little glue so I had something to hang them in.

The swan is also drilled under neath it (oh gosh) and some feathers and beads are attached to it.

The penguin has a leather cord and some torn fabric and the swan just a cheap chain from the store.

The toys are from the german company Schleich and they claim their toys to be handpainted.

And you can find all sorts of animals.

It is easy to drill the holes and I think they are a funny and different way of wearing jewelry. Attached to a key chain you have a nice gift.

What kind of alternative material jewelry have you seen?

Sunday 5 August 2012

Completely Orange With Rings

All together: Scarf in soft wool, polymer clay sea urchin and polymer clay bracelet.
It will not be my last baktus scarf. It is simply too much fun not to make loads of. Easy and straight forward. And the pattern is even free. What more could one want?

Well, a new excuse to buy more yarn. And I found the excuse - I really can not remember what it was... Oh, I think it must be that I wanted a little scarf to go with my orange polymer clay sea urchin and the new bracelet I made.

Orange is after all my newest color affection. I found the yarn in a shop on Etsy in my search for orange yarn. I loved the color scheme and Rebecca dyed two skeins for me.

I think it is magic to get two skeins of yarn just for me all hand painted. A really lovely and soft yarn. And no bleeding at all.

I got an idea of making my scarf special. So I came up with this rather simple design: To add three rings in each end of it.

The rings are knitted in the round.  You can se how I did this on my Ravelry project page. The rings are not sewn at all just knitted together like a paper chain.

I did a provincial cast on and as I started on the scarf itself I wrapped the end around the first ring and knitted the live stitches together with the ones at the end of the wrap. Also better (I hope) explained in my project page.

I love wearing it. It is so colorful and the yarn is wonderful. Let´s go orange - whatever that means!!!

The Stitch Story
Yarn: Hand dyed sock yarn in color Summer Splash, The Spinning Daisy 
Needles: 2.5mm 
PatternBaktus Scarf (free)
Other materials: Knitted rings
Ravelry link: Ring A Baktus

See my project page on Ravelry to get directions for knitting rings for this scarf.