Knitting with un-spun yarn

I just realised that the yarn I bought in Iceland is un-spun.  It is called plötulopi and breaks very easily. Nevertheless it is this yarn that you use for the traditional Icelandic lopi sweater. You may knit the yarn with one, two or three ply at the time. My plan was to make shawls (Who's surprised?) and use one ply, at least when I thought it was ordinary yarn. But last night I actually dreamt that I was making felted mittens and slippers. I don't know. Suggestions?

The fragility of the yarn makes me think that there is need for some strengthening if I want to make a shawl. Like when I added a thin cotton to the Rosa yarn from Denmark.

I'm just thinking...

/Maia

Minnie

This autumn a dear friend sent me to a store that sold Odd Molly to buy a dress for her DD. She lives in another town and the DD had got her eyes on a beautiful dress that was 70% off. I went there, bought it for her, and on my way from the store I just happened to find some really cheap organic cotton. 

I think Odd Molly is fun. It is really odd, even though I don't think I'll ever buy something there myself. But in some ways the Minnie scarf I crocheted from the cotton is inspired from seeing all that happy-go-lucky clothes.

Also this scarf will be for sale. And the money will go to KSK F98/99. Stay tuned! I will be announcing where and when and for how much you can buy the scarf.

/Maia

Hup, hup Oransje!

The Swedish football (soccer) team did not do well against the Netherlands in the qualification to the European cup – or whatever – this Wednesday, but as the Netherlands did a very good game I'd like to present the Oransje scarf.

The scarf is in a soft mohair wool that I bought a long, long time ago, so this is part of my stash project. The lace ending is from another quality of wool, and a bit flimsy, but suits well with the softness of the mohair.

My model, A, would never ever wear one of these scarves for real, because she seems to be allergic to any kind of wool. She even gets rash from the woollen neck strap that she has got for her alto saxophone. She had to cut out a small cotton patch to protect the skin while she is playing!

Now, this scarf is going to be on the market! I am going to sell it and give the money to the girl's 90/99 football (soccer) team of Kållered's Sports Club (KSK). Stay posted!

/Maia

Island

I've been to Iceland. Due to the terrible economic crisis it is today actually quite affordable. Go there and spend your money on beautiful


Turquoise.


Warm, warm red.


Marron.

/Maia

PS I have so many new scarves and shawls to show you. I just haven't been able to get the DDs to model yet!

- using BlogPress from my iPhone

Small, quick projects

When I traveled to and from Denmark 2007–2008 I bought a lot of yarn. Much of it is cotton, since mercerised cotton is really cheap in Denmark, don't ask me why. I also bought discount yarn whenever I found something interesting. Like this one. Rosa means 'pink' both in Swedish and in Danish.

This yarn has given me trouble ever since. But when I heard that my niece had mixes a fluffy yarn with cotton, I tried adding a thin cotton to this wool mix and I was home.

With pins number 15, I knitted a small scarf very quickly. My youngest daughter will not wear it, since she has inherited her father's severe wool antipathy. So maybe I'll just sell it and give the money to her soccer team? It is really soft and lovely.

I also crocheted a small beanie friend for my daughter to have when she watches TV, instead of biting her nails...

...and a couple of hearts from the same yarn that I used for the Red gooseberry and Red currant scarves. All this to reduce the stash and use even the small balls of yarn. 

They are filled with soy beans. I had some in a cupboard in the kitchen, and I'm really not going to eat it so it's good that it comes to use. My dear husband suggested that I'd fill them with coffee beans instead, for the lovely smell. I think whole wheat would be great, because then you can heat them up in the microwave.

/Maia

Röda vinbär – Red currants

Another scarf, same yarn, but this time with a slightly different trimming. 

This time the edging is a bit broader and also flatter and pointier, red currants seemed a fitting name to me. 

The trimming of the Cup scarf – Red gooseberries – is flimsier and fits well with the Swedish word for gooseberries, krusbär. Krusig means 'frizzly, crinkly'.

On the top Red currants, on the bottom Red gooseberries.

The nuance is a dark burgundy that warms up in the sunlight, so the colouring on the last photo is really not accurate. My iPhone camera doing a bad job again...

/Maia

The leftover Christmas tree – Instructables

Ever wondered...

...what to do with the leftover Christmas tree? Well now in September yesteryear's tree may be just dry enough for you to turn it into something really useful.

Like a didgeridoo? 

One of my RSS links goes to the hilarious blog Instructables, where the members upload their step-by-step instructions for making just about anything from building a polar 3-D printer from Legos, an invisible bookshelf  or – even more useful – a hidden door bookshelf, to cake recipes like a coffee cup cake, the best ever chcolate chip cookie and the dual color cookie. And of course more serious food like meatloaf on a stick.

All instructables are nor for everyone. The Christmas tree to a didgeridoo instructable, though, seems to fill a need here in the Nordic countries. Enjoy!

/Maia