Just knit it!

Summer update

2008-06-18T23:51:00.005+03:00

Is it summer already? Wasn't it last summer just a few posts ago? Well, you all see where this is going. Blogging is just not happening at this here blog.

But that doesn't mean there is no knitting. On the contrary, there is always knitting going on. Knitting is my lifeline when life gets stressful which is pretty much all the time. But the future of the blog is not so bright, at the moment at least.

I do, however, hang out at Ravelry all the time and like to keep my projects page up to date so if you are a Raveler you can always find me here.

And if you are neither a Ravelry member nor planning to ever become one but still like to catch up with my knitting you can subscribe to the rss feed from my projects page by clicking this link:
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Majtessa.rss
using the excellent Google Reader or Feed reader of you choice.

Happy summer, happy knitting and see you sometime somewhere (else) in the wonderful world of the webs!

New year, new beginnings

2008-01-01T20:30:00.000+02:00

Happy new 2008!
May this year bring you woolly warmth and lots of happy knitting!

I love New Year's Day! It holds so much hope, promise and expectation. So rather than wrap up my 2007 knitting, I like to look ahead to the many new possibilities of 2008. The closest thing to a new year's resolution will be this:

May 2008 be the year when I finally finish a sweater!

I have a long history of sweater failures, but I'm feeling pretty confident things may be about to change. I'm hoping my recent purchase of Stefanie Japel's Fitted Knits will also help me on my path to The Finished Sweater.

Additional sources for fibery inspiration for the new year are the batch of books I got from The Book Depository just in time for Christmas. They include Clara Parkes' The Knitter's Book of Yarn and Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks, plus the aforementioned Fitted Knits and a few others. Lots of yummy patterns and delightful reading there.

To celebrate the beginning year I hope to cast on for the Spring Shawl Surprise tonight. It's a lace stole knitalong labelled challenging. Sounds like just my kinda thing. :)

Here's a little sneak preview of what else is on the needles as the year commences.

_______________________________

And in case anyone was wondering ... No, I didn't finish the 9 to 5 socks by Friday night (see previous post) but Birthday Girl did get her socks well in time for Christmas and was happy as a lark anyway. I enjoyed this project very much and was rather proud of the results of my Koolaid dyeing (sadly the variegation doesn't show in the picture). The pattern had some nice little details that were new to me, such as picking up the heel flap selvedges from the "wrong side" to make a really neat and decorative edge.

9 to 5 socks
Pattern: 9 to 5 by Nicole at All Buttoned Up
Yarn: Novita Nalle, grey yarn dyed with Koolaid
Needles: 2,5 mm dpns

And finally, although I feel a little bad to say it, the rest is on Ravelry. Stuff I never found the time to blog about, yarn details, WIPs and whatnot. There will be an open house sometime in January so if you're not already a member, here's your chance to come and see what it's all about. Catch you there!

Last minute knitted gift

2007-11-22T23:55:00.000+02:00

Roughly one month ago: Received invitation to dinner with the girls to celebrate birthday girl on Fri, Nov. 23.
Last weekend: While travelling to Fair realized Gift is needed for said birthday girl. Decide to knit socks.
Monday, Nov. 19: Realize that despite rather vigorous shopping at said Fair (see below) no suitable yarn for birthday girl's socks is found in stash.
Tuesday, Nov. 20: Decide koolaid yarn is the thing. Dash off to closest supermarket to buy a ball of grey Novita Nalle (pictured left). Spend the evening inhaling cherry and tropical punch fumes.
Wednesday, Nov. 21: Wait impatiently for grey-turned-variegated-cherry-tropical-red (much prettier in real life) yarn to dry. Eventually heat sauna and hang yarn in there. Wind dry yarn into ball pictured right.
Thursday, Nov. 22: Cast on 9 to 5 socks (pictured center) at noon using 2,5 mm needles. Make note to self to never buy Novita Nalle again after this project, feels like knitting plastic. But the color is nice.
Thursday, Nov.22, midnight: Blog about said project rather than knit heel flap.

Question: What are the odds there will be two finished 9 to 5 socks by 6pm Friday, Nov. 23?

___________________________

And because I can't be bothered to write a separate post about the Fair, here's what I bought:

Ornaghi Filati Merino oro: Teal and Brown
OnLine Supersocke Silk
Katia laine nylon
Wetterhoff Sivilla

Four socks and a piano

2007-11-20T00:53:00.001+02:00

One pair for him and one for her.

