Merry Christmas 2010

In candlelight trying to take a picture from the christmas tree, the traditional straw goat, and all the presents underneath from my kitchen, tells the secret that this picture is already one day old, since tradition in Sweden is to exchange the gifts on Christmas evening the 24th. (Hint, that is why Santa can get around the world with all the gifts ;-) I think we all got happy with our wonderful gifts. I think my new skates will having me exercise on the ice in the future. It is still a lot of snow and cold, but getting a bit warmer. Soon it is time to bring forth all the knits and relax in front of the fire. I wish you all a wonderful Christmas wherever you are. Many warm wolly thoughts to all of you!

Another FO! Laurie is done!

The wonderful Laurie from Louisa Harding "Summer Classics" pattern book is done. And yes - it is a summer T, with a lace edge in wonderful super soft silk and wool blend! The yarn bought in San Jose - Green Planet yarn - on a recent visit, as well as the pattern. I love it, soft and yummy, with a snug fit. I admit, it looks a bit tilted, but I guess I was really "thowing it on" and we had some really quick picture taking in the cold. Brr - It is veyr cold. And I feel as undity as the normal "just woken up - sleeping much too late" on Sunday. And it is a SUN- day! I have not seen the sun for awhile, so it is nice to get a glimpse. Otherwise weekend is all about making tiles, and cleaning. The normal weekend work. Btw, we LOVE our house to - even if sometimes it just feels overwhelming with all the work, renovations and things to fix. But I guess we are still happy being the "care-takers" of the lovely gem. Have a good weekend to you too and hugs - and thank again for all nice comments.

Stonecircles and "Ugglor i mossen"

To the left is my progress on the Stone-Circles. It is a Kaffe Fassett pattern. But sometimes I thought a better name would be bubbles in water - or "carbonated" because it looks like bubbles with the blue backdrop - But then - thinking again, of course it is stone-circles. Now - this is hugely "Gestalt"-therapuetic. Not only are each un-finished business like a stone in the "backpack" of life you carry around, It does have the weight of a stone, and leaving many unfishined is a big back-pack. Now there is where the circle comes in. Finishing the unfished business is really closing the the circle of the Gestalt. You finish it up! It is done, gone. The weight is off your shoulders so to speak. And left is the stone - now ready to sink to the bottom of the ocean of finishined business. THAT is what Kaffe must have ment. A wonderful thoughtful fair-isle. Since none of the "stone-circles" are the same. And it is super slow knit - it takes a lot of presistence and concentration. So, plenty of time to go through any unfinished business. (If you did not know - these are typical thoughts of a knitter). Second is the famous knit pattern "Owls" that I of course call "Ugglor i mossen" i.e. Owls in the bog (I think?) I think it is really nice and see the difference in colour with and without flash, but the fact is - it is three different yarns, that all are changing colours all by themselves. I really thought a lot about how to make the owls "dissappear" in the forest. Well, I have not started on them yet, but this is really my relaxation between the stone-circles. I love them both. First is of course for my dearest in Christmas (I hope it is this christmas) present... Or january present or something... And Owls are on thicker needles to rest the hands. It is Finish 3-thread wool in brown-grey-black from "Svalan" called Syksy (höst/fall) and then there is a green orange, lace-one-thread Estonian yarn, and finally the pre-yarn (unspun) one "thread" from UlloMera (but definitely from Estonia- it is Evilla). That is where the blue and purple is mixed with green. And these three play togheter in the dance of the woods. It is a bit snug fit, but I am hoping I also will be a snugger fit if I keep myself in the gym - and stop doing wonderful christmas cakes. Life is good! And this will be a hard working week! But - Still happy about my accepted research paper.... Well, cannot write anymore - Got to watch my new favourite TV-show. Big Bang Theory on channel 5! Suits the nerd in me. I mean - Just the "entrace question" - Kirk of Pickard? Well, if you cannot answer that - you are "too old"! Hugs!

Off-Topic (OT): Snow and winter at the house.....

