Finished Object: Take Heart

Pattern: Take Heart by Fiona Alice
Yarn: Lang Yarns Merino 70 Luxe
Colour: Navy (025)
Needles: 6mm DPS needles
Start of project: January 23, 2015
End of project: January 28, 2015

On Ravelry

This pattern by Fiona Alice appeared in a PomPom Magazine (PomPom Quarterly Issue 7, Winter 2013). I heard about it in a PomPom podcast and put it on my queue on Ravelry. I found it hard to decide what yarn to use, until I did a swatch with some leftover Merino 70 which looked nice and was just right for the pattern. I ordered this navy coloured yarn, thinking the little sparkly bits were actually thin white yarn. At first I wasn't too sure if I would ever wear this kind of yarn, but I decided to just try it.

I had to go backwards and forwards quite a bit. The 7mm needles I used for the cable pattern seemed too loose, then I knit all the way to the end of the pattern only to realise that the hat was far too short for my head. I frogged back again, knit a few mistakes without noticing, frogged back a third and ended up knitting the 10 row cable pattern three times instead of twice. Now I like the fit and after having added a little pompom I wore it all afternoon. I like the fit of this hat, finally a hat that is tight enough to be warm on my bicycle.

Wooden fantasies

My dad has been working with wood for years. He picks up interesting pieces of wood when he goes hiking or sometimes he buys special wood to work with.

A lot of his figures are animals or mythical creatures, sometimes they are gentle like fairytales but they can also be rather threatening. He had wanted to put them in a photo book for a long time but I knew how long it would take to do it and never seemed to have the time.

He asked me again after Christmas if I could photograph all the pieces and organize them in a nice way. Because while my dad is really good with a burin, a hammer or a chisel, modern technology is not his forte at all, so he needed someone for that part.

We took photos over two Saturdays in January which left me with close to 1000 pictures to process. Then we worked on the photo book all day yesterday and after another few hours today we were able to send it off to be printed. In two weeks he should finally have a beautiful book of about 130 pages filled with all his creations.

 

 

Finished Object: Honey Cowl

Pattern: Honey Cowl by Antonia Shankland
Yarn: Madelinetosh Tosh DK
Colours: Hosta Blue and Worn Denim
Needles: 5mm round needle
Start of project: January 8, 2015
End of project: January 20, 2015

On Ravelry

For this cowl I was able to use up more than 1.5 skeins of my stashed Madelinetosh DK in Hosta Blue. I had two skeins left over from my Lush since June and never  knew what to use it for. The Honey Cowl had been a possibilty for a while but something didn't feel quite right. I liked the pattern but maybe the colour wasn't interesting enough. Then I came across a modified version with two colours on Julie's blog and knew that was the way I wanted to go too. I ordered one more skein in Worn Denim and those two colours are just made for each other. I love how the Worn Denim changes from an intense blue to almost brown and back again.

 

The knitting of the cowl was easy enough to watch TV at the same time, but I had to go back about 10 rows and pick up all 220 stitches again after having talked to intensly on a knitter's meet up. I am glad I did because I know those mixed up stitches would have bothered me forever ;-)

I wasn't quite sure how to wear it. It felt a bit akward when it was open, too much weight in the front somehow. When worn double it was a bit on the short side but I after I had it blocked it gained a few inches (it's now 48 inches wide) and now I think it fits nicely.

Reading Challenge 2015

I saw this Reading Challenge on somebody's blog today. I am not sure if it was started on Goodreads or if Goodreads just picked it up and it was started on Popsugar, but I like it either way. 

There are 52 WEEKS & 52 TOPICS. I won't try to read them in the right order, but I'd like to read as many of the topics as possible, so I will fill my list up slowly during the year and might post about my progress every once in a while...

1. a book with more than 500 pages: "The Goldfinch" by Donna Tartt (currently reading)

2. a romance:

3. a book that became a movie: 

4. a book published this year: 

5. a book with a number in the title:  

6. a book written by someone under 30: 

7. a book with nonhuman characters: 

8. a funny book:

9. a book by a female author: 

10. a mystery or thriller:  

11. a book with a one-word title:  

12. a book of short stories:  

13. a book set in a different country:

14. a nonfiction book: 

15. a popular author's first book: "Garden Spells" by Sarah Addison Allen (01/06)

16. a book from your favorite author that you haven't read yet: 

17. a book a friend recommended:

18. a Pulitzer-prize winning book: 

19. a book based on a true story:

20. a book at the bottom of your to read list: 

21. a book your mom or dad loves: 

22. a book that scares you: 

23. a book more than 100 years old: 

24. a book based entirely on its cover:

25. a book you were supposed to read in school but didn't: 

26. a memoir:

27. a book you can finish in a day:

28. a book with antonyms in the title:

29. a book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit:

30. a book that came out the year you were born: 

31. a book with bad reviews:

32. a trilogy (the first):  

33. a trilogy (the second):

34. a trilogy (the third):

35. a book from your childhood:

36. a book with a love triangle:

37. a book set in the future:

38. a book set in high school: 

39. a book with a color in the title:  

40. a book that made/makes you cry:

41. a book with magic: "Lost Lake" by Sarah Addison Allen (01/04)

42. a graphic novel:

43. a book by an author you've never read before: 

44. a book you own but have never read: 

45. a book that takes place in your hometown: 

46. a book that was originally written in another language: 

47. a book set during Christmas (or similar holiday):

48. a book written by an author with your same initials:

49. a play:

50. a banned book:

51. a book based on OR turned into a tv show:

52. a book you started but never finished:

Finished Object: Adelia Mitts

Pattern: Adelia Mitts from Tanis Fiber Art
Yarn: Madelinetosh Tosh Sock
Colours: tart and silver fox
Needles: 2.5 and 3 mm DPS
Start of project: December 31, 2014
End of project: January 7, 2015

On Ravelry

Project #1 of 2015 is done. These are my first real mitts, before I only made fingerless ones and with much thicker yarn.


I had the Adelia Mitts on my wishlist for a long time but then I had other things to finish first and I couldn't make up my mind about the contrast colour. It was a hard decision between Tart and Jade, both of them really beautiful colours. In the end I went with Tart because it will work better with my
coat. And I am glad I chose it, the gloves look really festive and are very warm.

I am very happy that I was able to use up some of my stashed yarn. I wasn't sure if there was going to be enough of the Tart, but in the end, it was more than I thought and there were even 18g left. Knitting with yarn I already have is one of my goals for 2015, like that I'll have room again and can buy new yarn. So far I made out of this same yarn my Ravello sweater, five christmas balls and one little heart and now these mitts.

Looking back: 1st of January

The first day of the year seems to be an excellent day for taking photos and for walks ;-)

In 2003 Andreas and I enjoyed the view over Zürich from the Waidberg.

In 2004 we stayed home and had fun playing on the sheepskin.

In 2005 Yannick needed a haircut.

In 2006 I was writing daily in my Moleskine.

In 2007 I must have been to lazy to go anywhere and only got a picture for the dry flowers right outside our living room.

In 2008 I had the flu.

In 2009 it was sunny.

In 2010 there was fireworks on the Üetliberg (4 minutes after midnight).

In 2011 Tobi and I walked around the neighbourhood and saw this wonderful motto for the year.

In 2012 Tobi and I walked around Züriwest.

In 2013 Yannick was still celebrating the morning after.

Today, there still was a lot of snow in the forest. I haven't done much but at least I've been outside for about an hour...

Happy New Year wherever you are and make lots and lots of wonderful memories during the next 12 months!

All of my reviews:

10th of October

11th of November 

12th of December