Agatqknits

...and the last one...

2012-01-31T20:32:00.000+01:00

3. a crescent-shaped shawlette. sea silk in stardust, 4.5mm needles. stockinette with eyelets. (for my mum, she just collects scarves and the like)

late for the party...

2012-01-31T20:20:00.002+01:00

January is almost over, and I still have some finished knits to show...

1. socks, opal rainforest, colourway robin hood, 2.25mm needles (for my cousin who fell fort handknitted socks a few years ago)

2. scarf, rowan all seasons cotton, 3x dark blue, 2x red, 4.5mm needles (for my aunt who doesn't use scarves, because... she doesn't have them ;-) well, now she does)

FO parade, part 4. Chevron.

2011-10-31T21:41:00.001+01:00

Isn't a simple chevron pattern pretty in Sea Silk?

A small simple scarf, knitted from one skein of Sea Silk. In Periwinkle. As a present, so I don't get to keep it for myself.

Another take on a chevron pattern, inspired by Missoni, using colours this time.

A summer top. When it was more or less 75% complete, I realized I planned colour changes wrong. Or rather, hadn't planned them at all, and one could see that. This, and the fact that I wasn't 100% happy with the straps, resulted in ripping the whole thing. Meanwhile, summer has ended, so no reason to hurry with the re-knitting ;-).

FO parade, part 3.

2011-10-30T19:42:00.001+01:00

Portree from Rowan 46. Knitted as in the pattern, using Felted Tweed DK in bilberry and camel.

FO parade, part 2.

2011-10-30T13:43:00.001+01:00

A simple cowl. Malabrigo Worsted in Pagoda, 2 skeins + leftover from a hat, needles 4.5mm. I love it!

FO parade, part 1.

2011-10-28T23:20:00.000+02:00

First up, Noro. Kureyon Sock.
I don't really like this yarn. The colours are great, that's true, and the rawness... but the thick-and-thin nature is too uneven for my taste. I made these gloves last spring as a photography accessory, really, but haven't used them yet. I used some generic mitt pattern, and knitted these on 2.25mm needles.

I had lots of leftover yarn, and as I was in need of an instant gratification (that must have been sometime last spring), I saw this pattern, and I must have had it. Celestine by berocco.

I made it smaller, using less stitches as a base of each "spike", but otherwise followed the pattern. It's a cool toy, by the way, and I am imagining it in a much larger scale already... Huge spikes, pillow-like...

long time, no see

2011-10-23T20:30:00.000+02:00

It's been a while... I almost can't believe that winter is around the corner, and the previous one was supposed to be my last one in Scandinavia. Oh well. (Yes, I have more products of my knitting exercises to share, for knitting has always been a relax activity keeping me sane when crazily working on... work stuff... science, that is.)

Quite spontaneously, after all the work and work and more work, I spoiled myself a bit. Cashlana in Midnight:

With winter in sight, and the dullness and darkness, not to mention the cold, COLD that will start too soon, I need a shawl, badly. A warm, soft one. The yarn lived up to my (high) expectations, it's as soft as a 90% cashmere yarn should be. Colours are pretty, as I anticipated, given my previous experience with Fleece Artist / Handmaiden yarns. Pure pleasure to knit :-)
...after a few hours (and three to four false starts):

...and one week later:

I chose a more rapid rate of increases (8 every 2 rows) than most of shawl patterns call for, to achieve the crescent shape for long and cosy shawl, perfect for wrapping. I plan to go on until I run out of Cashlana, and continue in some other cashmere-containing blend (from Rowan maybe). I'll just take the shawl with me for a visit to some yarn stores in Stockholm, to find a perfect match. Hopefully soon.

march update

2011-03-08T22:23:00.003+01:00

another sea silk crescent shawl. this time i tried a different construction method, inspired by Lune Shawl. i used half of the yarn for the stockinette stitch and i'd see some lace edging here. i've been trying out several stitch patterns, but so far none spoke to me.

meanwhile, portree is growing.

i think i got a serious sea silk addiction

2011-01-31T18:04:00.001+01:00

periwinkle, amethyst, smoke

elefantín

2011-01-30T15:57:00.001+01:00

i was happily knitting my fair isle project (Portree), and thought that i'd finish it this month (ha ha ha), when a distraction came, in a shape of a little cute elefant. and i simply must have knitted it. so i did. it turned out as cute as i wanted, but the funny thing is, most of people who have seen it, think it is... a piglet!

pattern: elefante
yarn: sock yarn leftovers (Trekking)
needles: 2mm
mods: rescaling to a different yarn weight;

woodpecker socks

2011-01-30T15:30:00.003+01:00

a simple sock recipe on 64 sts + Prinzessin Tausendschön by Opal from their Regenwald (rainforest) line = my boyfriend's new favourite socks

2010

2010-12-31T11:46:00.003+01:00

seems it wasn't such an unproductive year after all...

2 pullovers, 3 small shawls, 2 pairs of socks (and counting, hehe), 2 hats, 1 pair of gloves, 1 cowl... some unfinished stuff...

winter

2010-12-31T11:30:00.000+01:00

this is how my neighborhood looked on the winter solstice day:

beautiful, right? as of today, the day is 1 minute 22 seconds longer, what gives a whole 6 hours and 10 minutes (give or take) of sunlight. ouch.
to beat (?) the gloom AND to be able to use the camera in the cold, i am making these:

they are actually knitted now, need some extensive finishing, though.

now, some finished stuff! these socks were done sometime in the late summer, and have been used since. the owner really likes them (i know, 'cause he tells me often). basic sock with ribbing, yarn from the stash. actually, it's one of the first sock yarns i purchased, when i was still living in Freiburg.

and a hat. for me.

pattern: cabled hat by Woolly Wormhead
yarn: malabrigo worstead in pagoda
needles: 4.5mm (as recommended)
it's my second version of this pattern. this time i replaced purl panels with moss stitch panels in between cables. the hat definitely needs blocking.

my current in-progress knits:

...another one...

2010-11-10T18:14:00.002+01:00

sea silk in aurora, in the skein...

...and knitted into an abrazo-like scarf:

i finished it one month ago and it's used and loved it since then. the pattern is my own (a closeup below), 4.5mm needles, and 370+ stitches to start with.

it seems i cannot resist the urge to obtain yet another skein of the marvelous sea silk, even if i mostly shop online. i simply love this yarn, everything about it: the hand, the softness, the colours. this time in stardust, for yet another version of a crescent-shaped scarf.

first one up!