OK - the way to walk to the door - the old "kitchen entrance on the back. This is when you realize it is a "soutterrain" house, from 1909. I promised my friends to put a picture up of my little heaven, and except the upper balkony (one can see the balcony floor as wood on the upper level, above the mid-level) is not ready yet. Still a lot of painting to do. We just had it and are waiting for the kitchen. The house looks pretty big from the drive-way - and yes, it is not small. A renovators dream, when we got it, and still a lot to do. We are very happy getting the roof painted this year. It is also a wonderful garden. When it is this snowy - The light is much better. Note that this pictures (all of them) are taken mid day. But it is on the darkest time of the year. And even if the garden picture is almost directly south, the sun does not really have the strength to be over the ridge of the very little hill. This is what swedish people refer to as "the blue hour". The shadows are not black, but blue! We are still making tiles, but have a hopeful promise that both the stone counter top (sorry - not bench-top) will be done - and all tiles and electricity before christmas. I love that. .We are running the installed dishwasher all the time - to fill up the packed kitchen - so it has almost felt like christmas - when finding stuff that has been "gone" for 3 years. I mean we did pack the kitchen down 3 years ago (or was it 4? I dear not think about it). We just HAD to put the curtains up in the kitchen and carry in the new kitchen sofa in place - and place my dear brother Johan Mauritzson's fantastic painting of horses - that I always loved in prime position. Yes - we are still painting the last trimmings, but it feels more hopeful than ever - of a Real Christmas this year. PS. You can really tell I am totally stalling on my knitting projects. They have been progressing (four are very active) and I hope I will get one done this week. It is intresting though, that the knitting that has progressed fastest is the one I commute to work in. That says something. It has been a lot of very slow traffic. It is wonderful!

Fixing times and new stuff!

After a long time in the yarnroom waiting for a misplaced pocket move - this lovely Lopi finally got the pocket in the right place - and being a good girl sewing on a band inside the collar to make it more sturdy and softer. I love Lopi when it is cold, but it is just slightly on the scratchy side for the neck... Now it will be used as a regular garment. I even (!!!) started to needle on the zipper on St Brigid, but it feels scary.. So I will see if I make it in the near future... It is amazing. It has been done for a year (all knitting) and a zipper keeps me from using it. Well, lets say my skills are in knitting ;-) We are still making tiles. And it is very time consuming. Therefore no new sweater finished. I am progressing on the following loveliness - The wonderful Laurie - a fab summer pattern - with a silk-wool yarn that is luxurious - and one of the souvenier yarns bought from my latest trip to San Jose. I tell you - they do have better weather there! Here it is really gloomy - but the colour of Laurie still gets me into the "blue hour".. or blue mood! it is grey with splots of silver and turqoize blueish. Yum! It is the main knitting in the commuting car. For the train commuting to Västerås - it is the Nemesis socks on the go! I am way behind the SockKlubb, but I love the patterns, so I am trying to keep doing at least a few. It is the wonderful Lorna's Lace's yummy sock yarn. And funny - I was of course in more than one yarnshop in US, and still I accidently ??? bought 2 sets of sock yarn in the same colour. And I tell you - Lorna's Lace sockyarn has a million colours. I must love this combination. Finally on the needles are Leitfmotif (Sofa-knit) - but you get no picture, since I hope I can show it of finished next time and I am doing the Kaffe Fassett Stone Circles for hubby in yarnroom. That will be a great Christmas present.

OT- Ceramic Tile making to our Kitchen!

