FO's and a cast on :)

The wool pants are finally done. They've been very boring to knit, but necessary as a second layer of wool is needed for those cold days playing outdoors. No photo of him wearing then though as he was fast to take them out after I made him try them on. They itch apparently... but I know that will be forgotten as soon as they keep him warm outdoors ;)

Pattern: NR.5 Bukse m/ og u/ fot by Dale of Norway / Dale Design
Yarn: Gjestal Superwash Sport, about 315 g all together. Brown #228 and green #235
Needles: 3 and 3,5 mm
Size: 6 years

I've also knitted up a second pair of Newfoundland mittens. they were ment to be for Eirin, but turn out too small for her... So I think they'll be a gift instead.

And with some projects done and some free needles, I can cast one a new project right!?
This is the second cowl in the Great cowl kal. The yarn is Super DK #Flannel by Spunky Eclectic and I love the colour.
So what are you knitting on this weekend?

Yarn Along :: WIP Wednesday

Yarn Along :: WIP Wednesday

Looks pretty much as last weeks photo... But a bit more messy ;) I often admire those pretty photos of books and projects some of you post, but I thought today was the day to just show off how it really looks like at my table. Projects, post it notes and a stack of printed patterns I plan to cast on next.

Reading: I finished Cross Stitch last night. And wow, I loved that book! Definitely a book I will read several times. I have to clear something about the book though. Cross Stitch is the same as Outlander. I think Cross Stitch is the uk version. I'm still reading Sister's Choice and quite enjoying it. Right now I'm listening to The Return by Victoria Hislop.

Knitting: I've managed to knit one owl on the Owlie sock :) Love it so far. Both cuffs on Jules are done and I have started the second leg on the wool pants.

Yarn Along :: WIP Wednesday

Yarn Along :: WIP Wednesday

Knitting: Still working on the wool pants for Endre. I'm halfway through the first leg and the stripes makes it a bit more fun to knit as I can see it grow. The three new wips are some mittens and socks. The white is a pair of Newfoundland mittens for Eirin. Similar to the once I finished yesterday. The blue is a pair of Jules socks for Hubby and the grey a pair of Owlie socks for Eirin.

Reading: I've read a couple of Harlequin historical romance books since last time. And quite enjoyed them as the guilty pleasure books they are ;) But each night I indulge myself in the world of Jamie and Claire in Cross Stitch. I'm halfway through it and I love this story! Scottish always makes my knees a little wobble ;) The other book, Sister's Choice, have I just started to read, but it looks like it's a good book.

I have discovered audio books now that the kids are at school and I have the day for myself. What a great way to spend the day knitting and listening to a book at the same time!! As audiobooks are rather expensive here, I borrow them at the library. The other day I came across the site Books Should Be Free. There are mostly classics there, and I started to listen to Pride and Prejudice. 

If you take a look at the top of my blog you'll see a page named Around the world in books. In short words I have decided to read my way around the world :) Will take a while, but what a journey it wil be. I have added the books I have already read in the past, but I haven't visited many countries yet...

Yarn Along :: WIP Wednesday

Yarn Along :: WIP Wednesday

Reading: I'm still reading the same books as last time. And I must tell you that I love A Discovery of Witches!! If you normally  don't read vampire/witch stories, don't let that stop you from reading this book as it has so much more. A lost manuscript, love and suspense in a wonderful mix. I'm almost done with it, and are trying to finish it so I can get it back to the library on Friday. I've also picked up a new Harlequin book - The Conqueror's Lady by Terri Brisbin ;) It's ok to read a few pages here and there inbetween other things.

Knitting: I'm finished with the first mitten and it looks like it's going to fit Eirin's hands :) Hopefully she will like them, but she is hard to please... The cowl I was knitting on last week is done, but I haven't taken any photos yet... The green thing is a pair og wool pants for Endre. He sure needs them as he has outgrown the pair I knitted for him last year.

Boy, it's cold outside...

We're in a cold periode - again... It's been -30C for a couple of days now. To cold to go out to play, so the kids are climbing the walls here 'sigh' Needless to say that I think we've had our share of cold this winter!
But the sky and tree looks beautiful though..

Endre needed a new wool pants, so I casted on for a pair during christmas. The colours are a bit dull in the picture, they are much more bright in real life :)
Pattern: Monsterbukse, but without the monster ;)
Yarn: Mor Aase superwash
Needles: 2,5 , 3 and 3,5 mm
Size: 5-6 year

Don't forget my book giveaway :)

December :: inne {3} inside

Today the word is inne {3} inside. And we've spent much of the last days inside due to bad weather... It's been raining like crazy the last two days. Making almost all the snow gone and the roads very slippery. Eirin was hoping for ice to skate on, but we had to sand all the ice outside the house so we could manage to walk.

