More finishes

I am still helping my mother with the move and the end is in sight, but that means sporadic blogposts, but here are some finishes... All in knit!

My hands are also slightly sore from the late minute crochet baby blanket I made, so I decided to knit for a while, then maybe I will get a little better too.

For my friends at Valentines, they got a set of mittens each.

But as usual I stared a little late, so they got them first now, oops.

Pluviôse by Solenn Couix-Loarer 

in Blue fabel from Drops and Alpacca from Nille in the purple set. The pattern is really easy, but I thought I could need some pattern reading comprehension and also I made a buttonhole by myself. 

So yay me.

I made a hat for my cousin, here sported by husband, my cousin likes her hats big, so I bought two skeins, I used 54 grams so I made one for myself too.

This pattern is also really simple, but hey, let's do simple for a while and build up my jishin so that I will feel more equipped to tackle more knitting and continue on with my knitting adventure and then one day I will make a dress and some shorts. One day, but the day is getting nearer, I can feel it!

Pink Alpacca from Sandnes I think.

And a picture of the bunnies fighting for resources because that is what they do most days. And molt, and beg for pets when I am going to bed or going out the door. Bunnies!

This months stash busting is in plus, I only bough 600 grams of yarn, but so far I have used up 909 grams... 

Yay me again.

Third day of Christmas and third Christmas celebration

Driving in the snow. Did I mention that it is snow! Did I mention I love snow?

We are visiting family again, and so I got tea again, caramel and vanilla, it was really good! Did I mention I love tea? I love vanilla and caramel too.

We played card-games, I won first, then me and my youngest female cousin won together. I love winning. Did I mention I like winning but am a very sore loser?

I finished one scarf yesterday and the second one today and I started the matching wristwarmer and finished one. But there is still two halfs to do. Did I mention I like making things? Did I mention I am not that good at finishing things? Did I mention I love starting new things?

Want to see how the finished hat and beard look on the intended person? Quite handsome, and it fits him too. :) Did I mention I like my cousin? My uncle wants one too now. And did I mention my younger female cousin also wants one?

Niende Desember

Today's tea was delicious, black tea with cinnamon, ginger,cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, pepper, orange peel, vanilla and apple. I like vanilla.

I didn't really sleep much last night, so today I have basically sat on the sofa all day trying not to fall asleep, I think I need to capitulate soon XD

But I was a bit productive!

I finished the last of the hats, fixed the threads after i took the picture of course and forgot to take a proper photo. But you can really see the cat ears in this one, here is the pattern if anyone wants to give it a go. This is the third hat I make out of this pattern, really easy, looks good and takes about an evening, at least when you have co-operating fingers.

Speaking of co-operating fingers, on Monday I did water gymnastics, and last time I was sore for a week, this time, nothing. Maybe because there was a different program or I didn't give it my all. It was hard though.

 I made ten hats this year, four crocheted and six knitted.

Also I can see I am getting better, yay me.

And I have another semi-finish! One half of a pair of mitts, or wrist warmers, this time I tried to make a half thumb. I got the pattern from somewhere, if I find it I will share it, but I think it is on the iPad and I am on the computer... But I have heftily modified it, but honestly I think it looks really good. Making the body took forever though, so I hope I have time to make another, it is not really good etiquette to give away half a present is it? Unless the recipient only needs one mitt?

I have two more pairs of wrist warmers to go, although keeping with tradition I could finish the one for my cousin next year, since he is getting his hat from last year this year?

And I must confess making proper knitted mittens is alluring, but I must be strong, knitting still takes me forever and I won't have time to make the rest if I start any knitting gifts (other than the last knitted wash cloth that is). Although apparently when you master socks, mittens are pretty much the same, so next year, next year I will make socks and mittens!

Åttende Desember

Today's tea is green wit cinnamon, ginger, rose and peppermint.

I love tea with roses and while my cup is not exactly  wintery nor Christmassy it does make me happy. My aunt bought me this in England, it has a happy pink bunny so she thought of me.

