Wednesday 24 July 2013

The Heat Is On

I am not talking about putting on a new woollen shawl when there is 25C degrees outside. No, we have summer. The summer switch has been turned on, finally. The sun is out and the sky is blue and it is hot. The best july for seven years we are told.

And what is better than knitting a shawl from wool then?? LOL! I actually knit most of the time, hot weather or not. But it took a short time taking the photos this time. Even though wool is sort of breathing - it is a little too hot right now.

Well, after all that summer babble - it is time to wrap this thing up. It is knitted from wool that is used at the local Mandal Veveri where they make this new sophisticated blanket inspired from norwegian folk costume, also called bunad.

Three tiny threads are winded up in balls of yarn - and I must say that I have no idea what they call it or what it is used for. What the gauge is or what needle is recommended. The yarn comes without any label.

They sell it locally as yarn - it is wool and it may be used in their weaving. It has absolutely no tension - and it is best in garter stitch or other loose knitting.

I added a red mohair from the stash. I really love it. In spite of being a little stiff it turned out to be so nice to wear as the mohair added some softness to it.

I had no pattern, just made it up as a knitted. Simply cast on 3st and knit while increasing 2st every other row.

See the link for my ravelry page and read more if you are interested.

So there you have it: Summer, wool and knitting. And some local raspberries. Nothing is better than that.

The Stitch Story
Yarn: Plum mohair, wool from Mandal Veveri
Needle: 8mm
Size: 220 x 90cm
The little extra: Tassels, butterfly beads, small glass beads
My Ravelry Page (with some sort of pattern): Hometown Wool

Monday 15 July 2013

Wacky Woolly Knitting


This project goes perfect with my wacky woolies from Ireland.
Some projects are impossible to get an image of before they are done. This is one of them. When I first saw it on Ravelry I did not get it. A shawl to walk into? A sleeping bag? A bolero without holes for the arms?

Well, when a knitting friend came along with it I got it. And got myself some yarn and started knitting Viajante, as it is called. The german designer Martina Behm manage to come up with something totally new and out of the box. You start by knitting a triangle, then join to knit in the round and simply knit until you drop (not your stitches).

I had a few problems with the increase method but my good knitting friend helped me and I got it going. Such a fun knit - and such a great garment for both summer (the norwegian one) and winter. I can use it as a shawl, as a scarf and finally as a thing I take over my head and wrap around me. Does it sound wacky?? Check out the link for the pattern and you will see how it looks when it is done.

The yarn and the color of it is such a surprise. I use the danish Holst yarn for Viajante. This is the first time I use the yarn and I will use it again. Totally in woolly love with it.

The Stitch Story
Yarn: Holst Supersoft 100% wool
Needle: 2.5mm
Pattern: Viajante
My Ravelry Page: Wacky And Woolly
Started with a garter stitch triangle, then continue by knitting in the round.


Monday 1 July 2013

Coming In Waves


After knitting and unraveling a couple of times I finally decided to use colors suggested in the pattern for this scarf. And I must say that I am quite surprised that they worked so well together. A rainbow and some muddy color actually found each other in waves of wool.

I started out with the color EZ and the EQ. That really looked liked mud. Then a magenta solid color and the EQ - did not work either.

Newer doubt a winning team...

Anyway, I loved knitting this. Easy and yet a little concentration now and then. The long color changes in the yarn made it a little exciting too.

One thing that is challenging is to get the skeins of Kauni to end and start in the same color flow.

There was a lot of ball winding added to this project.

I always get an extra skein of the yarn to be sure to get the color floats right. That seems to work.

This is one of those projects that is a little sad that I have already knitted. I enjoyed it so much that I could knit it once again. Maybe I will...

There is no harm in repeating a good thing
Plato

The Stitch Story
Yarn: Kauni effektgarn, EQ and EF (total 495grams)
Needle: 2.5mm
Size: 250 x 44cm
Pattern: Wiggle Wrap
My Ravelry Page: Woolly Waves