KNIT FORWARDS {understand backwards}

La, la, la! La Droguerie, Paris

2012-02-08T13:32:00.001+01:00

I had a soft and colorful present. Bought for me on a vacation to Paris, and thanks to Ravelry I was able to identify the yarn.

Stripe Study Shawl has been on my to-do list for a while, and it was fun to play with the colors, as I had not one but two main colors. My sister did a great job choosing them. And of course I can´t help tie this as a tie shawl.

There were two more yarn cakes and some adorable wooden pearls in the parcel.

I am looking forward to browsing their pattern support. Here is their blog. It is oh ,so sophisticated. So French!

** Cortinarius semisanguineus

2012-01-23T21:01:00.006+01:00

Knitting looks monotonous. Working one stitch at a time for hours and hours. I have even talked to people who seriously believe that knitting can be used as a tranquilliser. Not my way of knitting. It is thrilling. Here is how it works:
I want a cardigan. In stead of going shopping and buying one which fits me and I can wear immediately, I cast on, hope it will fit and will know in a month.
Now here are some other choices I made which made my cardigan knitting even more exciting:
I chose a well written pattern with lots of innovative details.

May I present Walnuss "A classic and light cardigan with details that make it unique. The “Walnuss” cardigan is worked with a traditional saddle shoulder construction:

and is then worked top-down, seamlessly in one piece"

I could have chosen the yarn which the pattern called for. Well, I wanted to use a present, two skeins of vegetable dyed wool, 600 meter. Color, what you get when you dye with this: a medium-sized mushroom with a pale brown to ochre cap, and bright blood-red gills.
Even before I cast on, I knew that I would need an extra skein. I want my sleeves to be long. Karin, who dyed this wool, is local. She blogs here: Vilde Farver I contacted her and was lucky to get hold of a skein in the same color, however, not the same dye lot. That really jazzed up the creativity. I searched the pattern for natural places to replace the main color. The edges and the pleats.
Fallmasche suggests a drapey and light weight yarn. My yarn is a bit rough, reminds me of Blue faced leicester.
- Here it has a nice lukewarm bath with a splash of vinegar.

I wanted this cardigan to have negative ease and used a needle size 3 in stead of 3,5. That made the fabric a bit tight. After all these considerations I just followed the pattern as written..
Now it is done and I am very pleased with it.

The button artist is Birthe Sahl.

You can find them here.

This is the back. Short row construction makes the front longer than the back.

- a good thing if you want to hide the body part a bit south of the waist.

**Cortinarius semisanguineus

A merry and wooly Christmas to all

2011-12-21T12:35:00.000+01:00

Since September, coping with Real Life Issues has taken up my attention. I am still knitting, however writing about it, felt akward.
However, interesting yarns and knitting projects are piling up and I am looking forward to a New Year of knitting adventures.
Sock pattern is Country Girl Socks

Yarn candy is from Knitting Goddess

Sheepskin is Gutefår from Samsø.

Best wishes, Mette

Viking textiles: How to!

2011-09-26T12:26:00.001+02:00

Yesterday - in the most gorgeous September sunshine, while my DH was far away to watch the Road World Championship, I went by my own beloved bike to visit the local prehistoric museum, Moesgård. They have a fantastic exhibition on Vikings and in the afternoon, a spare time viking craftswoman, archaeology student, Birgitte Damkjer, was invited to show how to work with :

naal binding

tablet weaving

We had a very good talk. She was dressed in her homemade viking clothes, and looked absolutely fantastic with her glass beads and jewelry.
I have several copies of prehistoric brooches. Presents from friends, family and colleagues, who know of my lifelong interest in historic crafts. Here they are, displayed on my new vest.

They all look great,however I will not copy the viking woman and wear them all at the same time.

soft, warm neck grotto

2011-09-17T18:35:00.006+02:00

Two skeins of Manos del Uruguay silk blend have been in my stash for a couple of years. When I saw Ana´s interpretation of Tiny Owl Knit "inspired by the seaside cowl" playing with stripes in different colors, I felt an urgent need to crawl into such a soft grotto of wool and silk. However, using this colorway there was no need to make it more watery than it already was and I decided to skip the stripes and work purl ridges in stead.

The design is gorgeous, the pattern quite simple. Perhaps it is not necessary for me to buy a pattern for a knitted tube. However, I want to support this young creative knit designer who generously has offered this pattern, "some cloudy day " for free. The leg warmers are on the needles but not for long.

This How to wear a scarf-you tube-video was bookmarked the minute I saw it.So charming and playful. Some of these ways are quite complicated.

With the cowl you can just do this:

Sorry for the blurry photo, it was hard for me to focus.

Tendrils

2011-09-08T10:27:00.013+02:00

This sock pattern is called Tendrils, the designer´name is Mary Lou Egan.

Here is another pattern from her knitting basket : Coquille

Mrs Egan is inspired by organic shapes - and knitting her patterns makes me think of the Art Nouveau period: In Denmark called "Skønvirke" (1895-1920) The decorations were inspired by wild flowers, insects and the flora and fauna of the sea.
Kristian Rørdam, Danmarks Tilblivelse (1898) A wild danish forest, drawn in "skønvirke" style (Danish Arts and crafts : Art Nouveau, Jugend style").

In Britain the movement was called arts and craft.

"The Arts and Crafts style started as a search for aesthetic design and decoration and a reaction against the styles that were developed by machine-production. Arts and Crafts objects were simple in form, without superfluous decoration, and how they were constructed was often still visible. They tended to emphasize the qualities of the materials used ("truth to material"). They often had patterns inspired by flora and fauna."
This goes for knitting, too.
The sock yarn is an ordinary solid blue, however the stitch pattern has 3D effect on the solid yarn color, reflects the light and makes it look like semisolid. And the knitted fabric becomes elastic and lofty.
Tendrils is a birthday present for my son, who appreciates a hand knit sock.

head or tail

2011-08-28T21:57:00.001+02:00

It has almost been a month since I went to Copenhagen and visited North Atlantic House, a building which is dedicated Icelandic, Faeroe and Greenlandic exhibitions and events.

Round the corner is this blue igloo. It is locked but you can get the key in the reception.

I tried to take a photo of me inside. With thousands of mirrors it should be easy, however where am I? I wore a red scarf that day!
Trondur Patursson has made various examples of his “cosmic room”.

Outside the museum was a small coffee shop, with Icelandic specialties. I had a cup of coffee and an Icelandic chocolate bar.

I was so surprised when I took a bite. The chocolate melted in my mouth and I was chewing a small liquorish lump, a bit salty. Very delicious.
Not far from Transatlantic Brygge is Fretown Christiania.

They have an arts and craft shop next to the entrance. A visit was very inspiring.

A shawl knitter cannot have too many pins. I intuitively chose this one and it is now incorporated to my collection.

I also visited Københavns Bymuseum.
I am not particularly interested in how kings and queens lived. I am absorbed by the way poor people were treated, women and children. How they managed : Illness, poverty, suppression. I found this photo of a group of people from the bottom of society.

I am always touched when I see women wearing tie-shawl.

This summer fair Isle knitting brought about a strange creature to my house.

Once I housed this one.

how to make a knitter happy

2011-08-03T13:10:00.001+02:00

This weekend I had a great trip to Copenhagen. I especially wanted to visit this exhibition:

Faroese knit: art and design
30.04.11 - 23.08.11

So glad I did, it is really something to travel for.. If you are not in Copenhagen this summer, I guess these gorgeous blankets will be shown in other parts of the world. They certainly are worth it. Thanks to Johanna av Steinum these knitted pieces of art could inspire knitters anywhere.

The works are some kind of mix between knitting and quilting. The way the material is used, reminds me of the way you plan to work a rag rug - actually using "rags".
The photo is an antique runner from Sweden. I borrowed it from this shop.

To make a rug like this, you have to have all your rags ready, make a plan, spread the colors. Just like the old quilts.
A place like this it is good for you to sit down for a while for reflections. I rested on one of these felted rock cushions by the South African designer Ronel Jordaan.

This blanket was my favorite.

From the website:

Faroese knit: art and design exhibits the first knitted artworks from the Faroe Islands, created by Katrina Maria Hansen (Mia) from 1960-1975, and the most recent knitted fashion design by Jóhanna av Steinum.

As an outsider on the Faroese art scene, K.M. Hansen´s work was discovered by coincidence by knitwear designer Jóhanna av Steinum. Although K.M.Hansen´s artwork was unkown, her skills as a knitter, especially jumpers for the Faroese costume was well acclaimed. In 2007, Jóhanna av Steinum was writing a university thesis about the Faroese costume, and it was in connection to this that Jóhanna av Steinum visited and interviewed the experienced knitter. Steinum accidently found the artwork hidden away in Mia´s home. She immediately knew that she had come across something unique and understood right away that it deserved to be exhibited and preserved.

To use knitting for purposes other than clothing production was highly unusual in the Faroe Islands until in recent years. Knitting was used for functional purposes and for practical use, never in an artful way with purely an aesthetic purpose. To create patterns and combine colors, the way Mia did, was completely unheard of at the time.

Jóhanna av Steinum is a young Faroese fashion designer, where she designs fashion often inspired by Faroese traditional patterns. In recent years, she has been one of the head designers for the Faroese label SIRRI. In addition, Jóhanna av Steinum has exhibited her own works and given lectures and workshops about design and knitting in many countries.

Jóhanna av Steinum was so inspired by Katrina Maria Hansen that she designed a fashion collection based on her knitted artwork. This exhibition is therefore an interaction between the original works of Katrina Maria Hansen (1913-2010) and the contemporary design of Jóhanna av Steinum. The first knitted Faroese artworks, side by side with the most recent knitted fashion design.

Katrina Maria Hansen died in 2010 at the age of 96, just before the exhibition was realized, so she did not experience the acclaim and attention for her works in connection to this exhibition.

Before I left the exhibition I worked two rows of the knitting on the ladder. Yarn: three threads fingering wool,held together. Needles: broomsticks.

norwegian tragedy

2011-07-25T10:55:00.002+02:00

Kære alle norske venner.
Modtag min dybeste medfølelse for den forfærdelige hændelse, der er sket. Jeg har fulgt med på norsk tv og forfærdelsen er efterhånden blevet afløst af dyb beundring for det norske folks mod og omsorg for hinanden. Jeg beder til og håber at I kommer styrkede ud af dette mareridt.

Dear Norwegian friends.
My condolences to you all. In these sad days we are all Norwegians.

music, art, knitting

2011-07-17T19:07:00.002+02:00

Days with lots of rain, however, one night a wet yellow - rose light poured into my living room and I was lucky to see this from my window, a fantastic sunset. It was just what I needed after a funeral, and taking care of a confused and very old man.

The next day was a lovely summer´s day and I was determined to do some impulse buying, just for me.

I came home with this: the yarn is three threads of linen and one thread cotton. From Karen Noe. I used it for the Balloon dress. and it behaves very well after washing. Blogged here.
The music is piano music by Carl Nielsen. I am very fond of his music. This piece is called The Fog is Lifting. It is written in 1920.

