Denver Yarn Storming

I had such a fantastic time in Denver! I had no idea what to expect, as Denver just did not ever cross my mind as a city to visit in the States. Now I can’t wait to go back some day. The people are friendly, the city is beautiful and I had a really great time there!

Flying over Greenland was breathtaking!

My event took place in Civic Center Park, and we decorated some trees there. It was a great day in the sun and I would like to thank everyone who showed up and added to the installation! Now, pictures speak louder than words, so here are a few for you to see!

It really turned out so great, I am a very happy camper!

I also visited Fancy Tiger Crafts while I was there. I wanted to visit more yarn stores while there, but I did not have as much time as I would have wanted.

This really caught my eye! So pretty!

If I was a spinner….

The store is big and absolutely beautiful!

They even have Lopi for sale! Always happy to see Icelandic Wool when I am traveling.

This pretty lot followed me back to my hotel room. Oh so pretty!

Vertices Unite

When I started my vacation I also started a new project. One of my favorite designers, Stephen West released not one, but three new shawls for summer. Off course I bought the ebook with all of them as they are all beautiful and I like adding to my growing SW pattern collection on Ravelry. This shawl, Vertices Unite was the one who called out to me the loudest so I decided to go for it. Garter, colours and stripes, just perfect for easy summer knitting.

I had a very hard time picking the colour combo. First I went through my stash and pulled out everything that was in the right weight and mixed and matched what I had. I took some photos and you can see them here.
None of these really jumped out though. Also, I really wanted to put this skein of of Posh Yarns to good use. I have had it forever and for some reason it was calling out to me to finally use it for something.

I only had one left because I gave one to my friend Rósa so I really wanted to find something that would work with it. The yarn has so many colours in it so picking something to go with it would probably not be that hard. The first colour I picked to go with it was my leftover yellow Geilsk wool&cotton mix that I had left since I knitted my Curry Cardigan. So then I needed 3 other colours. So off to Litla Prjónabúðin I went with my yarns.

I added dark and light purple in Geilsk wool&cotton and then this gorgeous skein of Silkbloom Fino from BC Garn. There, I had my colours and yarns so there was nothing left to do but cast on.

Knitting this shawl was fun and easy. The pattern is well written and garter and stripes is just something that never gets old or boring. I had a lot of fun mixing the colours together and deciding what should go where and with what etc. Yesterday I finished it and me and the man went out late list night to take some shots in the beautiful evening sun.

Pattern: Vertices Unite by Stephen West
Yarn: Geilsk 3 ply Bomuld og uld, BC Garn Silkbloom Fino and Posh Yarn Impress
Needles: 3.5mm
Section 1: Posh Yarns Impress and Geilsk Cotton&Wool in light purple
Section 2: Geilsk Cotton&Wool in light and dark purple
Section 3: Silkbloom Fino in pink
Section 4: Geilsk Cotton&Wool in dark purple
Section 5: Geilsk Cotton&Wool in yellow and Posh Yarns Impress
Section 6: Geilsk Cotton&Wool in light purple and a dash of yellow
i-cord bind off: Silkbloom Fino

Sorting through the WIP cabinet

One of the things that I wanted to do in the new year was to go through both my WIP/UFO cabinet and my yarn stash. Today I went through the WIP/UFO cabinet and did some cleaning and organising. It was not as bad as I thought!

I took photos to show you what I have hidden in there. There is just one WIP that I can’t show you as it is top secret until it is done. But here goes, I am airing my whole WIP/UFO collection here.

Here is the cabinet before I organised everything. And my notebook and some zip lock bags for some of the projects.

All the bags are out and on the floor. What is in them? I had some idea, but wasn’t sure of all of it.

Bjarki’s lopapeysa that I made for him needs some mending under the arms and I need to sew the zipper better as it has loosened with all the use it has gotten. This one did not go back into the cabinet as I am going to repair it tonight so that I can give it back to Bjarki next time he comes over.

The bed spread I am crocheting for our bed! It hasn’t gotten much attention lately, mainly because of my very secret WIP, but as soon as that is done, I imagine this will be my next focus piece. So neatly folded with all of the yarn, back into the cabinet it went to be ready for my attention.

A crochet shawl. This is in fact not my project, Helgi is making it! I love the colours and the green is dyed by me. It went into it’s own project bag and back into the cabinet so that Helgi can grab it when he feels like it.

Now, this one is almost done. Just the finishing touches left. But, it also needs a partner that is smaller and has a different colour where the purple one is. It is very high on my priority list to get these finished a.s.a.p.

Various stuff for some yarn graffiti.

