lazy sunday - a long update

Due to a baby with the cold, the Sunday is spent at home. I usually find Sundays quite boring, I spend to much time cleaning and cooking. Today the house is pretty tidy for a change, and I can use all the boring hours to do exciting things!

Late yesterday night I started knitting this sweater. I've got a letter which confirmed our application for kindergarden/day care, and we're in the system to get Elina in. A perfect excuse to start a new project! Through Ravelry I came across this pattern, called Five Fruits. I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it! I like the edgings, or perhaps the lack of edging, it's just stockinette all the way. It's a raglan knitted top down, which is new to me. And best of all; no seams.

I had some trouble with the increases, but I got a tip about a great site, KnittingHelp. It might come in handy later too. It's great to watch videoes if there's something I'm not sure how to do, and can't figure it out by reading the pattern in English. I often find English patterns easier than Norwegian as they're often more exact, but sometimes I just get stuck. Maybe KnittingHelp will prevent me from giving up a great pattern because there's a increase I just don't understand.

The yarn is Noro Silk Garden, color 224. A pretty nice colorway I originally bought to make a jacket inspired by the Noro scarf with stripes "everyone" is knitting.
I've used this yarn quite a few times before, and it doesn't stop to fascinate me. Knitting with Noro is extreme sports, it's amazing until you suddenly discover a break or 5. It's not that fun to suddenly discover a knot, which is tied together with a completely different color.

I used the Silk Garden yarn to knit a Domino Baby Bonnet, and it turned out huge. I didn't complete it, but started another one, using Rauma Finull. It's still to big, but might fit Elina during autumn. I don't think I'll dare to felt it just a bit to make it fit now, since it's garter stitch. Does garter stitch felt more than stockinette, or is only something I believe?
I would have taken a photo of it on the model, if her hair wasn't all greased up with vaseline (yes, vaseline) to get rid of that yellow stuff covering her scalp. Vaseline and hair isn't a good idea, by the way. Actually it's a very, very bad idea. And it's not even mine!
I've also been spinning today. These beauties I dyed a couple of weeks ago have been made into a thread, which will be made into a 2-ply later

It's made out of Bluefaced Leicester, a great fiber. I don't have a certain project in mind while spinning this. I want to see how it turns out first, and how much it is. I think the color would be perfect for a little jacket for a newborn, but then I have to make another baby (or beg friends to start copulating)
I will be very disappointed if the yarn doesn't turn out fantastic!

...and then I've spent some time in my studio. I've had the amazing purple Kokka fabric for ages, and I was niggardly while purchasing it, so I only got 1/2 yard.(as mostly japanese fabrics, it's quite expensive)
The original plan was to make a bag, and I got the fabric first. A few weeks later when I had gotten the pattern, I found out it required almost a whole yard of fabric. The natural thing to do would be to buy more, but I forgot all about it. After making the blouse mentioned in my last blog post, I found another pattern in the same Ottobre magazine I wanted to make, and cut the pieces today. I think I made a mistake while cutting some of the smaller pieces, and might have to redo them. Luckily not the Kokka fabric which I only have 1/2 a yard of!

And finally, my blocks for the friendship quilt is ready to be sent. Hope they'll arrive safely, and that the recievers will be happy!

Yesterday I even got a block for my own friendship quilt. It's from Hillevi and it's so cute! Thanks!