Monday, January 20, 2020

This is my houseblock for week 3 of the #fussycuttingsewalong #2020yearofthehouse hosted by @naomialicec 💙 I’ll let this little one waddle in as this weeks block. 🐧


Following the January 6th post

On January 6th I posted about how I had a prize waiting for me, once I'd finished three projects. The three projects were :
- Baby hat no. 1
- Baby hat no. 2
-Nerven shawl

Well, these are now completed! Yay!



As you can see, there are three baby hats in this picture. I knitted the first one (purple one on the bottom left) before the parcel from Værbitt arrived. All three patterns are from a wonderful little knitting book called Myk start (Soft beginning) by May B. Langhelle. The book contains patterns for 40 knitted projects for babies from newborn up to around 1 year. The patterns are fairly simple, and the photos are just gorgeous (babies in knitted garments, what's not to love?). The dark purple and the brown yarn are both Filcolana Pernilla, and the softer purple (lavender) is Filcolana Arwetta Classic.

The last project on my list, was the Nerven Shawl (look it up on Instagram #nervenshawl to see other colour combinations). This was designed by the danish designer Karen S. Lauger (known as Lykkefanten on both Ravelry and Instagram). I knitted this in lime green and medium grey. The yarn is Filcolana New Zealand Lamuld.





I love how the neck is shaped with short rows. It falls really nicely and comfortable over my shoulders.



Short rows are also used to create the "bubbles" - giving it a fun and playful pattern.

And so, here we are.. three projects completed - and the box can finally be opened and it's contents revealed.



Six small skeins (20 grams) of six different colours - ranging from dark blue to deep purple will be joined with a medium/light grey.



With a little help from A, these skeins were made into balls of yarn in a wee little time Saturday afternoon.

And then it was time to cast on..



This is looking so incredible yummy - the yarn is a dream to knit with (pelsull - fur wool/pelt wool), the technique is new (but very easy to get a hang of) - and everything smells so lovely of real sheeps wool!

The yarn is Hillesvåg Sølje, and those six small skeins are dyed by Laila, who owns and works at Værbitt (she's an incredible dyer).

#nervenshawl ferdig strikket, skylt opp og testet ut i bruk! 👌🏻🤩💚 Mønster av @lykkefanten


Tre babyluer strikket i #filcolanaarwettaclassic og #filcolanapernilla mønster fra boken #mykstart #brukstrikkebokadi


Monday, January 13, 2020

I'd rather be crafting..

A cloudy almost full moon picture on my way to work one morning.



I'm up early in the morning (well, more like in the middle of the night) in order to get to the office and get some work done - before I have to go home to go to kindergarden and back home to the house.

At times these things go well. Sleeping "works", the bus to work "works", working in the office "works". And then there are time when, well, I'd rather be crafting.

I sit at my desk (well, actually at the desk I'm sitting at that particulary day, as "free seating" is the current rule of the office) and I think of all the things I'd like to make. Patterns I'd like to knit, yarn I want to dye, fabric I long to use for a project - and patterns I'd like to sew.. not to mention blog posts I'd like to write - and comments I should've made on other blogs. And suddenly the hours spent at the office seem like a complete waste of time. Even though I love my job and have fantastic coworkers.

The winter's in Norway are tough. The sun's not up when I leave for work - and most days it's sunset before I come home. Some days I get to watch the sun set on my way to kindergarder. Some days there's still daylight when we're all home. But most days, like today, the moon shines on my way to work - the sun teases on the blue sky while I spend the day inside looking out through the windows - and I just know that when I'm on the bus, later this afternoon, I might be lucky to be blinded by the sun's final rays on my way home. And before dinner is cooked - and eaten - it'll be dark enough to feel like night again..


Monday, January 06, 2020

Three more projects - and a prize awaits

I received this wonderful parcel in the mail last week, and I've been very strict with myself, ordering me to complete three projects before I'm allowed to open the box and start the project waiting inside.



The parcel is from Værbitt, a norwegian yarn shop in Oslo, specializing on norwegian wool and handdyed yarn.



The owner, Laila, included a Christmas greeting inside the box - a stitchmarker and a lovely note.

The yarn is for a shawl called "Shalala just for you" - check it out on Instagram, if you want (#shalalajustforyou).

The projects I must finish before I can open the box and start working on this wonderful kit, are :
- Nerven shawl
- Baby hat nr 1
- Baby hat nr 2

With the speed of which these baby hats are knitted (I've started on the first one), I might be able to start the Shalala by next weekend.

I can't wait!


Thursday, January 02, 2020

Goodbye 2019 - hello 2020

January 2nd and my December/Christmas knitting is nearing it’s end. (Which took a lot less time than I thought when I cast on December 1st.)



I’m knitting a shawl called «nerven», designed by a danish designer who calls herself Lykkefanten. Knitting it in a - to me - new yarn, Filcolana New Zealand Lammeuld, in the colours grey (surprice!) and lime. 



New Year’s Eve came and went with a bang (quite normal for Norway, really). But the lack of snow was unusual... We had a couple of inches a few days ago, but they rained away during the night. 



The kids «killed» our gingerbread house on New Year’s Eve - and there’s icing, crumbs and pieces of candy all over our livingroom... waiting for us to come home from the in-laws. 


These were the colours I used in 2019, according to the website yearofcolour.com. Lots of brown, but that’s because of my use of our brown floor as background for taking pictures for Instagram - or so I think... Will keep this in mind when taking pictures for 2020. 



We went to the movies and saw «Frozen 2». The tone was very different from the first one, and A really didn’t like the stone giants.. but the level of grown-up humor was to our liking!



My mom bought some new lights for one of her outdoor Christmas trees - not realizing how «festive» they were. Well, I think it looks great! With all the colours and the snow. ❤️



Visiting one of my grandmothers I came across this little family of santas, which my sister and I made (with mom’s help) waaaaay back in the 80’s. Brings back memories..



Winter in Trysil - with the snow and sun. It’s like a tradition back home, to take a walk on Christmas Day. 



I joined a knit-a-long this Advent - with one part of the pattern coming each Sunday in Advent. And the night before Christmas (lille julaften) all the ends were woven in. 



And with a filter from «Frozen 2» I wish you all a Happy New Year! May 2020 bring you joy, happiness and lots of good times (and crafting time)!

Fantastic giveaway over at @sewquirky 😍 Crossing my fingers 🤞🏻🤞🏻