Can't Knit!

I have tendinitis or something of the like in my left little finger, I can't knit at all and it hurts even if I don't :/ And just when things are so so stressful, this is really killing me! At least I can share with you two pairs of socks I finished before this horrible misery.

Here is Mona by Cookie A. from Knit.Sock.Love:

They were gifted to a friend for her birthday. Below you can see my version of Paignton by Rachel Coopey. Really nice pattern, one of my favorites from the book but they just don't fit my feet :( The afterthought heel doesn't suit me plus they are too wide on the feet... It doesn't show that much on the photos, though. I hope they fit someone as I intend to give them as a Christmas present!

Busy Times, Small Projects

I'm here to show some recent finishes. It's been a while since I blogged, but life is just a little crazy now with school and all. Well, I am still finding some time for knitting so all is not lost ;)

First, here's Woolgather, a great hat by Caitlin ffrench, and a free pattern, too! I used Novita Isoveli, a bulky weight yarn in a great color. The hat is quick and easy and so comfortable and warm. It's been getting really cold here in Finland last couple of days so I actually wore it today.

I also finished a pair of socks from Rachel Coopey's Coop Knits Socks, Pennycress. They are going to go in the Christmas present pile as they are a little big for me. Still, they were a very enjoyable, easy knit.

And last but not least, something I just finished, Katya choker by Dawn L.E. Riden, also a free pattern available on her blog easily found via Ravelry. This is for a friend for her birthday. I'll also make her earrings if I have time.

I've also been getting some nice things in the mail recently. First I got my Knit.Sock.Love. KAL prize from Handmaiden Fine Yarn, a skein of Lace Silk in the colorway Polar Sea. It is 900 meters of 100% silk! I can't wait to knit with it :)

And just yesterday I got the most squishy fingering weight merino from Rachel Coopey as a prize for her summer KAL. It's Toddy by the the Yarn Yard and I am in love with it! 

Bette Top with a Keyhole Neckline

Here it is, finished and photographed, my Bette top from Knit Vintage by Madeline Weston and Rita Taylor. I fell in love with this top back in January when we visited a bookstore in London. The price of the book was a little much for me, though, but luckily my local library carried it! And now the top is finally finished and I am so very happy with it. I took these pictures styled in a vintage way, the dress I actually sew myself for my cousin's wedding. I wanted to take pictures styled a modern way, too, and there are two in the end. The yarn is Hjertegarn Primevera Cotton, a fingering weight cotton yarn. I liked knitting with it once I got started, though it did feel splitty and difficult at first. Now here are the photos:

In the last two photos you can see the closing of the neckline, the reason why it's called a keyhole neckline. I think it looks fab both open and closed. Yes, I must say I am happy with this top!

More Socks... Sorry!

The evenings have shortened and darkened, winter is coming... Well, at least I'll be able to start wearing all these woolen socks I seem to not be able to stop knitting! Still, I can't believe how quick summer has gone by and how in only one short week I have to start studying again. How is that even possible? Beats me.

I have some great news, at least for me, as I won a skein of yarn from Handmaiden Fine Yarn! They are one of the sponsors for Cookie A.'s book Knit.Sock.Love. knitalong on Ravelry and by knitting my Stricken socks (see last post) and having good luck I won a skein of yarn. I don't yet know if I get to choose the skein or not but anyway I am pretty pleased!

I have also finished a few more pairs since then and other things, too. I actually finished my Bette top a while ago but I haven't gotten around to taking pictures as I need my photographer for that. But now I'll show you what I have finished and photographed:

First we have Herbology socks, by Rachel Coopey, found in the Unofficial Harry Potter Knits, which I by the way LOVE! The yarn is Kool-aid dyed by me, as you may remember, it's called Sphagnum.

Then we have a crocheted collar, a free pattern from Ravelry, Crochet Peter Pan Collar. I think it's pretty cute. The button is something I found on the street years ago, I think I was around ten years old and I have had it since then. I'm happy it has finally found its place.

And finally we have a pair of Cookie A.'s socks, In and Out. This pair has gotten a lot of positive feedback on Ravelry and I am quite happy with them myself :) The yarn is Zitron Trekking Sport XXL.

Well, that's it for now. I'll be sure to post pictures of Bette as soon as I have them. It's lovely! :)

Stricken

I've been finishing some older projects as well as starting some new ones and I hope I'll soon have more to share. However, here's a pair of socks I finished a few weeks ago, the pattern is again from Cookie A.'s Knit.Sock.Love., the beautiful Stricken. My version is a tame light green as opposed to the canary yellow of the one in the book. I'm really happy with these socks, the fit is great, and I really think the yarn (Novita Pikkusisko in 321) suits the pattern.

Socks and Shawls

I have been knitting a lot in the past few weeks and am here now to show what I've created. First, here's the shawlette I knit with the miniskeins I dyed with red onion skins. The pattern is Elk Tooth by Caitlin ffrench and I think it looks fabulous striped in these earth tones!

The happy wearer

Blocking - you can see the different colors really well

Then we have another shawl by Caitlin ffrench, Seven and Zero. The blue green yarn of this shawl I also dyed myself, as you may remember, with Kool-aid and blue food coloring. The purple is store bought but looks really good with the blue-green!

Oh, and then there are the socks - are you bored with them yet? First we have Milfoil by Rachel Coopey, and it's knit in the beautiful green I managed to dye with food coloring, onion skins, more food coloring and finally turmeric... They go so well together! I also knit a pair in sport weight Novita Nalle, Koiranputkisukat by Pia Tuononen, an Finnish pattern for a change. But it's also been translated, and available for free on Ravelry.

Milfoil by Rachel Coopey

Milfoil in the forest

Koiranputkisukat by Pia Tuononen

Dyeing with Red Onion Skins

I thought I'd get green. I didn't. But I did get all sorts of beautiful browns, one pretty good ochre and a beautiful pinkish color! I made miniskeins of sport weight Novita Nalle, 75% wool 25% nylon, to test out all kinds of different combinations: I tried adding vinegar, lemon juice, salt and baking soda to my color broth and had a few separate broths with different amounts of onion skins. Finally I dyed Garnstudio Drops Fabel with a lot of onion skins and some vinegar and lemon juice. Here are the results:

Miniskeins!

Miniskeins balled up

Sock yarn!

I have not yet come up with a name for this new beautiful brown sock yarn, any ideas? As for the miniskeins, I've already started to knit something with them. I just couldn't wait, they were so beautiful and looked so good together. I am knitting Caitlin ffrench's Elk Tooth with all the pretty colors, starting with the darkest and ending with the pink - the same order as they are photographed in the first photo. I am knitting the third color now and it looks so good already!