Marimekko scarf

I have finished a scarf that I've been having on my list for a long time, ever since I saw it a couple of years ago on another knitting blog. I bought the pattern and put it neatly into my file of patterns, where it stayed untill I happened to chance upon it the other day while I was looking for something else.

I followed my recent decision about sticking to earthy, natural colours when I bought the yarn.

Making this scarf involves weaving in a lot of ends,

 but the construction of the scarf ensures that it's fun to make, as you build it up stripe by stripe.

A fun and fairly quick knit!

Pattern: Marimekko scarf by Vivian Høxbro
Yarn: Drops fabel
Needles: 3mm
In other news:

All the snow has melted away, and the other day I was able to catch a few minutes in the sun! 

Mira has had her spring bath and is happy with the way things are going.

My workspace

As I've mentioned earlier, I am currently spending most of my time writing a bachelor on child welfare. This is how it looks where I spend my days:

From the other angle:

Books all over, even on my heirloom chest.

The chest is from my paternal grandmothers childhood home, and is nearly  two hundred years old.

I have allways loved this chest, ever since I was a little girl, and was very happy to inherit it!
But it's not all work and no play :)

A new cardigan is on my needles. In Noro! 
Here is my daughter Jenny on her horse Surprise, early one foggy morning in April.

O w l s

This is my second O w l s. I made the first one a couple of years ago, in a blueish greenish colour. That was one of those garments I made in a bright colour wich I ended up never wearing because of the colour.

This time I spent some time looking for just the right yarn in just the right colour.

I ended up using two types of yarn, one 100 % wool in a light not completely solid beige, and one thin mohair in a darker beige. This gives a lot of depth in the knitted fabric. The photo is completely out of focus but you get an idea of the colours :)

This time I am quite happy with the colour and I'm sure I will wear this o w l more often then the first one!
Pattern: O w l s from Needled
Yarn: Fritidsgarn 100 % wool from Sandnesgarn and Vivaldi mohair/wool/polymide from Drops
Needles: 5.5 and 6.0mm

Malawi wants to point out that he is kind of beige too!

Granny square bag

Inspired by Lucy in the Attic I started crocheting granny squares, following this tutorial, planning to make a blanket.

After crocheting a couple of squares I started thinking:

Making a blanket like this is going to take AGES! 

So instead I made a bag :)

 I started at the bottom, crocheting on both sides of a crochet chain, increasing and changing colours as I went...

Untill it was big enough to join to a ring of eight granny squares. Then I added some more stripes at the top as well.

To make the handle I started with a triangle made from half a granny square, and then made a crochet chain between the two triangles, the same length I wanted the handle. Then I continued with the stripes on both sides of the chain, including the top of the bag.

Finally I lined the bag with some brown cotton fabric, also making a small pocket to keep the little things, with a zipper.
I was very happy with the result, and the bag didn't take too long to make :)
Pattern: my own, made up as I went.
Yarn: Lerke, a cotton/wool blend from Dalegarn.

Maja in the flesh

Look! Spring has arrived in my garden! Most of it is still coverd in snow, but one little corner is bare, and those are my tulips taking a peak!

These days I spend a lot of time writing on my bachelor in child welfare, but I still get some time to knit too.

I finished Maja the hat.

I really like knitting with variegated yarn on a solid base. And I love the Maja pattern!

I didn't manage to keep the gauge of 36 stitches, which I though was really tiny!

So I sort of made a beret instead of a hat...(Notice Malawi's white toe in the upper right corner. Making sure I'm doing it right).

But I still love the colours!

And it still fits, even though I didn't keep the gauge.

Details:
Pattern: Maja the hat from Born to Knit
Yarn: Mc: PT2 and Cc Drops Delight
Needles: 2 and 2.5
A nice knit in a lovely pattern, will definitely make more of these! But then in a thinner yarn, perhaps next time it will be a hat rather than a beret : )

Ninja thinks a sun streak on the floor is great for napping!

Maja in the mailbox

 Winter is doing a repeat performance at my end of the world to day.

I don't mind because look what I got in my mailbox yesterday!

The pattern for Maja the hat, from Born to knit.

I couldn't wait to cast on, and now I can't wait to get to the beautiful flowery fair isle pattern!

Malawi doesn't mind the snow either....

as long as somebody, anybody, will give him a scratch!

Icelandic Lace Shawl

 

Some years ago my boyfriend and I spent a week at the danish island Bornholm. One day we came a cross a small farm where they bred a very old breed of sheep, "spelsau". They also designed and sold knitted items and yarn made from the wool of these sheep, in addition to selling lamb meat and skins. In addition to breeding spelsau, they were breeding the danish horse "knabstruper". It was a beautiful place, and the owner was very friendly, showing us around and telling us all about the sheep and horses. When we left, I had bought a couple of skeins of naturally coloured yarn, one from a white sheep, and one from a brown sheep. I wanted to knit something very special from this yarn. 

Not too long after our return to Norway, I found the perfect project for the yarn: the Icelandic lace shawl. I needed some more colours, so I found a yarn that was similar in thickness and quality.

 

I was very pleased with the result, and I now have a beautiful shawl to remind me of a wonderful vacation and a great visit to the little farm with the sheep and the horses.

Details:

Pattern: Icelandic lace shawl, free download from Knitting daily.

Yarn: naturally coloured yarn from spelsau and Tove from Sandnes garn.

Finished size: 200cm/80" across the top, 80cm/32" long.

Weight: 271grams

Yeela is wondering whats going on. Why is everybody out taking pictures?

 Mira says: I dunno, but I think it's for her blog.

Turn a Square

Remember this?

I made it into this :)

It never ceases to amaze me, how one can take a piece of string, and make it into a garment of any shape. I think it is fascinating.

Turn a Square by Jared Flood of Brooklyn Tweed
Yarn: Sandnes Fantasy sock yarn and some brown pure wool from my stash.
Needles: 4mm
Comments: A very light hat, for spring or autumn perhaps. Easy and quick to knit. The stripes in variegated yarn makes it interesting too! How will it look when the next colour comes up?

 I have found use for the yarn I bought on sale the last time too! :)