Crochet curtains for a pub. Need to know if I should finish these or not.

One sock for Karítas that I did ages ago, too small now so I am either making the other one and giving it to someone, or frogging it or using the yarn for something else, like socks in the right size for her!

The start of a shawl. Frogged as I want to use the yarn for something else.

One sock for myself. Need and want to finish the other one, just have been suffering from ‘second sock syndrome’ since I finished the first one.

A cabled bag that I really want to finish, but I need to buy more yarn for it!

BSJ that I started, then the cat got a hold of it and I couldn’t figure out how much had frogged so I frogged the whole thing and will use the yarn for something else.

I thought that there would be way more in there! And I am very happy that I just frogged the items that I knew I would never ever finish anyway. I put everything in their separate bags or zip locks, depending on the size of the projects and the amount of yarn, and put them in back into the cabinet so that I can grab them easily whenever I feel like working on them.
None of these projects are something that I need to finish very soon, except for the knitted sweaters that I was hoping on finishing before Christmas, but off course things got busy and I just couldn’t.

Then I put my yarn into my yarn cabinet that you can see here. Now, I kind of need to go through it and organise it better. I will do that soon, maybe even tomorrow if I have the time.

2013 – Finishes

It’s been a wonderful year.
Like the years before, I am doing a list of my finished projects.

Stitching
Freebie from TraLaLa – finished as a pin cushion
Total: 1 finished project

Knitting
Cardigan for Pálmi
Curry cardigan for myself
Camomille shawl for myself
Turn a square hat for the man
Grettir for Óli Sindri
Total: 5 finished projects

Crochet
Wave blanket for Karítas
Bugða blanket for Sumarrós
Vintage blanket for my sister, Gyða
Electric Ripple blanket for a friends baby
Granny Stripe blanket for my nephew, Adrían
Viktoría collar for me
Viktoría necklace for Aimee
Viktoría necklace for Karítas
Viktoría necklaces for Þóra and Freyja
Viktoría necklace for Erla, Sumarrós’s sister
Viktoría necklace for Helga Soffía
Viktoría necklace for Steinunn Lóa
Bow Tie for my nephew, Adrían
Bow Tie for Starri, Sumarrós’s brother
Slaufa, for a friends baby
Slaufa, for Karítas’s baby sister
Cardigan for Karítas’s baby sister
Washcloths for me and the man
Washcloth for Karítas
Washcloth for Sumarrós
Mittens for Sumarrós
Mittens for Karítas
Hat for Karítas
Light green jar cover
White jar cover
Purple jar cover
Orange jar cover #1
Orange jar cover #2
Dark green jar cover
Red jar cover
Gray jar cover
White and black jar covers
Crochet stone #1
Crochet stone #2
Lægð, cowl
6 hair elastics for Sóley
Wash cloth
Súld, hat for my cousin Bjarki (here modeled by Karítas)
Lægð, wrapped scarf for Karítas
Bow Tie for my friend Einar. No photo, but one is hopefully coming soon.
Total: 40 finished projects

Yarnstorming
Hlemmur – bus stop in Reykjavík
The sign that marks my grandfathers summer house
Laxá í Kjós
By Hespuhúsið
In a car
Womens Rights
Gay Pride
Total: 7 finished projects

We wish you a very happy 2014 and I hope that you continue to drop by to my little blog.

New Finishes

Our friends just had a new baby. I love making tiny little gifts for newborn babies, so both of these projects were a joy to make. I started the blanket sometime in February and have been working on it on and off since then. I used up some colors of Kambgarn that I had in my stash, and I absolutely love the color combination. The pattern is super easy and I love the outcome.

Pattern: Electric Ripple by Kloss Gosa
Yarn: Kambgarn
Hook: 3.5mm
Ravelry link

The top was very easy and quick! And I absolutely love the finished result. I am going to ask for a picture of the baby wearing it. I love having pictures of the items I make being used by the people I make them for.

Pattern: Slaufa by Tinna Þórudóttir Þorvaldar
Yarn: Isager Strik Alpaca 2
Hook: 2.5mm
Ravelry link

I hope these gifts will keep the baby warm through winter. They were both a joy to make!

2011 – Finishes

Happy New Year! I can’t believe another year is here. 2011 was in many ways a very good year and in other ways a pretty crappy one for me. Probably the biggest roller coaster year ever for me. It ended well though and 2012 started out well too so here is hoping for a good one!

Like always I do a list of finishes so here we go.

