Happy surprises from generous ravelry friends

About two weeks ago my wonderful friend Ulrika send me this precious little parcel from Sweden. I love every little thing in it and it was such a surprise and really brightened up my day, which was he intention because she knew I was not so happy at that time. Thank you again my friend!

Yesterday the postman rang and I wasn´t expecting anything and was really surprised when I got a large parcel from Vienna! My friend Nicola with whom I was chatting about yarns and that I like Alpaca and ..... was sending me a parcel! She got my address over the internet I think and wanted to make me a surprise gift. This is wonderful soft alpaca yarn and Cascade 220 which I wanted to try out for long. Thank you Nicola, this was so sweet of you!


And finally today! When getting the post I found a wrapped parcel from Norway from Ann. Beautiful yarn and a magazin as a thank you for a little favour I´ve done. You are so generous Ann, thank you. I love that colourway and already have something in mind!


I´m happy and grateful. For ravelry and for the great people I met there.

Weekend knits

This was a long weekend for us and I took some time to knit. Surprise eh?

At her last visit my aunt has seen (and tried on) the Rose Red Tam I´ve knitted for Teresa and me. It was a little small for her and she asked me to knit her something similar with the same yarn. After ordering some yarn I decided to try out the Snapdragon Tam from Ysolda for her. It is a tam and from the same designer, but not exactly the same one as we have. It turned out a bit larger than our hat and I hope thats fine and that it will fit her.
Pattern : Snapdragon Tam
Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worsted in Pearl (used a bit over one skein)
Needles: 4mm DPN




Warm Neck

As I think that scarfs are not very practical for little baby necks I searched the net and found this cute pattern at Garnstudio.

Very useful and fast little project. I had to modify the pattern as the kid is smaller and the yarn is heavier but that was not really hard.
Pattern: neck warmer (free pattern from Garnstudio)
Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worsted in Pearl
Needles: 4mm DPN

Sample and socks

Today I got a letter from Ireland together with a yarn sample! I love Tweed and already bought quite some at Irish Yarns & Crafts. Now Christine has some new yarn. Merino Tweed! Because I wanted to know if this Merino Tweed yarn is softer as the "normal" Tweed, she has sent me some sample and I have to say I am impressed. Beautiful colours and wonderful flecks like in the "normal" Tweed yarn she sells but so soft that I could wear it next to the skin! Simply lovely!

Some finished socks for Philipp who loves to wear woolen socks at home. Just plain socks in dk yarn and some stripes to make the knitting more interesting (and the row counting more easily;)

Yarn: Drops Garnstudio Karisma Superwash in petrol and mustard
Needles: 3.25 DPN
Size: 38

something to warm my shoulders

Pattern: Springtime Bandit (a free pattern and really a great one! Thank you!)
Yarn: Drops Garnstudio Karisma superwash, colour 52 (mustard/senfgelb) ...4.5 balls used
Needle: 4.00mm cable needle

The shawl was fast and easy to knit. Even for me! The yarn is not the softest but warm and washable and the whole shawl cost me about 9,50 Euro. So this is a real winner!

First snow...

.. it became colder the last days and this morning there was a big surpise! The first snow! A bit early this year, so it is going to be exciting how this winter will be and if we will get white Christmas.

As you see on the first picture, we are not prepaired for winter jet.

Pasha...

..is washed and dried. It blocked out beautifully and has a good chance to become the new favourite in this house. Maybe I will get the chance to wear it too, one day when Teresa puts it off.

Pattern: Pasha
Needles: 3.25mm for ribbing, 4.5mm for the lace part
Yarn: Hjertegarn Vidal Alpaca (100% Baby Alpaca Yarn, superwash)

O W L S

Teresas OWLS sweater is finished, blocked and dried. Just 2 buttons are missing. Yes only 2 buttons because only one owl gets eyes.

Pattern: owls by Kate Davis (free Ravelry download)
Yarn: Jaeger Extra Fine Merino Chunky (used exactly 10 balls), Alaska
Needles: 6mm and 6.5mm
Size: S

Some nearly finished projects...

...to show. It is not that I don´t knit these days. its that I knit many things at the same time as usual. And now, some of them are finished, some are blocking, some are "WIP" and some are still only in my head ;)






Weaver´s Wool Mini Shawl knitted with Kauni Wool 8/2 Effektgarn. I like the yarn and I like the pattern but somehow I don´t like the both together. I don´t love the colour changes in this pattern with this yarn. I´m seriously considering of frogging it. Kauni shawl

This hat is for Philipps friend Mark who asked if I could knit him a ribbed hat just like Philipps one day. And a one-day-work it was. With malabrigo Merino worsted on 4mm needles and than after about 3cm I changed to 4.5mm needles and continued in 2k/2p ribbing. Modeled by Philipp, but Mark loves it and already wears it.





I loved the Pasha pattern the first time I´ve seen it and I had to have that hat. The knitting was fast and quite interesting. I´ve knitted the 20in size and used 3.25mm needles for the ribbing and than changed to 4.5mm needles to make it more lacy. Knitted with the baby Alpaca Yarn i´ve bought in Danmark this summer it is wonderful soft and at the moment petrol is one of my absolut favourite colours. At the moment it is blocking over a plate because I like it a bit more "slouchie". My petrol hat.





And this is the Mystery sock after the 2nd clue :)
I still like the pattern and think it looks good and I love the brilliant colour of the Wollmeise.

Malabrigo and Alpaca.....

"Wolle mit Stil" has a yarn sale on summer yarns and so I HAD to buy some Malabrigo lace yarn.




And finally the ordered 100% Alpaca yarn from Bolivia arrived. We had some missunderstanding because they´ve sent it to Austrialia first. But now it is here and I love it! Beautiful black and supersoft. I´ve bought the yarn over ebay but one can order direct from their website too.

www.caserita.com

Cabling without cable needle...

...was something I really wanted to learn. Grumperina has a really good tutorial about it!

So I needed a project to practise. I´ve chosen the Koolhaas hat.

As I´ve made a hat for David I only CO 88 sts which was wide enough.


Pattern: Koolhaas by Jared Flood
Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worsted in Bijue Blue
Needles: 4mm/5mm

This was practise enough. Now I know how to knit cables without cable needle ;)

Mystery Sock ´09

..by Kirsten Kapur

My first Sock Kal. I´m exited and I really hope to avoid my usually second sock syndrome.


Pattern: Mystery Sock ´09 by Kirsten Kapur

The yarn I use: Wollmeise Twin 80/20 in Mistelzweig
DPN: 2.75 mm

Test knit.... baby trousers

Test knitting this trousers for Accordionmama

Nice, fast and really wearable baby item. I totally recommend it.

Sorry for the crappy pics, but a baby in motion and a telephone camera don´t work together very well.

Aviator...

Aviator

...to go with his blue Tomten.

Pattern: Aviatrix
Yarn: Garnstudio Drops Merino extra fine
Needles: 3.25 mm and 4.5 mm

Changes I´ve made: Cast on 46 and then followed the directions for the larger size. Straps are only 6 sts wide.

Buttons are coconut buttons from stash.