The cover is a painting by the Danish painter Vilhelm Hammershøi. Here is another one.

"Interioer" from Hammershøi's flat in Strandgade 30, Copenhagen. I am actually going to Strandgade, no: 91 this summer to visit this exhibition. I shall write about it in a later post.
I am really looking forward to my vacation in a few weeks and I hope to finish this.

The pattern is Buttercup by Heidi Kirrmeier.

colors from Lyø

2011-07-08T12:53:00.004+02:00

The Folklore Jacket is growing. In the morning I work a couple of rows, drinking my second cup of morning coffee. The first cup is reserved the morning paper.
I was a bit uncertain if the colors were replica of Danish folklore until I saw this photo.

These fingerless mittens were knit and embroidered on the little island, Lyø. 150 years ago maybe.

Thank you for all your comforting comments. The service was very beautiful and we had a good time afterwards meeting relatives we almost never see.

parting hour

2011-07-01T12:36:00.000+02:00

I lost my mother-in-law last Saturday. She was born in 1925. The recent years she sat in her sofa drawing, living in her own world of birds, flowers, and elves. She leaves her husband, three sons, three grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. Tomorrow we will say goodbye to her from this church.

on my doorstep

2011-06-19T20:33:00.000+02:00

A rainy summer's day I saw this bunch of flowers outside my door. One of my neighbors had left for a vacation to Norway, but before she took off, she had gathered these peonies and roses from her garden and left them on my doorstep.

The roses give off the most lovely scent. And I have enjoyed them for nearly a week now. Even if the flowers have begun to wither away, they a still very, very beautiful.
So thoughtful and heart warming.

I have finished the hem of the Folklore Jacket and am about to begin the flower pattern. First I must make a skein of these colors, pull a thread 8-10 meters long from each skein, tie them together with a reef knot and wind up.

And for the main color, six shades of green, same procedure.

fine feathers make fine birds

2011-06-12T20:52:00.000+02:00

I have been through a very looong sock knitting period. When I look at my Ravelry project page there are so many socks, and some of the patterns I have worked two, and even three times. I was definitely ready for something new and challenging when I visited a very fine yarn shop in a neighboring town.
The Folklore jacket designed by Christel Seyfarth was hanging on a dummy and the owner had knit it herself. I tried it on, and it looked fine on me. I was very confident when I ordered the kit, however when I opened the box, I admit my spirit sank.

There are 17 different colors.

Well. I thought of the old saying: How to eat an elephant? And cast on for the body. First I wound up two skeins using Christel's instructions. A black/grey and olive/gold for the hem.
And knit forwards, after all, it is only fair Isle. The patterns are Faeroese.

"old age realizes the dreams of youth"

2011-06-07T13:11:00.005+02:00

The first four days of this Summer, Mr. and I went for a vacation. We did not go very far. Two hours by car. However, I wanted to go back a hundred years to find out where my great grandparents had lived and worked.. My mother's sister had sent me some old photos and I knew from her that the house still exists.

Before this journey back in time, the only thing I knew about them, was, that they were called Mama and Baba.
In the 1930ies my mum and her sister went to visit their grandparents every summer for a couple of weeks. In those days there were gravel roads but apart from that, the town plan have not changed much.
We had brought our bikes and went slowly through the small quiet village.

My grandparents were both born in 1875. He came from Germany, trained as a blacksmith he travelled round the country, working, until he came to where my great grandmother lived, a part of Denmark which was German until 1920. They fell in love, married in 1899, and settled down not far from her home. In one end of their house was the forge, and they also started a grocery store in 1904, the only shop in the village.
Next door was the dairy work and every morning horse-drawn carriages came with fresh milk from the farms and my mum and her sister sat in the open window greeting the drivers. Baba shoed the horses and mama was working in the grocery store. What a lot of life. They had nine children.
During the First World War Baba was enrolled in the German army for four years. He has probably been working as a blacksmith, and during those four years Mama had three of her children and provided for the family. In 1949 they celebrated their golden wedding. At that time they had 26 grandchildren.

Mama came from Apenrade, now Åbenrå and we went there to visit an textile exhibition at the local museum. "Silk for peasants and brides in South Jutland"

No knitting, I am afraid, but a pair of silken stockings thrilled me a lot. I knew that "my" folk socks were imitations of the stockings for the very rich but I had not seen a pair until now.
I know the photos are not good. But I want to show it anyway. Imagine the glossy silk.

In stead of the purl stitches the patterns are sewn on the stocking. The seam is awesome.
They were wedding stockings and so delicate. Of cause everyone wanted to copy such a beautiful piece of clothing. In a way they could afford.

Growth

2011-05-22T19:52:00.001+02:00

Growth is the name of one of Lorna´s Laces colors and it is definitely what is going on in my garden right now. A pair of knitting needles are regrettably replaced with a pair of hedge shears. I used to be fond of gardening, but nowadays I prefer to enjoy my garden from a garden chair. Knitting. And watching everything grow. My plants, my grandchildren and my Loksins! Socks with a black and white border.

However, everything is growing almost out of control, especially the gout weed. The flower is one of my wild flower favorites and if I had no neighbors I would let it grow, eat the leaves and enjoy the inflorescence looking like white tulle.
Last time I went to visit my local museum I took some photos of old time knitting tools. Could I only replace rake and lawn mover with some of these old beauties.

On the wall hang to carved waulking boards.

They were used as engagement presents. The young man did not carve one himself. He went to a carver who had one in stock, and he carved the name of the bride of his choice and the year of the engagement. In return she sew him a wedding shirt or knit him a pair of socks.

Danish Folk Sock

2011-05-08T22:26:00.002+02:00

I knit this pair of socks for my sister's 50th birthday. My mother came from Odense and I was told that our great-grandmother lived in this house, which is now a museum.

The original sock is in the collection of the museum, I have not seen it, the pattern comes from this book - Bondestrik - strømper til mænd og kvinder. S.m. Lisbeth Green og Gitte Nødskov, Landsforeningen Danske Folkedansere, 1983. But I like the idea that a man or a woman has actually worn this star pattern on a dress sock 150 years ago.
The pattern on each side of the small of the leg is called "svikkel". And it was "designed" to disguise and cover the ankle knuckles. They are not particularly pretty, perhaps even ugly but the purl patterns transform your leg into a slim, delicate part of your body.
I cannot publish the pattern, however if you want to knit a pair like this you can follow this recipe:

Old Danish Folk Sock

You will need 100 g of fingering sock yarn in natural, blue, or black.

A set of 5 dpn needles size 2 mm or 2,25 mm

A vanilla sock pattern, there is one here on this site.

An original sock pattern. On this website you will find two different patterns on page two.

Cast on the amount of stitches from the vanilla pattern on four needles, and work the border from the Danish pattern.

Continue with stockinette stitch and seam pattern for a couple of cm. Skip all the increases and decreases.

Begin the "svikkel" pattern using this trick: the center of the first pattern is the first stitch on needle 2 and the last stitch on needle 3 is the center of the second pattern.. Remember to start from the top of the chart or turn it upside down.

When the "svikkel" is finished, enjoy your work, and continue with a couple of cm of stockinette and finish the sock using your vanilla pattern.
There is also a pattern for lovely red cap to go with the outfit.

..modify them so that they can be worn

2011-04-25T13:39:00.002+02:00

I accidentially found this book from 1985 browsing the internet for "old knittin´" 85 pair of socks from Danish museums, from all regions in Denmark have been examined and the beautiful purl patterns thoroughly written down.
I was extremely thrilled when I found out that a pattern was located to my village. And I immediately knew that I would work a pair of socks for Gete, who has been dancing and teaching folk dance most of her life. This Spring she celebrates her 25 anniversary as a chairwoman of my local church choir.

Here she is in the church looking for music.

I wanted to make Gete a pair of snug socks she can wear a chilly summer night on her terrace. The original sock is thigh-high, the wool is 2 ply with no reinforcing, the needles very thin. To modify an old pattern so that the socks can actually be worn causes a lot of questions. I wanted to use reinforced sock yarn, not thinner needles than size 2 mm. For the purl stitches to show the thread must not split. Lorna´s Laces Shepherd Sock yarn has those qualities.

I wanted to use as many of the original details as possible.

The border with decreases.

This is called [Svikkel], in English [Clock]

I did not like the original heel because it had a seam so I made this in stead.

The toe is from the original pattern.

This photo is taken from Den Gamle By´s Museum through glass in a very dark room, just to give an impression what the old socks looked like.

And yes, Gete was pleased with her socks. And I had a very good time knitting.

Trompe d'euil

2011-04-17T22:28:00.001+02:00

Off needles is a pair of blue jeans. For my 1½ year old granddaughter. The pattern is BLU, and after reading Helen's post about Debbie Bliss' cotton denim aran I decided to use it for the project. However, the brand is discontinued, but Helen generously took six skeins from her stash, one skein in a light shade for the turn-ups, and sent them to me. Thanks, Helen, for this lovely gift, and the fine card. I love your sense of details and noticed how the fur of the cat matches the dark shade of denim. You are right about the yarn. I have washed the pants and the fabric keeps it's softness, perfect for a toddler.

The actual knitting takes no time. But the finishing keeps you occupied and wrapped up for quite a while following the instructions from the clever ladies of the Mason-Dixon Knitting
Last Saturday I went to the National Gallery of Denmark. The Gallery has quite a collection by Cornelis Nobertus Gysbrechts 1630-1683 who worked in a style of painting which gives the appearance of three-dimensional, or photographic realism. Translated from French it means "trick the eye." Trompe d'euil.
I took this photo of a cupboard, it has real hinges but when you open it and see the blank wall behind it you realize that you have been cheated.

It was while I was working the fake seam I realized I was doing my own piece of Trompe d'euil. In stead of canvas and brush I used a needle and a thread of orange cotton creating fake turn-ups, pockets, fly, rivets and a button to make the illusion.
After finishing I pinned the work to my display board and admired the work.

First from the front

And from the back. The label is a piece of brown felt.

The last days I tend to see Trompe d'euil everywhere. And curiously enough, I remembered this mural.

It was painted in 2008 and the house lies in a street only five minutes from where my grandchild lives. I like the way the old chimney form the red top of the pencil. And of course the anti-war message in this huge drawing. And why did I come to think of this. Perhaps because the Italian artist's name is Blu.

If you have become interested in seeing more paintings in the Trompe d'euil style, this is, in my opinon, the best way you can spend 3,01 minutes.

there's beauty in the silver singing river

2011-04-11T20:49:00.002+02:00

This weekend I went to Copenhagen. My sister lives there and had invited us to celebrate her birthday on Sunday.
Saturday afternoon we spent the day together with my Son II and my DIL. First we visited National Gallery of Denmark/ Statens Museum for Kunst. The Museum has run an exhibition of Bob Dylan´s paintings and it was the very last chance to see it. My husband is a dedicated fan.

