mmmm... strawberries!

Another new and exciting taste for Elina... But it was more fun to squeeze them in the sofa than eat them!

fruity

It's completed. At last. First I started knitting the biggest size on bigger needles, to get a size 2 years. It turned out more like size 8 years, so I knit the 12 months size on bigger needles, and it turned out a little big. But it will hopefully fit before I forget all about it..
Pattern: Five Fruits by Amanda Kerr. It's a free Ravelry download. Here's her blog.
Yarn: Noro Silk Garden, color 224. I used 200 grams.
Needles: 5 mm, circular and double points.
I found this pattern at Magknits, the great pattern recourse which suddenly shut down, without a warning. It's okay to shut down your site, but it's NOT ok to do it without a warning when thousands of people are using the patterns for their knitting projects. (yes, it's smart to copy it to your computer. There are several things that's smart, but it doesn't mean we do it) It really pissed me off, but the designer was luckily kind enough to share the pattern as a free download. I really, really appreciate that!
Anyway, quite happy with the result, it's an unusual pattern, many things were new to me. It's well written and easy to follow. It's a top down, for me that seems to be the easiest way to knit a sweater. I even found a top-down group at Ravelry, so there are more fans ;) The sweater has some edgings that are new to me, the neck stockinette all the way, no rib or garter to make an edge. Same thing on the sleeves. I think it's really cute!
Here's the edging. I didn't bind of, but sew it on to the back. Yey for that, it turned out good. I will probably knit this patterns again very soon, but use a yarn which is more like the one used in the pattern, so I might have a little idea how it turns out.

challenged

Gurin challenged me!
It goes like this:

-Pick up the nearest book
-Open on page 123
-Find the fifth sentence
-Post the next three sentences
-Tag five people, and acknowledge who tagged you.

Ok, here is the nearest book. It's got 26 pages...
So I had to pick another one, from the shelf. With my eyes closed, to make it a little more realistic. The one I picked is Affinity by Sarah Waters. It's in Norwegian, and is called Renkesmed.

From page 123:

"Jeg sa at det var sånn han svarte for å erte meg da vi var barn; han tedde seg som en utlært advokat allerede den gangen. Jeg så at Helen holdt øye med oss. Hun hadde perler i ørene - de så ut som små voksdråper, jeg husker at hun hadde dem på en gang i gamle dager, og at jeg så for meg at de smeltet i varmen fra huden hennes. "

I pass the challenge on to Liss, Merete, Dolci, Muffin and Beate

parklife

It's summer! Or at least almost. Summer to me means bringing my knitting project outdoors, in this example to the park. Nothing is better than relaxing an knitting in the grass on a sunny day!
I'm continuing the shawl I started yesterday, and I think the colors will turn out pretty good. 12 is my magic number, so I'm knitting 12 stripes in each color, but I started with only 6 rows of the garter-stripes to push the colorchanging 6 rows forward, and change the color of the garter stitches in the middle of the stockinette rows... If you understand what I'm trying to explain. I don't blame you if you have no idea what I'm talking about.
I'm also planning some beads on the ruffle edge for this shawl. Maybe a row or two with some small matching beads... don't know. It's exciting to plan a project while I'm knitting, who knows how it will turn out!
Isn't the colors just shockingly different from the last shawl I made?
"Yey, I'm so happy to be in the park!"

UFO to FO

Finally! God, this was boring to bind off! But I was so eager to get it done, so it didn't take more than a few hours.. It turned out bigger than I expected, and it was surpricingly easy to block. Normally I almost hate blocking shawls, as they never turn out how I want them to. Maybe it's the yarn? Here are the facts: The patterns is Flower Basket shawl by Evelyn Clark. The patterns is from the 2004 Fall issue of Interweave Knits, but it has been avaliable as a free pattern. I got it from Mauds garn when I purchased the yarn.
The yarn is Evilla artyarn 8/2, color A-70. A greasy, "natural" yarn to knit, I had to pick out some hay, but I've seen worse. Noro, that would be.
The shawl is 180 grams, knit on needles 5 mm, it's 2 meters long and 80 cm wide. A perfect size! I think I knit the pattern a few more times than suggested. Lovely and easy pattern to knit, I would do it again! But on the other hand, it was an UFO for several months, I've been to busy knitting childrens garments. I actually used nearly 6 months to get it done!
I've started a new shawl (and a cardi which I forgot to take pictures of), a pretty pattern I found on Ravelry a few days ago. I have some alpaca in nice colors, and this is the perfect project. The shawl is called October Nursing Shawl, and is a free pattern. I'm not planning any nursing the next few years, but if I knit this as fast as the last shawl, I would have to start any day now. We might actually plan another baby in 4 years or so ;)

nearly done

I'm so excited! I've started the edge on the shawl I'm knitting, and I think it will turn out pretty good. I have no idea how big it is, since I haven't tried to put it on two circular needles to get an idea about the size. It's FBS, or Flower Basket Shawl, one of the most "common" shawl patterns to knit, I guess. Pretty and easy, and hopefully pierced with many needles on the guestbed tonight. I really wish I had a simpler system for blocking shawls. Wires would be great!

cute as a button

I have thousands of buttons. Or maybe millions! And the collection is still growing! I will never get the chance to use half of them if I'll only use them for clothing and scrapbooking. I could sew and make more layouts, but it would be fun to try something new, wouldn't it?

