Wednesday 24 April 2013

A First Time For Everything

Lace. That intricate pattern that mysteriously pops out of knitting two together, yarn overs and a lot of concentration. I have always admired all those lace shawls I saw knitters were making.

And I thought it would be too hard to get it. Was I wrong? Yes, nothing is impossible if I set my mind to it.

So I started my first lace shawl. It did not go well - I had to unravel some times since the lace got too lose. But that gave me possibility to try out the pattern. I ended up with needle size 3mm after trying both 3.5mm and 4mm.

I knit very lose so now I am happy about my first lace. And I never thought it should be that much fun. Tiny hearts emerges in the shawl. Like tiny miracles from just knitting those stitches in a certain way.

I use Kauni again - going for a rainbow. Why did I ever wait that long before starting lace knitting?

Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere
Chinese Proverb

The Stitch Story
Yarn: Kauni Effektgarn EQ
Needles: 3mm
Pattern: Karin Lace Shawl
My Ravelry Page: I ♥ You

Wednesday 17 April 2013

A Peek From A Rainbow



When I was little I was curtain that if I ran fast enough I would get to the rainbow just in time to touch it. That was a lot of running in excitement not even thinking that a rainbow is unreachable. And instead of thinking I failed when I did not reach it - I thought that a new day would give me new exciting running for a rainbow.

I have that same feeling when I create. That endless joy and excitement creating and finishing projects. One of the biggest blessings in life.

I had so much fun knitting my rainbow scarf that it was a little sad when I finished it. The colors are just wonderful and adding some stripes to it did the trick.

I had some leftovers and knitted some mittens I felted in the washer. The yarn, Kauni, is excellent to felt. The mittens are thick and warm.

I felted them two times in the washer. They looked really awful before felting and I never thought they would be so nice.

I love knitting with this yarn. But it has a lot of knots and broken threads. But that is ok - I spit splice it so I do not get those ends to weave in. The yarn is also very dirty and has that oil in it. But nothing a little washing can not handle. I will definitely use the yarn again and again.

The Stitch Story
Yarn: Kauni effektgarn rainbow (EQ)
Needles: 2.5mm for scarf, 5.5mm for mittens
Pattern: Hitchhiker scarf, Mittens from pamphlet Strikk og Tov 8
My Ravelry Page: Hitchhiking To A RainbowHandy Rainbow
I added four stripes to get a bit more life to the scarf.

Thursday 11 April 2013

Has Been Overseas

Polymer clay bracelets was picked out for a presentation in Atlanta.
Well, I wish it was me. It would be so much fun to go to America. But this time it was only my work traveling. Or the photos of it.

The german polymer clay artist Anke Humpert was invited to the Synergy Conference in Atlanta arranged by the International Polymer Clay Association.

To introduce trends in the european clay work she picked photos of work from all over Europe. I was picked out from Norway with the two photos you see above.

I was so honored and could not believe it. Europeans has very different conditions to work under than clayers in the USA.

Less clay brands to choose from, total lack of tools and learning is done online or by books in english. Since the clay community is very giving that is not problem.

I do not work that much in polymer clay anymore. The shop (1 hour from here) only sell Fimo soft and now they are only offering a few of the colors in the brand. That makes it impossible - it is too expensive to buy outside the country. Most importantly though, it is a lot more social to knit. I can take my knitting anywhere - the clay is a one woman thing.

But I am so happy to have learned about the medium. I can make some jewelry to go with my knitted garments or for new clothing to match. And of course some cool buttons. The things we learn are never wasted. We grow as we learn. And polymer clay is the most fun medium I have ever worked with.
Polymer clay bracelet made from a rainbow skinner blend and beads shaped as birds.

Friday 5 April 2013

Leaves, Love And Leftie

Some tomatoes become ketchup. But mine became some tiny leaves on my latest scarf or shawlette. And where did those tomatoes come from? The color of the red orange yarn is actually called tomato. 

I am pleased with most of my projects but this is one of the best so far.

I can not say how pleased I am with the colors and the yarn. And that I knitted this with 2mm needles. A nice tight knit.

I must say I got a little tired of all the spit splicing - but it was so worth it. Maybe my cats food, hair ball control, would be advisable? LOL!!!

I would have had 86 ends to weave in if I have not taken the time to do that.

I only had two - one in each end. And ends tends to lose up over time. So I do not have to worry about that.

I had to get lace needles as there are a lot of wraps and turns with two wraps on the stitches when knitting the leaves. And the lace needle made the leaf knitting so much easier.

The design is great but I found it a bit unfinished on the bind off end. So I found a nice leaf and knitted two together in the round. I used a glass bead and sew it on my leftie.

And there it was - just as I wanted my leftie. The designer Martina Behm is so talented. A lof of knitting design in Norway is very traditional and the same all over again. Creative knitting is often missing - but with Ravelry a whole new world is open. Knitting never gets boring with Ravelry. Leftie is an example on that.

Don't fear failure so much that you refuse to try new things. 
The saddest summary of a life contains three descriptions: could have, might have, and should have
Louis E. Boone

The Stitch Story
Yarn: Madelinetosh Merino Light
Needles: 2mm
Other Materials: Knitted Leaf, Glass Bead
Pattern: Leftie
My Ravelry Page: Love And Tomatoes