I am not talking about knitting today. My "other" hobby is ceramics. I perfer throwing on the wheel, but when I got great companionship in the cellar by dearest husband, we took on the challenge. This first picture shows the bisquewear, meaning in front in the piles are the the tiles that have been fired once. Behind, with a slighter grayer teint is dry clay, ready and waiting for the same fireing process. But the oven is still full, and very hot. I have been waiting all day for the temprature to go down - if you open the oven too soon, the glaze might crack in thread-thin cracks. And we do not want that right?! So below are two pictures taken with and without flash of the first glaze- trial. We got so exited about it, and you can see the gray (which really is the same - just different light) in the back on the wood. It shows more clearly in the flash picture... But we think this will be beautiful in our new and wonderful kitchen. Unfortunately we had yet another set-back with the benchtops, but hope we get them in time now, so we do get a kitchen before christmas. We are getting so tired of this situation. So - honestly, there is not much knitting going on. I thought I was done with a scarf, but spotted a mistake half way through - so I am now frogging it back. Well - this is life. One step forward, one back... I hope it will be three steps forward next time.

FO Aleita Shell and A-line A-type Cardi for Mom!

First I show off the Aleita Shell. I love this, it was so fun to knit and see the colours work - of course it is wonderful Noro Silk garden light. I added sleeves to the original pattern, To my surprise I can tell that I have lost some weight, and can go down in size. it should be a slim fit - and look - it is NOT! That makes me very happy. I am also glad I succeed in making the separate fronts and sleeves similar. It is not always easy with this yarn. Anhow - It will be well used. Secondly I have knitted a sweater for dear mother. I try to make it with a lot of ease, so I have a lot of short rows, and a typical A-line for my wonderfully energized A-type mom. The back has a (swe. sprund) Cut? also to make it a bit with ease, and also elastisity - since the ribbing on the side makes it good. Also it is definitely a bit longer and elastic. Should fit her perfectly. I hope it is The yarn is also Noro - but Noro Kabuto. Sure an expensivhe yarn. 96 swedish kronors for 1 hank - and it is 14. I sure hope she appreachiates it. It has cashmere and silk in it. Soft and warm, Just as I love it. I did this very loosley based on the Hisdahls Cardigan, but I definitely made it "my own", trying to use colours to slim the style, make it easy. The only dissappointment is that I would have loved one more hank to make the sleeves longer. But I guess I can call it fashion! Almost all knitting pattern have 3/4 sleeves now. But at the end of the day, this is a cardi - it has something underneath so. The collar looks uneven, but I guess it is just me throwing it on a bit sloppy. Still jet-lagged from the trip. And it is nice to be home!

Statistics from Silicon Valley! 20539 meters Done

Sorry for not blogging - I am fine. Right now I am at a hotel room in California ;-)
You can check in anytime of year (but I hope I can leave ;-) now - in contrast to the famous song. So again - beg for forgiveness of the lack of fancy pictures. .. Many more next time!

OK! I actually made a tally of this year: I think I have reported earlier 8879 meters knitted (?).

And I have now counted the projects from there, and I have knitted 11660 meters more in 94 balls/hanks. Meaning my new tally is the best ever and so far:
20539 meters !

So more than 2 swedish mil - or 20 km! I must inform that a lot of this is NOT knitted this year, and since it has been WIP times, I am guesstimating that at least 1/3 of it is knitted earlier than 2010... but nevertheless.. it has been a productive year - and the year is not over.

I can also inform that it takes me about one hour to knit approx 40 (-50) meters - which makes it about 500 hours of knitting. Which is an average of 2 hours a day - a tally that seems a bit low(?) but I guess there is more work than just knitting with a sweater. And there are days when almost no knitting is done.

I should now start to keep stats for how much winding, preparation, assembly, buttons etc take. I count it as "knitting time", and the above measurement is going through yarn.... Of course - when you knit fair-isle - you consume much more yarn, so that should probably be separated and measured too.

But it is interesting, right? Last years tally was 13 000 (approximate from memory) meters, so I have already definitely been knitting much more this year. Or more fair-ilse ;-)

I have two more finished sweaters just waiting for a a day in the sun! So do not abandon me dear readers. Have patience.

