Reflection 2009 - and Opal-rush started!

Vouge Fall issue calls this "gold-rush", but more as one hommage 2009 to our fantastic vacation to Australia, the colourscheme really asks for an "Opal-rush" (which is really a cropped jacket). One strand of Plötulopi, one strand of Färgkraft (Tulpan (tulip) at bottom, then swapped to Pion (peony)), and the one strand of Forsell superthin 3-ply merino. A great mix, that has thouse wonderful colours of an Opal. What a wonderful quick knit, with the "bell-shape". Also funny is the colour difference in the photo. Same sweater. In SNOW, with and without flash. It feels a bit delicate but I'm sure it will work out. It is cold and snowing (again). Yet another "jacket" /cardigan started. I think was fitting for starting a chronicle of 2009. I have started so many items, but also, I have finished some too. Of course Windfell is also progressing. Im half-way on both sleeves, and done the "bottom-part" of the body, but Im worried (as always?) if there is enough yarn. This has definitely been the "theme" of 2009. Starting projects without knowing it will be enough. But I have done some calculations.

I think I have knitted more than a Swedish mil and a half (16,3 km) this year (!) producing 13 sweaters/cardigans (full sized) and 3 pairs of socks, 2 blouse-bunny holders, two hats. and one entire kit for a baby (2 hats, one dress/pants, 2 sweaters, one pair of sock). Time for the yearly list of reflection:

1. Best (summer) knitting project 2009 in garngamen design: The "indie-top".. I love it... it is cheerful and fits great!




2. Best (warm) knitting project 2009 in garngamen design: The Jaeger cable sweater. Wonderful yarn, wonderful warm, perfect for work, and great fit.



3. Greatest yarn to knit with 2009:The wonderful Naturally Karamea: A Possum merino wool blend. Again a garngamen design, and a close tie of the second spot, but looses it, becaus it is not as figure flattering as 2. But ohboy, how warm and soft that is. Yummy. Also - the fond memory of having this knit as my main knit during Australia, and the fun visit to my relatives in Norway. The buttons were just perfect (from Paris!)



4. Most knitted yarn of 2009: Definitely the lovely Plötulopi (förgarn) from Alafoss Istex - any my dear friend Halla. You bundle three strands to make one - and both then you are not supposed to carry more than 3 yarn-threads at one time in the pattern, but both of these had 4. Anyhow, this wonderful fast knitted yarn resulted in 3 wonderful sweaters.. where I do feel my dear brother poses fantastically in one... and I know it is also warming my dear friend across the world.
   


5. Maybe I should mention the one item that got "most hearted" in Ravelry of all 2009 items. The "viewers choice" is the swimmingpool top - really Angela Hahn's Leaf top Yoke -where I added sleeves (and an extra leaf boarder on the bottom). This does not win my summer top because of fit, and - after some wear - it has "hanged" out. Maybe I do need to knit that brim on the collar... and it is a bit long. Almost like a dress... Hmm.. But hmm honestly - it was made in paradise - Langkawi in Malaysia.


6. Most cherished knitting book: Must be the new Britt-Marie Christofferson book "Stickning - ett hantverk att utveckla".. and from the english speaking pile: I love "French Girls Knit", but the golden "oldies" - Starmore, Hisdahl, Norah G, Debbie Newton.. well you know I cannot choose.


7. Best Knitting magazine - I love the new UK "The Knitter", though many patterns are just copies from books I already have.., but it does still not compete with Interweave Knits and Vouge (or Designer) Knitting, that always are fresh, contemporary and has great stuff. Unfortunately both Knitscene and Knit1, or Knitters, are hard to get here. Glad to see Verena though, but I do not really fall for their patterns.


8. Best yarnshopping 2009 (world-wide ranking): My stash!! I have been a good girl this year and not indulged too much.


9. 2009 Yarnshop city ranking: 1. Stockholm (even if favved Nysta and Warp & Weft both went off-shop to on-line). 2. London and Copenhagen (tie) and 3. Vienna (Wien). Worst: Sofia - Bulgaria! (Sorry Kuala Lumpur was exotic, but not for the yarn - more for patterns!)