Knitting finishes:
1) She’s a Rainbow shawl. Pattern based on Simple Things by Mary-Heather Cogar.
2) Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmermann
3) The Whitney Headband by Jennifer DiMaria
4) Basic Four Needle Mittens – Super Fine by Patons
5) Stockholm Scarf by knittedblissJC
6) Basic Child’s Gradiance Sock in Foot Prints by Laura Lough
7) Pretty basic socks – no real pattern
8) Barnapeysa með hettu by Astrid Ellingsen
9) Still Light by Veera Välimäki
10) Brownstone by Jared Flood
11) Stripe Study Shawl by Veera Välimäki
12) Terra by Jared Flood – finished but need to wash and block it and take new pictures.
13) Butternut Scarf by Anne Hanson – finished but need to take better pictures.
14) Tree of Light by Cordula Surmann-Schmitt
15) Akimbo by Stephen West
16) I Heart Lace by Inese Andzane
17) Parisian Twist Headband Ear Warmer by Elisa McLaughlin
18) Bow Headband by Beth Postelwait
19) Honey Hat by Hannah Fettig
20) Classic Mittens by Bernhard Ulmann
21) Socks for Bjarki – my own design short row heel

Stitching finishes:
1) Antique Hearts Needleroll – Shepherd’s Bush
2) Heart Pinkeep – freebie
3) Strawberry Emery – Blackbird Designs
4) Winter Pinkeep – Just Nan freebie

So happy new year dear friends and readers!

Two SAL updates

Thanks everyone for the comments and e-mails of support about me stitching more! You guys are amazing!
I started a SAL with Carolyn after my latest post. We are stitching ‘Antique Hearts Needleroll’ by Shepherd’s Bush. Here is my progress.

Antique Hearts Needleroll – Shepherd’s Bush

As you may have noticed, I got the wrong lace in my kit. It was supposed to be wider and with hearts on it, but mine was slim and had flowers on it. I don’t mind really, it will just make mine unique 🙂

I am also stitching a small monthly SAL that I started up in my Icelandic stitching group. The group has not been very active lately, and this is an attempt to keep both myself, and other stitchers busy and their needles flying. The rules are pretty simple, it is a monthly SAL, the design has to be relatively small and available as a freebie online. Here is my progress of this little project.

Petit Chat by TraLaLa
40ct Raw Linen – 1 over two
Hickory Sticks and Secondhand Rose by Crescent Colours

The pictures are not so good since it is dark most of the time these days and these were taken under my OTT-Lite. The best I could do in these dark filled days really.

Christmas Ornament Exchange

I stitched! Can you believe it? And I really enjoyed it! Like, really, REALLY enjoyed it!
I organized a christmas ornament exchange in my stitching group like I do every year and decided to take part in it myself, just to challenge myself to some stitching. I honestly thought that I would maybe not enjoy it, or even not know how to do it anymore (not really, but still!). I decided on something small, but cute. And this is the outcome.

Fabric: 28ct Reflections from Silkweaver
Pattern: Snow Faces by Just Nan
Threads: DMC
Beads: Mill Hill

Cute isn’t it?

I have spent some time going through my blog the past few days. Man, I have really done a lot of stitching. And most of it is pretty damn amazing even if I do say so myself. I miss it. I figured that out while knitting this little thing. So, I am going to stitch at least a little each week (maybe just for a day or something) in 2011. I have SO MUCH STASH! It is heartbreaking to just watch it collect dust in my stash cabinet. I realize that I have to go through it and sort out what I know I will never stitch, but I haven’t had the time or the heart to do so as of yet. I will though, but only after I figure out more about what I want to finish and what not. I looked over this list that I made in September 2008 and most of these projects are still something I want to do. Do you have a project on that list and would fancy a SAL? We could dedicate one day a week to it and post pictures and encourage each other on. Please let me know, I know I need some encouragement at least!

I am not giving up on knitting at all, I would just like to do some stitching also! I really, really do miss it!

Hand dyed yarn

I have wanted to try out dyeing yarn for a long time now. Me and Rósa have talked about it often and after some research and brainstorming we decided to go for it. Our friend Lilja also took part and we were dyeing both yesterday and the day before. We used wool, Eingirni, Létt Lopi, Bulky Lopi, Kambgarn, Tysil Garn and more.

Following are my photos of the yarn that I did for myself. The rest of the yarns are drying still and have yet to be wound but they will get photographed as soon as they are ready.

Kambgarn in pink, purple and blue. Will become a shawl/scarf for Sumarrós.

Eingirni in purple.

Eingirni in two shades of brown and grey-ish blue.

Iglo soft from Tysil Garn in cherry red.

Eingirni in green.

Létt lopi in olive green.

Bulky Lopi in grey.

