It's just me...

...doing some re-decorating around here....

The end is nigh!

Does the equation really go like this?

end-of-year = ideas x 0

Can you believe it - I've started one vest pattern twice (did I mention twice??!) with two different yarns, and neither of them worked out, both under rrrripping currently.. partly because I couldn't figure out the lace pattern (there must some mistake in the pattern, mustn't there?!? - it can't be me, can it?!??) and it went wrong each time, and partly because it just don't feel right, it don't feel like a garment I would eventually wear. And we've made a promise not to knit those not-wearable-but-just-knitted-for-the-hell-of-it thingys anymore, now haven't we....
Also otherwise not very inspired by anything right now. I guess I'm all knitted out for '08.

Gee. What a strange feeling!

I guess I just have to hang on to the hope of New Year bringing with it some New Ideas.

*sigh*

I know what you did last Christmas...

...and this Christmas, as well (besides eating, sleeping, and knitting).

Merriment to you all during Christmas time - it seems to be a white one, after all!

Christmas Flowers Ltd.

Also a couple of these were made yesterday and delivered to happy owners..

A small cup, some oasis foam and lichen, and one red rose+cone - voilá! So, flower arrangin' made easy :)

***

By the way, the new owner of the 'Kingscot' was quite happy with her gift - I received a really heart warming compliment from her: "This sweater feels like a second skin on me". I'm glad!

Meet "Kingscot"

Finally, and just in time for Santa's delivery!
('Kingscot' by Nora Gaughan, Twist Collective / Winter '08)

Giftboxes 'R' Us

I've tinkered with origami only a little before, but now I wanted to make some gift boxes for Christmas, so off to library I went... and found a basic book on paper folding, and inside it basic instructions how to make boxes. After a couple of not-so-good ones (it DOES help if one has one's measurements correct, i.e. all sides of the square the same length - go figure!), I got the knack of it, and now got all my box-needs fulfilled.










Coming up.... 'Kingscot' is almost finished, pics following up soon!

Christmas Cards, Inc.

A regular Christmas card factory was in operation today on our kitchen table - with a little imagination, scissors, silver cardboard, stamping and christmasy red color you get these results:

Friends and relatives, watch out for the postman :)

Hello, I wish to register a complaint

Phone call to LYS (not the one I was raving about before, but one of the Established Yarn Stores in town, practically a mastodon of yarn stores)

me: -Hello, this is so-and-so calling, do you carry Spanish Katia yarns?

LYS lady: -Oh, yes, but only a few... [with a tired voice, as if I'm asking something which could really tax her physically if she thought about it even a second longer]

me: -Well, would you happen to have currently Merino 100% on your shelves?

LYS lady: -Oh, no no.... we don't. [what kind of stupid question is that ayway....]

me: -Ummmm, ok... who is your importer? [Trying to coax her to give me service and suggest that she could order from them and I could then pick up the yarn from her store - just as the importer suggested when I bought Katia yarn for Kingscot at the crafts fair]

LYS lady: -Well.... it's firm X from Turku......

me: -OK, so I guess I'll just contact them directly and give my money to them then, instead of your store, right?

LYS lady: -Yes, you'd better do that! [sounding real happy... problem solved!]


Those who live in Tampere know which store I'm talking about. They are just legendary, aren't they.

* * *

Another thing, while I'm at it:


Dear young guy living in the opposite building from ours,

I know that interior decorating is not everybody's favourite past time, and especially balconies can be a real challenge to upholster into a cosy but practical extention of one's home. But. I think contemporary design has been taken into new reaches in your balcony, to which I have a direct view when I'm sitting at my desk working. Piling up plastic bags filled with what I presume are empty beer cans and/or bottles maybe makes a statement - so far I just haven't figured out what that is. I respect the nature as well, and I salute your recycling activities, but would it be too much to just take one or two bags at a time back to store to return the cans/bottles, instead of waiting for 3 months for them to pile up? And just how much can a person drink beer?
Oh, and one more thing - don't even think of making your once-per-year appereance with your truckload of cans/bottles at the supermarket just before me returning my two cans and one wine bottle.
Yours truly.

Keeping one's spirits up

...is quite difficult these (murky, dark and rainy) days. It's even more difficult to find a good time to take pictures when light is so scarce. But I wanted to share my progress of 'Kingscot' anyways with you, so here goes - lousy photos, but hopefully showing even partly how interesting the pattern is.

It's progressing with good speed - only 20 days to go until You-Know-What.... :)

It's gorgeous!

