With the kids all sick in the beginning of last week, and me feeling under the weather at the end of the week……..pretty much nothing got done. I didn´t finish knitting up the hat and writing down the pattern, I wanted to have it done and ready by the middle of last week. Oh well, things happen.
I did take the day to finish up the hat, when I was almost done something looked a little off. Well yeah, my gauge was………way off!!! I wasn´t using the right size needle………oh boy! So, I had to rip it all up……good times! It´s going to get done this week though, and that´s that!
To day was a beautiful, cold and crisp day in NYC. Perfect day for a walk in the park. And that´s just what my kids and I did…….and they found plenty to look at and explore during our walk.
This is their favorite tree in the park. They have to climb it every time we go there.
I took the opportunity to take pictures of Strokkur, a pattern I have been working on. It can be worn around the neck only, like a cowl, or pulled up over the ears, to keep them warm and cozy, or all the way up like a hood.
The pattern is simple and quick to knit, but it has enough going on to keep it interesting. I chose yarn for this project that I have had for a while and not yet tried. It turned out great and was lovely to knit with.
My baby with his new hat! I made him this one a while ago, but I didn´t add the button and the little loop on top until……well, way later! But who cares, it´s ready now! And he has used it every day since! (not that he really has a chose of what he wears at nine months).
I wanted the hat to really cover his ears well so that they wouldn´t get exposed to the cold. I made those ear-flaps extra wide so they also keep his little cheeks warm! Just what you need in this cold NY weather!
Cute-as-a-Button is made to “grow” with your baby. Simply unbutton that little loop on top, and it gives the child more room to grow into it! (I wonder just what he was thinking about at that moment, he seems so deep in thought)
My little man is not the most cooperative model, well, for the most part he is. But as soon as he notices the camera…..
…..he goes after it!
But on more serious notes…
…..I just had to add this one. It’s like he’s looking into my soul, so intense and serious looking!
But yeah, back to the hat. It’s knit with Kambgarn and it was my first time using that yarn. It’s wonderful to work with and the finished fabric has a beautiful sheen to it. I’m working on the pattern now and it will be ready soon. There will be two sizes, baby-toddler and toddler-child size. I’m hoping I’ll have it ready my the middle of this week.
I better keep knitting away!:)
I finally did it! I have wanted to write down my patterns and put them up for sale for such a long time. And I just put my first pattern, Love-Link , on Ravelry. I find it hard, staying home with 3 kids and dogs who all need me, to keep the goals I set for myself. Just to find the time to do it….but I have, and I’m so happy about it!
I spent most of Saturday figuring out how to get my pattern up on Ravelry. I just couldn´t get it to work properly. I looked all around Ravelry for help, tried what was suggested to me, but nothing. Some how, I don´t know what I did different if anything, it all magically worked out in the end, and voila: I had my first pattern for sale!
Love-Link
Love-Link is a mitten for two, made from 100 % wool, so warm or and cozy. I got the idea when I decided to make a mitten for two for my parents. Some how I just felt it had to be heart-shaped, I mean, of course!!
And now, a couple of months later, I have the pattern written up……..hey, things take time when you´ve got a full plate!;)
In the year that just passed, some life changing events happened in my life. I gave birth to my 3. child. A happy, healthy and beautiful baby boy! He was not planned, not at all, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. What a beautiful blessing he is.
2 wonderful souls are gone. My dear uncle Ingi passed on November 2. 2009. He courageously fought cancer, but in the end he lost. We miss him, he was too young, not ready to leave, so optimistic, so brave. I wanted to travel back home to see him before he passed. But I didn’t. Thinking I had time, or perhaps hoping I did. But I didn’t. I was too late.
Our beloved Minnie also left us. She died on Sunday, December 20th 2009. She had been sick for 2 weeks. We thought she would get better, we hoped, we wished for her to be ok. She had no strength in the end, wouldn’t eat, wouldn’t drink. We took care of her the best we could. Had x-rays taken, they didn’t show anything abnormal. Had blood work done, she was anemic and her kidneys weren’t working properly. We gave her 3 different medications 2 times a day. We put food and water into her mouth and made sure she ate. We took her to the Vet often. The last time I took her we thought we saw signs of her getting better. I allowed myself to be optimistic. I thought she just might make it through this. She left us the following morning. While we were still sleeping. I woke up when my husband yelled out her name; I knew right then that she was gone. I miss her terribly. I just want her to come back. I wish I could go and get her. Bring her back home to us. Were she belongs. Her beautiful self!
She would have turned 2 years old in February of 2010. In those almost 2 years that she was with us, I never knit her a sweater. I feel so guilty about it. Is it ridiculous? I wanted to. I was planning on it. I had ideas. I had even started a thing or two. I knew what yarn I wanted to use. I never got around to it though, and now it’s too late.
This is the way of life. Nobody lives for ever. But how it hurts when they leave us! I will take something from all of this; I do not have for ever to make things happen!! Yes sure, not everything can be done the minute I think of it. But I will see things through. I will make my plans happen. I will live my life to day! There might not be a tomorrow.
Here they are,
the 3 little friends I made for the little one. They all sit quietly next to his bed and wait for him to be old enough to play. I think they are quite exited and finding it hard to sit around and wait, but before they know it they will be dragged around on their ears and arms…….
Here is Chubby Bunny by Susan B. Anderson.
I used another yarn than the pattern called for, and I made him striped instead of one color. I also added some light blue on the insides of his ears by using long stitch. I didn´t make him a scarf, I wanted his little turtleneck to show. Other than that I think I followed the pattern for the most part.
Here he is again,
he is quite out going and a bit of a show off.
Here is Rabbid by Debbie Bliss (Nursery Knits).
