unspun (a day too late...)

I tend to push deadlines. That's why, on this blog, KCCO Tuesdays turned in to KCCO Wednesdays when I gave in to always posting about my current knitting project a day too late. And now that I've changed it, well, I have repeatedly been posting on Thursdays instead. Ay,ay,ay. No harm done really, although I do like to get things done on time. This is an area where I have a chance to improve my ways, one of the few (!).

This week's knitting project is an indulgent little lopi sweater for Ósk. I had a strong craving to work with single-ply unspun Lopi (the best kind of lopi wool!!) and had some white and pink in my stash. I also had the perfect sweater pattern, so, voila! I am already done with the body and have started one sleeve. I am anticipating a very sweet looking little sweater for my sweet looking toddler, perfect for the sometimes not so warm Icelandic summer. It's a nice project for working on in between long shifts, as well.

I am linking up with Frontier Dreams for this week's KCCO. Do check it out!

would you look at that

I really wanted to bring some rare foreign yarn home with me from Helsinki, preferably Finnish. As it turned out, I had no luck finding Finnish yarn. They don't keep a lot of sheep over there and only spin a tiny bit of wool which is hard to find for sale. My friend who used to live in Turku told me about this little yarn shop near the Kaampi shopping mall in the center of Helsinki, Fiinaneule, a lovely little shop indeed and the shop owner was so helpful. She completely understood my yarn hunting mission and had even been in Iceland a few months earlier, going from yarn shop to yarn shop with the same in mind! 

Fiinaneule mostly had Rowan and some other rather common brands (all very nice) which I bought a few skeins of. But the best part was this exquisite Indian silk which they buy directly from a Finnish woman who lives in India and gets is by fair trade directly from local silk farmers. Oh, yes. I have never, ever, worked with such a quality fiber before. Never. Ever. It is simply wonderfully soft and the color is perfect. It's not quite as finely spun as silk so often is, more like DK weight, not quite fingering weight. I bought this one skein to make a toddler silk cap for Ósk now that she's outgrown all her baby silk caps. But I might have to buy some more, this stuff is seriously drug-like. Luckily I have tracked it down on Etsy as "Gorgeous silk yarn by Craftamma" so my addiction can be easily fed. 

I am using a pattern called Junie Cap which I found by using the advanced search in the Ravelry pattern database depending mostly on the fiber weight and quality. I am about halfway done and looking forward to trying the earflaps with the short rows, it might be a disaster since silk can be so unforgiving with such knitting maneuvers. If it turns out really bad I'll just make something up. 

Linking up with Frontier Dreams - are you crafting along as well?

status report

My shawl is ready! Yesterdays mission was washing and blocking and now it's all finished and lovely and just waiting to be properly photographed later today. Other than this, it's schoolwork and schoolwork and a wee bit of sock knitting to cope with all the schoolwork. 
And oh, did you know the shawl now has the offical name Moonshadow? How very fitting. 

Linking up, as usually, with Frontier Dreams for this week's KCCO. 

when the going gets slow...

After completing three clues quickly and with a smile, I had a huge setback in this week's clue in the mkal. I made one.single.error. in row 10 and didn't discover it until row 20. And oh, the undoing that awaited me! With my busy time in school it literally took days just to set things right. I stuck it out though in the hope of still having a chance of finishing this clue before next Friday. I have an early morning flight to Helsinki tomorrow so I have some spare time, I'd say. 

It's only me and Oddur going so we'll be having a lot of just-us time. Love it. And even though it will be hard to be separated from these sweet little artists of ours they will be in the very safe hands of my mother who's moving into our apartment for the weekend. And she'll have help from Oddur's parents and our sisters and brothers... so, plenty of family my children can count on! We are so very blessed with all this great people around us.

Leftover yarn alien mittens (First day of summer 2015)

Pattern: Pacman-púkar by G. Dagbjört Guðmundsdóttir

Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino and Shibui Baby Alpaca

Needles: 2.5 mm and 3.5 mm

Leftover yarn hippie skirt (First day of summer 2015)

Pattern: Dorritarpilsið by Sigríður Margrét Jónsdóttir

Yarn: Tern, Geilsk Uld/Bomuld, Yaku and Gepard Cotton Wool

Hook: 3.5 mm 

MILO

Pattern: Milo by Georgie Hallam

Yarn: Phildar Pur Angora and Shibui Baby Alpaca

Needles: 4.0 mm 

Well. When I have a tough time with my knitting, such as I am having this week due to my stubbornness with the mystery knit-along, it really does brighten my mood to stare long and hard at my already accomplished things, be it actually modeled on my beautiful babies, placed on shelves or in baskets around our home or made eternal by photographs. I did manage to finish the kids' First Day of Summer gifts last week and was rather proud of myself. The skirt is a bit on the larger side for Ósk even though I went down half a hook size but that's fine since I suspect she'll grow into it eventually. The mittens were a hit and as you can see in the photo they have already, in only a couple of days, taken on a worn kind of look. 

To try and further lighten up I also finally got around to photographing the little vest I made for Ósk a few weeks back. It fits so perfectly and is so soft and we just love it. I modified the pattern a bit, inspired by the way Nicole did earlier but instead of the garter stitch going all the way down I switched to stockinette after the yoke was done and then did a little garter trim before casting off. It's a nice little pattern with the cable though and I might just try that when this one starts to look too small. 

I'll be back here on Friday with my second "Moments" photo and then again on Sunday or Monday with photos from the trip (eeek!). Until then - it's Finland, baby!

ps. I'm linking up with Frontier Dreams and can't wait to browse through all the inspiring crafting links being shared!

last day of winter

I am cutting it close with my children's Summer gifts but I am almost done with the mittens and almost done with the skirt. Almost almost. I hope I can finish it tonight since the national holiday of The First Day of Summer is tomorrow. This gift stressing moment ironically enough is a major help with not stressing over my finals and school research deadlines. Such instant gratification crafting can be a real boost of energy when times are stressful. Especially when I feel I don't have time for anything. I find that it is exactly then that it is most important that I make time for some crafting. 

