Yarn Along

What are you knitting and reading this week? I'm joining Ginny at Small Things for Yarn Along.

Knitting: My Setesdalkofte is slowly getting done. I'm almost done with the yoke decreases and then the buttonbands is all that is left to knit. I must confess that the type of buttonbands that this pattern calls for, is not my favorite to knit. It looks great, but I either knit them too long or too short... But you know, practice makes perfect ;) In between knitting on my kofte I knit on various small projects. I finished a pair of socks some days ago and have made a couple of sockhead cowls that needs to be blogged. But today I needed something mindless to knit on and since my goal this year is to not just knit socks, I decided to cast on a hat. I had my youngest to pick out a skein of yarn earlier this month that I shall knit a project from and he decided to pick out some beautiful merino Hacho from Mirasol. The hat pattern is Barley, a great mindless knit. Hopefully it will be a pretty hat.

Reading: I'm still reading The Orchard of Lost Souls, as I had started last week. But last night I felt the need for a good crime/thriller story, so I picked up a library book by Mo Hayder -  Birdman. It's the first book in a series and it SO good. I had to force myself to put it away and go to sleep last night.

Greenwich, south-east London. The Met's crack murder squad, AMIP, is called out by nervous CID detectives to a grim discovery. Five bodies, all young women, all ritualistically murdered and dumped on wasteland near the Dome. As each post-mortem reveals a singular, horrific signature linking the victims, officers realize that they are on the trail of that most dangerous offender: a sexual serial killer.

Detective Inspector Jack Caffery - young, driven, unshockable - finds himself facing both hostility within the force and echoes of his past in this, his first case with AMIP. Haunted by the memory of a death long ago, he employs every weapon forensic science can offer for he knows it is only a matter of time before this chaotic, sadistic killer strikes again.    -from Goodreads-

Garderobe Makealong

Frk. Garn, a danish knitter started a wardrobe makealong this year. The point is to knit and/or sew your own clothes. I am not the best friend with my sewig machine, but who knows, this might be the year we become friends ;) The only accessories that is allowed to make is socks. So my plan to knit more shawls and hats will not count, at least not for prizes which will be dawn each month.

The first project is a Setesdalkofte. I'm knitting it in Tove and are struggling a little bit with the gauge...

A few years ago Truly Myrtle made her own handmade wardrobe and I loved her post about her beautiful knitted and sewed garments. So take a look and be inspired!

FO :: Saga Eskimo

Saga Eskimo is finished.
It has been a fun knit, but I wish I had knit it faster... Or made a size bigger.
My daughter grows faster than I knit, so it turned out just too small for her :(
I made it tight fitted so she could wear it under her winter coat, but as she has grown it became to tight over her chest.
Oh well. I might find another home for it.

Ravelry project page
Pattern: Saga Eskimo
Yarn: Duo
Needles: 3 mm / US 2,5 and 3,5 mm / US 4
Size: Small
Made for: Eirin

Last FO this year and some plans for next

My last finished object this year is a pair of socks for me. They are knitted in Opal Best Friends and I just love the colours. And I think I have another ball of this yarn, so there might be another pair in the future.

Ravelry project page
Pattern: 64 sts cuff down, short row heel
Yarn: 68 g Opal Best Friends #8863
Needles: 2,5 mm / US 1,5
Made for: Me

I have decided to knit down my stash next year and have already picked out a skein I have been saving since august 2009... Love the colours in it and it's time to knit it up! Not sure, but I think I'll use it for a cowl or a shawl. Just need to find the right pattern...

Other plans is to finish the Saga Eskimo kofte. I have half a buttonband and the neckband left, so it should just take a few hours. I have also bought yarn for a jacket for Endre. I have yarn for a jacket or kofte for me, but haven't decided which pattern yet. There is so many to choose from. But I know I'll knit a couple of sweaters or kofter for myself next year.
And of course there will be knitted socks ;) I'll try to keep up with the kals in the Sock Knitters Anonymous group. January starts with stranded knitted patterns, so I can dig out some leftovers and those single balls of yarn and make some socks. I also plan to knit more mittens. I got the mittenbook - Den Store Votteboka for christmas and there is coming a new norwegian mitten book - Votter out in January as well :) The mittens on the front page of Votter is so beautiful, I just know I'l have to cast them on the minut I get the book!

So, what have I made this year..

