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Christmas calendar, part 3

March 13, 2011 in Sewing | Tags: advent calendar, christmas, embroidery, jul, julekalenderalong, sewing | 3 comments

Bare en hurtig opdatering af, hvordan det går med mit broderi i julekalenderbroderialongen. I dag er første dag siden december, jeg har broderet på det, og heldigvis går det tjept fremad, når jeg endelig sidder med det. Jeg er kommet en smule længere end billedet viser, men jeg var nødt til at udnytte dagslyset, da det var der.

Just a quick update on how my embroidery for the christmas-advent-calendar-along is doing. Today is the first day I’ve embroidered on it since December, but luckily I get a reasonable progress once I actually sit down to it. I’ve gotten a bit further than the picture shows, but I had to take advantage of the daylight when it was there.

Quiltessential…

March 11, 2011 in Sewing | Tags: fo, patchwork, quilt, sewing | 4 comments

Jeg er blevet færdig med min allerførste quilt. Den er til MM og han har da også snakket om “mit tæppe”, men jeg må indrømme, at jeg kom til at trumfe mig selv, for samme dag var hans girafsengetøj også blevet færdigt, og det var efter hans mening noget mere spændende. Og så er det jo kun mor her, der ved at sengetøjet kun tog en brøkdel af tiden at lave og ikke involverede stejle læringskurver og ømme fingre.

I’ve finished my first ever quilt. It is for MM and he has talked about “his blanket”, but I have to admit that I kinda trumphed myself by having finished his bed linen with giraffes the same day. After his oppinion the bed linen was rather more exciting (see mom, giraffes!). And after all, it’s just me who knows that the bed linen only took a fraction of the time to make and didn’t involve steep learning curves and sore fingers.

Toppen er håndsyet. Jeg dækkede hver enkelt papirfirkant med stof ved hjælp af en patchwork limstift (genial opfindelse) og syede dem sammen i rækker og derefter rækkerne sammen til toppen. Det gik bedre, da jeg fandt et fingerbøl af læder (jeg kan ikke finde ud af dem af metal… har ingen føling med nålen). Materialerne er forskellige bomuldstoffer fra lageret, inklusive Magens gamle skjorter og et par gamle gule gardiner. Der blev også købt lidt forskelligt ekstra fra mine to yndlings stofpushere, Fingerbøllet og Speich Design. Bagsiden er et stykke lysegult flonel med små bamser på, måske ikke så drenget, men det passede meget godt med det gule tema. Fyldet mellem lagene er en tynd pladevat.

The top is sewn completely by hand. I covered each paper square with fabric by adding a little glue from a patchwork glue stick (wonderful thing) and sewed the squares into strips and then the strips into the top. The process lightened quite a bit when I found a thimble of leather (I simply don’t function with the thimbles of metal… I lack the “feel” of the needle). The materials are different cotton fabrics from the stash, including some of the Mate’s old shirts and a couple of old, yellow curtains. I also bought some extra from my two favorite fabric pushers, Fingerbøllet and Speich Design. The backing is a piece of light yellow flannel with little teddy bears and rabbits on. Perhaps not the most boyish thing, but it fits well with the yellow theme.

Quilten måler 78 x 98 cm, og jeg tænkte, at den vil kunne bruges som en sommerdyne til MM. Jeg har lært rigtig meget af at lave den, bl.a. hvor længe det faktisk tager at quilte sådan en sag… jeg tør slet ikke tænke på, hvad et sengetæppe til en dobbeltseng tager, for slet ikke at tale om, hvor meget det fylder i symaskinen! Jeg havde svært nok ved at få plads til denne lille ting. Men resultatet er blevet godt. Ok, linierne kunne have været mere snorlige og kantebåndet er påsyet med maskine – jeg orkede ikke mere håndsyning og ville have den færdig. Men alt i alt er den nu blevet fin alligevel.

Der er lige nogle strikketing, der skal ryddes af vejen, men jeg er allerede begyndt at drømme om et tæppe til sofaen… og så måske en symaskine der ikke opgiver ånden bare ved tanken.

The quilt measures 78 x 98 cm, and I hope it will be able to function as a summer duvet for MM. I have learned quite a lot by making this, among other things how long it actually takes to quilt that many lines… I don’t dare to think about what a full size bead spread would eat up of time, not to mention what it would require of space in the sewing machine. I had troubles enough fitting this little thing though the machine. But the result is good. Ok, the lines could be more straight, and the edging is sewn on by machine – I simply hadn’t got more energy for handsewing and wanted it to be done. But I still think that it’s a beautiful little quilt anyway.