Pomatomus socks
Pattern: Pomatomus from Knitty
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Merino in blues/purples
Needles: 2,5 mm dpns

Boyfriend socks
Pattern: Boyfriend socks by Alice Bell
Yarn: Trekking Pro Natura bamboo/wool blend
Needles: 2,5 mm dpns

FO galore

2007-10-28T22:56:00.001+02:00

I don't seem to take time to blog very often, but here's proof that at least I'm knitting. And there's more where these came from, albeit unblocked and with ends to weave in. Anyways, first out, a nothing-fancy-or-spectacular happy pair of mittens:

Mittens with Lozenge Pattern
Pattern: my own, using standard ribbed cuff,
thumb gusset and two-stitch top decrease
Yarn: Pirta Villanalle 100% superwash wool
(bought at Citymarket sometime in the 90s)
Needles: 3,0 mm dpns

Next, a cutie-hat for the baby in the family. A clever little pattern with a very nice fit and i-cord ties. I modified the size to fit the head of the receiver and added the garter stripes. Love this one (both baby and hat)!

Top down bonnet
Pattern: Top down bonnet by Adrian Bizilia from Hello yarn
Yarn: Schoeller & Stahl Limbo superwash wool (brown)
and Regia Silk (blue)
Needles: 3,5 mm dpns

And finally a bit o' lace.

Swan Lake
Mystery Stole 3 without beads
Pattern: MS3 yahoo group knitalong in the summer of 07
Yarn: one strand of Grignasco MerinoSilk, pearl grey, 30 g (!)
Needles: 3,5 mm Addi Turbo circulars
For my mom

I'm addicted to lace, there's no denying it. I may not always want to wear it, but there is no other kind of knitting I enjoy as much as the process of reading a chart, watching the pattern unfold on the needles and then seeing the true beauty of the lace revealed on the blocking board (and still I managed to get a really wonky edging along the point of this stole, but let's not dwell on petty details).

I make no claim to originality with this one since there are about 5 000 other knitters making the same stole, but I really like the asymmetric design and the "wing" on one side. It turned out quite small and is light as a feather, so it doesn't have all that much drape, but there is a delicacy to it that I find very attractive.

Having finished this, I went right on and signed up for The secret of the stole, Mystic waters and the Spring Shawl Surprise knitalongs. I haven't started any of those yet, though, as there are other projects, lace and more, waiting in the wings. But more on that next time.

Oh, and Ravelry really is all it's cracked up to be. A great organizing tool (how else would I have remembered what size needles I used?), a great source of inspiration, a friendly community, and a great time sucker. I've been seeing knitting thumbnails pictures in my sleep lately.

I'm in!

2007-10-05T00:02:00.000+03:00

After having waited for two agonizing months and checked the waiting list a zillion times a day (I'm a geek, I know. I have no life), my Ravelry invitation finally arrived. Oh, the pictures, the patterns, the people ... All in one placce. Ingenious. I'm Majtessa, come on over and say hello.

Now excuse me while I disappear into a Ravelry-shaped hole.

Yarn for sale

2007-09-27T11:41:00.000+03:00

Oh my, the months just fly by. There is, however, plenty of knitting action going on behind the scenes. And a bit of stash inventory resulting in yarn looking for a new home.

Jaeger Luxury Tweed
Shade 824 Kingfisher
65 % merino wool, 35 % alpaca

10 x 50 g/180 m (minus a small swatch)
SOLD!

Here's a pic of the swatch, showing the subtle variegation.

More pastel goodiness:

Novita Kid Mohair
Color 593
80 % kid mohair, 20 % polyamide
5 x 50 g / 200 m
14 euro + postage

Both yarns are now discontinued in production.

If you're interested drop me a comment or an email at majtessa at yahoo dot com, in any language ;).

Summer socks

2007-08-25T14:45:00.000+03:00

As summer is slowly dying, let's remember the good times.

Summer socks
Pattern: My own but using
Wendy's Generic Toe-Up Sock Pattern for toe-up techniques
Yarn: Online Supersocke Cotton, about half a 100g ball ??
Needles: 2,5 mm dpns

Once again an FO that was started last year but got stranded due to unispiritis. My first toe-up socks. A very gratifying technique, I think. I made some garter "seams" across the toes and along the side of the foot to imitate ordinary socks and to help me keep track of where the rows ended. After doing the short-row heel I felt it was a bit low so I started the ribbing gradually making the first columns at the sides and adding ribbed columns every 4 rows or so. It makes the stockinette part at the back of the heel and on top of the foot a little taller.

