Favourite Peony - "Molly the witch" or "Molkowitch" is opening its short - but fantastic show. It is holiday in Sweden, and I just love spending the day in the garden. Both Mother-In-Low with Hubby, and my own mother is visiting! And - M-IL is fantastic knitter. Look at her in her "Knitters" wrap (front cover 2006)
It is so great - done in Garnstudio Alpacka and Maria's garn hand painted by her. Well, this baby needs a close-up. Anyhow, I translated the pattern, and participated in yarn-hunt (I think I showed you the little pile and and the ball of yarn earlier).
Anyhow, I have been planning to knit my first baby-gear to a friend of mine, Carmen and Klaus who recently had a little-one. And asked M-I-L about pattern. She had it in her head (!) and knitted a little cap and footsies to the infant. Looking great! And I must say, really easy pattern. Basically, you start with any number between 20-26 stiches. Then knit as many rows as stiches - just straight - and every second row you add on one stich (2 stiches in) and at the end on the same row you take away one stich (2 stiches in). After for example 10 rows (20 stiches) you turn the slant the other way for 10 rows, and then turn the slant back for ten rows (half number of stiches). Then you end by turning another 20 stiches slanted the other way. You will have a zig-zag like a W. Then you saw toghether"the outside of the W and the middle point is the little point in front. And add to bands. The footsies were equally simple.
Just 30 stiches, and back and forth for 8 rows.(this is writst) then 10 in middle straight forward for a bit (10-rows- or upper footlenght) then pick up the left over 10 at each side, and "around" the side of the flap you just knitted. Back and forth 4 rows (makes edge). Then cast off all but in the Toe (the flap end) 10 stiches, and knit the sole. Make a little "round" by casting a few stiches off in the heal to shape it. Then cast off and sew togehter in back and sole to edge. Out in a band to tie it. And - Done. One day knit by M-I-L. Impressive. Very. And less than one ball of yarn. Otherwise, the theme has been children. My mother is really engaged in "Save the Children" charity - and has taken on
(at 74 years of age) to support a day-care for children outside Vilnius in Lithuania. So, we picked her up at the airport, and she came back filled with stories of abandoned children, and alcoholic parents who use their child-support money to buy booze instead of food to their small ones. She is such an impressive lady doing it - even if she has a hard time to walk herself. Then singlehanded just goes in and make things happen. I think it is healing for both her and them - just sharing and caring and bringing practical gifts to all the children. She does not see her own beauty, it is so sad. Well, not the best picture of her, but I had to "steal it." She does NOT like her picture taken. D
ear mom. Otherwise, Im after some hard working weeks finally got the go-ahead to take my Licenciate Thesis (A scandiavian construct, sort of half-way between Master Thesis and PhD). So Im now into desperate writing - or should be - if it was just such a great holiday day. Ahh, I love Sweden in spring. Light, flowers and a lot of holidays to enjoy them. Knitting? Well, there Im going at it.. Enterlac-war. Soon ready to join an unmatching sleeve to a body. That will be MAGIC.
Sorry - Im trying to get comments to work, but blogger decided they shouln't... Buggy!
Favourite Peony - "Molly the witch" or "Molkowitch" is opening its short - but fantastic show. It is holiday in Sweden, and I just love spending the day in the garden. Both Mother-In-Low with Hubby, and my own mother is visiting! And - M-IL is fantastic knitter. Look at her in her "Knitters" wrap (front cover 2006)
It is so great - done in Garnstudio Alpacka and Maria's garn hand painted by her. Well, this baby needs a close-up. Anyhow, I translated the pattern, and participated in yarn-hunt (I think I showed you the little pile and and the ball of yarn earlier). 
Anyhow, I have been planning to knit my first baby-gear to a friend of mine, Carmen and Klaus who recently had a little-one. And asked M-I-L about pattern. She had it in her head (!) and knitted a little cap and footsies to the infant. Looking great! And I must say, really easy pattern. Basically, you start with any number between 20-26 stiches. Then knit as many rows as stiches - just straight - and every second row you add on one stich (2 stiches in) and at the end on the same row you take away one stich (2 stiches in). After for example 10 rows (20 stiches) you turn the slant the other way for 10 rows, and then turn the slant back for ten rows (half number of stiches). Then you end by turning another 20 stiches slanted the other way. You will have a zig-zag like a W. Then you saw toghether"the outside of the W and the middle point is the little point in front. And add to bands. The footsies were equally simple. 
