Some more Kambgarn stuff

A little more than three years ago, I cast on for a toddler’s pullover. I’m happy I didn’t get the chance to give it away to the one it was originally ment for, because it is really nice for Hjalti. I wove the ends in (with a little help from Böðvar’s mother) and washed it very recently

The pattern shows various animals: sheep, cows, ducks, pigs and flowers. I really like it, it is in the Ístex pattern book nr 19, Kambgarn, which I mentioned earlier in last post. It is the only published pattern book for Kambgarn that I know of.

I had forgotten that the matching mittens had already been knitted, so several days ago I finished the detail work

And more Kambgarn? In November, I mentioned to three of my friends whether they wanted to make a blanket for a common friend of ours, that had recently given birth to her first baby. To my surprise, they all agreed to do their part, and last weekend, I finished the knitted crochet edge and washed it, I’m very pleased with the result:

We plan to give it away next weekend. I’m very excited to see the look on her face. I think she has no idea what we’ve been up to

1 year old

A week ago, Hjalti turned one year old. How time flies…

Since last entry, he now knows how to sit and stand up on his own, walk with support, and point to things he likes to have and grab almost anything he wants Motherhood is certainly demanding and I feel like I have very little time for knitting. But still, I have made several small projects recently and plans for several more. The theme of recent projects has first and foremost been: use up stash. And there is certainly the need to, since I own four 40 litre plastic boxes down in the storage room, plus yarn probably to fill two more. So, first I made mittens for my niece Arna, for her 1 year birthday in November.

Pattern: based on pattern “Fjóla” from pattern book nr 19 Kambgarn from Ístex and cross stich from book on Rósavettlingar

colour scheme: my own

yarn: Kambgarn nr. 9667 and 0945

needles: 3.0 mm double pointed (five) needles

Then, during Christmas, I used the same pattern to make another pair for Hjalti

yarn: Kambgarn nr. 9667 and 9656

needles: 2.5 mm

It shows that they have been used daily for the past two months. The sad news is, however, that one mitten got lost last Tuesday, when Hjalti went for a ride in the car with his father. Oh well, I obviously have to knit a string to tie the next pair together.

Then there was the hat and booties I made for my friend’s daughter, born 21st November:

Since christmas, I have been working on a cabled pullover for Hjalti (still not finished) , I finished two hats, a lopi west and maybe something more I might have forgotten at the moment. So, plenty more for next post, which shall appear soon. Promise

Tonight, I will attend the knitting cafe in Kópavogur and work on a recently started project: a dress. See you there!

Lopapeysur

Time for an update?

I finished the hoodie a while ago. Since then, I’ve been knitting a hat for a baby. I decided to make a beaded one, similar to the blue one I made for Hjalti a year ago, but with a fancy edge, since it is a baby girl. Since I  had to buy more yarn, you see, I’m trying to use up my stash, I went to the yarn shop (Storkurinn). I ended up buying not one skein, but seven! I was too tempded to buy yarn for a baby, cabled pullower which I saw there while ago and have been thinking about ever since. In order to get the pattern, one has to buy the yarn too. So of course I did

I saw that I always forgot to post the finished hoodie made for my cousin, here it is

And Hjalti’s in white and blue shades 

Details: Approximately size 98 cm (or 86, not sure). Yarn: icelandic Létt-lopi (lopi light). Needles no. 4.5mm, 3.5 for cuffs. Pattern: A free pattern from Ístex. For this one, I used leftover lopi, I only had to buy one skein of white extra.

Nearly there…

I asked the model to pose, wearing the bear-overall. He agreed:

I also asked him if it were OK if I snapped a photo when he was wearing a jumper I crocheted in the spring 2002. He didn’t get the chance to reply…

It is buttoned in the back and was made of old stash yarn my aunt gave me years ago. She also gave me the pattern book which I used.

Details: Crocheted in may, 2002, along with a bonnet and bootees; yarn: acrylic, don’t know which type, old stuff I was given; Pattern: nr. 8372 from Marks babyjournal nr. 44 (Swedish), from the 60’s or the 70’s.

I have almost finished the hooded lopi sweater, the only thing left is the chrocheted button list:

But tonight, I´m working on another unfinished jumper and browsing through books, looking for  something to knit for a baby due in the end of November.

some updates

Blogging has not been on hold because of any real or important reasons. And 3 months is a little bit too much. Updates?

I have not finished the overall. But I picked up the last stitches last night and should finish the button list today. Then I might be able to buy the buttons on saturday. Ok, now I have a plan…

I have not finished the lopi-cardigan for Hjalti.