The yarn felt a bit like knitting with rope at first but once I got going it was fine. The sock is close-fitting, bordering on tight at the moment but I expect it will inevitably loose some of its shape due to the yarn's cotton content. The variegation is just right, I think. No pooling to speak of. All in all, a nice pair of socks, says I.

If these are my look-alikes then what do I look like?

2007-08-25T14:40:00.000+03:00

For knitting content, see next post. :)

Summer FO

2007-08-12T00:42:00.001+03:00

Without further ado, here she is:

Wanna see some detail up closer? You got it.

Or perhaps the pattern on wood?

Pattern: Lovely lacy shawl by Patons
Yarn: Novita Florica, 5 balls
Needles: Addi circulars, 4 mm

This project really started as an experiment to see how far I would get with a more complicated lace pattern after having done only one major lace project previously. So I pretty much took the most challenging pattern I could find online at the time (this was almost two years ago). The pattern didn't have charts so I made the charts myself from the written instructions, corrections for the errors are now found here (under Wrap it up).

When I started I never really expected to finish it, but as it progressed me and Lace knitting developed a firm and loving relationship and will never leave each other now (although we may take a long hiatus from time to time). Had I known I would actually finish it and thought about the finished size of the thing (she has the wing span of an eagle, 190 x 90 cm) I would have chosen a thinner, more elegant yarn. But what the h - she's done, she's lovely, she's found a better home and is worn proudly by her new owner, who is a lot taller than me and thus better equipped to wear an eagle size shawl. All is well that ends well!

The shawl she is ablockin' ...

2007-07-05T18:19:00.000+03:00

Uninspiritis defeated. Pregnancy survived and baby delivered. Shawl completed. All is well with the world.

Modelled shot coming up.

Returning

2006-10-30T22:15:00.000+02:00

Hello Blogger, my old friend,
I have come to talk to you again ...

I'm still alive and kicking, but still not really knitting. However, my fabulous Secret Pal sent me a little medication for my uninspiritis, and I dare say it is having some effect.

I got three skeins of lovely Rowanspun DK in a hazy blue shade called Cloud. This was my very first Rowan yarn and I love it. I wonder if these secret pals have a sixth sense because they always seem to know exactly what will do the trick. Or did my pal get hold of my computer's cache to see that I've been surfing Cucumberpatch's site a hundred times eyeing the Rowanspuns but never getting round to ordering? Whatever the case, THANK YOU, secret pal! I have started a swatch with the yarn, and although I don't have a clear vision of what it will become, for now I am happy just fondling the yarn and the lovely soft tweedy fabric that emerges. A little yarn bliss goes a long way.

There was also a card with a cute little lace pattern in the package. Very clever, I thought. Forgot to include it in the picture, though.

Nothing else to report on the knitting front, I'm afraid. My UFO's are sitting in the precise same spot where I left them two months ago. But I've decided not to worry too much about it. I think I overdosed a bit on the knitting, blogging and yarn obsessing last winter, so now is the time to recover and think about other things for a while. When the time is right knitting will come to me, I do not have to force myself to go to it.

But to all you fantabulous knitters out there: You rule! What an amazingly creative bunch of people the knitting community is.

Knit on, blog on. I'll join you when the spirit is willing.

Ah, my poor blog ...

2006-09-05T22:09:00.000+03:00

... how woefully neglected you are. And even more saddening is the fact that the nothingness here corresponds precisely to the nothingness in my knitting world.

I have been utterly and despondently struck by uninspiritis. My UFOs/WIPs send nothing but shivers of resentment down my spine. Browsing through new magazines and pattern web sites leaves me completely cold. Not even yarn shopping holds any fascination.

I'm not physically ill. I have not been struck by another obsession. I have not lost anyone near and dear.
I can't explain it. It just happened and I suffer every day that I do not feel like touching yarn or finding yet another version of that perfect cardigan.

My only hope hangs on the saying: "This, too, shall pass."
I sincerely hope so.

I got m@il!

2006-08-16T00:57:00.000+03:00

My secret pal is very clever, and very secretive indeed. She (he?) sent me an e-mail in a language that took some deciphering on my part and apparently had to do with this:

Some delightfully luscious Drops Alpaca in a deep heathered shade of teal, my very favourite color! I'm imagining lacy scarf, or perhaps a pair of gloves ... Yum, yum! Thank you, Secret Pal, you made my day!

I sorely wish I had some more knitting news for you, but I'm pretty much stuck in a rut with my big WIPs. I've been slaving away on the shawl and there's now only 20 or so rows to go, but with every row being almost 500 stitches, that means some 10 000 stitches left. I tell ya, she's gonna be a Big Shawl.

