Sock Wars III

I have signed up to do Sock Wars III, I liked doing SWII and I think this time will be even better! SWIII has it's own site, having to wade through the Yahoo-group to find out what was going on was not particularly fun. I didn't mind paying the 2$ membership fee, because if someone is jilted then the sock Valkyries can knit a pair for them.

I was thinking of using Tofutsies since SWTC is the official sponsor, but I couldn't find any local vendors. For all I know there's one down the street, but since I don't speak Dutch... I found some skeins on Ebay, but since none of them called out to me I ended up buying two skeins of Lorna's Laces Shepard Sock from a1lorraine. I love the purple and the socks should not be too girly if I should happen to be assigned a male target. The colours are a little bit darker in real life.

My newest knitting project is an adaption of Sesame from Magknits. I'm knitting it as a bottom up raglan and I'll add a hood, because I have a new found love of hoodies. I'm using a very cheap acrylic yarn, in silver and petrol. I've knit 1.5 sleeves so far, not so much because I love knitting sleeves but because I'm avoiding schoolwork. The next two weeks of school will be very busy though, so I probably won't get around to knitting the body of the sweater in a while.

All hallows eve 2008

It may not be a surprise, to those who have read my earlier posts, that I love Halloween. I have already decided what to go as this year. I want to go as Joan of Arc, I think I might be reacting to the fact that I was a little uncomfortable in my 'sexy costume' last year (the skirt was way too short... which is why no photos of the entire ensemble were ever put up, here is an early sketch of the costume though, if you are curious!) and now I want something that covers everything :-)

This is a sketch of what it will look like, I'm going to use this vintage knitting pattern (it's a pdf-file) as inspiration for my chain mail shirt. I'll probably buy a toy sword from punanaamio.fi.


















I also have an idea for an alternative costume, using the same vintage pattern. Namely a Robin Hood costume, but I'm not as interested in going as Robin Hood as I am in going as Joan of Arc. Anyone else is more than welcome to use the idea though, it's hardly a very novel idea!

My drawing ability has definitely improved since last year, though last year's sketch was a very, very rough sketch, so maybe they can't really be compared :-)

First I don't write anything in 3 months and the I write two posts in one day... strange!

Edited because I can't spell this late at night!

Oh dear...

How did this happen? One minute it's Christmas and the next it's March!?! What have I been doing, you might ask. I've moved all of my things from my student flat into my old room at my dad's (where did all that stuff come from???) and then moved myself and 23kg of my favorite things to Diemen, which is just outside Amsterdam. I'm currently studying Fashion and Management at Amsterdam Fashion Institute. It's a lot of work, but also a lot of fun... there's nothing quite like the Erasmus lifestyle :-)

Here is a cavalcade of my FO's, in no particular order. I'm sorry for the lack of descriptions, I hate putting together posts with many photos. It took all I have to just arrange them and the text in some semblance of aesthetic order.

Jaywalkers for my flatmate Sanna

Jaywalker cellphone cozy for me

Doll clothes for a school project, my own 'design.'

Ursus arm warmers for Sonja (then my brother's girlfriend, now his fiance!)

Cabled dress for myself

Tiny mittens for flatmate

Never anger the knitting gods

I fear I may have angered the almighty gods of knitting, how you may ask. I'm not sure. Perhaps it was my hubris, I was certain that I would be able to finish my Christmas projects long before Christmas. I have cast on the Branching out scarf for my father's girlfriend (eh, ladyfriend?) three times in the last three days. I keep messing up, if I wouldn't have frogged it I would almost be finished.

But, never fear. There is also some good news! I have figured out what was troubling my camera. Apparently it could not stand the cheap batteries I was using. I have since bought re-chargeable batteries and they are working like a charm.

Above you can see the, soon to be frogged, third incarnation of my Branching out scarf. It's like a "find five faults" picture, but with knitting! The yarn is Novita Olivia (70% bamboo, 30% Polyester) and was on sale for 1.50e/skein (~2.20$). It's very soft and doesn't look worse for wear, even though it's been frogged a few times!

Stupid camera

My camera is dead. Which sucks. Obviously! I'm going to look for the receipt and the box it came in and hope it has a 12month warranty (I bought it 11 months ago).

I finished the Halloween capelet ages ago and started knitting two different sock patterns, both x-mas gifts. I've also bought a new knitting book called "Knitting Classic Style: 35 Modern Designs Inspired by Fashion's Archives", by Veronik Avery. It is really brilliant and I've added a few of the projects to my list (which keeps growing and growing and growing)

I'm dead, but what a way to go!

