2013 in pictures

Christmas gifts

We got some knitting related gifts this Christmas,  I didn´t give any this year.

Grandma made this for my 3 year old

The pattern is from Sandnes and grandma made some alterations, she left out the pattern at the bottom. I like it much better this way I must say than the original.  Grandma seems to have picked the colors from the pattern. 

I got (was on my wishlist) from DH, a double pointed knit pro sock needle set and amimo knit collection 2010. 

More Mittens

I made these in one evening, we had a "secret-Santa" game at work today, and I had this yarn on hand (leftover from this cardigan), and I really would rather be at home and watch some tv and knit than go out to a store right before Christmas.

I didn´t have time to properly photograph them, due to nearly no light at this time of the year.

Pattern: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/pescovegetarian-mittens

Yarn: Álafoss Lopi 

Needles 4mm and 5 mm

Smelly mittens

Last summer I stopped at a Thingborg (wool center) and bought yarn intended for mittens for me.  It is run by a group of wool enthusiastic women,  and they specially pick (supposedly the best part of the wool) and they only use mild soap (so no evil chemicals are used), they don´t use any synthetic dyes, and t they handspin the yarn.

I really love the wool, but... there is a big BUT.... the wool smells like a sheep... I know a shock right... wool that comes from a sheep smells like a sheep...  So the yarn has just been sitting around at home and I don´t know if I was hoping that the smell would magically disappear.  I have however been suffering some allergies since starting work again and I can´t really smell that much now, so I took the opportunity to use the wool now.

The mittens are warm, thick and will be so much better after some wear...  Since the yarn I choose were natural colors the white sometimes was gray and the gray sometimes was white... so in some parts of the mittens It looks like I did errors... but I really was very careful and I frogged a lot of times only to find out that I hadn´t made any errors.  I wanted them to be perfect since I´m planning to give these away...   just hope the person won´t mind the smell... and that they really are not perfect.. you can really tell that they are handmed..

Pattern: In the book "Vettlingabókin - gamlir og nýjir vettlingar" 
Yarn: Thingborg  2 ply 100% pure wool
needles:  3 mm and 4.5mm

Undercover in wool

The first thing I notice when seeing the news is usually knitwear...

Loved the sweater, to bad that the knitter gave/sold his knitwear to a man who is accused of paying for sex. 

Wool Sightseeing

We went to the centrum of Reykjavik today to feed the ducks (well there were a lot of goose, swan and other birds that took most of it though). Feeding the ducks with bread is a rich tradition here in Iceland, not sure it is in the best interest of the birds though, should maybe feed them with something better then bread.

There was of course a typical Icelandic family, in matching wool sweaters (the neon is though a new trend here, came this summer when Istex introduced 3 neon colors in the bulky lopi). So what do you think to neon or not to neon?  (*I have no idea who this family is, I just snapped a picture, I hope they don´t mind being on the internet now)

Then after a bookshow in the city hall, we went to Kolaportið (a market place where you can get everything from the goods you get at markets in asia , icelandic food, icelandic candy and handknitted icelandic sweaters). 

It seemed like almost every stall was selling "lopapeysa" and, some were beautiful, others were very well made... some were just plain horrible.

So if you are looking for a "Lopapeysa" this is one of the places to go,  but if you are reader of this blog, you will probably want to make your own version then I would just head to the nearest supermarket and buy some yarn.

But the places to go to shop for Icelandic sweaters is Handprjónasambandið and Álafoss. I would avoid the way to many tourist shops, as you might then be bying something knitted on a machine in Asia , I don´t  know anyone who would knit endless supply of the same pattern in black and white, nor would they all be alike if it was knitted by different knitters....

my 3 year old photobombed my attempt to take a picture of a tourist shop window display, but this store seemed to have a mixture of handknitted and machine knitted sweaters, all probably sold as handknitted in Iceland

Now I´m ready for Christmas to come

As I told you yesterday the Christmas dresses for my girls are ready, now Christmas eve can´t come soon enough. I might make them matching cardigans, or even just buy matching cardigans. 

My husband came home early, so I went out for a drive and a short walk just to gather energy for the next days (weeks to come) at home. Chicken pox has only started with one of my girls, so I might be at home the next 2 weeks with someone sick. 

Pattern and yarn and etc can you find information about in my previous post, when I finished the first dress.  The needle size is 0.5mm smaller than the pattern recommends, as I knit loosely. 