- 33 pairs of socks
- 11 pairs of mittens
- 5 hats
- 5 sweaters/jackets
- 3 thights
- 2 pairs of potholders
- 1 shawl
- Julekuler

On The Needles :: Rib Fantastic & Saga Eskimo

Knitting: Two pairs of socks has been done since last time I had a One The Needles post. First was the Arne & Carlos socks for Hubby and yesterday I finished my son's Biohazard socks. A blog post will come later this week. So with those off the needles I had to cast on a new pair ;) I made Endre choose a skein in my stash and he picked a skein from Fyberspates that I have been saving for years. It looked SO much prettier in the skein than knit up... It's a very busy yarn, so I searched for a pattern and ended up with one from one of my books - Rib Fantastic. Not super happy about how the yarn and the pattern are knitting up, but I think I will knit a bit more before I decide to knit or frog...

I am also knitting on Eirin's kofte (cardigan). I hoped to finish it during Easter, but obviously that didn't happend... I have devided for sleeves and it should be a fast knit as the body is knitted in just the main colour. So hopefully I will have it done sometime next week, we'll see ;) I made her try it on the other day before she went to school, and luckily it fits her (photo below).

Drinking: Today is a strong black tea kind of day, so I am drinking Lipton's Yellow Label.

Reading: I have been reading in this brick of a book since the beginning of December last year... And now I am finally at the end with just one last chapter. Just in time for the new season of the Game of Thrones series :) I know the first episode was out on Monday, but Hubby and I are going to watch it this weekend :) And what a book it has been! Can't wait to read the next one.

In the aftermath of a colossal battle, Daenerys Targaryen rules with her three dragons as queen of a city built on dust and death. But Daenerys has thousands of enemies, and many have set out to find her. Fleeing from Westeros with a price on his head, Tyrion Lannister, too, is making his way east--with new allies who may not be the ragtag band they seem. And in the frozen north, Jon Snow confronts creatures from beyond the Wall of ice and stone, and powerful foes from within the Night's Watch. In a time of rising restlessness, the tides of destiny and politics lead a grand cast of outlaws and priests, soldiers and skinchangers, nobles and slaves, to the greatest dance of all. - From Goodreads -

What are you knitting and reading this week?
Joining Ginny and Nicole

On The Needles :: Saga Eskimo

Knitting: I have been wanting to knit Eirin a cardigan for a while now, but she is in that age where everything I suggest is stupid... But when I showed her Saga Eskimo from Kofteboken (a norwegian knitbook with new designs on old jackets or kofter as we call them) she nodded and agreed that it would be a nice jacket for her. But not with yellow and it had to be in a yarn that didn't itch... So when I found out that Sandnes Garn was about to discontinue the yarn Duo, which is a cotton and merino blend, I searched the net for a sale and found a shop that had it for half price :) She picked out a purple instead of yellow and now I am just crossing my fingers and hoping she will like it when it's done.

Drinking: Today I am having a cup of one of my go to teas - Blackcurrant tea from Twinings.

Reading: I picked up a stack of books at the library last week, and one of them was Looking for Me by Beth Hoffman. It was one of those books where the cover drew me in, but as I started reading, the story had me after a couple of pages too!! So I will have to check out her first book too - Saving CeeCee Honeycutt.

Teddi Overman found her life’s passion for furniture in a broken-down chair left on the side of the road in rural Kentucky. She learns to turn other people’s castoffs into beautifully restored antiques, and eventually finds a way to open her own shop in Charleston. There, Teddi builds a life for herself as unexpected and quirky as the customers who visit her shop. Though Teddi is surrounded by remarkable friends and finds love in the most surprising way, nothing can alleviate the haunting uncertainty she’s felt in the years since her brother Josh’s mysterious disappearance. When signs emerge that Josh might still be alive, Teddi is drawn home to Kentucky. It’s a journey that could help her come to terms with her shattered family—and to find herself at last. But first she must decide what to let go of and what to keep. - From Goodreads -

What are you knitting and reading this week?
Joining Ginny and Nicole

FO :: Nancy

I've finally bought buttons for my Nancy jacket.
I'm not super happy about the fit, but it's good enough to wear around the house.

Since I made it from thicker yarn, I had to use the pattern for the Nancy sweater to get the right gauge.

Ravelry project page
Pattern: 0611-20 Sweater with Round Yoke by Sandnes Design incorporates Nr 12 ”Nancy” kofte med rundt bærestykke
Yarn: Gjestal Superwash sport
Needles: 3 mm / US 2,5 and 3,5 mm / US 4
Made for: Me
Size: L
Started: January 24, 2014
Copmleted: March 27, 2014

And we have had a wonderful weather today, so we went skiing :)
More photos here.

