Sezza Socks Kal :: Basket Weave Rib Socks

Sezza is having a sock kal this month, and I found a perfect pattern for a pair of socks for Hubby- Basket Weave Rib Socks.

FO's :: Business Casual #3 and #4

Finally they are off the needles!
The last toes were a bit boring to knit up...
Don't get me wrong. I love the pattern. It's just that knitting two pairs in such boring colours made it a bit tedious.

Pattern: Business Casual (free pattern)
Yarn: Fabel. 76 g grey and 84 g brown. The socks are the same size, but uses different amounts of yarn. The grey yarn is much thinner than the brwon, so it might have something to do with that...
Needles: 2,5 mm
Size: Large - 72 st
Modifications: Instead of C2F: Knit 2nd st on lefthand needle through the back loop, knit first st, slip both sts off together
Instead of C2B: K2tog, leave sts on lefthand needle, knit first st again, slip both sts off together
So much easier than fiddling with a cable needle! 
Started: February 22
Completed: March 7

FO :: Business Casual #2

My second pair of Business Casual socks got off the needles today.
They will warm my sisters feet - so I hope she will like them.
I really like this pattern, it's fast and easy to memorize. And that might be a good thing as I have agreed to knit hubby's brother two pairs...

Pattern: Business Casual
Yarn: 63 g Fabel #623pl
Needles: 2,5 mm
Size: small - 64 sts
Modifications: Instead of C2F: Knit 2nd st on lefthand needle through the back loop, knit first st, slip both sts off together
Instead of C2B: K2tog, leave sts on lefthand needle, knit first st again, slip both sts off together
So much easier than fiddling with a cable needle!

Started: February 6 2013

Completed: February 21 2013

FO :: Business Casual

Hubby complained that there was no clean socks and those who were had holes in them.
So I guess it is a good thing that this pair got of the neeles today ;)

Pattern: Business Casual Socks
Yarn: 79 g Fabel
Needles: 2,5 mm
Size: Large - 72 st
Modifications: Instead of C2F: Knit 2nd st on lefthand needle through the back loop, knit first st, slip both sts off together
Instead of C2B: K2tog, leave sts on lefthand needle, knit first st again, slip both sts off together
So much easier than fiddling with a cable needle!

Started: February 6 2013

Completed: February 18 2013 

 

On the needles :: Business Casual Socks

I desided to join Kelly in the Business Casual Kal.
I really like the pattern so I casted on two pairs - one for hubby and one for my sister. It's an easy pattern to memorize so I think these will fly off the needles :)
Both are knitted in Fabel from Drops.

On the needles, on the nightstand and plans for 2013

Keep Calm Craft On :: WIP Wednesday :: Yarn Along

Knitting: It seems like everyone here in Norway have knitted a project with Marius pattern except me ;) So I had to cast on a hat for each of the kids. If I have enough yarn I might cast on a headband for myself too.

Reading: I manage to read my goal of 100 books in 2012, but I had to speed read a few books and that was not fun. So this year I have set the goal down to just 80 books. The book I am reading now is the 39th book in a norwegian serie called Tre Søstre (Three sisters), set in a nearby village around 1890. Book 52 is coming mid January, so I am a bit behind... My plan is to read all the books from 39 to 52 until the 53rd come out in March/April.


So with a new year ahead of you, what plans do you have?
Each year I join a couple (or more) kals. I usually just manage to keep up the first few months... But this year I have joined a few kals where I can decide myself what I will knit throughout the year.
Like 13 in 2013.

My goals for 2013

1. 13 pairs of socks/slippers
2. 13 pairs of mittens/mitts
3. 13 shawls/cowls
4. Make 13 things for my kids
5. Use up 13 of my prettiest skeins in my stash
6. Make 13 projects from my knitbooks
7. 13 gifts
8. Hike to 13 mountaintops
9. Make 13 projects total for hubby and me
10. Make 13 projects for the home
11. Read 13 books with more than 500 pages
12. Listen to 13 audiobooks
13. 13 walks / exercise sessions per month

And I guess I'm not the only one with lots of knit books on the shelf  that hasn't been knitted from..?
So I joined the group - Knit in 2013: 13 Patterns from 13 books and here is my list of projects and books to knit from :)

1. Vott fra Kautokeino from Håndplagg til bunader og folkedrakter
2. Sweetheart from Knitting Knee-Highs: Sock Styles from Classic to Contemporary
3. Nuthatch Mittens from Colorwork Creations: Knit Woodland Inspired Hats, Mittens and Gloves
4. Celtic Spirit Socks from Sock Club
5. Inro from Knitted Socks East and West
6. Hals i hullmønster from Myk design
7. Plush from Knitting New Mittens & Gloves
8. Hip and Happenin’ Wristwarmers from Twelve Months of Knitting
9. Norwegian Snail Mittens from The Knitter’s Book of Yarn
10. Komi Mittens from Knitting Marvelous Mittens: Ethnic Designs from Russia
11. Estonian pig from Kiri Kari
12. Sunshine from Sock Innovation
13. Lithuanian Amber Socks from Folk Socks

I'm also going to try to knit along with these groups. It might not be each month as I probably only will knit the patterns I like, but it would be great to have a box of finished gifts for next christmas ;)

Dozen Neckwarmers 2013
Dozen Fingerless Mitts 2013
I Make Mittens
Solid Socks
Fingerless Gloves Fanatics 

And a hat and sock kal on a norwegian forum - Uformelt.
I am also going to try to knit up more yarn than I buy.

