Coccyxal thoughts

Went to the north, the idea was to ski a lot. Noticed that skiing is not my sport - fell down on my rump on the first day, naturally, (hey, I hadn't been skiing for over 20 years, so cut me some slack...), and managed to land directly on my other ski. Hard landing spot, soft rump = huge coccyxal pain, i.e. pain in the butt.
Skied also the next day, but it didn't feel good. Now, after a few days, still cannot sit properly, and bending over is virtually impossible. Am really happy about this.

But hey, this too shall pass - and, despite of all these troubles, I have started on my cardi.... :) What we knitters wouldn't do for our passion!

(no pictures this time, but I think it's best that way, eh....)

Dear diary!

I have been a bit worried lately. Knitting hasn't been the source of inspiration for me for a long long time, and that's odd. Yes, I know that every knitter goes through such periods when not even the thought of purchasing new yarn does the trick.
And yes I know, I myself have gone through such periods before. Maybe it's the approaching Christmas with all it's "necessary" knitting, maybe it's the low caused by this dark season, maybe it's the 7-year change of body's cells..... go figure.

And I've tried! As you remember, I bought new yarn recently and it's still lovely to touch, but it just doesn't call out to me, in that irresistible little voice that is the voice of new yarn: "knit me into XXX pattern, or YYY pattern, phleeeease!". I have leafed through the winter issues of The Mags (and all the old issues, as well), borrowed some pattern books from the library, hung around in Raverly, walked over to the book shop to look at pattern books, opened my stash boxes to look at yarn, tried to think of knitting before falling asleep, been counting sheep..... The excitement just wasn't there.

And then.... and then! Yesterday I got mail. From Twist Collective. An extra number added for their Winter '09 collection. This one. Be still my beating heart! It's a cardigan (check!), it's long (check!), it's feminine (check!), it's beautiful (check!), it's versatile (check!), it's challenging (check!), and I've got just the yarn for it in my stash (check!).

Once again I have managed to cross the void, swim to the other side, return from the black hole, and stop the clocks. Swatch, here I come!

Saturday night fever

Meet the lot - gingerbread cookies, in all shapes and sizes:

*a little bit of home sickness..?

*Jungle Book

*Cats

*fancy ones

wheew!

...mum's the word...

I bought some new yarn today. It's got merino and silk in it, it's lovely. Don't tell anybody!

Hats'n'Cowls-R-Us

Every self-respecting woman wears twin sets - at least a hat and a cowl twin set, right?

Here's what I made from some Rowan Felted Tweed (which has been simmering at the bottom of the stash-stew forever), a "Turn a Square" hat by The Genius Himself, Jared Flood (which is by the way the best beanie pattern ever, but I guess all of you knew that already!), combined with the "Thermis" by KrisKnits:





And, just for the heck of it, I quickly made another "Turn a Square" from pink and white obscurity yarns also from the stash, as you might have guessed.





This one's for personal use, but the twin set.... who knows..... for somebody who has been especially nice this year....?? :)

Something brown, something black and something finished

In my lookout for challenging and interesting knitting patterns, combined with the quest for diminishing my yarn stash with a heavy hand, I came across a perfect pattern.

Finished during the weekend, and photographed in the ever-dimming light of November, here's "Wrap Cable Jacket" from latest VK Holiday issue (pattern by Shiri Mor).

It's knit like this: first the back panel, then right + left side are knit separately by picking up stiches from the side of the panel. With a few decreases and some handy tricks, you get the short sleeves and the fron side nicely done.

I liked making it (it's seamless!), and what's even more important, it consumed some big balls of my ancient Debbie Bliss aran yarn which didn't seem to find its calling before this project came along. It's a warm, soft and versatile garment. Say no more!


As an extra bonus, here's my 2nd Koolhaas hat (by Jared Flood / IK Holiday Gifts '07), made with some obscure alpaca yarn, and embellished with a little something I made while attending a virtual classroom where I was supposedly learning how to calculate value added tax......

On ripping, sulking, getting inspired and eating chocolates

Well, those black gloves blogged about a couple of posts back faced the horrible fate of ripping, despite their genious pattern. Somehow my gauge was fine for the fingers, but the palm part turned out way too big, and would've needed some kind of weird magic to look good (or very bloated hands). RRRRipping they went.

