found in translation

The Vikingùr Vantùr mittens are now availible in English! Enjoy! Share! (And tell me if you find any weirdnessessesses*... It is my first pattern after all... )

*Note: Lisa knows how to start spelling weirdnesses. She just doesn't know how to stop.

mitts and cups

I haven't written in English in quite some time, and there are many reasons why, yet none at all, so let's just say I haven't and be done with it: I haven't.
(Though I wish I would more often. A lot of interesting things happening, going on and so forth - one of which is that I believe in my knitting abilities enough to SHARE IT now! Yes, I have designed! (Save the applause!) Unfortunately, the two patterns so far are still only availible in Swedish, BUT, (you can start cheering again) I plan on translating them!
It is all availible here:

And yes, I'll try to write more soon. Some of you have personal emails, letters or phone calls coming your way, and for the rest of you I can only quote a square jawed governor on this one: I'll be back.

scar tissue

The nurse that has been looking after my wounds couldn't keep it bottled up any longer today. She just had to say something about how stupid my doctor was not to have been more careful when closing and stitching up the wounds. "Now you risk getting grotesque scars!" she said.

Then, she continued, that it's up to me now. I need to maintain it. I need to tape it up. Scarring takes up to a year and if I keep those scars tight it might be ok. So now I need to tape my feet for a year. Yee ha.
Or, I just don't, and I get monster feet to scare small children with. Hah! It's almost as if I don't care anymore. Stupid feet.

On another note I've knitted a gorgeous shawl, and I'm starting my secon Baudelaire sock tonight. Pictures soon. I just need to block, photograph and well... get around to it first.

seasons change

I can smell the rain from where I sit on the couch when the balcony door is ajar.
The weather is as ambivalent about the season as I am about life, but right now everything is the way it is supposed to be. Tea in a big cup, a blanket, a lit candle that flickers in the draft from the rainy outdoors... It all says autumn. October. The present. And me. Right here.
My foot is healing. I cleaned up the biggest mess. I wrote all those emails and I finished that text. I’m calm. I got a grip on that economy chaos that had me tossing and turning in the night before. I’m handling it. I’m handling this year and I’m handling me. It’s about time.
It is finally the way it should be. No more summer heat in October and no more me being lost within myself, thank you very much.

Now let’s pray it keeps raining. Just for a while at least.

crikey!

I feel very weird about Discovery Channel's tribute to Steve Irwin today. They show him "juggling" crocs while telling the audience over and over about how close to being killed he is again and again. It gets very... uncomfortable to watch. Yet, I am human and pretty much tasteless right now. I can't stop watching!

And I'm giving myself all sorts of excuses not to clean my house, but all I can come up with is knitting away at my first pair of socks ever - the beautiful Baudelaire I started Friday.

yuk.

Warning: If you want to hold on to your lunch: Do not read more than the last three phrases.

A lot circles around my bandaged foot and treating it well. It's still swollen around the wound and I wear a support sock kind of bandage - all the time. It's three layers of Tight Sock. My leg has the striped pattern of the textile texture and my foot ITCHES. Bad. I take it off at night and I sleep with my foot on a pillow, but there is still the yukky factor to be considered... Having been bandaged tight for a long time, my foot sheds its skin. It looks like a flesh toned fish's back under my sole. I feel disgusting.

Apart from limping and grossing myself out I started my First pair of socks yesterday. I'm making a beige version of the Baudelaire and it's turning out beautiful! Photos to follow eventually (of socks. Not of gross foot).

a quick bolero

It was fast and fun. But it did have the same problem I encounter with all short shrugs - It was too wide in the back (due to some feminine curves of mine). But hey, I'm a knitter now! I solved it. A little i-cord and a waist later, I look fab in my new shrug. Even though the light in this blurry photo is very weird, and my stomach looks as if I'm pregnant... But the shrug looks guuuud.

swollen

Sorry I haven't been writing. I think I try to deal with stuff in the real world without pouring it out online, simply because I don't want to phrase it all. I knit, I work and at the moment, I also hurt.