10. Best pattern: I guess I count St Brigid here! It is still not super-finished, otherwise I'm sure it would nock all items off the list (and since I have not USED it 2009) I cannot really tell if it survive the long run, but it was sure a great and fun knit. And the yarn is just fab... Wåhlstedts "Vålberg" yarn. Yummy handcoloured from a great spinnery.

With this little 10 top list I wish you all a wonderful "Happy New Knitting Year of 2010" - with many wonderful things on the needles. I have already signed up for StickaMera SockKlubb 2010, and also the IntSweMoDo in Ravelry which will definitely have me focused on knitting another 12 sweaters. Otherwise - 2010 will truely be a fantastic year for me. Since I plan to finish my PhD this year, so if nothing bad happens - lets hold our thumbs for a wonderful, fun and happy year - and remember 2009 as learning and challenging as it was - but with wonderful sparks of bliss - and filled with hope. Lets open the champange and toast for us all (I'm just going to knit some first....). And again dear readers - thank you for all your wonderfully warm and encouraging comments. It is so nice to know you are out there: Gott nytt år!

God Jul - Merry Christmas!

It is snow! It is quiet in Stockholm! And a Merry Christmas. We are looking at our favourite Disney at 3, a Swedish tradition for people "my age".... And my dear loves his Jaeger Alpaca Christmas present. Secretly knitted late at night... of course with a pattern of trees- or "gran" as we call our swedish cristmas fir-trees. So the had of course is called "Gran". (Swedish of course note the twist with gran,,garn= yarn!) For you that do not see the riddle. Why do our gran have the trees with the branches upwards? look at the gran inbetween ;-) I also throwed in a little victory bay-leaf twig as well...
Warm, and fitting! He is so cute! Btw - check the colour difference (with and without flash of the hat. The colours are more true with the flash (which is unusual), but it also becomes clear how dark it is. But now we are going to lighter times.

My thoughts goes to all my dear knitting friends around the world. Thank you for convincing me to continue with this blog... and for the patience and all the nice comments. We wish you all such a merry holiday time. Yet another year of many interesting happenings and learnings. We have made the great home-made Swedish Meat-balls, boiled and glazed the ham (this year with a orange taste) and this non-vegetarian feast does also have a green cabbage soup....and of course a lot of fruit-cake, saffron buns, and mandarins... And let us all rejoice over the love that exists in this wonderful world. Now - I must join Ferdinand the bull who sniffs on his flowers!

So with this - I wish you all a Merry Christmas!

Santa Lucia - Saffron buns...

St Brigid colours... Could it become any better? It has the same wonderful colour as the "Leila bakar" (Leila bakes) saffron bun's, with a great filling (and very much Muffin shaped, haha). They sure made a mess of our "preliminary" kitchen, since we did not make it with our own until the Holiday times. Yes, I know you are waiting for the full pictures of St. Brigid, but she still misses the zipper (!) in front, and I must have some order in the yarn-room, which still looks like the battle of the things collected. And some courage....Anyway, this does not stop me from knitting other stuff though. For dear mom, (and you other curious) this is the new (very old) William Morris wallpaper for the bedroom. So green, and so cosy.... And yeah, hubbie LOVES pistachio nuts, so I though a great mix in a (swe. kladdkaka) moist cake, would do the trick. We have already been there to get something - with a mix of ice-cream it is great! No healthy things this weekend, but we are so low on energy that we can bearly keep it up - and we needed some distraction to our cough serenading....viruses are NOT something to take lightly. The throat hurts again.. And this week the real cold out there will hit us. -15 (Celius) will hit us. Deepf-reezing without snow kills the garden. Sigh...Anyhow, we at least got the christmas lights outside - it is needed. It is dark, but then - this is the darkest week of the year... and also on the winter solstice, the 15 year anniversary of hubby and me falling in love. Anyhow, much work coming up at the research - Statistics - here we come! Ahh, it is still Santa Lucia. In the darkness - the queen of light shines for us all. Take care out there. More knitting and yarn....

