On top of second "luxury" shelf in yarnroom.

Here is the start of the second shelf. On top a number of boxes, with some of my most dear yarn. I bet you are curious of what the boxes contain?
Anyhnow, top is my Islandic yarn from Halla. A great dear friend who has a special place in my heart. She has a small yarnshop at home just north of Stockholm. But I think what I really like is that I special ordered islandic fleece from her, and her mother carried this 2 kilo of fleece on their vacation around Europe before coming to Sweden. I luv her mum to, but I have never met her. I definitely have planned a yarn trip to Island (with the Blue Lagoon) in the next couple of years. Including one day at the Factory outlet of ISTEX. So, there is this "carded, cut yarn that you wire three of these disk's of pre-yarn" together in a ball. Then you knit this great Islandic sweaters. Im planning a cardigan from Sticka, and at least two more warm sweaters out of the top shelf, and If I ran out, I now where to find it. The green in the middle is the left-overs from my hubby's islandic sweater. Remember?
Well hidden and in packages, I reveal the three white boxes here. All from sale at Liberty wearhouse in London, where a knittinggroup meets on thursdays in the Cafe (this bought on a winter sale!!)The two left is Cashmere, and the one on the right is silk. The two on the left have an individual plastic box package for each ball. That is a wow factor. Colours are Teal and Royal. The silk on the right is of that fantastic colour GOLD: It is really gold. Im actually thinking about combining the three into one sweater. Reason is simple. Even if it is 10 balls of 25 gram, 250 gram is like a very small top. I think next pic is really fuzzy. Must be the lack of caffe latte. As you can see, it is a "luxury lime" silk yarn from Filatura di Crosa).
As you guessed, this is also too little to make a sweater, but a top? or maybe mixed with Kid-silk haze to become a sweater? Up some size? I think it would look great in cables. So, this is maturing. It is well packed anyhow. This last picture for today is my Angora collection. Definitely hording here. Most of it is 100% angora. The light turqoise were bought in Denmark, but was bleached from the sun, so I got some extra yarn instead. Reds and some from Valencia. And Angora is just great (but not for babies) since the fiber really sticks in your nose and is great. I think I learned that if you use it as a highlight, the angora will "be eaten up" by the other yarn. So have soft companians. But would work in a Bohus collar! So that is the plan! My own self-made Bohus inspiration.
Thanks for the very nice comments.I have become "inlove" with Queen Catherine. Time-consuming, But fab. Take care out there fantastic people!

A stich a day...Catherine is coming alive!

Wow, two days in front to the computer, and the neck hurts already. Well, knitting is great. Catherine Parr is like a mysterious woman. But, Im almost (after several reknits and struggles, ready after a few more rows and knots to start the long and interesting body. But it is big enough I think. But fall colours. I admit, I should stick more to it. But knitting is fun, fun, so I will do what I want - HA!

New year, new hope, Hello 2007!

Lets make this new year the best ever. Reach out and touch (a friend, a new yarn, a new needlesize) - or just cuddle with what you have. That is not such a bad idea either. I got a 4Gb Ipod from Santa Husband. He have spent all weekend filling it up with all my favourite CDs. What relaxing weekend. I have done nothing but knitted on Catherine Parr - and eaten too much food. Thank you all for a great and wonderful year and all your nice and encouraging comments from around the world. Now work begins again, and I wonder what will be done with my academic and professional ambitions. I watched a program about being happy. And some of the trick was, be social, laugh with someone, do not worry, be positive and stay in the present. So, lets make this a happy year. Many meetings around the world. One of the highlights was watching Wallace and Gromit and the stolen sheep. That was just great. All woolshops and those furry ones we love. I lauged alot. What a treat! Keep knitting warmth stich by stich! See the creativity grow and enjoy the patterns and colour. And, a correction: I missed of course the summerfugeln shetland yarn in the bottom right of this picture. Of course, it is was not obvious when I told the story the other day, but the label reveals them. Any how, I will continue with some stash pictures. Soon ready for a heavy yarn moment. Love and hope.

The Garngamen 2006 Chronicle - Persistance

So after a bad asthma night (those darn Billly's) Im slowly recovering. Hubby said. This could be 6 oclock in March, but instead it is 3 oclock today. View from my balcony. Pretty neat. Saw a GREAT dvd last night - Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter .. and spring again, from Korea. Really deep buddism movie. I just say WOW. If I had yarn there....and could knit. Anyhow. It is the time of year to look back and to a chronicle of 2006. I must say, it was rather hard to make a choice. I have really been busy in my blog this year, and visitor number is slowly creeping up.
Here it is: And - if there is something you think I missed, give me a comment, I can always add it on ;-)
Most fun knitted project 2006 ? Well, surprisingly I would put my summer-socks there with hand died yarn. Quick, pleasing and done in a whiff, ort was it because it was one of those fantastic sailingtrips with time to knit and fantastic weather? Say NO MORE!
Most unpleasent knitted project 2006?
Are there any? Hmm, When I ripped Alice Starmores Tudor Roses (Catherine Parr) for the 3 time... but she is moving over to the good side too, it is not her fault.

