Bohus knitting

Bohusläns museum offers kits for the famous Bohus Stickning cardigans and jumpers. The needles are tiny, 2.5 mm, and the yarn is handdyed to match the old originals. The prices are surprisingly low, a kit for the wonderful "Blå Skimmer" costs only 900 SEK!

Take a look at the museum's site. [SW]. The English version of the same page gives no prices, and has less photos.

Another interesting link in Swedish: Slöjdmagasinet

Update: 900 SEK = 96.24 EUR, 116.18 USD, 64.10 GBP

Happy happy happy

Scratch the plans described earlier today. The baby thing will be knit in the luxurious marvellous wonderful and amazing Barkarole from Austermann. Fibre content: 70% merino, 20% silk and 10% cashmir. Did I just pay a fortune? Of course not. My beloved Kleinpreismarkt had around 30 balls when I passed by on my lunchbreak walk. Admittedly, some of them were bit snagged. But given that the price was 0.55 EUR per ball, I don't mind unwinding a few metres from the damaged ones. I bought 16 balls in blue, and 10 balls in offwhite. In total I have 650 g of happiness, waiting for me to do something beautiful. It knits up at 25st/34r on a 10x10 swatch (according to the label).

This should be enough for a baby sweater plus something nice for me. Or even a whole series of sailor cardigans and such for the little one. I could well imagine a blue cabled sweater, and an offwhite similar-but-different, and a striped blue-and-white cardigan with red trims (and a sailor's collar and anchor appliques), and socks and hats and tiny mittens.

However, I still need to finish the items listed below. But when that is done... Barkarole!

Ongoing

What I must do before I do something else:

- knit half a sleeve on my Onde pull, and then do some washing, blocking, sewing and neckband production. Alas, I will not be able to wear this at the midsummer party tomorrow.
- sew on the handle on the green "Düsseldorf Point Five" bag
- sew on the handles on the "Danish October" bag, and give it a second spin in the washer.

I have started the flimsy tote project, and despite my inexperienced fumblings, it seems to turn out OK, I especially like the read and green dots on white, from the bags for Auchan's "Semaines italiennes". Plastic "yarn" is fun to make. This will however be a project without a deadline, something funny to pick up when I feel like it.

For the more serious knitting, I need to start on one of the two tank tops I planned for this summer, and then there are the baby clothes. I might pass the Phildar store again tonight, and I'm trying to decide which pattern to choose from the patternbook I bought a few days ago.

I also have a semi-secret project to finish, a birthday gift for a friend who might be an occasional reader of this blog. I need to check where I am on the thing, the sad truth is that I started it with her birthday 2003 in mind.

Knitting weblogs, and a surprise visit in a Phildar store

If you look further down in my righthand sidebar, you will find a new link, the knitting weblogs. Go and look and enjoy yourself! (not yet!) I don't know if the order of the blogs i the same all the time, when I just cklicked on "next" I came to a blog called Burnt Orange. A very entertaining read!

I'm knitting this in Red Heart - yes, beautiful squeaky acrylic. I've developed a fondness for the yarn while knitting this afghan: it's surprisingly gentle on my wrists, doesn't fuzz out dramatically like wool blends, and will make an indestructible afghan (a highly valued commodity for a blanket hopefully destined for longterm use). After the nuclear apocalypse, acrylic afghans will probably be the only thing that survives the desolation, with granny-square afghans dotting the wasted landscape like so many strange flowers.

And what about the Phildar store? Well, I made a tour with the car and arrived in Longwy on the other side of the French border, and there I decided too visit the new Auchan shopping centre. It was really nice, and to my surprise, the summer solde started today. Had I had more time and money to spend, I would happily have spent both hours and hundreds in this place. And then I saw the sign. Phildar! There is a Phildar store in Auchan Longwy. More than two thirds of the store sold their clothes, I didn't really look, but on the way out I saw some nice items. I concentrated on the inner corner where they sold yarn. The staples, the new autumn/winter collection, and... the sales. They had a desk filled with paper shopping bags, and in each bag were ten balls from the summer collection, at half price. In one bag I saw six balls of "my" chlorophyll Ondé, in another they offered six balls in the orangeade shade. They sold a few of their patternbooks with a 50% reduction, so I bought a nice book with baby clothes for only 2.50. (The same as Rob from Threadbears described in detail a few days ago. And what about yarn? No. No, I bought nothing. But I know where to go once I have decided which cuddly little thing I will knit for the famous niece/nephew.

A million flimsy plastic bags...