I have a few knitting projects I want to clear out first, but I’ve already started dream of a blanket for snuggling on the sofa… and perhaps of a sewing machine, which won’t loose its breath just by the thought.

The joy of beautiful tools…

March 9, 2011 in Knitting | Tags: Knitting, tools | 3 comments

For noget tid siden strikkede jeg Gefion sokkerne som en del af en byttehandel med Molly. Jeg har nu modtaget min del af byttet fra hende, et sæt utrolig smukke, håndlavede strømpepinde.

Some time ago, I knit the Gefion socks as a part of a trade with Molly. I have now received my half of the spoils from her, a set of incredibly beautiful, hand made double pointed needles.

Pindene er af metal og er derfor “tunge”, eller i hvert fald tungere end tilsvarende af træ. Men tyngden er faktisk behagelig at have i hånden og de smukke snirklinger i pindene gør at pindene griber garnet godt, dog uden at det er svært at få maskerne til at glide. Det er en nydelse at strikke med dem og en fornøjelse både at se på dem og at have dem i hånden. Jeg er meget glad for at have været med i byttehandelen og siger mange tak!

The needles are made of metal and are thus “heavy”, or at least heavier than similar needles of tree. But the weight is actually quite comfortable in the hands and the beautiful ornamental work in the needles make them grip the yarn well without making the stitches difficult to move. They are a pleasure to knit with and a delight to look at and to feel in my hands. I am very happy to have been a part of this trade and says, thank you very much!

Eve’ish

March 6, 2011 in Knitting | Tags: fo, fun, Knitting, street art | 7 comments

Når jeg nu var gået i gang med de lidt skørere indfald, så kunne jeg jo lige så godt fortsætte. Jeg fik i hvert fald en idé, jeg var nødt til at afprøve…

Første udfordring var at finde et passende mønster. Efter noget søgning fandt jeg ud af, at på trods af Ravelry’s fortræffeligheder, så ligger opskriftsdatabasen ikke inde med en strikkeopskrift på et figenblad… Heldigvis kunne jeg finde masser af billeder på Google, så jeg gik i gang med at kreere min egen version… kan I se, hvor det bærer hen?

Now that I already had started following some of my more quirky notions, I might as well continue. I got an idea this week that just was too good to keep away from, I just had to test if I could make it work…

The first challenge was finding a suitable pattern. After some searching, I found out that though Ravelry is magnificent, it didn’t have a pattern for a knitted fig leaf in its database… Luckily I found lots of pictures at Google, so I set out to make my own version… can you see where this is leading?

Frøkenen her står i Gladsaxe, nærmere betegnet i haven ved rådhuset. Nu har hun så fået en “beklædning” af en slags. Fakta: egen opskrift (skal nok skrive den ned), 17 g. Malabrigo worsted i emerald green, pinde 4½mm.

This miss is standing in Gladsaxe, more accurately in the garden near the town hall. Now she’s been equipped with a “garment” of sorts. Facts: my own pattern (which I’m writing down at the moment), 17 g. of Malabrigo worsted in emerald green, 4½mm needles.

Årsagen til, at jeg strikker de her skøre ting i Malabrigo er 1) at jeg synes farverne er skønne og 2) det er Malabrigo March Madness på Ravelry, og jeg deltager med sjæl og garnlager.

The reason for my knitting these strange items in Malabrigo is 1) that I love the colours in this yarn and 2) it is Malabrigo March Madness on Ravelry, and I’m participating with all of my soul (and my stash).

Just because…

March 4, 2011 in Knitting | Tags: fo, fun, Knitting, street art, yarn | 19 comments

Bare fordi fortøjringsringene så så forfrosne ud på havnen med det isfyldte vand. Bare fordi jeg havde smukke rester liggende, der kunne pynte (og varme?). Bare fordi jeg havde lyst. Bare fordi jeg kunne.

Just because the mooring rings looked utterly cold and lonely at the waterfront overlooking the ice filled water. Just because I had beautiful bits of yarn lying in my stash, which could jazz (and warm?) them up. Just because I felt like it. Just because I could.

Fakta: 6½mm rundpind, 65 g. assorteret Malabrigo, 25 min. syning med kolde hænder – mange skæve smil og sjove tanker.

Facts: 6½mm circular needle, 65 g. assorted Malabrigo, 25 min. sewing with very cold hands – a lot of crooked smiles and funny thoughts.