The Aqua Jacke, she is the source of some serious procrastination. All parts are done, but one sleeve is longer than the other, the parts need to be basted together so that I can try her on, lots of ends to darn in and so on and so on. Bleh, bleh, boring.

What did the folks at Nike say again?

Topi beach hat

2006-08-10T22:21:00.000+03:00

Remember Topi? She was almost finished when I stopped loving her. It's the army cap style that, while looking immensely cool on everyone else, just doesn't do it for me. So Topi spent most of her summer in the ufo pile while I was trying to motivate myself to pick her up again. And eventually I did and gave her a new look.

Topi with a full brim.
Yarn: Idena Bamboo, 2 balls
Needles: 3,5 and 3 mm dpns

I just played it by ear and made increases at regular intervals, finishing the brim with the same ribbing as the head band. The shape of the brim is slightly pentagonal, but what the h***, I just wanted to finish the thing. I'm pretty happy with the final result, since the brim was more or less an experiment and a somewhat half-hearted attempt to salvage the bamboo yarn. And the top is very pretty, I think. A simple but clever construction. (Designed by Jennifer, of course)

The color is still wrong though, very wrong. A momentary lapse of sound judgement is my only explanation for choosing this color for a hat. So this particular specimen will not be seen in public all that much. But I'm not excluding the possibility that I will make another one, possibly with a wider brim and in a more striking color. Just not this year. Chapter summer hats is hereby closed for the season.

River Rapids Socks

2006-08-01T21:25:00.000+03:00

Lo and behold - a finished object!

And there's even two of them!

River Rapids Socks
Pattern: The Sock Bug (see sidebar)
Yarn: Regia Silk (55% wool, 20% Silk, 25&Polyamide), less than 100 g
Needles: 2,5 mm

This project was started quite some time ago, but was delayed due to some Second Sock Syndrome, which in turn was due to my intended recipient suddenly relocating from New York City to Mozambique. Somehow I couldn't picture her wearing these on the streets of Maputo. (We knitters know, of course, that wool socks can be worn in any climate, but since she's not a member of our tribe I didn't want to put her in an awkward spot.) Anyway, when I found a new recipient I finished the second sock in no time.

I'm pleased with the result and the pattern was easy to follow and remember. I made some minor modifications in the stitch count for the gusset, but otherwise the pattern worked very well for my yarn, which was yummy, yummy, yummy! I will definitely use it again. But the best part is that I'm now allowed to start a new sock project! It will be a cotton blend sock. No pattern yet, just some ideas ...

Oh, and I also got an enigmatic email from my Secret Pal. Yay! This is so much fun!

Signs of life

2006-07-23T01:20:00.000+03:00

Not enough hours in a day, that's my problem. And that is why I always end up writing my blog entries way past midnight. The still hours of the night can be a lovely quiet time, but there is nothing lovely about my looks, mood or social skills at 8 am (if I'm lucky) when my son wakes me up.

I had a discussion the other day with a very clear-sighted person about the world of blogs and internet and how blogging can become an all-consuming world of its own which eats up time that would otherwise be spent with family and friends. It is just so easy to go there, the world of knitblogs or whatever you're into is so easily available, and it's so nice! I find myself switching on the computer just to check my email and while I'm at it I'll just quickly check my blogroll - 25 new feeds, I'll read 'em real quick, it won't take long - oh, there's a sale at the webshop ... Two hours later I kick myself for becoming so absorbed I've neglecting my child, forgot to make dinner and given myself sore shoulders.

Priority. All things in moderation.
I'm no good at it, but I need to learn or my life will be in chaos. If nothing else then at least because I'm a role model for my child. Whatever he sees me doing he will grow up to do as well. And despite my own addiction I still believe kids are better off playing in sand pits than surfing the internet. (My son is two so we are still at the sand pit stage.) And I'm having a spell of bad conscience.

Well, enough seriousness. There are some fun things going on as well. Unfortunately no finished knitting objects. Progress has been made on the Heirloom Shawl and the Aqua Jacke but nothing much to show just yet. I am being quite good about sticking to old projects rather than starting new ones, although new yarn is stretching my determination to its very limits. Beads and wire to the rescue ...

And there is also the Salainen Neuleystävä 2006 (Finnish Secret Knitpal) which should be a lot of fun. I have deadlines at work all the time so I don't like knitting deadlines and haven't participated in any other exchanges, but I'm looking forward to this one.