And, these days, as said by the dear doctors in the most-fun-and-touching-tv-series-ever ,"M*A*S*H", I'm catching up on my sulking. With this weather it's oh so easy.


But I've also been a wee bit inspired, mind you, so there's hope still. By new Twist Collective patterns, especially this, this and this (in single color, though), and also the new IK does not look too bad... I may get started on something.

If I'm not too busy sulking, that is.


Eating chocolate, on the other hand, is not getting in the way of the sulking. My favourite kind now is with whole hazelnuts - which is funny, because as a child I use to dislike that particular variant fiercely.

Long shadows, cold light

silent, careful steps of winter
I hear them approaching
light is clear and sharp
black and white

Quelle surprise!

The two-fold surprise in this post:

1) I've been sewing again
2) I'm happy with the result


Inspired by the 'Mexican belt' pattern in Hanna Välitalo's book "Silmukoita, siksakkia ja pala suklaakakkua", I put together this - made from two cotton place-mats cut in half and sewn together, satin from my stash for lining, and velvet ribbon for tying up.




More than Mexican influence, this reminds me of Japanese kimonos...




As it's quite wide and sturdy, it feels almost like a corset when wrapped around your waist - good to keep up one's posture.




For some reason, this project was very hard on my neck and shoulders - I already started to make another one, but just couldn't continue. Working over the table, looking down and pinning fabrics together is not something my neck is willing to co-operate with today. Maybe tomorrow.

Point three missing things from this picture

Exhilarated and engouraged by my success in making swell men's gloves (they were well received by the Significant Other, just to let you know - and no, I didn't wait until Christmas to give them...) I decided to venture out to the unknown territories of Gloves Made Top Down.

Meet thumb and little finger, waiting for their turn to be united with their unborn siblings.

This work in progress is "Opera Glove" (by Elli Stubenrauch, DK Winter 08/09)
made with 100% alpaca, coal black.

I guess black is the new grey in this blog :)

The perfect (men's) glove Part I, a.k.a Monsters, Inc.

It's ready (was ready already on Friday, but network was not working), and I'm ready also - to make the 2nd one, that is.

Did I already mention that I really like the folded cuff? Nice'n'thick.


***

My sister went to London and all I got was this strange bag of goodies.

It's filled with bits and pieces cut from knitted garments, some stuffing, and felt for eyes/mouth(s)/ears etc. The outcome will be lovely, I'm sure. My Own Monster!

Building the perfect be.... umm, glove

In search of the Perfect Glove for One's Significant Other, perchance to be given away for Christmas (and preferably this year), I looked up the source of all patterns knittable, Ravelry, and came up with a pattern which I think will fit perfectly. With small modifications and added features, of course. The work has begun.

Notice the manly yet bold statement-making color of the yarn, the fact that it includes jojoba oil for his extra comfort, and the double layer cuff for that additional warmth.

Yes, we have no bananas..

..but we do have new socks - from this lovely yarn (bought from here), which you met already before, back when it was just an innocent ball still..

The socks are "Sunday Swing Socks" by Kristel Nyberg (Knitty, summer '09), and they indeed do have a nice swing to them. A great pattern to knit, simple and yet interesting to look at when finished.

Button up!

Here are fingerless mittens by Ysolda Teague, called "Veyla" - I've made them with an alpaca yarn (two shades of purple) and some pretty pearly buttons to dot the i.

They are warm, soft and nice to look at. What more can you want from your pre-winter accessory?

The Grey Period

Picasso had his Blue Period - I seem to have a grey one going on..

Meet "Mary Jane" (by Rachel Bishop & Sarah Johnson / Zephyr Style, Twist Collective / Winter '08). Made with the results of the Frog Fest, again - a dark grey woolly yarn. And, yes you guessed right, from top down again.

This is really really snug, with a minimum ease, but that's exactly what makes this such a favourite of mine already - warm, preppy, easy to combine with different styles.. Yum!

Rosamund

Meet the finished cardigan, by Andrea Pomerantz (IK, fall '09) - made with un-identified woolly yarn from my frogging excercise a few weeks back.