Shawls update

With the rain pouring down since Friday, I've had plenty of time to knit on my shawls.




I finished the 4th clue of The Summer Solstice Mystery Shawl last night. I haven't made any extra repeats of either clue 3 or 4 as I have been afraid of running out of yarn. I think we can make the shawl longer in clue 5 so I might do that.



So hard to capture the right colour of this one... It is a bit greener in real life. I am going to knit extended version of the TTL Mystery Shawl. I was so lucky to win the 2nd prize in Candy Skeins giveaway a while ago, and the price was two skeins of yarn one being the same colourway as I am knitting this shawl in :)

Summer Solstice Mystery Shawl

Anyone else knitting Wendy's Summer Solstice Mystery Shawl?
I finished clue 2 yesterday and looking forward to the next that comes soon.
I'm knitting mine in Little Traveller by The Sanguine Grypho. Love the colours! The shawl is supposed to be knit on 3,75 mm, but I don't have a circular needle in that size, so I use 3,5 mm. So hopefully it wont be too small... 
It's not the best photo as the needle is a bit too short, so I can't stretch it much. But I really like the combination of lace and nupps :)

Self-Improvement Sundays

A few days ago I found Ashley's blog Geoknitology and she has a link up each Sunday called Self-Improvement Sundays.

"Self-Improvement takes many forms. The post could be about your goals for the week. These could be fiber related goals, or just things that you want to get done for the week. The posts would consist of a picture of anything that inspires your, or your current work in progress. A picture of the knitting design that you are currently playing around with or designing."

I like this idea about setting goals for the coming week.
So what to do...
Well, I plan to finish Hubby's socks. Think that should be easy as I just have the foot left on the second sock.
I hope to cast on Wingspan with the skein you see under here :) Love the pink and purple and brown together, so I hope the pattern will go great together with the yarn.

I have joined the TTL Mystery Shawl that starts the 1st of June.  For this shawl I'm waiting for a skein of this beautiful blue shade of Candy Skein Sock Yarn Club. Speaking of Candy Skein. Her shop has it's 1st birthday this month and she is having a contest were you can win a lot of beautiful yarn, witch ends on May 31st. I have bought some skeins from Candy Skein and have yet to be disappointed. She makes beautiful colourways and the yarn is soft and great to knit with! I have knitted a cowl and a pair of socks with two of the skeins I have bought. I have one skein in green that I also think will become socks :)

Remember this mitten??
I had planned to finish them so I could use them this winter, but that didn't happend. . . And it looks like they won't fit me either. So I guess Eirin will get them instead. Anyway, I plan to knit on the second one and try to finish the pair this week. Need some bright and happy colours to knit with to brighten up the days as it just keeps on raining and raining here. . .

No knitting goals.
I think I can pack away our winter clothes and shoes now even though it's cold and not much that reminds about spring or summer here. . . So a second layer of clothes is still needed some days :( 
If the rain stops I might go and work in the garden. Since we had to dig up almost the whole garden last summer, I need to get rid of those big stones before we can make a new lawn and vegetable garden.

Flurries Cowl

Last week I came across a tread in the Cowls group at Ravelry that there was a cowl kal going on in the Traveling Woman group. So I had to check it out. It turned out to be a kal with 5 patterns designed by Liz Abinante. The kal works like this. The first pattern (this cowl) is free to all. If you complete it by the due date, which is tomorrow, you'll get the next pattern also for free. And so on. Hopefully I'll manage to knit all of them within each due date. Because I really want them all. Here you can see the Previewes & Schedules :)

Pattern: Flurries Cowl
Yarn: Järbo Garn Fantasi #60146
Needles: 3,5 and 5 mm

Some small items off the hook and needles

I have finished a couple of small items last week. A pair of potholders.
Pattern: Potholders in waffelstitch
Yarn: 96 g Handknit Cotton from Rowan
Hook: 3 mm

With all the warm weather we've had so far this summer, I had to knit up a pair of  anklets.
Pattern: Made up as I knitted along. 64 st and a short row heel.
Yarn: 39 g Meilenweit 1oo Cotton Fantasy # 817 from LAna Grossa.
Needles: 2,5 mm

 

And what's better than finding a skein of yarn in the mailbox :) I had to buy one from Candy Skein. The colorway is Blackberry and I plan to use it in this kal.I haven't picked a pattern yet though - there are so many beautiful shawls to choose from...

And now for something completly different. A little while ago I got a comment from Sue, who had found my blog after reading about it in Simply Knitting! So ofcourse I had to buy that issue ;) And I must say I feel honored to be mentioned along with Cotton and Cloud and Fuzzy Mitten!

My Epla shop :)

I've knitted up a little pair of baby socks. 

Pattern: 48 st , k2,p2.

Yarn: 20 g Opal.