On The Needles :: Nancy, Angee and Rye

Joining Yarn Along :: WIP Wedensday :: Keep Kalm Craft On
What's on your needles today?

Knitting: I'm finally starting to see the end of my Nancy cardigan. I had to send it to my mom this weekend so she could sew the seams in the front with her sewing machine as mine is not working right... I picked up the stitches for the button bands earlier today and have knitted a few rows. Hopefully I will have it done by the end of the week :) I think I have some old buttons I can use. If not I'll have to make it to the yarn store. I'm almost done with my pair of Angee. Love how they knit up!
I saw a pair of Rye knitted in fingering yarn on a blog a while ago, and knew I had to make some one day. Well, it's the perfect mindless project so I just cast on the number of stitches I normally do for a pair of vanilla socks and the first one just flew off the needles :)

Reading: I finsihed The Search for the Red Dragon this weekend and it was good. I didn't know what to read next, but I had picked up Reached from the library a while ago, so I gave it a try. The first two books in this dystopian series was quite good, but I just couldn't get into this one, so I gave up.
Instead I'm going to finish Blacklands which have been sitting among my knitting and I've been reading a few pages now and then. Not sure what I'll read after that - there are SO many books I want to read!!

I haven't been knitting much today as the baking mojo hit me :)
Great to fill up the freezer with bread, cinnamon rolls and ham and cheese rolls!

On the Needles :: Nancy & Squirrel socks

Joining Yarn Along :: WIP Wedensday :: Keep Kalm Craft On
What's on your needles today?

Knitting: I've come to the part where I have to bring out my sewing machine on my Nancy jacket... But I think I'll wait a couple of days before I'll do the steeking. In the meantime I can knit on my Squirrel socks :) They are a fun knit. I'm about to turn the heel on the first sock.

Reading: I've just finished the two books in the Highland series and although I love to read histirical fiction I needed to change genre for a while. So I picked up a book from the library - The Amulet of Samarkand. Love it so far :)

I got a comment the other day asking if I could show the inside of my colourwork knitting.
Well, here is one photo of my Nancy jacket and one of the last socks I knit and the one on the needles. Hope it can show how the inside of colourwork should look like.

Before you start colourwork knitting there are a few things to think about.

- Decide which strand will be “A” and which will be “B.” You will knit with only one strand at a time, while the other waits for its turn. When you change from using one color to another, keep their orientation consistent.
“A” is the background, or receding, color, and that strand should always cross below the other.
“B” is the foreground, or outstanding, color, and that strand should always cross above the other.

- The second key to stranded colorwork is making the strands of the unused color loose enough to keep the work from puckering. When changing colors, stretch apart the last stitches made in the prior color, and then loosely lay the new color across them on the wrong side. This strand on the back of the work is called a float. Knit with the new color, releasing the tension on the previous stitches. For a tidy look in the back of the work, securing loose strands or “floats”, consider “wrapping” the two colors while knitting. I do this if there are 5 stitches or more of one colour in a row.

Winterbreak

The kids have their winterbreak this week. So we can sleep a little longer in the morning :)
Today the weather has been great so we have spent hours outside.
After hours of fresh air it was good to find my knitting project and a hot cup of tea.
I'm trying to finish my Nancy jacket this week, and have come to the fun part - the yoke :)

    

FO :: Marius hoodie & Vigur

Finally the Marius hoodie is done! And just in time to be wrapped in and sent to it's receiver.
I'm so glad my mom made three of these for my kids, because I would never have had the patience to knit three with all the steeking and seaming...

Ravelry projet page
Pattern: Marius hettejakke from Marius strikkebok
Yarn: Gjestal superwash sport
Needles: 2,5 mm / US 1½ and 3 mm / US 2½
Size: 8-10 years
Made for: One of my nephews
Started: October 26, 2013
Completed: December 11, 2013
Modifications: I made it a bit shorter in the body as it would have been to long if I made as the pattern told...

I've also finished another pair of mittens - Vigur, which is an island on Iceland. They are a christmas gift as well.

Ravelry project page
Pattern: Vigur from Varme hender / Hlýjar hendur - I love this book!
Yarn: Rubin and Mor aase
Needles: 2,5 mm / US 1½ and 3 mm / US 2½
Size: Woman medium
Made for: A friend
Started: December 9, 2013
Completed: December 11, 2013
Modifications: As I made it with a thicker yarn and needles, I skipped a few stripes here and there ;)

On the needles :: Dyngja and the everlasting jacket

Joining Yarn Along :: WIP Wednesday :: Keep Calm Craft On
What's on your needles today?