FO- Twinkleberry Socks, and some progress

The wonderful Twinkleberry socks from Knitzi, in StickaMera's SockKAL is the december sock. Sticka Mera has competitions ongoing now before christmas (for swedish speakers). And I'm so behind this KAL, having put my energy into 12 sweaters (that might be 13 or 14).... But now I'm catching up. So, these socks were very nice and easy to knit. I followed the pattern "exactly" except the final grafting on the two - which I turned the sock inside out and did a 3 needle-bindoff on the inside to make it look perfect. I'm not sure I like the short-row heel, since it tends to be a bit "gap"s in the turns, how much you pull. The yarn is a wonderful gift from a visiting american "Castingaway", a fellow knitter and sailor. Of course her sailing boat is absolutely fab! Wow!The yarn equally fab. Thank you again! Handpainted in very nice greeing blue. The socks fits perfect. And I still have a lot of yarn left for two more socks. I'm so happy, today is the first day in THREE WEEKS, my throat is not hurting so bad, that every time I swallow - I feel like someone is cutting my throat with razorblades. So, now it is just the eyes that needs to clear up a bit - and cough to disappear. But at least I got some energy - to pick up a "three-weeks - I have the flu and I have done NOTHING"-mess... So, if you waiting for me - there is hope I will catch up on my "item-list" this week. The second picture is what I just started. A WARM wonderful Noro Kochoran cardi, pattern called "Windfell" from simply Noro. Mine will be in the same yarn as the picture, but with a little red edge. It is great, since it is based on 2009 years goal, that this year was to knit up all "bulky yarn". I still have some left - but this opend a great gap in my Billy book-self, and I want something warm to wrap around me. This final picture is the worst best thing (?) It is my EVERST in knitting... A speede sweater - on 1.5 mm needles. I realize I hardly can see the stitches, so just based on this - it will take some serious time! I plan of course to do my own speede - mixed pattern, based on a series of speede sweaters. We will see how this develop.
I'm so not sure if the yarn will last for the entire sweater and if I'm then to mix it with a nearby colour.... It is Twinny from Ishager - which is now obsolete yarn. Otherwise Im thinking if I actually Should do it short as the original. So - Im at a loss before starting. Otherwise, we are NOT getting a kitchen before Christmas - sigh. But we got the bedrooms back, so it is not THAT bad. Slowly we are trying to fix things up. Painting the radiators, and putting wardrobes together - and chasing old crystal lamps for the rooms. Take care out there - and send me a high on the comments, ok?

FO-Sunday Swing Socks

I'm sorry for the poor picture. But I STILL have a flu, and it is hard to take a picture between coughing attacks. Knitting this was really not so hard and did not take any energy. I think I get energy from knitting. It is good to have something to take your mind of germs. Yeah, and the souvenir sock yarn (from Vienna, Austria) ran out, but I do not mind some purple toes. They are warm. And finally the StickaMera Sockklubb gets an entry from me. I'm back in the game! (at least ONE game)... Im mostly out of everything else... Darn flu. Great pattern though, Sunday Swing from Kristel Nyberg (see Knitty.com). The yarn is Lana Grossa, and the toe is scraps, Sundara Sock yarn, (that was a gift). Comfortable.

November - rain and flu

I have absolutely nothing important to say today.
I have hoped I would show off St Brigid, but Im still knitting... collar, and extra braid on the sleeve - and it is so heavy and a bit BIG... thinking the really horrible words "light felting".... Otherwise I have had a week in London - and all I got was a flu (and some wonderful conversations with fellow researchers). I got a TWIG (my wonderful cherry-tree) in my eye, that after an agonising day with me being in much pain and half blind, I small piece dropped out. So now Im just stuggling with all the pain of a flu. I dear not test me for swine-flue, but Im happy that I got the shot just a week before, sooo....Otherwise Im moving back into the bedroom that is now fixed. And Hubby! have realized that a room full of yarn will result in a room full of sweaters. THAT will be a problem....

More Pink Baby Ida...

It is small hearts as buttons. The last of my Pink yarn - as well as October is going to an end. This is the last of this batch of Baby stuff for my cousins little girl. Now - quick to the post office and sending it and all the other stuff (see 2 posts below). It has been silent here. But I seen you apprechiate my FO (the cardi)...thanks. I'm so much
looking forward to the current knit A true masterpiece cable - Alice Starmore's wonderful St Brigid. Two sleeves finished, and the back, so now Im knitting on the front panel. It will be a cardi, I think with zipper, but I might swap to clasps.... Anyhow, so this was the wonderful artistic picture my dear brother sent me. It is me knitting the camisole (the blue/lime one). So cool. As my brother says, drawing people I know is the hardest - since he projects himself so much into it. I love it. I think he captured just that serene bliss I get when I knit something I really love. I get so focused - I loose my self and I find myself. Thas is what great knitting does. I think it might be more than a weeks knit, but I'm loving it. Unfortunately, my research hunts me a bit over the weekend, so Im still very busy.