2010-09-20T18:54:00.004+02:00

abrazo = a hug, and what a pretty one!

pattern: abrazo from twist collective summer 2010
yarn: seasilk in forest; ca. 70g (approx. 280m) (why am i always obsessed by running out of yarn, and ending up having actually a lot of leftover?)
needles: 4.5 mm

i knitted it a bit smaller - casted on 339 sts to include 23 repeats of the leaf pattern (instead of 25); recalculated decreases and added an eyelet row at the top.

i think this pattern has a truly organic feel in this colourway!

my desperate attempts in photographing abrazo on myself, to demonstrate the size: well, you can see that the shawlette is not that large, actually. it's gonna make a nice scarf for my aunt, i hope.

i think this shot is the only one that actually shows the true colour (and no, i did not care to adjust the curves in the photoshop). you can also see my new woolen skirt.

that's what its label said:

ABOUT WOOL
wool is natural. you can make everything out of wool; from a light and cool summer dress to a thick warm sweater. wool contains air which helps you keep your natural body temperature. wool has high absorption capacity, so it will keep your body dry. wool will not absorb water from the outside and withstands dirt. wool is very elastic and does not shrink/wrinkle if treated correctly. wool makes colours deeper and more beautiful than most other materials. wool is comfortable and simply a wonderful material. wool fibers are covered by small flakes like cones. when washed or treated roughly, these flakes rub against each other. this causes the wool fibres to get tangled up. wool will therefore shrink when rubbed and washed at high temperatures.

:-)

grey, alpaca, seamless... will it make a wearable cardi?

2010-09-06T17:29:00.000+02:00

i don't know.

i like it, but... BUT:

1. alpaca is not a great idea for a seamless sweater - too drapey;
2. alpaca is not a great idea for a sweater for me - itchy, itchy...
3. alpaca is... stretchy? or my sleeves grew too much downwards in blocking. what might not be a bad thing in winter ;-).

pattern: based on a model in Drops (113-28).
yarn: Drops Alpaca, 2 strands held together;
needles: 4.5mm;

naturally, i modified the pattern to my needs. long sleeves and added body length made it suitable for autumn and winter, increasing the yarn usage. i did not keep all the bands, so i am not sure how much i actually used. about 550g, i think. it took me ages to knit it - 10 months - most of the time in the finish-when-you-have-less-exciting/urgent-knits bag.

now, off to my more recent knits!

thomasina

2010-09-05T17:31:00.002+02:00

thomasina from Rowan The Milk Cotton Collection;
yarn: rowan milk cotton, as recommended, 8 balls, in Licorice;
needles: 3.25mm and 3.75mm, as recommended;

i knitted it in a size between S and M - the fronts are M, the back is S. the fit is allright :-).

i love, love, LOVE the final result! of course I made modifications in the original pattern: knitted the cap sleeves from top down, and picked stitches for the collar instead of sewing it to the body. it just made more sense to me. apart form that, thomasina is knit as in the design. how very unusual of me.

procrastinating...

2010-08-28T13:14:00.004+02:00

summer is ripe, and beautiful (on sunny days). my last summer in Scandinavia.
it has been a busy time work-wise, hence so little time for vacation, sightseeing, photography, and, yes, knitting. i've done some, not nearly enough, though. it's actually never enough!
so i keep procrastinating, being overwhelmed by the things i did not have time to do enough. two weekends ago, i finished knitting of two cardigans, and last weekend, i did all the finishing/end weaving/buttons. i even managed to get a photoshoot (thanks, Sun, for showing up!). and today I am showing something else instead, new yarn acquisitions. one is actually halfway knitted already ;-).

why knitting a collar is not progressing as fast as it might

2010-07-31T16:57:00.003+02:00

ok, so i said before that knitting the collar and the sleeves of the little cardi thomasina was not going to be that difficult. difficult it is not, as Master Yoda would say. it is fiddly. in the pattern, both collar & sleeves are knitted separately and sewn to the body. i knew i did not want to sew them, i wanted a more seamless and not so bulky attachment method. i just picked stitches for the collar, and started knitting, shaping with short rows, to sort of reverse the instructions given in the pattern. looks fine, but... i started it with the wrong side facing the right side of the sweater. it's meant to be folded inside out - that was my idea, only that sometime halfway through, i realized i might not have enough yarn. so, putting the collar on hold, i picked up stitches for one sleeve. i use the directions for an afterthought sleeve from Custom Knits by Wendy Bernard (great description!) - and my mini sleeve is turning out well. however, a sleeve knited on the round with combination of dpns and a circular needle, and an unfinished collar on another ciruclar mean that... there is one too many yarn balls attached...

my Mr Bean Teddy is keeping me company while i reinvent (customize?) the pattern ;-).

noro sideways hat

2010-07-31T14:22:00.006+02:00

a new hat for the autumn (coming soon in Scandinavia):

it's a garter stitch hat, pretty much like this one from drops, in noro sock yarn.
any resemblance to nature's water-carved rock?
it was my portable project, knitted mostly on planes and during our trips to Budapest (New Year's Eve):

...and Abisko in Laponia (two weeks ago):

i actually finished knitting it there, just in time to wear it to our day-long hike to Lapporten (images of Lapporten, the Door to Laponia, above):

summer!

2010-07-11T21:30:00.003+02:00

quite unbelievably, finally, it has come in its warm non-scandinavian essence!
next week, we are going to experience the northern summer in its whole beauty, the midnight sun, nature, lakes, mosquitoes and all.

meanwhile, i've knitted most of my little summery cabled cardi (shown blocking; the sleeves and collar are a piece of straight - as in "non-cabled" cake):

... decided to resist the mood to cast on for something new and finish the grey aplaca sweater (no, i don't think i even blogged it before - and it took me looong to get to this point, when, as it turned out, it requires only a few rows of knitting)...

...and finish the crocheted shawl, that was started, more than two years ago... i'm almost there, and still, cannot get to my senses and crochet till it's ready.

new thing, again

2010-05-16T22:01:00.002+02:00

thomasina, from rowan: the milkcotton collection
when i had seen this little cardi, i knew i must knit it! apparently, i am not yet tired of complex cables in purplish colours. the yarn is as recommended, even the colour as in the patten, liquorice (which is more a purplish eggplant than black liquorice, actually). i am almost done with the back, so there is hope i will wear it this summer ;-).

spring, finally!

2010-04-20T21:03:00.002+02:00

i have some knitting going on, but no pics as for now... basically i've been finishing two projects, and i am quite close to being done.

fo and more

2010-03-29T21:53:00.006+02:00

this is the spring we're experiencing here:

still two months for the real one :-/

monkeys from knitty; just about the last person to knit them;
Lorna's Laces in Neon (401), 215yd/50g (196m)
the socks are for my aunt :-) i hope she likes them and finds them useful. they are already shipped to Poland, together with the shawl for my mum. what Easter gifts my family will have!

...i am still playing with colors:

(i consider it a long project, with the due date in the autumn - just to avoid disappointment ;-))

wow!