...are currently living peaceful non-productive lives in a crammed cupboard in our kitchen. No more so! They will be cut into strips and crocheted into a big sturdy useful shopping tote. Like "Gotta make ... something" just did (scroll to 28/5). I'll see if I can recruit my husband to the stripcutting. I wonder if it is easier to knit plastic than to crochet it?

Gotta make ... something has a pattern for crocheted sandals, I wonder if it would be a good idea to use stripped plastic bags for the soles?

Nordic Secret Friend II

So far, 19 people have signed up chez Te, Garn og Sjokolade. This will be sooo nice!

Quick blue things

While cooking Sunday lunch I whipped out some Fimo buttons. Not bad for a first attempt. Pics later, as always.

Nordic Secret Friend

A Nordic "Secret friend" project is in the works.

The rules:
- Sign up before 30 June. First package to be sent around 15 July.
- Blogging about the packages, and showing pictures of the received goods is highly encouraged.
- There will be four packages in all, with four different recipients.
- Package 1 (15 July) Something knitting-related worth approx 100 NOK
- Package 2 (20 August) Anything. An encouraging surprise worth approx 50 NOK.
- Package 3 (15 October) Something you've done yourself.
- Package 4 (30 November) See package 1.
- All participants will be asked to fill in a profile to help the secret friends find something suitable.
- You are not allowed to abandon once you've signed up. No punishment has been foreseen, but expect the knitting godesses to tangle up your threads considerably if you leave...

More info (in Norwegian) and the possibility to sign up: Garn, Te & Sjokolade

100 NOK = 107 SEK = 11,47 EUR (enl Forex.se)

Phildar Ondé - this year only

I have half a sleeve to go on my Onde Pull, but I have been icording bag handles for a while now, so the chloropfyll wonder had to wait. Now I just saw on the Blackdog blog that Ondé will be discontinued after this season. So, if you're curious about this beauty, place an order. Or put it on your list of possible bargains next year.

If you want to try it, I can recommend the Belgian onlineshop Phildar Wervik. For orders over 25?, you only pay half of the actual postage. The site is now available in English as well as French and Dutch. I will add Phildar Wervik to my right bar links.

Fina väskor!

Norska Ull og Tull presenterar fina små väskor, presenter inför skolavslutningen. Flott! (för att tala norska, ordet har en lite annan valör på svenska)

Jag borde gå igenom min garnlåda och se vilka ullgarn jag har som inte är superwashbehandlade. En mycket god vän fyllde år häromdagen, kaske skulle jag sno ihop en liten väska åt henne?

Happy knitting

The Danish knitter who writes 123strik.dk links to a Norwegian yarn store called Happy Knitting. One of the basic ideas behind Happy knitting is that happy thoughts and wishes are merged into the fabric you knit for a person, and that the love and care put into the work will follow it to its recipient. It is a lovely thought (even though I don't really believe in it). Happy Knitting has a series of sweaters (lykkegenser)for children, with symbols for good wishes. I would like to borrow the idea for the knitting I will do for the niece or nephew to come, but I will draw other symbols.

Yet another German

A new addition to my sidebar: Mariannes Opalwolle. A site dedicated to Opal sockenwolle. I am not very familiar with the normal price for this yarn, but 6 euros per 100 g ball seems interesting, or what do you think? She also carries Socka, Lorna's laces and knitting supplies. Go look!

Cleaning out my closet

I have started a campaign to finish on-going seemingly never-ending projects. The next candidate on my list is a woolen intarsia thing that I started on a very long time ago, when I had yarn (Novita, in autumn shades), some nice motifs and an itch in my knitting fingers. Too bad I didn't have a pattern or any clear idea. I knitted a tube with a vague plan to transform it into a sweater or a cardigan, but it turned out slightly too narrow and too long. I left it for several years, and once a year or so, I have brought it out to fondle it and think about possible uses. Last time I noticed a few small holes in it, but I hope it is from children playing with scissors and not from bugs. The holes put an end to all plans for sweater-making, and I decided to felt the Thing and see if it would make a nice tote. A preliminary report: yes, it will. I am knitting I-cords now, for twisted hanks à la Sophie. Mine will be in two or three colours, to match the bag.

I suppose the bag will need a name, and from now on I call it Danish October, to remind me of the source of the motifs and the autumn-warm material and colourway. You will get pics shortly.

Another German in the sidebar

I have added another German woolshop online. They have a limited supply of Opal Seide, Opal sock yarn with silk. I'm curious, but for the moment I really can't afford any yarn - at all.