OT: Guggenheim Bilbao - and RAIN!

Bilbao in Spain is something special. The museum is an architectual piece. But the exhibition... well, Im brought up with "house models" from dad and mom (architects/ ditto), so F.Lloyd-Wright was cool, but not enough! The small (very small) collection of real art (painings and sculptures - was almost less pieces than I have in my home collection). As you know - my dear brother is an artist - wonderful paintings and sculptures, so. If Guggenheim was filled with my brothers art - the place would glow. So throw up some millions, and Im sure he can make those empty dead walls to vibrate and also the fab - but so empty - spaces, to vibrate. Why are people so "dead"? I really think a dark room with a poorly recorded video and some noice is just a waste of my time. And - I payed for it? It is really cheating people instead of inspire them. No yarn hunt report as planned. It was so rainy, and I admit. I was so not in the mood to hunt for yarn when the time was scarce... Anyhow, My fab brother gave me a wonderful piece for my birthday. Me knitting. I have to frame it! Thank you!

Pink- October! Cancer awareness! FO- Baby kit for Ida!

Amazing how fast baby knits are. Celebrating my dear cousins baby - Ida Hermanna (oh yeah, a real knitting name - but she is from Gotland, so....) All design by me. Ida's mom wants pink, she begged for pink. And I also thought that pink is perfect - it is October - (breast)Cancer awareness month. So of course the little baby girl Ida should have it. Now - this little Malabrigo dress is very wide (for the dipers) and has adjustable straps (to grow in), and because I have no idea how small an infant is. But I thought this out. You turn it around, and you button it - and you adjust the little band around the waist, and you have some baby panties. I do not know if dresses just end up in the face ;-) So this second picture is the same thing, but buttoned differently. Of course you also need the cardi/jacket to wrap around. The one button have a strap that is long, so you can use it until the sleeves are too tight. To this Malabrigo (two colours of pink) ensemble, you also have socks. I almost "laughed" doing them. They were so tiny - but super elastic. Very easy home-made pattern, 2k, 2p and than every fourth row, you move the entire patter one stitch forward (and for other sock, backward), but still keeping 2k and 2p. And did not take long to do. So cute... Of course a baby needs both the helmet - a super fun and easy pattern (I think I blogged about it long time ago). I love it, and the two strings made a great swirl.... It poses on some ceramics and a flashlight, but boy is it tiny. Again, knitting back and forth - it is super elastic. Finally the last hat, is something warmer. It has a brim, but soft and cosy. I actually through it looks girly cool. Also some ease, but probably not as elastic... but hats are fast. Now I used up 2 Malabrigo hanks, and are jumping for the left-over from the helmet - Rowan Cotton-Milk (!) Im hoping it is enough for a tiny top to have under the dress. Well, my plan is to get this in the mail soon, but wipping that togheter was really fun. Took me the weekend, but wnen the mojo is there, and it is completed that fast, nothing stops you. Well, my cousin said - I am the only one she knows who knit, so I hope I will fill them with love. And the baby needs to be warm and protected. Malabrigo is super.