2010-02-25T00:22:00.002+01:00

THIS sock is absolutely fabulous! next in the queue!

swallowtail

2010-02-13T23:27:00.004+01:00

swallowtail knitted in my favourite silk yarn, as before. needles 3.5mm, likewise. seems to be the receipe for the silk shawl that JUST WORKS. :-) for me, anyway.

this one is for my mother. it's smaller than i expected, but cute nonetheless. i really hope she likes it... otherwise, i might take it back ;-)

--
THIS is what i'm working on now. as a part of the olympics project on our shared polish knitting olympics blog.

glove love

2010-02-10T23:21:00.002+01:00

pattern: rococo from the great Twist Collective;
yarn: merino 100% by katia, 102m/50g in colour no. 25; a little over 2 balls;
needles: 3mm dpn;

i really like how these have turned out! the cables show beautifully in the 12-ply yarn, the colour is great, and the warmth factor is just appropriate for the recent cold weather! not to mention that i damaged my only pair of winter gloves and had to wear the skiing gloves... not very comfortable around the city ;-)

there is a mistake in the pattern, which i have overlooked, and when i noticed that "something is not just right with the cables", i did not care all that much to correct it. you can see it on the pinky of the left glove. i think the erratum was recently emailed, actually.

a cowl

2010-02-09T23:22:00.003+01:00

Jewel Hand Dyed (Cascade Yarns) 100% wool 142 yd/100gr in colour 9947, 2 hanks
6mm needles
100 stitches

very simple!

the last FO of 2009, in fact, knitted mostly during traveling.

i still knit...

2010-02-02T12:50:00.003+01:00

all of these were finished before end of January. they need blocking/photoshot, but two of the items (three, really...) are perfectly usable without that. in fact, i was already wearing the cowl during our Christmas trip to Poland, but i changed its border to garter stitch recently. what prevents me from using them now, is the sinusitis that makes going out rather unreasonable. so i can call three FOs! separate posts to follow.

real winter arrived

2010-01-08T23:49:00.003+01:00

unedited, fresh shot from Friday morning:

to prove that i really really need warm gloves (as if any proof is needed), a view from the balcony:

mini vest for winter

2009-12-29T20:15:00.003+01:00

this one deserves a separate post, and a special comment.

(again, my sister in law did not model it for a lack of time)

this was meant to be this vest (117-17). i bought the recommended yarn and happily started to knit the super-fast chunky piece. after completing the "collar" and making decreases for the sides, i realized that the collar is too high. ripping #1. another attempt to make the decreases earlier and divide the stitches into three decreases instead of one. on almost completing the sides, i realized that they were too narrow. ripping #2. deciding not to take any more chances (the time was short), i knitted on and decided the shaping based on my gut feeling. i never knitted anything for my sister in law, so i wasn't completely sure about the size, yet i turned out very well! drops polaris (5 balls 100g each) on 12mm needles.

hats

2009-12-28T20:03:00.002+01:00

1.

cousteau hat knitted with Malabrigo worsted (olive) on 4.5mm needles;

2.

subtle twist hat knitted with Colourscape Chunky by Rowan (Candy Pink) on 6.5mm needles (i think?); i used only 60% of the skein.

in both cases, i tweaked the number of stitches to match hats with heads of the recipients. sadly, there was not enough time and light to convince them to model the hats for me, hence my head is used as a hat model.

presents given

2009-12-28T19:46:00.003+01:00

i did not manage to finish only one in time (not shown here, but i *test wear it as i type it). honestly, sometime in mid-december, i thought the whole idea of gift knitting is a naive self-deception. despite all modifications, lousily written patterns and distractions, i manage to gift these little things.

slow knitting

2009-11-28T13:20:00.001+01:00

i purchased some yarn, recently. yeah. i should have written: i started few projects and i'm close to finishing some of them, but i cannot show them here, because they're christmas presents. but the truth is: i started way too many projects, some of them christmas presents indeed. but i haven't finished any of them. so i bought more yarn, as a motivation to finish the started ones. because i really REALLY want to dig my fingers into these yummy Felted Tweed... there's also a bilberry colourway in my stash. a beautiful match. the dark raspberry merino Katia, which doesn't look raspberry at all on this photo, is for a pair of gloves for me. rowan colourscape chunky for a christmas-present-hat for somebody who doesn't wear hats. i believe she needs one ;-).

in the meantine, i'm slowly knitting a sideways-knit hat. it's a slow knit, because i use noro sock yarn, knitted on 2mm needles (!!!!). takes ages, but it seems it's worth the effort.

...all this photographs were taken during what seems to have been the only 5 hours of sunshine we had in November. when i moved in here, i thought Stockholm is in Sweden, not in Mordor. what a dark autumn...

finally!!

2009-11-27T01:05:00.002+01:00

pattern: Hero Pullover from IK Fall 2007
yarn: 12 (?) balls of Alaska (Garnstudio); 50g/75m of 100% wool
needles: 4.5mm

finished in September, photographed sometime in October (towards the end of it there were few sunny days!), blogged...now...

Jaeniño likes it and wears it to work, what makes me feel soooo proud!

i like the sweater, what does not mean it's flawless. unfortunately. i trusted in the f***ing swatch too much, instead of trusting my gut feeling. so, the sweater it's few cm too short. damn. i'm going to lengthen it somehow (picking ut the stitches and knitting a few rows? cutting the cast-on edge, picking up the live stitches and proceeding from there?). but for now, it's used as it is.

i've knitted ripples...

2009-09-07T18:52:00.003+02:00

i've knitted more than that, in fact. it's much less visually interesting, though. sort of straight. straight ribbing.
:-)

inventory, part 2

2009-08-02T16:20:00.003+02:00

getting rid of things can be refreshing. especially if the replacement is around the corner. here they are, my acquisitions this summer:
...the viscose lacewight yarn and the buttons for my cable hooded pullover (Spain, end of May)

...and the yarns for winter knits (local online stores, one week ago)

the dark olive wool is for the pullover for Jaeniño, the grey alpaca for a cardigan for me, and both noro yarns for hats. the (knitting) plans for the autumn are made! ¡Olé!

Baltic Sea

2009-08-02T13:02:00.000+02:00

All pics taken during summer 2008 and 2009.

vacation 2009, part 3: Gotland and Fårö

2009-07-21T20:57:00.001+02:00

vacation 2009, part 2: southern Poland

2009-07-20T18:23:00.000+02:00

Kraków.

Opole:

Wrocław:

simple stockinette top

2009-07-19T13:17:00.004+02:00

yarn: zeta 100% silk 95m / 50g, BC garn
needles: 4.5 mm

this is my first garment knitted from top down. no pattern, i just tried it on as i went and adjusted the number of stitches accordingly. i added slight shaping for the bust and the waist.
the colour does not show right on this photo. the grey summer this year, yeah... it's a dark red, burgundy even.
it was an easy knit, of the kind bordering on boring - so much stockinette can feel tedious. i think the simplicity of the stitch and the pattern shows the yarn nicely, and it's not too overhelming. i know i'm going to wear it a lot!

vacation 2009, part 1: Andalucía

2009-07-19T12:12:00.005+02:00

Córdoba.

Alhambra, Granada.

summer in the city

2009-07-19T00:57:00.000+02:00

the city and the sea, what a great match!

inventory, part 1

2009-07-18T16:19:00.005+02:00

i'm going to cut the loose ends off, instead trying to fix them. getting rid of things can be refreshing. especially if the "things" are the unfinished garments, in a stalled progress for about 1 year. they. must. go. away. honestly, i haven't touched them for 1 year! i never even blogged about them. the blue is the boteh scarf, the pattern itself being ok, but somehow this yarn was made with something else than crocheted scarf in mind.

the lilac/purple pullover was meant to be finished for the summer last year. i stopped working on it last year in may, and it hasn't changed a bit since. in the meantime i realized that if the linen was knitted on larger needles, it'd have much nicer drape. that's it for the raglan pullover, most probably it would't wear it anyway.