Another project to follow up on the internet. Am I a hopeless case or what? ;-)

Something almost finished

2006-07-04T00:40:00.000+03:00

This heat we're having is almost too much. Sweating and breathing heavily is for those who really enjoy a thorough workout (I'm afraid I'm not one of them), not for those of us whose most strenous exercise is a purl row every now and then.

This yarn came home with me from my outing to Tapion kauppa the other day (um, almost two weeks ago actually). It's Idena Bamboo: 70 % bamboo, 30 % cotton. Very soft and drapey and with a nice sheen.

I wanted to make myself a summer hat from it and started crocheting a cap from Finnish Moda magazine (unfortunately no picture of either pattern or unfinished object). I nearly finished it only to realise it made me look like a cleaning lady wearing a dishcloth on her head. So I ripped and decided to jump on the Topi bandwagon. Here she is, crumpled up but almost complete.

Conclusions made:

Idena bamboo looks much better knitted than crocheted.
It is also very drapey so needs small needles to stay firm. I used 3,5 mm dpns and 3 mm for the ribbing and brim.
Topi is a nicely written and cleverly constructed pattern.
What was I thinking buying baby pink yarn for a hat? It makes me look like - well, 12.
I will still wear Topi and she will serve her duty as sun protection well, but I have yet to find a hat that flatters a small head with short hair. Any ideas anyone?
Every source of artificial light in my MIL's house is totally unsuitable for blog photography (picture above).

More pictures when she is complete! I will be travelling a bit in the coming weeks so posting might be scarce. Happy holidays to those of you who have just been let out of the office and happy 4th of July to those of you celebrating across the Atlantic!

In the summertime when the weather is hot ... nothing gets done

2006-06-21T22:21:00.000+03:00

Not that the weather has been that hot... I'm just in a sort of pause mode at the moment. I don't watch TV, and so I don't knit. Knitting for me is very closely linked to TV, as sad as that sounds. I also don't get to surf the internet that much, which is basically a good thing, but it also means I kind of loose touch with the knitting community, and run out of inspiration. What can I say, I'm weak like that :-/

What little I've done I've already talked about here a number of times: a few more completed rounds on the shawl and one finished Aqua jacke sleeve, which of course has to be reknit ... (Aqua Jacke part XXXVII)

And I suppose I must also confess that I have spent far more time than is good for me drooling over library books filled with ideas for beading and silver wire projects. The endless possibilities! I'm a sucker for endless possibilities. This just may have affected my knitting time a tiny bit as well.

Tomorrow, however, I will go back into my old tracks. I'm going on an outing and it involves yarn!

Beading

2006-06-05T15:24:00.000+03:00

Here are my first attempts at the art of jewelry-making. It is a lot of fun, and goes so quickly compared to knitting! These were made using a cheap bead mix from the local crafts shop. But even cheap beads look nice in the sunshine!

I could easily get hooked on beadwork, and the internet is as always a dangerous place for crafty people. It was not long before I realized Swarovski crystals was really the thing to get rather than cheap bead mixes, and shopping should take place at a specialized bead shop such as Villihelmi or Sayila. Any old pliers, needles and wire won't do of course, you need to get the good stuff - and before you know it this new hobby will have you spending euros in every direction just getting the basic tools and a "stash" of materials to work with. Not sure I want to go there.

I lie, of course I want to. But if I do something else has gotta give. Knitting? Eating? Family time? Outdoors in the summer sun time? Working out? Well, I already gave that up when I started knitting AND blogging and my waistline is not liking it one bit. No, my rational side is having a serious talk to my impulsive side about the sensibility in jumping on this bandwagon just because I managed to produce a necklace and some earrings. Time will tell which side comes out the victor. For now, it's back to the needles.

Summertime

2006-06-03T22:30:00.000+03:00

Doesn't this look like a handful of promises for summer? Sunshine, blue skies, clear water ...

Strange things happen to me when summer comes. Such as ideas that I want to make my own jewellery. I already finished a little something. But the picture turned out really crappy, so stay tuned for more ...

A little progress

2006-05-30T16:15:00.000+03:00

Edit: Republished to get the fonts right in Firefox.

Whoa .. long time, no post over here. Our whole household has relocated for the summer and is now lodging at mother-in-law's - for two months! It remains to be seen whether we are all sane at the end of July. Fortunately I've been blessed with a very tolerant MIL so I am not too concerned. And, as every knitter knows, needles and yarn have already appeased many a stressed-out parent/child/child-in-law. Hence the aforementioned blue bag now accomodates a fairly substantial "survival stash" in our new temporary home.