Off course now my head is drowning in ideas of what to do next and how to do it. I am sure there will be many more of these posts in the future. I already have some more yarn ready and everything.

Öskudagur and weekend knitting

I have been sick since Friday. I am feeling a lot better but still have a slight fever. Hopefully this is the last day with a fever since I have a very busy week ahead of me at work. So I have been staying home, watching movies and Seinfeld. Oh, how I love Seinfeld.

I have been working on a shawl for myself that I am absolutely in love with. I bough the yarn (Noro Kureyon Sock) while I was in England over Christmas and knew instantly that it would become a shawl. And when I saw the simple design that is the Boneyard Shawl I decided to make that my first knitted shawl. It is very simple and plain, just like I had imagined. The yarn really does the design, makes it look very pretty. I love the colour variation of this yarn, it reminds me of the traditional Icelandic sheep colours.

Boneyard Shawl by Stephen West
Yarn: Noro Kureyon Sock S149
Needles: 4mm

I have also been working on a Lopapeysa for my daughter Sumarrós. That one is coming together great. I am mixing and matching several Lopi designs to fit her wishes. I can’t wait to start the pattern for the chest piece.

Pattern is a mix of several Lopi designs. I will list them once the sweater is finished. Yarn is Létt Lopi from Ístex.

I am also working on a stitching project that is getting very close to being finished. Pictures of that later this week as it is for an exchange that is due tomorrow.

And this last week was Öskudagur, which is basically our Halloween of sorts. The kids dress up in costumes and go out to stores and sing for candy. Sumarrós decided to be a Disco Queen and Karítas was a princess, off course.

New yarn candy

Yarn is candy right? Stash is candy. At least it all has pretty colours and often smells nice and you just want to stuff your face in it. Here are two skeins of yarn that I bought here.

Bordeaux

Forrest Floor

• 100% Super Fine Merino
• 3.5 oz
• Appox 950 yards, A shawl or 2 scarves
• Lace weight weight–use #00-#4 needles

And then the beautiful yarns that I got as a gift from Rani.

If you click the images, I have put the info I had on the yarns under each of them on my flickr page.

I have been knitting a wool dress for a friend who is going to give it as a gift. I am soooo close to being done, I will probably finish it tonight or tomorrow. It is a combination of a few patterns but together as a dress so I am quite excited to see how it is going to turn out. So far, so good!

I will also soon have a stitching project to share! Woohoo! We are doing a heart themed exchange in my stitching group and I decided to join in on the fun to get me stitching again!

Back home – photo heavy post

Hello everyone. I got home on the 28th of December, late in the night, so I got my girls back home yesterday after my first day back at the office after the holiday. It was amazing to get my girls back. Even if I had a fantastic time in England with Ben and everyone, I sure missed my girls.

On the 23rd of December I got a new title. I am now an auntie! My sister Gyða and her boyfriend Dominik had their first child, a son named Adrian who was almost 6 weeks early into this world and is still in the hospital. He is doing great, just a little lazy when it comes to nursing so he will be able to go home as soon as he starts drinking more. I am going to the hospital today to see him and can not wait! I did a whole lot of shopping for them while I was in England and last night I gave them a huge bag full of clothes for their little son.

My sister Gyða and her son Adrian.

 

A visit to an antique store

I had to go out and do some shopping today. The fridge was basically empty and there were lots of other necessities that were needed. So since I was going out I decided to stop at an antique store that one of my stitching friends mentioned last weekend. She told me they had lots of buttons and other stuff so I just had to go and check it out. I used to be a regular at that place, but I never saw anything that I could use for my stitching there. But today I found some great treasures.

I found two old pattern books. They are not even dated so I have no clue how old they are. But there are some beautiful patterns in them, and even if they didn’t have any patterns that I thought were pretty, I would have gotten them anyway. I just love love LOVE old pattern books and am somewhat of a collector, especially of the old Icelandic ones.

These buttons were also screaming my name. I am going back to search in the thousands of buttons that are there when I have more time and energy. These were just some cute ones I found quickly.

Lace. There were drawers full of them. It was a bit of a mess to go through so again, I am going back when I have more time and energy to go through everything. I am sure there are more treasures there that just really need a new home.

I love going to places like this one. There were 3 old sewing machines that I really really wanted and I would have gotten them all if I had a bigger place and a room to display them in. There was so much furniture there that I wanted. Oh, and old HUGE tin cookie boxes and just name it. The place is beautiful and full of all kinds of great stuff. I am going to be a regular there I think.

Oh, and I got a cute new hat! I just have to share a picture of yours truly wearing it. It is purple and sparkly! Oh so me!