Knitting: Well, it sems like steeking isn't so bad ;)The sleeves are in and the hood is alomost done, so I just have the front edges to knit and a zipper to sew in  and then it's finished.  It feels like I've been knitting forever on this jacket, but I guess it's because I've been knitting on other projects too. I'm still trying to knit up as many gifts as I can before christmas, therefore a new pair of mittens on the needles.

Reading: I'm still reading a chapter now and then in The sweetness of forgetting, but my main reading at the time is norwegian crime  - Glassdukkene. I have a few pages and the disclosure of who the killer is left. I couldn't put it aside last night, so I laid in bed reading until 1 am ;) The story is set in Tromsø, our nearest big city. And the movie is cooming next year - so looking forward to see it!
I'm also flipping through a new book with gingerbreadhouses :) Not sure which one I'll make yet, but I'm sure there will be some baking this coming weekend!

Eek, steeking

Joining Yarn Along :: WIP Wednesday :: Keep Calm Craft On
What's on your needles today?



Steeking: Well, I just have to do it if the jacket shall be finished in time for christmas... I mean how hard can it be? And it's about time I get over my fear for steeking ;)

Reading: I started Så lenge det er stjerner på himmelen  (The sweetness of forgetting) yesterday. It will be my comfort reading in between my knitting as it's a light read. As the story is about a bakery, there is a few recipes in it too. So I might have to try out some of them :)
On my nightstand is a pile of crime books by a local author - Jorun Thørring. And right now am I reading Tarantellen.

The North Star Bakery has been in Hope's family for generations, the secret recipes passed down from mother to daughter. But at thirty-six and recently divorced, with rebellious daughter Annie and elderly grandmother Rose to care for, Hope is less than enthusiastic about carrying on the family legacy. When the bakery runs into financial trouble and Rose takes a turn for the worse, Hope's delicate balancing act is in danger of crumbling entirely.

Then Rose reveals a shocking truth about her past and everything Hope thought she knew about her family and the bakery is turned upside down. At her grandmother's request, Hope travels to Paris, armed only with a mysterious list of names. What she uncovers there could be the key to saving the bakery and the fulfilment of a star-crossed romance, seventy years in the making.

Vinn Klassisk småbarnstrikk

As some of you might remember I had some secret knitting going on back in May. Well, It was for Tove Fevang's latest book - Klassisk småbarnstrikk. 25 old and classic pattern from Sandnes Garn from the 1950's, 1960's and 1970's has been rewritten for the yarn available today. The patterns are from age 0-4 and the book is filled with cute photos taken by her husband. Two of the models are their grandchildren the twins Nicolai and Oscar.

Besides patterns for sweaters, jackets, pants, hats and mittens, there is a big section in the book with great step by step parts, showing techniques such as raglan, steeking, sew in sleeves, etc

Last night Eirin and I had the chance to meet Tove at one of my local yarn shop as she was there to promote her book. It was great to meet her in person and talk to her after just being talking with her pr mail and telephone the last year or so.
I have been knitting three jackets and hats for this new book :) She is holding two of them.

I remember my mom knitting the sweater that is on the cover for my brother when he was little :)

And now for the giveaway, which is only open for norwegian readers...

If you want to win this book, leave a comment and let me know which sweater or jacket you remember from your childhood. 
I remember I had a sweater with polarbears and one of my favorites was a fluffy kind of sweater in black with pink stars and stripes.

I will draw a winner Tuesday, December 3.

On the needles :: Marius hoodie

Joining Yarn Along :: WIP Wednesday :: Keep Calm Craft On
What's on your needles today?

Knitting: I am almost done with the marius hoodie. Both sleeves are done and I have a few rows of the body left. Then there is steeking.... I have decided that i am going to do it myself this time. I usually let my mom do it, but I feel it's time to learn it myself. How hard can it be, right..?!

Reading: I finished The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss last night. Loved it and I have to start book two soon. But I didn't have it by the bedside, so I just had to pick up another book in my pile of to be read books ;) And that happend to be The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagwa. I liked the fisrt book and hopefully this can live up to me expectations.

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

Endre and I had our lunch outdoors today - read more about that at Ute :: Outdoors :)