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TEX-stil trade show Vejle…

August 11, 2014 in books, General life, inspiration | Tags: inspiration, knittingbykaae, signest, TEX-stil | 2 comments

Der er TEX-stil messe i Vejle to gange hvert år, en i januar og en i august. Det er en lukket fagmesse, og jeg holder meget af at tage derover, for det er en mulighed for at se, hvad der er af nye garner, blive inspireret af nye farver og flotte design og ikke mindst at få snakket med en masse mennesker, som jeg ikke nødvendigvis ser en hel masse til i hverdagen.

The TEX-stil trade show in Vejle is held twice every year, once in January and once in August. I love visiting the show, because it is an opportunity to see new yarns, be inspired by new colours and beautiful designs, and not least to meet up with a lot of people, whom I don’t see as much to as I would like.

Charlotte Kaae var på BC Garns stand og havde bl.a. det overdrevet seje ulvetæppe med, som kommer i hendes nye bog. Den glæder jeg mig meget til at se – jeg har en svaghed for ulve!stod

Charlotte Kaae graced the booth for BC Garn, and she had brought along her utterly cool and beautiful wolf blanket, which will be in her new book. I really look forward to seeing that – especially since I have a weakness for wolves!

En af hovedattraktionerne i min verden var Filcolanas stand, hvor Signe Strømgaard stod og præsenterede sin nye og vildt flotte bog “Strik til banditter“. Der var en lind strøm af mennesker, der var henne og føle og se og blive betaget af de fine og frække design, som Signe har i bogen. Jeg har en ekstra kærlighed til bogen, idet jeg hjalp Signe med et par småting, så jeg har mødt den i flere versioner inden den endelige, som jeg synes er blevet rigtig god.

One of the main attractions of this visit was the Filcolana booth, where Signe Strømgaard had a corner and presented her new and very cool new book “Strik til banditter” (will be “Knit for Little Scamps” in English). There was a steady stream of people coming to look and pet and appreciate the pretty and cheeky designs in the book. I must admit to having an extra fondness for the book, as I helped Signe with the editing, so I’ve seen it in several versions, but none as fine as the finished product.

Signe gav mig en bog med hjem med fin dedikation i – jeg er aldig før blevet kald en bog-doula, men det er en fornøjelse. Signe gav mig faktisk også en ekstra bog, som jeg udlodder her på bloggen på fredag 🙂

Signe gave me a book with a pretty dedication in – I’ve never had the title of book-doula before, but I quite like it. She actually gave me two books, but one of them is for one of you, as I’ll host a little giveaway on the blog this coming Friday 🙂

New design for Filcolana: Kaprifolie…

August 9, 2014 in Design, Knitting, pattern | Tags: Design, Filcolana, free pattern, pattern | 1 comment

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Det sidste af mine designs for Filcolanas efterårskollektion er nu frit tilgængeligt på Filcolanas hjemmeside (gratis). Der er tale om sjalet Kaprifolie (Ravelry link), hvor jeg endnu en gang har slået min kærlighed på bladmønstrene. Jeg legede med formen på sjalet denne gang. Jeg synes tit, at de “almindelige” trekantede sjaler er svære at få til at sidde pænt på skuldrene, så Kaprifolie er strikket i “trekvart” form – der er dog også mulighed for at strikke et helt almindeligt trekantet sjal, hvis man mere er til det.

The last of my designs for Filcolana’s autumn collection is now available as a free download from Filcolana’s home page. The shawl is called Kaprifolie (here’s the Ravelry link), and I’ve once more been unable to hold back my love of leaf patterns. I also played around with the shape of the shawl, since I often think that the “normal” triangular shawls can be difficult to wear. My solution was to make Kaprifolie into a “three quarter” shawl, which sits nicely on your shoulders and stays there. I’ve also included instructions for a triangular version, if that is the shape to rock your boat.

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Sjalet er strikket i Arwetta Ekstra Fin Merino, og der går faktisk ikke mere end 3 nøgler til den store model – man kan selvfølgelig nemt gøre det større ved at strikke flere gentagelser.

The shawl is knit in Arwetta Ekstra Fin Merino, and you only need 3 skeins to make it – unless you of course enlarge the shawl by working more repeats.

WIP Wednesday…

August 6, 2014 in Design, Knitting, yarn | Tags: Design, design-in-progress, hverdagsuld, Knitting, lykkefanten design, wip, wip-wednesday | 2 comments

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Jeg strikker på livet løs på en prototype på et nyt design til et babytæppe. Garnet er det skønne Hverdagsuld fra Tusindfryd, og farverne får mig til at længes mod efteråret og de varme, bløde farver i skoven og de mørke aftener med tedrikning og strik. Indtil videre er jeg godt tilfreds, men der er nogle ting, der skal rettes førend tæppet er klar, så der skal et tæppe mere på pindene. Jeg overvejer, om ikke næste version skal være i blå og grønne toner.

