Mouldy green socks

I really don't know if I'm supposed to be happy or sad right now. On one hand I have a pair of really nice new sock, on the other hand my stash of Klazien's Kreaties Arwetta yarn is finally up. And is no more, unless they against all odds decide to start making more again. It was wonderful, and we loved each other dearly, that yarn and I.

Oh well, everything has it's end and so on. And I still have the socks.
The socks, yes. They are originally Blackrose socks from Knitty . The yarn, you already know that one, and I should stop yammering about it. I liked the pattern, but made 10 repeats in the shaft instead of the original 8, because I tend to like my socks a bit longer. The only thing I didn't care for was the toe grafting, I don't get along with that. After having tried that in a couple of socks now I kinda decided to not do it again... My socks, my toes.
Now I have to spend a couple of hours picking out the perfect knitting, because I'm going to get a cup of coffee of what we call a Swedish "fika" with another knitting blogger! I'm really excited, and it's going to be so much fun.

A red buttony cardigan (another UFO down!)

So, as I told you in my last post, I have been working on this for quite some time now. More like almost a year, but who counts? Now, all the buttonholes are sewn and every single one of the threads are fastened and it is finally DONE. Can you imagine? I almost can't. But I tell you this- it it really cozy, winter can come any time it wants.
It's made of recycled yarn from an old cardigan that was too small for me, but was made of yarn(wool/alpaca) I really liked and not really could let go of. I have altered the pattern a bit, it was supposed to be more of a bolero and have tie bands in the front and no buttons at all but I felt I wanted it this way. Retrospectively I'm happy I went with it.

And a selfie. If the pope can- so can I.

Button time!

The last thing to do, making buttonholes.... Then I have a spanking new cardigan! About time too, I started this baby last fall, but it was left at a friends house for too many months in a bag, half finished. Better late then never, eh?

Double safe

This little mobile cosy was knitted in Drops Fable, the pink and the black one. The pattern is sort of made up, but originally something I found in a old book of knitting years back(sorry, don' remember the title). It's in Faire Isle tecnique.
The reason I knitted this one is that I tend to constantly misplace my "original" mobile cosy, so I knitted another one. I realize that I probably will misplace that one too, but I kinda hope it will be easier to find one out of two cozies then one out of one. Come to think of it, I should make a third one... Or even a forth.

Precious time

Winter is coming, and I want my sweater!

My knitting time was drasticly limited when I started all this studying. I really miss having more time for it, but I still manage to sneak in a stitch or two every now and then. It is especially a bugger when there seems to be a flood of spanking new pattern releases, Knitty, Softsweater has already dropt some patterns and Canary Knits seems to be on the verge of doing so.
Ugh. Have to knit faster! So much neat things to do!

Oh, and the concert was awesome! All my photos are really bad, but here's a link to the video . There were soooo many people they had to do another concert after the first one...

Sewing Machine Music

If anyone is in Uppsala, Sweden tonight and were planning to visit the Kulturnatten (Culture Night? Night of Culture?) I can really recommend going to the Museeum of Arts and listen to Leo Correia de Verdier play sewing machine. If this feels familiar to you, it's because I have been writing about this before, but this is the first time at least I get to see it live.
It's gonna be so awesome!

My old Nemesis and other amazing creations

Gaultier. So much lace! Everywhere!

When I was a small kid I was a bit scared of Madonna. Not Madonna the person, I was too young to grasp the concept of that person in the pictures being a real person of blood and bones I think. It was mostly those pictures with her in that bustier with those pointy boobs. For some reason that scared me a lot, or at least made me a LOT suspicious.
I mean, come on, those pointy boobs- she could have anything in there, bombs or I don't know...

This is it! The Gaultier bustier for Madonna. My old Nemesis... We meet at last....

Then I grew up and started to get very interested in a lot of things among other clothes and identity-issues. And the name Jean Paul Gaultier popped up. And I kinda liked his work (like- he is not dead yet, and still going strong), and realized that he actually was the person behind my old Nemesis, The Bustier with the Pointy Boobs.
I don't know where I am going with this, it's rather late and it's been an intense week, so my head is spinning with things. Still love the work of Gaultier, though. Could talk forever about all the aspects of his artistery but this is hardly the place. Or forever about the link between clothes and identity, but the same goes for that area.