--
it's not that i'm only ripping things lately. i'm knitting them, too. wanna see?

the stockinette top, (almost) knitted up during last two weeks. i hope to complete it this weekend. it might not be easy, 'cause i need to go to the lab tomorrow. AND since we have a relatively good weather, my feet are itchy to go biking or inline skating.

and this one, another lace. same yarn as before. i just went along with the lace knitting ;-). this one is gonna be for my mother, most probably the xmas gift.

another lace shawl

2009-06-01T21:40:00.002+02:00

pattern: Aeolian shawl, shouldrette
lace: 100% silk 600m/100g, BC Garn
needles: 3.25mm
modifications: i knitted the agavae section once, which was not included in the shouldrette version; no beads; less nupps

love it! i knitted it as a present, and it was difficult to part with it! maybe, just maybe, i'll knit it again for myself. the yarn is heaven to knit )it's the same one as here. i have one more skein of it, bought with the shawl for my mother in mind.

spring & things

2009-05-31T19:43:00.008+02:00

spring came...

...and (almost) went. actually, it's good, bacause it means the summer is around the corner. i'd like to believe in that... the weather here in Sweden can be capricious, and even cold also during summer.
in the meantime, i knitted this shawl:

pattern: Shetland Triangle (Wrap Style, IK press)
yarn: Kauni lace 90% wool 10% acrylic; 300m/50g
needles: 3.25mm

i knitted it sometime in late April, and have worn it already several times - who would tell, the swedish weather so cold to wear wool in May.

i like the pattern, it was fun and quick to knit (2 weeks). on the other hand, i think the yarn was not a good choice. it's a very uneven single ply. it means that the thread becomes very very thin at places. dangerously thin. couple of times i had to pick up the stitch below the one i was knitting to strengthen the thread. i was concerned that the yarn will break... and it did...

i fixed it with the crochet, but... Kauni lace, never again. despite their tempting "effects" line of yarns with beautiful color changes. no, no, no.

the small guy once again

2009-04-18T12:50:00.000+02:00

...this time in the summer settings...

at last! the cabled hoodie

2009-03-27T23:15:00.002+01:00

Done at last!

pattern: Cabled hooded pullover from VK Fall 2008
yarn: Eskimo 50g/50m 100% wool (Garnstudio/DROPS) in 34m - rust/blue mix (20 balls!!!)
needles: 6mm
mods: had to tweak the numbers a little, because the gauge was slightly off; otherwise i just followed the pattern (wow, THIS does not happen often)

i like the sweater very much! it was intended for winter (it can get rather cold here in Stockholm), it's ready for spring... it'll get some wear, i'm sure of that - spring can be capricious, too. it's a rather heavy sweater, 1 kg! i don't think i'll be knitting anything this bulky and heavy anytime soon... the winter is over ;-).

simple socks, beautiful colours

2009-03-26T22:14:00.000+01:00

socks as basic as they can be: 64 sts of stockinette stitch on 2.5mm needles; flap heel; Regia Kaffe Fassett Landscape Fog (#4253)

an award, a milk box, and a new hat, so a total mix

2009-03-25T22:52:00.018+01:00

I got awarded the Kreativ Blogger by Gosia from the Organic knitter! This came as a really nice surprise, thank you! it's very motivating to know that somebody is reading (ok, mostly watching i think, because there is not so much to read here) this little blog of mine and even likes it :-). Dziękuję!

As a part of a game, I'm suppsed to nominate other blogs. And it ain't easy, man... So, here they go: kuchnia nad atlantykiem , kropki nad i, kgirlknits , ztworzonka. All of them certainly very creative, and inspiring!

--
Environment... Don't ask what it can do to you, ask what you can do to help to maintain it in the proper state! And perhaps even improve it. That's actually a story of a milk box, the usual thing. Not so ordinary this time, because... it came in a totally different and unexpected colour:

All for a reason. (Truly, I couldn't find the milk in the grocery store that day... mind you, I was looking for a box in the usual white-and-green stripes, similar to these two in the picture). That white square close to the bottom... This is the light switch, actually.

But WHY? We all should switch off the light bulbs for 1 hour (not all electricity, oh no, nobody wants to deal with the thawed freezers' contents). Saturday, 28th of March, 8.30-9.30 local time. Do you think you can do that? At least try to reduce the amount of artificial light in your surroundings. We all can do that! And we should give that hour to the Earth!!!

--
on top af all the news, i have one more. i have a finished knit! in the meantime, between the morning coffee and the breakfast (during about two weeks... not just one coffee and breakfast), i managed to knit this:

and it's been used already, since we have a (hopefully) last attack of winter this spring ;-)

Rollin' Beret by the one and only Woolly Wormhead

it's more a beanie-hat than a beret, and i did not block it, ´cause i like it that way.

yarn: hummingbird (artesano) 100% alpaca in the peregrino colourway
needles: 3.5mm
mods: i cast on more stitches (88) to compensate for the differences in gauge; i guess for a real slouchy beret feel, i should have started with more stitches. anyway, i like it as it is.

almost there...

2009-03-19T19:28:00.002+01:00

yup, the pullover for winter ready just for spring! i ran out of yarn, mostly because of the substitution issue - i just used what was available in the given weight/length... so, it was not enough for the hood.
the two missing skeins of Eskimo by DROPS just came here, along with a crochet hook of the appropriate size to finish off the hood/fronts edging.

of what is not meant to be (knitted)

2009-03-17T19:17:00.004+01:00

last autumn i felt i needed more vests. they're versatile pieces of clothing which add warmth yet don't feel too bulky, perfect for indoors. in particular, i wanted to have one that is a simple ribbed garment with the front pieces kept together only by two buttons at the collar. i bought yarn, i bought buttons, and started to knit. then i stopped. and the more i looked at this unfinished thing, the more i was sure, it just wasn't meant to be finished. somehow the brioche stitch doesn't look as i imagined. and the vest is just sitting there in the basket, not even one knitted row since last november... and on top of that, i REALLY need these 3.5mm needles...

i still think i need more vests (for the next autumn), and i do not dismiss the idea drawn quickly on that piece of paper. just not this yarn. so, it's gonna be ripped, to celebrate the first day one can feel upcoming spring ;-).

the smallest sculpture in Stockholm

2009-02-22T12:06:00.002+01:00

this little guy, so well equipped for winter, is considered the tiniest sculpture/monument in Stockholm.

i realized i have many pictures of Stockholm, some of them good or interesting. i genuinely like this city, it's very picturesque and photogenic (if light allows...). i think there are many ways one can see Stockholm, depending on what you're looking for: architecture, water, nightlife, people. i'll be irregularily sharing some glimpses of how i see it in the next couple of months.

knitting in the winter

2009-02-17T21:20:00.002+01:00

the motivational purchase of recent weeks:

yummy alpaca, destined for a beret of yet-undecided pattern, in colours mimicking dark swedish sky that we see so often at this time of year;

the laceweight wool in poppy red to spicy up the greyness a bit - for a Shetland Triangle shawl (no, i do not think i'll wear that shawl togehter with the hummingbird beret).

i need the motivation, that's for sure. 2009 is not the most productive knitwise (so far), yet there are some stitches knitted here and there:

a sock in Fog colorway of Kaffe Fassett line of Regia sockyarn.

a sleeve of Green Cable hoodie aka Cable Hoodie from VK autumn 2008, just it's not green, it's rusty.