I’m knitting away on a prototype for a new baby blanket design. The yarn I’m using is the wonderful Hverdagsuld from Tusindfryd, and the colours make me long for autumn and the soft, warm colours in the forest and the dark nights filled with tea and knitting. So far I like how it looks, but there are some problems with the current version, which needs to be corrected, so I’ll need to cast on for another blanket soon. I’m contemplating on whether the next version should be in green and blue hues.

Never too late for lovely knits…

August 5, 2014 in Design, Knitting | Tags: fo, gift, Knitting, lykkefanten design | 6 comments

blog pude 1

Min fætter blev gift med en skøn kvinde i foråret, og da jeg spurgte, hvad de ønskede sig, svarede de “vi er jo ret vilde med strikkede puder”. Det er jo lige det man skal sige til en inkarneret strikker. Jeg elsker at strikke til dem, som jeg elsker, hvis de værdsætter arbejdet. Jeg bestemte, at vores gave skulle være en strikket pude og en stor, lækker (købt) plaid til deres sofa. Der er bare det med pudestrik, at det faktisk tager længere tid end som så – så til bryllupsfesten afleverede vi en lækker plaid (fra Silkeborg Uldspinderi) og et “fortsættelse følger” kort, som gælder puden. Nu er puden så endelig helt færdig, så sidste del af gaven kan blive afleveret til rette ejere.

My cousin got married to a wonderful woman this spring. Some time before the wedding, I asked them if they had any wishes, and they answered “we just love knitted pillows and such”. You don’t need to say that twice to a knitter. I love knitting for people I love, who actually appreciate knitting. I decided that our gift should be a knitted pillow and a big and soft (bought) plaid for their sofa. I just forgot the little detail about pillows that they take up quite a lot of fabric = rather a lot of knitting – so for the wedding we presented them with the plaid (from Silkeborg Uldspinderi) and a “to be continued” gift card for the pillow. I have finally finished the pillow, so now they get to have the last piece of the present.

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Puden er strikket i Filcolana Peruvian Highland Wool, og der er brugt knap 6 nøgler til den. Mønsteret er en tilpasning af mit Gullfoss tæppe, og jeg synes, at de klare linjer i mønsteret passer rigtig godt i pudeform også. Min mor var så utrolig sød at donere knapperne, som er lavet af rensdyrtak. De passer rigtig godt til puden og er prikken over i’et i mine øjne.

The pillowcase is knit in Filcolana Peruvian Highland Wool, and I’ve used just under 6 balls for it. The pattern is an adaptation of my Gullfoss blanket. I think the strong lines of the pattern fits the pillow well. My mother was kind enough to donate the buttons, which are made from reindeer antler, and which is the perfect touch to finish of the pillow in my eyes.

Summer wanderings…

August 1, 2014 in General life, Travelling | Tags: life, travelling, travels | Leave a comment

Magen og ungerne og jeg har tilbragt en dejlig sommerferie med at køre rundt i Tyskland og se nogle af alle de ting, man suser forbi, hvis man blot drøner sydpå ad autobahn. Det var en god oplevelse. Tyskland er et smukt og meget varieret land. Fyldt med skønne landskaber, fine små (og store) byer, masser af borge (nogle gamle, andre knap så gamle) og gode muligheder for vandreture og oplevelser. Da vi kom hjem, havde vi kørt 3482 km, men ingen af dem var spildt, for vi havde haft det skønt alle fire.*

The Mate, the kids, and I have spent our summer vacation driving about Germany and seeing some of all the things that you miss, if you just rush past on the autobahn on your way south. It was a good vacation. Germany is a beautiful and very diverse country. It is filled with beautiful scenery, beautiful little towns and strapping big cities, lots and lots of castles (some old, some not so old) and a plethora of opportunities for experiences. When we returned home, we had driven 3482 km, but none of them were wasted, because we had a blast all four of us.*

* Jeg er yderst taknemmelig for, at mine børn er så gode til de lange køredage sådan en ferie nødvendigvis medbringer. Det gør det hele lidt nemmere og sjovere.

* I am utterly grateful that my children are so easy travellers on the long driving days that are a necessity on such a vacation. It makes travelling a whole lot easier and more fun.