So the days have been spent drying wet clothes over the stove (the kids have been like two pairs of drowned cats when they've come home from school), knitting, drinking tea and watching the Adventcalendar on tv. This year it's a show called Jul på Månetoppen (Christmas at Moontop). It's about the red "nisser" that lives at the farm and the blue "nisser" that lives in the mountain Blåfjell (Bluemountain).

The nisse mom are knitting on a hat that the nisse girl is going to get when she has passed the "long hat test" on the 23rd of December (if I'm not wrong). To pass the test she has to make one nisse joy and one nisse trick each day  :)

With the bad weather I've managed to finish this monster pants for a friend. Endre is the model, and I really need to knit him a new pair too since the one he have starts to get a bit short...
Pattern: This time I've used Monsterbukser by Du bedåre.
Yarn: 275 g Mor Aase
Needles: 2,5 and 3 mm
Size: 4-5 years

Here is more post about todays word :)

Strawberry Dream, monster and Aurora Borealis

The days are dark and cold around here now. I took this picture around 11.30 am today. The light is blue almost all day now and the sun is bearly painting the mountain tops pink... To bad it gets so cold when the air is so bright... The temperature have been around -20 C all week and today it's been -24 C here, and we are starting to get a bit of cabin fever ;)

So Eirin and I desided to bake some cookies :)

Strawberry Dream Cookies

200 g softened butter
1 dl sugar
1 dl potato flour
4 dl flour

Mix the sugar and butter to cream. Stir in the flour. Roll out the dough and cut into ca. 40 pieces. Roll each piece to a ball and press it flat with a little dimple in the middle. Fill the dimple with strawberry jam. Bake at 175 C for ca. 10-12 minutes. Cool off on a cakerack.

 

What's on your needles this weekend??

I'm knitting on a pair of monster pants - a fast and fun knit :)
And I just have to share this beautiful video made of pictures. I love it when the northern light flashes through the sky and hope we'll see lots of it this winter! These are from Tromsø,  city a bit further north.

Aurora Borealis timelapse HD - Tromsø 2010 from Tor Even Mathisen on Vimeo.

Monster pants :)

Finally! The monster pants I've been knitting on for months are done... I started in September, so it was about time ;) Endre has been eagerly waiting and was happy now since he can have a pair of monster pants at home too. The first pair I knitted a year ago is in the kindergarden ;)

Pattern: I've just made it up as I knitted ;) But you can find some free patterns. Das Monster by Hrönn Jónsdóttir, Smilende monsterbukse (norwegain)by Tonjejenta, Monsterbukse (norwegain) by duBedåre.
Yarn: 200 g gray, 50 g blue and 50 g turquoise + leftovers of white and red Mor Aase superwash.
Needles: 3 mm

And there is so many cool monster pants at Ravelry too :)

Pair # 18 & 19

I guess you must be fed up with my socks now ;) But I have knitted up two more pairs - and they are x-mas gifts :)
Pattern: a simple k3, p3 socks, 66 st
Yarn: 100 g Järbo Garn Mellanraggi #28007
Needles: 2,5 mm

Pattern: Garter rib from Sensational knitted socks
Yarn: 150 g Rauma FagStrikk #36701. I had to use 3 skeins to get the stripes alike on both socks, but it should be enough with just 2 skeins for a pair ;)
Needles: 2,5 mm

I do have, let's see... four pairs of socks on my needles (I think), but I promise you that I'll post about something else next time!

And for those of you that love vampires as much as I do (I'm lost in the Sookie Stackhouse novels... as well as True Blood on tv), here is How to Attract a Sexy Vampire :D
I have the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R Ward waiting for me, and I'm thinking about getting my hands on the Anita Blake Series by Laurell K. Hamilton or the Anna Strong Vampire Series by Jeanne C. Stein. Anyone who have read this series or have another good vampire serie to recommend?

Enough with the rain now, please...

Picture from the weekend :)

I'm a bad blogger these days... But real life just takes over sometimes. I've started my fight agains those extra kilos, so I try to exercise at least three times a week ;) - When I'm home alone so the kids can't laugh at me *lol* Hubby's daughter is living with us every other week now, so having a teenager in the house has it's moment too... My afternoon is filled with helping the kids do their homework, making dinner, supper and then bedtime with reading outloud. So there are not much time for knitting left. And our weekends are mostly filled with time outdoors. And there's no doubt - fall is here now. Some of the trees have no leaves left do to the wind we've had the last days. And the rain has been pouring down for weeks now. I'm just looking forward to - degrees and snow now. Everything is better than cold rain!

