Tonight I am working on finishing a sweater for Biscuit he got from Kari. Her mom knitted it but couldn't figure out the collar so I said I could finish it. It is still a bit big, but it is getting colder and I want to make sure it is done before it is too late.

The pattern is in a small norwegian magazine so to start I had to figure out what to do - not too hard it is pretty close to swedish and there are some swedish terms translated. The sweater is a basic raglan.

Jester Hats

I finished one of these hats for Biscuit last month I just need to add the pompoms, but waiting on my pompom maker to come in the mail. I made a few of these a few years ago when I first came to Sweden.  The book is norwegian but translated into swedish, and at the time I couldn't read or speak swedish but with some help I was able to knit out of it easily.  Now I can read swedish with no trouble so it is even easier.  I made this one with mostly red  and plan on making 3 more for my friend's 3 sons in red, blue and green.  I started the blue one today.  I plan on using the long circular needles and magic loop technique so I can do it more comfortably.  The top is a bit tricky it is suppose to be done back and forth but on Biscuits I did it around.  It didn't look all that good but now I am going to also use the magic loop on that part too it should make it easier.  I am knitting these in a superwash wool yarn, the yarn is nice to work with and soft, only problem was the colours weren't all that great at the local yarn store. 

A Berry Cute Hat

I have been working on different hats lately, for Christmas presents. I have finished one of these berry hats and now working on the second one. I have been using the magic loop technique instead of using 16 inch circular needles. The yarn for this hat is thick so using longer needles and magic loop I am not fighting so much with them. I am using Marks & Kattens Eco Ull Color, in a muted green and light wine. I wasn't sure about the colours at first, but now I think they are perfect. I used the same yarn but in gray for Biscuit's rag socks, it is great for socks too. I thought about using some buttonhole elastic in the band to make it a bit most adjustable, but the local fabric store only had some that was wider. I need to check if I can get it narrower.

Knitted Cellphone Bag

I finally got the right yarn with the right needles and got my cellphone bag started. I decided on some lace weight handspun yarn and size 3mm needles. The yarn was spun on a spindle from a wool/angora/silk blend called Water Garden. I bought it a while ago and had made a baby set with it, so this is what is left over. I used the toe-up sock start for the bottom and increased every row until I had 16 stitches on each needle the increased every other row until there were 20 stitches on each needle. I looked through my stitch books and found one that looked nice in The Knitter's Bible, by Claire Compton. The pattern is Zigzag Lace on page 117, it has 10 stitches per repeat so I was able to repeat it neatly 4 times. Here is the bit of it I have done now.

Long Time No Post

Wow it has been a long time since I updated my blog, I really was feeling the need to update it again. I have been busy with my son, who is now 17 months and quite a handful, but recently he has allowed me to knit again!

I have started playing around with a few new techniques, like toe up socks and magic loop knitting. Monday, I was at stick café (knitting café) and someone had a crocheted cellphone holder/amulet bag, I was thinking it was a perfect project to explain magic cast-on for toe-up socks. Also it would be perfect for testing lace patterns and to use some smaller bits of handspun yarn. I think I will use some handspun silk that I spun on my silk spindle. I have made an amulet bag with that yarn before, so I think it will be nice.

Yesterday I finished my first pair of toe-up socks for Biscuit. They turned out really great and I plan on making more things with this technique for sure. I forgot to take pictures of them but I will try to post something next time I bring them home from his daycare.