Just a scarf...

2009-02-15T14:19:00.005+01:00

it'a a simple k1p1 rib, and it's the yarn that makes it so beautiful. All credits go to:
Visjö Karamell from Östergötlands Ullspineri 100% wool 300m/100g
(needles were 3.5mm, for the record)

Morocco

2009-01-27T22:20:00.005+01:00

my first trip to Africa. and not the last.

Polish Secret Pal :-)

2009-01-27T21:42:00.003+01:00

So, finally i decided to take part in the yarn exchange! And the package I got is huuuge! Two kinds of yarn, 2 skeins each, two kinds of tea, chocolate, three knitting magazines...

...and these beauties:

An Angel and a Star!
Thank you, Secret Pal!

The only thing that is spoiling my joy is the fact that...my package hasn't reached its destination! It's very sad and frustrating and... heck, unfair.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-26T12:47:00.000+01:00

Playing For Change: Song Around the World | Stand By Me from Concord Music Group on Vimeo.

one more scarf, not yet ready

2008-12-21T15:03:00.000+01:00

simple scarf, knitted 1k, 1p, and so much fun with the colour! same yarn as for this hat. i hoped to finish it before Christmas, but it seems it'll be my first 2009 finished object.

laminaria

2008-12-20T11:26:00.002+01:00

i knitted my first lace, people!

pattern: laminaria from knitty
yarn: Mulibärs Silk 100% silk 600m/100g; Marias Garn
needles: 3.5mm

pretty, pretty! it already found its way to a friend it was destined for from the starters.

i got some 28g of leftover yarn, so i could have knitted one more repetition of the blossom pattern, for a larger shawl. if i knew... anyway, i discovered one thing while knitting laminaria: i like lace! ok, it requires a lot of attention, but in the end it's soooo rewarding to see the pattern uncovered while the shawl is blocked.

lace story in pictures

2008-12-19T18:48:00.000+01:00

It started as a hank of a really beautiful shiny luscious silk yarn.600m of it, wow, all packed into 100g. Not my usual piece of cake. Sometime in September I decided it's finally time to pick a pattern for this yarn.Otherwise I might not be done with knitting LACE (something I've never done before) by Christmas.

I meant to take a picture after every step of the lace pattern is completed, to document my progress, as I believed this is the first and the last adventure with lace knitting. Just a diversion from my usual scarves and socks.

As time passed, days got shorter and I was not able to take pictures after work anymore. Then, I knitted other stuff, more wooly, more of an immediate use. The sudden burst of productivity is mainly due to me staying at home with flu. So, there it is, in all its beauty:

Laminaria. Details will follow.

wintery glimpse

2008-12-15T14:37:00.005+01:00

opportunities for pictures such as this one do not happen everyday. a view from the window of the living room. and a huge zoom of my camera.

today was one of the very rare days with sunshine. so, we had some dayLIGHT in Sweden, finally. the last of such days was the day when i shot this photo. 22 of November. the fact that the daylight is so scarce here these last weeks of year kind of justifies lack of blogging. no photos = no blog posts. this, and the fact that i'm sick, and thus home during daylight time, allowed me to take some pictures! :-) so, stay tuned for the side product of the flu and a nasty throat infection with severe cough. here a little preview:

square is the new round

2008-12-15T14:09:00.006+01:00

pattern: turn a square hat by brooklyntweed
yarn: Visjö and Visjö Karamell from Östergötlands Ullspineri 100% wool 300m/100g
needles 3.5mm
modifications: i casted on different number of stitches (128) to compensate for the different yarn weight; decreases as in the pattern

i like how the hat turned out! the gradient color changes from the orangish to pinkish look cute as these strips.

Jaéniño is the most lovely and grateful receipient of my knitted thingies! :-)) every time i see him wearing this one, i cannot help boasting a little. it's a really nice hat. and a VERY nice yarn in cute colors. i might knit one such as this one for myself ;-).

Madrid

2008-12-06T00:18:00.002+01:00

...by night

...and yours truly in front of the Fallen Angel

tricorn and friends

2008-11-22T09:58:00.006+01:00

pattern: ~~Tricorn~~ by Woolly Wormhead - Tri-peak, of course! sorry for that...
yarn: Malabrigo worsted in Jaén
needles: 4.5mm

that's a hat in the Jaén colorway for my Jaéniño! :-) the beautiful colours of olive trees just in time for grey winter.

...and friends, actually knitted before the hat:

pattern: dashing (from knitty)
yarn: Silke-Tweed 52%silk 48%lambswool 50g/200m in camelia/safran(Garnstudio)
needles: 3.5mm
modifications: i knitted 5 fingers (well, sort of) gloves instead of open mitt as in the pattern. it was easy and the gloves are much warmer this way.

the mitts have their own unique name, Nikifors, as inspired by... Nikifor, who was a Polish naïve art painter. check out the movie about him here.

autumn

2008-11-22T09:41:00.004+01:00

autumn like this is gone and not to be seen until next September. days are short (sunset at 3 pm), air is (very) crisp and it's been snowing twice. despite having not so much time for blogging i do knit sometimes.

a vest for my friend's daughter:

pattern: my own creation; i imagined the baby garment should be seamless for comfort in wearing and minimizing bulkiness - the only "seams" are the three-needle bind offs that join fronts to back at the arms
yarn: Paris (100% cotton) 75m/50g in raspberry (Drops)
needles: 4.5mm

i was told the baby Ania wears her vest without any complaints and even likes the buttons :-)

one more good-bye-autumn pic, and also a living proof that i actually wear my knits! (one at a time)

october knits

2008-10-26T19:10:00.001+01:00

Sneak peek only:

When tired of lace, as beaufitul as it is but requiring a lot of attention, I'm also knitting with these nice colors:

They are Visjö and Visjö Karamell from Östergötlands Ullspineri. Very nice stuff, soon to be transformed into toasty winter garments (oh, yeah!).

ART

2008-10-02T21:01:00.000+02:00

Generally, I do not take pictures in museums. Usually the quality is far from good, and if I wanna have the photo, I buy an album. But this place, was not usual at all! The Centre Pompidou. A mecca for the modern art lovers, such as yours truly.

First, woolly stuff: (click on the link to see abject description)

Kounellis

Kusama

This might not be wool, but it's amazing anyway. Klimt lovers, see the post-modernist interpretation:

Annatsui

glimpses, Paris ed.

