Bobbelurs home for hobbies and pondering

Nice. Very Nice!

2009-05-03T17:27:00.002+02:00

A few weeks ago I visited my local yarn dealer. And I've been ambivalent to the shop in many ways, but mostly not feeling they could help me find the type of yarn I was looking for when I didn't know exactly what I needed. Like when I was looking for a yarn to knit a scarf to mu sister-in-law. Now, I know it might not be too easy to figure out what the customer needs when it has to be warm but not itchy. I ended up bying BabySilk somewhere else.
But I digress. Back to my LYS: I drop by there every once in a while - just to have a little peek at the yarn. And perhaps buy some.
They've got Noro-yarn in the shop now. I discovered it. Fondled a skein and talked to one of them about it and then asked the price. "Oh, my, it is VERY expencive! Well, I'm not supposed to say such things you know, but it IS costly. Let me see..." I did not take offense from her comment. I already knew this was going to hurt my wallet, so I was not surprised at the price. And the lady was so much fun and so sweet - how could I possibly take offense? (To be honest I think she was trying to dampen the blow - I guess a lot of customers would be outraged at the price.)
Well. I bought two skeins. Now I have enjoyed knitting two skeins of Noro Silk Garden Lite into a scarf. A very lovely scarf and a very nice experience. Nice colourchanges. Nice yarn. Nice, nice and once again: Nice.

I think that this is an activity I must repeat. Oh yes. :-)
In Norwegian Please!

Spring is coming

2009-04-06T15:15:00.004+02:00

I went for a walk last weekend with my terrier, and this little fella - not more than two centimeters tall - stood almost hidden along the road. We nearly passed him, my dog and I, 'cause it was such a tiny, tiny little speck of color. Luckily I didn't - and managed to get a nearly decent picture taken with my cellphone camera. This is a promise of what is to come. We cannot yet see it in our garden - there's too much snow - but now we know! Colours, flowers, sun and lovely summer days will be here. We just have to see spring come and go first. No more walking the dog on icy roads - and we both look forward to it!

In Norwegian Please!

You are GREAT!

2009-04-03T23:20:00.001+02:00

In Norwegian Please!

Enjoy this short movie - it is a little gem...

Scarves knitted and given away

2009-02-10T22:15:00.000+01:00

In Norwegian Please!

Here's some of the things I knitted for Christmas during the last year: Scarves!

I chose different yarns for my sister-in-laws. The first scarf was knitted in Faerytale. A rather nice and quick knit. (Pattern used for both scarves: Garnstudios 98-18)

The next one demanded a new yarn since my next sister-in-law has problems using knits with fibers sticking out. I found out that I'd give Babysilk a try. A more challenging knit this time - but eventually and after a couple of times unraveling the project I managed to get there.

Both scarves have been in extended use I've been told.

These are the scarves I knitted for my brothers. The pattern used is Wedgie by Vyvyan Neel.
Both scarves knitted with Sandnes Garn Alpakka. I hope that my brothers will make use of the scarves, but I'm not absolutely sure.

I enjoyed knitting these as well - and I think I might knit a scarf or two more before I get fed up with it. :-)

Socks

2009-02-09T18:21:00.000+01:00

In Norwegian Please!

During the fall and winter last year, I didn't knit much besides the planned Christmasgifts. But I had to have something different every now and then, so some socks started.

And the nice thing about Ravelry is that I can easily find another nice pattern to try out. With quite a few skeins of Mor Aase-yarn, I only have to make sure the pattern won't result in gigantic socks when I knit with Mor Aase.

These socks are knitted in Brigid pattern. They turned out to be a wee bit big, so I had to give them away. They became part of a birthdaypresent for a friend of mine.

I will kit these again - in a solid color and perhaps with another repetition of the cable. It was a fun project to do - although I at times was frustrated when I lost track of where I was in the pattern... Loved that too, actually...

These are Jaywalkers. My orange jaywalkers.
I thought I'd read the pattern carefully and understood the way to get the zig-zag, but since I had to unravel the darn thing three times, I realized I had not. When I finally figured out my mistake - these were easypeasy. And they're mine - all mine!
They're knitted in Fabel and I managed to make them pretty much alike, didn't I?

Another sock-pattern I'll be knitting once more - and perhaps this one also in solids. But if I'm to knit the socks for my self, I'll shorten the leg somewhat.

I needed a new hat.

2009-02-03T22:25:00.000+01:00

In Norwegian Please!

So I knitted a complete set - hat, neckvarmer and mittens.

The pattern used is Happy Knittings Princess Quite Certainly Not, and the yarn is Hifa Trollgarn in light and dark green.
I did not crochet the devilhorns in front of the hat, and the hat is fust a wee bit too big. I have thought of felting it a little bit to make it smaller, but after walking the dog yesterday I decided against it. It was very, very nice to be able to pull the hat a bit down in the front because it was absolutely freezing outside. I might have to line it with fleece or something though - the wind blew right through.

