With New Year's Eve only a few hours away, a tally of the finished knits of 2010 seems appropriate:
7 sweaters
1 silken wedding shrug
5 pairs of socks
5 shawls/scarves
2 cowls
2 necklaces
6 bracelets
6 pairs of fingerless mittens
21 baby gear items
and
18 Christmas pigs
A quick calculation will give you 73 finished items, but as I counted especially baby gear and Christmas pigs as projects with more than one knitted item in them, I've finished a total of 35 projects in 2010. That's 14 less than last year, but I guess that's to be expected from this being my first year with an actual job. I'm still a happy knitter :)
At the moment I have 9 WIPs: 6 cardigans, 1 pullover, 1 vest, and the never-ending stash-busting blanket. That's a good starting point for 2011, methinks. Sweaters are my thing!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Quarterly report - 4th quarter
Very soon it'll be time for making new New Year's resolutions (or refraining from exactly that), so here's one final look at the 10 resolutions I made for 2010.
1. Knit down (some of) my stash
I did knit up a lot of odds and ends this quarter, but not being able to resist some quite good and new offers on the Danish market [garnudsalg.dk and byslavi.dk], I think it's safe to say that there's no negative stash balance this quarter, even without counting!
2. Be less spendy and save money for more important things.
Wedding, Christmas, new interesting yarn stores popping up... I don't know. However, the next big thing to save for is the...
3. Improve my Italian.
I've been too busy at work this quarter, but now we've booked part of our belated honeymoon trip to Northern Italy (surprise!), which means there's still hope for this one!
4. Keep flossing.
Yes.
5. Less Facebook, more reading.
I think I've been fairly successful here. I've recently started to keep a list of my reads - I've read 10 books in 2010*; I'm sure many of you would think of it as ridiculously few, but to me it's quite alright. I've also become a fan of the newspaper we've kept throughout 2010, WeekendAvisen. I still get my daily news online only.
6. Learn how to do tubular cast on and use it.
No, but I've finally found a project, I'd like to learn and use it for: Tora's Attitude.
7. Keep running regularly.
Oh yes. I've been good and managed to run 3 times a week the past many months. I've recently started training for my first marathon, Copenhagen Marathon on the 22nd of May. Here's hoping for no injuries, as that seems to be the only thing that can stop me right now.
8. Keep doing Pilates regularly.
I didn't do any at all over the summer, but recently I've started focusing on the core strength again since it goes well with running and should improve my running technique. There's still hope.
9. Knit 12 sweaters.
No. Granite was my #7 this year. I have 6 sweater WIPs on the needles, though, so I'm happy enough with my result.
10. Knit 10 shawls.
No! I finished my new favourite shawl, Camomille, this quarter, but that only brings me to a total of, uhm, 4 shawls/scarves when not counting one that was finished but not started in 2010.
Summing up: I was very ambituous back in January - I like being so, even if I know I may not get there in time - but being my own judge I'd say that I failed at 6, 8, 9, and 10 only. With such overly ambitious goals (and results I'm fine with at 9 and 10) I think that's quite alright.
I'll be back with new resolutions for 2011 in the new year. Maybe. Until then - have a wonderful New Year's Eve!
Finally, the FOs of this 4th quarter. The knits are dominated by the frantic knitting in the four weeks that passed between being invited to go to a Christmas fair in November with all my knits and actually going to the fair: lots of small project for babies as well as accessories such as mittens and bracelets. You can still find some of them for sale here and here, btw. Among the knits of the 4th quarter are however also my new favourite scarf, Camomille, and the long anticipated Granite.
*In case any of you are interested, these are the 10 books I read (links in English when available - I read only two of them, Solar and The Chinese Shawl, in English, though):
1. Knit down (some of) my stash
I did knit up a lot of odds and ends this quarter, but not being able to resist some quite good and new offers on the Danish market [garnudsalg.dk and byslavi.dk], I think it's safe to say that there's no negative stash balance this quarter, even without counting!
2. Be less spendy and save money for more important things.
Wedding, Christmas, new interesting yarn stores popping up... I don't know. However, the next big thing to save for is the...
3. Improve my Italian.
I've been too busy at work this quarter, but now we've booked part of our belated honeymoon trip to Northern Italy (surprise!), which means there's still hope for this one!
4. Keep flossing.
Yes.
