I've been gone awhile...

I just realized today that it's been over a month since my last blog posting... I started school about a month ago, and it has literally taken over my life...

First Cowl

Other than having what seems like no spare time (something I always had when I was in college), I've been doing a bit of knitting when I have a bit of time. For some reason, I've been really into cowls lately; I wear a lot of scarves, but in the colder weather when scarves are necessarily bulkier, I hate how massive they feel. What I didn't know was that they were a fad some decades ago when I tried to explain to my mom what I was knitting.

 After I finished the first cowl, I started on a second, but it wasn't quite what I wanted... So I decided to create my own pattern; something I've never been great at.... It's a really simple cabled pattern but I decided on a provisionary cast-on and finished with a kitchner stitch so I could make it a mobius as well; this way, it keeps my neck really warm, but it doesn't get in the way of my face or chin.  I haven't had a chance to wear it yet so I'm postponing sewing in the ends as long as I possibly can. I'll try posting some more photos and the pattern in my next post.



I've also been knitting socks like crazy... They've always taken me way too long to justify finishing, but I've actually been able to get a pair done for myself and and I'm almost done with a pair for the bf. I prefer to keep socks simple, so it's just the basic magic loop pattern.

Freyja napping on the back of the couch in a sweater

 I've also knit a few dog sweaters for Freyja. It's getting colder here and she's definitely not used to it. The problem is, the majority of dog sweater patterns are created for dogs that are proportional, but miniature dachshunds are anything but proportional. I found some fairly inexpensive acrylic/wool chunky yarn that doesn't feel like plastic and knit up two different sweater patterns that are designed to better fit her little odd shaped body. One is intended to look like a fisherman's sweater and the other (pictured to the left) is done in a brioche rib, an interesting new stitch I picked up when I was trying to design my cowl.

Salt and pepper shakers

I also haven't blogged since I won Lisa @ Suburban Retreat's Giveaway! In honor of (Canadian) Thanksgiving, Lisa gave away a fall/thanksgiving tablecloth, salt and pepper shakers, fall candles and a gift card to Michaels (for yarn, of course!). I was honored to win and it made for a great addition to our first Canadian Thanksgiving!

Fall candles

Canadian Thanksgiving has always been a weird thing to me. My grandma, who is Canadian, often had a dinner in honor of Canadian Thanksgiving, but to me it was just that, a dinner. "Real" Thanksgiving isn't until late November. But I had my first opportunity to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving a few weeks ago. I'll make sure to get a blog up about that interesting adventure some time later this week....

Until next time.....

Beginning to feel like fall in the GTA

After two of the hottest months I've ever experienced in my entire life, it's finally feeling like fall in Ontario. I know I'll be regretting wanting the temperature to drop in another two, but for now, I'm just going to enjoy it. Who would have thought 60 degrees would warrant putting on pants and a sweatshirt? Not I.

The pup, on the other hand isn't too thrilled... little does she know this is nothing compared to what it'll be like in January, so I probably should find a few more dog sweaters to knit for her.

Speaking of sweaters, I've been working on two. One, I mentioned in my last post, is a sweater for my boyfriend.  He's been nagging me since he learned I could knit to make him a sweater, and although my grandma gave us each a hand knit Icelandic sweater, he still wants one from me. I know I mentioned awhile ago that he asked me specifically for a sweater like "the one Hawkeye wears in that one M*A*S*H episode..." Well, luckily, the only thing he really cared about was the collar/neckline and pockets (which I think is just because he doesn't know stockinette stitch from any other stitch). It's mostly knit up; I only have a sleeve and a half to go, but I'm going to have to pick up another ball of yarn to finish it up. It's knit on US 15's, and thankfully I use interchangeable knitting needles (god's gift to knitters) so I didn't have to buy a new set that I won't use again for 10 years.

In the mean time, I've been knitting myself a sweater that I found on Ravelry. I'd never used this site before, but it's pretty fabulous; that's especially true for someone like me who often has yarn and a general idea of what they want to do with it, but needs a pattern where the gauge is right (or at least close) for the yarn. I've had this mohair that I got for dirt cheap (100 g, 200 yard balls at $3 each) for years and finally, I'm getting around to using it. I'm hoping to have it done with in the next couple of days, but I haven't been getting as much knitting done as I would like... I still haven't finished my mittens; I haven't even finished the first one. I have some serious doubts I'll get them done anytime soon; I'm just not a person who's great at knitting pairs of anything. That would be why my next goal for myself is to learn to knit two mittens, socks, or anything else that comes in pairs at the same time. Sure it'll take the same amount of time as knitting two, but at least then I'll have a set.