Next project is a matching bracelet, which I have no idea how to make..

a trip down memory lane

A thread about knitwear for newborns were started at Hobbyboden and I got to think about our little girl when she was just 2 days old. She was born 18 days earlier than she "should", so I never got the time to get scared.. or buy some of the most nessesary things for a newborn, like a car seat. So we had to borrow a big blue plastic bag at the hospital, which was fully legal to use in cars! I can't understand why this is safe travelling for a baby. Anyway, I remember being so tired after 2 days at the hospital, and sitting in the back of the car breastfeeding while my boyfriend ran around town to get all the babystuff we needed. Like diapers, babycream, some clothing and something to give her a bath in. It's only been a year, but the extreme stress is gone!
Oh, now I remember why I uploaded the pics.. The knitwear! Isn't it cute? A midwife at the hospital "begged" to put it on Elina, and afterwards she had to run around the whole floor to show them the "little doll". Proud parents? Nooo.. ;)
Again, the knitwear... It's made by my mother. It's pure wool, and we used it until the weather got to hot. It was really simple to put on and take off, as the pants have buttons all the way. I can't believe it's been this long! What a year!

two blocks and a layout

Sorry for being so slow on the update about the friendship quilt blocks. I'm sick with an huge ear infection, and just want to lay down feeling sorry for myself. That is pretty much what I'm doing, when I'm not knitting or getting envious over all the great projects I discover in blogs..
My baby girl has also been hospitalized, but after running a great number of tests; there's nothing wrong with her! Now that is a reason for celebrating, we've been worried for a while now.
About the blocks then! They one in the back is made by Limola, and the one in the front is made by Hobbyvenn. I love them! I've got exactly the blocks I wished for; red and white but no christmas motif. Yey! The quilt isn't taking shape, but soon I'll have all the blocks and can start to plan it a little. Luckily I have a spare wall ;)
After beeing inspired by my good friend Liss, I've decided to to another attempt at scrapbooking, I didn't feel like getting it right the last time. I don't feel to good about this either, but it's much better! The paper is mostly Sassafras Lass, exept the letters which I've cut out from regular solid cardboard. I ADORE the cute Sassafras patterns, the owls are just too cute! Perfect for funny baby pictures.
I'm planning some more layouts, I've even sketched them! It's fun, but I feel like a beginner. If it's something I really can't handle, it has to be the feeling of making something I'm not 100% satisfied with!

hello lovvah!

It's here! My baby! My little Nikon D80-baby! What should I name the baby?
My old camera is nothing but trouble, and Fuji desided I could get a new one.. But I didn't want a new Finepix, I think I might have the posibility to grow as a photographer, and I've "outgrown" my little compact. So, this is the next step. It's got tons of tiny buttons I can't wait to push! The only problem is that the store sent the wrong memory card, so I have to wait a week or so. I'm not sure if I can do that! ;)

tiny, warm and colorful

This was fun! And fast, easy and mindless. I've used two strands of Rauma Finull for all 3 projects, and they've been felted in the tumbler for a half hour or so. The pair at the top is a size 3 years (I guess), the ones in the middle is 3 years, and the slippers at the bottom is about size 22-24. All perfect for kindergarden/daycare!
I made this before I went to visit my parents, as they have a tumbler I could use for felting. I made some other things as well, but they will be decorated a bit before posted here. I'm halfway through a good plan, I think I'll make some embroidery on them (it's a purple hat and a pair of dusty pink mittens)
Other than that, I'm still working on the domino blanket posted about yesterday.. If you have some sock yarn scraps you want to sell, let me know! I'm interested in the small scraps, I'll be happy to get less than a ball of each color! I'm interested in qualities like Opal, Regia, Fabel and similar.

stupidity

Yes, I've started another mindless project, which is just too much work. Why do I do that? I've started more than 10 blankets, but none are completed. This time, I'm working domino squares in sock yarn. It's supposed to be a left over project, but I'm hours away from my stash and had to use the 3 balls of Opal yarn I brought to make socks. I've made one pair of socks, and then I started this thing... I love domino knitting, it's really mindless and perfect for relaxing/reading blogs. But will that alone make a whole blanket? I don't think so.
I'm not exactly the first person to do this. Here, here, and here, are some other domino blankets! Yum!