FO-Poetry of Stitches Camisole made to Cardigan

The smile is as large as I'm happy. Finally, this project is finished. First it was a camisole, a top with no sleeves, from Poetry of Stitches (Dikt i maskor) by Solveig Hisdahl (the genius designer behind Oleana). The yarn was a wonderful 50% Silk and 50% merino blend from Solveig Gustafssons "Solsilke" colour-shop (the women behind the renesannce of Bohus). Buttons very tin from Oslo Husfliden. A really fun knit, where I used only 2 balls for doing the body. Then I realized I had plenty more, so I knitted wide shoulderstraps. And then turned page, and looked at the sleeves from the very similar cardigan. Now, if you study the patterns, they are very differently constructed. Also, I put a lot of ease and extra rows to fit my hmm "too-many-hotel-breakfast's-belly". But the top got really wide. This means I had to add an entire section and making a collar (that is what took such a long time. But Im enthusiastic with the result. So, stealing the sleeves from the cardigan without compensating (these were NOT inset - as the cardigan pattern), was not a perfect move, but it turned out ok anyhow. A slight hang on the shoulders, and you can hardly see the extra inset from the straps. It is warm, it has a weird silvery, greyish, yellow with some greenish (very mild) colour in it. And soft. Just a "tiny" bit too short, and maybe I could have skipped those two extra insets in the back (and made them smaller in the front)... Im not J-Lo, even if I swing pretty good. Anyhow the "sideways" pattern is a delight. And using this yarn was also a hit. I still have half a ball left, I COULD frog the crochet edge, and add on a few rows, but Im more thinking of something matching... the phone-holder, Ipod-case.. hmm. A headband? well. we will see. Sweden is now rainy at day, frosts at night, and all turned chilly and wet in an instant. This sweater also completes my 12th sweater in the Ravelry Sweater KAL. Take care out there!

Bohus kit yeah ! - And some progress...

A wonderful packet of Bohus "Scilla" a long time on my list of wanted Bohus... Yummy. I think I deserved it as a birthday present to myself ;-) to listen to the great IPod from Hubby.. Ok, I also bought some more Bohus goodies, but that is between Santa and me... Otherwise I'm in a big fight how to finish the collar of my camisole, that is transformed into a cardigan ;-) WITH a collar. Assembly of the sleeves and some crochet. Should not be more that 10 hours of work...Next weekend. This was all window painting, and finding lamps and switches for the house in renovation. But - I have already gotten the freezing weather at the doorstep - so this wonderful sweater is on the needles. St Bridgit from A. Starmores "Aran Knitting", with Vålbergs yarn. Beautiful colourvariations. Just like the leafs on the trees.. Yes, this is sleeve one.... second sleeve and the front, and much "tricks" in assembly, zipper?? and yeah.. but a progress in love....It is all knitters cable dream, surprisingly great for both thin and thick (like this) yarn. Im in love. But I guess my 14 hour workday does not give room for my usual 4 hour knitting. And yes, I really want to finish my camisole gone cardigan.. It is my 12th sweater this year. Anyhow, Im always solousy forgetting to thank you fall out there for your kind comments to this blog. So really, thank you Dear Mary and Dear Carrie for your nice comments on the cotton camisole. Remeber... I get older, but I am not too old for comments ;-)

Camisole finished! Iraklio - Heraklion yarnshop!

It is amazingly sunny and warm for september. So posing in this wonderful camisole, pattern from Poetry of Stitches (book) by Solveig Hisdahl. The main yarn (2 huge balls = 760m) is Ciak from Madriafil (very much a sale-yarn from Rome 2004). I just made it around. So, some sale "Garnstudio "Safran" in lime became the sholderstraps and edge. I had a ball finding buttons, that are little "fish". Suits well! The wonderful fingering cotton yarn was so nice to knit, as well as the model. I modified the shortrow waist-shaping and added to my size, since the pattern is only Small and Medium. Maybe it is on the long side, but it flatters the apple-belly. Im glad it is done, and I have counted, the edge takes about 5 hours to crochet. Below is the yarnshop in Heraklion (Iraklio) in Crete. And since I'm a member of Knitmap, I have of course added it. I must advertise Knitmap. It has a lot of stores all over the world. You get address and much more, wherever you are. Stockholm is now competing with Portland with most yarnshops. Fun! On that same note I shed a tear for every closed yarnshop near by. Sad that the wonderful Warp & Weft in Hägersten is closing its store and going on-line. Not the same thing. Well, If I have the "inofficial record" of visited yarnshops around the world, my husband is a good second. Well, today we have cleaned up in the garden. 4 buckets of apples, 2 buckets of pears. And a wheelbarrow filled with bad apples. Well, the 6 apple trees and 3 pear trees are still full of fruit, so I suspect that more work is waiting. Time to make some good yummy apple-cakes. Ehh, if anyone out there read Greek, tell me what the sign really says!

Crete - Such a wonderful vacation!