Just 30 stiches, and back and forth for 8 rows.(this is writst) then 10 in middle straight forward for a bit (10-rows- or upper footlenght) then pick up the left over 10 at each side, and "around" the side of the flap you just knitted. Back and forth 4 rows (makes edge). Then cast off all but in the Toe (the flap end) 10 stiches, and knit the sole. Make a little "round" by casting a few stiches off in the heal to shape it. Then cast off and sew togehter in back and sole to edge. Out in a band to tie it. And - Done. One day knit by M-I-L. Impressive. Very. And less than one ball of yarn. Otherwise, the theme has been children. My mother is really engaged in "Save the Children" charity - and has taken on 
(at 74 years of age) to support a day-care for children outside Vilnius in Lithuania. So, we picked her up at the airport, and she came back filled with stories of abandoned children, and alcoholic parents who use their child-support money to buy booze instead of food to their small ones. She is such an impressive lady doing it - even if she has a hard time to walk herself. Then singlehanded just goes in and make things happen. I think it is healing for both her and them - just sharing and caring and bringing practical gifts to all the children. She does not see her own beauty, it is so sad. Well, not the best picture of her, but I had to "steal it." She does NOT like her picture taken. D
ear mom. Otherwise, Im after some hard working weeks finally got the go-ahead to take my Licenciate Thesis (A scandiavian construct, sort of half-way between Master Thesis and PhD). So Im now into desperate writing - or should be - if it was just such a great holiday day. Ahh, I love Sweden in spring. Light, flowers and a lot of holidays to enjoy them. Knitting? Well, there Im going at it.. Enterlac-war. Soon ready to join an unmatching sleeve to a body. That will be MAGIC.
What IS this? Apple Blooms! And the purple Jaeger Matchmaker Merino... For my second Enterlac (who is really the first). It is just never finished, since it had uneven number of squares, so this one sleeve is just not working out. The result. I have reknitted it four (4)! times. No kidding. No wonder I stress out. First time it left a gap above the shoulder - that was just too big to be nice, The second - same thing. The third seems to work fine until I realized I closed the hole for the sleeve completely. Then it have rested for two winters- and I have done the turqoise inbeetween - much easier to have even number of squares (on back and front ;-) Anyhow, this last time - brave after finishing turqoise enterlac, I have been knitting away - and it came together. But, I started to run out of blue yarn..Weird. So I lay the work down, and I have done a cone, the WRONG way. Back to ripping again. And then I returned to the last possible solution. Knitting the sleeve from the bottom, and HOPING I will be able to solve when I get up there. It is a math- grafical problem. And it is NOT going to fit. But hey, I love challenges. 
So.. this is what I have been doing - watching American Idol (I just cannot stand Musikfestivalen -the European song festival)... I of course know the top three in US are Melinda, Blake and 17 year old...(hey it is available on the web!), and even if she isn't the greatest, Gina is really great. Evanesence cought me back early. I know Lakisha was voted off in US but I sure hope someone give her a FAT contract - she sings great. She deserves it. Melinda is in a class of her own - but she need to stop shrugging - she looks like she has no neck. Also a master of voice. But lately Blake has grown. I just love his beetboxing. What a showman. A bit young but sexyhot. Anyhow, Sweden showed "British Invasion" and I must say my favourite song was chubby curlyheads (Chris) song - "She not there" by the Zombies- but hubby claims it was the song, not the vocal was great. But that Stephanie is voted out? She needs help - I really liked her (more than her song). So the top 10 tour? That is interesting. I would luve that. And Sanyayas little fan in the audience. That was sooo cute. 
Ah, I know, all Americans have forgotten, and all Swedes watches "musikfestivalen". Sorry for being off-beat. Anyhow - thanks for all comments, I have like lace and Im ok with shawls, but I really luve sweaters. AND NOW my Knitting block is gone. The cure was going at my cicular cardi last sleeve (Twisted KAL) in my yarnroom. Sitting there and knitting, and watching all great yarn I have collected makes me itchy again to go at it. 
Designed a great kid-silk mohair sweater in my head (that colinette TAO) - and realized that Im going to use Solveigs 2 hanks of silk to blend with white baby alpacka and not with the yarn on the left (original plan!). That will be a great top. Sorry Mary, I postponed US and Canada for now. Im just in such a mess with my research and arranging a conference (and participating in several) that I cannot cope. I also got invited to India NOW! when it is 50 C HOT or monsun-rains will start any minute. Here in Sweden it is SO beautiful. Blooming! And I feel so good. Busy, but good.