I can't believe it, it's been 21 days since I posted last... crap, not much of an excuse but I've been ridiculously busy. As the title says, I'm dead. Mamiecaisse's socks got here today, there was a small spelling 'oopsie' in the address so it got held up for a bit. Not that it matters since I only got one kill :( But I will not be sad, because I was so spoiled. I got the prettiest socks ever, that fit and the leftover yarn (*drool* so pretty!) and a zip pouch (which will really come in handy!)

I guess I should post photos of the socks I knit for Bridget'smom. Too bad I only have one decent photo, the batteries died ~2sec. after I took it! I feel a bit bad that I didn't send any extras... But I guess there's always next year!

My first time...

I have ordered my first skein of yarn on-line and I think I'm hooked. I just wish I'd ordered a set of needles while I was at it!

I ordered my sock wars weaponry on Monday and received it today, they are work very quickly over at Vuorelma! I hope my target will like the color, but I won't worry about it. A lot of people on the yahoo group seem to think that they can't send pink socks to a male target, I think it's silly. If he is secure enough in his masculinity to knit, he is surely man enough to wear pink socks.

In other news: I'm officially a Facebook addict... not good!

Edited to add: didn't get gauge on the Veto yarn, so I used a very masculine, dark green Gjestal Maija instead (which was supposed to become socks for either my brother or my dad)

Halloween capelet

I'm going to dress up as the Green Faerie for Halloween and since my costume will be a little... skimpy, I decided to knit myself something to keep me warm. I stumbled across the Anthropologie-Inspired Capelet pattern and fell in love! It's a very simple pattern, with almost no seaming! And I finally got to try Novita's new Mambo yarn, it's a bit itchy against my skin but still quite nice and fun to knit with.








I'm going to knit full length sleeves, so I can use it in school as well. Didn't buy enough yarn, so I have to wait until tomorrow until I can get some more... :( I hope I can find a nice brooch to go with it!

Progress report

I have started knitting this three times, which is why I am so deliriously happy that it fits. I'm using the Minisweater/Boob holder pattern, but without the poofy sleeves. And I'm making both the body and the sleeves longer.

I didn't get the right gauge so I had to add 20sts. It doesn't look all that much like finished ones I've seen, but I hope it'll sort itself out! Because if I have to frog it again I might have a nervous break down...

I'm using two strands of Novita Florica, which is 100% wool. Which means the sweater is going to be very warm and toasty. Yay! The colors don't look that terrible in real life, must stop taking photos of projects in the dead of night!

It's not long 'til Sock Wars start! I can hardly wait! There's still time to sign up! You know you want to!

Purple

Annaonthemoon received her birthday surprise, so here are the photos of what I sent.
The socks are somewhat more 'purplish' than the photo would have you believe, but I couldn't get the right shade for some reason. Didn't follow any pattern, made up the pattern as I went along.





I'm quite proud of the Rose's Wrist Warmers, they came out quite nicely. I've still got enough yarn to make another pair, yay! Purple isn't my colour though, so I 'll probably give them to my friend Susku (We both love Dr.Who!) I wish I could have gotten a better photo of the wrist warmers but it 's really difficult to take photos of your own arms (go figure)

Sock wars II

Sock wars is back and this time I found out about it early enough to participate! Yes! I can't wait for it to start, incidentally it starts two days before my birthday. Which happens to coincide with a week long vacation! Meaning I have all the time in the world to knit!!!

I sent out the suprise birthday present to Annaonthemoon last thursday, nearly a week ago. I hope it get's there safe and sound! I'll post the photos once she has received, I'm quite pleased with what I knit and I hope she will be to!

Kool-Aid rules!

I dyed some yarn yesterday, I love playing with Kool-Aid. You never know exactly what the end result will be.
I started out with two skeins of natural white Novita Bambino yarn (100% wool), which I dyed with Grape Kool-Aid. After the dyeing I realized there where a lot of white bits, so I dyed it again with a mixture of Grape and Cherry Kool-Aid. The end reault is not really anything like what I'd imagined, it's better! I'm going to knit a birthday surprise for Annaonthemoon over at Craftster. I can't say what in case she reads this! Her favorite color is purple, hence the color of the yarn.

Edited to add a picture of the yarn wound up in two center-pull balls, I can finally start knitting! Yay!

Pink FBB finished

It's far from perfect, but I don't think I'm going to frog it. I don't remember what the yarn is called, but it was kind of difficult to work with since it has so many ´thick and thin´ bits. I used double strands and I used more or less three skeins. I still have four or five skeins left and I have no idea what to do with it.

In other news, Novita has released their new yarns! Yay! I saw a lot of yarns that just called out to me. I want to knit a bag out of the green Mambo (which looks much better in real life) and crochet an FBB out of the gold Paola (I know, another one?!) und so weiter...