I have not touched Böðvar’s expensive cable pullover. Thus, I ‘m glad he doesn’t even know about it!

I finished a pair of new mittens for Hjalti in June/July, but they haven’t been photographed yet.

And I also finished the green pair of Hjalti’s socks, which were on the needles before he was born:

And in action…

Two weeks ago, I started working. So I will have even less time on my hands for knitting. So don’t expect anything great for the next year or so.  I obviously still have to learn to organise time better!

A new lopapeysa for Hjalti on the needles

Hjalti is already 3 months old. How time flies. And yet, it seems so long ago since he was born. He now measures 63 cm long and can grab things and hold his head upright.

I haven’t allowed myself much time for knitting. Sadly, I have instead spent too much time tidying and washing clothes and dishes, you know, this boring domestic stuff. Anyhow, the overall is nearly ready, but I still have to pick up stitches for the button list. I hate picking up stithces. So I decided to start a lopapeysa for Hjalti in the same size as the white and green one  I gave to Arna, Hjalti’s cousin:

I’m using the same pattern as for my black hooded lopapeysa. But the base colour is white and the pattern colours are two shades of blue. I shall post a photo when I’m done. I’m knitting the pattern on the second sleeve now. 

Since I haven’t any new stuff to show you I decided to post a photo of this knitted set my grandmother, Elísabet, knitted for my brother 40 years ago. Hjalti is using it now:

I think it’s made of acrilic yarn, but it’s nice and warm. I haven’t seen this pattern anywhere else (you can click the image and choose a larger one from the photo web page) and I really like the little pompoms on the socks. But I also knitted a baby set 8 years ago. I didn’t want to give it away and kept it for my self, in case I could use one day. It’s made of lilac Kambgarn, Icelandic wool:

Diamond bootees

Wow, time surely flies!

Tiny is already one month old. And grows fast, I can tell you. I spend my day mostly as his humble servant. Last week the weather was quite ok and we took our first walks together. It is a nice change, from spending the last month almost entirely inside.

The week before he was born I finished the first hospital project, a Peru hat from the Danish book “Södt og blödt”. It’s made from Rowan felted tweed in size one year old. The next project was socks to bring him home in. Sigga Sif came for a visit on a Friday evening and I cast on, using this lovely green Drops-alpaca yarn. But the sock turned out to be way to big:

I still continued with the sock during contractions at home and at the hosptal, until I got into the bathtub… The third hospital project were these lace and diamond bootees from a Rowan pattern. The pattern is made for Rowan cotton glace and US 3 (3 1/4 mm) needles and is to fit baby of 6-9 months. I needed a pair to fit him now so I used 2.5 mm needles and 4 ply soft. I started on the first bootee at the hospital, after the birth and managed to finish the second one 2 weeks later. They are wery fun and easy to knit, so I’m about to finish a second pair in another colour (greyish green). But the first pair fits perfectly:

A son is born

Finally I have a spare moment to bring you some good news…

My firstborn will be 2 weeks old later today. February 28th, at 17:55,  I gave birth to my son. He measured 52 cm long and weighed 3400 grams. Long and slender. Couldn’t be more perfect or more beautiful, at least not to the parents

I woke up the night before tuesday feeling the first contractions. I read that if one feels labour starting, one should continue with everyday tasks. And so I did on Tuesday. This involved tidying and cleaning thouroghly the bedroom and living room, collecting the baby bed, getting it all ready and neat for the one I was expecting. I should have known better. After another sleepless night with banging headache and much worse and regular contractions (and the pain involved) I finally understood why everyone was telling me to rest the last days

But it all went well. Böðvar finally convinced my to go to the hospital at around ten AM and just before 6 PM it was all over.  And on Friday morning we took our little one home, of course wearing the knitted alpaca west, new matching cabel gloves and the bead hat to keep him warm. And tugged up in the striped blanket:

Life has changed dramatically. I spend most of the day nursing, changing diapers, nursing, maybe resting a bit, eating and doing laundry. But last night I managed to finish little booties I started at the hospital after the birth.  I had prepared three labour projects, in case things would take a long time. I managed to finish the first one before it all started. It was a Peru hat for a one year old. Then I started another one in a different colour. I’ve only finished one ear flap of that one since I decided I had to make warm socks for the son to wear on our way home. I finished the first one on Tuesday night. And it was way to big! But started the second one and kept knitting between contractions on wednesday. Also at the hospital. Until I got into the huge bathtub there. I highly recommend knitting during the early stages of labour. One dosn’t use the time for much else anyway. And walking around knitting takes the mind a bit from the current situation. I think I kept on knitting until 5-6 cm dilated. If you know what I mean…

I’ll post  a photo of the labour-projects next time. First I want to wash the diamond booties.