I mean this yarn, and the fact that it was bought last Thursday from a New Yarn Shop in my home town - based on the blog mentionings for "Lankaidea", this was a really big event for all of us. It was about time to get a real thing here - thank you whoever started this LYS up, I raise my hat to you, and promise to visit as often my budget allows :)

Also, 'Kingscot' is well on it's way - back almost finished. I love the color!

It's gorgeous! :)

Here we go again..

..back to the grind. It's nice to be back!

A week in Madeira was great, filled with sunshine and greenery and warm winds.

Please kindly note that I did have my Noro and needles with me, but didn't make a one stitch during the whole trip - good rest for my shoulders and neck, mind you... But, guess who's fingers were really itching to get a-knittin'?? So 'Kingscot' is finally on the needles as of yesterday, and Katya is knitting up real nice, lovely soft merino.

* * *

As for the yarny stuff, here are some newbies which caught my eye:

(from latest Phildar magazine, with an Irish theme - nicely upgraded Aran..)

And my favourites from the new IK, coming up in the post next week, I hope!

Minimalistic, simple and pretty..

The loot

As is common here in our bloggin' universe, we always show and tell what we've bought at crafts fairs, yarn meets etc. So here goes.

There were many interesting booths at the crafts fair yesterday (and a lot of people, let me tell you... I heard one lady sighing with frustration and saying to her friend "Well, I really must start crafting now, there's no way out of it...."), here's some I found very interesting. And please note, these are not yarn related - I am able to concentrate also on other things, thankyouverymuch.

Although I bought some yarn, as well, of course.

Joutomaa, who was selling postcards and small posters - here's an example:

"It'll all turn out just fine" the little doggy is saying.

And Think Today: Well-designed notebooks and framed pictures, made out of scrap pieces of wallpaper and other building / decoration waste. And then "Mary-me", for whom I couldnt' find any website (which of course doesn't mean that there isn't one....) - they had funny fabric printings available, both to be sewn on your own garments / bags / whatever by yourself, and also ready-made on aprons, purses and messenger bags. Meet mr Bear and mr Frog.

And oh yes, I also bought some yarn, almost forgot to mention...

That's a lot of green. The one in front is from a small farm close to my old home town, Finnish lamb's wool and dyed by the owner herself. The other greens in the back are Katia, extra-fine merino, which will turn out to be the 'Kingscot' mentioned in previous posting. Actually also this one was bought from a store who is located in my old home town. And Joutomaa is also from there..... maybe I should move back?!? And some Noro peeking under there, as well. And a set of 2.5mm dpns. I'm all set.

There's going to be a little break - so talk amongst yourselves, I'll be back after 1 week or so.. See ya!

It's here!

Let's Twist again...


Me like:

"Kingscot" by Nora Gaughan

and "Cabled Cuff Gloves" by Tuulia Salmela

What's your fave?

Bleak house

Oh man, what a weather - there's hardly enough light during daytime to get these pictures.. Bleak is definitely the right word for this rain and wind. And did I mention darkness already?

But hey, we can of course optimize and put all things together in one pic:

See?! Knitting, felting, beading - all in one. The 'East and Vest' has been continued, after receiving the package with 'almost the same' new yarn of Debbie Bliss. The color is a bit darker choc.brown, but I think it won't matter in the end result, as it looks like the striping was intended on purpose...

***

I borrowed a copy of 'The Ultimate Sock Book' by Vogue Knitting, and even though I've never been sock-knitter at heart, it's anyway interesting always to study new techniques. In the beginning of the book, there's this history section about sock knitting. During wartime, people were couraged to knit socks to soldiers with e.g. songs (even Glenn Miller recorded such a song, the book tells us). Who would make a song for the millions of knitters now?

..and advertisements:


This dude seems pretty serious about his knitting. And deservingly so - knitting socks for the president himself must put any knitter under huge pressure. Note the appropiate knitting attire!

***

And hey, here's the new kid on the block - meet my 2nd orchid. My sister gave this to me as an early birthday present this weekend. It's nice to have a blooming one, since poor Polly has been without her flowers for a long time now.

I think I'll call him Harold.

My own birthday present to myself will be going to a crafts fair this week on Friday / Saturday :)

***

To recover from this gloomy day, how about this as the next project?! (Moda, Nov '08)

The Novice

I have succumbed. Finally. After years of reading about it in various blogs, finally I bought some. Meet yours truly, the Noro Novice.

As everybody knows, it don't come cheap, this one. But a lovely scarf is already in my mind, maybe mixed with some Rowan felted tweed, which has a similar kind of feel to it. But of course, it's like comparing silk with... well, tweed.