I used another yarn than called for in this pattern, other than that I followed it. I made his shirt different, it´s a little wrap-around tied at one side, I just thought it would be a little cozier……and that color matches his eyes perfectly too!
Here is Elefante, also a pattern by Susan B. Anderson.
I saw him on Ravelry and thought he was the cutes knitted elephant I had seen, so adorable! I just had to make him for the little one. I followed the pattern except for the ears, I knit them instead of crocheting them. I knit a circle that I folded in halve and crochet togeather before stitching them on his head. I also made his tail a little different, I thread a few strings of the yarn through his backside, twisted it and then folded it in half and tied a knot (instead of making an i-cord).
This is my favorite photo of him:
I just love how he looks from behind, so darn adorable!
And here they are, the 3 buddies waving good-bye….
An old classmate of mine asked me if I could knit a few sweaters for a photography project he was working on. He wanted 6 sweaters and asked if I could have them done in 6 months. I started working on them right away, using only materials I already had. The most time consuming part was ripping up old sweaters and cutting down t-shirts, but it was a lot of fun and definitely something I would do again.
Bella:
Bella is made from left over Lopi that I had from 3 or 4 different traditional Lopi sweaters I had made. She was knitted in once piece from the hood down, you have to look closely to see the hood…..glimpses of it on the right (her right) side. I love her extra long sleeves! They sorta remind me of bells, which made me think of our dog Bella.
Anna:
I had some off white wool left over from a sweater I made a few years back for my daughter. I ripped apart an old wool sweater my husband found up in the attic (hadn’t been worn for years). I used the blue yarn from that sweater and the left over wool and knit with 2 strands. Anna is also knit from top down and the ”pockets” are just openings and not actual pockets. I remember calling her something else when I was knitting her, but I cannot remember what it was. I now call her Anna which is my aunts name.
Már:
We had a bunch of old black t-shirts that we didn’t really wear. I cut them into strings and rolled them up. I found this old belt and cast on from there and knit up to the neckline. I used big sized circular needles, 2 of them broke………the 3. one lasted from about the middle to the top. It was a little hard on the hands, but not that bad. The worst part was cutting down the shirts, little particles of fabric were all over the place, I was covered in it as well…..but it was a fun process, and even though I swore at the time I would never do this again, I think I just might……
Haddy:
An old cotton blend turtleneck was ripped up to make Haddy. She is knit in one piece from top down. When I first saw the picture she reminded me of a sweater my mom had years and years ago. Every time I look at it I think of my mom and that´s were the name comes from. Haddy is my mother’s nick name.
Hafsteinn:
The dark blue color is the same wool yarn I used to knit Anna. The other 3 colors are the same wool yarn from that same old sweater. Hafsteinn is knit in one piece from one sleeve to the other. He reminds me of the ocean, that’s why I call him Hafsteinn: Haf= ocean and steinn=rock/stone.
Lykkja:
I had an old sweater I hadn’t worn in years, it was over sized, button down and made with silk/wool blend yarn. After taking it a part I knit Lykkja. She is also knit in one piece from the top down. I started with the rib in the neckline, folded it over and knit through 2 stitches at a time to double the neckline. I named her Lykkja because of the unraveled stitches here and there.
All photos in this post were taken by Oddvar
The first doll clothes I have knit in years is María´s Ear-Flap hat. I used the same yarn as I did for my other Flap hats, but I used smaller needles for this one.
Now all she needs is something to go with the hat, perhaps a pullover or a poncho. We´ll think of something. It won´t be lack of ideas stopping me from knitting more for her, it will be lack of time.
I am seriously thinking about stop sleeping all together, maybe I will get more done that way!
This is her first time out in the snow, it could be the reason why she looks slightly puzzled……or is it just me thinking she does??
Flug:
I wanted to make her a blue hat, no stripes, no other color yarn, just the blue…….blue is her new favorite color. She likes the Ear-Flap hats but I felt it would be too plain if it were done in one blue tone and stocking stitch, I had to have something else going on.
A simple decorative stitch that resembles little birds flying is what I chose to do. Adding beads makes the hat sparkle a bit, just the right thing!
She is very happy with it and wore it out as soon as it was dry and the last bead was sewn on. The next step is to make one for her American Doll. I already cast on and it won´t take too long to finish.
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Merino
Amount: Approx. 50 g./ 115 yards
Time it took: Knitting here and there for a couple of days.
I only knit one present for Christmas………. due to lack of time, not lack of plans nor ideas!
Clapotis for my daughter, in her favorite color, blue. I made me one earlier, well no, that would be last year, not earlier this year. She liked mine and asked me if she could keep it. I would have let her if it had not been so delicate, mohair and silk blend. I pictured it all torn in about a weeks time, taking it to school and all.
I had this beautiful alpaca/silk yarn that my mother had given to me when we visited them in Iceland. My daughter loved the yarn, it is so soft and warm, and the color was just right too.
I do love this pattern, it’s simple and quick and most important: FUN to knit! I would love to knit up another one with a completely different yarn, just to see how it would turn out different.
Yarn: Drops Silke Alpaca, 20 % silk, 80% alpaca
Needle size: 5 mm
I knit 2 sweaters for a friend from Rowan Babies, designed by Kim Hargreaves. Both Marshall and Hans are very beautiful patterns. I did not use the yarn recommended in the book. I was asked to use acrylic so that they would be easy to care for.
Hans:
This pattern was very simple and allot of fun to knit. I would love to knit it again using another yarn, preferably wool or a wool blend of some sort.
Marshall:
Marshal was a simple pattern, but very time consuming! Because of the time it took me to complete this one sweater, I did not have time to do all the Christmas knitting I wanted to do this year. I did finish a Clapotis for my daughter, I’ll post some pictures soon.
Yarn: Red Heart Designer Sport
Color: Cocoa and Sky for the stripes.