There's beauty in the silver singing river

There's beauty in the sunrise in the sky

But none of these and nothing else can match the beauty

That I remember in my true love's eyes

- - -Bob Dylan, "Tomorrow is a Long Time"

Afterwards I took a little stroll to see the other part of the Museum. It has a beautiful new extension and I enjoyed the view of this very old beech through the enormous window.

I was told, that before they built the extension there had been a park with a toboggan run and children had actually sledged at the very spot where we were standing.

I saw many fantastic paintings, however, I fell in love with this one, Melancholy, her shoes and the orange skirt caught my eyes and her expression puzzled me and I decided to borrow a book about the artist next time I go to the library.
When we left the Museum, I noticed this young man sitting outside the Museum wearing sunglasses and suddenly was I was 45 years back in time.

From Culture to Nature. Next door to National Gallery is Botanical Garden with a small cafe and we had our afternoon coffee outside in the April sun.

I just had to look inside the old greenhouse and imagined how it must have been to visit it in 1813 and experience palm trees and exotic flowers before television and photos existed.

Sunday I went to my sister´s birthday. She passes a milestone and only wanted a pair of socks. Loksins! is Icelandic and means Finally!

I thought of Spring when I chose the pattern. The yarn is Shepherd Sock, and the colour is Fjord.

I also bought her a Buff. I wish I could find a stitch pattern and knit a cowl like it. The fabric is extremely elastic but only sideways. It does not give an inch when I try to stretch it vertically.
How to wear it? If you have not seen the video, take a look at it here.
We had such a great Sunday celebrating my sister. We had a gorgeous brunch prepared by her friends and the socks were admired and greatly appreciated.

my eye deceives me

2011-03-31T19:36:00.000+02:00

Paula asked some weeks ago, what to knit for comfort, and I suggested socks.
One of my friends is allergic to wool. However, some years ago I made her a pair of socks using Debbie Bliss´ Baby Cashmerino, and it was a success. No itching, at all.
This spring she has been mending after an operation and I wanted to treat her something special for her birthday.

Kai-mei is one of Cookie A´s patterns, and it reminds me of the flowers that bloom right now.

They have a beautiful Danish name, Erantis. In English: winter aconite.

Spring green is her favorite color and this is how the fields looked a week ago.

The Baby Cashmerino is a modern yarn made from merino, cashmere and microfibre and usually the yarn knits up very smoothly, however I found my work a little uneven. It was not until I started the flower pattern I realized that one of the four dpn needles was less pointy than the others. Using my gauge I found out that in stead of knitting with needle size 3,25 mm which is what this yarn calls for, I was working with 3 dpn needles size 3mm and one needle size 3,25.Yeeek.
I remembered what I had read a few weeks ago in my Teacher´s Manual 1929:
As it is important that the needles match the yarn, it is necessary for the teacher to have a needle size gauge. A small tool made of brass with holes and numbers so you can decide the size of the steel needle. Children often knit uneven because the needles have different sizes and the eye can easily deceive. The gauge tool can be bought - Here follows an address: Købmagergade 4, in Copenhagen. She continues: But at any ironmonger you can get a measurer for wooden, bone and horn needles with the odd name "skydelære" I have looked it up. It is a Vernier calliper, and it looks like this.

I decided not to frog. However, it was really a challenge to continue knitting with the odd sizes. Every forth needle my feet were tickling, for 1½ sock. But I had decided not to give in for my vanity. I am only human!! At least they are identical.

Eye Witness

2011-03-26T09:25:00.001+01:00

Just for fun: This is a press cutting from Politiken, my morning paper. For Helen and all you knitters who watch the Killing on BBC.

P.S. Here is a link to an article about the sweater

2011-03-19T13:06:00.000+01:00

This old collection box stands next to the door in my church. You can also see a bit of the candle light table, where you can light a candle for people you care about.

I am really scared about the terrible situation in Japan. I turn on the news every morning in fear of what has happened during the night. I feel so sorry for the Japanese and their neighbours.
Yumiko asks us to say a prayer, and she has donated a pattern to support a small member of her family, little Kira.

Yumiko is a generous designer. This is one of her designs, a free pattern. I worked these baby pants for my newborn grandchild.

to begin with

2011-03-13T18:15:00.002+01:00

Last year I phoned my mother´s sister and asked her, if she had any of my grandmothers´ old knitting patterns among her things. Well, she had not. Understandably, my grandmother died over 30 years ago. But my aunt suddenly remembered, that she a small knitted bag. And that bag was knit by my mother when she was seven years old, in 1938. She had kept her marbles in it. My aunt emptied the bag and entrusted it to me.
I think my mum cast on a few stitches and knit back and forth increasing until she had 32 stitches. She made two pieces like that. Then she put 16 stitches on each of 4 needles and began knitting in the round.

After 6 cm she turned her knitting inside out and worked 4 rounds, turned back and continued for 6 cm. She now had purl ridges on the right side.

She continued with two rows of eyelets and ended with ten rows of ribbing, k2,p2 and bound off.
Finishing: the bottom of the bag was crocheted together. At the point is a lovely detail: 3 small loops.

My mother became a great knitter. This is a photo of my sisters and I in 1963. I was only curly-haired for a very short time.

Here is a teacher' manual from 1929.

The bag was intended for preliminary practice of sock knitting. The book suggests that the children can work a coffee filter bag or a bag for their crochet work. It is not so long ago. Today the kids work socks for their ipod.
It was my aunt´s button bag, and there are still small pieces of sewing thread inside - and I will keep it like that.

World in Color

2011-03-06T13:31:00.001+01:00

Last Sunday was my last chance to see Kaffe Fassets´ works at Silkeborg Museum, home of the Tollundman, a bog body from early Iron Age. He has his own webside here. We paid him a short visit and walked the 20 meters from the dark bog colors directly into the Kaffe Fassett colorful world.

His jackets are gorgeous, however, I adore his textiles for the home. This counterpane almost took my breath.

I sat down for 10 minutes to watch a video in which Kaffe Fassett, on a trip to Vietnam, tells how he is inspired by patterns and colors. It opened my eyes and during the last week I have appreciated pattern and colors in my surroundings so much more.

This is my curly kale in the snow. Still growing fresh leaves for the green sprinkling, topping my bread and fried egg.

And here is all my bedding out for some fresh air.

And here is the weather forecast.

On the needles this week was a pair of socks for the 9-year-old granddaughter.

From time to time someone asks me why I bother to work time-consuming knitting details. Why not just go for a vanilla sock? Here is why.

- The first row is worked like this for a more elastic cast on edge: *knit 2tog, stall- don´t let the stitch off the left needle, knit the first stitch again, slip both stitches. Repeat from*

- The 1x1 ribbing is: knit one in the back leg, purl. For a more elastic ribbing.

-The lace patterns. This simple lace pattern makes the sock cling to the foot like the young monkey to his mum, and you do not have to heave it from the toe of your boot every 5 minute. With only 56 stitches, I skipped the first and the 16th stitch and row 8 and 9.

-The slip stitch heel pattern is for more durability. In this case the stitches are staggered because I think it is cute for a girl´s sock.

Yarn: Drops Fabel. 310 Sunset

Pattern: Cookie A.´s: Monkey

Needle size: 2,25 mm

Kvindetrøje fra Fyn - 1775 - Woman´s Pullover from Funen

2011-02-27T20:11:00.013+01:00

I have been looking forward to showing you this gorgeous pullover by Åse Lund Jensen and telling you the story about it.
The pattern is from 1970 bought as a kit at Frilandsmuseet, an open air museum, by a Danish woman, who knit the pullover it as part of her Danish national costume. She emigrated in the 1950ies to Canada, bringing her 7-year-old daughter with her. This daughter is now a Canadian, and also a raveller and thanks to Ravelry, we have come across.
Knowing my interest in historic knitting, she offered me the Nattrøje pattern and I was really thrilled. The yarn brand ÅLJ is still available in a knitting store in my town, so I just followed the pattern exactly as written. It was an easy knit. I just had to hit the gauge, for me it was on needle size 2½ mm,
The original color was red, however this color is discontinued and I chose an anthracite gray.

The construction is based on a Nattrøje from 1775 from the Danish National Museum.
For more than 150 years this woolen pullover was a part of the clothes worn daily by Danish rural women.Over a linen shirt, under a waistcoat. Knit in wool by professionals they were an imitation of the nobles´silk shirts.
Fashion changed and gradually from 1850 it became a full dress, a national costume, worn Sundays and for celebrations.
Nowadays the costume is worn by people who is interested in maintaining old Danish folk dance.

The knit designer Åse Lund Jensen was trained as a dressmaker in Haute Couture ,which is obvious looking at this tailored piece.

Åse Lund Jensen died in 1977 only 57 years old. She had met Marianne Isager, a talented young knit designer in 1973 and left her all her works and Marianne continued her work of making knitting an art form.
Many of Marianne Isager´s designs are based on Åse Lund Jensens work. This model, 77, is built on the same 1775 model and can easily be added some of the Nattrøje patterns.(Only in Danish)

My pattern is personal. However, there are several options if you want to knit an old Danish Nattrøje.

Uuve Snidare: Fiskertrøjer og andre klassiske trøjer. Her book is available in Swedish, Danish, and German. Search the library.

Vibeke Lind :Strik med nordisk tradition Danish and English, also library stuff.

Why these two books are not republished is a mystery to me.

And of course Beth Reinsel- Brown´s Nattrøje sweater from Interweave Press

"Bette Mand i Knibe" means Small Man in Trouble.

If you have 1½ minutes to spare, look at this dance. For me it looks like knitting and weaving. Can you also see the purls?

Danish??

2011-02-20T18:54:00.001+01:00

Why did men from Spain to Sweden start to shave their heads and wear someone else’s hair in the mid-seventeenth century? Why did women decide that it was necessary to wear masks and other full-face coverings in public towards the end of the century? What was the economic and social impact of the sudden [...]

I am really looking forward to following this project:

Fashioning the Early Modern: Creativity and Innovation in Europe, 1500-1800
-and was very pleased when I found out that knitting is the Danish contribution to the research. While digging out for the Copenhagen Metro, archaeologists have come up with so many interesting knitting textiles.
And here is a treat for you: Museumstekstiler.dk has copied a felt hat, you can even dye the yarn yourself.
Living in this small, old country it is always interesting to discuss what is actually a Danish Knitting Special. Not much. Perhaps nothing or maybe this :

The star lozenge pattern of some of the knitwear is typically Danish and has had a wide chronological spread.
Originally the pullovers or only the sleeves were knitted with very thin needles, after that the knitting were dyed and felt. Perhaps it was done like that to make it look like a more expensive cloth. Like if you could not afford expensive pieces of lace trimmings, you could knit insertions.

I have worked a copy of a woman´s sweater from 1775. It is finished and it is gorgeous. I will try to make some fine photos and post about it later. It has a great story.
A fine project for the last days has been these arm warmers. From Sarah, Blue Garter.