Stash Tuesday…

March 1, 2011 in stash | Tags: event, stash, yarn | 2 comments

Årets allerførste garnkøb (kan I høre mig pudse glorien) skete i søndags, hvor jeg og en god ven var til “homeparty” med Sanne B. aka. Rasmilla i Dorthes kælder. Skønt arrangement med masser af søde og snakkende kvinder.

The very first yarn purchase of 2011 (yes, I am indeed almost glowing with pride) happened last Sunday. A good friend and I went to a “homeparty” with Sanne B. aka. Rasmilla in Dorthe’s basement. A really good event with plenty of sweet and talkative women.

Der var rigtig meget garn at kigge på og lade sig friste af, men jeg holdt mig nogenlunde på måtten og købte begrænset ind. Dels blev det til opskrift og garn til en Viggo (Ravelry link) – det er det blå garn til venstre og den sennepsgule som kontrastfarve, og dels lidt ekstra luksusgarn sådan bare fordi. Jeg har gået og beundret mit indkøb siden jeg kom hjem med det, men jeg må ikke slå op endnu. Der er lige et par andre ting, der skal ryddes af “igangværende” listen først.

There were a lot of yarn to look at and be tempted by, but I kept within a reasonable limit and only bought a select sample. I bought the pattern and yarn for a Viggo (Ravelry link) – they yarn is the two blue tones on the left and the bright yellow for contrast. I also happened to be unable to resist a two small skeins of luxury yarn – a true “just because” purchase. I’ve been admirering the yarn every day since I bought it, but I’m not allowed a cast on just yet. I need to clear a couple of other things off the wip list first.

In need of repair…

February 27, 2011 in General life, Knitting | Tags: darning, socks | 6 comments

Der er mange fordele ved at være sokkestrikker. For eksempel varme fødder hele vinteren og smukke sokker at tage på. Sidste vinter lykkedes det også at få Magen til at indse fordelene ved hjemmestrikkede sokker. Men der er også ulemper… når man har brugt op mod 20 timer på et par sokker, så smider man dem ikke bare ud, når der opstår et hul. På den anden side kan det også godt tage lidt tid for mig, før jeg får taget mig sammen til at få lappet de førnævnte huller. Og så kan det jo ske, at de hullede sokker hober sig op…

There are many advantages by being a sock knitter. For example, I’m seldom in want of warm feet during winter time, and I always have beautiful socks to wear. Last winter, I managed to persuade the Mate into seeing “the light” and he has been an avid wearer of home knitted socks ever since. But there are also disadvantages… when you have spent close to 20 hours in making a pair of sock, you don’t just throw them out, when they get a hole. And then it may just take me a while (a long one at that) before I manage to convince myself to darn those holes. This of course will lead to the collection of holed socks becoming quite large…

Fik fundet motivationen frem i går og har siden fået ordnet 2 af de 7 i bunken (selvfølgelig var det 2 af Magens… han havde 3 af parrene i bunken). Hvis jeg nu bare tager et par om dagen, så skulle resten være klaret inden næste weekend… Og det kræver trods alt en hel del mindre af mig end at strikke 7 helt nye par.

I managed to find the motivation to do something about it yesterday, and have since managed to fix 2 of the 7 pairs in the pile (and of course it was 2 of the Mate’s … he is the owner of 3 of the 7 pairs). If I only can convince myself to tackle one pair per day, I should have fixed the rest by next weekend… And after all it does require significantly less of me than knitting 7 completely new pairs.

Striped…

February 22, 2011 in Knitting | Tags: fo, for me, Knitting | 11 comments

Så fik jeg taget lidt billeder af vesten. Det er som nævnt mit første forsøg på at lave noget helt specifikt til min krop, og jeg synes egentlig det er gået rigtig godt. Den har været i brug hver dag siden den blev færdig og varmer lige der, hvor jeg gerne ville have det.

I’ve managed to take a couple of pictures of the vest. As mentioned, it’s my first ever attempt to knit something specifically for my own body, and I think I’ve managed it pretty well. I’ve used the vest every single day since it was finished and it is beautifully warm just where I want it to be.

Stripey V-neck vest (Ravelry project page)
Mønster/Pattern: strikket frit fra hovedet og målene på min krop / knitted from free fantasy and the measurements of my body
Garn/Yarn: Nashua Handknits Julia (esspresso, harvest spice, sage) + Lion Brand Superwash Merino Cashmere (slate, green tea), 476 g
Pinde/Needles: 4mm til rib og 4½mm til stribemønster / 4mm for ribbing and 4½mm for the stripe pattern
Noter/Notes: jeg er særlig stolt af brystkilerne, der sørger for en pæn pasform henover barmpartiet / I’m particulary proud of the bust dart, which ensures a neat fit at the chest.

