Finished Object: Tweed hoch drei

Pattern: Tweed hoch drei from  Coole Loops
Yarns:  Lang Yarn Merino 120, Lang Yarn Merino +, Lang Yarn Merino 70
Colour: grey mélange and fuchsia
Needles: 4mm, 5mm and 6mm round needles
Start of project: November 16, 2014
End of project: November 21, 2014

On Ravelry

Antonia chose this loop from the book Coole Loops. The same pattern is knit with three different yarns which are each knit with a different needle size. This made for a rather small tube in the first colour and then it spreads out slowly into a trapeze.

When we ordered the yarn, we were looking for a light grey and a dark grey but we ended up with these two very identical greys. (yarn names can be so confusing!) I still think it would have looked better with two different colours...

It was an easy pattern to remember, with only one stitch that was new to me, "knit a twist to the right", which gives an effect similar to a cable stitch.

I found the pattern quite intense for my hands to knit, I had to take a break quite frequently because of the force I had to use to get the twists done.

Even though I am not totally convinced of the way it looks, Antonia seems to like it and has been wearing it ever since she got it, which is really what matters ;-)

I've been blogged on Ravelry (again)

Wow, what's going on? 

I just found my Little Sock Ornaments on Community Eye Candy on Ravelry. This is already the second time that they mention one of my projects... I am feeling really loved, thanks so much!

Finished object: 48 little socks

36 medium ones

Pattern: Little Sock Ornaments by Tin Can Knits
Yarn: Lang Yarn Merino + superwash
Colour: lots of leftovers from various projects
Needles: 3.5 mm DPS
Start of project: October 11, 2014
End of project: November 16, 2014

On Ravelry

Here they are: 48 socks all ready for the last 24 days before christmas.

I just finished the last two socks this afternoon and I am so glad I got there in time. They were fun to knit and only took about an hour per sock. I enjoyed trying to find new colour combinations and while I don't love all of them, I think there are so many of them that it doesn't matter too much if some of them are not quite as beautiful as the others. I knit twins of my favourites if there was enough colour. I used about 425 grams of leftovers from my Vivid blanket and other projects and with the stripes it was possible to use even the shortest bit of yarn. Knitting these socks taught me a lot about colour changes and I can do socks and kitchener stitch in my sleep now.

I can't wait for it to be the 30st of November, when I will put them on my kids' walls and fill them with treats. I am not sure if they didn't figure out that they are going to get these socks as a calendar, but so far they didn't ever say anything about it, so who knows ;-)

12 little ones

Progress on my Ravello

Pattern: Ravello by Isabell Kraemer

Yarn: Madelinetosh Tosh Sock
Colours: MC Silverfox, CC1 Tart, CC2 Smokestack
Needles: 3.5 mm DPS/ round needle, 3mm DPS
Start of project: November 10, 2014

On Ravelry

My Ravello has been growing steadily during the last few days. This yarn is such a pleasure to knit with, it's really soft and so beautiful. At first I was very unsure about the darker grey, the Smokestack. But now I am actually really happy with the contrast between the two of them. Not too intense but still visible.

Thanks to my second round needle I can also try it on every once in a while. So far I like the fit a lot. It's probably rather less ease than the original but definitely not too tight either.

I am trying to do this with waist shaping which isn't in the pattern. I am not sure if I started the decreases in the right spot, maybe I could have waited a little while longer. I guess I'll just have to see what it looks like in the end.

Currently knitting: Ravello

Pattern: Ravello by Isabell Kraemer
Yarn: Madelinetosh Tosh Sock
Colours: MC Silverfox, CC1 Tart, CC2 Smokestack
Needles: 3.5 mm DPS/ round needle, 3mm DPS
Start of project: November 10, 2014

On Ravelry

This sweater was love at first sight. I saw it and I knew I wanted to knit it. I wasn't so sure about getting the original yarn from Denmark, so I chose Madelinetosh Tosh Sock instead. I really like that yarn and Strickcafé had just the three colours I wanted. When I got the yarn I realised that the difference between the lighter Silverfox and the darker Smokestack was less pronounced than what I thought it would be, but I decided to go with it anyway. 

It took me a quite a few days to get started with it. As with most of my bigger projects I seem to need time to get into the mood, to find the courage to actually cast on. Finally it felt right so I did a gauge swatch. I was suprised how close I came which I took as a good sign. I am going to knit a size S, I think that should fit me. The sweater is knit top down, so I can try it on while I am knitting it and go a size bigger if I have to...

The pattern started with short rows which are kind of my nemesis, the only thing I never really manage to knit neatly. Fortunately most of it went surprisingly well, only the last wrapped stitch turned into a bit of a mess but I think it won't be that obvious. This is my first raglan sweater but I seem to do it properly so far.

Now I am looking forward to using the CC1 soon. Tart has been on my wishlist for quite a while. Only about another centimetre and then I can start with the stripes.

Looking back: 11th of November

The middle of November isn't a great time for photos, it's often foggy and there is little light before and after work. So I only found photos which were taken quite a while ago.

These two photos are from 2006.