2008-09-29T19:07:00.010+02:00

(More than) a month ago:

I was on a trip to the city of light, art, love and fashion. The art and architecture there is simply amazing! Everyone should go and see themselves. Light may be a little treacherous, promising too much, disappointing later (yes, most of my pictures of THE typical Parisian sights are not good... bad light, I blame you). As for love and fashion, I am not sure, did not look for neither.

...and at night:

Chaos can be very inspiring. Always had a weak spot for such compositions. Jardin des Tuileries and Jardin du Luxembourg.

I discovered that even using my simple point-and-shoot camera, photographing light is possible! Pics taken in the awesome Saint Germain, except the first one, a window in Notre Dame.

simply socks

2008-09-03T21:58:00.002+02:00

another pair of ~boring socks. finished loooong time ago.

Yarn: Regia Northern Color
Needles: 2mm dpns
Pattern: -

100!

2008-07-31T21:47:00.006+02:00

I just hit 100th post! Can't believe it, but it's happening! (let's drink to that) There was a little motivational crisis around post 96, but maybe i just needed a break. I never thought I'd keep up blogging in the first place. I started this little adventure 1.5 years ago when I was studying for my PhD exam as a sort of distraction. I also learned how to knit socks at that time and wanted to share it, for the lack of sharing anything else I guess. Knitting and crocheting have been my hobby since I was a kid, and I never really gave it up despite long periods of hiatus. (These little balls of yarn are the leftovers of ongoing and just completed projects, if you're asking)

Onto the ~real contents! What's a better way to celebrate a 100th post than a new, fresh, juicy, unblogged project? (the answer is: a beer, or maybe two)

pattern: that's a freestyle-knitted neckwarmer, so no pattern
yarn: SheepTwo, Sheep Shop Company (1 skein, 100g)
needles: 8mm

sorry for the obvious clash of the knitted piece and my top. i took these pics this morning before work, and had no time to change... but i'm gonna wear it in couple of months, when i'll need to keep my neck toasty, and i have plenty of black pullovers, trust me. i'm sure it'll do the job! :-)

from the depth of a closet

2008-07-28T20:02:00.004+02:00

Pattern: Ribbed Lace Bolero by 10 Feet High
Yarn: Muscat (100% Cotton 50g/100m) by Drops, color 41 4 balls? not sure...
Needles: hard to tell, it was too long time ago

It was knitted in April, just neither not yet blogged nor worn. I guess it'll be just one of these knits for the sake of knitting. Whatever. It's a very nice stitch pattern, though, and I will use it in the future.

where has all the mojo gone?...

2008-07-26T15:58:00.008+02:00

I have taken this picture couple of weeks ago, 4 a.m. (yup, A.M.!!!). Woken up by rain, that was the first thing I saw. It made my day :-)

Mojo is coming back, slowly. So many issues these days, so hard to keep focus. To prove that I did not totally give up knitting, let me introduce my recent yarn acqusitions.

Blue laceweight linen-cotton mix, unknown specs, from Portugal, 2 hanks

it took ages to wind it to balls (ages mostly spent on procrastination and emotional preparation for the task ahead), just because i did it "the old way" (do not have one of these fancy ball winders or whatever the name)

Zeta 100% silk by LOVE GARN, 50g/95m, 6 balls

...knits into a yummy swatch on 4.5mm-ers, but... i lack inspiration what to do with it. not enough for a garment, not sure what kind of scarf would do it justice...

no title

2008-06-09T23:26:00.003+02:00

No, I did not die. Nor did I fell off the face of earth. I just... went for holiday ;-).

(Portugal, May 2008)

Before two relaxing weeks in Portugal I was working my ass off. Exactly as after the two aforementioned weeks... Too much work, some fun too, but mostly LACK OF ENOUGH SLEEP have caused delays on the knitting front. There will be some, promise. As if anybody was actually reading this.

unpaired

2008-04-13T16:11:00.010+02:00

it all started pretty innocent... this year's Easter felt more like Christmas, with the sudden strike of winter and all...

(aren't these colours typically Christmasy?)
So, i kept knitting, until... i realized it just ain't gonna happen. no, these mitts won't ever get finished. in fact, the only knitted one will remain unpaired untill i frog it. or discard it. or both. wrong color, wrong yarn, wrong pattern (or lack thereof). The Sock, on the other hand, is getting a partner as we speak.

oh, and there has been another yarn-leftover-stash-buster-wee thing:

all tubey leftovers... i still have some yarn rests left... can make many potholders (and give them away to my family i guess...)

on the other hand, as a born experimenter, i am always up to new things. i've wanted to try out some new fiber for some time now. i thought that'd be hemp, but i couldn't get it (easily) in here. linen, on the other hand, was just introduced in Garnstudio's line of yarns and was even available from the online store i shop in. without much pondering, i just orderd the stuff in lilac. that's how it presents itself after washing and gentle blocking:

stay tuned.

quote of the day

2008-03-25T18:44:00.003+01:00

The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing. /Walt Disney

oh yes... how very true...

(a sock that will go very well with the Project Spectrum colors. doesn't it?)

second hat, starburst

2008-03-21T21:35:00.009+01:00

pattern: starburst by Woolly Wormhead
yarn: malabrigo worsted (which becomes my default hat yarn, it seems) in lime blue
needles: 4.5 mm addi lace circs (hopefully on their way to become default ones)
modifications: none at all

Can you tell that I r e a l l y like this hat? I've taken the pics myself this morning (one can tell, none of them is really well composed, hehe), and it only is 52 of them. When I tried to choose the ones that actually show the hat, not my hands or the kitchen table, I still could not decide which would go to the blog, and which to the garbage (Recycle Bin, pardon). But then, there are pics like this one, sort of cute, but somewhat not exactly what I intended. Hiccups of photographing oneself ;-). You can see the pattern well on this one ;-).

Starburst has been in use today. The weather of the first day of spring was rather wintry:

I know, you can't see much. This is because it's been snowing so hard. Should have been like that in January. Spring, where are you?

blithe-ly jeansy top

2008-03-19T20:28:00.006+01:00

pattern: - (inspired by Kim Hargreaves' Blithe
yarn: Jeans by Love Garn HP, 100% cotton, 50g/95m (www.hpgruppen.dk)
needles: 3.5mm
buttons: still missing ;-)

this is the first time i've used the jeans yarn, and i must say, i didn't quite expect such staining of my fingers during knitting. i can only hope it will not stain the clothes worn underneath. that would be unfortunate, for marine style makes a comeback, so i intend to wear this piece with white T-shirts. we'll see.

can you tell that it starts to fade already, especially in the moss stitch sections? me likes it...

first hat this month

2008-03-18T21:04:00.006+01:00

a first (out of two) finished hats i have up my sleeve this March. (the other one is just not yet photographed)

pattern: cabled hat by Woolly Wormhead
yarn: malabrigo worstead in water green
needles: 4.5mm (as recommended)

i've knitted this hat as a late birthday gift for my mother. (it's on its way to her) and you know? i'm gonna knit one for myself, too!

i don't know what else to add. i like the pattern, i like the yarn, i liked the knitting. what else is there to want?