Choosing the check and the stripes I wanted to give the mitts a Northern look. I was in an indicisive mood. I enjoy the way the fair isle pattern hugs the wrists. I definitely recommend this free pattern.

Pippi

2011-02-12T21:02:00.002+01:00

Lately I have been reading a lot about how children and women were liberated from the Victorian corset. I was inspired by the pattern, Corsage, I knit while watching Edwardian Farm on YouTube. I loved the part when Ruth Goodman takes a bicycle ride. Freedom, she cryes.
It reminded me of the Liberty Bodices, invented 1908 in Leicestershire by Mr Fred Cox. He was inspired by Lewis Tomalin who came up with the concept for Jaeger after reading the work of Dr Gustav Jaeger, a professor of zoology and physiology, who pioneered the benefits of wool in clothing. Tomalin was the one who translated the doctor's work Health Culture (London, 1907) into English
I found some photos of home made Danish "Livstykker".

The reason why children had to wear those was to keep their stockings on. They were often buttoned at the back and it had buttons sewn on the vest and the stockings. An elastic garter was connected to each button and kept the stockings from concertina.

In Danish the word "Livstykke" also means a person who is an extraordinary lively and generous person. A character like this is Pippi Långstrump, created by Astrid Lindgren
Here is a description of Pippi`s appearance.

Her hair, the color of a carrot was braided in two tight braids that stuck straight out. Her nose was the shape of a very small potato and was dotted all over with freckles. It must be admitted that the mouth under this nose was a very wide one, with strong white teeth. Her dress was rather unusual. Pippi herself had made it. She had meant it to be blue but there wasn´t quite enough blue cloth, so Pippi had sewed little red pieces on it here and there. On her long thin legs she wore a pair of long stockings, one brown and the other black, and she had on a pair of black shoes that were exactly twice as long as her feet.

And this is what happens at her first day at school:

Pippi then lies down on top of the teacher's desk, one leg flung into the air, casually displaying her garters, mismatched stockings, and over sized shoes for all to see.

The first book was published in 1946 and I have read that the character was based of Anne of Green Gables. That book was published in 1908.
Here is the finished bodice. I will wear it as a vest under a jacket.

frostproof

2011-02-06T16:19:00.003+01:00

I was trained as a teacher and one of my senior lecturers, a linguistic genius, used to point out that a language lesson should imply both accuracy work and fluency work. That goes for knitting, too.

Accuracy work this week has been finishing the chemise, I started just after Christmas using my gift from Sophia. I wanted a pattern worked top down so that I could knit peacefully, in a meditative state of mind without bothering if I was running out of yarn. Here is what is left, wound up on a flint stone from my beach.

The pattern is here and in English here. It is called Corsage, and is an adaption of a historic piece of vest, or undershirt almost every Danish man and woman over 70 years, wore when they were kids. The vest was invented in 1908 and was a replacement for the corset and considered to be healthier for the children.The Danish word for this is "Livstykke", The German word is Leibchen, the English word is liberty bodice and the American ditto is emancipation waist.
My vest is now lying flat and drying. I will post a photo later.

The buttons for the vest are vintage linen buttons. I found them at a thrift shop, a fantastic place for all vintage stuff for needlework. I promised the volunteers there, to show and tell and here is their address. . If you visit Aarhus, please pay them a visit.

Fluency work is the Saroyan Scarf, a great pattern from Feministy. I had in my stash 4 skeins of Easy from Sandness. I bought it to work a pair of warm beanies for my ~~boys~~, adult sons, but they both told me that it was a girl´s colour?? Now I hope to squeeze a 130 cm scarf out of it for their (female)cousin. I guess it will call for a good blocking.

Reminiscing

2011-01-30T17:10:00.001+01:00

Here is my old school. The photo was taken in 1971 but it is still there and looks exactly the same.
I found the photo when I browsed a new website called Danske Billeder where you can find a lot of old photos. After I joined the global knitting world, Ravelry, I have been in contact with several knitters, who have ancestors from - or have been in Denmark, and I believe they can find some very interesting information on this website.

The room for needlework was at the top floor. And I was so excited when I found this photo from the local newspaper in 1965. It is a picture of the annual exhibition of needlework and my sisters and I definitely have stuff displayed here. Perhaps one of the nighties hanging on the blackboard.

I remember the first time I "exhibited". It was at my fourth year at school and we should all work mittens. Grey wool. The first mitten took a veeery long time, and I found out that if I knit very loosely, I could finish the second one in a more reasonable time. I guess, I suffered from second mitten syndrome already then. The result was, that the second mitten was huge, and could fit a bear´s paw. My teacher was not pleased at all, and when I realized that an exhibition was coming up, I was really scared. However, I did not have to worry. A compassionate teacher had put my disabled mitten underneath the first one in a way that they appeared to be the same size. I have been a teacher myself and we can be nice.

The dolls' clothes in front were made from the most popular fabric for fifty years, I think, a soft check blue and white cotton and every school must have bought a kilometre of it every year.

I still like the fabric very much, but I do not know if you can still buy it. It was used for children´s clothes as well. Here is a photo from my Gyldendals Sy og Strikkebog from 1940. I can still feel my neck tickle when I see the photo of the little girl fitting the unfinished dress.

I found this little doll´s dress at a flea market. It hangs on my wall next to this photo of me, aged three.

Staple

2011-01-23T12:46:00.002+01:00

Thanks a lot for your kind comments concerning my health. I still have nine staples in my tummy, but has been able to practice a new skill, double knitting, on a girl´s bonnet.

I found the hat, Tetsubou, by Kirsten Johnstone, when I was researching for a pattern good enough for Swan´s Island Fingering. It calls for 30g and it is suggested to work the light fingering weight on a 4.5 mm needles. It made me curious how the fabric would turn out - I do not like a hat to be too loosely knit. However, the fabric became both dense and soft and the bonnet can be whipped out in a very short time.The nape is sort of cinched so a pony tail can slip out for a swing.
Two weeks ago I attended a workshop at the local library. Read: Lots of knitting books to borrow, coffee, cookies, candy, and 30 knitters in good form. The teacher was Annette Danielsen, a designer and author of several knitting books. She is not only a creative designer, her models are usable and the patterns all workable. She is local and a very nice person.
She has worked for ten years at Isager´s. One day, years ago, I went into the shop quite early to buy pattern and yarn for a toddler´s cardigan. First we had to talk a lot about children, how to love and bring them up. We were standing at each side of the counter when a small spider lowered itself in between us. Anette did not stop talking, she pinched the thread above the spider, grabbed a pair of scissors, cut the thread, and with the spider swinging she opened the door and let it out.

At the workshop she brought all her models and we could try them on. She also brought a compendium and yarn so we could work samples of different knitting techniques. I chose to practice the double knitting sample and used it on the bonnet between the hems for more warmth. Yarn : Lucca Fino, 4 mm needle.
As for the Swan fiber, I use it for a chemise, worked top down so I am sure not to waste any of it. I am back on 2½mm for this.

Vintage Socks Again and Again

2011-01-17T12:28:00.001+01:00

It was a nice quiet time after New Year. Sun and snow. I took a walk on the beach. People were strolling with prams, and a couple were out having a bath. Now I am recovering from a appendix operation I had the other day.You can´t always knit!!

I finished a pair of socks for my grandchild from Knitting Vintage Socks. When I saw the photo of the pair in the book I thought they were baby boots. However, they turned out to be a perfect boot sock for a toddler in a pair of wellies.

I guess children a hundred years ago wore them in a pair of bootee. Like these little Ellen is wearing. In that case the cuffs probably were placed over the bootlegs and kept the socks in place. A very clever construction, practical and lovely.

The yarn is Arwetta Classic, which I choose for it´s softness and colours.

Happy New Year

2010-12-30T13:38:00.000+01:00

With this last post for 2010 I want to thank

all who made this blog worth writing.

I appreciate all the kind and sincere comments you have taken your time to send.

I also had an IRL-present from Sophia, a very generous knitter with whom I share the love for vintage knitting. She sent me an issue of Piecework Magazine, and a gorgeous skein of organic wool from Swans Island. I can´t wait to wind this up. My plan is to work the Holly Berry Cowl. Thank you so much.

And many thanks to those, who took the time to work the Kællingesjal.

Thanks for taking my comments seriously and for free patterns.

I am always looking forward to seeing the most fabulous photos and reading your linguistic proficiency.

And of course your beautiful knitting.

A Peasant Meal

2010-12-19T21:14:00.000+01:00

I aim at living a simple life. It means, that I try not to rush here at Christmas time. However, I love the music and chocolates, but I try to avoid knitted gifts. A week ago I asked my husband if he had a present list. Of course he hadn´t, because he only wanted a pair of socks. I told him in a low voice about my resolution but realized I had to make an exception in his case. His birthday is ultimo May. Not exactly the woolen sock season.
I have a weakness for Hedgehog Fibres and ordered her last colour in stock a sock yarn called Damned Nation. I could not tell from the photo which colour but it was a man´s colour, very dark.

I chose the pattern from Knitting Vintage socks called Gentleman´s Half Hose in Ringwood Pattern from 1899. Nancy Bush tells that the pattern was used for gloves knitted and exported from Ringwood in Hampshire.
Husband has big feet. 30 cm long. And I was afraid to run out of yarn. Hedgehog fibres sock yarn runs 350 m, so I decided to work the cuff in a black Arwetta from Filcolana.

The leg pattern extends in a very elegant way into the heel flap, and I worked the last 10 rows and the turns with the black Arwetta, too.

While I was knitting I began to wonder which nation this colour was named after. No, I will properly not get an answer, and suddenly my mind moved into the painting by Van Gogh called The Potato Eaters from 1885. Painted in Holland. His palette of this period was black, olive green, raw umber, pale ochre and raw sienna.
The peasants are eating their potatoes, I see the warm light from the oil lamp. The steam from the hot meal, the woman pouring up a hot drink for them all. The painting radiates a respect for manual labour, people working and eating together.

Both / And

2010-12-08T14:02:00.001+01:00

I have finished the small tunic, and I think it will turn into a cute dress when it is stretched. Thanks to Mary Lou and Yumiko who advised me in this delicate matter :))

Either/Or

2010-12-07T13:38:00.000+01:00

On my needles is a small tunic size 1 year, the yarn is Duo Silke, a silk and merino, half-and-half. I have had this pale light pink in my stash for a while and thought it was a good choice for this project. And I had a bit of leftover in the same brand from Whisper, however I am not too pleased with the color combination. I find it a bit insipid, need some more bite.**Luckily I am running out of yarn and it is possible for me to shift to some other colors. I am about to begin the lower border which is garter ridges in stripes. I can use leftovers from the knitted shawls I have worked, they are Jaggerspun Zephyr, not the same brand but silk/merino as well.

