Project Spectrum - Water

The theme for Project Spectrum 3 in August/September is WATER. Before I pulled out my blue/black/purple skeins, I thought: "Meeeh, not really my colors. I probably don't have that many skeins in my stash." Well...

I guess this proves that my stash denial is pretty severe. To be fair, a large part of my blue stash consists of those Jaeger Extra Fine Merino that are already on the needles becoming a sweater for my Significant Other. The rest is mainly sock yarn. But still, I had no idea! Again!

What about purple and black then? I knew there COULD NOT be that much purple in my stash, since it's one of those colors I just don't use (like yellow). And this time, it turns out I was right.

Oh gee, who would have guessed there would be some more Rowanspun in my stash?! What the heck am I supposed to do with those bright purple skeins? They look almost lilac in this picture, but they're actually really bright. Sigh... On the plus side, there is some Noro Silk Garden, and that single skein almost makes up for the purple Rowanspun-craziness. I looove me some Noro!

Vacation knitting

This blog has been hibernating long enough, don't you think? Now that I'm back from my vacation, and I have regular Internet access, there is no excuse for not blogging. I have been knitting, after all...

My first project for the summer was a merging of two beautiful things. I've had this blue/brown/natural Evilla yarn in my stash for quite a while, not knowing what to do with it. I just couldn't find a project that was worthy of its gorgeousness. I finally decided that it needs something spectacular to show it off. To me, that means fair isle. And the most beautiful fair isle pattern I've found to date is Eunny Jang's Venezia.

It turned out to be a perfect match! Just add some white and the magic happens. I can't wait to finish this. I'm going to make quite a few modifications. I've decided to completely eliminate steeks, and to use raglan decreases instead. Let's see how that turns out...

Brown and natural colors seem to be the theme for this summer. I've been swimming in a sea of cotton.

And lately, there's also been some green waves.

This green garter stitch bonanza is being knitted especially for someone, and so far it's progressing at an amazing rate. I haven't really knit a large project in garter stitch before, and I can't believe how fast it is!

This isn't all of my vacation knitting, but some projects still haven't been unpacked, and it's too hot to do that now!

Zero blogspiration

Helloooo, is anyone still there? My blog has been feeling very neglected lately. I've had absolutely no inspiration to blog. It's been too hot to bring out the yarns for Project Spectrum's AIR theme, it's been too hot to photograph other projects, and it's almost been too hot to knit (not really! but you get the idea). Today, I finally decided it was time to kick myself off the couch and do some blogging.

Is there any better way to come back after a long absence than a little stash-flash? The colors for the PS AIR theme are gray, white and yellow. I couldn't find even the shortest thread of yellow in my stash, which was to be expected since it's a color I never ever use. I did have some gray though.

I was really surprised that it wasn't more than this. I have some Rowanspun of course, 10 skeins of 4 ply at the top and 3 skeins of DK at the bottom. I was also pleasantly surprised by the fact that a big part of my gray stash is "natural" yarns. Those are to the left in this picture. I have a skein of Kainuunharmas, two skeins of the wonderful Riihivilla yarn, one skein of an unidentified finnwool yarn, and a skein of Silkeskaninens garn. I also have two skeins of a wool yarn that I got in an exchange, and three skeins of Novita 7 Veljestä. No crazy acrylic yarn or any other "difficult" yarn.

My white stash wasn't that terrifying either. But it wasn't as nice as the gray one.

There are only two yarns that I really like here, and surprise surprise, those belong to the "natural" category. There is some Silkeskaninens garn, and a skein of 100% finnwool. The rest is blaaah yarn, and there's even a squeaky skein of horrid acrylic in the bottom left corner. Why oh why did I ever buy that?

I also have some AIR projects on the needles. One that I'll finish, and one that will be frogged. This one will survive.

Scarf with edging 21 and insertion 25 from The Knitted Lace Pattern Book, Thompson Bros., Kilmarnock, Scotland 1850 from Victorian Lace Today. Couldn't they come up with a longer name for that one? The yarn is an unidentified Novita cotton yarn. I really like this pattern. I've modified it a little and made it more narrow. The goal is to finish it by Christmas, preferably Christmas this year.

This project will be fed to the frogs.

Travelling Roses Scarf. The yarn (100% finnwool that I got at Turku Christmas Market) and pattern just don't match, and I'm getting a little bit bored. I think this yarn would be better for something more lacy and airy.

I still have a million other projects on the needles, both new ones and ooooold ones. I'll do my best to blog about those soon. The weather is supposed to get colder next week, so maybe that will make it easier to use my brain for other things than work and sleep.

Ruffled Jacket

It's finally finished!

I couldn't be happier with it! Everything turned out just the way I wanted it to.

I can wear it with a pin (or a knitting needle if no pin is available...).

Or I can be really classy and wear it with a belt.

Ruffled Jacket, James Coviello

Vogue Knitting, Fall 2007, #44

Yarn: Rowanspun Aran

Modifications: A million (sleeves in the round, knitted on borders, ruffles instead of "bells", modified size/needle size, etc.)

Daylight/Nightlight

Yesterday, a friend reminded me of why I can't wait for summer. The days are getting longer and longer now, and it doesn't get dark until around 9.

There is much more light to come, though. This photo was taken at our summer cottage, midsummer (June 23) 2006, 3 minutes to midnight. View from Iso-Lemuri towards Renö, Kelviå, Finland.

Can't you just hear the wings of the seagulls and the waves slowly reaching the shore. The most peaceful place on earth. My piece of paradise.

Ruffles!

I'm in this strange knitting mode right now. I knit a lot, but there doesn't seem to be anything worth blogging about. I guess it's because I'm mainly working on sweaters, and there really isn't much point in taking photos every 10 cm... But I did make significant progress on my Ruffled Jacket. Look: Ruffles!

I've made so many modifications on this jacket already, that I can't remember them all. Again, I'm avoidin sewing, so I'm knitting the ruffles onto the edge instead. The ruffles are supposed to be knit separately, casting on at the outer edge with k9p3 and then decreasing two stitches for every repeat every other row, ending with a few rows of k1p3. Then you're supposed to sew the bind off edge and the main edge together. Well, you all know I can't do that! I'm doing it the other way around. I picked up stitches around the edge, started with k3p3 instead of k1p3 because I wanted just ruffles instead of the "bells", then increased every other round until I had k9p3 and then did the bind off. I also much prefer the bind off edge to a cast on edge. I can't wait to finish this!

I got the latest issue of Rebecca in the mail yesterday, and I already have plans for some of the patterns. Not sure about the yarn though, it might be too heavy, but I know I want brown and beige.

And then there is a veeery seeeecret project, that I can't really tell you anything about. These are the ingredients.

Let's see what kind of soup comes out of it.

Avoid sewing at all costs!

Wow, I fell off the radar there for a while. Well, I'm back now, and I actually have something to show for.

My Ruffled Jacket has sleeves now, and I finished sewing them on! But maaan, do I hate sewing! Don't you just find it to be the ultimate anticlimax to a knitting project? "Yay, I finished knitting! Oh crap, I still have a whole bunch of sewing left!"

I tried to minimize the sewing on this cardigan by knitting the sleeves in the round, and I thought I was safe. But then I read further on in the pattern, and I discovered the HORROR. According to the pattern, you're supposed to knit a 10 stitches wide, cabled strip that is long enough to go around the whole outer edge of the cardigan. And then SEW it onto the edge! I mean, come on! Who in their right mind would enjoy doing that? I wasn't having any of it. So I'm doing this instead.

Picking up stitches around the edge of the cardigan and attaching the cabled strip as it progresses. Sooo much more fun than sewing!