Permanent?

Do you know the feeling after finishing a big project (aka sweater)? When you are pleased wearing your new knitwear and at the same time long to start a new project. If only you knew exactly which one…

So instead I decide to blog. About the dyeing yarn. Together with the kids I dyed some old superwash yarn. With Kool-Aid.

And knitted mittens for the kids.

Now, Boy was so fond of his half-mitts, that he wore them all the time. They needed a wash. Superwash – so I put them in the washing machine. And that’s the result.

On the left one mitten of Girl, never washed. I read several times that Kool-Aid is permanent – but look at the difference. (And I didn’t use any bleach!)

Experiences?

The Cost of Babysitting

Finally I completed one depth and generated new ones, but on the other side. I have a good friend who volunteered (more or less) babysitting for the business christmas dinner. More or less because I kind of had to talk her into it (I’m sure in the afterthought she doesn’t understand why, the kids were most peaceful. And seriously telling about 3 bedside stories isn’t that bad, is it?) so I promised to knit her something. And because babysitting really is a kind task to the stressed parents, what could have suited better than Humanity?

And here they are the second FO in 2009!

Summing Up

I totally agree with SlippedStich (at least I think to remember that I read sth like that in one of her posts) – Ravelry has an impact on blogging. I admit I find it intriguing to keep up with project on the net. Specially as I never managed a handwritten notebook. (I know). But dividing the time between family, my day job, knitting/spinning, sports AND the internet (blogging, ravelry) is not easy.

In short – the job won and blogging lost.

But even if I was quite buried in work end of year (even during christmas holidays – sad) I managed to get some project finished in november, december. And I did some spinning, not nearly as muched as I hoped and some dyeing. More about that later.

During my stay in Hamburg I finished Branching out (started in June – Mohair just isn’t the right material for summertime).

And I knitted the first of the Noro mitered mittens (gift).

I actually knit another one, in a different colorway – but can you believe it, I gave them away without taking a picture!

And then another helgi for my beloved man:

And the longest project of last year – because it was crocheting? I finally finished the Boho Blocks Sweater for my little girl. Just in time

After thinking a bit – I think it wasn’t the crocheting (which actually is great for playground projects), but the sewing together!

fiber stuff to be followed.

Tags: knitting, noro, mittens, ez, elizabeth zimmermann, miter, branching out, helgi

New fields

Some months ago I thought that after knitting (and sometimes crochet or sewing) spinning my own yarn just would be the logical follower. And end of last month I finally managed to go to a introduction lesson at Spycher’s handwerk. It was fun, even if the result was not very promising.

But they have a good offer, for not too much money you can loan a wheel. Which is perfect to try it out before making the investment. I am quite proud of my first real handspun (2 ply), but I made some typical mistakes:

• didn’t let the yarn rest on the bobbin (not to speak of rewind it on another bobbin – guess what I read)
• didn’t put enough ply twist in it
• was very proud that the singles weren’t totally overtwisted, so at some places the twist is on the small side now (plying really removes twist, especially AFTER the washing)

  

But anyway, got into the flow at some points and am definitely going to keep my JOY…

Made one FO, just in time (didn’t have time to block them, because I actually finished them on the way to the party!). Yes, a birthday gift for C.

Helgi Mittens from Folk Knitting in Estonia, ravelled here

Fishes

On ravelry

I just can’t help – they do remind me of fishes. Ever since I read the mitered mittens pattern from ez, I decided to try these. Then I saw this yarn:

 And now they are finished, blocked and ready to give away. Yes I know it is not the right time of the year – but there is no sense of waiting, isn’t it. Even if I am waiting for spring to come, the next winter will come anyway.

Only after blocking I checked with the photo again and saw, that ez actually has the zigzag the other way round. But then they wouldn’t have been fishes anymore

Tags: ez, elizabeth zimmermann, mittens, mitered mittens, miter, knit, knitting, fishes

Selbu Mittens

I think I knitted these back in autum 2005. I did 3 pairs in the end, all because I knitted two left hands in the first place. They were a gift – and my other friend got twins! I took the picture from the twins ones when I visited them last weekend. They appear to like them – the “zwieback” sticks on it and they are the only mittens which they manage to eat with.

Blue Stars

It’ s a good thing to start with something finished. And I really like them. Was a bit insecure because of the wool I used (Cool Wool of Lang, 100% Merino) but they are very soft to wear now. 

 

 

I knitted them in two weeks using normal double pointed needles. Will try out the magic loop though, because of my left wrist.

I bought the new book of Cat Bordhi which I take with me on vacation. Experiences follow in about two weeks