Here is a survey of the color combo:

**It is when you are running out of yarn- the fun begins. Said by a Danish weaver, Winnie Poulsen,

Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes. Oscar Wilde

2010-11-28T17:42:00.000+01:00

My grandchildren visited me yesterday. The younger is 14 months old and I tried to take a snapshot of her - but was not fast enough. Here is a photo of her shadow.

This photo shows what it looked like when her elder sister tried to catch her so I could get my shot.

I wanted a photo for Ravelry. She was wearing a vest I knit 7 months ago. . A wonderful pattern written in Danish by Else Schellerup. Here is a photo of it without the model.

Any member of Ravelry know that there are so many patterns put into circulation, so why is it that I sometimes really need to invent one, myself.

I borrowed a t-shirt size 1 year and cast on for a toddler blouse using a combo from these books and fifty years of knitting experimenting and billions of stitches.

Here is the first attempt. I am already aware that the armhole is too tight, I will have to reconsider the construction. Of course I have an indescribable desire to see how it fits, but here is my car-so I must restrain myself.

Tycho Brahe 1546-1601-and Zalmiak

2010-11-21T12:57:00.004+01:00

This week the media covered the event in Prague where the Danish astronomer, Tycho Brahe´s, tomb was opened, his body autopsied and reburied.
I think it must have been very uncomfortable and scary for everyone to be present in that church when the tomb was opened. However, the archaeologist in charge, Jens Vellev, wore this sweater, and looking at him must have been tranquillizing.

The pattern of the sweater is called Zalmiak, by Marianne Isager, and I knit one in 1986. For my four year old son.

This photo is before Ravelry. It was taken to immortalize the little puppy, a wire-haired dachshund. But I admit that the sweater is very photogenic.

discover

2010-11-16T16:34:00.002+01:00

I have been very busy knitting. A big project. A fitness ball cover.
On Friday the 5th of November I went to see the annual Crafts Fair called KIC. The exhibition has a hanging committee and the arts and crafts are exquisite.
One of the exhibitors displayed several Pilates balls - in suits. She had called her exhibition "Pilates Ball Goes Livingroom". Unfortunately I did not bring my camera and can´t show them, but they were all gorgeous.

Here is my attempt to make such a cover. The ball is 65 cm / diameter.
Many of my friends have a fitness ball in their home, however those big rubber balls aren´t exactly pretty. And they are cold to sit on. The idea of making them a cover and transform them into a chair is brilliant.
Here is a tip from an expert:

Sitting on a ball instead of a chair is a great way to keep your spine healthy. Try to sit on a ball for at least part of your work day, if you have a desk job. When you sit on a ball, you're forced to sit up with good posture because you have nothing to lean back on. Also, because the ball rolls around, it keeps you on your toes and keeps your body moving, which help prevent the stiffness and back pain that you can get from being too sedentary.

The ball rolls around easily, so core strength and balance are required to keep it still. The challenge of keeping the ball still makes the ball an excellent tool to teach stability and rehabilitation. The simplest movement can become a huge challenge when you do it on the ball. Using a ball can give your workout a little more variety and extra challenge.

Knitting is a sedentary work, even though you sometimes have to stand up to wind some yarn. But it is not always necessary.
I desperately need such a ball.
I tend to believe I can knit anything, and I still had plenty of my 25 years old Faroese yarn left. And some hand dyed wool for stripes..

I worked two doilies using a pattern from my vintage knitting book 1924. The doilies had 60 rows, I skipped the border, did 8 rows stockinette and ended up working an I-cord. I bought some of elastic thread, and sewed the two pieces together.
It sounds simple but all this testing and fitting made me feel I had worked two of these covers. I was aware that it is not that simple to make a ball. Two flat circles sewn together will not fit. However, it is done and I believe if I inflate the ball a bit more it will be OK. If I work another one, I will choose to work sideways using short rows. But I am looking forward to knitting and training at the same time.

relationships

2010-10-31T20:20:00.001+01:00

Yesterday I went for an outing organized by members of Østjysk Tekstilkreds, the union of crafters I am a member of.

We went by bus to watch two exhibitions, one showing embroidery in tekstilforum, Herning,and in Silkeborg Museum, a historic knitting exhibition from Sweden -

- and the story about Oestergoetlands Ullspinneri.

Even crafters have to eat and drink. We had a cup of coffee and a piece of home-made cake in the bus. A lovely lunch at the Jorn Museum, where some of us had a look in at the famous tapestry, Den lange Rejse. And coffee/apple-pie in the afternoon.

On my needles is a very interesting piece of knitting.

It is a recreation from 1970 of a 1775 Danish nattrøje. I will post about it later. But I was very pleased to see samples of the damask technique on some old Swedish pullovers.

I bought souvenir of wool from the Museum shop. It is about 600 m of two- thread lace weight. Same Autumn color as the forests we drove through. A memory from a very nice Saturday in October.

blissful

2010-10-25T10:48:00.000+02:00

Reading Helen´s post about Knitting Inspectors brought out a memory from my school days.
I was ten years old and hoped to avoid needlepoint lessons- by hiding under a table. I was tracked down, and for months, I worked a place mat in a cross stitch pattern in two green shades.
When I had finally finished the cloth, I showed it to my teacher. She gave me a great, big smile and turned the mat to look at the reverse side.
Her expression turned dramatically, her face was distorted and I was sure she had a heart attack. When she had recovered her composure, she told me : that I was supposed to weave in ends. Perhaps it was this shock that made me a dedicated knitter.
But in 1990 I actually worked a chair cover for my music stool - using cross stitch. I had worked several sweaters from a designer and weaver, Winnie Poulsen, who dyed her own yarn and I had a lot of leftovers.

I chose a knitting pattern by Kaffe Fassett.

It took me months to finish.

Fortunately a friend of mine is an upholsterer. He replaced he old stuffing, which was mostly horsehair and spiral springs.

The wood is dark, solid mahogany. The wool is rough haired Norwegian Spelsau sheep.

I return the love

2010-10-17T19:35:00.001+02:00

I am so lucky to have grandchildren.

My elder granddaughter is now 8½ years old and already a very creative girl. Her handmade gifts for her 1 year old little sister are so lovely. She sews toys for her. As it comes to knitting, she has really made an effort but she thinks it is boring. She is a fast girl, and is already able to run 14 km.
A week ago she asked me to make her a poncho.
- To wear while she is in London next week for a holiday.
- Because it is so tiresome with all the sleeves.
- And I could choose the color, but she loved brown.
Size 10 years, needle size 10 mm and chunky wool. Not a big deal for an avid and dedicated knitter and grandmother.
- And a hood!!
OOPS .
Monday I was shopping at the local yarn shop. I found a great pattern, constructed with a panel in the middle, which reminds me of the construction of the Faeroe Shawl, and worked from the top. But no hood.
I cast on provisionally using the crochet needle method, skipped the first 3 rows of the pattern and went straight to the body of poncho.
After binding off, I picked up stitches for the neck. worked three garter ridges, bound off the 8 middle stitches and began increases at the back of the hood on every forth row. Ended up with a three-needle bind off. Picked up stitches for the edge, worked three garter ridges and bound off with a contrast color, approved by the recipient.
I had bought it some years ago at a flee market.

The yarn is Norwegian and the text on the label says " skyr sne og vand" which means "repel snow and water". And the little logo says"varig mølægte" which means "permanent moth proofed" What a relief. Perhaps that is why I have never seen a moth.

I worked an I-cord loop for a hang tab.

- And a tassel is so fun. It dangles when I run. I can make it myself, if you show me how. I knit it, time was running out, a bobble, and filled it with a bit of unspun wool.

inexplicably woven

2010-10-10T12:40:00.002+02:00

I really envy people who have the ability to put together colors and transform them into new expressions. I would really like to learn.
I have read two articles which has been a great inspiration. One is from Knitty by Robin Dodge and one is from Knitter´s Review.
At present I work a shawl with two thin threads and it gives me an opportunity to mix both fibers, wool and alpaca, and colors. My inspiration comes when I look into my garden and see how Autumn changes my garden.

A few years ago I knit a cardigan.

The bright yellow and the subtle green turned into this color.

I was inspired by this jacket. The shawl is Daybreak. Stephen West has a wonderful new website. Don´t hesitate to pay him a visit.

it is talking to me

2010-10-03T19:24:00.002+02:00

It is always exciting when a new Knitty is published. I like the innovative and playful attitude towards knitting, new ideas and interesting articles.

In this issue, the historic pattern translated by Franklin Habit, is Lady´s Traveling Cap from 1847. It made me grab at my needles and embroidery yarn, leftovers from this Danish shawl from 1845. I wrote about it here.

The cap pattern calls for five shades of any light color, plus white. The shades blend from darker to light and back. Just like the shawl. I think it is funny how knitting fashion was international, even 165 years ago.
However, the best part for me, is how Franklin Habit describes his fascination by exploring these old pattern. It was as written out of my heart. English is not my native language and I do not always have the words to express myself. And now I have a cap for my shawl.

like lovely music....

2010-09-26T22:09:00.000+02:00

I had a lovely Sunday visiting Tekstile Højskoledage. My own knitting were displayed in a lovely way and I saw so many visitors look, fondle and take notes.. This photo is a post-exhibition shot.
I bought some Danish yarn and chose two skeins from this basket.The sheep are local and live on the marsh next to the sea. The wool comes from this farm. I like to use a one-thread wool for shawls. Held double with a yarn from Isager, Alpaca 1, using needle size 3½, it creates a lovely, kinky, light fingering with a soft halo.

The lucky pattern for this yarn is Westknits´ Flamboyan. I chose to work it in one color except for a small stripe of blue. I used a simple eyelet row in the transitions between the gray and the blue to keep the shawl reversible.

I was curious to found out how the garter ridges and the stockinette would adjust.

It did - after blocking.

intended for having fun

2010-09-19T17:14:00.025+02:00

I have made a small video to show how to make a twisted crochet edge on a small coaster. The pattern is EZ´s Pi. You can use an ordinary crochet hook or a double-end crochet hook.

The wool has a little story.

A friend of mine had visited our local thrift shop and noticed a carrier bag full of yarn. I got off to make a good bargain.
The very same evening I met another friend who told me that it was actually her yarn. She had bought it on a trip to the Faroe Islands 25 years ago to make a genuine Faroese sweater for her husband.
However, the yarn had been hibernating under her bed until she decided to give it away for charity.
I knitted the French Market Bag straight away, and felt it in my washing machine. The market bag was huge and nearly killed it. But it is gorgeous.

breathe deeply

2010-09-06T13:26:00.012+02:00

On the needles this week is the bike skirt and a sock.

And next Sunday I am going to:

Tekstile Højskoledage on the 10-12 September 2010 på Rødding Højskole. There will be workshops, lectures and stalls.
And a small exhibition and I have been invited to show some of the works I have already displayed on the blog. The black tie shawl from 1860, is originally from Sønder Hygum, not far from Rødding so I decided to exhibit it . However, when I steamed it over a pot of boiling water, it came too close to the hotplate and was burnt a little. I have tried to scratch it off and my DH cannot smell anything but wool, so I guess it is OK for displaying.