tagged

2008-03-09T20:04:00.008+01:00

i've been tagged!

no i zostalam ustrzelona przez Sylwie!

zasady zabawy:
*PODAĆ LINKA DO BLOGA OSOBY, KTÓRA NAS TRAFIŁA.
*NAPISAĆ NA SWOIM BLOGU ZASADY STRZELANKI.
*WPISAĆ 6 NIEWAŻNYCH ŚMIESZNYCH RZECZY NA SWÓJ TEMAT.
*USTRZELIĆ KOLEJNE SZEŚĆ OSÓB. (ja ustrzele jedna, bo po prostu nie moge przestrzegac wszystkich zasad!)
*UPRZEDZIĆ WYBRANE OSOBY ZAMIESZCZAJAC KOMENTARZ NA ICH BLOGACH

6 smiesznych faktow o mnie... no dobra, jedziemy:

1. dwa razy zmienilam kraj zamieszkania, i wciaz mnie to bawi, wiec pewnie znowu zmienie za kilka lat
2. kiedy wracam z podrozy, nigdy nie rozpakowuje sie od razu, otwarta walizka musi swoje odczekac
3. lubie slonce, ciepelko, jazde na rowerze, plywanie, sandaly... a mieszkam w Skandynawii! (to smieszne i straszne)
4. nie bardzo wiem, jaki mam naturalny kolor wlosow, i nie pamietam, kiedy ostatnio mialam go na glowie
5. czasem musze sie zastanawiac, ktora strona to prawa
6. uwielbiam czekolade. inne slodycze moglyby nie istniec, ale bez czekolady moje zycie nie byloby takie samo

(poniewaz posty bez zdjec sa passe, wrzucam fotke rajskiej jablonki, ktora zapomniala zrzucic jablka na zime)

Ja strzelam do Polish Girl in the USA czyli Malgosi aka Mjermak! (zapewne nie jestem pierwsza, ale coz, takie zycie)

update - march

2008-03-09T19:29:00.014+01:00

life has been busy busy busy lately. specifically, work has been kicking my ass. not much more has been going on, and i am not sure how the next few weeks are going to be. i need spring, and i need it now!
some knitting-to-stay-sane has been going on, though. multi-project mode, hehe. of my projects,
-some are finished

(blithe-ly top)

(cabled hat)

-some are almost there

(starburst hat by WW)

-some fell into the sad never-gonna-happen category (i did not give up the idea of knee-high socks; not this yarn, not this pattern, though)

-and some had been entirely changed. like from being a scarf to being a headband! a malabrigo scarf was not the scarf i needed, wanted and was going to knit. the headband, though, seemed a very good idea to use the half-skein of malabrigo in delicious red. so, a FO!

yarn: malabrigo worsted in Amoroso
needles: 4.5mm dpns, ADDI lace
pattern: -
model: The Original Mr Bean Teddy

technical

2008-03-01T19:21:00.005+01:00

this...

is insides of an electrical engine, mid 1930s (who would tell).

(a trip to Tekniska Museet / The Museum of Technology)

...and my favourite piece of tech equipment, in an somewhat outdated version:

nothing, really

2008-02-19T22:22:00.006+01:00

that friday (how many fridays ago was it? two?) was a day after an especially wrecking week*. the day when you have a falling-out with the network admin at work and the ticket controller argues that your ticket is wrongly stamped (when it's all right). that kind of friday, when you count hours to 5 pm, so the weekend can start. the weekend was not supposed to be all about relaxation, for i had a talk to prepare for monday. on THAT friday, i got a parcel with yummy contents! (well, i ordered it and so on, and sort of anticipated it'd arrive any day, but it came JUST in time)

sheep shop yarn company, sheep two in colorway G017:

malabrigo worsted in lime blue and water green:

i started to play with malabrigo (Woolly Wormhead's cabled hat for my mother), but the needles i have are not at all suitable for this yarn, so i ordered two sets of addi lace circs instead (not arrived yet).

*- most weeks are like that now. blame the weather and the long period of short darkish days i am not quite used to...

mixed knitting and more

2008-02-06T22:40:00.000+01:00

my UFOs at the moment:

the large marine-blue is a blithe-inspired top, the grey is the beginning of the first winding cable sock, the reddish-purplish is the scarf in malabrigo lucy-leftovers (just brioche stitch). and the deep purple, eggplant even. that dark purple is a crocheted stole. unfinished, of course.
do you like this:

i love it. it's a crocheted stole, made by my father for my mother, some 30+ years ago, back in some good old times when they were both students :-)! this piece has a tremendous emotional value for me (Mom used to wear it often when i was a child, now not so often anymore...) it's made of acrylic (i suppose), it's torn at one edge, but still, i just love it. and decided to crochet a replica for myself ;-) in Drops Alpaca, if you're asking (yes, the same one as i used for Ester).

i'm in a multi-project mode again.

lucy in amoroso

2008-02-03T17:47:00.001+01:00

This was the first malabrigo i touched:

very quickly, it became this:

pattern: lucy by Woolly Wormhead
yarn: malabrigo, in Amoroso #157 (lovely!)
needles: 5mm circs
comments: the idea of knitting a hat in "another direction" seemed strange and appealing to me, so i ordered this lovely malabrigo yarn and went on. it was a successful experiment. just the edge... it curls a bit (no wonder) and i'll have to find a way to prevent this - the crocheted edge did not help very much
side effects: appetite for the book and ...yeah, shopping for malabrigo! (hopefully, on its way to me!)

i knitted only a residual ear flap:

and crocheted the edge:

the hat is shaped by short rows:

ah, i'm loving it! in fact, the hat was worn the next day after it was finished, no blocking (couldn't wait).

waiting for ... sunshine

2008-01-30T20:15:00.000+01:00

short grey days, 4 degrees Celsius, windy - this was the weather in Sweden in January. disappointing.

there is some knitting going on, but i fail to photogrph anything. waiting for (enough) sunshine, I picked some designs for spring, by DROPS. looking at these makes me think i should have booked a trip to Spain or wherever is sunny now.

glimpses

2008-01-20T20:09:00.000+01:00

of Gamla Stan in Stockholm.

luckily, both sunny weather and weekend have been combined today. what a change after weeks of greyness and darkness. added bonus was the camera i had in my bag :-). others were also enjoying the sunny sunday.

blithe and jeans

2008-01-13T20:51:00.000+01:00

ever since i saw this

on Kim Hargreaves webpage, i wanted to knit this little something! it's truly my style. speaks to me in this hard to resist manner. stays at the back of my mind when i buy yarn or choose projects. (no, i could not and did not want to buy the kit from HK website; oh no, not for something this simple)

the yarn is a jeans-style cotton. i'm knitting with a jeans-y yarn for the first time, and must say, the hands are dirty but the effect will (hopefully) be rewarding. i am seeing something casual and practical and easily matching with anythig - a little top equivalent of dark blue jeans... (it wouldn't be bad to knit something practical once in a while.)

BFF socks, 2nd ed.