Finished: Cropped Lovikka Cardigan

The frost killed some of my geranium (Swe. Pelargonier), and all the leafs turned to yellow on the trees, and are dropping fast. The frost really froze bad tonight, and I heard the first snow is getting closer. Then it is perfect with the designer duo "Lutz and Patmos" design for a warm winter cardigan. Very much texture, and rather dressy... Yarn is Lovikka yarn (which in this case must have been spun loosely by Gotland fleece - not the normarl felted Lovikka feeling....) Anyhow, I cannot swear what brand, but it is bought at "Boden" in Värmland. Also a very quick knit - and one of the items I started in the Cast on Mania. It does not have buttons (but maybe should have?) so I put a shawl-pin to hold it together. This is my 16 sweater this year to the left - and I am almost done with the next one (for mom!). Of course I have set goals. First it was 12 - now it is 24 before years end, and maybe - dream number (stretch) is doing 30!
Otherwise the sailboat is up on land and packed for winter. We set a new record in fixing it this year. That feels good! Have a nice week!

FO: Fa Fa Fa Socks and Camisole for Mom!

The wonderful Fa Fa Fa socks are done. Beautiful coloured yarn, soft and yummy and a great pattern! I already love these. The yarn is handdyed in Ottowa, Canada by Turtletoes - and the colour is called "Ocean Witch". And as you can see - it is fall here. But the boat is unmasted and ready for getting into winter protection.Kitchen is finished painted (almost, some small things to do). I also been a good girl finishing mom's camisole. A bit late for this season - since it is getting colder every day. The yarn is from Greece (the main lighter thicker cotton, but it ran out, so I had to find something from stash that could do for straps and edging. Really happy with the perl-patterned buttons. I just hope it fits ok. The origin of the camisole is the same as I knitted twice before - Solveigh Hisdahl. One of my favourites summer quick-knits.

FO: Fitted Mini-cardi and Stripy July

Not much needed to finish this (but some yarn). The original pattern is from Stephaine Japel's book "Fitted Knits", and is called the mini-cardi. I did make it a bit longer, by adding 3 hanks of Rowan Bigwool in blue, to the Hjertegarn Yabba alpaca in green. A little cabling.. and to my surprise, my own made buttons worked fine (I can tell by the picture I might need to tighten the buttonholes a bit though - and block it.) Very warm, soft and cosy knit. This is such a "week-end knit" - I mean it cannot have taken more than 16 hours maximum to do. (I have been knitting an hour here and there....)...Now when the Cast On Mania (COM) is over and I have dived in to finish as much of what I have started as possible. Finishing the "Stripy July" sweater, was fast - a home made top-down simple sweater to throw over the shoulders in the heat. I definitely ran out of yarn, and it needs a nice brim,. One can see the edges curls pretty bad.... but - I can see it on thrown casually over the bikinitop on a hot summer day. Now - If I find more cotton tape yarn, I will definitely make a brim at all edges, and make it more "neat".. but I think it works anyway? At least it is finished for the moment. Now, what happened with the COM? Well, the last 4 days was really not much to talk about... 4 new strings - 4 new cardi's. I have been stressed over a research paper, so I have no good photos really....most looks like this, the Lett-lopi: Riddari. The rest is a Bohus kit Cardi: Scilla, another Norsk Strikkedesign pattern "Kort genser i blått" that I renamed "Being Blue", and of course - since October is the breast cancer awareness month - I casted on a "Pink Fluff" top... I guess you will see them in progress or finished (ha!) BTW, thank you for all your nice comments! It is always nice to have an audience that follows our adventures. And thank you for all the nice greetings on my birthday! I cannot believe I am getting older. I feel training is really making younger (with lapses of feeling very old and hurt in every muscle).
Now- time for the last finishing lap (or two) on my research paper - and some more painting on the house!