The neckwarmer and mittens I have used every day since the set was finished.

All in all - this was a very successful project. I'll use it a lot, and I even got a giftwish for a similar set from my sister-in-law. Only in beige and brown she said.

Oldie...

2009-01-02T14:17:00.000+01:00

In Norwegian Please!

This is a sweater I started on a loooooong time ago. In 1994 to be correct, so I can safely say it's from another century.
At that time it was meant to be fo my partner. Well, we split up and he's not the love of my life - thank God!! - but the sweater is still here. And it was not much work left I thought when I dug it out from underneath all my other projects. Only... that bit with the hearts in it... I was a bit too tight with the yarn there, so it kind of pulled together there... And after debating with my self (and my mother a bit too) I decided to rip it out and start over again. The hearts needed another chance to be correct.
So I did. I unravelled it and then I finished the last sleeve before once again knitting on the body of the sweater.

I do not know when I'll be done, but I'm in the process of knitting this again.

Gifts to celebrate respectable age

2008-09-19T15:29:00.000+02:00

In Norwegian Please!

I have celebrated my birthday. I just turned forty - and got lots of nice presents. My brothers buildt me a terrasse - my parents paid the materials, and they also gave me furniture for the terrasse. Nice brothers I have. Nice parents.

And I got this Bainbridge from a dear friend. It's been used quite a bit - nice colors, nice flowers, nice beads. Very nice around my neck.
Nice friend.

Ain't this a sight?? This was also a present for me. From my cousin Petronella. She knows what to give a fellow knitter - yarn, needles and hooks and also a nice bottle of wine.
The yarn consists of some HIFA skeins, some Faerytale, some Finnish alpacca and some cotton. I was very happy to receive such a gift! Nice cousin.

Other gifts:
I received a gift from my work too. Only thing was - I had to buy it. I even wrote the card to myself. *laughs* I got myself a present I didn't even know I wanted - it's the silvermetal candlelightholder at the right in this pic. Nice job.
The bottles of wine is part of a present from my aunt and uncle (the red wine, and the rest of the gift was roses.) The white wine came in the basket of yarn you see further up.

And I also received more yarn. Bought in Portugal.
I think I need to celebrate my birthday every year since i get such nice presents. Yarn and wine and terrasse and I also received a wooden fruit bowl (I use it for yarn...) and a ceramic bowl (also used for yarn) and wool underwear for cold days when dog and I are out walking...

To all my nice friends and family - Thank You!

A cup for coffee

2008-09-16T14:26:00.004+02:00

In Norwegian Please!

I randomly strolled through one of those stores with knicknaks and cheap stuff one day. Just to take a look while waiting for my husband. Looking at this and that I figured that it was time for me to get a new coffeemug. The cashier was very helpful when I asked for the price of the mugs I was looking at - and also guided me to mugs that cost almost twice as much. I guess it's reasonable that they cost more since they also were almost twice as big...
I ended up bying the bigger, more expencive mug. Which isn't so much a mug as a bucket! Can you tell from the pic? My old, black-n-cream colored mug is taller, but narrower. With my new mug... i dont' say a cup o' coffee anymore - I say a bucket of... And when I get to the bottom of the bucket, my coffee's usually a bit cold.

But I find that I like my coffeebucket so much that I might have to get me another one. A bucket for use at home. ;)

Short update

2008-09-15T13:53:00.001+02:00

In Norwegian Please!

Short Update: Hat and wristwarmers - knitted, sewn and washed. Both are a bit airy, but warm nonetheless. They are supposed to have a shawl as a company - I'll just have to finish it... And I do not have any plans for who to give these to. But I had the yarn and the patterns were nice - so why not? ;)

Another scarf knitted from the pattern My So Called Scarf. Easy knit, fun and quick, and the yarn (Schewe Modello Nuova) has been in my stash for a year or more. Bought by Spoiled in Kiel - and I've spend two of five skeins knitting this scarf. No user planned for this one either.

And finally - new socks. Jaywalkers. The yarn is Fabel - and I've been having problems with what size needles to use. The ribbing was easypeasy, but the pattern... Oh man - the pattern! This picture shows how much the pattern pulls inwards - and I think I ended up using 3,5 instead of size 2,5... But they've been put aside for now - I need to get some Christmaspresents done too.

Souvenirs

2008-09-01T13:34:00.004+02:00

In Norwegian Please!

While away at the Rennebu-martnan I had to buy some souvenirs. My husband deserved a gift, and what better to get him than a coffee-cup? Modelled and painted by this woman in Trondheim it was such a fun and special find I just had to buy it.

She - the producer of these cups - never gets the same expression when she paints the birds.
And I like that.

The birds on my husbands coffee-cup are not nice. They are grumpy and tired and not alltogether pleased with the life at the moment. Very... fitting for mornings at our house sometimes, I'd say. My husband being the tired, not alltogether awake bird on the outside, and me being the grumpy, angry and stressed out one inside the cup.