We're not talking yarn diet here - we're talking yarn famine. (If it hadn't been for my stashed balls and skeins, that is...)

Ripped

If Blogger was a knitter, and my posts are knitted pieces, then I'd say that ten centimeters of perfect intarsia was ripped by accident or pure malice the other night. I have decided to keep an eye open for European online yarn dealers, and I started with a fairly thorough description of a German woolstore, Rikes Wollmaus. It all disappeared when I clicked "Publish post" I will not rewrite it, but it seems to be worth a try. The Special offers are interesting.

Spiderwoman's web II

The famous Spiderwoman web, captured by a very talented nine year old photographer...

Halfway to Christmas

One of two dominobags from Christmas 2002. This photo is taken before washing/felting rge bag. The pattern is from Vivian Hoxbro's website, and a very good introduction to dominoknitting.

The same bag a little later. The finished bag had pearl embroidery and knitted handles. I böocked it with wooden building blocks while it was still damp.

Design changes

I just switched to one of Blogger's ready-made templates. I don't have the time and patience to find out how to adapt my Life de Luxe template to Blogger's by-page archiving.

I suppose there will be some anomalies, I'll clean them up when I can.

Spiderwoman's web

(Ondé status: finished back, front and one sleeve)

My husband and I received a last minute invitation to the ambassador's reception tonight (in celebration of Sweden's national day, which was yesterday). I asked about the dress code for the event, and the reply was "nothing fancy, a suit for our husband and a summer dress for you". I hope my idea of summer dress is the same as the other guests', more or less. "Nothing fancy" is my middle name, so to speak...

I will wear a dress I bought a few years ago, it's black, sleeveless and has a big rose printed in the front. To cover the upper arms I needed a shawl, so I knited a very simple one yesterday, and that was My Fastest Knit Ever. MFKE is not a nice name for a shawl, so I have decided to name it "Spiderwoman's web". This is how you do it:

Yarn: a ball of white Colinette mohair, a fine thread with lots of fluff
Needles: 15 mm (yes, we're talking telephone poles here...)

Cast on 3 stitches
Row 1: Knit 2, YO, knit remaining stitches. (YO: wrap yarn over the needle, omslag på svenska)
Repeat ad nauseum
Bind off very loosely.

Fasten yarn ends, dampen the shawl and block it over night.

No Più

I went back to the shop today and took a second look at Più. I "finger-crocheted" a chain and realized that I don't like the structure of the yarn and the look of the stitches. So, no big black sweater in my immediate future.

Our boys need sox

The American Red Cross commemorates the 6th June 1944 with ...a knitting kit! A vintage pattern for socks, needles, wool in military olive green, everything needed to knit for the troops. I suppose the troops are wearing something of microfibers made in Taiwan these days... Theresa in Norway has links to related stories, including a photo of the contents of the tin box. I would love a box, but with postage, packaging and taxes, it might be a bit too expensive.

My list of things ahead

1. finish the Onde Pull. (Phildar Ondé)
2. a striped tank in black, charcoal and khaki. (Four Season's Firenze)
3. a new version of my Sangria tank (Schachenmayer(?) Microfiber)
4. something very soft and nice for an upcoming niece or nephew
5. a cardigan (Filatura di Crosa Sunday)
6. a second sock for Jonas (or for his younger cousin, the first sock may be too small already)
7. finishing touches for the morning surf scarf
8. finishing touches for the Düsseldorf Zero Five bag
9? A black sweater (Filatura di Crosa Piu)
10. An entrelac hat (mixed mohair-mix leftovers)

The Onde is done on 3-3.5 mm needles, so the obvious contrast would be to finish the DZF bag. I need to knit a shoulder band, and sew a stiff lining, I have abandoned the plan for felting this baby.

More cheap yarn?

The bargain store around the corner sells a Lana Grossa arn called Piu, it's the same as Filatura di Crosa's Adhoc Piu, sold by Elann. Elann only has camel beige, my little shop only has black (or charcoal?). It's a wool/acrylic mix in a super bulky (polar) weight. Elann figures that 13-16 balls are necessary for a sweater. Given that the price is 0.55 euro per ball, I might need to go back there in my lunch hour. A big black sweater is always useful. The only thing that holds me back is that I have wool for a "Sunday" cardigan, and a mercerised cotton for a striped tank top waiting in one of my office desk drawers, all from the same cheap source. Hmm. I'll go there at lunch and see what I think. As you can see from the photo in Elann's page, the yarn is made of many thin strands, with very little twist. Snag risk ahead.