Some progress on the shawl has also been accomplished:

I'm about halfway through it lengthwise, but workwise most of it still remains, and progress is pretty slow now that the rows are 300+ stitches and increasing all the time. It's a very enjoyable knit, though: challenging enough not to get boring. Here's a closeup of the center motif:

The color's not right when it's held up against the light, but this one should be pretty accurate:

Florica really is one of Novita's better yarns. It's loosely spun so a bit splitty, but apart from that it knits up really nicely in lace patterns.

Royal mail and yarn splash

2006-05-23T23:32:00.000+03:00

The Finnish postal services must be wondering what this invasion of blue sacks from Royal Mail to all parts of the country is about. Well, one of them was for me.

And this is what was in it:

I make no claim whatsoever to originality as this offer by Rowan has been attracting a lot of orders from the Finnish blogosphere. These are my first Rowan books, and they are lovely indeed. Not hot off the press, but then I'm also hopelessly behind everyone else with all my other projects ... That's just me, a little slow, I am.

Now on to my yarn shopping in Helsinki last week. I've become very single-minded in my shopping lately. When I shop in Helsinki I have two things on the agenda: yarn stores and the Academic bookstore. Clothes shopping, what's that?

I first made my way to Menita Outlet in Soukka, where some of the yarn was still in bags on its way to the shelves. They had a nice selection with most of the standard teetee yarns as well as Red Heart and some other middle-priced stuff. But I was saving myself (and my money) for the downtown Menita shop so I only bought a couple of Addi circulars here (in picture below).

My next stop was Vihreä vyyhti where I got this ball of cotton blend sock yarn:

For a pair of stripey summer socks? I'm not even sure I like the color but I want to try a cotton sock yarn so this is for test purposes (again ...)

And so it was time for the lovely little Menita on Korkeavuorenkatu. I love this shop, and yet I'm always struck by major indecision when I go here. Too many colors, too many choices, too many temptations ... But I tried to stay focused this time and only buy what I actually came here for. That didn't stop me drooling over the Rowan shelf, of course, and I was already carrying a ball of Wool cotton (for test purposes, you know) to the counter when I came to my senses. There's enough yarn for test purposes in my stash already. Anyway, I got myself some Wetterhoff Silvia wool/silk blend for an unspecified future lace project:

I also got this bunch of balls that I hope will one day turn into Green Gable:

And these two balls for swatching for Eunny's Deep V Argyle vest:

And from the Academic Bookstore? Well, I got this. I'm thinking it will help me become a better clothes shopper, for times ahead when I've worn my clothes to rags and will be forced to head for the ladies department rather than Menita. But until then, I'm perfectly happy to just read about it while I knit.

Meme, myself and I

2006-05-20T16:22:00.000+03:00

Shopping report from Helsinki coming up, but in the meantime a meme. Santra challenged me for this one that's been going around. So here goes:

Four jobs I have had:

1. Salesperson in camera shop
2. Salesperson in bread shop
3. University assistent
4. Television subtitler

Four places where I have lived:

(in no particular order)
1. Kuopio
2. Amanzimtoti, South Africa
3. Very small Ostrobothnian village
4. Vaasa

Four TV shows I like to watch:

1. Supernanny
2. Ten years younger (for the style makeovers, not the surgery)
3. Late night with Conan O'Brien
4. Amazing race

Four places where I have been on holiday:

1. Serengeti, Tanzania
2. Budapest
3. Cape Town
4. New York City

Four web sites I visit daily:

1. Yle (for TV schedules...)
2. Google search
3. Neulontalista
4. Updated favourite blog feeds through Sharpreader

My four favourite foods:

1. Pizza
2. Thai food
3. Ice cream
4. Dishes that include goat cheese

Four places I would rather be right now:

1. Anywhere where there is no pollen in the air
2. Taking a bubble bath ...
3. followed by a back massage ...
4. and a foot rub ...

Four bloggers I challenge to do this meme:

My two blogring neighbors:
1. My craft blog
2. Villasatu

and anyone else who has not yet done it!

And now go cheer for Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest. At least their competitor has the decency to show her face and knows how to sing ... :-)

Flow

2006-05-14T23:56:00.000+03:00

Wow, how exciting to see that so many of you have stopped by my little blog!
Welcome, and make yourselves at home. :-)

I'm not sure what's up with the layout and the different size fonts in my last post. It didn't look like that when I posted it last night. But then again, it was way past my bedtime, so I may not have been all that sharp. I'm on a learning curve with this whole blog thing, so please bear with me.