Gaultier

I think I'll just tell you a little about the exhibition. It's a travelling one, and it will stay in Stockholm for a few days more, until the 22/9. Then apparently it will go to New York (lucky yankees!) so if you are currently at that side of the Atlantic you will have a chance to see it there.
DO IT.
It's main focus is for the craft in the Haute Couture garments, the amazing craftmanship it takes to create something like that and the very wide array of different professionals that have been working of the clothes. Somethimes the hours it took for a garment to get made was printed out, and at first sight you got overwhelmed with the enormous amount of hours it would be. Then you started thinking. And calculating. And realized that they must have worked really really fast and intense.

Gaultier. Corset dress in hay! So amazingly done.

For example. Look at this leopard. It's not a real one, it's made of tiny tiny beads. One person made it. Think about it. And I mean, this is NOT things you are allowed to take a year or two to finish, no UFO:s here, no sir....

Gaultier. Kittie, kittie, kittie....

In other news, there's a new issue of Knitty up, if anyone's missed it. Some neat things, I wanna knit a beermitt!

Oh, and I took all the pictures, but Jean Paul Gaultier is the owner of all the creations in the pictures. Just so we're clear.

High fashion and weird humor

Woop woop! Tomorrow I'm finally going to see the Gaultier show on The Swedish Centre for Architecture and Design. I am so excited, it's supposed to be really good.

I found another movie with someone knitting in it, and this time it's one of my favourite movies and one of my favourite movie stars. It's The Addams Family and amazing Angelica Huston and the knitting takes part almost at the end (so you get to see the whole movie first!). The  knitted item in question is a baby overall, with three legs (of course). This thing with yarnie- spotting in movies, it's kinda like a sport. The most fun is when you don't expect to see it.  
This also made me wonder, how would people react if you gave them a really pretty baby overall, perfectly knitted but with three legs and not say a thing about it? 

Back where I belong

A very nice door.

Ugh. I am so tired right now, and I'm not done for the day yet. Still some reading to do... The reason for my hightened studying burden (?) is through that door in the picture above. That was where my first class back with History of Textiles was a couple of days ago, and I'm still a bit nostalgic about it even though I have tons to do and it puts a very definite limit on my knitting time.
It really feels great to be back, it feels like home.

I have managed to do some knitting though. One of the green Blackrose socks  is done, and I have just about started the other one. In this speed they will be ready when I will be wanting to use them, since it's still amazingly warm outside and not even ice cold me want to wear socks.
And I got some more bobbin lace bobbins from mom, so I should be able to make some really cool bobbin lace whenever I got time for it! Hopefully before I retire...

Hi. I need attention. All you attention. All the time.

Just a cat, then I need to study some more before bed...

 

Too much money? Need a non-alerogenic pet? I got a solution.

Picture borrowed from MisterFinch's shop on Ebay. I own nothing!

Oh, this really gives me serious cravings. MisterFinch is so talented! My favourite is possibly the moths, but it's really hard to decide... I love how textiles with patterns and textures that normally wouldn't end up on animals fit in rather nicely, and makes it all comes to life. You almost expect this moth to fly away if you swat you hand, don't you? Don't mind the flowery woven wings...

In other news, I have started my monster semester. Currently, I am so happy I got some of the old UFO:s done before because I'm studying until my eyes bleed. No, I'm not. But it feels that way. It'll problably take some time to get used to...
Not that this stopped me start up a new sweater, a red and black striped one that I am already (I have knitted about 10 cm) really confident I am going to look smashing in. I will get back to you about that one, and belive me I will because I'm kinda winging this one so it will be some bumps in the road to come...

Parliament Square

Ok, so here it is. When I started to make it I really, really had the goal to make write every single tiny step of the process down. And then something happend, I don't know what. When I actually decided to put it up here I had to decipher some scrawny notes on different pieces of paper in ink that had had somekind of a Titanic- accident, and then try to figure out what kind of changes I made after writing it down. I felt like CSI, except no one died. 