I have been working on my cooking abilities. I'm a decent cook and have mastered a fair few dishes, but there are some I haven't had the time and patience to undertake in the past.

Icelandic pancakes, for one, are something I've never been able to make even when following my grandma's recipe to a tee. But the boyfriend (who is Swedish) has been wanting Swedish pancakes for sometime. I (the Norwegian/Icelandic girl), refuse to eat or cook such a thing. Both types are close in style, so I figured I'd give Icelandic pancakes another go. And voila! For once, they turned out pretty amazing and darn close to what my grandma makes. I can only hope my other cooking endeavors go so well.

Until next time...

It's been a while....

I haven't posted in a while because there has been so much going on.... First, I awoke 2 weeks ago to our basement apartment being flooded from a faulty toilet upstairs. If I thought it was hot before, I was seriously misguided; with all of the equipment that was brought in to dry and dehumidify, it's 80-90 degrees on average... hotter than it is outside more often than not.

Despite this whole fiasco, my boyfriend and I still went on a week long camping trip in Algonquin Provincial Park. My boyfriend (who is pretty forgetful) managed to bring both cameras, but forgot both batteries in the charger, so I unfortunately don't have any photos. The trip, however, was pretty amazing. We did end up leaving early, due to an 'unpredicted' rain storm, but it was an unforgettable experience. We (by we, I mean my boyfriend mostly, but I did catch the first one) even managed to catch a few small mouth bass in a river near by.

I had hoped I would be able to start knitting a sweater for my boyfriend, as he's been wanting one for ages, but it was simply too hot to knit. Hopefully it will cool off a bit so I can get started....

Mittens in August

My boyfriend has been nagging me for about eight months to knit him some mittens to stave off the bitter cold of the Ontario winter... I have yet to really see how cold it gets here, but I'm not particularly looking forward to it. Anyway, I started him some mittens about a month ago, but I wasn't particularly a fan of the pattern or the colors (even though it's both of our alma mater); it just seemed a little too seventies-ish for me. He wouldn't have really cared, but I have to be seen with him. So I started hunting for a new pattern, which wasn't too hard.

I went to the yarn store for the first time since I've been in the GTA; it was pretty amazing... Being young, I have a hard time finding yarn stores with employees who don't assume i have no idea what I'm doing. But the woman who owns it was amazingly nice and helpful. And best of all, they carry a full selection of Peer Gynt, which is one of my favorite 100% wool to knit with.... and it just so happens I knit him a hat last fall out of Peer Gynt, so I was able to match the mittens to the hat. I did edit the pattern on the thumb a bit, to avoid the heart look you get when alternating colors, but other than that, it was a quick and easy pattern.

Another problem I have knitting: I'm terrible with things that come in pairs. I actually think this is the FIRST pair of anything I've finished. Hopefully, this is something I can continue...

I also picked up yarn to knit myself some mittens using another knitty.com pattern.

Unfortunately, much of the yarn in the correct gauge was varigated, which I didn't want, so the colors aren't exactly what I wanted, but I love the yarn (it's baby alpaca). The pattern shows up much better on this picture than it does in reality, but that might be due to the low light in the living room.

I'm not quite done with the first one yet, but there will be much more to come on these when I get done. I've learned quite a few techniques I can't wait to share :)

First Puppy Sweater!

It seems, I always end up with a plethora of yarn left over from my projects and never really had a use for it. I've done a little entrelac work, but the problem with doing an entrelac piece is the yarn has to be roughly the same gauge, you have to have enough to do the whole piece, you have to sew in about a bajillion ends and you either have to work in the round (requiring more yarn and patience) or you have to back it (and i get bored of hand stitching fast).

But, I have a puppy now! Freyja weighed 5 pounds at her last

vet visit, and she shouldn't grow to more than 11 pounds. So, now I finally have something to knit with all of these spare

partial balls of yarn. It's going to be getting cold here, or so I'm told. A fact I'm dreading really. Being from the pacific northwest, I've only ever experienced mild winters and don't

really enjoy the cold without snow (so maybe I should get working on a sweater for myself?)... But I know it'll be even harder on Freyja, so I better stock up on dog sweaters for her (because there's no way she's wearing the same one two days in a row...

This one (I can't recall where I got the pattern) was

very simple and I was able to finish it while Sten

was brewing one saturday. It was supposed to be broken rib pattern, but the pattern was poorly written... Instead of tearing it up, I just made it a double broken rib pattern (I know, I'm probably making that up).

But even with the mess up, it turned out quite nice; even if it is a little bit too big for her right now.