I also had to buy some yarn. Merino-wool from Leine Merino. I think this will become a shawl sooner og later - probably later - and I think I've found the right one at Knitty.com.

Usually I don't use nor buy these orange colors, but these are so vibrant and reminds me of the lovely autumnleaves - red-orange and a tad brown. Very nice. Very exciting to see how the colors turn out when knitting too.

Helpful when knitting

2008-08-29T20:00:00.000+02:00

In Norwegian Please!

I've been to Rennebu-martnan - a crafters fair in mid-Norway - two weeks ago. It is nearly 7 hrs to drive, and this time I decided I'd go by train instead. So I had to make plans for what to do while on the train. My PSP came along - w movies and games - to entertain me, and my knitting as well. This project is a scarf with feather and fan, so it's necessary to keep counting and counting in order to keep from making mistakes. With 13 or 14 patternrepeats within each row, I need quite a few stitchmarkers. These here were made trying out different beads and materials than what I've used before. And also as a preparaion for those I was going to make for my mother.

I met her in Rennebu, and I'd made her a row-counter - quite similar to my own, the first one I made. This is made of clay and stone beads with a satin bow.

But as I was at it, I couldn't stop at just one, I had to make another one. This one is plastic beads and fishing line... ;) Both materials are lightweight, so if mom wants to hook it onto the knitting needles, it won't weigh down.

I also made some stitch markers for her. These are wire, plastic beads and some pieces from a broken necklace. Her boken necklace actually.

I had to make som of glass beads as well. These are pretty heavy I think, so the scarf shown in the first picture cannot have only glass beads stitchmarkers. But - they're pretty though - I do think the sight of them in my knitting makes it worth it. Well, that was me getting off track. These were made for mom.

And I was going to make two sets of four stitchmarkers. Utnil I was in the making - then I enjoyed it so much I just had to make an extra set.
Again plastic beads. These go well with one of the row counters, as they're from the same batch of beads. Lightweight and nothing gets caught in the knitting except the metal ring at the top.

I had to explain how and why to use these 'new' tools, but when mom saw the light... And her friend was impressed and wanted some too. I might have to make her a set too...

Vacation

2008-08-21T09:14:00.004+02:00

In Norwegian Please!

Last week in July my dear Husband, the dog and I went to Trøndelag to visit Lurens grandma and to attend a funeral. While he was at church for the services, Lorva and i were at the cabin we rented. She was tied to the rail while I sat indoor with the door open, watching her play, the 'neighbours' from other cabins, tents or camping cars go by. And I knitted.
Then it startet to rain. And we got thunder and lightning as well. Thunder and lightning is not approved by Lorva, and she just has to let Mother Nature know that - "Arf, arf, arf -ARFARFARF!" I did try to calm her a bit. Mostly by telling her "No!" - which is what she usually understands. And she understood a bit this time too - for like three seconds.
The rain came down heavy - and I had to take a pic with my cellphone. And about fifteen minutes later I took a new one...

There is a big difference, don't you agree?? What came down was not rain anymore, it was hail. And Lorvas red ball is drowning... Lorva herself found this to be much too much so she had to seek comfort in my lap. "The thunder, the rain and hail, getting soaking wet... Oh mamy - help me! I need some safety now!" Who can refuse those eyes and the posture of the body?? Not me.

The people attending the funeral got soaked too. But the weather let up right afterwards, so during the social memorial afterwards, people did say that he didn't want to be buried... Or that he wanted a funeral to be remembered. He did get that.

Bag for clothespins

2008-07-24T11:25:00.001+02:00

In Norwegian Please!

When we moved in our new house last year, I realized the clothesline had to be changed sometimes soon. It was old, bleached from the sun, a bit dirty here end there and the wire inside the rubber casing was starting to show. "Soon" came this summer when parts of it broke, and with a new clothesline strung up I also needed new clothespins.
But... when I got new clothespins I wanted to take better care of them than what had been done with previous pins, from previous owners. Solution: I needed to make a bag for them.

A pair of pyjamas pants, never worn by Stepson, cut off the legs and sew the bottom, cut one of the legs into a fitting strip and attach it to the top of the pants... and my clothespin-bag was done. Easypeasy, and I used what otherwise would've been thrown away.

Rowcounter

2008-07-24T10:53:00.002+02:00

In Norwegian Please!

When knitting, several things are needed. Needles, yarn and a knowledge of how to make these two items cooperate are some, but another one is a rowcounter. And I've seen numerous rowcounters to be had - if i was willing to part with some money. But where's the fun in that?? I can part with money for yarn and needles, but for a rowcounter?? A cheapo rowcounter in plastic??
So I've had plans for months and months - even a year - to make me one. And finally I did - when I saw a picture on Ravelry of one. So easy, so simple, so... I just had to try right away. And it was! Simple and easy! So I had to try a different one - with thick thread insted of satin band, and smaler beads. And it still worked. So I am now a very happy Bobbelur - I now have a rowcounter that counts 11 rows (the big one with black satin band) and one that counts 20 rows (small one with yellow thread and beads in blue and green). I might even have to make some for presents - so fun was this. ;-)

For Nintendo DS

2008-07-21T13:01:00.003+02:00

In Norwegian Please!