Back in 2006 we always did special programmes with just one kid on Saturdays. That time I went to Trampolino with Antonia, an indoor playground. I remember that it was loud with lots and lots of children running around. But Antonia enjoyed herself and we had a good time together. Amazing how curly her hair was then and how small and delicate she was. The sweater she wore was one of my all time favourites.

The next three photos are all from 2007:

We baked cookies on November 11th 2007 - Mailänderli to be exact. I love the concentration on Yannick's and Antonia's faces. I wished I had some of these cookies right now, actually just the smell of them would be enough.

And this last photo is a selfie of my 365 days project I did in 2006 / 2007, it's actually picture 317/365. I love the yellow of the leaves in the background and I really like my hair in that picture. I look really young in it, 7 years make quite a difference! I took a photo at almost the same spot yesterday

All of my reviews:
10th of October

Finished Object: Foliage Hat

Pattern: Foliage Hat by Irina Dmitrieva
Yarn: Lang Yarns, Merino 120 Colour superwash  #011
Colour: #011 (grey - yellow)
Needles: 3.5 mm DPS and 4mm round needle
Start of project: November 4, 2014
End of project: November 9, 2014

On Ravelry

After I wrote my currently knitting entry yesterday I really got into the groove and I spent all Sunday afternoon on the sofa, watching Friday Night Lights and knitting away.

I did one modification of the pattern. After the first 24 rows I started again at row 1 but didn't stop at row 16 then. Instead I finished the second circle and started a third one where I knit another 4 lines. So my hat is actually 12 rows longer than in the pattern. Because of that I had to change the last part of the pattern (row 41 to 55). My leaves where switched so I had to knit the pattern accordingly. Not very difficult, just the first row was a bit tricky to figure out.

By 10 pm I was done decreasing and only had to weave in all the ends. I couldn't resist and had to take a bathroom selfie right away. It's kind of obvious that I was rather tired by them ;-)

Today I went outside and took a few more photos with my new hat. The background of the leaves on the ground was perfect. I am very happy with how it all turned out!

This was my third project with this yarn and while I really really like it there is one thing that is very annoying. The people or the machine who attaches new yarn in the middle of the balls is clearly colourblind or stupid or doesn't really care. Especially the second ball here was unusable. I had to unravel it, cut it and start in the middle and then put the different parts together like a puzzle. Not funny at all!!!

Currently knitting: Foliage Hat

Pattern: Foliage Hat by Irina Dmitrieva
Yarn: Lang Yarns, Merino 120 Colour superwash  #011
Colour: #011 (grey - yellow)
Needles: 3.5 mm DPS and 4mm round needle
Start of project: November 4, 2014

On Ravelry

I had this pattern for a while and I planned to knit it with some green yarn. But then all the leaves turned to different colours and I thought the yarn I used for my mitts and my round shawl might make this hat look like a tree in November.

It's a cool pattern to knit, not very difficult to remember but it it needs a little concentration - just right. I started with 112 stitches but that seemed far too small so I frogged it and cast on 126 stitches which looks like a much better fit.

I am not really in a hurry with this one, I knit a little bit every day inbetween my little socks (there are only ten left to knit). Everything is really busy for me at the moment so this is my slow time just for myself.

Totally unrelated to my knitting is this picture. Isn't it the most splendid tree you could imagine? It's more or less on my way to work, I only need to take a little detour to see it ;-)

Finished Object: Feather and Fan Wrist Warmers

Pattern:  Handledsvärmare Påfågel by Åsa Argéus
Yarn: Madelinetosh DK
Colour: Tern
Needles: 4 mm DPS
Start of project: November 2, 2014
End of project: November 2, 2014

On Ravelry

It was a mitt - weekend for sure. Once the Lady Grey mitts were done I decided that I needed another pair of wrist warmers without thumbs or anything.

The Feather and Fan wrist warmers I knit in July have been worn many times but I always regretted that they were slightly too tight. So I took the other left over from my Paddle mitts and started a new pair. I cast on 36 stitches with 4.5 mm needles and then I continued with 4 mm needles. (The first pair had been knit all with 3.5 mm). I had an excellent time on the balcony, reading Orange is the New Black in the sunshine while they were growing.

I am happy with how they turned out, they are much loser and somehow also much longer (even though I did 13 pattern repeats again - must be the more intense blocking).

Now I only need to get rid of my mitt addiction ;-)

I will share this with Marisa's Auf den Nadeln im November even though the wrist warmers are already off the needles and on my arms ;-)

Finished Object: Lady Grey Mitts

Pattern: Lady Grey Mitts by Kerri Blumer
Yarn: Madelinetosh DK
Colour: Leaf
Needles: 3.5 mm DPS
Start of project: October 29, 2014
End of project: November 1, 2014

On Ravelry

A new pair of mitts - yay!

I knit these with the left overs from my Paddle mitts. I think it's such an amazing green. Like fresh grass in the spring (you can't really see it on these photos because of the filter I used but believe me, they are totally springy)

They are very warm and at the same time really cuddly. At first I was a bit scared that they might be stiff because the yarn is quite thick, but they totally aren't.

I might knit the Earl Grey pattern with some other DK yarn, maybe I have enough of the grey yarn left - I will need about 65 gr. of it.