5. Less Facebook, more reading.
I think I've been fairly successful here. I've recently started to keep a list of my reads - I've read 10 books in 2010*; I'm sure many of you would think of it as ridiculously few, but to me it's quite alright. I've also become a fan of the newspaper we've kept throughout 2010, WeekendAvisen. I still get my daily news online only.
6. Learn how to do tubular cast on and use it.
No, but I've finally found a project, I'd like to learn and use it for: Tora's Attitude.
7. Keep running regularly.
Oh yes. I've been good and managed to run 3 times a week the past many months. I've recently started training for my first marathon, Copenhagen Marathon on the 22nd of May. Here's hoping for no injuries, as that seems to be the only thing that can stop me right now.
8. Keep doing Pilates regularly.
I didn't do any at all over the summer, but recently I've started focusing on the core strength again since it goes well with running and should improve my running technique. There's still hope.
9. Knit 12 sweaters.
No. Granite was my #7 this year. I have 6 sweater WIPs on the needles, though, so I'm happy enough with my result.
10. Knit 10 shawls.
No! I finished my new favourite shawl, Camomille, this quarter, but that only brings me to a total of, uhm, 4 shawls/scarves when not counting one that was finished but not started in 2010.
Summing up: I was very ambituous back in January - I like being so, even if I know I may not get there in time - but being my own judge I'd say that I failed at 6, 8, 9, and 10 only. With such overly ambitious goals (and results I'm fine with at 9 and 10) I think that's quite alright.
I'll be back with new resolutions for 2011 in the new year. Maybe. Until then - have a wonderful New Year's Eve!
Finally, the FOs of this 4th quarter. The knits are dominated by the frantic knitting in the four weeks that passed between being invited to go to a Christmas fair in November with all my knits and actually going to the fair: lots of small project for babies as well as accessories such as mittens and bracelets. You can still find some of them for sale here and here, btw. Among the knits of the 4th quarter are however also my new favourite scarf, Camomille, and the long anticipated Granite.
*In case any of you are interested, these are the 10 books I read (links in English when available - I read only two of them, Solar and The Chinese Shawl, in English, though):
Jens Smærup Sørensen: Mærkedage [da]
Ian McEwan: Solar [eng]
Leif Davidsen: Dostojevskijs sidste rejse; Den ukendte hustru; På udkig efter Hemingway; Min broders vogter [eng]
Andrew Taylor: Bleeding Heart Square [eng]
Patricia Wentworth: The Chinese Shawl [eng]
Peter Høeg: Elefantpassernes børn [da]
Jostein Gaarder: The Castle in the Pyrenees [eng]
Mærkedage, Elefantpassernes børn, Dostojevskijs sidste rejse, and Bleeding Heart Square were my favourites. I was slightly disappointed by McEwan this time.
The last FO of 2010
I hereby give you my last FO in 2010. I've done lots of holiday knitting - especially on the three cardigans Acorns (everything but the sleeves done, but I didn't bring more yarn with me), Larch (two sleeves done and a few inches knit on the body), and Vanilla (two sleeves and 10 inches of the body done) - but none of it will be finished by tomorrow night. Therefore:
An ingenious little knit that appeared just before Christmas on Olga's blog. I started on the 19th of December, let it dry overnight, finished it on the 20th of December, and wore it on the 21st.
Pattern: Cable Braided Necklace by Olga Buraya-Kefelian (free!) [Rav link]
Yarn: Posh Yarn Diana 2ply, colour Hoopla, using 2 strands held double
Needles: 3.5 mm
Ravelry project page: here. I also urge you to go to Ravelry or Olga's blog to see how it can be worn. I'm wearing mine 'inside-out'.
Stay tuned for my fourth and last quarterly report of 2010.
An ingenious little knit that appeared just before Christmas on Olga's blog. I started on the 19th of December, let it dry overnight, finished it on the 20th of December, and wore it on the 21st.
Pattern: Cable Braided Necklace by Olga Buraya-Kefelian (free!) [Rav link]
Yarn: Posh Yarn Diana 2ply, colour Hoopla, using 2 strands held double
Needles: 3.5 mm
Ravelry project page: here. I also urge you to go to Ravelry or Olga's blog to see how it can be worn. I'm wearing mine 'inside-out'.
Stay tuned for my fourth and last quarterly report of 2010.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Pomegranate Granite
It's been 1.5 years in the making, but now it's here - my pomegranate red Granite. It was done a few days before Christmas, and therefore came with me on Christmas holidays as my Christmas sweater. Here it is:
It's not that it's a particularly hard or time-consuming sweater to knit, but I'm sure you're familiar with those knits that just linger in the WIP pile much longer than anticipated. Nevertheless, now it's done and I'm happy with it!