I've already started putting together a Christmas knitting list and for once it's actually organized (thanks to Ravelry!) I wonder if I'll be able to finish everything on time this year, last year was a bit of a disaster because I started so late :)

I love Ravelry

I have got to rave about Ravelry! I put my email on the list ages ago and completely forgot about it, the out of the blue I get an email with the heading "frecklegirl has invited you to Ravelry!"

I haven't really had any time to familiarize myself with it yet (still no internet!), but what I've seen is very promising. Can't wait until I can get back to my stash and my books, we've been tragically parted for over 2 months now when I've been living at my dad's. My stash is currently collecting dust in my apartment (I only have to pay half the rent in the summer if I don't live there).

I've finished the pink FBB but it looks kind of awful so I don't know if I should frog it or not, I might get some photos up this weekend. The cardigan was a lost cause so I frogged it and started knitting a halter neck tunic instead, it's almost finished... just needs seaming (I'll get around to it eventually, hopefully before the summer ends!)

No news is good news?

Good news is I'm not dead, I got a summer job and I'm living with my dad, so no internet connection. I'm currently in Helsinki visiting Susku, who does have an internet connection.






Here's what I've been working on lately, a cardigan and yet another fat bottom bag! I've been very lucky lately when it comes to yarn, I found the yarn for both projects at a flea market. I got 10 skeins of the yellow yarn for 6 euro and 8 skeins of the pink yarn for 6.50 euro. Yay for cheap yarn! I also found a really cheap bag with the perfect handles for the FBB, only 4 euro. I'm thinking of giving the FBB to my aunt as a late birthday present when/if she visits us this summer (I'm not sure it's 'fashionable' enough for her...)

Meet Frank the Frog!

There is a frog pattern in one of my Finnish craft magazines and last week I decided to knit it. Of course this was quite late in the evening and I couldn't go out and buy some green yarn so I settled for pink... His name is Frank and he is a bit wonky due to the fact I was watching a very thrilling episode Veronica Mars while knitting. I really should find some buttons to use as eyes, he's creeping me out.






Here is my mum's clapotis. It took me about three days to knit, it's "scarf sized." It had to be finished for mother's day so I couldn't make a full sized one. I used a cotton and acrylic blend yarn, which felt very soft compared to my own sock yarn clapotis.

TAG: I'm it!

I got tagged by Torrence. Here's how this works: Each person tagged gives 7 random facts about themselves. Those who are tagged need to write on their own blog those 7 facts as well as the rules of the game. You need to tag seven others and list their names on your blog. You have to leave those you plan on tagging a note in their comments so they know that they have been tagged and to read your blog. Here are 7 facts about me:

1. I hate the smell of donuts.
2. I love Doctor Who.
3. I don't like beer.
4. I love seafood.
5. I eat vegeterian food at the school cafeteria, because it's cheaper than 'regular food'
6. I have no allergies, unlike my siblings who are allergic to almost everything.
7. I can't cook, but I'm good at baking.

I don't have time to tag anyone right now but I'll do it soon. I have no idea where I'm going to find 7 people who haven't been tagged a million times allready :)

In other news; I've knit a beret for my friend Susku, a scarf sized clapotis for my mum and finished my own clapotis. Photo's might be up some time next week.

Stripey Beret

I finished my beret late last night. Due to a great miscalculation in size... it's too big. But it's really cute so I might still wear it, just not right now because it's snowing and there's quite a strong wind blowing outside. It mysteriously started snowing yesterday, it's practucally may and almost all the snow had melted. WTF?







The yarn is a really cheap acrylic I found at Halppis (a small supermarket) and there's still lot's left so i might knit more of these (just a bit smaller)

I've no excuse...

for my non-blogging lately, except for a very hectic few weeks at school (all my own fault of course!) The HP themed sock is still feeling quite lonely in my stash and I still haven't gotten/made handles for the FBBs! But I've started knitting a beret and gotten quite a lot done on my clapotis!

I've got some great news! I'm going to Germany next week and my school is paying for flights and accommodations! I can't wait to go, we'll probably spend most of the time at lectures and workshops but hopefully we'll get to see a bit of the town and the nightlife!

Fat Bottom Bags

I've finished two Fat Bottom Bags, one for myself (the green one) and one for my sister (the variegated one). I still have to buy some handles, the only ones I've found cost almost 8e... I'm hoping to find cheaper ones when I go home next week!





I finished my first March sock a while back and was then overcome by the dreaded second sock syndrome :( I'll start it someday, honestly. The progress of my clapotis is also being held because I am honestly so bored with that pattern and I messed up a bit... I should really frog it and start over again.