"Leaves dancing" shawl finished

"Leaves dancing" shawl: before blocking
Originally uploaded by Asplund

Comparing the difference before and after blocking is always fascinating, especially when it comes to lace knitting. In this picture you can see the main pattern fairly clearly, but the bottom border looks all crumbled.

Nothing like the points in this picture:

Modifications
1. Three sections instead of one to get a crescent(-ish) rather than a triangular shape.
2. Rows 29-56 knitted three times instead of twice, since I used thinner yarn and needles than the instructions call for. It was easy adding rows and repeats to the design. (But I ended up with almost 700 stitches!)
3. At the very end I added six rows, continuing the pattern in the last section to close the points.
4. I skipped the crocheted edge, partly because I preferred the idea of knitted points at the very edge, partly because I was simply too lazy to try to understand the instructions. Charts with explanations in German was ok, but written instructions with abbreviations proved too much when I was eager to finish the shawl. Here's a picture of the original edge.
4. Stitches picked up along the hypotenuse (or what would have been the hypotenuse if I had knitted the original triangular shape) to add a border. I think it helps making a shawl look finished.

Measurements
Width top: 155 cm/61 in.
Width bottom: 390 (3x130) cm/154 in.
Lenght back: 70 cm (27½in)
Length diagonal between each section: 95 cm (37½ in)

The yarn, Viva (a wool-silk blend) from Finnish Wetterhoff, is wonderful: beautiful and a delight to work with. There's a lot of surplus dye in it, though, and it bled a lot when I washed the shawl. I rinsed the shawl at least fifteen times.

I like it that winter doesn't keep people from using their bikes!

Edited to add: here's a link to the shawl pattern.

"Leaves dancing" shawl: progress

WIP "Leaves dancing" shawl
Originally uploaded by Asplund

I'm very fond of this design: it's both beautiful and fun to knit. At first I wasn't sure about the rib effect of the knit and purl lines, but now I think it enhances the shape of the leaves.

It makes the wrong-side rows less monotonous to knit too, since they don't consist of purl stitches only. (Which is what I often prefer since it requires less concentration, I should add.) I also think new leaves are incorporated into the design in an elegant way.

Birthday party

Maria
Originally uploaded by Asplund

Yarn shop Marias garn in Stockholm is four years old, and Maria and her family celebrated yesterday by inviting knitters for coffee and cake.

Of course, it was a great afternoon: I met new knitters (new to me, that is) like Eldstickan and Lisa and got a chance to see fellow Ravelers balconyknit and TanjaL again.

Maria loves purple, and she is a great knitter of sweaters and shawls (among other things) so I had made her a mini sweater knitting a mini shawl. Would you believe it, Maria herself was also working on a purple triangular shawl!

I started knitting a new shawl at the party, using a pattern from Junghans-Wolle that Fadenstille was kind enough to send me. Danke schön! My main challenge this time is using a pattern in German, but since it's a lace pattern it isn't too difficult, charts and symbols being international.

Any modifications? Yes! Today I actually ripped out what I'd made yesterday and started a new version; it will be three repeats wide instead of two for a crescent rather than triangular shape.

It's still winter (in case you didn't know!) but the sky was clear today. The cathedral is like Garbo, beautiful from all angles.

De-frocked Monk

"De-frocked Monk"
Originally uploaded by Asplund

A collar instead of a hood makes "de-frocked" a perfect addition to the name. Thanks for your suggestion, Lars!

Perhaps I'll add a couple of buttons and crochet hooks for them; it depends on how the sweater looks and feels when I wear it.

The white cast-off is my addition to the sleeves; I also knitted the vertical stripes in moss stitch and garter stitch (instead of knit-purl ribbing).

I'm afraid I haven't found many pictures of the original design for comparison. Interweave has one here (preview page 7) and via Ravelry I found a version of the design on Flickr.

"Monk" jacket: sleeve shaping

"Monk" jacket: sleeve
Originally uploaded by Asplund

This is what the first sleeve looks like so far. As I couldn't make up my mind whether to make diagonal or vertical stripes, I simply went for both.

First I knitted a few rows where the lines slanted in the opposite way from the centre; thus, they formed a point downwards, which I intended to turn into a vertical line.

However, that just looked messy, so I tried this way instead and like it a lot better. I should have taken a photo before ripping out those rows for comparison – well, you'll just have to believe me this is the better version!