I'm happy to report that I have made quite a bit of progress on the shawl, and on writing up the charts too! I think I may actually have experienced what I'd like to call 'knitter's flow', you know, that elusive feeling you get when everything is just going your way - no hiccups, no ripping, just pure knitting pleasure. Maybe it happened because it was Mother's Day (and the rest of the family let me knit to my heart's content without interruption). That may very well be it.

An exciting week lies ahead. I get to go to our nation's capital and yarn shopping is on the menu! I don't get to go to places like Menita very often, so this will be a treat.

Have a great week, everyone!

Variety is the spice of life

2006-05-14T00:56:00.000+03:00

When aqua jacke gives you a hard time - turn to some lace knitting instead.

This project was started many moons ago but stalled and was almost forgotten. It is destined to become this:

Then when I saw this awesome finished shawl I was inspired to dig up my own neglected Canadian Living Patons Heirloom Shawl.

Another finished shawl can be seen here (scroll down).

Off Topic: For a good laugh, read about the same knitter's encounter with the knitting police here (May 17 post).

The hitch with this project is that the free pattern has only written instructions and no charts. Now, I do not know how people can create lace out of something that reads:

K1B, p2, k1B, *k2, yfwd, k1B, yfwd, k2, sl1, k1, psso, k1, yfwd, k1B, yfwd, k1, k2tog, k2, yfwd, k1B, yfwd,
[sl1, k1, psso, k2tog] twice, yfwd, k1B, yfwd, k2, sl1, k1, psso, k1, yfwd, k1B, yfwd, k1, k2tog, k2, yfwd,
k1B, yfwd, k2, rep from * once more, k1B, p2, k1B.

This one row would take me forever to knit as there is no way I could keep track of where I am in the pattern. So in order to be able to knit this I had to draw up the pattern in charts, and it seems I stopped knitting when I reached the end of the chart I had drawn so far. For the last couple of days I have been busy producing more charts:

Am I insane? Probably, since deep down in the very heart of me I really enjoy making these symbols come together in a coherent pattern, and the excitement of doing the math to see if I got it right just makes me forget place and time.

There is, however, a higher purpose to making the charts than my own twisted sense of satisfaction. This pattern contains a number of mistakes, as documented here. Knowing this and knowing myself, I want to make sure I find and correct the mistakes before they find me. Otherwise this shawl runs a serious risk of becoming a long-term unfinished object.

My chart is now past one of the crucial points mentioned in the forum above (on paper at least) and I think I have the mistakes figured out. I didn't follow the corrections mentioned in the forum, though, as they didn't quite make sense to me, but I guess there are many different ways of doing this. Not many rows from now we will see if the corrections I made will work in practice as well as they do in theory.

My yarn for this project is Novita Florica. I used it for test purposes in the Mystery Shawl II and was surprised at how nice it turned out when blocked. In a way I also consider this a test project: a test of the pattern and of my own ability to work with and finish it. Just completing those charts will probably take a week or so of allotted knitting time so don't expect this to be a finished object anytime soon.

Aqua Jacke part XII

2006-05-10T23:22:00.000+03:00

No, I didn't publish the earlier parts, but they all go pretty much like this: knit, rip, reknit, rip, knit, rip, reknit, rip ... I've lost count of how many times this freaking thing has been reduced to scrunched up yarn balls. First I reknit the back and when I tried it on with the fronts, the fronts went straight to the frogpond as well. But this is a quick knit so I don't mind doing it a couple of times just for the fun of it, at least not until I realize I have to rip the fronts AGAIN because I forgot to do the side increases! Please excuse me while I go and bang my head against the wall.

It's in the bag!

2006-05-08T00:27:00.000+03:00

Now that there is finally a working digital camera in the house I can at last present some of my works in progress:

But wait, what's this? This is not knitting! No, it's crochet. Now, before anyone alerts the knitting police let me just say that I really did try to knit something out of this yarn, but it just wouldn't happen. I tried stockinette stitch, I tried seed stitch, and in a moment of temporary delusion I even tried the lace pattern found on the front of Green Gable, thinking this yarn might turn into a nice summer tee. But the yarn was just not meant for knitting, or at least not for my knitting. It is a bulky 90% cotton, 10% polyamide blend and has almost no stretch whatsoever because of its unusual structure:

It does not have several plies like most yarns, instead it consists of only one strand which is kind of twisted into a pattern held together by a tiny string of polyamide. If you cut the yarn and pull the cotton strand the yarn will actually unravel. Anyway, when knitted up the decorative surface of the yarn itself just disappered into this uneven unsightly fabric that felt way too stiff and bulky to be used in a piece of clothing, not to mention how much friction there was when the yarn was pulled against itself. Very bad on the hands.