Just one last photo: Tiny one at home, resting under the duvet-cover which I finished just in time…

Finshed!

May I present a 2.5 year project FINALLY finished! Tadaaaaa…

Oh well, it didn’t actually take me that long. It just lay untouched for about 2 years. You should just know how good it feels to have finally finished this cardigan. I’m wondering whether I should cast on for mathcing mittens, or socks, or even the trousers? Maybe it can wait, I think this one won’t fit until about four-six months age.

Yesterday evening I wathched a great film, Memoirs of a Geisha. I really recommend that one. And while whatching, I finished the plain-rib-part of the tiny alpaca west. So, now it gives me a little more pleasure knitting this garment. I might even finish it in time

I have followed the progress of tiny for each week on an Icelandic web-site maintained by midwifes.  This week I read somewhere that now it is about time to get ready and pack the bag. Ohhhmygod, it came as a  kind of shock. I’m not ready. But then same evening I went and picked the tiniest clothes I have in stock at home: some old ones since I was a newborn, and something homemade. I have a set of this lovely lilac cardigan made of Icelandic Kambgarn, hat and socks I knitted more than seven years ago. It’s maybe more girllike, but it’s warm and I could well use it for tiny for the short ride home. And since I just got my new camera yesterday, I’ll post a photo next time.

Hippy pappy newyear - blanket knitting

Dearest readers, happy new year!

I spent the Christmas this year up north in Sauðárkrókur, with my brother’s family. And, apart from the stressful day at the airport, me and mother spent three great days there before driving back home the 26th.

I brought a few knitting projects with me. Unfortunately, it was already dark when we started driving north, so I could not knit in the car during those roughly four hours which the travel lasted. I think I will leave all the details concerning the flight company and how they let us wait, and wait, and delayed the flight, which was originally scheduled at 09:30 am. To cut a long story short, it was already to windy to fly when we were finally called to the gate just before five pm. I knew about the storm in the afternoon and when it was due. So did the flight company (at least they should have), but still decided to use the plane scheduled for Sauðárkrókur to fly east first. Anyway, doesn’t matter now, back to the knitting.

I managed to get some things done during the holidays. Firstly, I finished sewing the buttons on the green/cream baby jacket. Secondly, I finished the rib for the matching hat, and started the pattern. The hat was then finished on new years eve, except for the pompom, and know lies stretched and wet and soon ready to wear and to be photographed.

Thirdly, I managed to knit a few rounds of the alpaca west (last post), but knitting plain rib isn’t much fun. So I laid it aside and started the baby blanket.

 You probably can’t see it very clearly there, but I ended up using five colours: two shades of green, two of blue and then pink. And it’s colourful indeed!!! Not like any other baby blanket I’ve seen.

I’m starting to get more and more tired and exhausted these days, and was quite busy just before I left north. So I needed my rest during Christmas. But that doesn’t necessarily mean one has to stop knitting…

I haven’t finished the blanket yet, and anyway, I have still seven weeks to go. I asked my brother to take the official 7-months photo on Christmas eve. It’s quite awful, I know, but still…

I just look kind of chubby. Hmmm. And I’m growing quite fast these days. The days at work are getting more and more difficult, I really need a nap halfway through the day This pregnancy is not quite how I imagined it would be! I really thought I would be running up and down mountains, swimming, finishing my thesis and so forth during those last weeks. Huhhh…

I finally met Sigga Sif last Thursday. We drove together to the Álafoss factory store, as Sigga needed some létt-lopi for a new sweater. I didn’t need anything and just wanted to go there and enjoy watching all the colours and stuff.  But of course I ended up buying two skeins of sockyarn. Haha, I’m hopeless at restraining myself!

The next evening Sigga Sif came for a cup of coffee and the rest of the Christmas cookies. She had started the new sweater and I cast on for the back piece of the cabled sweater. The sleeves are know finished, and I might just finish this one before Böðvar’s birthday, February 8th.

I asked my maybe-future-brother in law do buy a knew digital camera for me in the duty free store last weekend. He’ll be back tomorrow. I really hope he remembered. And if he did, the first thing I’ll do is to photograph the finished objects. Until then.