A method I first tried a few years ago is shaping the top of knitted-on sleeves by using short rows. It results in a more fitted and comfortable sweater than a regular drop-shoulder sweater – and you don't have to sew the sleeve in place. First time I tried it I wasn't bold enough to shape it very much, but at least I could see it was possible to knit a sleeve that way. Second time it turned out a lot better.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure where I got the idea from. Others must have thought of it too, but I can't remember ever reading about this method. I think it simply came from a desire to shape sleeves better but not having to sew them in place. Necessity is the mother of invention.

This project devours yarn, so I'm going to knit the sleeves before deciding about the hood. Perhaps there won't be enough yarn for it, but then I actually might skip it anyway and make some kind of collar instead. I think hooded jackets look nice, but I never really liked wearing them.

But can a hoodless version be called "Monk"? Perhaps "De-hooded Monk" or "De-monked jacket"? Other suggestions?

"Monk" modifications

"Monk" jacket: shoulder join
Originally uploaded by Asplund

I'm thinking about letting the diagonal stripes continue when I knit the sleeves; in the original design the sleeve pattern consists of vertical stripes.

Another modification is in the centre section. In the book it consists of knit-only and purl-only stripes. Mine is knits only and garter stitch the first twenty rows, then moss stitch instead of garter stitch. (Simply because I like variation – and I like the way moss stitch looks too.) It's easier to see in this photo. I haven't made up my mind about the hood yet.

The yarn is very nice to work with: so nice I'm happy I bought it even though it's mainly alpaca (see previous post) but fortunately not so addictive it breaks my heart it will be discontinued – which is why it was so cheap!

It makes quite a difference it isn't pure alpaca, but 20% silk: not so slippery and fuzzy, but easy to knit. I just hope the silk also will help the garment stay in shape.

Come to think of it, it's already fairly heavy, so I believe simply wearing the jacket will help me stay in shape!

"Haruni" shawl addition

"Haruni" shawl
Originally uploaded by Asplund

Here is a rather blurred picture where you can see the border I added along the hypotenuse. I wanted something similar to the other egdes and I'm pleased with how it turned out.

A couple of days ago I stumbled upon a sale at my LYS, and returned home with a kilo of beautiful grey yarn. I'm making (and modifying) a design by Marianne Isager, Munken/Monk from her book Classic Knits. This is what my project looks like so far. I can't even remember when I last knitted intarsia, but it was probably some twenty years ago.

"Haruni" shawl by Emily Ross

WIP: Haruni shawl
Originally uploaded by Asplund

It's really exciting casting off some 700 stitches crowded on a needle: suddenly it's possible to actually see what the project looks like!

My modifications:

1. This shawl is 18x2 repeats wide (instead of the original 12x2). One of the many things I like about the design is that the size is easy to change.

2. Instead of casting of by crocheting and adding chains, I simply cast off as usual but very loosely.

3. In the middle there are three stitches instead of one, simply because I wanted a chunkier "stem" for the leaves. Contrary to what I expected it wasn't necessary to make a double decrease when changing charts for the border.

4. Instead of garter stitch at the beginning and end, I have used stocking stitch and slipped the first stitch. The reason for this is:

5. I just picked up stitches along the hypotenuse to add a border and will turn to Victorian Lace Today for inspiration.

It seems two skeins of wool-silk "Viva" from Wetterhoff will be sufficient. So, what do you do when you have bought three? Return one? Of course not; you buy one more to have enough for another shawl. Plus two skeins of another colour you can't resist.

Nominated for a Bobby Award!

Guess who's in high spirits!

I just discovered that one of my projects has been nominated for a Bobby Award on Ravelry in the category "Best Use of Texture in a Project". Thrilled to pieces!

This is a sweater I knitted in 2008 using the old Scandinavian twined knitting technique, which I had learnt about a year earlier from Anne-Maj Ling. I wrote a short entry about the technique in October last year.

My "Marzipan" sweater is a personal favourite project of mine, a lot of work (it's a time-consuming technique) but also a lot of fun. I don't think I've ever learnt so much from a single project.

Another thing I'm excited about is my new job. I just started teaching at a school in dear old Uppsala, where I studied in the 90s. Here's a photo of the street where the school is. Not bad, eh?

Slipping through my fingers

"Christoffer" neckwarmer
Originally uploaded by Asplund

Here's a neck warmer I finished for myself yesterday (it's cold!) with some "Lucca" wool from BC Garn.

It was perfect for testing a slip-stitch pattern, a technique I was eager to make use of after seeing some glorious examples of patterns in Britt-Marie Christoffersson's new book Stickning - ett hantverk att utveckla.

