Book treasures

A much loved one has returned with my treasure; 13 books of knitting and other creative hobbies (mainly cross stitch). And some science fiction related cookbooks (no comments…).

One book with plenty of inspiration is “simple knits with a twist” by Erika Knight. On Amazon it had got lousy comments, and I got this copy for almost nothing. But it is a “Swan”; it contains so many amazing projects that are really something for anyone that like to think outside the box. And I am NOT thinking about the pink poodle. Why use yarn for knitting when there is so much else to use? This book show us one way to save the world piece by piece and to have fun while doing it.

Pick up the large stitches and get ready for the cold

On the northern hemisphere it is getting more and more chilly outdoors. This is the perfect time to knit something warm to cosy down into. Knits for grown-ups take a bit longer time than knits for kids. One way to speed up the knitting process is to choose a thicker yarn for larger needles. I found this really nice cardigan (click on the titel link or see the Drops Design link to the right) knit on needle size 8 mm. 100 rows per piece make the cardigan a fast knit.

Happy Halloween! (or: All about sculls)

When it comes to yarn, there is a need to be a bit ahead of time, so that the projects get ready in time. The nice thing about it is that it prolongs the holidays. And now it’s time for Halloween!! I found these hilarious projects on Lion Brands homepage (follow the link to the right, the patterns are free if you register). The use for a felted witch hat is rather obvious, but what to do with a felted skull? I had a great discussion with K about it. We could find three reasons why sculls are so popular right now.

1. Johnny Depp

2. It’s a reflection in the time we live in

3. The awkward/ugly-pretty contrast you get if you add glitter to the sculls, which is very popular right now.

Here is what to do with a felted scull:

Crochet the scull in pastel pink and add some paillettes in gold!

or

Use fuzzy acid-green fabric and give it a Mohawk (tuppkam)!

or

Trim the bottom edge with fringe (fransar) and put it on a bedpost or hat stand!

Yarn leftovers; find me an Angel!

My aunt gave me this angel when I was a kid. It was cute then, and still is in spite the fact that my cat loves chewing on everything similar to a ball of yarn. She catched the angel from the Christmas tree and had a really good time ripping it apart until I did my Baywatch saving of the leftovers… Anyway, yarn angels are pretty safe nowadays, because she has become to fat to catch anything at all from a Christmas tree.

If you want to make your own cat friendly angel here is how you do it:

You need: yarn for the angel's dress (arms and body), yarn for the angel's hair, 2,75 cm compressed paper balls for the head, metallic paper for the halo, and pens for making eyes, nose and mouth.

Cut the yarn; for body 18 cm, 30 pieces; for arms 15 cm, 20 pieces; and for hair 15 cm, 25 pieces (the number of strands will vary with the thickness of the yarn). Cut a 3 cm circle ouf of the metallic paper for the halo. Cut one hanger of the “dress yarn” approx 20 cm. Make two knots in the middle of the arm-bundle. Lay the hanger thread around the middle of the two knots, pull its two edges trough the hole in the compressed paper ball. Put the body bundle in between the arms and head and drag the hanger thread to fit. Put the hair bundle between the thread, make a knot. Glue the metallic plate onto the back of the head so that the hair falls evenly in the back. Paint eyes, nose and mouth.

Where do you need an angel? On packages, in Christmas trees, for decoration of wine bottles… You will find a place for as many as you make.

The yarn angel chewing cat of mine!

Overweight – how much inspiration can you bring on a transatlantic flight?

I’m waiting impatiently for a much loved one to come home from the States. First of all, to se him, of course. Secondly, to check out the books in his luggage. I want to know how much inspiration I could find in 10 kilograms (or 22 lbs) of books… I’ve put rather much effort on selecting books to get the most inspiration out of the weight as possible. One of few hardcovers that I ordered is Nicky Epsteins “Knitting over the edge”, because I’m very curios of her books on edgings. Otherwise I mainly chose paperbacks – more books for less weight.

