Three shades of purple

I have knitted 3 pair of pants in my lifetime, and they all look the same 

Exhibit A - pants that I just finished

Exhibit B - First pair

Exhibit C - second pair

In my defense, this time around the color was chosen by the recipient, my idea was gray, hers were brown, or this purple. I tried to get my way but was unsuccessful, she´s the most determined person I know.  Her determination are one of the things that I love the most about her and also the thing that is most difficult to deal with in a 3 year old.  Technically they are also not all purple, the pair for my younger daughter is pale pink.

The pants were knitted on 4mm needles with Smart yarn, bigger needles than recommended combined with my loose knitting resulted in a bit longer pants than intended. I knew that they would grow, just not how much.  But since I knew that they would grow I made a long ribbing at the bottom, that would keep them up, and it worked perfectly, they are big but not that big that she can´t wear them.  

They are big hit, and will probably be in use for a long time, just like the first version of this pattern. Which have been in use for the last 2 years.


Needles: 3mm and 4mm
yarn: Smart
Pattern: garnstudio

The modifications that I made this time around are, they are made because my daughter is slim and I´m using another yarn than the pattern is written for.

• cast on: 6-9 months size (96 stitches), 
• Made 3x3 ribbing at the beginning
• work the pattern until you get to the increases, then increase total of 12 times and end up with 120 stitches 
• made no decreases until the last round before I started the 3x3 ribbing at the bottom
• made the leg and the ribbing longer than the pattern states (around 45 cm that grew to 50 cm 

I think I will have to make another pair at somepoint in gray for my younger daughter who has no say in what colors she wears. She is though still wearing these pants, but they will be to small for next winter.

Birthday presents

My little baby just turned 1 a week ago.  Both her grandmothers knitted sweaters for her first birthday.

 The teal colored sweater fits her perfectly, and will be great when finished!

The white/brown sweater is exactly the same as was knitted for my older girl (same size even), and she´s been using it for 2 years, it is very thin but very warm at the same time (knitted from unspun wool), so I´m expecting this one to get a lot of use as well.

UFOs

I haven´t finished a single thing in 2014, but that doesn´t mean I haven´t been knitting.  I just can´t seem to finish anything.  I´m therefore confessing to my sins and setting a goal to finish at least the 1st thing on the list, because when I do, I will reward myself and go buy yarn for Camomille shawl for myself (but maybe I might buy the yarn anyway just to have it ready for when I need it...)

1. Cardigan from Knit for your kid by Susie Haumann 

2. Squares for lily - love in the language of yarn   I finished 2, I was however planning to use up a lot of scrap yarn and make a lot of squares, at work one of my colleagues has organized that the drug company that we work for will pay for the shipping fee, so all I have to do is knit and bring it to work. It will be sent by the end of january, so I must get started on that.

3. Pants for my 3 1/2 year old, similar to the ones that have been worn to pieces  the last 2 years and are now to small. 

4. Granny Square Doll blanket

5. Dress for my 3 1/2 year old, made from yarn (green dale baby wool) that I got in yarn swap organized by wool rocks. 

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