I hade surgery done on my right foot last week. Yes, I finally had my surgery done. They opened me up to clean up around the nerves in my foot, because I've strained my feet so bad, my blood vessels were the same size as they would've been on a limping 75 year old. It'll be better soon. But I'm swollen. More so than they had expected. I had my bandages around the two wounds redone yesterday, and it turns out they put the stitches really far apart to give the foot space to be swollen before it mended itself. It was still very (very) swollen.
Imagine a shirt that is simply too small, but you have forced all the buttons together anyway. Now imagine that same image, but with blue stitches and skin, with a bleeding foot being shut in behind it. Yes, that's me. Or rather my foot.
They promise it'll be better in another week, but I'm already tired of the crutches, of limping and of saying excuse me and asking for help all the time.

This year has been f-ing (yes, the f-word) unbelievable. I don't like it, but I'm getting through it. And of that - I'm actually proud.

balcony

My balcony is a lovely place.
My eight-year-old cousin is asleep on the couch and at first I felt... obligated to come and sit here to give him some peace and quiet. But now, I realise that this is where I should spend the end of each summer day. It's been warmed up all day, so I can sit all night in just a t-shirt. I light some candles (hardly needed. Swedish summer nights are bright.) and I brought my laptop and my knitting. It's this perfect little place! I'll spend half an hour here before I join my little cousin and go to sleep. We've been at a pool all day and we're tanned (read: burned up) and exhausted.
A few breaths of night air and a couple of stitches later I hopefully will have turned "exhausted" into "at peace".

ehum... hello.

I'm back. Sorry I've been... away.

Ehm... How do I start? I mean I haven’t blogged in a while. I could start with... no, if I tell you that I must first tell you about the... or when I... But that wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t... No wait... Let’s try this again:

I’m back.
There. I’m blogging again.

I have tried to write some in Swedish, but it was hard. Rewriting it in English felt... even more difficult. But here I am again! Yay! But now, where to start?

It’s been tough. I’m learning a lot about myself and my behaviour patterns. How and why I shut down about some things while others have to come out. How the walls I build to protect myself aren’t at all as strong as I thought. And I’ve learned that I have some really wonderful friends. They’re there for me no matter how weak I need to be sometimes. My pride refused me to see that before.

Now some knitting: I’m making this.

It’s a Shetland Triangle Shawl made from some really cheap cotton yarn. I think the pattern looks great in this tougher material! But the purl rounds are boooooring...
So in the meantime I made these for a friend:

And they were so much fun that I made a pair for me too. Those are the hands of my friend T trying a few stitches on my pair in the photo. We were at a medieval festival and boy did we look picturesque when we settled down for the evenings' concert... Me knitting and him fiddling with some chain mail art stuff... Just look at us:

So, I’m hanging out with friends. Drinking an occasional beer and laughing with dear people in my life trying to live in the moment as much as I can. Also, the snail mail system has brought me real treats as of late. First, there was a care package from Spencer... Filled with love and care, and Longview Jerky, and Dentyne gum and Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice tea... and a new mic for the computer. Spencer cares. And knows what I miss from Canada. Thank youuuuuuu! (Howling)

Second, there was an amazing surprise. Jodi. No, I don’t mean Jodi was pushed through the slot in my door, but she sent me a present. Jodi is amazing and we’ve been reading each other’s blogs for ... a while... long while now. (Hello Jodi!) She sent me an email, just caring for me when I’ve been so ”quiet as of late” (as was the subject to her email). Then – She sends me this:

Can you believe it? It’s the book from A Softer World and some buttons she made. I never met Jodi. Jodi cares. And Jodi is wonderful and sends me a perfect gift. Thank you Jodi! SO much.
She also wrote that she missed my blogging. So has a few more of you. Thank you. It has been a most warming thought, that my words mean something to someones. Thank you guys! I’ll try and be back as a blogger now.

This week my little cousin is visiting. I’ll give a report from my week as substitute mum when we’ve had our amusement park adventures...

This has been a very rambling and a very... uhm... kind of... uhm-kind of blog entry. I'll get the hang of this again soon...
Until then: tata!

gone

My little grandmother is never waking up again.

She slept for a week before she, or something, or someone, decided it was time to leave.

cute pain

I can't believe I never thought to use this little darling as an illustration when my eye was hurting... Oh, well.