I thought the skirt was finished but when I soaked it, the bottom hem grew and I have to redo it. I should have decreased for the transition between stranded knitting and stockinette. However, I had changed neddle size from 4 to 3 mm and thought it was enough.

My father passes a milestone and he loves the vintage socks I have made, so here is one of my favorite from Knitting Vintage Socks, Gentleman´s Shooting Stockings, with Fluted Pattern from 1887. The original was meant to be worn with knickerbockers, over knees. Well, fortunately my father is not that old.

forwards

2010-08-29T11:07:00.025+02:00

Yesterday afternoon. A very quiet ride on my new bike. Bought right after Easter and so far the display shows 1168 km. It has a small engine in the front wheel and a battery under the carrier. It feels like someone pushes you gently forwards and provides a relaxed ride to the city on the bicycle lanes.If you are a tourist or don´t have a bike you can borrow a public one the same way you borrow a shopping cart.In January I knit a skirt to wear over my jeans for extra warmth. And Must-Have a new one. I guess I used the other one almost every day until June.
The pattern is very simple. It is a tube with a hem at each end. I have finished the top hem. The check pattern is a tribute to the lovely tie shawl from 1885-90 in Skagen. I fancy those check patterns a lot. However, the shawl was not knitted but worked in "hakning", Afghan crochet. Perhaps my third skirt will be done using that technique. The stitches are very pretty. I have not yet decided which pattern I will use for the body of the skirt. I have done some research in my old knitting magazines from 1947 -57 The old skirt I just worked in stranded stripes and replaced one of the colors sometimes.The wool is Hifa 2 Ullgarn and Gotlandsk Pelsuld.

be fashioned as before

2010-08-25T10:33:00.019+02:00

This rainy summer I have spent some quiet and rewarding hours in the reading room at our local State and University Library. I have borrowed old knitting books from 1845 and 1875 and really enjoy reading the patterns - like some people like to read food recipes and imagining flavor and taste without putting on weight. In this case I rest my arm.
The period, I am interested in is urban Victorian style, with its deep colors, tassels and fringes. The yarn, which is often mentioned in the books, is Zephyr wool in Danish, and found out that it is the same as Berlin wool used for embroidery.
Googling led to fly-fishing. The body of some very famous historic flies were tied with leftovers. Guess the salmons never had a chance. Thanks to Mr. William S. Bailey I now have access to colors and fibers, a 3 threads merino, in the adventurous, historic work of knitting.
And the colors are:

black - blue - brick red - green
light brown - magenta - olive - orange
purple - red - scarlet - yellow

I have written down a wonderful fringe pattern from 1845. I venture to translate it:

With Berlin wool held double and steel needles size 17
Cast on four stitches, knit back.
Set up row : yarn over 5 times, purl two together, yarn over twice, purl two together.
Row 1 : Yarn over, purl two together, slip loop, yarn over twice, purl two together, pull out the needle.
Row 2 : Yarn over 5 times, purl 2 together, slip loop, purl two together.
Repeat many times , bind off, and sew on.

This is what I have worked for meeee and myself:
I have finished the Coquille shawl, it is a bit sad, because I enjoyed every minute of knitting it. Here is my scarf for the winter.

Life is not a problem to be solved

2010-08-15T20:03:00.012+02:00

I love open air museums and there is one in Skagen. One of the houses portrays living conditions around 1850 to 1875 for a wealthy fisherman. It is always exciting for me to see the old textiles. And I took some photos. Life was extremely hard, and many fishermen died at sea. The Skagen painters portrayed these people heartrendingly. The painting of the two women and their loss is a preliminary study for a very famous painting by Michael Ancher called The drowned Fisherman 1896

Girls gossiping

2010-08-12T11:55:00.015+02:00

I have been away for a holiday to the North of Denmark. Of course I had to go to Skagen Museum to watch all the paintings there. I have been there lots of times and I enjoy the it more and more. There are a lot of paintings of local people living in the late 1800 and especially for me who has so much love for tie shawls, it is joyful to watch.

the passionate sense

2010-07-25T20:18:00.031+02:00

This summer has been very colorful. The hollyhocks flower and also the field bindweed.
And I just finished a shawl designed by Evelyn A Clark. In cashmere and silk.
I have worked several of her patterns : Swallowtail is gorgeous. This shoulderette is called Heartland Lace Shawl. It is a free pattern and I warmly recommend it. The Filatura Di Crosa Golden Superior only weighs 25 g and runs 300 m. The thread is not a springy type and I gave the spine a little extra attention. I do not like when the middle stitch is stretched too much, so I worked the middle stitch like this:
Wrong side: increase:kfb
Right side : decrease: ssk
Unfortunately I ran out of yarn, had to skip 10 rows and missed the beautiful edging called The River of Life.
On my needles is Mary Lou Egan´s lovely flutter shawl called Coquille. A new Knitty hit. And a free pattern, too.
The Lorna's Lace Shepherd Worsted is my absolute favorite wool. The name of the color is Cranberry but I think that it it is closer to the color of raspberries I picked the other day.

Shawl 1845

2010-07-18T12:10:00.018+02:00

The shawl from 1845 is done, and blocking.
I have weaved in ends but will wait to cut them until it is completely dry. Whenever I work these old patterns I sit and memorize what I know about the period. The author of the pattern was a head principal and perhaps she has used this pattern for her pupils. It is an easy and fun knit and the colors and symmetry will appeal to girls. Even today. The colors are extremely bold. However, people at that time really loved the new chemical colors that did not fade like the old ones. From a book about Van Gogh I have taken some funny photos to remind me how extreme the paintings were at that time.

Van Gogh had a Japanese lacquered box in which wools were kept.
He used to make up combinations of complementary colors.
I recommend this pattern for people who work at open air museums in the period 1845- 90. It is an easy way to dress up for an original urban Victorian outfit.

garish birds

2010-07-11T11:37:00.022+02:00

My current project is another historic shawl. I found the pattern in a book, written by a head principal from Elsinore. In 1845. You cast on 180 cm of stitches and decrease one stitch at the sides and two in the middle. Every other row. Stitch pattern is garter.
For me the interesting part of working this shawl is the search for the original materials and trying to find stuff similar.
The pattern calls for "4- threads Berliner-Zephyr" and after a serious googling I learned that it is embroidery wool. A merino wool from Gotha, dyed in Berlin. Actually it was extremely popular to work Berlin Wool Work, which was cross stitch on hand painted canvasses. The colors were garish. It was the time chemical dying took over. And the rich middle classes just could not get enough. The Berlin Wool Work were used for chair seats, pillows, bell pulls etc. in the Victorian homes all over. And apparently also for knitting.
It must have been extremely expensive to buy yarn for this shawl. The pattern suggests fringes, as well. The colors are for the border, black alternating with six different shades of purple red. From dark to light. And back.
The bottom is worked in two shades of gray.
I only use DMC embroidery wool for the red colors which means that I bought 6 X 6 skeins at 8 m each. For the black and gray wool I chose Sandnes Smart which is a 4- thread wool, as well.
The embroidery wool is very strong I simply cannot break it. However, the 8 meters run out for every 50 stitches and I simply tie it to the new thread using this knot suggested by Mrs. O.T in her book for knitting, published in 1924.
It is a very fun knit. The changing of the colors makes me go for "just one more row" I imagine the Berlin Roses when I see the colors mingle.
After studying photos of shawls from the late 1800 I am convinced that our wrong side was the right side for them. In that way the colors really mingles and creates thin black stripes.

dreams

2010-07-04T14:51:00.011+02:00

I have been away for a small mini vacation. We stayed at a former manor house, now a conference center, owned by my labor union. They offer Bed&Breakfast in Summer. The linen had been mangled and brunch was exquisite with all kinds of local delicacies-and the area is perfect for birdwatching.
Funen, the land of roses. Well, for me at least. I saw roses everywhere.
My knitting is on vacation, too. My shoulder needs rest. However, my DIL needed a cardigan and I was lucky to find one I worked in the eighties. A funny detail is that the shoulders are made broader like this.

pilgrim

2010-06-27T21:54:00.008+02:00

Lovely sock yarn from Hedgehog Fibres and 5 DPN size 2.25. The link is to Beata´s blog. The colour is called Pilgrim and I used a pattern from Barbara walker´s Treasury called Coin Stitch. The cuff and heel are worked in (1 ktbl x 1p) ribbing.

A woolen sock in a canvas shoe is a very good match when summer temperature is below 20 *

stories

2010-06-20T19:58:00.016+02:00

Two is a pair, three is a crowd!! A crowd of people has urged me show the balloon dress in action. The other day a good friend and I went for a walk on the beach..
First we met Archie, a great Dane. Archie was generally a shy dog, we were told, but he liked to be fondled and when he leaned his 70 kg against my friend, she almost tripped up.

A little later we said hello to Chili, a Chihuahua. She was out walking with a Chiuahua puppy, named Lotus. Now it was time to take photos of the dress.
Yes, the red cardigan is this one.
After the photo session, it was time for coffee.
We ended the outing, lying in the sand, talking about everything important-And left this behind.

turns

2010-06-13T16:40:00.010+02:00

Here is my Bohus Sheep with my new investment, a "vindepind". It is more than a hundred years old and I was lucky to find it in a Danish antique shop. It is used for winding up a skein and be able to pull the thread out from the center. It has two wooden balls inside the handle that rattle. I believe the purpose was to hear that winding actually was taken place. The yarn on the "vindepind" is sock yarn from Hedgehog Fibres and it is such a pleasure to work with.
The sheep is from Spin off and the yarn is from a kit for a scarf. Blogged here I did not want to work the scarf but I have been longing to try Bohus Knitting for a long time. The needles are 2 mm and the yarn is gorgeous. I read that they get it from a Danish spinning mill. I will definitely do some research.

slip away a little

2010-06-07T10:13:00.026+02:00

Yesterday Mr. Mttr and I made a Sunday trip to Herning Museum. I went there to look for historic textiles. It is 100 km away from my home, and you are in the center of old knitting country- which later became the center of Danish textile industry.
Well, I did not see much old knitting. Or tools. But here is what I found. Please see through the stains of the glass. It is a vindepind or a nostepinne for winding up a skein of wool, and five wooden needles. And here is what was knit for export. Woolen, felted socks.
The yarn of the sleeves are dyed after binding some strings around the hank. Variegated yarn is not a new invention. The sleeves are sewn to the vest.
The woman is wearing wristwarmers. Nothing new here, either.

The museum has a large collection of the old duvet covers, Olmerdug, fustian,which is so gorgeous. Weaved 150 years ago ... the colors and the stripes are exquisite.
I am not a weaver, and I keep imagining that the wool was used for knitting, as well.
At least for shawls. For obvious reasons there are no photos from that time, but fortunately there are paintings to look at. H.A. Brendekildes maleri Udslidt fra 1889. Fyns Kunstmuseum.

struggle

2010-06-06T20:38:00.008+02:00

I finished the green linen dress today. The buttons are made of amber. I worked an I-cord for edging.
I-cord button holes.Whew!

