Playing with patterns

I've spent the last couple of days playing with two strands of varigated yarn.  I love the way both sides of the pattern shifts in color. 

It is probably a pair of mittens... pattern is on the way.

More socks...

I've started a new project... again!

A while back I bought a couple balls of yarn for myself while buying birthday yarn for my sweet mother.   Isn't this lovely?

It's been lying around teasing me, but now I found this wonderful pattern on Ravelry's pattern database called Kalajoki.  It's named after a river in Finland and it looks like a river flowing down the sock.

I was a little worried that the different colors would break up the pattern, but I think it will work.

New at work

Some days, bliss is sitting on the couch underneath the linen storm-at-sea quilt looking at my knitting basket.  Not knitting, just looking.  Bliss.

Winter mitten

The winter mittens are almost finished.  They are nice and warm, and I think I managed to spin that soft wool tight enough to make the mittens durable.

Typically, spring is here and there is a chance they won't be worn until next winter...

But don't get me wrong:  I am not complaining!

This and that and another thing

I haven't been very focused lately, dabbling a little here and dibbling a little there. A couple seams on the Storm at sea quilt, a few rows on the winter mittens..


A couple more rows one the reindeer sock, finally one of the socks got itself finished... How come the second one is so much.... not harder.... but boring?



No, that's not right. They are fun to knit, but it's a store bought yarn and the colors don't grab my heart strings like the mittens do.

Hmmm, if I get off the net maybe I could finish one of the mittens tonight!

Winter play with summer toys

Last night was spent at the indoor pool with some of our kayaking friends.  We took our kayaks to play around in the water, in theory we are supposed to practice self rescue techniques, but in practice it's mostly fun.

I struggled with my rolling... and the key word here is struggled!  I wonder if I'm ever going to get the knack of the rolls.

To console myself I tried some other tricks.  Mostly balance stuff.  I was all proud that I could stand up in it until I figured out that my Seayak is so stable I could dance around in it.  Fun and somehow dissapointing!


This picture is from last spring, we are still waiting for open water this year.

Playing on the design wall - storm at sea.

I've got all the pieces sewn for the Storm-at-sea quilt and I've been trying to deside on the lay out.... Here we go!

The traditional Storm-at-sea layout:

Ok, so traditionally it should be in blues and greens...  I really like how the straight lines somehow curve over the design,  making circles and waves.  Looking at it now I'm wondering why I didn't make the diamond blocks in the lightest fabric bringing out the star shapes...

With added diamond and square in a square blocks:

I really like the lines working together in this layout leading the eye back and forth over the quilt.

Let's put it all on point:

It seems to me the waves come out more when the blocks are on point.  I like this!

Now, lets add more diamonds and square in a square: 

I like it, but maybe it's a little busy?

I'm going for the third option, a traditional layout on point.  I like the waves and the simplicity of the lines.

On the design wall today

This is what my design wall looks like right now.  Things will happen tomorrow, I have more time to spend with Green Greta then!

Starting a new job

It's very bitter sweet, a new beginning...

I'm going to miss my old friends from work, and the patients and their families.  It was heart wrenching to say good bye.  I'll be back to visit, but I will never again see "my" patients.

On the other hand, today has been a day of hello's.  New friends, new patients... and new rutines, new computer programs... and a whole day of "where do you keep the.."  

Needless to say, I'm bushed!

The picture is from last summer, a wonderful evening with wonderful friends on a rock in  the sea.  Today it's full of ice.. Can't wait for thaw!