My nephew celebrates his birthday during July, and I asked his mother for gift-wishes. Money - that's all. But she also added that he was going to need a little folder or bag to put his new Nintendo DS in.

I am an aunt who is prone to use common sense more than thinking about the entertainmentfactor at times. So a little bag for his DS it was.

I found that the team colours of his soccerteam is yellow and black, so it had to be black on the outside and yellow on the inside.
Sister-in-law provided me with measurements - very handy - and I made a paperdummy DS. Very handy that too - that way I could see what worked and not.

This is the back of the bag, and the yellow lining is visible. I used yellow thread to make contrasting stitches, and also...

yellow thread to write his name on the front. (Here represented by the two last letters - in te name of preserving nephews anonymity.)

The bag/folder is closed with elastics - as can be seen on the first pic.

As often happens when making something for the first time, I learned how I could have done this better. If there ever is a newt time, it will follow the same principles, but... be done a bit differently though.
Come to think of it - why don't I make myself a similar bag for my small knitting projects?

Vacationtime.

2008-07-16T16:28:00.001+02:00

In Norwegian Please!
Well, I finished both Blueberry Waffle socks. In purple, so I guess they're not blueberries, more... "purple-sies". Or something. (The picture's lying through it's teeth - they're more purple than this.)

The model here is my Dear. His only complaint was not receiving enough footmassage from me. We can talk about massages later I think - my shoulders are sore... Foot-rub for a back-rub?? I do think that would be a fair exchange - don't you??

These socks were a fun project. The rounds just flew and suddenly I had the heel done!! And next I knew I had to count repeats on my finished sock so I knew when to make the toe. (It was just in time too!)

And this time I managed to f-up the kitchener-toe-thing-doing. But I managed to see what I'd done wrong, I scratched my head a bit (no, didn't get any splinters in my fingers either. Imagine that!) and re-read the how-to, and now it looks good. Or... it looks better.

Doubt that I'll get it perfect until next year, that one...

I also like the yarn. It splits easily but I've learned to live/knit with that so I hardly notice anymore. The yarn is soft and easy - but running though my hands and on the needles - and is easier to knit with than for instance Mor Aase raggegarn.

As I mentioned in the heading - it is vacationtime here. Both of us grown-ups started our vacation this week, and since stepson just loves fancy food, here's what I made for lunch one day:
Salad, boiled eggs, Norwegian cured ham, fried mushrooms and some crackers.
The salad was leftovers from the taco dinner the evening before, and the mushrooms had to be eaten since they don't hold very well.
But although it was leftovers and has-to-be-eaten and such, the lunch was tasty. Both Luren and his son were happy afterwards, so mission was accomplished. Not to forget - it was fancy and luxurious for stepson. Do we have to mention that dinner was tomatosoup?

Since I finished the purple-sies I figured it was time for the big wool-knit-wash. I am not much of a housewife (in my own opinion I do just about enough to get by without being lazy) so I tend to keep all finished projects tucked away until the heap is no longer ignorable. And that happens to be at the same time when all knits washed fill the bed in the guestroom. Hm... Imagine that strange coincidence!
So - everything that's not going to be felted nor left the house recently got a turn in slightly soapy water. The turqouise shawl neede some fabric softener too, but it's only 15% wool and the rest is 'fake', so there you go.

As I blocked the offwhite scarf, the shawl and the two My So Called Scarf's, I realized I really need blocking wires! I think that must be my next goal - get me some wires... And good needles too... Think it's about time I investigated these opportunities.

Yarn-spaghetti...

2008-07-11T09:27:00.001+02:00

In Norwegian Please!

Or... I have other words for this mess, but since they're rather nasty you'll just have to guess.
This is a skein of 'Susanna'. It's variegated and alltogether manmade. No wool nor cotton nor anything natural. So I have been twisting my mind about what to knit - something that used this skein (350 gr) and was useful and...
The project is a blanket. It might have been enough for a sweater, but since I wasn't sure I decided to knit a blanket. It will be large enough to snuggle under while I'm watching TV - and Lorva will enjoy using my lap and this blankie to snooze on.

But - there is a problem with this yarn. As I always do, I pull from the center of the skein. Bad move. Very bad move. This yarn snags and I keep getting the innards spilling out and having to untangle and untangle and untangle. Then I knit - and untangle. Often heard while knitting is 'Jævla drit!' - translated directly to 'Damned shit!'. I get frustrated.

