Swedish Knitblogger who loves spinning, knitting, dyeing and yarn. I will do some other roundabouts about life too.

Saturday, September 30, 2006

Great LYS day! (Part 1)

I have been shopping today!
First I went to Maria's Garn. Great windowdisplay as always. All purple yarn, wow. So purple. Flowers, yarn and two fab knitted garments. A sweater and a coat!. I mean, she is a shop-window Godess! How impressive. The store was of course filled with Goodies - lush yarn! And - I met Sanna there (who is arranging the next Stickstämma - Knitting Meet in Dalarna). She told about the usual hassles with arranging a meeting like that... since the person she booked with had stopped working where we are supposed to be. Scary. But she and Karin (Uppstickaren - no blog!!) is so clever, they will sort it out. No worries. It will happen. Im counting on it. Anyhow, the business is going fine, and it is so great to see the younger than me generation, popping in to Maria's store, saying "I just want to make a quick scarf" then buying three yummy Fonty Kidopale (Mohair) and size 10 needles. Of course I squeezed and planned carefully, no I have a yarnroom. Carefully... not buy anything on impuls.... But then I saw Sanna with the Como silk thread from Warp and Wäft, and thinking WHY? Well, I now know why! With a one-threaded colourshock like Färgkraft new Tulip (turqoise, pink and blue.. wow...) or the great Trollskog (my favourite) in blueish deep green and forest green, you knit your scarf with a thread of silk. And admiring Sanna's on-going Ikarus (Interweave Knitting 2006). I'm sold. It just looked absolutely great! 750 m, I will definitely have a closer look. Then I found more of my summer Aracunica (well, I cannot pronounce or spell it)... but, then Maria kindly told me that I might not need so much - maybe I have enough. But then she showed me how great that fat uneven cotton goes with Muscat (Garnstudio), in its silky contrast.
So now the hunt is REALLY on to find a fitting colour. Of course I noted that new dark turqoise (almost blue-greenish) special tint I have just fallen hard for lately (the same as the new Linnen colour from Yllet).
Ok, so first LYS was Maria. And Tomorrow you will see what I bought! OK. I GOT One hank of the new handpainted silk from Colinette to the too much silly prize of 200sek (Nysta has it for 180!) But look at the colours. Isn't it great?

Friday, September 29, 2006

Yarn Splatter - Yarn craving - yarn restraint?

So frogging the too large sleeve on Cocoon, or twisted floated shrug, makes many small balls of yarn. These are currently splattered all over the place. (This picture is from the summer course at of the colour nestors Färgkraft that I have rambled upon. I guess, I really feel weird. I have now a 62 item work-planning-list. My job is fun (still), and it is just not enough time to knit. Julia sleeves had got some rows during the week (actually, 20 minutes to my new Kista office is ok, but the hour to Västerås (MDH) is better). So, Im called disträ (scatterbrain?) by my hubby - but at my age, I can live with that. Tomorrow I will go to my LYS's (hmm, realized there are at least 4 that I regularly visit in the Stockholm area!) And I do feel like doing a Poncho (how late am I in fashion?) A quick big knit before really digging into Catherine. (ok, I am planning to finish Julia and Modisett Twisted first! They are getting there. And - best of all - we are having a Sticklings-meeting in two weeks. Finally. Thanks Eva! That is our little group of knitters that went together for 2 years at HV (and some of us even 3 years!) in the knitting course. THe problem is I would like to induldge in yarn - but I have so much. Endless much! Anyhow, I'm going to Lund next week (Sländan?) and then Budapest (Hungary) and Helsinki (Jorvas), so, I doubt there will be much time for yarnshopping. But I hope I have some time for it. (Then again - I have a filled yarn-room, it is just so much fun with yarn!).
Oh.. this is old photosession... haha.. sometimes I think I should go out an pour all my yarn in one big pile. That would stop me from buying more yarn. This is just like one hank from each colour.... Summer linnen.
Oh, I forgot. Yarnshops in BUDAPEST anyone? I at least know some yarnshops in Helsinki...(very off main tourist track!) Take care and see you in the yarnshops tomorrow ;-)

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

More Crazy books on net! Really crazy!

So, I thought the Starmore was a Queen of Knitting. But I bought her Scandinavian Knitting (her first book), and I was lauging in tears. Not only did the book hurt my wallet. But it was so filled with so many faults it was ridiculus. That was an overrated book. Mixing Binge and Skåne. Wow. Not a pattern I did not know. What a waste. So frustrated (this behavior is called "contrafobic") I of course bought the fair-Ilse Knitting book from her. I sure hope it is better. Of course, I found it on half prize on ebay just after. It is so my birthday soon (ok, Sunday!) I'm turning 45! Scary! I guess I should go for the herbrides and Aran knitting. Well. It hurts. Lets give the Tudor roses a better hand. That is good enough. But no clue on yarn. Wow. Weird that is.¨(Sorry Blog do not want picture today!)

Sunday, September 24, 2006

What a week, what a weekend..

What a week! 3 nights in a Hotel. Working like a dog. Exhausted. Conference, talk, hold a one day tutorial... good friend in trouble.in Germany. But home to lovely! Bliss.
Boat motor fixed. And beautiful weather for Sweden in September. It could be freezing, but it was 20 Celcius. Fantastic. Friday nite - inspired by Ulla (Garnlek's) finished Cocoon (ok, Twisted floated shrug), I though, what the heck. It is time. So, We packed up, and half of my luggage was the sweater. Bullandö and to the (in)famous Sandhamn. Full!. But a place at Lökholmen. Then "taxiboat" to Sandhamn. Finally, the real hip place in the archepelago (20 000 islands) outside Stockholm. Beautiful small village, but all closed (evening). Us and our friends went to DB (Dykarbaren) or diving bar. Last nite. Ridiculus place. "Fjollkaffe" 300 sek (i.e. Caffe Latte for 35 dollars!) But a beer for 40 sek (5 dollars). No, do not use the word Fjollkaffe for Lattes- It means sissycoffee! But the big Sandhamn Hotel was more reasonable. We were tired anyway after a day sailing.
Here is the proof I at least tried to knit in the break. But what differs Sweden september to June, is that it gets dark 6.46 now, and in June, It does hardly get dark at all. (11.30 at nite). Well, Great sailing back today, but strained a muscle behind my shoulderblade, so it is actually hard to breath. Weird. Notice the wonderful yarn from Estonia (turquoise in the middle and purpelish), slowly transforming. As usual the neighbourghing boat commented about it. On the other-side was a party boat, that rumbled through the nite, so I think it will be the last time staying there. But, amazing. We have had a almost 4.5 month sailing season, which is fantastic. Well, my new job will require much more of me - a lot more travelling. So, I will definitely slow down this blog to about one posting a week if nothing spectacular happends. Take care out there, and thank you so much for the comments. I luv them.