I do think, it's time for a new "big" project. I'm supposed to be finishing up the mittens for my boyfriend and he wants a sweater "like the one Hawkeye wore in that one episode of M*A*S*H..." Yeah, that's a big help.

So I'm on the hunt for this mysterious sweater... going through M*A*S*H episodes one at a time. Hey, at least I actually enjoy the show now, unlike when I was young and the second it came on, the channel was changed, but seriously? There are over 20 episodes per season with 12 seasons... So god only knows when I'll be able to start this project, let alone finish it.... We shall see.

The blanket is finally done!

The baby blanket is finally done! It turned out much larger than expected... It's the third time I've knit this stitch pattern as a baby blanket, so I'm not entirely sure why it ended up so much wider than I intended. In this picture, it's being held up by the side, not the top... so what if it's a little rectangular... I'm just glad I'm done and hoping I never have a reason to knit a real afghan.

And on top of that, I even found a baby bootie pattern using chunkier baby yarn, which can be found here. It was pretty simple, but because the yarn I had was a little bit heavier than the yarn listed on the pattern, I knit them on smaller needles that I use to knit socks. I really like the mary jane look of these :)

I would like to knit some cute baby socks, but I think that would be a challenge for another time...

As for the other attempted bootie from my last post (which I only partially stitched together), my boyfriend has taken to putting it on Freyja as a "wizard" hat. Personally, I think it looks a little more elfish... I just think he really likes to pretend to be Harry Potter with her, casting spells and what not...

She hates to wear it on her head, but gets plenty of enjoyment chasing it around and pushing it off the couch for a little attention :)

Baby Bootie Fail

I'm still working away on the baby blanket; only 50+ rows left to make it a square... I'm just hoping I have enough yarn.

When I started the third ball yesterday, there was a really cute baby bootie pattern on the label. I feel as though I've been doing this blanket for forever and decided that I would give these a shot; I just wanted to finish SOMETHING. I start knitting, and it's coming along really well... The two last sets of booties I've tried to knit were patterns I found on the internet. When I was done with those, they looked more like something that would fit a very very small pony, even after an hour of blocking. I was optimistic, until I cast off. It's supposed to fit a 6-12 month old baby. I'm not even sure these would fit a toddler... Finished and sewed together, it's 6 inches long. Whoops.

I'm sure, this time, that this was not my fault as I used the EXACT yarn listed on the label.

So I'm still on a quest for a baby bootie pattern using chunkier yarn, if anyone has any suggestions. And this bootie has become a new puppy chew toy...

Current Projects

Other than dropping stitches, I have a huge problem with getting too many knitting projects going at once... but here's what I've been working on:

1) Baby blanket for one of Sten's co-workers

I've knit a few baby blankets using this exact pattern, but this one is proving to be the toughest, not only because Freyja wants to "help out," but because I stupidly bought the wrong gauge of yarn. I went to the yarn store, already frustrated that my boyfriend couldn't get more than "pink" out of his co-worker when I asked about colors (of course, they are both guys and don't realize there are a TON of shades of pink). I took my time picking out what I decided was the perfect color only to make the rookie mistake of not checking gauge.

So, I get home and start figuring how many stitches I'm going to need to caston to make it about the right size. I do the math and it comes out to be something like 182 stitches. I check the needle size recommended for the blanket, and of course, it suggests US 6, not US 10 like I usually use for this blanket. Whoops. So it's taking me a little longer than I would have liked to complete it...

The pattern is just a stitch pattern but it is the best one, in my opinion, for this project. Why? The pattern is four rows, only one of which is a pattern row, so it's great to do when you're watching TV or being distracted by a puppy :). It also looks great and the finished product has a scalloped edge, which is kind of neat.

Stitch pattern (13 st):

Row 1: *P2tog, P2tog, k1, yo, k1, yo, k1, yo, k1, yo, k1, p2tog, p2tog (repeat from *)

Rows 2 & 4: purl all stitches

Row 3: knit all stitches

I do use a garter stitch border, usually of about one inch on all sides.

2) Puppy sweater

Well, I'm now living in some place that actually has seasons, other than wet and dry, and have a puppy who is going to be in need of things to keep her warm in the colder months. I started looking for dog sweaters I liked and that I could incorporate the University of Washington "W" in as both my boyfriend and I are not only graduates of UW, but huge football fans. I wanted something with a little more personality than what most of the sweaters out there have (i.e. not garter stitched square swatches sewn together). I came across this pattern, a free one and loved it. Everyone is always saying Freyja looks like a little person, so I thought this sweater, with a little popped collar, buttons and and sleeves was perfect. Problem is, even when she's full sized, the end result with this exact pattern is going to be too big. So, I took it upon myself to "half-it," sort of like you would do in baking.... will it work? I have no idea. Check back in for updates as I continue this one... I'm sure it's going to be way more effort than it's worth.

