Getting excited about spring!

Spring is coming, I know it! Of course, it's March 1st, and in this part of the world, that means spring will show up in about three months. But these tiny cherry blossoms are starting to come to life inside.

In January we had a snowstorm that took down our old cherry tree. It was always beautiful every year, but it's trunk was so damaged that it was only a matter of time. I clipped as many branches as I could, and put them in a bucket of water to force them. It's something I think of doing every year, but don't usually get around to. This time it was now or never.



It was rather slow at first. After several weeks, nothing had happened. But suddenly last week, green buds started coming out.



This week, tiny little flowers are beginning to show! I am so happy to see them! They are pretty miraculous, really.

I hope that spring comes quickly for all of you in the northern hemisphere! If you are in the Southern hemisphere, I hope your summer is starting to get a little cooler!

UFO Number 2 - Fleece Mittens

Finished mittens, yay! Fleece mittens, a.k.a thrummed mittens (Ravelry link), for husband are done. It feels good!


This was a kit by Nancy Erlandson. The yarn was called Ponemah yarn from Quinnehticut Woolen Co. and had a lot of lanolin in it. It really did make my hands feel soft when knitting it! I wish I could make another pair in this same yarn, but this mill has been closed.

Maybe some people would not have bothered to finish such an old project, but I am compulsive about hanging onto old stuff, so I couldn't let them go. Plus, my husband really likes them!

I am still working on the Glittertind sweater, but it's not exactly tv-knitting. I have completed the first step on my list from last post. It's slow going.

The ufo spreadsheet has been rearranged. Projects that have not yet been started will not be called ufo's. Hannah is getting frogged. So I am down to 8 ufo's and that makes me feel more sane. Next, Setesdal Hat II.

UFO Number 1 - Glittertind

The Beast:
Glittertind, not to be confused with Dale of Norway's Glittertind. That came later.


The Book:

Norsk Strikk: Fra Tradisjon Til Mote. Editor Kari Hestnes, 1992.
The cover model is called Lillehammer, also not to be confused with the Dale of Norway Lillehammer from 1994. All the sweaters in this book are either from, or inspired by, a place. Most are sort of traditional.


This is Glittertind:
Norway's second highest mountain. From this page which makes me all homesick.


Hard not to like a mountain with the word "glitter" in the name. Beats Galdhøpiggen, Norway's highest mountain.


Progress so far:
Well, ok, I have only done about four-five rounds, this sleeve was already underway.

Steps to finish:

1. Knit second sleeve.
   
2. Reknit first sleeve.
   
3. Cut the sleeve openings wider.
4. Reknit the ribbing. It's too tight because I liked the way the stiches looked when knit tightly. I knew better.
   
5. Knit the neckline.
6. After attaching the sleeves, check the fit and possibly lengthen the body.(!) Does this seem like a lost cause? If I could redo the body, I would. It's way oversized, like in the 90's when we were all getting the large and extra-large sweaters (it wasn't just the 80's.)
   
7. Graft on the ribbing.

Sigh.

The UFO List

Kind of a long list! Working on them (almost) in order of which can be finished first. It's the maximum impact in the shortest time principle.

I love making lists like this.
Makes me feel like I have actually done something.

Happy 2010!

Happy New Year! I just found out that one blog I had, the Poetry In Stitches along, has been deleted. I guess none of us had looked at it for a while. Sorry if anybody thought I deleted it. So, anyway, this is just a "touch" to make sure this blog stays up. I plan on blogging and knitting again. Soon. ;)

My resolution for this year might be a 12-in-12 project. I have at least 12 ufos so in 12 months they could all be done! Notice my use of "might" and "could"! It would be cool, though. Good discipline, too. I already made a spreadsheet checklist to post on my bulletin board. The organizing and making of the list is of course a big part of the fun!

I just have to stop getting so distracted by all the new projects available.

I am just sitting here on a sunny Sunday morning, looking at the birds at our feeder and getting ready to start a fire. I love it when there is snow and sun at the same time! Instead of knitting, I have been browsing Ravelry and found lots of new groups to join. I am now a member of 71 groups which is slightly ridiculous. I am just a dilletante! It's just so much fun to see what is out there! And I am completely addicted to information.

I hope all my friends are having a great new year!

Alpaca Lace Scarf

Clearly I like the crumpled look, because even after blocking it still looks that way. White lace looks so frothy and fluffy, and the little zig-zagging edge makes it even better.

Pattern: Rectangle in Leaf and Trellis Pattern, Victorian Lace Today (Ravelry link)
Yarn: Misti Alpaca Lace in natural, less than 2 skeins
Needles: 3 mm

It only took a year to finish, but finally it got done. Maybe will be a Christmas present for somebody. Being such a slacker, it usually works better for me if I don't decide something is a present until it is done.

Modification: making the Large Rectangle in Leaf and Trellis Pattern with only one repeat made it a scarf instead of a shawl.

The chart had two extra stitches on the one side of the chart, which made the lace leaves wider on that one side (left side of the chart). Attempting to be helpful, I tried to write a comment about that on the pattern page in Ravelry, but at that time there was no function for reporting problems. So now it looks kind of wrong where it is, like I am saying something negative. I feel bad about that, and maybe I can get them to remove it. I was not intending to say anything negative, because I love this pattern! And this gorgeous book!

Pippi displaying her combover

She makes the couch look good.

Selbu glove

Dear Friends,

I sure have missed all of you.  The last year just flew by!  I have been working very hard and not been able to fit in much time for knitting, blogging or other fun stuff.  Reading bloglines again is exciting, but I almost forgot all my usernames and passwords for everything!  

There has been a very, very small amount of knitting going on.  Though there has been some buying of yarn...  ahem!  I fooled myself into thinking that buying the yarn makes a project halfway finished...  It almost gave me a sense of accomplishment.

One Selbu glove (unblocked, unpressed) from the booklet Selbustrikk which I got from Nordic Fiber Arts.   This is Damevante No. 16.  There are three different charts for the back of the hand in this pattern. 

The yarn is Rauma Gammelserie (this means Old Series, so it's an oldfashioned, tightly twisted yarn).  I am knitting with 2mm double-pointed needles (us 0), which were quite hard to find!  The only manufacturer of 2mm dpn's I found was Addi.

Well, I hope you are all doing well.  I look forward to seeing what you all have been up to!

xoxx

h

What we can learn from spiders

I have knitting posts coming, I promise!  In the meantime: