Finished Object: Hermione's Everyday Socks

Pattern: Hermione's Everyday Socks by Erika Lueder
Yarn: Lana Grossa Cool Wool Print
Colour: yellow, green, blue and orange mix
Needles: 2.75mm Round Needles
Start of project: September 11th, 2016
End of project: September 25th, 2016

On Ravelry

I knit a new pair of socks. The Hermione's Everyday Sock pattern has been in my favourites' for a while and I really enjoyed knitting it. It's very simple, all you have to remember are a few purls every once in a while but they are still more interesting than just plain stockinette and I like the waffle effect.

I got this yarn for my birthday last year and didn't really know what to use it for. Now I used two of the three skeins for these slightly thicker socks (the yarn is sports weight)  and they turned out really comfortable and squishy. The colours are not what I would usually choose but I think socks can be as wild as they want, because most of the time they are hidden and when you see them it's only a glimpse...

Happy two year bloggiversary to me

Two years ago I started this blog with my first entry.
One year ago I looked back over the first twelve months.

People who know me, know that I love rituals, repetition and looking back. So it will be no surprise that I have to look back today and take count.

I am still blogging which makes me happy because it's almost the only regular writing for pleasure that I am doing. During the last 12 months I wrote blog entry #112 to #169 which makes for 57 new ones. I don't want to say only 57 because I kind of learnt not to put myself under too much pressure. Even though I wrote less, more people than last year stopped by (17720) and they left an amazing 455 comments (well it was probably only half of that because I always try to write back). Thank you all so much, it always makes my day and some of you have left comments so regularly that I feel very much loved.

I still mostly write about knitting, travelling and a bit of family stuff and a little bit of reading in between which sums up the good things of my life quite well.

I recently started writing daily in a paper journal again, something I used to do for about ten years but then I fell off the wagon. I started with a "365 questions and answers for five years" journal on the first of September and I really like answering a question a day so far.

Today's questions is: "A decision that you made today was..."
What would your own answer be?

Finished Object: Silversmith Hoodie

Pattern: Silversmith Hoodie by Meiju K-P
Yarn: Malabrigo Rios
Colour: Teal Feather
Needles: 4mm, 4.5mm and 5mm Round Needles
Start of project: August 5th, 2016

End of project: September 12th, 2016

On Ravelry

It took me a bit more than a month to finish this year's SSKAL project, my Silversmith Hoodie. I wrote about working on it here. I added 10cm of lenght to the original pattern, because I wanted something coatlike, otherwise I followed the pattern. Once the minicables of the back and on both sides were done, progress was much faster even though it got quite heavy and very warm while knitting the sleeves and the hoodie. I mostly knit in the evenings because it was too uncomfortable during the day.

 

This was one of the most interesting projects I've done so far. There are so many amazing and clever details in the pattern that aren't all that obvious but they make such a difference if you look closely. I especially liked the beginning of the body, the short rows at the beginning of the hoodie and the iCord bind off which gives it such a clean neat finish.

I am very happy with the fit of my new coat. I blocked it slightly larger, it was a bit too tight but now there are probably about 1 - 2 inches of ease everywhere which will allow me to wear a long sleeved shirt underneath. I think this might be a bit warm to wear inside most of the time but it will be perfect for cooler days outside and inside when I am not moving a lot.

Antonia and I went to take some project photos today and let me tell you one thing: This wasn't meant to be worn at almost 30 degrees, even when you are in the middle of lots of trees. So if I look a bit flustered, just imagine to wear your warmest blanket in the desert ;-) 

Nevertheless we had fun and I am quite happy with how these photos turned out. Somehow I really need to have photos I like at the end of a long project, it just ties down all the loose ends. I am fortunate enough that I usually have one or two photographers around (well my kids ;-) who know me well enough and are able to take as many pictures as I like.

Finished Object: Spate

Pattern: Spate by Jane Richmond
Yarn: Nice& Knit Worsted
Colours: Driftwood, Harpoon and Dockside
Needles: 4.5 and 5mm Round Needle

Start of project: September 6th, 2016
End of project: September 11th, 2016

On Ravelry

I started these mitts last week at the Knit'n'Sip at Piccolo Giardino. My Silversmith Hoodie was almost done and only needed the iCord bind off and it was too heavy and too warm to take along for some outdoor knitting. I wanted to start something fast and light but also something that would be good for the fall temperatures that had finally started to arrive; at least in the early mornings on the bike.

I've had this pattern in my favourites for a while. The mitts looked beautiful and squishy and I totally like the photos that Jane Richmond has on her project page. This isn't the first time I knit a pattern by Jane, I did a pair of Climb socks and the Clarke sweater earlier this year and both of them were really well written and I love how they turned out.

I knew I didn't have enough of the Driftwood (the MC) for both mitts, but there was still a bit of the Harpoon and slightly more of the Dockside left from my Boden. I started the cuff with only the Dockside but it didn't feel right. After a night's sleep I frogged back and started over with a few stripes for the cuff and I am really happy with that combination. The mitts grew really quickly and in no time the first one was done.

I knit most of the second one on the Stitching on a Boat tour we did yesterday. We took the boat from Zürich to Rapperswil and back and spent four lovely hours of knitting and talking on the water. I didn't quite manage to finish it on board, but at home there was only the ribbing and the thumb (which I added to the pattern) left to do and now they are ready for those early morning bike rides.

Family portrait #14

It was time for our annual family portrait again. What started 13 years ago without a plan has since been repeated every year around the same time on the same blanket at the same spot.

This was the first year that we had to change the arrangement a little bit, Yannick and Antonia are now officially too big and too heavy to sit on our laps. It's still my favourite photo series and I hope there will be many more to come...

If you want to see all of them in a slideshow, you can do that on flickr...