I hope this is readable, and knitable and wearable. 

I fell in love with the yarn, and it reminded me of this song by Stina Nordenstam. This means there are a Suggested music  to this pattern. Now, this link is a remix of the song made by The Knife and is just awesome. 

The rather weird stitches in the pattern repeat is apperantly called a daisy stitch (tnkx!). I didn't know, I tried to make a star stitch from the right side. But it turned out it's pretty much the same. If you have problems with it, I suggest you watch a youtube-video, it will make it that much easier. 

Happy Knitting!

Parliament Square

Needles: DPN size 4mm

Yarn: Debbie Bliss Andes 1 skein (Note: The amount of yarn is just about enough. If you want to make the mitts any longer, you will need more yarn.)

You will also need: Stitch markers, holding needles, grafting needles

Pattern repeat: (Will be knit over a total of 11 sts, between markers. You will start the pettern rep on Row 4, so there you will start with patt rep A, and on Row 5 you will go on to patt rep B and so on... )

A- Knit

B- Into the next 3 sts at once (knit 1, and without pulling the 3 sts from the left needle, make 1 yarn over, knit another one into the 3 stitches. Now pull the 3 sts of the left needle) K1, make another (K1, yo, K1) into the next 3 at once, K1, (K1, yo, K1) into the next 3 sts at once.

C- Knit

D- K1, (K1, yo, K1) into the next 3 sts at once, K1, (K1, yo, K1) into the next 3 sts at once, K1

CO 40 sts

Row 1: Knit and join to a circle

Row 2: Purl

Row 3: Knit

Row 4: Right mitt: Knit 13, PM, Begin pattern repeat, PM, Knit 16

Left mitt: Knit 16, PM, Begin pattern repeat, PM, Knit 13

Now continue as in Row 4, but keep working the patt rep until you have made 5 total pattern repeats (A-D).

Continue patt rep as before but now start with thumb gusset.

Thumb gusset:

Right Mitt: Knit 13, knit pattern rep, K4, PM, M1R, K1, M1L, PM, K to end of row

Left Mitt: Knit 11, PM, M1R, K1, M1L, PM, Knit 4, Continue pattern as before

Next row, knit as usual, with exception for pattern repeat.

Next row:

Right Mitt: Knit 13, knit pattern rep, K4, PM, M1R, K2, M1L, PM, K to end of row

Left Mitt: Knit 11, PM, M1R, K2, M1L, PM, Knit 4, Continue pattern as before

Continue to add sts as above every other row until you have 17 sts between the markers. Stop adding stitches.

Continue until you have made 10 pattern repeats in total from the beginning.

Next row: Knit as usual until first marker, drop it. Move all sts between the markers to a holding needle and drop the next marker. Make 1 sts in the gap between. Knit on as usual.

Knit on as ususal until you have made 12 pattern repeats in total from the beginning.

Knit 1 Row.

Purl 1 Row.

Knit 1 Row.

Cast off, not too tight.

The thumb:

Move the stitches from the holding needle to three DPN:s. Pick up 1 sts in the gap so that you have 18 sts in total. Join, and knit 4 rows.

Purl 1 row.

Knit 1 row.

Cast off, not too tight.

Red and white (and music!)

 So I made some mitts. And then I made another pair just for the sake of it, you know how it is. I fell for this wonderful yard by Debbie Bliss called Andes, witch is soft as clouds (or at least what I expect clouds to feel like) and comes in a really fiery red and a soft white(among other colors). I just had to make some mitts. As it happens, one skein is just enough for a pair if you don't want then too long.

I made up the pattern myself and have it written down somewhere, it's a sort of star stitch border in the middle but nothing more complicated than that. If someone really want if, tell me and I publish it, but otherwise I think there are so many patterns out there already.

See how I am pretending to put it on while gazing out in the distance? Very artsy...

This is a very beautiful play with fabrics, and a very beautiful piece of music. I really love the mix of the two elements, and of course the fact that the photography is great doesn't hurt. The Frogman labeled me a great nerd when the first thing I noticed about it was the amazing way they had used different textures in the video. Well, duuuh.....