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August 30, 2005
Tuesday
So much for an interesting entry title... I really don't know how other people do it!
The second Branching Out is coming along nicely. It's a really nice pattern. It's fun to knit, not too boring, but not very complicated either. It really comes to life with blocking.
Union Square Market Pullover
Rineke, de kleine knoopjes zitten met z'n zessen op een kaartje, de grote met z'n vieren. Elk kaartje kost €1,15, geen geld toch? En je houdt drie grote knopen over om ergens anders voor te gebruiken!
Translation: Rineke, the small buttons are attached to a card with six of them, the larger ones with four. Each card costs €1.15, that's cheap right? And you get three large buttons to use on something else!
Jacqueline, please be patient, I'm about 150km away from my USM Pullover untill saturday! When I get home again, I will engage my SO in a photo shoot. I promise!
Posted by saartje at 8:20 PM | Comments (2)
August 29, 2005
Buttons!
I found buttons for my Union Square Market Pullover!
This is the bigger front button:
And these are small ones on the shoulder:
They're mother of pearl, and I bought them at the HEMA, a Dutch department store. To sew them on and make the button loops was a @#!*%! of a job, which I really had to force myself to do. I'm glad it's finished, but you'll have to wait for a modeled picture. I'll try to arrange a photoshoot this weekend.
Speedy knitting
Thanks for all your nice comments on Birch! It's really nice to read.
And about my knitting speed: I don't think I knit particularly fast, but when I like something and I put my mind to it, I seem to fly through. It also helps that I spend about 8 hours a week on the train, which gives my lots of knitting time. And I just LOVE to knit!
Another Branching Out
In the meanwhile, I started another Branching Out, the beautiful lacy scarf from Knitty.
The yarn I'm using is from La Droguerie (I think I bought it in Lyon, France, some years ago). Since I took the picture, I started it over with bigger needles. I think the fabric will be drapier that way.
And finally we are getting some summer around here! This week, the temperatures will be around 25C/77F and the sun will shine. Compare that to the kind of weather we had the past weeks: 18C/64F, cloudy and lots of rain. I'm enjoying it!
Posted by saartje at 9:46 PM | Comments (5)
August 28, 2005
Birch is finished
I started on last sunday and finished it this afternoon, a little over a week later.
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I'm very happy with the results. I have no idea what to wear it with, but that really doesn't matter: I just loved to knit it (and to be done with it). If I had to do it again, I might take the advice from Jacqueline and Liza, by finding some bamboo needles with nice sharp points. That would surely make it easier to knit. And thanks, Jacqueline, for confirming the k2togtbl in the original pattern. I still think ssk would be easier and possibly look more even.
I had this much KSH left over:
My kitchen scale says it's 3g. By the way, the colour I used is shade 583, also known as 'Blushes'.
Finnish Flowers
Thanks, Guuzjo, for pointing out to me that the flowers I use as a background for this site is really a Finnish fabric design! I googled it an found lots of cool items using it, like this umbrella from the FinnStyle website.
Crafty Girl
There was an interesting article in the Dutch newspaper NRC yesterday. It tells about the rise of internet shops run by women, who sell their craft products. I found it very interesting. The article talks about some examples of those webshops, which I'm going to list here. I think they're all in Dutch, but with lots of eye-candy of course!
Mantita - home made baby blankets
Hardt Roze - one-of-a-kind hand made bags
Crafty Girls - all kinds of different items made by serveral artists (in spite of the English title, the site is completely written in Dutch. Don't know what's up with that)
Posted by saartje at 6:16 PM | Comments (3)
August 26, 2005
More Birch
Birch is coming along nicely. I just started the third (mistreated) ball.
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It's going well so far, although the Kidsilk Haze isn't the easiest yarn to work with. I certainly can relate to Biba, who complained about all the k2togtbl's! I changed to different needles, that have slightly pointier points which makes it a bit easier. I was also thinking that maybe you could do ssk's instead of k2togtbl. I'm even wondering if the original pattern has ssk's (I'm using a Dutch translation). Can anyone enlighten me about this?