2008-01-06T11:12:00.000+01:00

whoa, new year and new finished object! who could tell, that i can knit so fast (and not get distracted every half an hour or so). started: December the 28th, finished January the 1st. in the meantime, a lot of family duties (not at all unpleasant but time consuming all the same) were fulfilled ;-).

BFF socks
the yarn was Regia Nordic Color in color#5512, the needles 2.5mm dpns
what else to say? i liked the pattern enough to knit it again
the yarn was somewhat difficult to photograph, with the blues and reds on top of the brown, especially in the dull winter greyness.

i am back in Sweden, and trying to get back to reality. it's gonna take a few days after all that laziness of my Christmas holidays in Poland.

2007

2007-12-31T09:34:00.000+01:00

today is the last day of 2007. i could write up a list of (new year's) resolutions, from loosing weight to healthy lifestyle to going for real holidays at last and having life that is not mostly-work. i could, but i will not. it would certainly sound like Bridget Jones Diary 3rd volume, or worse even, Ally McBeal. instead, i'm gonna make a list of things i want to learn in 2008.
- knit a top-down raglan pullover (or top, whatever is top-down)
- knit a yoke pullover
- learn this great, renowned, fantastic tubular cast on
- and bind off
- knit lace, anything (small)
that would do. i mean, two pullovers, THIS itself will take half a year, seriously. i did not promise to work less ;-) plus, i do have some projects planned long time ago and want to knit them at last.
Happy New Year!

socks, socks!

2007-12-28T11:48:00.001+01:00

Christmas present #2. socks for my cousin. in trekking, my idea (or design, whatever). simple toe-up socks, with purled spirals, just not to get bored while knitting them.

i wanted to knit another pair of socks with spiral patterning. i came up with the elongated (dropped) stitches running diagonally in the background of the purled stitches. quite pretty (imo) but somehow does not speak to me in this yarn. too dark, perhaps.

in the end, i am knitting another pair of bff socks. for myself.

...and one more sock, the winding cable knee sock-to be. somehow it seems too dark to knit this sock full of cables in such a dark grey yarn... so, started and temporarily put off (not for long).

the post-Christmas post

2007-12-28T11:25:00.000+01:00

Enormous amounts of food eaten (what, Xmas Polish way ;-P), presents given and received, in other words, Christmas is over.

Christmas present #1, a neck warmer for my mother:

pattern: just knitted top-down in the round with increases (too many) every other round
yarn: Silke-Alpaca by Garnstudio
needles: 5mm circs

Mum says she likes it! :-))))

seriously pissed off - update

2007-12-21T22:06:00.000+01:00

i was going to fly to Poland. this afternoon. but the flight was cancelled. FUCK FUCK FUCK. the information was given when i passed the security check (and seriously, i hate it, all this undressing-this-is-my-laptop-and-this-is-umbrella stuff).
i was the lucky (?) one who got the rebooking for Sunday, other destination (far from home, of course, but at least in Poland)... but all the other people there... i don't know. so i went home, and here i am, sitting in my kitchen and sipping red wine. 8 fucking hours of traveling and still in the departure spot.
still better than what happened to a friend of mine couple of winters back. the long-distance coach was trapped in a gigantic traffic jam on a German highway... for 1,5 days. that is a serious bad luck.
no picture, for the only one i could offer now, is the insides of my suitcase, and i will spare you that.
no plans for tomorrow, how strange is this?

happy happy

2007-12-21T10:04:00.000+01:00

i am very happy today! i am traveling to Poland to spend Christmas with my family. this is what awaits me there:

pierniki, something that could be called gingerbread-cookies. but not quite the same. (picture courtesy of my father) yes, this IS a bed covered by cookies :-).

in the meantime, xmazz knitting was (is) going on. the yarns i am using are quite diverse in weight, colour and texture, as you can see (as are gift receipients of these goodies)

the turquoise yarn is leftovers from another pair of the fetching mitts, already on receipient's hands ;-)). in a haste of gift wrapping, i forgot to take a picture, but hey, EVERYbody knows the fetching mitts by now! the trekking skein is still rather largish, what means i must hurry up! and indeed, i must, for i have to clean the appartment, pack my suitcase, buy this glittery top i saw yesterday and be on time for the plane!

sunrise

2007-12-18T15:58:00.001+01:00

just before:

(stats for today: sunrise 8.45, sunset 14.45)

dude, it does not happen often that i have an opportunity to take a picture of the SUNRISE.

new scarf!

2007-12-16T12:01:00.001+01:00

Pattern: Twisted, from Knitting New Scarves by Lynne Barr
Yarn: Ull-Flame 100% wool 50g/50m of unevenly spun yarn (Garnstudio), unfortunately discontinued; i used 5 50g balls and the resulting scarf turned out pretty long (320cm)
Needles: 8mm

all i can say, the photos don't do justice to my scarf. the (day)light sucks lately. if i wanted to wait with taking the pictures of my lovely scarf for the decent amount of sunlight, i could as well wait till next year. and obviously, i did not want to wait that long! especially that this is the last FO i can share with the Blog before Christmas. secret knitting projects are going on...

another shot also offering a peek into my kitchen:

to my Friend

2007-12-05T19:59:00.000+01:00

alas, Ester

2007-12-02T19:22:00.001+01:00

pattern: inspired by Ester by Alice
yarn: Drops Alpaca
needles: 2mm circs (#%^%$#%&*)
modifications: more stitches to meet the dimensions of the shrug; different cable; crocheted edge to allow for wearability

well, let's face the truth. i am not happy with the final result. when knitting it, i anticipated a wearable garment of a soft and thin fabric. and it is soft and thin. wearable? dunno. i'll try, at the very least. it took me too long to knit this thing on the 2mm toothpicks (sigh!) not to even try to wear it.

the DROPS alpaca is a soft and pleasant yarn; however a bit too thin to my liking. perhaps for smaller projects... when it could be knitted double. good for crocheting, and i shall not forget this.

all twisted

2007-11-24T19:12:00.000+01:00

i am giving a talk on Monday. i've got to prepare the power point presentation from scratch, and i haven't even started. it's saturday evening and i have nothing. nada. nic. so, instead of pretending that i am doing anything close to productive... what am i occupied with? he he, of course: finishing ester (now suddenly i like finishing, oh yeah) and knitting twisted. a scarf. cool one.

yep, i bought THAT scarves book. with my love for scarves i didn't have a choice. there is a number of great designs in ~the book and a couple of pieces i am definitely going to knit.

blue top

2007-11-18T18:33:00.000+01:00

at last. 6 months out-of-phase, a short sleeve top completed just for the winter.

blue top. started in april

pattern: based on the Lana Grossa summertime 2006 pattern 1
yarn: Tweed Flamme by Unica. got it ~10 years ago (vintage! hehe) 89% cotton 11% acrylic, 95m/50g
needles: 3.5mm for the body and 4mm for the drapey collar (circulars)
comments: i like the cable:

unfortunately, the insufficient amount of the daylight today (Sweden!, no joke, days aren't long these days) made me to shoot these pics in the artificial light. no good.

PS. the leek pie was a success :-)