Confessions in 2005 year chronical - I did it my way!

Great idea from my supporting friends at Sticklistan. Adjusting it a bit of course

1. Most fun knitted project 2005 ?
Birch Shawl. It is great and psychological, You start on the wide of the triangular, and than diminish until you run out of yarn, and need urgently to find a yarnshop to do it. When it is starting to feel boring, you are almost done. And also, supersimple lace, looking fabulas. Done in Kid Silk Haze (think there is a picture if you scroll down) minty.

2. Most unfun knitted project 2005?
None is, but frogging my Rowan Braid 3 times to get accurate size and getting it to fit...(since I did not knit in Chunky but Aran, and I' too big size to any of Rowans patterns....) (Result great)

3. Greatest 2005 Yarn experience?
They are too many, but the recent Eustasia 25% final sale (going out of business) wasn't bad, the arrival of the new Gotland yarn loosely spun, and seeing it handcoloured in lime... or was it finding out that My idol BMC is using Tuna yarn, I just have heard "filtgarn" from her. Or the handcoloured yarn from Ann-torps väv in silk. Or maybe freakout at Husfliden in Oslo and Strikkedilla. Or the great Du store Alpakka (the latter who still ows us money for the Norweigan taxes.. Grrr), but the yarn is innocent to that.

4. Worst yarn experience?
So, I guess worst goes to ordering yarn from DU Store Alpakka. Only sending us half the package, and many turns later... sigh. Making us pay BOTH norweagan and swedish taxes....We have been fooled. Eat it. I will definitely chase them...

5. Greatest knitting books 2005
Teva Durham - Loop-D-Loop, Handpainted Country, and finally finding my antique Dandanell- Tvåändsstickat. Of course, the new pattern ideas from BMC from her new exhibition is worth GOLD.

6. Best pattern !!
Circular Knitted Sweater from Vouge Fall 2005, is excellent and fun for mixing yarn and looking interesting.. Fun to knit.

7. Worst pattern!!
The same (circular), it is not obvious that knit one increase one will result in three stitches. That is definitely TWO in my world.

8. Best fiber
Shetland fleece - so easy so far

9.Worst fiber
Merino, I still get it in clumps

10. Improvement this year
I have stopped going to every knittingcourse, and gotten back to my own core knitting - my own creations bring me more fun. And also, I have learned to enjoy other patterns. Expanding horizons. Also proud that have almost, but not really, recovered from yarnoholics. I have actually entered yarnstores without buying all I want (or buying nothing!)

11. Insights this year.
I'm quite lousy in embroidery. But please, never point that out to me (as some stuck up bitch did at the Estonian Nordic knitting symposium) - it truley hurts my feelings, since I'm rather ok with design and colours in general. Second big insight is, I survive frogging without loosing faith.

12. On the good path of self guidance
Finish what is already almost started. I think I have more UFO's than space ;-) And allow for switching between them. And I started blogging.

13. Bad path
I'm still buying more yarn than I can keep in mind, they are unorganised, since now I have no order at all, and I'm too lazy to update my computer list by my self. Some hording tendencies. I hope colours are not completely out of fashion when it is time for them. And my blog has not enough pictures. And the quality is not to my standard. I'm a great photographer (educated actually) that needs better glasses!

14. Wish for the rest of the year and beginning of next...
Finish Sweater during Christmas Holiday.
Have time to: Start a Latvian Mitten for the Kal (still has not decided what yarn!!!) and (forgive me) start my Islandic sweater for myslef, new from scratch. It is fast, and I decided last christmas that it was a great holiday knitting project. Finished within a week and some...
Oh... Hubby needs gloves (in islandic yarn) and I have not started....
and finally, fixing up the almost finished sweaters (that just a little adjustments).

15. Big projects for next year.
Do my specially designed coat. Yeah. Vouge Knitting Winter 2005 really got my old project feel totally new, after having ripped it all up. Get some closer knitting friends, and attend more knitgatherings.

Merry Christmas my friends
I hope Santa brings me a better camera....and some new software

Stash Enrichment at a Closing Yarnstore...

It is soon christmas, and I just did my Swedish tradition - the one of the few left, julskinka (whole ham, boiled and then in the oven for a nice crust). As usual I missed sending all those postcard to all people that matter. But not many care these days. I just lost my edge. Rather depressing. Existential lonelyness. Writing my blog out in nowhere. I just invited my old aunt and uncle on Julbord, and she asked what I knitted, and I said exited that I worked on my bohus-sweater, and she remarked, didn't I do that last christmas? Oh no, what a disaster. I'm sure she didnt mean that in a bad way. Just factual. She finished her embroyderies, it is just fantastic. And at least one person I can give a good gift to.

Poor husband will never get his knitted bohus sweater. One arm almost done, and the other, half way.

And then - the entire body (well it is knitted from the top). On the other hand, I have been such a good girl all fall, that the 25% sell out at the knitting shop Eustasia in Sickla, was just too much for me. I just dived into handpainted green silk yarn, and 3 babyalpacka, and some chenille yarn, and do not forget the white silk yarn and well I'm sure some colinette tape yarn also made it. Totally lost..... Totally bliss. I really spend too much of my savings, but hey two full bags of yarn - that is just heaven. And I also bought dearest Nancy Bush Vintage sock, because here it is below freezing -6 C. Brrrr. COLD! And Andean Folkknits, really lovely book. And all those patterns....Wow!



And then I magically ran into Pia and her great daughter Frida, who will be the future of knitting and textile arts. She has really grown tall. Pia is a very nice knitting friend. Had lots of good info to tell. Well, we exchanged knitting bookes... and back to Eustasia (why is it that one bag of yarn isnever enough?) and I was on the lookout for Latvian yarn, and I just blew it. So I feel like it is time for a holiday, but first it is all those workprojects that just got TO BE READY. No, no, not work. Think about the ahhh... knitting is bliss, relaxing, no demands, just fun creative inspiring fun. Soft.. ahh.... Ohh.... nobody puts Baby in a corner....I'm telling you Patric Swayze.... Passion in our eyes... You are the one thing.... time of my life, I never felt this way before...I guess it is time to go into my stash again. Merry merry christmas to you. Cheer yourself up. Buy yarn.