The eye is much better at least and I'm working up to the day I have enough inspiration to write something inspired again.

sven göran eriksson

Now all I need is someone catching him on tape saying: "Eeeeeeexcellent..."

weather

Picture borrowed from Jay Leno's "Headlines"

no.

My beloved grandma is unconscious. They say she might not wake up.
I'm numb. Tears don't help.

All I feel yet is that it has to be enough soon. No more bad news for a while. Please.

Now, I'm going to feel nothing for a while until I explode in a fountain of useless tears again.

Tears sometimes help, but after the exsessive use of tears the last month I find them completely useless now.

Fuck this. (Yes, I actually said fuck this. Pardon my English, so to speak.)

not-so-good

So I went back to the hospital to show them how my eye is so much better. It is. I need to continue with the cortisone for ever and ever it seems (at least two months), but it looked really good.
The blood work was back too. You see, inflammation to the iris can be connected to a number of chronic diseases. The very kind and very nice doctor showed me paper after paper that said negative. That's good news. But she saved the best for last.

HLA-B27 positive. It has to do with what kind of anti genes I have. It's like knowing my blood type. But being HLA-B27 positive combined with having problems with an aching lower back, and having had the problems since I was about 20 years old, and having had that pain climb up towards my chest from time to time... Yes, all the symptoms matched.

I still need a back scan but the diagnosis is:
I have Bechterews disease.

Logically I actually do look at it this way:
I've had problems with back aches for quite some time, and now, with the right diagnosis I will get the right help. Finally. I will get physical therapy and I will finally start exercising again. I mean, I have to. I can actually get better and have less pain than I do now for many decades, so by many means, this is a good thing.

But emotionally I have to deal with being a person with a chronic disease. Once again a number in the statistics. And I do appreciate (logically) that people care, ask me questions, give me advice, tilt their heads and say stuff like "poor thing". I know it's loving. But it drives me nuts. Since I'm trying to deal with this, understanding what it means to me, I hate everything that forces me to react to it, deal with it, in any other way than my own.

So I am sorry for not being the most communicative person in the world right now. I'm being a jerk for a while until I make logic and emotion merge about all this.

i-cord trim

I had an anonymous comment on my i-cord trim. Since I don't know where to reply I have to do it here. I-cord is not sewn on, it's all knitting. And you can learn how to do it HERE. Though I think I did it a little bit differently.

You make a trim with it by knitting the last stitch of every row together (and twisted) with a stitch along the trim. For my purple and lime sweater I did this:

I picked up a full row in lime along the neckline, then cast on an extra three stitches to make the i-cord from.

Knit two stitches
Knit next two together through backloop.
Put three stitches back onto left needle.
Repeat.

colorful

I've had almost complaints that I knit too monochromatically, and mostly in dark and earth tones. So last time I was in the yarn store I think those complaints echoed in my head when I chose my yarn for my next top down free style sweater. I'm going nuts with this one, both in color and pattern, you'll see. For now, there's only a peek at the beautiful i-cord I made around the neckline. Plum and lime ladies and gentlemen! And don't you ever call me boring again! *laughs loudly*

overload

I was ill for two weeks. Then I had to catch up a lot after having been almost blind. Lots to do last week, even if the doctor told me to try and take it easy. Sunny weather and me stuck indoors. My beloved bookshelf crashed and I built a new one. Then I had dad here for a visit and then I organized a knitting event. Then came planning this autumn with different projects at two different jobs. Tax papers to clear and sign. Finally there is making my balcony into the cosy summer hang out that I want it to be. And pondering my future economy situation. Medicating with eye drops every hour still...

Suddenly I had one of those "It's just too much"-moments and I just dried my tears off my cheek. I've been crying almost hysterically for fifteen minutes. I think I needed it. Badly.

I think I just let some of it go. It sure felt nice.

I'll be puffy eyed tomorrow.

hit by a rainbow

Sometimes beauty just hits me.
These pictures of rainbows just did that to me.