Life has its own hidden forces

2010-05-23T09:30:00.013+02:00

This is a picture of an undaunted dandelion. It looks like this, because it has squeezed through two flagstones on my terrace. I feel a little like it when I work on this project.:

One of my green projects has become "½ hour -a -day-project". It is a linen dress, a piece of knitted art, a clever construction of domino knitted squares, that are wrenched in a way that the shape will become balloon-y. I want this dress so much but it is impossible for me to work it for more than ½ hour a day. The linen is rough and inelastic, however the color is beautiful, three linen threads of dark green and a light green cotton thread loosely twisted.
I have done some maths on this dress. When I have finished it(-and I will)- I have:
cast on : 396 stitches,
picked up :823 stitches
made : 460 decreases.
Roughly!

outward appearences

2010-05-19T09:25:00.003+02:00

Yesterday this picture was on the back page of my newspaper. #Fine cables make fine trees# :D

faith

2010-05-09T22:17:00.009+02:00

My son phoned me today and wished me Happy Mother´s Day. I was taken by surprise because we have never celebrated that day in our family. However, he called me to thank me for the hooded jacket, I had just finished for his baby. I knit one before the baby was born- 8 months ago. The pattern is from 1940. The little girl was wearing the jacket on the way home from hospital and has worn it every day since. She is now 7 months old and needed a new jacket. This time the parents chose the color, a vintage pewter, and I chose among a million, four square wooden buttons. In stead of button holes I made I- cords to the young parent´s entire satisfaction.
I found the hanger at our local flee market and saved it from destruction.

this can be traced back

2010-05-02T18:28:00.015+02:00

In 2006 Mr.MttR and I happen to see a remarkable exhibition of Norwegian knitting in Hjørring. Hundreds of sweaters, mittens were displayed. Annemor Sundbø has saved all these knitted items from destruction and calls them "Treasures from the Ragpile" I still have the poster hanging on my display board.
In her new book "Knitting in Art" she combines her collection of knitted fragments and artworks. She says :"People wearing knitted garments have been painted so meticulously that the knit pattern can be reconstructed stitch by stitch"
When Annemor Sundbø says :" This book is written for knitting enthusiasts who would like to learn more about the background of their knitted garments" I am sure she was thinking of me.
Twenty years ago I made this sweater for DH from Vibeke Lind´s book: Knitting in The NordicTradition.

Denmark and Norway were one nation from 1397 - 1814 so we have a lot of historic knitting in common. Very interesting reading to be recommended.

numerous acquaintances

2010-04-25T21:03:00.013+02:00

My garden is blue for the time being. Violets pop up everywhere in my flowerbeds and lawn. Mr and I will wait to cut the grass so the flowers will have a chance to seed.

My projects are green and I tend to start too many. A cardigan, Summit and Dress
-So far

change the nature

2010-04-11T21:11:00.025+02:00

Temperature is now above the 10 degrees which is my limit for going by bike. But a lot of people defied the Winter storms . Here is a link to show what I mean. And here is a picture of me and my new investment. * An electric bike. Now I always have the wind behind me - at least when I am sitting on my Ella.
If you have a closer look you can see the hood of my Rogue, one of the best pattern I have worked. Can be found here. I have finished a third tie shawl which is from 1880 from Herning. The shawl is worked from the top. The ratio is 1:2 for the triangle. You actually don´t need a pattern.
I used one thread of Jaggerspun Zephyr in curry and all the time through the knitting I struggled with the bad match. Lace weight and garter stitch.. Every little error was accentuated, absolutely no mercy. Needle size 3.25 And why didn´t I frog and choose a sock weight or double the thread. Because I had the Jaggerspun in my stash and wanted to save money for- my investment (*) We all have to sacrify a little : ))

a reality to be experienced

2010-03-28T21:22:00.016+02:00

I have not been given indie yarnies much attention. But a friend on Ravelry kept displaying lovely shawls and socks made of wonderful fibres and in stunning colors. I had to find out how to get hold of the stuff. I sent her a message and she told me, when Beata, who lives in Ireland, uploads her yarns on her Etsy-shop - and one evening- I was ready. I had made up my mind that I would buy no matter what, and enough. I tend to work my shawls a little small, just using one skein about 4-500 meters. Not this time. The yarn, I was lucky to get hold of , was pure cashmere in colorway: Sour Cherry . The pattern is Citron which calls for about 400 m, ( My inner housewife was reproachfully whispering that I could make two shawls and give one away for someone who really neeeeded a cashmere shawl - in stead of making a big one for me, selfish knitter) But I kept knitting. The second skein only added two more repeats and I was not sure if it would make any difference. I did not block it a lot. I like to see the ruffles. After all they are the luxury element. What a lot of stitches when you double for 5 rows. Later I read about blocking cashmere on Knitter´s Review. Clara Parkes writes this:"When washing cashmere, be gentle. Not only to prevent felting, but also to avoid permanently stretching the fabric. Cashmere is fragile when wet. You can easily pull the fabric out of shape."
The finished shawl did not disappoint me. It has the perfect size and a lovely drape.

the moment

2010-03-21T20:13:00.014+01:00

The 14Th of March my second granddaughter was baptized in our church which is one of the very old Danish churches. The font is from the 11Th century. I come there often. I work there as a cantor, occasionally, and I have been a member of the church choir for ten years.

The little girl wore the dress her mother had worn in 1980. Her mother had sewn it. I was asked to knit the child a pair of socks. For such a special occasion I turned towards Nancy Bush´s : Knitting Vintage Socks. The pattern Infant´s Fancy Silk Sock is from 1909. The four-row lace pattern twists a bit to the right. Perfect for small chubby legs, they do not wrinkle. And I experienced once again that the vintage socks are not only lovely but turn out to be very serviceable.
The present was The Pi as a blanket worked in lavender Shetland wool.
Later that day when I opened Google I realized that it happened to be Pi-day. And I was even more pleased with my gift.

individuals

2010-03-16T12:39:00.009+01:00

My affection for the Danish Tie Shawl is still alive and kicking.

The museum shop in The Old Town, Århus, sells a little pamphlet from 1985, with some patterns from their historic knitting collection.

Included, is a pattern called " Livsjal". Well, it is not a pattern, really, but notes, which explain how the shawl was done. I guess the working woman wore this in the 1860-ies.
The description says that it was done in black wool with color stripes in four different greens. Around the whole shawl is worked a crochet twisted edge. I have not seen the
original shawl and I don´t know if my "Livsjal" is far off. But I am not tired of constructing these shawls. They seem simple, but there are so many clever details.

world goes backwards

2010-03-05T16:06:00.009+01:00

The Old Town in Århus is an open-air museum.
In the shop you can buy the kit for a Danish tie-shawl.
The baker is open.
During the winter holiday a workshop for all kinds of "woolly" crafts was established. I was there for knitting and there were spinning, weaving, tatting, lace-making, embroidery and patchwork as well. About 950 guests from many different countries came to visit and it was such a pleasure to talk with them.
I chose to work an Elizabeth Zimmermann: Pi- shawl and it was great. After the third doubling of stitches, the shawl had transformed itself into a knitting bag and I was able to walk, knit and talk. My sister came to visit us and she called me a Stand-up Knitter.

sale

2010-02-22T15:57:00.009+01:00

I am very pleased with my work these days ! Of course you have to have a gift for knitting; ) but you can never completely predict, how a project will turn out.
I just finished a waistcoat from Drops. And I am really happy with it. I wanted to try a new yarn from Garnstudio, Nepal, which is 65% wool and 35 % alpaca. Gauge is 17 sts x 22 rows and it runs 75 m. It is not always easy to find a worsted yarn in Denmark. The tradition is to work several fingering threads together. It is ok ,because you can mix colors and fibers in that way. But it is sometimes very pricey. Back to Nepal. I wanted to try it on a waistcoat(No sleeves) and I chose this pattern which is new from Spring 2010. To make it match gauge, I had to go down ½ mm needle size and I worked one size smaller than I usually choose.
After soaking and blocking (Drops pattern have a schematic drawing with measurements) I can tell that Nepal only sheds a little bit and grows very, very little.
The pattern is lovely. The bottom of the fronts are worked in modular knitting which provides the traditional points of the waistcoat, which I find essential;)) The yarn is on sale right now. I used 5 skeins for size 36.

Superiority #3

2010-02-13T19:23:00.006+01:00

I finished the EZ-Cardigan a couple of days ago. A sprained wrist did not exactly speed up the progress.
The Knitting was quickly done, however the finishing took a veery long time. Perhaps because of my limited finishing ability ;))
The yarn softened a lot and grew a bit. That´s why the cardigan looks so boxy. A bit of negative ease would have been more flattering.
Details :
Crochet steeking.
Attached i-cord with button loops.

The live neck stitches are sewn down. I think they look so vulnerable and as soon my wrist is fit, I will cover them with a bias strip.

When all is said and done. A fun and educational piece of knitting art.

Superiority #2

2010-01-24T12:39:00.007+01:00

I am still working on the EZ Cardigan and I have learnt how to secure steeks by crocheting in stead of machine-stitching. Eunny Yang has made a very clear tutorial.
I am happy with the yarn choice I made. It is light and sticky and not too expensive, which I was thinking about while I was cutting up .
I am about to finish the first sleeve and is really taken by the gauntlet.
In between working this hair-raising object I needed a tranquillizer. It has been meditation to knit these long socks. Thanks to Laura Chau who wrote the 8 pages long perfect pattern. The socks just fit and stay put.

Superiority #1

2010-01-17T12:38:00.023+01:00

The pattern : Elizabeth Zimmermann´s Green Sweater from Schoolhouse Press is a knitting "Kinder Egg" for me. It has the three elements that thrills me about knitting. The cardigan is lovely, it is historic, and the design is most surprising. The moment I read about it in Twist
I knew I would cast on the minute I had the pattern..not for knitting another new cardigan, but for the knitting experience. I am half through and I am flabbergasted (just learned the word from a comment, LOL) by the construction.
I have tried to show it on the guitar which is the closest I come to a dummy.

Yarn choice was of course a little tricky as I haven´t access to either of the recommended brands. The Faeroe Islands are not exactly praised for their wool qualities due to their climate but a new yarn has hit the shelves at my local yarn pushers, Navia. The fibre is a mixture of Faroese wool, Shetland wool, and Australian lambswool. It is light and has a generous yardage of 180 meters in a 50 g skein. But the best part is that you can get it in three kind of thicknesses called Uno, Duo and Trio. This is essential if you like to work Fair-isle and choose not to work stranded all over.

In this cardigan there are so many hems. To avoid the hems to be too bulky I will use a thinner yarn for these. Using the Duo for the body, I will change to Uno for finishing the hems.