Im knitting on the beach of Rhetmyno in Crete! The Camisole took some days, but was worth it! Unfortunately the yarn was not enough, and I have to dive into the stash and find some complementary colour for the shoulderbands and edge..but I can add another 760m to my count...
Ahh, a great vacation - and also a big family event, my dear mom's 75th birthday, my aunt Viola, and my brother and of course my dearest and me. What an event! Swimming at Elafonissi, and walking through Heraklion and Knossos. Oh yes, we did swim. It was just fab. And the dear ladies also hit the wonderful salt sea. What a relief from the chaotic dusty home and all stressed work. The sounds of the waves are sure the best healing there is. Oh, yes, we visited a yarnshop (picture in "other camera") and mom got inspired to buy yarn to knit a similar one. So, when the plane was delayed (3 hours late- we were home 6.30 in the morning!!!!) the ladies gave me this fab picture! Are they not sweet? Anyhow, the wonderful yarn (that I got the honour to finish) was a bit too long, so Im going to frog it and reknit it. Now - third time, the camisole is almost automatic., but coming home to "ohh it is fab weather - almost 19 degrees celius" feels freezing. Time for the warmer knits, and cotton in the bin (ok, I'll finish the camisole...).

FO Aachen Bliss & Sailing knit-progress

FO - The wonderful Debbie Bliss Alpacka-Silk yarn, bought at a yarn-sale at Nysta, has now been completed (finally!)
It became a true Garngamen knit, with improvised lace and cabels. A tiny bit tight, but Im happy with the collar, and the sleeve finishing. Warm, and soft. ahhh wonderful August, in early spring. This dear Aachen Bliss (named after being started on a trip to Aachen), was finished a few days ago, and I'm now knitting away on my eleventh sweater for this year. I sure look concentrated, but that is just the consequence after a tough sailing race. It was a wonderful weekend, where the garngamen sailboat (and of course me as a "the capten" our dear "Alice"- team won the sailing race ;-) This earns us great bragging rights amongst the fellow co-workers! So on the way home, stopping at Nu'hs Thai (a great one at Hornstull), I dropped in at Stickat & Virkat, who had new yarn (Frö) handpainted from Finland (wool), and also the wonderful thick cotton from Blue Sky... But, no, I did not want any yarn, but we discussed that the dark boat needed self glowing needles, and I thought that was a great idea! But she had self-gloving crochet-hooks (I do not like the straight needles), so I got a set of them instead great for the long flights.

8574 meter - and it is only August!

I have knitted 8574 meters (approximate 9378 yards) this year to this date, and this is still counting the Plötulopi (förgarn) held in three, as ONE thread. This means I knit more than the kilometer a month. I must say, the "Sweater a Month" KAL has me in its grip, and the Lopi (or rather Plöulopi) is one of the reasons for this. I have knitted three sweaters in this lovely yarn THIS year. I'm proud, that did feel like a lot. And there is some fun statistics to do around that. For instance most of my sweaters are more than 1000 m /1 km each. So I got the formula! Some more weeks of summer knits, and soon it will be time for these lovelys again. Thanks to my friend Halla, my last "Im just going to complement my current ongoing knits..." during this spring, instead ended up with two large "Ica-bag's" of these lovelys. (yeah, it filled my large Ikea plastic container and some... Im already planning two wonderful hotties. I would love to go to Island and visit the real deal. How much have you knitted this year? Give me a number!

Progress and Ughs!

It is like art, is it not? The Paper yarn knitted with three different cotton yarns, two from Huskroken, and Filatura di Crosa Millefine (brown). A true free form top is being created. It is just so fun, but the yarn ends up a mess - so half the knitting time is to untangle it. Next will go into a very small bag, held tight. I hope that will work better.

So, 1/3 done. The second progress is this weird looking piece. Im so soon showing it off an FO - the Aachen Bliss sweater... and this is the collar, that will close the gap in the front, and be a great tight sweater, with a bitof lace and cables. So, expet collar, Im elongating it, since I realized the yarn is not enough for a hoodie as previously planned. But, im still thinking I should add a pocket. for the inhalator. Finally, I must show you this find from the warderobe. I do not thing it was THAT long ago I wipped it togheter, but it is really an Ugly thing. In very Estonian colours.. but, Im thinking a lot if I should DO someting to make it more useable. Or just transform it into a dishcloth... nah..But I sure had a laugh when I saw it. I guess the colours sounded better in my head. But a west or top it is. Just needs some short sleeves and something to make it wearable- maybe a bit change on the fashion? LOL! well now the bedroom and the dressing room is cleaned out including our three major wardrobes. Soon the renovation begins - the house is 100 years old this year.