WWKIPD

The World Wide Knit In Public Day Knit-nic was a great success! Enthusiastic knitters gathered on a lawn today, knitting in the sun, smiling at people passing by who nosily wondered what all this yarn was doing in their park... Everything was sunny and wonderful, except the fact that I had to wear a baseball cap. I hate baseball caps. I look ridiculous in baseball caps. But it's even more ridiculous to not wear a cap because you look silly even if you're crying your left eye out because of the light, so I chose to be a grown-up about it and wore the stupid hat. Except for when I posed for this photo:

Yes! I got to show off my finished Top Down Free Style Raglan! Isn't it GREAT? I totally love it and I actually think it is the best sweater ever. At least knitted and on me. Best ever. I promise! It's because of my evil eye that I squint like that and wear glasses, but with this sweater on, I still manage to look totally cute! (Thanks Mia for taking the picture for me.)

Yes, my left eye is still very sensitive to light, but I am doing much better. I can knit, which is a huge improvement from my audiobooks-as-only-hobby-state of illness.

After todays' knit-nic in the park, two wonderful knitters followed me home to watch Sweden's first game in the soccer world championships. Trinidad & Tobago fought well, but damn the Swedes were... lazy almost. Nothing to nothing is a very disappointing opening to these championships. But hey, I brought out my Tubey for it! It's been a while since I even touched it because I'm not sure it's becoming what I wanted it to be... But I'll give it another chance.

And, I have a new bookshelf. I'm trying to write something poetic about bookshelves and my love of books, so I won't say too much about it yet, but it turned out great. I love my wall of me. Come to my house and browse through my bookshelf and you'll get to know a lot about me. That is for sure...

light of life

Yesterday I had a wonderful evening on my balcony with my lovely friend S, with coffee, my waterpipe and conversation. Truthfully I did most of the talking. As usual, I guess, but in my defense I have been craving human contact for some time now.

Today my eye is watering, but hey, I opened my blinds! First time in over two weeks. Daylight and my life is coming back into my livingroom. Two knitting friends are coming over today and I can't wait to feel like I'm in the loop again.

Knitting, talking to friends, reading (I haven't picked up a book in two weeks!) and living! In your face (actually in my face) stupid watering eye!

timber!

My home designed boók shelf finally collapsed. Only the bottom shelf, but still, it's where I kept all my very heavy art and architecture coffee-table-book-meet-phone-catalogues-and-the-village-bible type of books.

I knew I had miscalculated the shelf construction, but I really like it all the same. And it did hold up for almost four years. However, it needs to be replaced, redesigned or rebuilt. Preferably yesterday, unless I wish to die a booklovers' death being buried under my book collection.

Why do everything happen at once? I was going to redecorate my kitchen when I had the money, and now I have to rethink this whole thing. If only my life was less shaped like a sine wave and more... mellowed out... Or not. Did I just make a wish for boredom? Slap me.

I'm back

I'm getting better. It's still one eye drop an hour, but I get to do it to myself, by myself at home.

I spent three nights in a hospital bed. Every hour, around the clock, shuffling feet came sneaking into my room, then somebody turned a light on and put a drop of Isopto Maxidex in my left eye.

I had an aggressive version of irit, which is an inflammation of the iris. My kind made me blind on my left eye, but I saw white instead of darkness. There was a milky white membrane of illness in between the different lenses and layers that constitutes the eye. And the pupil got stuck in the inflammation, and that is painful if you didn’t know.

However, there are qualities about a stay at the hospital that needs to be recognized. I got to lay down and relax without feeling even a shred of guilt about not doing something else. My stressed out self really valued this time out in my life.
People showed up and told me they care. I know I havce some fantastic friends, but having them come to the hospital still was a very sentimental treat.

warning:
On a completely other note there is a warning to be issued:

On June 9, the soccer world championships will commence. I will then turn into soccer freak Lisa, a Lisa not many of you know. I already have all the game dates written down. A .pdf of the schedule is saved on my desktop. I have translated it into an excel document to tally scores and calculate and do prognoseses (Plural how?) on how Sweden would get through with the best possible line up of opposing teams...
I warn you now, because I will not be accountable for the rambling sports fool I will become during these glorious soccer summer weeks of 2006...

dark waters

If you haven't tried taking a shower in complete darkness I suggest you do.

A soothing experience for my still very swollen eye, and a peculiar experience for me. It's amazing how well I've worked in my grooming routines. My hands recognize every bottle, every tile and the taps in my shower. My body seems to know the distances perfectly. I put my foot on the stool I keep in my shower to soap my leg and it didn't occur to me until afterwards that I might just as well have kicked the wall... Except I couldn't because I knew exactly where the stool was. As well as where the walls were.