Yesterday was the alltime high so far - the outside layers of yarn decided to join in on the mess, so I ended up using an hour to detangle and wind to a ball the outside of the skein. I will probably have to continue doing that for the rest of the knitting. Wich is a bore. I mean - it's no pattern, just plain garter stitch. The structure of the yarn makes patterns a bit unseen, so plain garter stitch is best. But it's boring to knit, so I use it as a TV- and movies-knitting mostly. And lo and behold - I am halfway!

Fake pregnancy

2008-07-07T11:02:00.002+02:00

In Norwegian Please!

That's what is happening at home these days. Our dog Lorva - a female Cairn Terrier 16 months old - seems to be having one.
She started by not eating as much as usual - so now she's pretty much as skinny as a Cairn is supposed to be I think. She also starten growling softly when we had to move her after she'd decided to go to sleep for the night. But what can one do when she's sleeping in my bed - right where I'm gonna sleep? I'm just wondering... ;-)
Then Lorva kept nagging us, whining and being strange. Usually that can be straighened out with a walk and some obedience training, but now she kept on whining afterwards. And finally... the ball! She has this little black rubber ball with bright red, yellow and blue protrusions. It's a squeeky - and can be a pain in the xxx sometimes.
These days she just carries it along, gives it to us and whines. We can squeeze it and throw it - and the response is not as usual. Nowadays she just looooooks at us, and then jumps down to go and get it. So we've figured that's her pup.

I've read some about dog and fake pregnancies and I realized she got it easy. No swollen tits, no slimy parts. Just this whining, the mellow mood and carrying this ball around. The ball, by the way, kept waking me up the other night. I kept hearing the squeeky at times during the night, and I figured Lorva was awake and playing with it.
Well, in the wee early hours... I realized she had placed the ball between me and my husband - in bed - and that WE were making it squeek every time we moved. Being mighty tired I had some nasty words in my mind as I put it on the floor, turned around and kept on dreaming.

Find faults from filmknitting

2008-07-02T09:12:00.003+02:00

In Norwegian Please!

I've written in my Norwegian blog earlier about movies and given my subjective and not-so-serious report of them. I might have to take up that kind of blogging again - in view of the result from last nights movie. Only I'd have to angle it in regard to how knitting friendly the movie is.
The one we watched last night is not knitable. Something as easy as knit 2, purl 2 didn't work out. The picture shows the last two errors I found - after finding and correcting five others of similar sort - wich made me give up knitting while watching this particular movie. Which one?? "I am Legend". My opinion? The first part was the best and most intense. But the last part the most exciting. And well worth loosing knitting time for!

Another thing I did yesterday was toegrafting. Or using Kitchener stitch to finish the toe on the Blueberry Wafer socks. My first attempt ever.
The result? Could have been better. Could certainly have been better... I might try to either play with tightening the string or just do it all over again.

That's what happens when Mom is visiting

2008-06-27T12:00:00.003+02:00

In Norwegian Please!

My mother is visiting at the moment, and as we often do we had to update each other with the things we've made since last time.
I showed her the scarfs I made with the "My Socalled Scarf"-pattern - and ended up translating the pattern for her since she wanted to knit a scarf too.
In return she learned me to crochet loveknots and to crochet using a jetstick.
The loveknots (or lovenots? Lovenuts? Like peanuts, only slightly more hairy?) were complicated knots. I pulled the yarn and stretched and... And suddenly I saw the light! Very nice! The turquiose yarn with some crocheting carelessly and somewhat... casually (or an attempt to be) thrown in and a crochet-hook sticking dangerously out is my loveknot-shawl-project.
The BIG stick with green mohairy yarn is the jet-thingy. Fiddly stuff. Very fiddly stuff. Okay - it grows rather quickly, but the work man! The work is soooo...fiddly. I'll make an evealuation when I'm done with this scarf.

We were going to eat tapas in Tønsberg yesterday and decided to use the time wisely too. The male side of the company (husband and stepson) were told to enjoy themselves in a recordstore and we went to a yarn store...
I bought the orange yarn (Regia I think it is) for socks. I'm gonna knit jaywalkers some day with it.
And the offwhite is Baby Silk - destined to become a scarf.
Mom bought mote yarn than me - which is a good thing when one's feeling guilty about shopping yarn. I'm not. Most of my yarn I have a plan for, and mostly it's gonna be presents. I just love being able to buy yarn and feel totally guiltfree - although this increases my yarnstash.

Hat and neckwarmer - second set

2008-06-12T18:00:00.002+02:00

In Norwegian Please!

This is my second set of caps and neckwarmer. I chose red Hifa Trollgarn - red because the person this set is intended for will look good in red, and Hifa Trollgarn simply because I don't want to experiment as long as it's going to be a gift.