Jeg havde forskellige mængder af de 5 farver, der indgår i vesten. Mest af den brune, så den blev også brugt til ribkanter. Derefter var udfordringen at sørge for at fordele farverne nogenlunde jævnt, sådan at striberne var pæne at se på, og sådan at jeg ikke løb tør for en farve midt i det hele. Jeg løste det ved at regne ud, hvor mange procent hver farve havde (udfra løbelængden i garnet og vægten af nøglerne) og derefter hvor mange pinde i et mønster a 25 pinde, det passede med. Bagefter var det bare at lege med farverne og det givne antal pinde i hver farve i et Excelark, indtil jeg fandt en fordeling, der tiltalte mig.

I had different amounts of each of the five colours, which are used in the vest. The brown was perfect as a main colour for the ribbing, as I had most of that. After that the challenge was to make sure that I blended the colours evenly and ended up with a stripe pattern I like and one that ensured that I wouldn’t run out of one colour sooner than the rest. I solved the problem by calculating the percentage share each colour (after subtracting two skeins of brown for the ribbing) had in my total amount (using the yardage and the weight of the skeins). Then I calculated how many rows in a 25 row repeat that equaled. After that it was just a matter of playing with colours and rows in an Excel sheet until I had a repeat I liked.

Der er selvfølgelig altid ting, man indser, man kunne have gjort bedre. Men strikning og design er jo også en læringsprocess – i hvert fald for mig. Jeg satte mig for at strikke en vest præcis efter mine egne mål, og så tænkte jeg ikke videre over, at det kan være klædeligt at beregne en anelse stræk ind i pasformen – strik giver sig jo lidt i brug. En sådan v-halset ting må jo egentlig gerne sidde lidt til. Det gør den så ikke nu. Den passer “kun” til de faktiske mål, og det må være godt nok for mig i denne omgang.

Life – and knitting and designing as well – is a learning experience, and there are of course things I could have done better. I set out to knit a vest exactly for my own measurements, and then I didn’t think too closely that it may be wise to calculate for a teensy bit of ease (negative in my case) to make the fit better – knit fabric changes when worn. Such a v-necked thing I’ve made should probably fit rather snugly. It doesn’t at the moment. It “only” fits the actual precise measurements, and that has to be good enough for now.

A first…

February 20, 2011 in General life, Knitting | Tags: Knitting, life | 1 comment

Jeg har altid mest været en sokkestrikker. Sikkert fordi det var med sokkerne, jeg lærte at strikke (for lidt over 6 år siden). Jeg kan altid få sokker til at gå op og behøver ikke at regne alt for meget på dem. Sweatre og veste og andet torsobeklædning er en helt anden sag. Dem har jeg altid haft et lidt ærefrygtigt forhold til, for det var jo “svært”!

I’ve always mostly been a sock knitter. Probably because I started knitting by knitting socks (back when I learned to knit a little over 6 years ago). I know how to make socks “fit” and don’t have to work too much to make the numbers work. Sweaters and vests are another story. I’ve always been rather apprehensive about them because I felt they were “hard”!

Jeg har strikket trøjer efter andres opskrifter og det er gået både godt og skidt, men sidste efterår tog jeg skridtet og strikkede for første gang uden opskrift – det blev til en herrevest til min far. Han siger den passer perfekt, og det gav mig blod på tanden. Sidste weekend hentede jeg så en skøn kasse garn. Der var bl.a. et par enkelte nøgler luksus garn som passede med et par andre nøgler luksus garn fra lageret. Der var ikke nok af nogle af farverne til at lave en hel trøje, men sammensat i striber åbnede muligheden sig pludselig.

I’ve knitted sweaters and such after other people’s patterns and it has gone both well and disasterous, but last fall I took the mental step and knitted without a pattern for the first time – it was a man’s vest for my father. He says it fits him perfectly, and that made me want to knit more. Last weekend I happened to pick up a box of gorgeous yarn. Among the haul there were a couple of single skeins of luxury yarn, which happened to fit perfectly with some other lonely skeins of beautiful yarn from my stash. None of the colours had enough yardage to make a complete garment in, but put together in stripes opportunities were had.

Nu, kun en uge senere, sidder jeg i min første selvkomponerede vest (med dyb v-neck og brystkiler og det hele) strikket fra målene på en strikkeprøve og mig selv. Den passer perfekt – det er jo det smarte ved at strikke efter sine egne mål – og er generelt vellykket. Jeg er lykkelig (og varm) og glæder mig til det bliver lyst, så jeg kan tage nogle billeder og vise den frem.