An eye infection can sometimes give you unexpected lessons about yourself and about your senses. I am so dependant on my eyesight in many other areas, but with just some routine, I can actually make do without it. I'll remember that.

I should probably mention I have an unusually large shower cabin, and that turning the lights on was like stabbing myself in the eye, so I didn't do this as an experiment. It was out of necessity. Even a sick girl needs to keep clean right?

Now I have to take a break from the computer again. Even with patch my eye starts running after looking at the screen for about 10 minutes.

ay ay eye

This post was written in a very whiny voice. Read it as such.
Remember the cute girl from Sweden with the big blue eyes?

She is temporarily replaced with sick wreck of girl, with swollen, hurting lump instead of left eye.

The doctor says it'll pass. I sure hope he's right. In the picture I'm struggling to have it opened at all. I am wearing a homemade eye patch. I look ridiculous and it hurts. It hurts bad.

Poor, poor me.

softer world

I was reminded I have a personality, and that I let it show, when I got an email from Mandy the other day.

When someone else finds a webpage, then figures out that I would love it and then takes the time to send it to me, I have to realize that they care. And when I do love it just as much as they thought I would, I know that I have let somebody else know who I am.

Don't underestimate the compliments you get. Instead, milk them for all they're worth. That's my new strategy. My old strategy of pushing compliments away saying "No you are!" sucks. I need the compliments so why not actually listen and hear them when they're given to me.

Anyway, Mandy sent me this:
http://www.asofterworld.com/
I am hooked. I want to be the one making this artsy comic. But I'll settle being satisfied that somebody else is. Thank you Mandy.

update topdown

I told you it was going to be the best sweater ever! That promise still stands! Fun to knit, perfect fit... I'm making top down raglans forever and ever if it's always like this. A little decrease there (to show off the boobs) and a little increase here to make it bell out a little. It will go all the way to the hip, and the sleeves are going to be a little bell shaped too. What do you think? Should I add a tiny eyelet lace edge of some sort to go with the fabulous shoulder increase?

boogabag

Soon is now:

So, now I have a cute bag. Then what? (I'm blogging as an excuse for not working at 11.30 pm. Does it actually count and is it really a smart thing to do?) I could just go to bed, but sleep? Who came up with the idea that I'd even be able to? Many curse words later I find myself actually dragging my tired self to the bathroom for some grooming exercises before bedtime.
Oh, or maybe I should refurbish the whole place first? Or solve world hunger? Or save someones life? Or just surf the net for another sleepless hour?
People! Stop me! Tell me to get some sleep! And while you're at it feel free to remind me of the many benefits of eating breakfast...

just a few

... things I'd like to tell you about. I wish I had more words to describe it all, but I seem to have run out of words lately. (To those of you who have actually met me, you know what a disturbing picture that is - Lisa without words - as if! She's a chatterbox... usually) Anyway:
1. You shouldn't try and give people compliments when you're drunk. The guy on the bus was highly intoxicated and referred to me (in Swedish) as "one helluva woman, at least breastwise". I was in a bad mood and felt like punching him, but thinking of it now I realize it's kind of funny somehow.
2. The world's cutest kid can not stand still. I saw a choir of about 50 six-year-olds today. One boy in the front couldn't help dancing to every song they sang. He was on stage! "Look at me!" I actually cried with happiness watching him.
3. I love my job, but I'm damn tired right now.
4. I made a boogabag. It's beautiful and I'll show it off soon.
5. When in doubt - smile. You might get one back that will save your day.

from the top down

I'm alive. I work. I knit. I still haven't cleaned my home. The sun has been shining like it does in the Caribbean right here in our northern corner of the world for several days now, and nobody dares jinx it by saying "I'm too hot". Then it might stop, and we kind of have to love it here.
I still lack inspiration to write something... well, inspired, but I can at least tell you about me being alive, me working and knitting and how the sun is shining on Sweden i May.
And this is what I'm knitting: My first top down raglan. It's going to be the most beautiful sweater in the world. Because I say it will. And oh, it's not this blurry up close. And neither am I. For real.