Greatest 2006 Yarn experience?
This is a very tough one. Is it visiting Östergötlands Woolspinnery and then the visit to Copenhagen (Summerfugeln, Uldstedet, etc) now,
The entire Knitting and Stiches 2006 experience with my dear HPNYKnits friend and Mary! And Stash. That entire London trip was really a yarn galore shopping spree. Was it the sock yarn from Nickerjack?

But lets go into detail. I think BEST NEW YARN of 2006 is: Kidmohair from Älandbro mohair outside Härnösand. Looks like wool, soft, great colours (lime, blues and purple is great), durable, and just fantastic and great price (if bought directly).

Very close second, with one strand on the first prize is MALABRIGO. (togheter with Noro). Filling, soft and lasts forever in great colours, love emerald. Reasonable price! Then third is Östergötlands Wool spinnery, and third fourth is Sork wool yarn from Fardhem (Gotland) spinnery.

Worst yarn experience? I do not think there exist worst yarn experiences, but ok my dissappointment on the supersoft CashCotton from Rowan, that looses its shape in ribbing after one wear was intense. Great colour, soft, cosy, but expensive, and flat.

Most inspiring knitting books 2006?
Knitting Nature with Norah Gaughan is first, then shared second are two swedish knitting books: Sticka med Kaffe Fasset (his patterns of Kaffe, but also great additions by Eva Wincent) and Sticka with Nina Saugelin (Nysta). Third place is Three-cornered & Longshawls by Sigridur Halldorsdottir. Of course I could add some old finds: Got Alice Starmores Fair-Isle that was really good! Worst knitting book? It must be Alice's first book, Scandinavian Knitware. Full of faults and bad research. But I guess she was young and unexperienced. But I payed dearly for it, so I feel cheated! Most wanted book(s); Alice Starmore: In the herbrides, and Aran patterns and....

Best pattern !! I must say that Rowan pattern in Julia (summer collection 11) was a great lace pattern. I really enjoyed it, and it was not super easy to knit at first, but then the skies cleared and the beauty was shown. it worked surprisingly well. Worst pattern!! The ones I do not follow, so maybe my own? No, I do not have one this year. Maybe ambigious Knitting Calender.I luve Johanna, I luve her idea, I luve her patterns, but she is not great in writing clear patterns. Most wanted pattern. I like Rouge (thanks to Monica) but I never seem to get around it. And of course Heirloom lace patterns and book looks fab!

Best Fiber This year it is Fardhem Gotland sheep fleece. Precarded in sheets. It was fun to spin. But this is unfair of course, because I have not tried it all. Also the merino spun itself.Worst Fiber Unwashed Gotland sheep - spinning directly from the fur. "Spinna tott". The urine-stench takes over the sheep fragrance and my sensetive nose (otherwise it was ok). Most wanted fiber: Possum and Buffalo.

Improvement this year: Persistance! I did actually start and finish some great projects. The OS-knitted coat with gloves and cap was a success, and Julia that took forever - But I was presistent. I stayed with these projects to the end. That is new for me. But I think the best improvement have been for you, readers. I have blogged. Boy I have blogged. I feel like Carrie writing her column for Sex in the City. But this is more yarnvulture/garngamen: Sex through YARNshopping and fiber. And all those great yarn festivals and yarntrips.And the colour course. And Stickstämma. A rich knitting year
Insights this year: When Im inspired I can really knit much in a short time. Even 20 minutes on a commuter train is enough for doing some rows. I luve inventing my own patterns. Im a sweater person, but quick knits are great. My unmentionable large size takes a long time to knit.

Good path this year I can rip things up when Im not satisfied (That is definitely NEW). And I have persistance. Staying-power. Yeah! Happy pappy. I can fix patterns. Bad path this year: Im blogging far too much, which takes too much time from knitting. Im avoiding knitting cafe's since I do not knit very much on them, I just chat. I do struggle with some UFO's.

Wishes for next year: Finish most UFO's, visit a Stiches event and go on a US Yarn shoppingspree when the dollar is nice and low with my friends.Spin more (and better!) - And loose some size around the belly to go down one sweater size ;-) And again. Visit more knitting cafes. It is fun.
Favorite new colour for 2006: Turqoise. It is the Greek deep sea of green and blue in a marriage.

Big Projects for next year: Hanne Falkenberg, and some a FAIR-ISLE. Otherwise it will be finishing already started knits. And more and greater pictures. Also, finding someone to make a better Garngamen header.

Finished objects 2006: OS coat with half-mittens and cap. Julia. Socks. Cerise sweater. Scarf..Hmm. My mind is slipping... What have I been doing?

Started objects 2006: AS: Catherine Parr, HF: Studio 9, mittens (3 pairs), Scarfs (2), socks (3). Spun sweater (2), Green silk sweater, Enterlac malabrigo, hmm... I better stop here. it is so much more I have started. Most used knitted item. No doubt this swinging scarf.
And it is done in just some yarns. I wear it almost every day.

2006 Conclusion
I realized it is the knitting in itself that is the best. Not finishing (even if that is fun). And Yarnshopping.and fondling with my yarn. My pressious yarn, and dreaming about great sweaters to make from it. Happy new year to you all!