Sam the Beagle
You're all right, Sam is a cute dog, and sweet most of the time. If you want to see more of his adventures, go visit his Beagle-friend Noortjes blog (in Dutch). Sam features in it from time to time. Noortje is also a very nice dog, and just as lively as Sam!
Posted by saartje at 7:18 PM | Comments (3)
August 23, 2005
Birch
I would like you to meet Sam.
Sam is a very sweet, disobedient lively Beagle.
He's very good at following scent trails, he's not good at all working really hard at listening to his boss. When he finds something he likes, he won't let go easily.
He was at a my sister's birthday party last weekend.
Where does all this lead to, you ask?
I would like you to meat this ball of Kid Silk Haze.
It was bought last saturday at the Ryahuis in Zuidlaren, together with two siblings. It was destined to become Birch from Rowan magazine 34. The 3 little, delicate balls where in my bag, which I placed under the table. Big mistake.
After a lot of chasing by a lot of people, the ball was finaly saved from the jaws of monster Beagle Sam. It now looks like this.
I think it is still knitable. There isn't too much mud and saliva on it....
Anyway, I started Birch!
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I really like it so far. In the LYS in Zuidlaren, they had a knit up sample, so I could try it on. I have to say I wasn't too impressed with all the examples I found in knitting blog land. Turns out I really had to see and feel it in person to fall for Birch!
Posted by saartje at 9:07 PM | Comments (6)
August 18, 2005
More booties
When I found this purple wool in my stash (the lable was gone, but I think it is Lana Grossa Numero Uno) I just had to make another pair of those booties!
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This time I included eyelets and a twisted cord. I'm hoping they will stay on better that way. I also omitted the seam by doing the whole thing in the round. For the bottom seam I used a three needle bind-off.
I might have enough yarn left for a hat, so I maybe I'll make a set.
Union Square Market Pullover
No sign of buttons yet. Maybe I'll get a chance to try Groningen this weekend.
Karma asked in the comments: I'm also impressed with your progress on the Union Square Market pullover and I wonder if you needed two different length circular needles like the pattern calls for?
I asked myself this question when I first started the sweater. I bought a 60cm (24") circular needle, thinking I would start with that and find out if I needed the longer one on the way. Turns out I didn't. Maybe you do need it if you're making a larger size (I did the smallest one), but I think I could have fitted many more stitches on this needle. I did use 5 dpns for the sleeves though.
Hope this helps!
Posted by saartje at 2:32 PM | Comments (1)
August 17, 2005
Booties
I made some quick baby booties from the book I bought this weekend: Simple knits for cherished babies by Erika Knight. These are a very fast knit and I like the shape.
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I think I will send them to one of my cousins who had a baby last week.
Button hunt
I'm still trying to find buttons for my Union Square Market Pullover. Yesterday, I looked at every button in the city of Leeuwarden, but none of them was quite right. I didn't expect it to be this difficult! I'll keep looking.
Posted by saartje at 7:29 AM | Comments (1)
August 14, 2005
Additions to my knitting library
I didn't have any luck finding buttons for the USM Pullover yesterday. I will try again in Leeuwarden next week. I think finding the right buttons is very important, they can make or break this sweater. Thankfully, it is too warm (!) right now to wear this alpaca sweater. I'm not complaining!
I did find some second hand knitting books at De Slegte.
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First, there is 'Simple knits for cherished babies' by Erica Knight. The title says it all. Some patterns I like for their simplicity, but most aren't special enough according to my taste. Still, it is nice to have, I'm sure I will use it sometime.
The other book it 'Nederlandse visserstruien' by Henriëtte van der Klift-Tellegen. I think it used to be available in English titled 'Knitting from the Netherlands: traditional Dutch fishermen's sweaters'. I have seen this book many times in second hand bookshops, but I didn't buy it untill now. I don't think I will ever knit a sweater from this book, but it has a nice history section and interesting pictures. I just figured it should have a place in my knitting library.
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Posted by saartje at 11:36 AM | Comments (0)
August 13, 2005
Almost there...