And another pair of earrings, lovely cloisonné beads:

His&Hers

Yesterday evening saw the birth of these two colorful household necessities - cup cozies for him&her. The future lucky recipients of these have actually donated the yarn earlier to me (in past life it was some really old needlework wool by Anchor), so it's recycling in the best sense of the word. I hope they will like 'em!

and now from the back

One more thing, related to my recent bead-craze, here's a bracelet I made - categorically Hers, I think..

East and vest

Well, I've finally started my new vest..





...with Debbie Bliss 'Merino Aran' which was naturally discontinued already (at least from all the net stores I frequent..) - and boy, is this eating up my stash fast...it seems that I only can knit few rounds and swoosh, another ball is gone.
Being the creative knitter that I am, I made the decision to order more yarn instead of frogging this and making something smaller, something that could be made out of the measly 8 balls that I had in my stash (one glove, perhaps?). I ended up with the closest equivalent, Debbie Bliss 'Cashmerino Aran' - hey, there's only one word difference, so it cannot be too different, right?? Let's see when the package come and these two are combined...

The bumpy pattern is created simply by alternating the k3-p2 rib pattern with k rows (2 and 2).

***

Today, the second episode of the lovely, über-British, janeaustenish tv-series "Cranford". Capital!

Get cozy..

..with these 'Cabled Arm Cozies' (by Tanis Gray, in VK Holiday Issue '08). Knit with Rowan Tapestry yarn (combining wool and soya fiber) and 2.5mm dpns.

Please note the pearls, which nicely hide the fact that the original upper edge came out too wide and I desperately needed some gimmick to hide that - so I folded the edge in two just above the cable and fitted a pearl to decorate it. What you cannot hide you better enhance.. or something like that, eh?

The Lizard of Oz

What a murky day, started off with a rain and never got quite light at all... welcome, northern winter. This Sunday it will be officially winter time here in the northern parts.

But maybe, just to lighten up your day, this little fella could bring back thoughts of a tropical climate?


(needle felting, with a help from a cookie mould)

Scarf news

Progressing under the title "Grey's Anatomy", here's update on the scarf - I'm thinking of sewing some nice piece of fabric on the other side, to make it warmer, but let's see..

I like the texture of this simple basket stitch. And again, my camera just cannot capture the lovely sheen of this yarn and the correct shade of grey....

To boldly go where...

...no knitter (at least not me) has gone before! Behold, my very first self-made jewellery:

It's so easy and quick and addictive to make such very pretty things - this is definitely the new craze for me.

And the good thing is (or is it.... hmm?) that there's a well-stocked bead store within 2 kilometres from where I live.



Must... buy ...more... beads....

Autumnal things..

First of all, here's the hat mentioned couple of posts earlier - all finished and modeled by Iitu:


It's pok (pretty ok), I think.

The vest I mentioned also earlier is still very much an UFO, but as the yarn is already in my stash it's just a question of time when it starts to creep on the needles..

What else... some pretty pictures from yesterday's outing in the clear crisp October Sunday:

Grey's Anatomy

something lovely from down under - scarfe on the way on weave stitch..

Do you ever get the feeling....

...that you cannot buy some lovely knitted piece of clothing simply because you know that you could make it yourself, and what would people say if they saw that YOU are wearing something ready-made, you who are the ideal example of the do-it-yourself person??


I love this scarf, but my superego is telling me it's a no-no -- how easy would it be to make it yourself, bust your stash and have a go with a hook...

Or this cardigan?

(I know that I wouldn't knit anything with a yarn that has acrylic in it (maybe socks, but nothing else), and both of these have it...)

Oh well, this too shall pass, I'm sure.

I did get an idea last night just before falling asleep about a yet another vest, which could seriously bust my stash from some thick woolly yarn... chocolate brown... fitted and warm... some pearly buttons...

To be continued!

Whazzup?

Well, nothing much - only two projects now on the needles. And one on the hook:

Lovely color, isn't it! After I've crocheted about 1 million of these little buggers I will have a scarfe - so maybe it's ready around 2010..

The two projects on the needles are the Phildar cardigan mentioned earlier, made with frogged Debbie Bliss yarn. The other project is this hat, actually made with the same yarn (since the cardigan will have only short sleeves, so there's plenty of extra..) by Kim Hargreaves:


She doesn't look too happy with it, but I like the pattern and hopefully can achieve enough but not too much slouchiness. Progress will be reported later ....

They call me Mr. Pitiful

I may have only one eye and no hands, but I'm the first ever needle-felting project my creator has made, so cut me some slack, will ya..


I was inspired by Katri's imaginative creations from felt (space aliens, animals, heavenly creatures and what-have-you).

I guess I could be called also Mr Applehead... oh, shoot.