Cast On Mania continues: 3rd week

This past week was really challenging...I had to dig deep to cast on - and frankly, some of the "strings" of sweaters is not really worth showing yet. Anyhow, some great surprises has been created. The most memorable from this week is Cornelia Tutte Hamilton's fantastic pattern "Gripsholm". It was simple, it was exiting, and fast. Two colours and magic happened. Wow - I loved it. Two Noro yarns (Cash Iroha and Kuyeron number 52). This is upper front left side (you can see the curve for the neck. Yummy! The Whisper in the Bog Cardigan is just the wonderful on very lightweight cardi, I named it after the yarn colour name "Tjärn" or bog. Since it is one-thread Softblend yarn from Färgkraft, and I have previous experience with it, I gave it a Silk Como 30 extra thread in coppar to enhance the colour, and make it just a tidbith more strenght. Another thing to think about is that with one-thread, you need to knit and purl evenly - otherise it will turn and twist the shape. So I am doing what we Swedish call the "bog-stitch" (ha- you get it right?) meaning "moss-stickning"... I am sure it has a better name, but I blogging after work, and my brain is already drained. Anyhow - That will be a perfect. Just need some more Como 30! The next two lovely's are both from the early fall Vouge magazine. I loved it! Lutz & Patmos design. Super duper cool! I did first the very cosy number three - in the softest yummiest Jaeger Shetland Aran yarn in light blue. And - I fell so in love with this pattern that I digged out the Lovikka yarn in Kampe's (bought at the "trailer" in Värmland) in grey. Both promising for great cardi's, The blue is the sleeve -and it will be a great oversized sweater with pockets. The grey is a cropped cardi on needles 10mm! and this is actually the back - and one ball of yarn. Very fun! So 4 of 7 in picture? My mind must be slipping. Yes - the camel hair as the essential camel cardi, and the Agnes fair-isle.... and of course the Festjakke - a Solveig Hisdal cardi-kit (on 2mm!) Well - I got to save some for the future.
Cast On Mania is on for a few days more! I am still casting on...Yeah - Today was Riddari in Lett-Lopi. Well, it is not much of a Cast on, it is a string....I am so looking forward in finishing these so fast!

Cast On Mania continues..

I know this is a bit of stretching it, but I promise - it is both very creative and fun. Casting on a new project every day during the month of September - and of course two projects on a weekend. I am still having my personal challenge of casting on a sweater each day in the middle of this. But sneaking in gifts too.. which I partly cannot blog about. Not only do I have project planned for the next months, but also - I get a big turnover of the stash - something that feels very good indeed. So what are these projects? First a sweater for Arwen called "Just Arwen" in lavender mixing Mojärv and Cashwool.. Maybe some Misti alpaca for the cable. Then an enchated lace to the right, with lots and lots of beads. A more cerise - silk yarn from Solsilke, and beads from Malaysia. Rather wonderful actually - pattern is Next is the wonderful fair-isle from Jade Starmore - and Virtual Yarns. A kit called "Zauberflöte". Yepp, after the opera. Also very much purple. Is this purple week? I have put the pattern in the back so with good eyes you might guess what is coming...The Fa Fa Fa socks for the StickaMera Sockklubb is of course a must in the latest yarn from Ottowa. It is from Turtletoes.. Just love the name and of course the colour. The colour name was equally fun Ocean Witch! Welll, it is soft and super yummy to knit. Thas has moved into my commuting bag - meaning - the car (no I am not driving) so I got one pattern repeat today... pretty good (but terrible traffic in Stockholm crossing the town). The other pattern below is a typical dive into stash type of project. The pattern is "Ugglor i mossen" my name for the famous "Owl" pattern. The yarn is from left - a finish 3-thread called Sysky (höst/fall in Finnish if I did not toggle letters.) The middle is estonian one-thread and to the right "Förgarn" /Preyarn from UlloMera (I could definitely have one more cake of it if I find it... got to visit the syfestival to check it out - hope she is there!) The mix is wonderful and thick just into gauge. Perfect. Getting tired? Many more projects on the go. For example the Stone-circles (Ok - Hubby caught me with it - he knows..and - wants to be a part of "perfect" fit... it is great, but where is the surprise?) Rather yummy already. Twinni, Mojärv and Rauma Finull, and...I am afraid I need to go on more yarnhunt to get this right...While on designer Kaffe Fasset. In Yorkshire Tweed 4 ply I casted on another design from the guru - Flowers. It will be so great - and the yarn is "almost" enough - just a bit creative change with the background colours...(that is to the right)...These fair-isles or "stranded" patterns are both time consumng but the yarn and pattern makes it interesting all the knit. No time to relax. To the left - the wonderful pattern "Tangled Yoke Cardi" that I of course call "Tangled Joke cardi" - in memory of my difficulties to pronounce Y and mixing it with J....THe yarn - the luxury Tweed from Jaeger is an old find from Edinburgh - a Place I heard was pretty busy when MIL and FIL was just visiting....But you missed Jenners MIL, a great yarnstore on the top....where I did find this. Whiskey tasting? You so got your priorities wrong. Yarn tasting is so much more exiting. (or Yarn fondling... same thing)... Glad you are back home safe.. without too much confessions....Ok - I have some more strings I have casted on. but I think digging into this wonedful yarn - Gotland Spinneri - Sårk You can see the bucket with the yarn... and I have invented a pattern that will work for this cardi... I am so exited - I want to finish it NOW (but soon, very soon). Bu it is so soft and beautiful..... It is so exiting. This loosly spun fuzzy yarn. Gotland Fleece of course, and many natural shades of grey.. some small blue and orange to make it "just right". Now - I have one hour before I crash to bed to cast on today's knit. I am so glad I have several kits "ready to go" - not to mention a pair of sock maybe? Or the Faroese shawl? I have so many plans that my head spins... it is so fun. Really. Working hard, training hard and knitting hard. (And Painting the kitchen - very hard!) I am glad apple-time has started - somthing soft to bite on, whilst I cuddle around in my yarn collection. Have a good one!