But despite all this I still couldn't let this yarn go. I bought it a year ago because I liked the fresh, fruity color and the unusual texture of it, but the swatches back then were as disappointing as the ones made a year later. So after marinating in the stash during the cold season it came out again with the spring sun and eventually told me it wanted to become a crocheted bag! And what do you know, that was indeed the perfect way to bring out the texture of the yarn while creating a sturdy non-stretchy fabric just right for a summer bag, and without killing the hands! I even have to admit I have really enjoyed the crocheting :-o.

The bag consists of one long piece joined together at the sides. Still missing are the handles and something to cover or divert attention from the rather ugly seam in the front. The inside will be lined with cream-colored linen. That means bringing out the sewing machine - uh oh, that knitting police won't be happy.

Memo to self:

2006-05-01T21:46:00.000+03:00

This sock pattern looks pretty cool. Must keep in mind for future projects.

And patterns from the fabulous Anna are always worth a closer look.

Available in the new MagKnits!

Saturday night fever ...

2006-04-30T00:58:00.000+03:00

Yes, I just watched it on tv. The dancing was actually a lot better than I remembered. And it was nice to see some familiar New York City scenery. In fact, yarn shops in NYC is a topic coming up on this blog one of these days.

But now ... some real knitting content!

This thing that looks like it is slowly sinking into the deep blue sea is my second attempt at the back piece of the Aqua Jacke! The Aqua Jacke is also known as the Jacke in Apricot from Rebecca 27:

The yarn color is not accurate in the scanned image, it really is best described as 'aqua'. The yarn is Novita Samos in their new turquoise color. Somehow I was not expecting the knitted fabric to be quite so ... well, aqua ... but now I think it will actually be a nice summer-colored cardigan. If I finish it in time for summer, that is.
I just restarted the back after trying it on together with the fronts and realising that just a little too much stretching action was needed over the bust to make the front pieces meet. The back looked really nice from behind but I could tell that leaving out the side increases that widened the piece from the waist up was going to cost me dearly. So I promptly ripped and cast on again, adding a few stitches to the ribbing as well. This means I can't really stay with the pattern but will have to play by ear as I reach the increases. Fortunately Samos knits up very quickly and is a fairly pleasant cotton blend yarn to work with. Whether or not I will have to reknit the fronts as well remains to be seen once I finish the back.

Trivia: The deep blue sea is actually the cover of my scanner who has dutifully taken on the mission of Capturer of Images for Knitblog in the absence of Digital Camera, who was recently taken into Repair Workshop with what I fear is irreparable damages.

Get riddance

2006-04-28T00:25:00.000+03:00

I've been struck by another spell of get riddance. I get these every now and then. In a frenzy to be rid of clutter I rent a table at a second hand shop and put up the clothes I never wear, the kitchen gadgets I never use and anything else that's just lying around for sale. The process of cleaning out your closets and cupboards is mysteriously purifying. And the amount of stuff you find you can happily live without is astounding!

Anyway, this time I combined my uncluttering with a little bit of destashing. My stash is not very substantial to begin with, but I would much prefer for it to contain yarns that I can actually use rather than the odd balls, half balls and labelless leftover balls from the 80s and 90s. I'm not very good with leftovers. I have been knitting for a long time, but just like the get riddance my knitmania also comes in spells. My last spell if you disregard the current one, which has now lasted for a year, took place in about 1997. And the one before that? I'm not sure I remember that far back. But just looking into that stashbag of mixed yarns is like a walk down memory lane all the way to my very first knitting projects. Which is kind of cute, if you think about it. However, when dealing with clutter, all sentimentality must be cast aside. So off to the second hand shop goes bags of assorted cotton blends in rainbow colors, some lovely mint green acrylic and a ball of nasty Novita Palma. Let's hope some good samaritan will have mercy on them and give them the second chance they deserve.

Blog beginnings

2006-04-27T00:26:00.000+03:00

It's just weird. You plan something for months and get all excited about all the ideas you have for this project and when you finally take the time to do it you can't think of anything worthwhile to say. Yes, blog beginnings can cause serious writer's block. And that's why people like me need to get over it, and just do it. Well, I did it. I wrote my first post. Will there be another one?