Dragon Hat for Peder

For Christmas my mom gave me a new (for me) knitting book - Monster knits for little monsters, by Nuriya Khegay - and some skeins of yarn in a bright green color.

I quickly fell for one of the patterns in the book, called Dinky Dragon - which also Peder loved - but didn't quite understand the description for how to create the spikes. So, after casting on and frogging about 4 or 5 times, I decided to knit a plain hat, and then figure out another way to make some spikes.  (Typically, after finishing it, I got an epiphany - or whatchamaycallit - and finally understood it, so making another one would be a piece of cake.) 

Anyway, I'm still very pleased with the results - and so is Peder. 

The hat is great, sits nicely around the face, with good cover for the neck going down to the shoulders. Peder likes that he can pull it back, as if he was wearing a hooded jacket, when he's inside a store or on the bus/tram/subway. It's cool - and both the design and color makes it really easy to spot him in a crowd. (Which is damned practical, if I may say so.)

Before the spikes.. 

The pattern calls for 5 or 6 spikes, but I
managed to tweak in 4.

Happy boy in his new hat. 

Knitted Space Invader-hat

A colleague of mine asked if I could knit a Space Invader-hat for her husband a few weeks ago. The question came on a Friday, and Saturday I went shopping for yarn. She wanted it to be knitted in the traditional Marius sweater colours, which are dark blue, white and red. So I picked up a skein of each of these colours in the yarn Free Style produced by Dale of Norway. 



The blue is not really as dark as it is
in this picture.

 The pattern is a Arne & Carlos design, the two guys who came with the book of knitted Christmas balls a couple of years ago.

This shows a more correct shade of blue.

The hat (and yarn) calls for size 4.5 and 5 needles (European sizes) so it's a fast-knitted project. I started on it after buying the yarn on Saturday (well, more like Saturday afternoon) and had it finished by Sunday afternoon.

Both Kerstin and her hubby were very satisified.

***
I don't get many requests or questions regarding knitting (or sewing) for other people, but so far, I've said yes when I've gotten a request. I know that there are many who won't knit for others or take orders, and I understand that, especially if they get many requests. But I haven't gotten that many yet, so for me it's still fun to knit (and sew) for others.

Doing some modifications on the blog

I've been thinking about making some changes - or adding a few pages, to be more precise - to the blog, and started by adding a Swaps and SALs page (located on the top of the page) where I intend to list all of the swaps and SALs (stitch-a-long) that I've joined over the years (mostly for my own memory and stuff, but perhaps others might find it interesting too, I dunno..). But after talking to my mom on the phone earlier this afternoon, I've decided to add another page, listing all the finishes I've made this year (both quilting and knitting/crochet) on a page called 2014 Finishes. My plan is to list the item, and link to the post describing the project. 

Now, after adding the page and starting to list the finishes I have so far in 2014, I realize that I am waaaay behind on my blogging! (And the main reason for that is.. the lack of photo-light..) There's nothing more depressing than trying to show off a finished project than by doing so with ill-lit photos, taken in boring locations. (I'm trying to say that I'm sick and tired of the grayness that's been all-over these past few months.. gray mornings, gray middays, gray afternoons - pitch-black evenings and nights..) Today was the first day I actually saw a sunrise! Blue skies during the day! Had to close the blinds because of the sun shining in (I spent the day at home with a sick little boy, otherwise I would've been in the office, not seeing the bright blueness or getting the sun in my eyes). Apparently, this phenomenon might actually happen again, tomorrow (before the return of mushy snow on Wednesday and Thursday..) so maybe, just maybe I'll manage to get some nicer photos taken tomorrow.. (When I look at the list I've started on the 2014 Finishes page, I seem to have some work to do..)

The view from the 21st floor

Last week I went with a colleague to get a photo taken for a new ID. We had to go to the 21st floor in the building next door to ours, and while being up there I couldn't help notice how small the city feels from that height.

So, here are a few pictures showing the view around the part of Oslo where I work.

The Opera is the flatfish, white building in the center. 

The harbor up at the right, where the ferry to Denmark docks.

The huge "blob" at the bottom is a concert arena called
"Oslo Spektrum".

The Radisson SAS hotel, which is next to "Oslo Spektrum".

This picture is taken in the direction of our
neighbourhood in Oslo - barely visible is the
swimming pool building, "Tøyen Badet"
(a "half circle" building), and our apartment is right below it. 

In the more crafty news I've completed a couple of knitting projects, one that I can show now - I just need to take some good pictures of it - and one that's a secret. I'm also working on my mug rugs for the swap I've joined. Some stitching left, and then it's time for quilting. The send-off date is not until the 22nd, so there's still time. I'm also quilting on a project that's been on it's way for a few years now (I think I started working on it before Peder was born, or when he was a baby, I don't really remember). I'm excited to see it so close to being finished - and it really makes me want to finish other projects hidden away - to make a clean slate (at least while I'm still in the "finishing" mood).

:)

Last year's most used Christmas present

Last week was the sixth week of the new year - and the fourth time I've used the double-waffle iron that we got for Christmas last year. It's brilliant! Making two plates of waffles at once, cutting the preparation time in half.

Mmmmm.. waffles..

I'm not sure if it's a Norwegian thing, but we do love waffles here..