Cast On Mania - COM for entire September!

A beautiful sail boat we met on the sea when we were out. Suffering from electrical problems on our dear boat, we decided after a days sailing to call it quits and head home. And - Why not - the wonderful knitting COM is still going strong ;-) It is a bit chilly in the air. I have of course been busy as always. Now the apple-trees are giving fruit - as the pear-trees, the latter also need pruning (now), the 6 apple-trees could also do with some, but it is easier to wait with them...(but now in September - it is really a much nicer climate now to do it). So - I am in the "sweater-swamp" meaning - I'm still very focused in doing sweaters, cardigans or tops - things wearable. But I also got scarfs, socks, mittens and some gifts. This COM is a surprisingly creative and rewarding spree. Nothing seems to difficult to cast on - and all seems possible. I have really re-arranged the entire yarn-room and stash, but I feel this has touch some deep satsifaction in me. Ok- Top left, an Angora Top, designed by me top-down, and the yarn is Anny Blatt SuperAngora. Bought in France a few years back, so it is great to do a souvenir yarn use, and a warm angora top. Mild and proper. To the left is a Noro Silk Garden Light doing the Aleita shell. Also yarn bought in US, and the pattern was wrong, but not hard to figure out. Anyhow, I love the ease and progress of this wonderful yarn that changes. The one on the right - the pink, red black - is a cardigan for mom. She has no internet now, so it is safe ;-) It is in the most luxury yarn I have, 96 SEK for 50 gran and 60 meters of 50% wool 30% silk, 10% alpaca and 10% cashmere. It is Noro Kabuto, a yarn to love. I love its softness, and this thickness made me knit side-ways very inspired by the Solveig Hisdal camisole/cardi, but I just measure and do short-rows so I get the right A-line for my dear A-type mom. She sure deserves a beautiful warm cardi. Ok on the left bottom it is a scarf - it is called "pimpeliese" and is a free pattern... a nice scarf and a wonderful yarn. That will be so great. To the right is the wonderful New Zealand yarn from Naturally - It contains Merino wool and POSSUM. I love the colors. It is so Australia (where I bought it) but it is also Sweden in the fall. I am knitting a rather "new" pattern called "Leitmotif" from a magazine (it was Interweave Knits I think). I will cool this very busy colour and cable pattern with some one colour edges. But - the problem is of course to leave it, and cast on something else the next day. I have of course also casted on a present for dear Hubby, from Fishermans sweaters - Stornoway from Starmore, but he does sneak-read my blog so sorry.. No pictures. Finally I attempted a reall tough one, it is of course a Norweigan master-piece called "Insvinget jacke". The problem here is that the it is nearly to impossible to make larger than the large that the pattern has, and I could definitely have some ease in it, but I have (I think) figured it out. Anyhow - to be on the safe side, I am starting with the sleeves. Anyhow - it is not enough with this (yes, one might think I am totally insane, but no It is great!) I have also casted on a Kaffe Fasset pattern called Flowers. Another rather interesting cardi in fair-isle. Hmm I do not have the "other" fair-ilse "Pebbles" in a picture yet. But next week. Let us enjoy - the wonderful Cast on Mania. Hugs out there!