Modifications to make size 1 year old , pattern starts in size 2 year.  Cast on 70 stitches, then follow instructions for 2 year old size, until after the "sleeves" then I increased until 12 stitches between and , then knitted desired length. 

The dresses are bit on the short side, but that is only because I followed the pattern to much, I made the 6 year old length, assuming that it would be long enough for my 3 year old, but is a bit short on her.  I measured her Christmas dress from last year, and the pattern recommends the length for 6 year old, that is the length in a store bought dress in 98 cm size. I´m not sure what Suzie Haumann was thinking, and whether she intended this as tunics instead of dresses? 

Simple mittens

I saw these mittens by Merete and decided to use the same pattern, and maybe embroider them. I haven´t embellished them yet, but they are already in use. 

Yarn:  Dale baby wool (held double)

Pattern: Barnehagevotter

Needle: 2.5mm and 3 mm

Size:  1-2 year (length 3-4 years) 

I have also finished the other Christmas dress, and was planning to take both dresses out for a walk tomorrow , and take some pictures, maybe on the beach or somewhere nice.. tired of ugly pictures. But since my older daughter is sick with Chicken Pox, there are at least 7-10 days of inside activities, and there are 90% chances that my younger daughter will get sick as well... there might be some time until it will be finished. In the meantime I have started another dress, but knitting time is limited these days. 

Upcycling

I had big plans for this maternity leave, I was among other things (like organizing every closet) going to get better at sewing.  I´m about to realize that I won´t fulfill all my plans (mostly things like organizing every closet and becoming a sewing domestic goddess).  I however managed to upcycle one hoodie that I had lying in my closet.

I used the instructions that you can find on this site

Winter is coming - warm socks are needed

My nine month old baby , seems to think it is fine to take of your socks where ever and throw them on the street, often I catch it, but when we were in Denmark she lost the last pair of wool socks we had (well just one of them) so now she has no socks that match.

I therefore used some scrap yarn (yay for me) and made these socks, that are warm and fit her well.

The pattern was a mixture of several patterns, but I mostly use this one as my sock bible pattern, the pattern is made for all sizes in aran and bulky pattern, but I just find some pattern on ravelry for the stitch count and then use the icelandic sock pattern. (I used 40 stitches and needles 2.5 mm)

One down, one to go

I´ve finished the dress for my 3 year old, and I´m not in the mood to start another one yet (for my soon to be 1 year old) , but as I have planes that these will become they´re christmas dresses (please note that plans often change and dear husband if you are reading this (which he probably is not), I might see some fabulous dresses in a store as well that I will have to buy and that any comments made on these site can not be held against me)

the 3 year old was happy, the dress was pink and you can dance in it, that are her 3 outfit requirements these days, it has to be a dress, it has to be pink and you have to be able to dance in it.

I´m seeing this with some nice bolero or cardigans in front of the Christmas tree. 

With maybe silver shoes or brown... who knows. 

Pattern: Knit for your kid by Susie Haumann

Yarn: Isager Highland wool (1 1/2 skein) and Isager alpaca 1 (1 skein)

size: 2 year old, but the length of six year old

Dejlige Danmark // Wonderful Denmark

We went last week on a trip "home" to Denmark, where we lived for 5 years. We took our girls with us, it was they´re first trip to denmark, and they both enjoyed it. 

During our trip I knitted this neck-warmer

The embelishment is supposed to be a mouse, per request by the owner of this neck-warmer, who wanted her letter and a mouse. I was inspired by Merete to try to embellish with this chain stitch. 

My 3 year old tasted "flødebolle" for the first time, and enjoyed it 

                                           She loved Odense zoo, and she and her "best friend in the whole world"  her own phrase , got to enjoy it together.

 I only got the chance to visit one yarn store, I visited tante grøn in Odense, and bought Isaager yarn and the booklet  knit for your kid. I was with a screaming 8 month old with me, so really didn't get a chance to look around.  I´m a bit regretting the color choice, think the colors are to different, but there wasn´t much of a choice in colors, and I really wanted the pale pink in the alpakka. 

My 8 month old, hated any store she entered, but loved being out and about and watching people. And I certainly can't resist those eyes so I made a quick decision and got out of the store as fast as I could. 

Pattern : is from the book strikk til nøstebarn

Yarn: Dale baby wool, held double

notes: cast on fewer stitches (68), embellished with chainstitch 

needles: 3.5mm

made for: my 3 year old