This triangle pattern is practically one of hers except I resized it and turned it upside down. Why? To see how it would turn out! Well, also to make it blend with the 3x3 ribbing I had decided on. It's a great book, a kind of stitch-technique-inspiration treasury.

It's a wonderful technique in many ways; what I like best is that you get a lot of effect with minimal effort. I also like it that it's so subtle and that the floats on the wrong side make it warm. However, it's not very elastic. Not that it matters much in this kind of garment (in my opinion, it's actually an advantage here) , but in a sweater it would be important to keep it in mind.

After finishing it I cast on my First Real Knitting Treat of 2010. (Let there be many!) I've promised my friend and former colleague Karin a triangular shawl; about a month ago I found the perfect yarn for it, a wool-silk blend from Finnish Wetterhoff, and the other day I came across a beautiful free pattern on Ravelry: Haruni by Emily Ross.

Needless to say, I couldn't resist testing a couple of modifications, but I'll get back to them some other day.

A promising start to the new year?

Static
Originally uploaded by Asplund

Has anyone else experienced wool getting static?

This picture doesn't do the surprise show justice, I'm afraid; all of a sudden the vest looked like a terrified but almost bald hedgehog (or chunk of bacon) trying to cling to the wall with a tentacle.

The sight also reminded me of what a neighbour, an expert at mixing up words, once said:

I vacuumed the carpet, and it got all ecstatic!

(Original Swedish words: Jag dammsög mattan, och den blev alldeles extatisk!)

Happy ending!

The Whirlpool
Originally uploaded by Asplund

I've been house-sitting for my cousins, and their cat Felix likes helping me with my knitting when he isn't busy dancing on the rugs.

Nearly done with the vest: I've picked up stitches along the the two front pieces and across the back of the neck to knit a few rows of garter stitch. I almost prefer the way the wrong side looks, so I've toyed with the idea of trying to make the vest reversible. However, I'm eager to finish it to start new projects (and perhaps finish some old ones) so I won't.

Gott slut! No, that's not a combination of German and English. It's a Swedish expression meaning good/happy ending - what we wish each other between Christmas and New Year's Eve, before it's time to wish each other Gott nytt år (happy new year). When the new year's arrived we say God fortsättning, wishing a happy continuation (of the new year). If used during Christmas it refers to the Christmas holidays.

Complicated? Perhaps, but at least it's well-meaning!

The second time around

Originally uploaded by Asplund

I'm taking liberties with Marianne Isager's design "Honey" from her book Classic Knits, original Danish title Strik à la carte.

Apart from making a vest instead of a cardigan, I've added repeats to the garter stitch bottom border (three instead of one) and made the edging significantly narrower. Now, I love her design, I just like experimenting to see what happens too!

However, I didn't quite like my first version to the left - which is what often happens when I experiment. The bottom border is too similar to the main pattern in stocking stitch, and I wanted the two sections to look slightly more different but still blend. Therefore, I added two rows of purple in the version to the right. Not an enormous change, but all the same I like it a lot better.

Edited to add:

Heureka! I just found my tape measure, which has been missing for a couple of days.

This must have seemed like a good place to keep it safe at the time, but apparently it was a little bit too good.

First pattern published on Ravelry

"Sigge" hat
Originally uploaded by Asplund

and it's free!

You will find it if you look me up on Ravelry; my user name is Asplund.

I've proof-read and proof-knitted the pattern; hopefully there aren't any errors left in it, at least not any serious ones.

Thank you everyone for all your kind and encouraging comments and messages since I started blogging!

Success!

New record this year: we succeeded in having Christmas over and done with in a few hours yesterday afternoon! My ten-year-old nephew is spending the holidays with his paternal grandparents this year, so he and his parents came to my mother's place yesterday afternoon. We had a nice, simple meal together and exchanged gifts. Well, I actually gave my mother her present about a month ago!

I'm extremely pleased with what I got, like Idol Britt-Marie Christoffersson's new inspiration-packed book Knitting - a craft to develop (which was what I had asked for) and some beautiful buttons (which was a lovely surprise). The book is filled with ideas how to combine and play with stitches and colours. A great gift for someone who enjoys swatching, so guess what I'll be doing when others are busy celebrating Christmas the correct dates!

Can you tell the Asplunds prefer minimal to traditional Christmas? Now, we're not really against the holiday itself but rather all the fuss; we just can't be bothered with a lot of preparation, especially not cooking. We're all unusually happy with how it worked out this year, which after all is what counts, so I hope this arrangement will become our tradition.

I also hope you all get to spend the holidays the way you want to!