FO- Hommage at Linnalark a Dot Ditty bag and COM

I do not often Crochet. But this project was so small and fun that Linnalark inspired me to do one. It is called the Dot Ditty bag - and is a free pattern. We chat in the Ravelry group "Village of the hopelessly overcommitted" which seems to be a forgiving and happy bunch - with too much on the plate like me. Many knitter communities are talking finishing what you started immediately - here we embrace creativity and are starting at least one new project every day in the month of September. Unfortunately, I got a real bad cold... I am so down and out. The good part of being sick is of course, the only thing you can really do is.... knit between blowing my nose and coughing. So, I have done really well starting this com - of course a long flight from Ottawa. Here they are: (no - Im quite sane!) First up right is the Tailored scallops from the knit lace book, with Aztec - an alpacka mix yarn. The mini-cardi left in Yabba, a bulky green alpaca yarn. The wonderful green mix is Anais in Fleece Artist Woolie Silk 2 ply right a very soft and lush yarn to knit with that I am so in love with. It is just beautiful. Caress the hands whilest knitting. I got a lot better knitting this. Today I got my head back, and now I only need to clear my lunghs so I can walk more than 5 meters without panting heavily (yes, they are so filled with slime). But I am hopeful. It will work out. Now - the pink Vampire sock from Knitty. It sure is a tricky one for the SockKAL. You have to have several pages of pattern up in front of you. The sock was done on the plane. Anyhow - this is handpainted yarn from Maria in former Maria's garn. I miss her shop, even if little Karin is a well worthy take over from Maria's legacy. The shop remains. That is good! Now - I just have to find WHICH of the 10 (11?) Stockholm shops actually carries Yabba. I need one (or two) more balls, and maybe in contrasting colour.. But I am so not ready to walk anywhere. I am working hard to get my health back in shape to go to work on Monday - or Tuesday. Worst part of this is I am still on Canadian time, working hard to turn the day and night...

A short update - Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

No - this is not Ottawa, from where I write this post. This is a picture from Redang in Malaysia. ok, I forgot the camera, sigh. Today we were walking around the Pink Lake.. amazing place - 0 oxygen in at only 25 meters down. A weird colour (not pink!) And we saw tutles, snakes and frogs. I realize I love frogs. Anyhow - I have met great people, and had great food, but no - went the wrong way to find one yarnshop, and the other we passed when it was closed. Still one more chance though, so hope is not over... I have 45 minutes tomorrow. Except from very hectic work, knitting is so much planning right now. In September, the wonderful COM starts for real. (COM = Cast On Mania). Big plan is to start one new knit every day for the entire month. It will be a challenge. and then there is nothing like planning and matching yarn and projects and needles. I just LOVE it. So - you are in for a ride, I got at least some projects ready to go. And I sneak-started one. A very purple patterned knit. So - If you read this just now, that hopefully September will be a bit more intense postings..... Take care to you all (PS: it was almost 30 degrees warm today, and our dip at the "O'brian beach" was like a hot summer day... What a bliss!