I HAVE been knitting!

Not exactly lace weight... My first attempts of spinning. The spindle is not a favourite, I think I would like a wheel better, but it's okay for now. I just didn't realize it would get so messy! It is fun though! The wool is really soft, at least in my opinion! It's grey, but gets funnycoloured when i spin it, there's alot more white in it. Oh well, I have plenty of wool to play around with!

We bought the handcarders last summer in a thriftstore...

But I have been knitting too...My blue recycled sweater is done, even with a zipper, it used to be short and boxy with very wide sleeves, now it's long and slim, but still with sleeves that are a bit wide. And long...I knit the peplum first, picked up stitches for the body, and finished that, then knitted the border around the whole sweater, and attached it as i went along. I like it. The zipper is probably too short. I inserted it above the peplum. I'll try to find the links for the different patterns later.

The back, with the hearts in the middle, and the cables from a glove pattern at the sides (Knotty?)

Hmmm- lousy photo.

But this one is better! Lots of cables- probably too many- but fun to knit! I ripped the boxy one that I had knitted some 20 years ago...

I've worn it several times too, and I like it, even though it could have been a bit wider and maybe a bit shorter...;-)


April's Sockamaniasocks, very nice lacy ones. I haven't started the May socks yet, right now I'm trying to finish a tunic for my niece K. It's in white, and I use last summer's big hit: HeyTeach. nice H got the green one I made and forgot to take a photo of, and K wanted the same thing. I'm knitting it a bit different though- starting with a provisional cast-on at the ribbing at the waist, knitting the lacy pattern and the sleeves, sewing it all together, and then picking up and knitting down from the waist. Easier to get it the right lenght, and both wanted tunics and not a short jacket.

Hi,Michaela! ThePoppySocks are done!(I guess you never thought you'd see a photo of those;-) (Sorry, only a Ravelry-link) Yarn. the blue is Senja from Gjestal, the pink is something else...but similar. Knitted two-at-a-time using magic loop, 2,5mm. FUN!!!I haven't been able to get gauge, the yarn is a bit too thic k, and the needles might have been smaller, but they fit my large eet, and that's what matters:-)

The girls just look at me when I say I'll be wearing them: "seriously???"

Two at the same time was okay as long as I paid attention to where the yarn was...so- no tangles! I tried to knit another pair with two colours, and only two balls of yarn...that did not work out...

My youngest nice turned 7 last week. My sisters and I have 6 daughters in all, and I also have two sons, but it was the girls I was talking about... Mine have never been pink, they've occasionally used a pink t-shirt or a pair of trousers, but they've never minded using other colours. Neitehr have the other girls. The five oldest, that is. Then came O. She is 4 years younger than the second youngest. And she is PINK!!! It has always been okay to buy her clothes for gifts, as long as they were pink. Blue or green stripes or anything would make it a boy's garment. She looks good in pink though. But now, for her seventh birthday, I decided to knit her something, and asked what her favourite colour was. "Pink!" "But purple is also my favourite." So I grabbed the chance when I got it:-)
A purple tunic. Pattern found in HendesVerden. (A danish magazine. I bought it because it had a leaflet with knitted children's clothes attached. )

The yarn is DuStoreAlpakka's Babysilk, a beautiful, soft yarn that I have never tried before. Knitted on needles 3mm, size 7, and I used 6 balls. It's long enough to be a dress, but O. emphasized that it was a tunic! Mother-of-pearl buttons in front.

I like it. So did O.

Hmmmm- this was a strange post. Not even ONE sheep! But lady Grey got five kittens last night! Photos later...

Have a great weekend:-) I'm off to do some gardening. Or preferably knitting. But hubby is home, so gardening it is;-D

k

WIP's...

Still here;-D
I've titled this post WIP's- work in progress- and believe me, I have both wip's and finished objects...after not blogging for so long, the pile is high! My regular computer is still acting weirdly, so I'm using DD2's laptop. She uploaded the pictures from my camera before she left to visit a friend, and I've been looking through them. Not ONE single photo of any knitted item!!! Not one!!! So I guess I'll have to post again tomorrow...

ButI have some other wip's- a few fourlegged ones. I've just been to Selja to check on the sheep, and finally found them. They were doing fine, they really seem to like it out there!

We have lost two of the ewes, reason uknown, but the rest have lambed, and there were 20 lambs. Most of them are really wild, but some come close. It all depends on the mother. If she comes, the lamb will follow.

The ram and one of the ewes have started to drop the wool. They look awful when they do this! Most of them will lose their wool between now and midsummer. Then we gather them, and shear the rest. I suppose I should be picking up the wool...

Curious little fellow!

DS2 and DD2 came with me two weeks ago, and they got to hold one of the lambs. Photo taken at 9:15 pm...now it's even lighter.

We've been away a few days too. My sister's daughter was confirmated last Sunday, and we went home for the festivities. It was really nice to be home again, but it's a long trip...900 kilometers each way, we drove for 13 hours south on Thursday, and another 13 hours (actually 14...)back on Monday. It was worth it though. The confirmation was held in "my" homechurch.

I did some knitting at home too, but it was mostly about eating cake...

When we came home again, I finally started something that I've wanted to try for ages...being inspired by
Sandie and Suzanne, amongst others, I wanted to learn spinning. And I wanted to do something with my own wool. So last Fall, when we had sheared spælsauen, I kept the coloured wool, and sent the white one to the manufacturer's ( Nortura...) I sent roughly 50 kilo, paid the shearer NOK 1200,-, and got paid nearly NOK 1000,- for the wool... Soooo, I filled the sink with hot water and some wooldetergent and soaked the fleece.

It was rather dirty, and I realized I had not skirted the fleece properly...oh, well, I know 'till next time!

Several hours later, several waters and rinses later, the water was clear, and the wool ready for drying. It took a couple of days to completely dry the fleece. Now it sits on the washroomfloor ready for some carding and spinning...and my DD2 wants to both card and spin with me! I don't have a wheel, but I hve a spindle. My sister's husband's uncle made a spindle for me, and also combs for the wool. I bought handcarders at a thriftmarket last summer.

The colour of this is pretty accurate. Blusihgrey with some black tips, and some of it lighter. The sheep is still alive, so if I ruin this fleece, I'll get another chance the next time I shear! At least it didn't felt in the wash!

This is before washing...it looks more steelgrey, I think, but there is quite a lot of black spots in it.

And- just to prove that I HAVE indeed something to show off: Ikke lappeteknikk, men lappverk;-) "not pathwork, but patches..." A cloth for the wintergardentable. The back is bright and yellow!

Sooo- let's see if I get back tomorrow with some actual knitting to show off!!!

Have a great day:-)

(oh, btw- I asked some time ago if anyone was interested in doing a Pay It Forward? HeidiBean signed up, does anyone else want to participate? I promise to make you something and send you within a year. There are still two spots free? tell me in the comments if you want to participate. And HeidiBean, please send me your adress: my mail is: maritkoATmsnDOTcom. )