MORE YARN!!!

I'm losing it. I just bought more yarn - Sublime Merino, Silk, Cashemere DK


I need nr. 8 seed beads to go with it. And I have about 27 days to finish a huge shawl, with hundreds of small beads, block it, pack it and send it off to Italy for a dear friend of mine. Wish me luck.

Stash enhance

I have projects for next 6 months chosen, but I couldn't help myself to buy more yarn. This time from a fellow knitter here in Singapore.

I got 6 skeins of Jaeger Silky Tweed (alpaca and merino) and...

4 skeins of Kaalund Yarns Enchante' (100% hand-dyed silk).

So 7 months of projects. And I have ordered half a cone of Jaggerspun Zephyr.

And I have to buy some cobweb for a shawl. 

I think I am set until my next trip to Europe... and beyond...

New purchases for 2008

My stash, even though still high on kilos is low on material to work with. Sounds funny, when I say that I have about 12 kg of yarn, but quite understandable, if you look at the content - it's all odds and ends and odd balls I've bought thinking I will try freeform crochet soon (yeah right, but I still can have that dream can't I?)

I must say that buying yarn from Estonia is real fun! Mainly because the prices ARE much lower than in Europe, even though the brands and yarns might be exactly the same or at least same quality.

Like any Virgo, I must make lists, so here is my list of Holiday purchases:


Two 260 gram hanks of Artistic by Aade Lõng (it looks very similar to Kauni Effektgarn), but I am not convinced fully, I would have to compare. I have serious feeling that it is the same.

8 balls of BBB filati Meriseta. It has 70% wool and 30% silk, and I have a felling it will turn into something really beautiful. It's price - low for a silkblend.

6 balls of Rowan Tapestry. Like the feeling of the yarn, have an idea, something to do with the Noro I ordered from Japan....

Two hanks of Titan Wool Merinos Extra for a lace shawl in mind. And yes, it is more convenient to buy Italian yarns from Estonia, rather than from Italy.

Three hanks of Estonian 100% wool by Elotroi (name: Liisu) which is excellent to knit traditional socks and mitts from Estonia.

To achieve the patterns of handknit mitts of Estonia one needs correct tools: I bought new double pointed needles, for which it seems US folks even don't have numbers - 1,5 mm and 1,25 mm needles. The lowest if I'm not mistaken is US 00 which is equivalent for 1,75 mm needles?

As an addition to my serious yarn addiction I also bought knitting books:

A vintage knitting pattern collection from 1950ies: Claire Hallik "Silmuskudumine" and it's newer colored version from the 70ies.

And something I suggest even if you don't read Estonian, but can read colored charts (that's 100% of you):

Photo from:
http://www.rahvaraamat.ee/?id=63&no=R069511#

Eesti Kindakirjad (Estonian Mitten Patterns) by Elo Lutsepp and Irina Tammis. Since I am the proud owner of Aino Praakli's booklets of Patterned mittens (Eesti kirikindad I and II) I can fully recommend this book as an addition to the other books. There are none (or very few) overlapping patterns as I've conculded so far. The book is entirely in Estonian, with a short introduction to knitting mittens and gloves, but an experienced or even advanced mitt-knitter should find no problems by the lack of language knowledge, all patterns are colorfully charted so that the knitter can decide on its own how she or he wants the mitten.

As an addition I bought a book: Vatt, Troi, Vamsa - Knitted Jackets from West-Estonian Islands by Riina Tomberg, it's a bilingual book (estonian-english), but doesn't have any patterns, it is a research based reading for people interested in this type of subjects illustrated with many photos.

Faux-roositud

These mittens are not the very first FOs of the 2008, I managed to finish a pair of baby mitts beforehand, but I won't present them without a decent picture, so there Faux Roositud have the honor to be very first ones presented on 2008.
,

Why are they Faux, one may ask. Quite simple, roositud inlay is supposed to be done with just a single thread, but I used it double, otherwise I would have had to go down on needle size and there simply wasn't much to go down to. But I already bought 1,5 mm dpns, so soon I want to go for another attempt.

Info:
yarn - simple estonian homespun, no idea who made it though, approximately 80-90 grams.
pattern - my own.
needles - for cuff 2mm, else done with 2,5 mm.

2007

In 2007 I knit:
10 scrafs/shawls (including 3 lace shawls)
6 hats/berets
5 baby or child pullovers/cardigans
2 cardigans (one is a bolero)
2 child skirts
2 pairs of socks
1 pair of baby pants
1 pair of mittens
1 crocheted table set

30 items all together, plus some that will be FOs in 2008.
I still have a lot to achieve this year:
I think I ought to pay more attention to finishing than starting, because in my mind, people who work on 1-2 WIPs at a time, accomplish more.
I want to start writing down patterns.
I want to knit more, and I think I can do it by limiting my internet time and increasing knitting time.
I think I ought to work more with my native patterns and techniques and maybe help other knitters enter to the wonders of Scandinavian and Baltic knitting.
I want to dye wool with herbs and plants and hope to use my summer vacation for that.
These are not wishes but things I really want to do, and it is not very important that I manage to do them in 2008 - any year is good.

I do have one thing that will come with me to the next year as well: knit with Curiosity, Creativity and Courage. And that's what I wish for all of You as well.