Tonight I plan on taking it easy and watching a movie. I also have a new project to start for a birthday in my family that is coming up. I finally found the perfect thread to go with the fabric I had already picked out. Thanks to my mom for having a great eye for color and patterns! I had been looking through all my stash and had picked out some threads that I thought would work but wasn’t sure about anything. My mom comes over and finds something that I didn’t even consider and bamm! It is the perfect color! LOL! Gotta love her 🙂 Have a great weekend everyone!

Finishing Camp – Results!

Friday night was thankfully just a slow low key night. I wasn’t feeling well because of the antibiotics and I also still had a slight fever. It was just me, Rósa and Guðbjörg that night and we just sat and stitched and talked. It was very nice. Oh, Lára and Sveina turned up late that night but didn’t stay long.

On Saturday I had a lot of guests coming. Me, Rósa, Guðbjörg, Sissú, Lára, Munda, Magnea, Anna Rósa, Aisté, Una, Erla Björk (and maybe I am forgetting someone) were all here at some point of the day and there were seven of us here for dinner. I was feeling lots better than the day before so I did get a lot of finishing done. I did finishing for myself and helped those that needed helping. It was great having all these ladies here sharing the joy of stitching and finishing, all helping each other out and learning from one another.

I am going to share with you pictures of the finishing I did for myself, for Brenda (who sent me the pieces a while ago) and a birthday present that I did for my friend Tracy.

Finishing for myself out of pieces that were stitched by me:

I stitched this tree in 2007.
Design by Lynda Baldauf – Scandinavian Stitches.
Stitched on 32ct Silkweaver Solo. Added red jingle bells instead of stitching the hearts that were in the design.

A bourse for my friend Tracy. I stitched this piece in 2008.
Little House Needleworks – Faith
28ct Gingham Natural/Cream Linen
Crescent Color threads

Needleroll kit from Shepherd’s Bush

Rose Mosaic Needleroll by M-designs
Stitched with recommended threads and embelishments
Fabric is 32ct antique white linen

These are all for me except the bourse, it is for my good friend Tracy who saw the bourse I did for Brenda and fell in love with it and wanted one. So, it is her birthday next weekend so off course she is getting one!

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Finishing I did for Brenda out of the stitched pieces she sent me:

I loved how this bookmark turned out. I thought it needed a little something to it once I had stitched it together, so I added some beads to the bottom of it. I hope Brenda will like it, I know she loves to read almost as much as she loves stitching 🙂

Cottage Garden Pinkeep
Design by Country Cottage Needleworks

Phew. So that’s it!
I hope everyone learned a lot this weekend and that people are now not afraid of trying new things and just go for it! I am thinking about having one of these weekends again in a couple of months. So if you want to come, you better start saving up! 🙂
I hope you all had a great weekend. I am off to bed!

Also, it is my dad’s 54th birthday today! Happy Birthday daddy! Love you!

Two new starts!

I hope you are all enjoying the new year. And thank you for the wonderful comments on my last posts! I am very happy about my finishes! I went through some of the unfinished ones yesterday and thought about ways of possible finishing. At least I have some ideas now for some of them, now to just find the time.

I have been discussing the option of a ‘Finishing Weekend’ in my Icelandic stitching group. The idea is that each person brings a finished stitching project and all the supplies needed to do the finishing on it that she has in mind (I will send them a list of what they need for each kind of finishing, at least the basics). And they come here and get the help they need to get their project finished. Off course I do not know every finishing technique in the book, but with the help of the internet and the blogging world I have gotten some great ideas and help in doing my own finishing lately. There are quite a few members in my stitch group that are excited about this idea and so am I so now I just need to find the perfect time for it. This would also inspire me to do some finishing on my own projects. I am thinking about having an open house for a whole weekend so people can just show up whenever and stay for as long as they want. I can even house about 2-3 people if someone is coming from far away and want to have the option of spending the night 🙂

Well. This post was supposed to be about my two new starts, got a little side tracked there! Since I finished two projects I decided to start two new projects. These were both projects that I didn’t need to buy anything for and I had everything in my stash so all is good.

Design: Trousee aux Fleurs Bleues by C’mon Monde
Fabric: 32ct Off white linen from my stash
Threads: DMC

Design: Come Tarry by Shepherd’s Bush
Fabric: 32ct Dark Espresso Linen
Threads: Threadgatherer, Soie D’Alger and Gloriana Silk

I am thinking about going to a knitting store today because I want to buy some yarn for this project. I haven’t knitted in a LONG time and I miss it. I often get the urge to knit something in January/February and I love this project. It is so me!