Needles: 2,5 mm.

They can be bought in my shop at epla which I have open today :)

Epla is the Norwegian version of Etsy. There is a lot og great things you can buy there!

Criminal Minds Mystery Kerchief

I came across this kal by a coincidence over at Ravelry. It sounded like fun, so I joined. Even thogh I have never seen a Criminal Mind episode ;)
I thought the shawl looked a bit small when I had casted it off, but after some blocking it has just the right size for wrapping around the neck. I'm giving it away for Christmas since I already have a red shawl :)

Pattern: Criminal Minds Mystery Kerchief.
Yarn: 55 g Dawn 2 ply from Naturally #2. A beautiful shiny and soft yarn made of 50% wool and 50% silk.
Needle: 4,5 mm.

Hi

I didn't plan to take a blog break, but it just happend and it have felt good with a couple of weeks not blogging or reading other blogs. (I'm trying not to think about all the blog post waiting for my in my reader though...) So what have I've been doing? Well, there have been knitting :), we've enjoyed fall and all it's great things and hubby and I got married on October 1st :) We had a small wedding with just the closest family for dinner. I guess it was about time after 12 years being engaged ;)

Anyway, the first snowfall came yesterday, and I managed to knit up a vest for Eirin just in time :) Sorry about the greyish pictures, but the light is not great at 7:25 am - I had to capture a few pictures before the schoolbus came ;)

And as you can see, it dosn't take much snow to make a snowman ;)

Pattern: Tunika med rund sal by Unn Søiland Dale from  the booklet Sandnes Til Fjells 0913 Barn/Voksne.
Yarn: Viking of Norway Baby Ull. About 150 g dark grey, 50 g white and a little bit of pink.
Needles: 2,5 mm & 3 mm.
Size: 8 years.

A close up of the pattern. There is a women sized version too which I really want to knit for myself.

This green yarn called my name at the local yarn shop a while ago, and they ended up as a pair of socks for hubby.
Pattern: 64 st, toe-up, short-row heel. A small rib just above the heel and a rib cuff.
Yarn: Drops Fabel #542.
Needles: 2,5 mm.

And you can see why Fall is my favourite season - the weather and the colour changes so fast. One day we had temperatures down at -6 C, which made a beautiful frosting on everything. And after the first storm all the leaves were gone and the only colour left was all the rowan berries.

Socks with short-row heel & toe, and some moths

This have been my mindless knitting infront of the tv the last weeks. K2, p2 needs hardly any thinking at all ;)
And when I made the heel and saw how great the stripes become, I desided that if the foot was long enough when I came to the black and white stripes again, I should try to make a short row toe so that the stripes would be the same at both heel and toe.  And so I did. And I really think they turned out great :) A bit more st to sew with kitchener stitch though...

Pattern: 60 st, k2,p2
Yarn: 60 g Opal Traumfänger/Dreamcatcher (discontinued) Colorway 1232
Needles: 2,5 mm

And with dark nights again, the moths have arrived and are flocking themselves around the light on our frontdoor. Beautiful aren't they? I really like the yellow one that looks so much like a leaf.

Purple Bluebell socks

New socks for Eirin :)

My 11th pair so far in the 52ppiv. I guess I'm a little behind... But I'm not going to stress ;) Knitting should be fun, not a chore.

The pattern is a cuff down sock, but I knitted it as a toe-up to make sure I had enough yarn, but also to make the bluebells the right way. Making them hang down.

Pattern: Bluebell rib from Sensational Knitted Socks.
Yarn: 44 g King Kole Zig Zag colorway 741.
Needles: 2,5 mm.
Size: 8 years, 54 st.

I see that I really need to get some sock blockers... The pattern doesn't show here at all :(

I guessed I would use up all of the yarn since it was leftovers after my own socks. But I had just enough left to crochet a square for my leftover sock yarn blanket too :)

And there's no doubt anymore - Fall is here. The lawn is covered in yellow leaves and today the rain is pouring down... Eirin is wearing a Hello Kitty hat I made for her about 2 years ago :) Endre is wearing a stripy hat I crochet earlier this summer. It's so great when the kids like to wear the things I make for them :)

With three more pair of socks this month, I feel a bit in advance for July ;) And I have three socks on the needles as well.

Pattern: Just a toe-up vanilla sock with a short row heel. They are long and I love the color!
Yarn: 83 g Zwerger Garn Opal Brasil # 5001.
Needles: 2,5 mm.

Pattern: Another toe-up vanilla sock with a short row heel :)
Yarn: 73 g Zwerger Garn Opal Traumfänger/Dreamcatcher # 1236.
Needles: 2,5 mm.

Pattern: Simple side to side socks.
Yarn: 58 g Zwerger Garn Opal Feelings # 1703.
Needles: 2,5 mm.

They got a bit small for me, so they might end up as a gift. And I might have used another yarn... But it was a new way to knit a sock, but I don't think I'll knit this pattern again.

We've had some warm days this week, but there's no sign of the tap water yet... And today the kids rescued this creature. He could not fly, so they picked him up and put him in our bird cherry tree. I have no idea what kind of insect this is, but maybe any of you know..?