And I hope all you knitters out there are with me on June 10.
It's Knit In Public Day, and you'll find me in the sun somewhere knitting and purling proudly in front of everybody!

overload

I should blog about a wonderful trip to Glasgow. Much Mackintosh (see one of thousands of wonderful details above) and seriously considering Glasgow as an alternative to place my home in. Some very good people live in Glasgow and some very cool things to do and see are there too. I should blog about a new lesson I'm doing with kids in the city (How many countries can you find right here in Gothenburg). I should blog about knitting being boring sometimes (3+1 rib forever, please! I am not amused. Need to cast on side project. Soon.) I should blog.
But I knit 3+1 ribbing on my tubey and an i-cord for my boogabag when I'm not working or worrying about work. These weeks are not showing the world the best of me. And I want to go back to Glasgow.
Oh, and the world's best Jch turned another twenty-something last week and had the best party Sunday. I came home at half past six in the morning. We were still dancing at four thirty.
Yes, I'm alive and much is good. I just haven't felt like blogging. Yet.
I will be back soon and then I'll blog A LOT. Damnit.

going commercial

I sell stuff! T-shirts, totebags, cards and posters!
If you have requests I just might go ahead and add what you need if you tell me what designs you like. This is the US version of cafepress.com so US and Canada fans, take your pick! European shoppers - until I find a european equivalent the shipping costs could be a bit much, but hold on - the visalisa shop will hit you too eventually!

business

Ok, you've convinced me. Once I'm back from Glasgow next week, I'll look into the possibilities to make tshirts with prints. My knit-purl ambigram could be one print and my little globus fellows could be another idea...

Please let me know what your favorite motif of mine would be and I'll look into it.

a quick knit

What did I do for Easter? I tried to work, and in all my breaks I knitted. That's how I finished a Shetland Triangle from Wrap Style in three days! Ok, I admit... Sometimes I took a break from knitting by working rather than the other way around, but still... And it's difficult to take a decent photo of your own back, so this is what I have to show for now.



And one up close:

knit purl

Inspired by the shirt I made the other day I found myself playing with the shape of letters... This is what I came up with:

I don't have a specific need for a knit-related logotype at the moment, and this sketch could use some brushing up (I just scanned the paper I was doodling on), but I still thought it came out rather neat. A purl IS the reverse of a knit and so on...
Anybody want it as their logotype? Then I guess the idea could be for sale or something...

temporary insanity

I'm knitting Tubey (irrevocably bored with 3+1 ribbing). I'm making a present that I carry with me as on-the-bus or waiting-in-line project. I'm making little knitted cups when I feel like doing something else. Today I wanted to do something else entirely. I wanted to celebrate Easter I guess... So I dived into my Easter present and look!

Everybody needs a good stash of WIPs (Work In Progress) right?

easter egg

My mum is the best! Look what I got for Easter!

My list of projects I really badly want to make just grew by numerous wraps and scarves...

love and hate

Okay I admit I stole it. From here. But I just had to have one for myself so I brought out a brush and some paint and created a genuine copy (Though I flipped it). This is the coolest thing isn't it?
This is how it looks in my closet and on me when you meet me:

And this is how it looks in the mirror:

A loving front with a hint of a dark side... Yes, that's me!

flash my stash

I bought even more yarn this past weekend, so I took the opportunity to arrange a flash-my-stash-photo-shoot while rearranging my precioussssssses. Here they are:

1. Tindra furry red stuff 75g (I used half a skein to make a barbapapa who still needs eyes. This is weird yarn.)
2. Regia 100g (Might be gauntlets. Might be the first pair of knitted socks. Ever. )
3. Alpaca Garnstudio 150g petrol blue, 50 g black (Two blue skeins are missing in this picture. They will become a matching set of toque and shawl.)
4. indiecita laceweight alpaca a full cone(shawls... shawls... )
5. Araucania Nature Wool 250 g green (Gift from Mandy that already became gloves and a toque. I LOVE this yarn. I need more green stuff.)
6. indiecita alpaca 50g each of turquoise and black (The best kind of stash yarn. I love it but I don't know what to make... yet. Possibility yarn.)
7. Karisma and Alpaca from Garnstudio beige (These two are becoming my Tubey. Refill necessary.)
8. Hedängen thin wool 100g each of four colors. (One skein missing in photo. And: Can someone teach me the differences in yarn weight in English? 4ply, 2ply, DK... I know what some are, hence what others aren't, but I don't know what this one is)
9. colinette tagliatelle 100g (It is SO gorgeous but what wil it be? Any ideas?)
10. Araucania Nature Wool 200g brown (A capelet possibly. I just needed more of this quality really.)
11. Paris Garnstudio 50 g (It only became a very unfortunate swatch)
12. Marks och Katten sock yarn 200g brown (It was on sale. It's brown, soft and stretchy. I just fell in love.)
13. DoRedo 210g total in two colors (a present to be)
14. Classic Cashsoft 4ply 100g (From Rowan. I'm making swatches for my first own design in this soon. If it turns out well I'll need more.)
15. Estonian wool 250g blue brown terracotta... (Meant for a present, but it depends on how it turns out if that is the fate of this beauty.)
16. red ombré 100 g (Luscious. Delicious. What will it be?)
17. Hjerte sock yarn 50g (Another sudden love that followed me home for no apparent reason.)
18. Rowan Kidsilk Haze 100g black and about 30g lavender (I see lace in my future.)
19. orange-yellow lace weight alpaca 50 g (another gift from Mandy. These are not my colors, but it's the softest thing ever! Undecided on how I'll make this touch skin more frequently. I'm thinking shawl again.)
20. svarta fårets (black sheep) thin wool 200g (I mean to learn how to make a top down raglan with this. I need more though.)
21. koigu 50 g green (Also a gift. To luscious to be used carelessly. I need a plan - A good plan - for this.)
22. yarn from fur sheep 200g green from Östergötlands Ullspinneri (Many shawls can be made. Sooooo shiny.)
23. Visjögarn (more wool) olive 300 g (A shrug to be.)

...and there is one skein of white mohair without a number lying there to the left. And I didn't take a picture of all my leftovers. No. But I thought I ought to do this while I have the chance to present my full stash in one shot. If it grows this fast in the future too, I have to redecorate my apartment. Considering I've only knitted for nine months I must say I'm becoming a yarn nerd with frightening speed. Wool fetishist. Alpacka lover. You name it.

SPIKE

My dearest mum got her christmas present about three months too late, but I think she thought it was worth waiting for. At least she looked happy when I finally handed over the finished Spike! The reason it took me so long was mostly because of the pick-up-very-many-stitches-stage to complete the second half. I wasn't much good at it. I'm an expert at it now...
It turned out SO good. Mandy, I've always said you're a genious, and after this knit I'm even more convinced. And inspired. Mum promised she'll wear it to the theatre next time she goes. "I can't wait to hear B (her best friend) exclaim her jealousy over this!" she said. I think it means she liked it.


The difference in this design before and after blocking is huge! It's like watching the hands of a magician during a card trick. You see it happen, and you know how, but it still looks like magic...

It's long. It's beautiful. It's strangely magical. And I made it. That is truly the best feeling about it.

knitting trip

I had my bag packed for a knitting trip this Saturday.

UllaKarin and Börje who own Östergötlands Ullspinneri greeted us when we got there. Börje is standing by one of the looms. They make wool as well as felt, blankets and fabrics...

The coolest machines EVER. These are both details from the huge carding comb machines.

You don't see a Spinning Jenny in action every day.

They make luscious, delicious, wonderful yarn here...

But they also weave fabrics to make felt. Blankets. Beautiful. From wool to blankets... The machinery is old. Many things are made by hand, but in this little barn they make wool become the most gorgeous things. Really.

And they have a shop. We went nuts! And this is the pile I went home with:

There is lime/oliv wool that will become a shrug, there is lace weight yarn from FUR sheep (soooo shiny) and 100 grams of the red ombré that I gave Mandy for christmas. It was still haunting me so I had to have some. The blue and grey is a thicker wool that I think I'll make a present out of.

Did I mention the surroundings being magical? They have sheep made out of radiators too. They're genious. And those oak trees would make Tim Burton do a cartwheel!
Are you jealous? You really, really should be.