Temporary setback..

I could celebrate, the Solveig Hisdahl Camisole from Poetry of Stitches, was a fun knit (you saw a glimpse from some places it ws done....but honestly, it is wrong, wrong, so wrong (Quote Perry Cox, Scrubs). I was so smart in this side by side project, and added a few rows here and there, because unfortunately, as many fashion geniouses, she believes the largest size is Medium in this pattern. So, all cup cake bakers like me sob. But, hey how hard can it be? Then - when almost around, I realized this wonderful hand-dyed yarn from solsilke (wool and thussa-silk) was still plenty around. I had to make sleeves. Not a problem. The genious Hisdahl just have you turn the page, for "almost the same pattern" with sleeves. Well, you realize that you have not knitted the NECK as you should, and you do not want to frog. So, Im make the shoulderbands just a little wider (to compensate for that extra ease. And of course, I realize that the camisole is surprisingly short... Well, gauge.. Sigh....so I make the shouldbands just a little longer. It is still short, and unpropotional. Ok, now comes the worst bit. It is TOO WIDE! no, not in the waist, That is where it is perfect, but being short and the mid front and back is "hanging" when I wear it. So, I think -pull a thread through, so it does not ease, as garter do. Of course ,I have already crochet the little edge all around, which took an entire evening, so of course, ripping it out to make a closer neck will now really hurt. I know it will need to be done, when the I just let go, since now it will really be too chilly. Now, I have started to work on the sleeves. I hope they fit. I have a creepy feeling they will be too small.... Hmm, lots of compensation work here. But lovely soft it is. So, what thas a yarnie/knitter like me do? Grasp a quick and rewarding project awaiting for this failure to sinks in (no, just a summers worth of knitting...hey, who am I to complain?) So, I think my Ice-cream top needed a Panty to go along with the rest of the yarn (yeah, a LOT of small ends) Basically a few evenings knit. Follow pattern, largest size, slavishly, and when I try it on, it does not even cover my lovely behind. Oh dear, what a disappointment. More re-work. I can rip/frog out the waist-band (that fits) and continue on the back, sigh.. Im sure this happens to all knitters - who do not swatch...! but Im sure many do not tell about them on their blog ;-) Well, I can only tell you, who actually READs all this a great advise. Run to the store and pick up the latest number of the swedish magazine "Hemslöjden". It is filled with knitting treasures from the swedish heritage, and a lot of my guru Britt-Marie Christoffersson! So what do I do? Lusts again, and of course pick up yet another needle (I do have many) and pick up some sale cotton from stash, to make the new and correctly fantastic camisole in a better version. Now, when I know how the pattern is REALLY going to be. I plan it for my Greek week vacation with the larger family. Yarn colour is is how I see the mediterian sea in my mind. Even if it is all Italian yarn cottone... well, let it rest and back to sleeves.

FO- Swimmingpool Lace Yoke top ala Malay

Same top, with and without sleeves. The original pattern to the right from Knit 1. Angela Hahn pattern. But I did both add a lace border on the bottom, and then added sleeves with an added leaf lace border. I love this pattern. Fun and fast knit. And yes, it has the same colour as the swimmingpool and sea. I just "had" to change the name! Thank you Milly for noticing. Colour matching is fun, and this teal is very summer colour for me. It was a great cotton yarn, Euroflax, a sale find from another trip to Rome 2004.... This is all knitted on my recent trip to Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur and the wonderful Langkawi (also picture right), where we are at the pool-bar, taking a cold beer and some great satay sticks (no, was it not the "health" sandwich with a Mango fruit juice something?" hmmm.... This country knows its food! It was just fab, which means I really had to suck my belly in in the FO pic. Still a bit jet-lagged, I cannot decide if Im just going to knit the I-cord around the neck with or without beads, or at all. I still have a ball of yarn (200g) so Im contemplating to knit one of the following: A bra (to wear underneath) and a small underpants to match... OR which I really would like to, but have this gut feeling it is not enough yarn: some "hotpants". Maybe with a lace leg ending just above the knees ;-) But again, If I just had one more ball! Anyhow, it is very comfortable, just some more situps ;-)