The work was surprisingly easy and quick this time - probably due to this being the second time and me knowing what to do. Sort of. ;-)

While waiting

2008-06-11T14:24:00.004+02:00

In Norwegian Please!

for hobbyrelated topics to appear, we hereby bring photos of Dog - also known as Lorva:

This pic was taken June 1. - it was a Sunday and very hot outside. It was so hot that Lorva didn't care much about taking walks, being outside, running, playing, eating - nothing! Except staying indoors where the AC works. Staying indoors, sleeping and relaxing.
She eventually chose to sleep in the dogbed we bought for her just a few days earlier at IKEA. I threw her green 'blanket' in there too so she'd know it was her place to chill out. She knows. And it is a preferred spot to relax now.

This is Lorva the day after she and I spend hours learning to groom her coat. She's a Cairn, and the fur cannot be cut - it has to be stripped. Did she like it? Nope. But it has to be done in order for her fur to be proper and nice.
So - tha day after. She's out in the garden with DH, and he's taking pictures of the sunset and Lorva. She's just enjoying the wind and the fact that we're outside all three of us. Being outside with her flock is always appreciated.

When driving somewhere with Lorva in the car I use a seatbeltstrap to secure her. She's never happy about it - and I sometimes have to lift her in, but it must be done.
And quite often I get rewarded with these looks - these sulking eyes... "I'm not happy Mom! I don't want this! I'm not happy!..."
Truth is - she'd be the happiest dog if she could sit on my lap - or stand - with paws on the wheel and look out the window. But she cannot, and I'd hate myself if we had a carcrash and she got seriously injured just because I didn't make her secure.
I can survive these looks. I cannot survive a fatal injury to her.
(Well, I can, but it sure doesn't feel like I will.)

Turqouise shawl/scarf in Lucy

2008-06-09T18:00:00.001+02:00

In Norwegian Please!

This yarn was given as part of last years birthdaypresent. That is - fabric for quilting was the main present, and the Lucy yarn was just an extra, thrown in 'cause my SILs co-worker gave away some of her stash. My SIL figured that I would find use for the strange yarn... And I have. At least some of it. ;) This is what nearly two skeins gave when crocheted into a small shawl/large scarf.
I used a pattern by Muffin for this. Don't know who'll use it, but I guess someone will eventually. ;)

My socalled House-scarf

2008-06-08T18:00:00.002+02:00

In Norwegian Please!

This is the yarn - Eskimo - that was originally planned to be used for the "My socalled scarf" pattern. So when I had finished the "surface"-one i Løve yarn I just continued on the same pattern and switched to this yarn.

This time I did what the pattern said and knitted over 30 stitches. Before long I wondered whether I should unravel and reduve the number og stitches, but decided against it. 'What will be will be' ended up to be my attitude this time, so I plunged ahead.

And my suspicions turned out to be right - the scarf didn't turn out as a long one. But I figured that's okey too - sometimes one needs different lengths and widths and colours in the scarfs. Sometimes the scarf that goes around my neck two times just is too much, so... this one is quite okay.

I loved the way the stitches turned out so variegated on the other scarf. In this scarf I really like how even they are and the way they display the pattern in a different way than in the Surface scarf. And of course I enjoy the colurs here as well. ;-)

For those who have not seen the connection yet - the scarf was knitted while watching House episodes on DVD.

Been tagged

2008-06-08T12:01:00.003+02:00

In Norwegian Please!

I've been tagged by blomsterpiken. These are the rules:
Pick up the nearest book.
Open on page 123.
Find the fifth sentence.
Post the next three sentences.
Tag five people, and acknowledge who tagged you.

Now I must admit I read the tag while I was at work. But there's no books there, so I had to wait until I was at my pc at home.

The nearest book is "Things I Learned from Knitting" by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee.
So page 123... and the fifth, sixth and seventh sentence reads:
"I tried to learn this when I displayed my propensity for attempting to get whereI'm going way way too fast and got lost or knocked over stuff on my way.I attempted to learn this when I tried to speed up the cooking time og rice by turning up the heat and thereby immolated an entire potful. (This didn't stop me from trying the same technique with oatmeal."

Now I am not sure who reads the English version of my blog, so... I think I'll tag YOU. *evil grin*

My socalled Surface-scarf

2008-06-07T18:00:00.003+02:00

In Norwegian Please!

In many blogs and on Ravelry I've seen many knitted versions of "My socalled Scarf". And I wanted soooooo much to knit one of my own.
But to knit if the project isn't 1) on a deadline or 2) to be given away as a present... I am not good at knitting just bacause I want too knit for my self.

But when I had knitted a pair of slippers and realized I had miscalculated how much yarn was needed I put all gift-knitting aside and focused more on fun and enjoyment.

This scarf is knitted in Løve yarn, and I bought only two skeins during a visit up north two years ago. I really liked the yarn but wondered for the longest time what to knit from it.
The solution became "My socalled scarf".