New design for Filcolana: Vinterhjerte…

July 30, 2014 in Design, Knitting, pattern | Tags: Design, Filcolana, free pattern, lykkefanten design, pattern | 1 comment

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Jeg har vist disse hansker før, men gør det gerne igen, for jeg er nemlig stadig ret glad for dem. Undskyldningen er ganske ligetil, for opskriften på Vinterhjerte kan nu findes gratis på Filcolanas hjemmeside (og her på Ravelry) både på dansk og engelsk (og snart også på tysk). Nu kan I altså også strikke et par simple og fine handsker med vinterhjerter på. Handskerne er strikket i én farve i Arwetta Classic, hvorefter motivet med snefnugget og hjertet er broderet på med maskesting. Der er også frit slag for at finde på et andet motiv eller lade handskerne være helt enkel og ensfarvede.

Jeg er for øvrigt vild med at designe for Nanna, for ikke alene har hun en fantastisk farvesans og noget lækkert garn – hun tager også helt vildt gode billeder, der får mine design til at se super godt ud, og det kan man da bare elske, ikke?

I’ve show these gloves before, but I’m perfectly willing to do it again, as I’m still rather proud of this design. As it happens, I have a good excuse, because the pattern for Vinterhjerte can now be found for free on Filcolana’s homepage (and here on Ravelry) both in Danish and English (and soon to be German). So now, everyone can knit a pair of simple and pretty gloves with winter hearts on them. The gloves are knit using one colour of Arwetta Classic, and then the snow flake and the heart are embroidered with duplicate stitches. You can also choose to make your own decoration or leave the gloves in their simplicity.

I hope it’s not too much when I say that I love designing for Nanna (the owner of Filcolana). She has a wonderful colour sense, a really great selection of yarn – and she takes the prettiest pictures, which makes my design look really great, and that I have to love, right?

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Big wip beginnings…

June 27, 2014 in Design, inspiration, Knitting, yarn | Tags: design-in-progress, Filcolana, Knitting, wip, yarn | 6 comments

Det bliver stort, rigtig, rigtig stort. Men forhåbentlig bliver det også ligeså godt, som jeg ser det inde i hovedet. Ideen er nedtegnet, der er leget med (meget) garn hos Nanna, og nu ligger der så et mindre bjerg derhjemme, der “bare” skal strikkes til et tæppe – et stort og farverigt et af slagsen. Men jeg glæder mig, gør jeg. I kommer nok til at se en hel del til det, som det skrider frem.

This will be a big one, a really, really big one. But hopefully, it will also be just a right and pretty as it is in my head. The idea has been drawn (and calculated), I’ve played with lots and lots of yarn together with Nanna, and now I’ve got something resembling a mountain of yarn at home, which “just” needs knitting into a blanket. A big and colourful blanket. But I’m looking forward to it – a lot! I guess you’ll be seeing it from time to time now on as I work on it this fall.

The longest day…

June 24, 2014 in General life | Tags: life, ramblings | Leave a comment

Det er Sankt Hans dag – den længste dag i året. En dag, der byder på solskin (heldigvis) og sommervejr. Cykelture og legoleg. Madlavning og kaffedrikning. En generel følelse af, at denne sommer da egentlig bliver meget god. For mig har Sankt Hans altid markeret begyndelsen på den “rigtige” sommer – lige meget, hvordan vejret så ellers teede sig.

I går var vi til Sankt Hans aften hos venner med bål i grillen og børnevenlige tider. Det var hyggeligt og fredeligt, og i morges lugtede både jeg og resten af familien så fint af bålrøg, ligesom man jo egentlig skal. God Sankt Hans dag til alle derude!

It is Sankt Hans day today – the longest day of the year (perhaps not actually – but that’s the tradition). A day which gives me sunshine and summer weather. Activities with the kids (lego) and for myself (a bike ride). A day, where I have the general feeling that this summer is going to be rather good. Sankt Hans has always marked the beginning of the “actual” summer for me – with total disregard to the weather or planning of Holidays.

Yesterday we celebrated Sankt Hans night with friends. There was the obligatory bonfire in the grill and a children (and parent) friendly time schedule. It was lovely and relaxing and fun, and this morning both I and the rest of the family smelled faintly of the smoke from the bonfire, just as you are supposed to. Happy Sankt Hans (or St. John’s) day to all of you out there.

On old and new travelling socks…

June 16, 2014 in Knitting, Travelling | Tags: fo, for me, socks, travelling | 2 comments

Sokkestrikning er min afslapningsstrik. Det første jeg strikkede var sokker, og jeg vil tro, at jeg strikker sokker til den dag jeg stiller træskoene (med eller uden striksokker i). Der har nu været en længere pause i min sokkestrikning (eller i hvert fald i antallet af færdige sokker), fordi jeg (ikke overraskende) havde gang i lidt for mange ting. Men rejser er en herlig motivation og sokker så yderst praktiske, så jeg har atter fundet sokkestrikkelysten.