I like it - it feels warm, without being too stuffy (with the short sleeves and open front), and the possibilities for layer-dressing are endless.

Le Weekend

and The Buttons

There's progress in the air..

..and here's proof:

Rosamund's Cardigan is progressing indeed - some rounds for the hem still left, and finishing of the sleeves. Knitting top down, I do love you.

And I love this cable pattern also

And this hedgehog is getting ready to become... yes, again! Socks! Here!!




Lovely light-shade aquamarine/turqoise sockyarn from here.

Can you spot the difference..

..from these two pics?

The cable looks exactly the same from both sides, as clever ones have already noticed. What a genius pattern this cardigan is. Yarn is from my frog festivities, a re-used wool-mix from pre-neanderthal age.. :)

In addition to this reversability, I like the fact that this presumable very warm cardigan will have short sleeves, so I can also wear it inside without feeling too hot.

All things great and small..

..have happened. Today was my First Day of School - well, actually, just the first meeting and info session, as the studying happens 99% in the comfort of my own home since it's virtual/multi-form/selfstudy kinda thing.
So far so good - this particular line of study seems like a right choice, and I think the self-studying will go quite well, as we are all adults here and know how to share our time between work and play and don't end up watching TV, or reading knitting blogs, when we are supposed to be studying and taking part in virtual lectures, right? RIGHT??!

A little piece of news caught my eye last week (and again today), about Bob Dylan. He was caught by the police lurking around some people's house - when actually he was only being curious about a house on sale and spending his free time before going on stage with Willie Nelson (talk about sweet harmony of voices there...). The 20-something cops did not recognize this legendary poet, and it took the personnell of his tour to ensure them that yes, this man really is mr Dylan and haven't you really heard about all his accomplishments and tens of albums... Poor Bob. Being a celebrity has seldom been easy for him.
(If he would just try to be a bit more nice - like smile in concerts and let people photograph him and such....)

What else.... hmm.... oh, knitting!
I've finished another "Thermis" cowl already, and tomorrow will hopefully see the starting of "Rosamund's Cardigan" from the latest IK. Pics will follow, so stay tuned...

I almost forgot...

...to share some photos and thoughts on my latest visit to Ye Olde Home Town last week.

We went to the Castle - I haven't been for years, but no need to fret: everything was exactly the same.

Some complaint resulted from this (of course!) - hey, how about re-doing the permanent exhibitions, e.g. changing the horrible grey plastic/vinyl/whatever flooring from the '70s?!
How about opening up a little those guide texts on the walls of the different chambers and rooms - ok, it's a "Queen's room", but what did she actually do there?
Also, how about installing some escalators to the towers - it's really hard work climbing up those stairs, as they are not really designed with the latest information in mind about the proper height of a stair, and ergonomy?

Well, the last comment aside, I guess it's good that somethings' don't change...

One, more positive, thing (aside from the lovely light inside some of the rooms, which resulted in nice photos) was the museum shop - really nicely planned and put out, and the goods were of good quality and most of them even closely related to the Castle or Turku. And that's always a plus, eh? :)

I bought some rhubarb tea and a cookie cutter shaped like the castle. Guess who's getting gingerbread cookies in a weird shape this Christmas..

A one night stand (a.k.a "third time's the charm")

Oh, the joy of cowls - quick to make, and will most likely prove to very crucial part of the autumn/winter couture in this part of the world.
This beauty was made in one night (ok, cast off today and still missing buttons, but who counts.. and we know where to get buttons, don't we....) from the lovely apple-green Katja merino wool used previously for the 'Kingscot' I made for my sister for last Christmas.


It's such a pleasure to knit, this yarn - so soft, and resulting in very even stitches. 'Nuff said - here's "Thermis" by Kirsten Patay:




I'll be definitely making more of these, with different colors/yarns.


And, for the third time, here's "Lace Ribbon Scarf" (by Veronik Avery, Knitty / Spring '08) - this time from some discount tweed yarn, the name of which I cannot remember. Some of you may remember, I've made this number already once from Rowan denim cotton, and also from a hand-dyed Knittery merino. Why, you may ask, did I do it again??

It's a very easy pattern, and results come quickly - that's why. And there's never too many scarves in a lady's wardrobe. I rest my case.