The scarf is mostly knitted while watchng episodes of "Surface". Enjoyable knit, enjoyable series. Although I did wonder a bit at the beginning about the pattern - I thought a bit... funny and awkward. Instead of 30 stitches as stated in the pattern I used 24 stitches. Quite okay that.
And I must say I like the result. I enjoy the green colours in the scarf, I like the way the stitches make the pattern and I love the way the different thickness of the yarn makes it all so variegated.

Socks for X-mas

2008-06-06T18:00:00.002+02:00

In Norwegian Please!

I have finished a X-mas-project: All the socks I've planned to use as presents are now knitted. These are the final two pairs.
It won't be the last ones since I have quite a lot of Mor Aase yarn left, and I need something to keep me occupied while we drive to work and back. These socks have been knitted that way - DH drives himself to work and gets out of the car so that I can drive to my job.

I like that arrangement. It adds up to almost 40 minutes of knittingeach day we drive together. :-)
But I think I will have to find other kinds of socks to knit. Plain socks in Mor Aase gets boring in the end, and variety is now needed. Very needed...

Socks - new recipe and new yarn. DONE!

2008-06-05T15:00:00.001+02:00

In Norwegian Please!

These socks were finished last week. They were supposed to be mine, but I do have quite a few socks already - being blessed with knitting grandmothers does that to some, including me.
I think I will put them in the gift box until they're needed - either as my socks or as a present.

I used two weeks - in between other works in progress tii - to get these done. And the heelflap was a bit of a challenge. How was I to understand that the "odd" masks were to be alternating like that?? "Odd" here being "Slip off as if it were a mask you're going to knit 'cause it'll be twisted when you purl it and that 's the hole darn point". I actually needed to find a diagram drawn to understand it all.
I like the effect, but it's the most timeconsuming heelflap I've knitted so far. It's Eye of Partdridge by the way. And it's timeconsuming 'cause how the heck can I keep track of where the "odd" masks are going to be without extensive counting or some other timeconsuming trackingroutine??

But I am going til knit another pair of socks in this pattern. At least. :-)

Martharose and scarf

2008-05-19T11:00:00.000+02:00

In Norwegian Please!

Another recipe from happyknitting.com. But this one I can't find at their website.

The scarf is straight knitting - back and forth. Not much excitement there. What makes the recipe so much fun is the flower - the Martharose. It's croheted and a pearl is attached in the middle of the flower. On the back I stitched a safetypin - I can now attach the rose/flower wherever I find use for it.

The rose is another pattern I'll make use of again.

The tablecloth from Hellish Eternity?

2008-05-18T21:35:00.002+02:00

In Norwegian Please!

Well, it ain't that bad. But I have been crocheting this for ever and ever it seems.
It was supposed to be a square tablecloth, but the recipe didn't state how much yarn the cloth required, and I didn't have enough anyways.

I had big plans for this one though. I dug it out from hibernation so it could become a Christmaspresent, but by the looks of it, it will be ridiculously long and narrow. At leat compared to what I'd meant for it to be.
Hopefully there's enough tarn left to finish off the report I am at now - and to finish the tablecloth. THere's not a lot of work left - three hours maybe?

What I am most curious about is how it'll turn out after blocking. I am unable to crochet this way and manage to get it even/symmetrical in both directions.

Cap and neckwarmer. Done!!

2008-05-17T21:32:00.004+02:00

In Norwegian Please!

Happy birthday, Norway!

I've finished one project. The caps has now a steady companion - the necwarmer. Both are of the same color, so they should get along beautifully.

They were both quick and fun to create, and I also managed to learn a few new bits when I knitted the neckwarmer too.

The next time I'll knit and crochet this pair I'll experiment with another kind of yarn. This was Hifa Trollgarn, pure wool. And not the soft kind either.

But pattern and yarn is recommendable though. I think that with a softer yarn I won't get the stiffnes needed in the caps - so it'll be exciting experimenting later on.

The pattern is from happyknitting.com by the way.

Socks - new recipe and new yarn

2008-05-16T21:44:00.006+02:00

In Norwegian Please!

Most of the socks I've knitted the last months have been in Mor Aase. So I wanted to try other yarns too, and've knitted two pairs in Viking, one pair in Online-yarn, and now in Sisu.

Sisu is the thinnest of yarns I've ever knitted with, but I like it. I enjoy wathcing the colors change at different times in the pattern, and I enjoy the fact that these socks aren't just "a whizz and voila"-done.

I've seen other blogger knit circle socks and they tempted me to give the pattern a try. It's an easy pattern so far, and if the heel and toe is as fun I'll be knitting more of these.

Sweet stuff

2008-05-16T09:45:00.001+02:00

In Norwegian Please!