Now, just a week later, I sit here in my first self composed vest (with a deep v-neck and bust darts and all the trimmings), knitted from the measurements from a gauge swatch and the measurements of my body. It fits perfectly – I see the reason for knitting exactly for my own body – and is generally a success. I am happy (and warm) and look forward to a photo opportunity in some daylight, so I can get some pictures to show off.

Blogger pillow party: February

February 16, 2011 in Sewing | Tags: patchwork, sewing | 5 comments

Jeg er begyndt at læse flere og flere sy/patchwork/quilt-blogge og inspirationen er stor og lystgivende (symaskinen skal frem igen snart). På en af mine ture fandt jeg Stitched in Color, som er vært for Bloggers Pillow Party, og det kunne jeg jo ikke sidde overhøring. Mit indslag for februar er genbrug. Det er den første ægte patchwork pude jeg har lavet, og den blev vist på bloggen tilbage i januar. Men jeg synes, den er smuk nok til en reprise.

I have begun reading more and more sewing/patchwork/quilting blogs recently and the inspiration I gain is huge and inducing (I really need to pull out my sewing machine again). One of my blog scannings resulted in me beginning to read Stitched in Color, who, it turns out, hosts Bloggers Pillow Party, and I really couldn’t miss that chance. My entry for February is recycled from an earlier blog entry. It is the first true patchwork pillow I ever made, and I showed it on the blog back in January. But I happen to think that it is beautiful enough to bear a reprise.

Inspirationen til puden var, at min mor havde været så venlig at låne os sin bil igennem et længere stykke tid. Jeg havde gået og spekuleret på, hvad jeg kunne gøre for at sige tak på en mere håndgribelig måde. Sagen er så, at hun lige havde fået sin nye sofa, og den manglede da oplagt et par nye puder. Efter en gennemsøgning af stoflageret fandt jeg materialer i hendes (og mine) yndlingsfarver med grøn og blå (og lidt gul til kontrast) samt de søde æbleknapper, som hun havde givet mig på et tidspunkt.

The inspiration for the pillow was my mother’s kindness to us. She had let us borrow her car for a longer period of time, and I had been wondering what I could do to say thanks in a more textile way. It just happened that she had gotten a new sofa, and it obviously needed a couple of cushions. After a search through my fabric stash I found materials in her (and my) favorite colours, green and blues (and a little yellow for a contrast) and also the sweet apple buttons, which she had given me on a previous occation.

Teknikken med at sy henover en skabelon af papir var fuldstændig ny for mig, og jeg kan nu se, at jeg nok gjorde det lidt besværligt for mig selv ved at klippe strimlerne så smalle (det var inden jeg anskaffede mig et skæresæt). Men puden blev meget smuk synes jeg, og jeg kan egentlig godt lide udtrykket med de smalle strimler. Puden måler 35 x 35 cm (monteringspuden er købt for 6 kr. i IKEA), og der er brugt 14 forskellige stoffer (bl.a. rester af en gammel nederdel og et udslidt pyntepudebetræk) og 1 bånd. Jeg har brugt denne “string quilt block”tutorial som udgangspunkt for puden, skønt mine blokke er noget mindre. På bagsiden føjede jeg et stykke af “diagonal” stoffet ind, hvilket også passede fint med æblemotivet i knapperne.

The technique – sewing over paper – was completely new to me, and I can now see that I probably made the task a bit more difficult for my self by cutting the strips so narrow (it was also before I bought a rotary cutter). But I think the pillow turned out very beautifully and I really like the completed result with the narrow strips. The pillow measures 35 x35 cm (the “filler pillow” was bought in IKEA for just over 1 USD), and I have used 14 different fabrics (including scraps of an old skirt and a worn out cushion cover) and 1 ribbon. I used this “string quilt block” tutorial as a reference and guide, though my blocks are somewhat smaller. I added a string of the “diagonal” fabric on the back, which also complemented the apple buttons nicely.

Mor fik både denne pude og den næste i rækken og blev vist glad for dem. Jeg lærte en masse og fik brugt lidt af lageret og fik sagt tak på en kreativ måde, så resultatet var jo ren lykke hele vejen rundt.

My mother received this pillow and the next in the line and seemed to love them. I learned a lot and used up a little of my fabric stash and managed at the same time to say thank you in a creative way, so the end result was a happy one all the way round.