So while I'm baking bread and doing some laundry today, I have time to enjoy a latte and knit a few rounds on a wool pants for Endre. It might be a new pair of monster pants, but it also just be a stripy one ;) We'll see.

And when the sun abandon us, I'll have to make some sunshine in another way. So I finished up some dishcloths :)

And finding a package in the mailbox is always great when the weather is bad :) This is a red swap package all the way from Eleanor in Australia :)

3rd pair of monster pants and some painting.

I've knitted a new pair of monster pants for my cousin cormz's youngest. It was a quick knit, but sewing in all the ends, well, you know ;) Takes some time

Since I don't have a model in the right size, a doll have to do the use.
Pattern: My own, inspired by crankypantsknits pants.
Yarn: Mor Aase, 10o g black and 5o g in each shade of blue. Leftovers of black, red and white.
Needles: 3 mm.

And cormz, you'll have to give us some action photos ;)
(And I cross my fingers and hope it fits.)

Endre and I have been busy painting today. He on his easel...

... and I on this plate.

Knitting party

Then I got time for Muffin's knit party. She is knitting some beautiful mittens that you can win if you post a comment on her blog. And the cat socks she has on her needles are just stunning! I have brought my favorite tea cup and I'm knitting on my 3rd pair of monster pants. Hope you like the colors Cormz ;) The picture is making the colors more purple than blue... Can't wait to get more daylight *sigh*

The snow has been pouring down since Tuesday, and it seems like there is no end of it... The kids are happy though :)

Monster pants

Can you guess why this little guy is dancing a happy dance today??

His monster pants are done. He's been waiting for it a while now, and my arms got well after some days without knitting, so I could finish it this morning. After seeing crankypantsknits pants at flikr, I knew I had to knit one for Endre someday.

Pattern: A standard pants pattern, inspired by crankypantsknits (her blog), Galadriel, Sigyn, Gurimalla og Kristine.
Yarn: A mix of different leftovers of superwash. Mostly Mor Aase.
Needles: 3 mm

I even remeber to use jogless jog on the stripes ;) I'm really happy with these pants and I might knit up one more to give as a christmas present.

And we have got so much snow the last week that we could go sledging today. The kids have a day off from school today, so we could all get out and have some fun when it was still some daylight left.

A little to much snow in my opinion - at least when I have to drag a 3 yo in deep snow (25 cm...)
Oh, I can't wait until we get some hard snow to walk on.

But it's worth it when you see these happy faces! Even Erlend and Eirin managed to sledge together without quarreling :)

Have a great weekend all!
I've started to knit on some more christmas presents - some mittens ;)

Strikking / Knitting

Ullbuksa jeg starta på for et par måneder siden er endelig ferdig. Kan ikke si at jeg har kosa meg mens jeg har strikka på denne - til det har den vært for kjedelig... Men jeg kan heldigvis stryke ut en til på julegavelista mi :) Her er det Endre som er modell, men det er en av tantebarna mine som skal få den. Den er strikka i vrangbordstrikk, og det er første gang jeg strikker en ullbukse slik. Men jeg syns så absolutt passformen er mye bedre enn i en bukse i glattstrikk! Så jeg kommer nok til å strikke ullbukser i vranngbordstrikk neste gang noen trenger det.
Mønster: Fra et Idena hefte. Helst standar ullbukse strikket fra livet og ned med 3 rett, 1 vrang
Pinner: 3 og 4 mm
Garn: 200 g sort Mor Aase

The wool pants I started on a couple of months ago is finally done. I can't say I've enjoyed knitting this - it's been to boring... But I can fortunally struck another gift from my x-mas gift list :) Endre is the model, but one of my nephews are having it. I've knitted it in rib, and it's the first time I've knitted a wool pants like that. But I absolutely think the fit is much better than knitted in stockinette stitch! So I will knit wool pants in rib from now on.
Pattern: From a norwegian booklet. Knitted from the waist down with k3, p1 rib
Needles: 3 and 4 mm
Yarn: 2oo g black Mor Aase




Det er oktober og Socktoberfest er igang :) Jeg holder på med et par Jaywalkere i Opal. Og jeg har flere par lester i raggegarn som jeg skal strikke og gi bort til jul - så oktober kommer helt klart til å bli en måned full av sokker ;)

It's October and the Socktoberfest is here :) I'm knitting on a pair of Jaywalkers in Opal. And I have a couple of "lester" (socks knitted in thick wool) which are going to be x-mas gifts - so October will be a month filled with socks here ;)