So today is the Last Day of Winter, according to the Icelandic national calender. I am so ready for spring (as readers may have noticed already, ahem) and my future summer salad seems to agree since the lettuce, rocket and spinach have all begun peeking their little green heads out of the soil. Oh, yes, only four days since we put them in there. How I love instant success!

Joining Frontier Dreams for KCCO :)

grand plans

This is the beginning of a mitten. It is posing ever so casually next to our collection of pebble animals, all of whom have been gifted to us in the past few years, indicating that we look like the sort of people who seem to appreciate a nice pebble animal. The mittens are to be a First Day of Summer's gift for Úlfur this year since he needs lighter mittens for spring/cold summer activities. I am relieved that he needs these - spring must be here when the thick lopi gloves are too warm! I am also planning a new bike helmet as a gift (no, not a home made one) so that his old and too small helmet can be Ósk's First Day of Summer's gift. She'll also get a mamma-made piece of clothing; A crochet skirt. Note that this gifting will happen a week from now, that I am in the middle of a big research while taking my finals, and this cuff in the photo is the only part of my grand plan that has actually been realized as of yet. Deluded, I must be!

Linking up with Frontier Dreams, lets all keep calm and craft on, shall we...

easter in the north

Milo vest all completed and fitting perfectly.

With my youngest brother at his confirmation party. We are told we look alike. 

Playing at my old kindergarten playground. 

Clue 1/5 is ready and waiting. 

Testing, testing.... it passed. 

I feel obligated to tell you my children did not finish all this chocolate by themselves. They happen to have very helpful parents who came to their aid and did some serious eating for them. 

We have just returned from our Easter brake in the country. My brother had his confirmation party on Thursday and then there was a big family dinner party on Easter Sunday - over twenty adults and children. Very busy indeed! But fun, lots of fun. In between all the food and parties we enjoyed the company of my family, played instruments, met up with dear friends and strolled around in this breathtaking scenery. Lots of nature, lots of relaxing. Good stuff. 

I do have some knitting projects to share. First, An ongoing project - a jumper for myself from the most amazing knitting books I have seen lately, Kofteboken. Have you checked it out? It is just amazing. I chose one of the simplest designs in the whole book but it still involves a first for me: knitting top down. This is going slowly but surely and I hope to be wearing it before autumn, hopefully late summer. Lets hope I finish it in early summer and then ironically enough never get a chance to wear it due to all the warm weather we'll have, yes? Here's hoping. 

And even though I really shouldn't have, I did decide last minute to participate in Romi Hill's MKAL which started on April 3rd. I don't have time. I still really want to since last year was so fun. So I'm doing it anyway. The first clue was a blast and I finished it in a few hours. Can't wait for the next one!

In other news, I am just very busy with school and the secret knitting project not-to-be-mentioned-just-yet. I still plan on posting here at least two times a week. So A bientot, my friends. 

knitting a milo and considering a new craft

You'll have to excuse my absence the past few days and the horrid quality of today's photo. My camera has been visiting dear friends of ours who recently had a baby. I am a bit jealous of the darned camera for getting to spend so much time with a newborn (although I am so.not.having.more.kids.any.time.soon.or.maybe.ever) but in the meantime I am learning to live without having to photograph anything and everything we do. It seems to be a lesson well needed. I had no idea this machine had such a grip on me! Letting it go is probably the best way to reconsider our relationship a bit, I'd say. I can still use my phone camera for emergencies, such as photographing works-in-progress to share with the world.

This week's project is a little Milo for my Ósk who, well, needs another little vest since the last one I knit was too big. I'm using the softest pink angora, leftovers from the hat I made myself a few weeks ago, and this lovely Shibui baby alpaca in grey-blue. It was a gift from my amazing friend Linda, who brought it to me when Ósk was just born. Only a true knitter friend knows what's even better than receiving the softest baby handknits: Receiving the softest baby yarn to handknit! It did take me a while to find the right pattern but Milo is so it. I am changing it a wee bit, inspired by this incredibly cute one Nicole made, and skipping the cable. Although I'd like to make another one someday and try it with the cable as well. 

I have also just discovered Soulemama's blog and books. Oh, my! The inspiration! The goodness! I might have to start sewing soon, I even got out my (tiny) stash of fabric and contemplated on just how courageous I really am. We'll see if this goes anywhere. My sewing skills are very poor though I've always wanted to be one of those people who can just whip up a sundress or a pillowcase or a last-minute-gift or whatever. My great-grandmother, grandmother and mom are like that... perhaps it's about time I lived up to the legacy!

...

Go check out the KCCO link up at Frontier Dreams - inspiring as always. 

all is well in sock land

A few years ago, probably in my first year or so of knitting, I made an effort to try and learn how to knit socks. This was a very painful process. I ended up frogging a few attempts and only finished a single pair, which took me weeks to get anything close to right and their shape was so ill-fitting they never got much use. That was that and the few (maybe one) attempts I've made since have been just as tragic.

Until now, that is. I finally found a GREAT pattern, Rye from Tin Can Knits, which has clear and simple demonstrations and no room for misunderstanding. So far I have one perfectly fine looking sock finished and am about half way done with the other. The yarn is traditional Lopi sock yarn. I have already decided to make another pair right after I finish this one, as to completely establish my new skill.

Linking up with Frontier Dreams' KCCO as usually.

And I think from now on these work-in-progress posts of mine will officially be posted on Wednesdays, since that seems to work out much better for me :)