Pattern: Granite [Rav link] by Amimono/Helga Isager, size S/M.
Yarn: Isager Alpaca 2, colour 025, and Isager Spinni (Wool 1), colour 28s.
Needles: 3.0 mm for edging, 3.5 mm for the rest.
Mods: No important ones.
Link to my Ravelry project page: here.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Merry Christmas!
I just wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas and thank you so much for reading and commenting here - I truly enjoy your inputs!
Transformation
I have just frogged the beginning of my Amimono 80's sweater. For some time now, I've been feeling that I was not completely in love with it and suddenly came the reason for actually doing something about it: I wanted to use the yarn for a brand new cardigan pattern which looks very promising indeed: Larch [Rav link only]! You might like it, too?
I went to my LYS two days ago hoping to find a matching Spinni (Isager Wool 1) teal colour, but no such luck. Instead, I found the perfect match in a skein of Grignasco MerinoSilk - weightwise it's perfect and it makes for a nice, soft, and slightly shiny look. So far it seems perfect! With 50% wool in the Alpaca 2 and 75% merino in the MerinoSilk it should be fairly durable but I do expect some pilling to go along with the incredible softness. I've decided not to worry, though. A bit of a halo might actually be a good thing.
I went to my LYS two days ago hoping to find a matching Spinni (Isager Wool 1) teal colour, but no such luck. Instead, I found the perfect match in a skein of Grignasco MerinoSilk - weightwise it's perfect and it makes for a nice, soft, and slightly shiny look. So far it seems perfect! With 50% wool in the Alpaca 2 and 75% merino in the MerinoSilk it should be fairly durable but I do expect some pilling to go along with the incredible softness. I've decided not to worry, though. A bit of a halo might actually be a good thing.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Two little Clara vests
Pattern: Clara by Karin Vestergaard Mathiesen
Size: 2 years: CO 100 sts. 22 cm before 2nd moss st. 38 sts in each sleeve (a bit too much). Chest circumference: 54 cm.
Yarn: 2 strands of Holst Garn Supersoft, Sloe
Size: 3 years: CO 110 sts and followed pattern but with 23 cm before moss st. Chest circumference: 59 cm.
Yarn: Holst Garn Supersoft, 1 strand of Sloe, 1 strand of Aubergine.
Needles: 4.5 mm
Ravelry project page here.
As always, it's a winner!
Friday, December 17, 2010
It's for real...
My Granite is finally close to being finished!
I still need approx. 10 cm on the front, some sewing, and the neck edging, but seeing as I started the front only a few weeks ago and it's already come this far, I'm quite confident that this might actually be my Christmas sweater (yes, sweater, I gave up the idea of a cardigan). Yesterday, it was exactly 18 months since I started it... Wish me luck!
I still need approx. 10 cm on the front, some sewing, and the neck edging, but seeing as I started the front only a few weeks ago and it's already come this far, I'm quite confident that this might actually be my Christmas sweater (yes, sweater, I gave up the idea of a cardigan). Yesterday, it was exactly 18 months since I started it... Wish me luck!
Sunday, December 05, 2010
Camomille & a few other FOs
First up a few of the small FOs that were the repercussions of November's Christmas fair. To use up the New Lanark Aran stash (completely), two pairs of baby booties and two (rather thick) baby vests:
Read more about the project on Ravelry if you wish :)
And properly for the season I've also knit 18(!) of these little Christmas pigs. Perfect for decorating your own home or for using as a funny and personal gift when the season is right. I came up with my own pattern, but you can find a similar one here (the Danish version is free). My Ravelry project page is here. It's cute, isn't it, hanging there in the bay tree?
The major recent FO is what may just be the perfect shawl: Amimono's Camomille from the recent knit collection. It took me a trip to Aachen and two weekends at the Christmas fair to finish it. That's two weeks ago and I've been wearing it pretty much all the time ever since. Except when I took these photos, apparently.
You can see how pretty it is in use by looking through the project pages on Ravelry. It's huge, it's soft, and it's fashionable. What more can I wish for?
Pattern: Camomille by Amimono
Yarn: Isager Alpaca 2, colourway 2105, 5.5 skeins (yes, my shawl is huge).
Needles: 4.0 mm - and 3.5 mm for the edge.
I can only recommend knitting your own asap! :)
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