Also, something I found handy for my color work was using excel to design it. I make all of the boxes squares and fill them in with the colors I want, changing them around until I get the design I want. Way easier than sketching it out on graph paper with colored pencils.

3)Dish cloths

I've knit quite a few of these over the years. They're cheap, handy and easy to knit. I re-found the pattern by simply googling "knit dish cloths." They don't even take one skein of cotton yarn, which you can get for cheap at any craft store. I, however, have been distracted with this endless baby blanket, which needs to be done ASAP, so I haven't even had time to sew in ends yet.

4) Sten's Mittens

My boyfriend has been bugging me since LAST year to knit him some mittens, due to the fact it gets so cold here, he can't feel his fingers in the winter (which makes me oh so excited for this winter). I went with UW colors, purple and gold. I already had the yarn, so I needed to find a pattern that fit the gauge. I found this pattern at knitty.com. There patterns are usually pretty good. But I'd never tried mittens before (I've done socks, so I understand how gussets work) nor had I tried a kitchner stitch (or grafting stitch). It's always good to accomplish something and learn a new skill or two. I, however, am not sure they'll fit his hands. If not, I guess I have a new pair of mittens :) The palm has a different pattern, so be sure to check it out.

And lastly.....

5) Socks!

Oh, this sock. If I remember correctly, I started this over

three years ago, and not until a couple of weeks ago did I pick it up again. Luckily, knitting socks using the magic loop method is like riding a bike. If you haven't tried knitting socks this way, you should. Although I've never knit socks on multiple needles, I've done enough other projects to know what a pain it is to knit that way. Another advantage is that you drop stitches less easily if you put it down and don't pick it up again for three years :)

Oh and did I mention that somehow you can knit two socks at one time with this method?? I'm not really sure how this works yet, but when I get started on a new pair, I'm going to try to do both at once... maybe I'll finally have a MATCHING pair of homemade socks?

I've got to get back to this baby blanket and my little helper isn't helping so much after all....

Starting my blog....

Having just graduated from the University of Washington and moving to a (somewhat) foreign country with no job, I (with the urging of my mother, who has become an avid blogger), decided to start a blog.

Well, as most of you know, actually starting a blog is much more difficult than the decision to do so.

So, I thought about my interests and had to figure out what I wanted to focus on. Naturally, my first thought was a knitting blog. I've been knitting on and off since I was about five and only recently began knitting more seriously, taking on projects that are probably way too ambitious for my skill level; something I know all knitters do :). I've also been relying on knitting blogs for pattern ideas and learning new skills for a few years now, so why not show what I've done and share a little about what I've learned?

So I have a topic, now I just need to come up with a name... and this for me was the hardest part of all. Obviously, I wanted something knitting related, but I couldn't come up with anything for the better part of two weeks. I've been working on a few different projects and was trying to come up with something "witty" involving some kind of knitting term. Then, out of the blue, while working on this endless baby afghan (more to come on this later), it hit me. In almost every project, big or small, I drop stitches. For what ever reason, this seems to be my downfall; but on the other hand, I've gotten extremely good at picking them up a few rows later and carrying them up :).

So there you have it! I hope you enjoy my projects and the trials and tribulations that (always!) come with them.

My knitting history:
Like I said earlier, I've been knitting since I was about five (but I'm not entirely sure how old I was). I grew up watching both my mom and grandma, both avid knitters, knitting all the time. I was fascinated how their hands could fly without watching what they were doing and create beautiful products in no time. So, being the stubborn child I was (my mom would say I still am), instead of asking to be taught, I would "play knit" with my mom's knitting which she left out. I mean, it looked so easy. Needless to say, it wasn't and I almost always messed up whatever she was working on and got myself into trouble. My grandma then took it upon herself to teach me how... and the rest is history.

I do know, I wouldn't be half the knitter I am today without their help and even now, they give me plenty of help and input on my projects :)

A little about me:
I grew up in the northwest corner of Washington State. I just graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle (and no, I've never been to Seattle Grace Hospital, so don't ask) and I recently followed my boyfriend, who is also from the Seattle area, to Toronto, where he currently works in contingent staffing for Microsoft Canada. I, however, don't have a job so I spend my days knitting, reading and playing with our new miniature dachshund puppy, Freyja, who loves to "help" with my knitting projects by unraveling my yarn.