Sock knitting is my go to relaxation knitting. The first thing I ever knit was socks, and I’ll bet my needles that the last thing I knit will probably be socks as well. There have been a rather long pause in my sock knitting (or rather in the number of finished pairs), mostly because I’ve had a bit of a break from knitting, but probably also because I’ve got quite a few projects going at the same time. But as mentioned before, travelling makes for a rather good motivation for simple knitting, which is where socks win big time. And since I’ve travelled quite a bit lately, I’ve relocated my sock knitting mojo.

På den seneste rejse blev jeg færdig med et par enkle og dejlige sokker – mission “Fyld sokkeskuffen” er dermed på rette spor. De er strikket på pind 2½ mm i Schachenmayr Regia Mix-it Color fv. 09383 og vejer nette 71 g. Flere har snakket om at farven ligner det svenske flag, men i mine øjne er det mine Tardis-sokker! Min søster var meget flink og lå og luftede fødderne som sokkemodel, mens jeg legede med indstillingerne på mit nye kamera.

While I was on my latest little journey, I finished a pair of simple and quite lovely socks – the mission “Restock the sock drawer” is thus underway. The new socks are knit on 2½ mm needles in Schachenmayr Regia Mix-it Color (col. 09383) and weighs 71 g. I adore the colour and in my mind I see them as the Tardis socks. My sister was very kind (even when she knew the socks were for myself) and rather patient as she lay on the rocks and aired her feet as the sock model, while I played with the settings on my new camera.

Jeg havde selvfølgelig fuldgarderet mig og medbragt endnu et nøgle sokkegarn (og diverse andre strikkeprojekter) i kufferten. På flyturen hjem blev der strikket en del, men jeg fik også en ekstra oplevelse, idet vi sad ved nødudgangen og stewarden var så flink at vise, hvordan man åbnede døren, hvis der nu skulle blive brug for, at vi skulle hjælpe (det blev der heldigvis ikke).

There was no cause for panic since I of course had more sock yarn (and several other projects) with me, so I immedieately cast on for a new pair. I got a fair bit of knitting done on the homeward flight, but I also got a rather unusual (for me) experience. We had seats at the emergency exit (the glorious leg space), so the steward kindly showed us how to open the door in an emergency. Luckily we didn’t need it, but it was fun seeing anyway.

Three times lucky…

June 13, 2014 in inspiration, Travelling | Tags: greenland, nuuk, travelling | 4 comments

Jeg er tredobbelt heldig. Jeg har nemlig i løbet af det sidste år været i smukke, skønne Grønland hele tre gange. Den sidste gang for et par uger siden, hvor min søster og jeg besøgte vores mor og bare havde nogle dage for os selv. Vi havde smukt vejr og var på en lang sejltur ind i Lysefjorden, som jeg ikke før har været inde i. Som vi sad der på dækket af speedbåden, der drønede rundt i det store landskab, fik jeg endnu en gang forståelsen af, hvor stor naturen er deroppe, og hvor langt væk man hurtigt kommer fra alting. Det giver ydmyghed, men samtidig fred i sjælen – i hvert fald hos mig.

I am trice blessed, as I have been in beautiful, utterly breathtaking Greenland trice during these past twelve months. The last time was just a couple of weeks ago, where my sister and I visited our mother and had a few wonderful days just us three together. We had quite beautiful weather several days, and one of those days was spent on a boat trip on Lysefjorden. As we sat on the deck of the boat speeding along the waters of this rather magnificent fjord, I once more understood – with my body as well as my mind – how big the nature is and how far away everything suddenly can be. It’s a humbling, yet peaceful thing to contemplate – or so I feel.

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På flyveturen hjem havde vi et fantastisk kig til storisen på Grønlands østkyst. Det var et ganske fascinerende syn, især når man tænker på, at den skal væk, førend der kan komme forsyningsskibe til kysten. Det var en smuk måde at sige farvel og på gensyn for denne gang. Skønt jeg kun var deroppe i fem dage i denne omgang, så fik jeg en del af fjeldene og fjordene med hjem som ro i sind og sjæl – jeg bliver aldrig træt af Grønland.

On the flight back we had a breathtaking view of the great sea ice of the east coast of Greenland. It was fascinating, especially when you think about the fact that it needs to dissipate quite a bit before any supply ships can reach the coast. It was a pretty way to say farewell for this time, and even though I only was there for five days this time, I once more brought home a bit of fjord and mountain as peacefulness in my soul. I’ll never tire of visiting Greenland.