A while ago stepsons mother wondered if we could do her a favor. Which we did - it was not a big one for us, so it was no problem.
Since she was going to visit Ireland she wondered what she should bring us from there. And I of course answered "fantastic yarn or terrific buttons". (I am not at the verge of knitting madness without showing any symptoms.)
She didn't have the time to look for any such stores, and I didn't count on it either. So imagine my surprise when she gave us this!
In the box at the bottom it was chocolate. There is no more chocolate today. I fact, after having my parents and my brother w/family visiting last weekend, we didn't need to worry about getting fat. ;-)
But none of then wanted to taste the whiskey marmalade (with alcohol in too), and the small bottles of Baileys... Well, one evening I'll take one of those, a mug of coffee and enjoy a nice, long bath with a good book.

Hun rakk ikke innom slike butikker - og det hadde jeg jo egentlig ikke forventet, så jeg ble litt overrasket da hun kom med dette. I esken nederst var det sjokolade. VAR. Så er det Baileys i småflasker og whiskymarmelade. Med skikkelig whisky - den inneholder visst en del alkohol.
Og så vi som har lagt om kostholdet da gitt!! Da var det veldig greit at vi hadde besøk sist helg som hjalp oss med sjokoladen. Marmeladen ville de visst ikke prøve, og Baileys er ikke helt det pappa liker... Men jeg skal nok ta en liten flaske og en krus kaffe med meg i badekaret en dag ja...

Slipper-ies

2008-05-08T20:29:00.003+02:00

I have spent some time finishing up a few slippers. I mended the sole on my sister-in-laws, I didd the needlework to form the soles on the slippers just felted, and I have applied 'soles' on them.

I used silicone - the kind used in building.
And one tube of silicone is just about enough for three pair of slippers.
It also stinks like hell - it was bought at a cheap store, so I think that explains the strong smell of acidic vinegar. Will not use the same kind next time!

It was very warm outside, so the silicone was touch-safe pretty fast, and didn't smell so awfaul after a while.
Here we se the siliconesole on my SIL's slipper.

I've started on the next set of slippers.
This pic was taken Before I Discovered The Error Of Buying Not Enough Yarn.

I am such a DumbAss For Not Thinking!!

Hat and scarf/neckwarmer

2008-05-06T02:29:00.000+02:00

So I've finally managed to start on something for myself. This set was purchased last year - in September I think, at the Rennebumartna just outside of Trondheim.
Happyknitting.com had a stand there, and I just had to try out one of their knitting set.

I started on the hat Thursday evening. It was finished Saturday morning - and it was FUN! I think I have to buy more yarn for more of these hats.

The picture og the finished object turned out a bit on the pale and overexposed side. But with me posing as a model - what the heck can we expect??

The color is as shown on the first picture. And I think it paled a bit when I washed it. Since I found it to be a bit too dark when crocheting I didn't mind.

Now I just wonder what color the next hat should be...
Perhaps I should knit the neckwarmer first - if it is as fun as the hat I'll have to make quite a few sets I think.

Knitting-knitting-knitting...

2008-05-04T19:24:00.000+02:00

Lately I've been mostly knitting. I figure Ravelry is to blame for that, plus the fact that I've already started knitting gifts for X-mas. Oh yeah - add the problems with using the sewing machine while watching a movie and the Doggie wants to relax in my lap. Come to think of it - it is always difficult using the sewing machine while sitting in front of the tv - whether Doggie is there or not. She doesn't deserve the guilt for that one...

Since I knit some, I visit quite a few blogs about knitting. And I've kind of registered that there's some books about the doing some knitting. Some I've acquired for myself too. The latest buys is shown here: Knitting New Scarves, Quick Gifts og At Knit's End.
I've flipped through the first book and already found the next scarf too knit. I had tha yarn ready andall, but found that I needed needles in TWO different sizes. "Bloooodddddy" I thought, put the project down and startet another one. Well, since I had another new project there next by my chair, you know. Easier than getting up and finding the proper supplies...
Quick Gifts was ordered because I believed to find that - quick gifts to knit. And 'quick' for me is done in one afternoon/evening. I missed. Not-so-quick gifts, and not a lot that was gift-worthy. At least not at the first glance.
At Knit's End is undertiteled 'Meditations for women who knit too much'. When does one knit too much?? Is it when one has knitted so much that husband, children, job and home is lost?? Has anyone ever done that? i know about some hoarders - those who has large storages of yarn. In my opinion, the problem isn't knitting too much - even though the stash is so big they almost have to buy a second house. The problem is not enough knitting actually. I mean - since they have enough time to drop buy a yarnstore or sit down in front of the computer and click around and order more yarn.

I do not knit too much. I knit whenever I can as long as it doesn't impede on job and husband and marriage and all the other good stuff in life.
But the book is fun though.

Headband

2008-05-02T02:56:00.000+02:00

I have knitted a new headband for my eldest niece. It's not yet lined with fleece on the inside, and I'm not quite certain whether or not I have 'blinged' it enough either. Well, buttons don't qualify as bling, I guess, but... Perhaps it needs some pearls or something...

At least the knitting and felting part is done. ;-)

The buttons are blue and wooden heartshaped - the blue button hardly shows in the picture.