Speaking of books on planes... Passing security in New York, the security staff after the X-ray dived into my bag in search for a BIG solid box, with much resemblance of a bomb. She found the item immediately: a large hardcover book with the titel "Psychoneuroimmunology" on it. Religious fanatic? It's my Bible anyway. ;)

Cleaning up my act (recycle by extreme makeover)

I made a bolero a year ago. Not checking the gauge, it turned out a bit strange and I decided to “unmake it”. What to do with a few balls of once already used yarn? (Or a few balls of never-used yarn.) That doesn’t fit for wrapping packages? (Thick wool normally doesn’t...) Knit a baby cardigan! No babies around? Knit for a doll. No dolls around? Put the knits in a bag together with the other baby knits. By then, it’s not classified as yarn anymore, making room for new balls of yarn and another project… ;) My strange bolero will soon be reborn as a X-mas red wool cardigan with glitter red effect yarn, size 6-9 months. I can recommend mixing wool and glitter, it makes a different but not to pretty surface.

Keep on messing up!

Since even a much loved one messes up sometimes (even though he claims it is not as bad as when other family members do it) I have covered out kitchen table in transparent plastic tablecloth. It’s very practical, but has a rather cold feeling to it. My solution was to make –washable- tablets for each person. I used pure linen as it is a very nice fabric to work with. Decide the size you would like, add 2 cm approx (for the edging) on each side before you cut. To speed up the sewing, I use the iron to prepare the seams; Fold 1 cm at the edge at the short side, press. Fold 1 cm again, and press. Sew the edge in place. Repeat for the other short side and for both long sides. Here comes the fun part!! Get some textile paint, and paint! Fix using the iron according to the instructions on the bottle. The tablets are now mess-proof, being machine-washable (but keep the linen out of the tumble dryer).

Window pearls

How about a white crochet table cloth soaked in sugar and dried? With pearls on (i.e. a window star). It may sound a bit strange, but it’s actually a more sophisticated version of the heart on the picture shown. To make the heart I simply formed the heart shape out of 1 mm steel thread, and used a thinner thread to wire the pearls on.

To make the crochet window star; Crochet a ‘small’ (‘lagom stor’ in Swedish) table cloth with cotton yarn. There are plenty of patterns to choose from out there, so pick one with a size and design that you like for your window star. (The star on the picture is 20 cm approx.) Or maybe you have one at home that doesn’t want to be hidden under a vase or lamp somewhere or forgotten in a drawer.

To make the star stiff; Boil one cup of water with one cup of sugar and let it cool. Brush the sugar water onto the star until it is soaked. Let it dry. Embroider on some pearls if you like. Hang it. Done!

My grandmothers house is a good place for crocheting. :)

Where to go (or Vote the Yarn Lady for President!)

If you live in Stockholm, or just happen to go there once in a while, I recommend a visit to the Yarn Lady. Her little shop of yarn is like heaven for everyone who is looking for a place with inexpensive and beautiful yarns, with a kind soul who helps with tricky patterns. Helena is the Angel of Yarn Heaven and you find her at her store A’Faire, which means “to do” in French. It’s located on Västmannagatan 56, the street behind Gustav Vasa church when you follow Odengatan from Odenplan. Say hi from Anna. Give her some time and you will find a heart of gold.

Mothers and books, with some Catholic Church procedures

I need to make a confession. A much loved one is heading for the States to visit his much loved mom. I have already described my envy for all of you who live in the States and can order from Amazon without paying postage. So, I decided (with support from a much love one) to order a few books to a much loved one’s moms address, so that he can bring them back to me. Books are custom free so I am not committing a crime. Except that a much loved one will have to carry eleven (11) books from Maryland to Stockholm… Some of the books I am looking forward to get in my hands: "501 quilt blocks" (yes, I've started quilting!), and "Knitting in plain english". Thank you V, for lending me your address!