Today, the weather is looking much better (so far at least) and I'm feeling a lot more cheery! Of course, that may also have something to do with the fact that I *set in the sleeves* of the Union Square Market Pullover. Look:
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I can't believe I started this thing only 3 weeks ago. I'm quite happy with the way I set in the sleeves. I did it by hand after all, my mother and I agreed that it would probably be best, since she wasn't around to guide me using the sewing machine. And I just read Jacqueline's comment, suggesting the same thing! I'm glad I did. Although when you look at the above picture, the right shoulder seems a bit wonky, but I assure you it really is okay.
So now I'm off to the town center to find some buttons. Stay tuned!
Posted by saartje at 9:46 AM | Comments (3)
August 10, 2005
Summer is gone....
The weather has been cold and wet here lately. It's supposed to be summer, but I'm turning on the heat and wearing wool sweaters. It feels like autumn, in august!
It's a good thing I've only got about half a sleeve to do on my alpaca USM Pullover. That will keep me warm when the real cold comes.
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Here's a bit of summer: a stag beetle I photographed in Spain about a month ago.
Stag beetles are the most beautiful creatures. The males fly around on warm summer evenings, looking for females. In the Netherlands, they were almost extinct, but they're supposed to be making something of a return. There are (small) populations on the Veluwe and close to Nijmegen. I was really hoping to see one over here this year, but I'm afraid it's just too cold. I'm glad I managed to take this picture!
Posted by saartje at 7:19 PM | Comments (1)
August 9, 2005
Starting the second sleeve
The first Union Square Market Pullover sleeve is finished! I just have to block it. I hope the lenght is right, it looks like it but my experience with knitting sweaters is very limited.
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I started the second sleave which I hope to finish some time this week. And then onto the putting it together... I discussed this with my mother yesterday and she suggested using the sewing machine to sew the sleeves to the body. I might try that. Any reason not to do it this way?
Guuzjo asked in the comments yesterday if I'm reading the new Harry Potter book. I'm afraid I still have to read the third, fourth and fifth book first! How do you like the Half-Blood Prince, Guuzjo? Finished it yet?
And about the suggestion to build in an RSS feed: I will have to look into that, thanks for the idea!
Posted by saartje at 7:34 AM | Comments (4)
August 6, 2005
Saturday
I took a little break from the USM Pullover to make this Harry Potter bookscarf.
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I used this idea from Laura's blog. I did the k1, p1 version she suggests. I used leftover sock yarn and 1,5mm needles. I like how it turned out, but I will probably give it away to a real Harry Potter fan!
I tried to visit a new-to-me yarn shop today: Dazzling Breigarens in Oss, 15 minutes on the train from where I live. It took me some time to find the shop, only to find out it was closed because of the owner's vacation. If only they had put that notice on their website! That will teach me to never trust the information on a shop's website, but to use the good old fashioned phone instead....
And now for some *real* knitting
My brother got married last febuary and my very talented mother decided to knit a lace shawl for her daugher-in-law. Luckily she did, it was a very cold day!
She chose a pattern from A gathering of lace, the Frost Flowers & Leaves Shawl. Doesn't it look beautiful?
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Doesn't my sister-in-law look beautiful as well as warm? I would like to knit something like this some day!
Posted by saartje at 10:30 PM | Comments (6)
August 4, 2005
The first sleeve
During the 3 hours on the train to Nijmegen, I made a lot of progress on the first USM Pullover sleeve, see?
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I liked doing the short rows, just like turning the heel on a sock, it's like magic!
I'm using five dpns as you can see. I had to buy them in Leeuwarden, because I forgot to bring them with me. Oh well, one can never have too many dpns, right?
I'm leaving you with a picture of the lovely Jamie, the Spanish kitten, who is doing really well.
Posted by saartje at 9:36 PM | Comments (22)
August 2, 2005
Body finished
I finished the body of the USM Pullover. Here it is, and another not-so-great picture. It's blocking on my bed.
I folded the hem inside, I'm hoping it will stop curling.
So tonight, I'm starting a sleeve!
Posted by saartje at 6:32 PM | Comments (0)