Or I will dive into my leftover drawer and find a contrast colour. The leftovers are from all the Marianne Isager sweaters I have worked for so many years.

traced back

2010-01-10T15:25:00.011+01:00

For a month, white winter has hold on, perfect weather condition for a knitter. No need for further motivation, when temperature goes below zero. A knitted skirt, over my jeans, and I am ready for the frozen seat in my car.
The inspiration came from a book by Kitti Briksby called "Stribe vis af Strik" and to amuse myself during the sometimes tedious knitting of the 50 cm tube, I added some details I have picked up from Nancy Bush´work with Estonian knitting.
The wool is Tove from Sandnes, light and felt able. I prefer a firm fabric for a skirt, no flowing robes for me. And if the fair-isle doesn´t do the trick, I can work a little bit of fulling.
I cast on using Estonian Cast On to make it easy to pick up stitches for the drawstring hem.
I like to have a small pocket for a phone or a tissue. The edge of the pocket is two rows of an Estonian braid called Kihnu Vits. I found the braid in the book Knitting on the Road
Before binding off , I worked a braid. You can see the detail on the yellow sock right below the ribbing. The point of the braid was to avoid the hem to slant. Well, the bottom hem turned bulkier, than I expected. At least, I tried.

the imperfection of everything human

2010-01-03T18:30:00.009+01:00

Happy new year and thanks to everyone who has visited my blog and read about my knitting adventures. I am so pleased looking back at my knitting year, 2009. Some of my stuff was exhibited and today I went back to the museum and took photos.
The Kællingesjal, 1897 & four of Evelyn Clarks shawls.
Unfortunately the Kællingesjal was displayed
inside out, but who noticed?

for enjoyment

2009-12-23T22:25:00.003+01:00

Merry Christmas.

Pattern: Nancy Bush
Stuff: Arwetta Classic

the first period of a man's life

2009-12-07T11:46:00.012+01:00

When my granddaughter was born in October I found this old magazine from my old patterns.

My son II was born in 1982 and and I worked a lot of these patterns. He was dressed in lanolin wool from day one. The soakers were worn outside a cotton diaper and the lanolin made them waterproof.

Grandchild II is now two month old and my DIL told that the little one is very comfortable when she wears a small cotton/wool vest over her T-shirt.

it catches you

2009-11-22T10:42:00.012+01:00

Christmas is coming up and colours change. Autumnal shades are my favourites. But the season is not long enough for me. I had just time to work a very small scarf in a hand painted faded green, and Christmas colours came rattling.
The two triangular scarves are both built on the construction of the Danish Tie-shawl.
The olive one is knit in Manos del Uruguay´s Silk Blend. I worked a six-stitch-lace-border first, picked up stitches and decreased until I had six stitches left. Doing it like that there is no way back, and I think the shawl is way too small.

The red and purple shawl is a tie-shawl for my 7-year-old granddaughter. Stuff is two different yarns.The red is a left-over from Geilsk and the purple is a wool/cotton fingering from Sandnes called mini duett. I cast on six stitches and increased. The bottom border is knitted on and the top border is worked separately and sewn on. The shawl is not quite finished. I will soak and block it with the recipient next time she visits me.

scenes of childhood.

2009-11-15T17:39:00.010+01:00

I think it was my husband who told me, we have only had sunshine for two hours the first 10 days of November. Well ! Perfect weather for knitting accessories. I am still fascinated by knitting from past. I have visited The Victoria And Albert Museum online and tried some of their vintage patterns.

The scarf is still on the needles. Colourmart has cashmere at a reasonable price. It is unwashed and I was a little concerned if it was smelly. But I did not have to worry, and I am looking forward to washing it and feel it bloom.

limited

2009-11-01T09:05:00.005+01:00

About knitting : My shoulder is not well. And I have to be more selective. I fell in love with this balloon dress a long time ago. However, pattern was only sold with yarn, a linen fibre, and I cannot expose my shoulder to knit with linen. I was happy to discover that a shetland type wool was now an option and have started the project, working dominoes. But maybe I will change to merino for more elasticity.

out of nothing

2009-10-18T18:19:00.012+02:00

My second grandchild was born a week ago and it has caused a veritable knitting fever.
I was lucky to find a Danish book of needlecraft from 1940. I worked this lovely jacket for a new born using Drops' Merino Extra fine which is super soft and elastic. I wanted to follow the pattern to pick up some tricks. And found out that it takes a lot of stitching to go vintage. I knew my DIL was having a little girl and the buttons from Drops are small pink flowers with a pale yellow center. However, the buttonholes are placed wrongly on the left front which is customary for a boys jacket - at least in Denmark. Well :) Perhaps it is time to change that.

passing through its opposite

2009-10-08T21:10:00.011+02:00

I sometimes feel an obligation to do some stash knitting. But I tend to long for the old times knitting : go for a pattern, buy stuff and stick to the project. However, I did buy 399,6 m of Handmaiden Sea Silk 6 months ago in the semisolid colorway, Ivory. I have seen white keys on old pianoes made of ivory and of course seen elephant tusks in the zoo. But in my memory the color was more chalky than yellow. Perhaps they brushed the elephants´teeth in Copenhagen Zoo.
I chose Damson for this skein and ran out of yarn two rows before bind-off. I had a bit of left-over in blue Sea Silk and did the edge with that. What I know about color is, that blue being the contrast color to yellow makes the yellow look even more yellow and I was not too pleased with that. And I was afraid that the blue would come out onto the ivory when soaking. It did not happen and I think that Damson and Sea silk is a good match. And I know that it also comes in 150 grams´ skeins

danger is not to take the risk

2009-09-27T12:07:00.016+02:00

I am seriously bit by the Baktus bacteria. And so is Evelyn Clark. I bought a pattern called Huckleberry Lace Scarf at her website and finally found a pattern good enough for my one-skeiner Angora gem, Angelic, from Sunday Knits. Normally I am not an angora- friend but this fibre has changed my attitude. I weighed the scarf after every 24 row's repeat, and changed direction with 29 grams left. I went on knitting with so much peace in my heart, knowing, I would not run dry.

Thus, feeling so unwind-ed, gave me courage to dive deep into my miscalculations.

I love Lorna's Lace Sock Stripe but I hate wasps. I don´t know what grabbed me when I ordered the Bee . In Nature the combination of black and yellow signal danger and I almost heard a fire alarm when I unpacked. However, I try to damp down the fire by adding some more black ridges. So far it is a really fun knit because I never know when the yellow will have a go.

fruitful

2009-09-13T17:27:00.009+02:00

I am a member of a circle of crafsters called Østjysk Tekstilkreds and they will be celebrating their 35Th anniversary with an exhibition this autumn. I have for different reasons unfinished shawls and when I was checking them out, I found they were all designed by Evelyn A. Clark. I will try to finish them in time for the registration here in September.
On top - left : Shetland Triangle / Malabrigo Worsted/ Frank Ochre
On top- right: Triangular Scarf / Sunday Knits Angelic / Tomato
At the bottom- left: Flower Basket Lace Shawl /Artfibers Tsuki / Olive
At the bottom - right: Swallowtail Shawl /Hengyuanxiang Knitting Wool/Purple

face the facts

2009-09-06T10:54:00.021+02:00

When it comes to basic knitting, it it basically monotonous and boring. I demonstrated the knit stitch for my 7-year-old granddaughter and her comment was :"Is that it?" And yes, that´s it. But I am addicted to the element of surprise.

My knitting is almost hibernating these days. My right shoulder needs a rest. To avoid with-drawal symptoms I turned towards Baktus, and got hold of these two skeins, Fabel and Alpaca, from Drops. The colors are so toned down and I thought it would help me from the "just one more row"-syndrome. And help me take care of my arm.
But the scarf turned out much more sprightly than I had imagined. I almost like it.

I am now testing an I-cord edging. Can´t decide which side of the cord I prefer.

I have caught the Baktus bacterial, and is continuously visualizing how all kinds of leftovers and single skeins shall turn into nice scarves. I have borrowed my neighbour´s digital scales. A must for a Baktus-Knitter. On top is a gem. Quivit. 51 grams=200m

between strangers

2009-08-31T11:35:00.006+02:00

Here is a lovely summer memory from our trip to Sweden. I bought the yarn and the brooch at the Sommarutställning, smögenskolan, Smögen. Bibi who had made the brooch said to me before I left: "See you on the internet"
Pattern is here on Ravelry

Don´t forget

2009-08-28T08:57:00.010+02:00

I just finished a scarf. It is black and gray, 180 cm, mainly in Garter Stitch. I love to try out new techniques and thanks to You Tube it is possible to watch and learn. I found that Nancy Bush, herself, showed how to work Estonian Cast On here. It created some big loops which made it easy to pick up stitches and work in the opposite directions (when I found out I had chosen a wrong contrast color while I was watching television). My shoulder really hurts these days (wonder why) and I have had to change my knitting style. Portuguese Knitting is an option for me. Here demonstrated by Andrea Wong. She has a lovely yarn pin, I used a hook from my kitchen. And I found out that it was much easier to work the purl stitch than the knit stitch. The fabric turned out much fluffier.So the garter is done in purl rows. I had a planned to work a kind of Log Cabin edging like this , demonstrated by Mason Dixon. And I made a 10 cm attached border at each end of the scarf . However, I ran out of mojo when I was about to start the sides. (2 x 1.80 = 3.60 cm of border) and worked an Attached I-cord in stead. Eventually I ran out of yarn and had to extend with left-over threads using the Russian Join. The scarf just looks like an ordinary scarf, worked in a couple of days. Maybe it will never be worn but I sure learned a lot. No photos. I lost the charger for the camera on our trip to Sweden.

freedom of thought

2009-08-08T18:41:00.005+02:00

Here are some pics of Kim Hargreaves Ali finished today. I had forgotten how long time it takes to stitch a cardigan together. My latest projects are worked top down and it really saves time. Well, I like the wool cotton. It is perfect for Danish indian summer, I am hoping for. I was a little disappointed when I tried it on. I found it was too large across my shoulders but my DH saved me from "Post Knitting Disappointment Disorder" claiming that the shoulder line made it look like a jacket.

divine

2009-08-02T18:27:00.018+02:00

This summer I have worked a new cardigan . It is one of Kim Hargreaves´ patterns from her book Breeze.
I have followed the pattern exactly as written and used the yarn the pattern called for. 12 skeins of Rowan Wool Cotton. I still have some stitching left.

My favorite colors are sea-green and verdigris green and every green in between. My most graceful ear rings are made of old copper. When the copper roof on the local cathedral were renewed, a very clever coppersmith bought some of the roofing and transformed it into the most exquisite trinkets.

My favourite cardigan for the last five years is Cossack, a Marianne Isager Design.Published in the book Classic Knits. One thread of Spinni and one thread of tvinni. Cuffs and peplum are done with an extra thread of chenille. If you are a raveller you can find it here.

I hope basket weaved Ali will be a worthy successor