The lady in the cross stitch my mother started is finished, with the cat, the shelf is next on my list.

I NEED to make things within each season, that usually means some simple things takes forever like my crochet Halloween runner since I stop working on it after the season and put it on hold until next year so this little cross stitch runner is perfect, maybe I can even finish it within the season, after all getting into the Christmas spirit takes about a month, whilst halloween is over much faster.

And I finished hat number two, the pattern was easy once my Finnish friend was online knitting support and we decided I had almost thought right, and the sew together should have been an option and not a next step, because when you knit it together you can't really sew it together as well? 

Now there is only one hat left and since I am crocheting it it is taking forever, but I will persevere, there is still time before Christmas!

Sjette Desember

Today it has been one of those days, where you'd much rather just stay in bed all day, which I did, I slept a lot. Bunnies have been sleeping all day too.

But when I finally ventured out of bed I had my Advent tea, and it tasted nice, the rather subdued flavour was perfect for someone not quite awake. Today was a green tea blend with cinnamon, ginger, cardamum, cloves, nutmeg, pepper with something called soursop which I have no idea what is and then orange. Puuuh, quite a lot of ingredients, they all taste the same but different, rather a peculiar feat. 

I somehow finished the hat, not how it was supposed to be finished, but it does look like a hat, I already started the next one and hope I will understand how the pattern wants me to finish said hat off. If not I can just do something again...

Fjerde Desember

I awoke before the alarm bell with stiff and hurting hands, I put them under the duvet and tried to sleep more. I failed, so I sat in bed with my iPad and soon M awoke and we could eat breakfast finally. Very Christmassy today, yoghurt with liquorice and yoghurt with caramel. Tine makes such peculiar seasonal yoghurts that actually fit the seasons! 

And today's tea was black tea with ginger, cloves, star anise with masala chai, peppermint, and anise, I really liked this one, it fit nicely with my liquorice yoghurt. 

Then I went on another tradition that started when I moved out, my mother and mine pre-Christmas shopping trip. A whole day with different chores and lots of items checked off the lists. My mum is almost done with her list (I helped), I even gave her some friendly tips on gifts for me ^^

Then we had lunch, shopped some more and went home and had dinner.

M was home sick and vacuumed, I could tell for a short while, then I gave the little trolls new toys. They got one each of the same toy, since they can't share.

But apparently one was much better and they fought each other for it and ate it all up. Now our rug looks less vacuumed. But they had fun.

I _almost_ finished another hat, but I have no idea how it is supposed to be finished off, I am going to take another look at it with fresh eyes tomorrow I think...

But for now I am going to bed.

Tredje Desember

Todays tea was green tea with cinnamon, peppermint, liquorice and melon. Strange, and not very Christmassy, but very good. I had compaby over and we made some sort of eclaires, they were very good, but I think they would have been better if they were smaller and my oven was a little less eager to burn things because we had to take them out a bit early or they would have been black...

The cat is done! I am doing the Christmas table runner my mother found in her stash, I have a hundred things I should rather do, but when my hands hurt the big needle and thread are better than crochet and knitting.

But I have a finish!

Another hat, although, I did say I only had three left, but then there was another guest, and now I have three left after all. 

Andre Desember

Drinking my tea, yesterdays tea was very Christmassy with, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg and pomegranate and lemon, todays tea was also green with the same Christmassy things in bold but with melon, orange and anise. I think I like yesterdays better....

I am liking this tea tradition thing. 

I am hoping to finish this hat today, but tradition says that I will sit on Christmas morning making the last of the presents, so we will see. (after all, I have three hats, three wrist warmers, several washing cloths, and perhaps something secret left to do, think I'll make it?)

That is a tradition that I wouldn't mind we didn't keep. But I do love making things and it does make me feel in the spirit.

These two are never in the spirit, they have no idea how to share but the begging for treats is a skill they do possess they just tell me instead of santa.

Første Desember

I love Christmas, one of the reasons I love Christmas is all the traditions. Usually people like to change things around, I don't, I like to do things the same all the time, but at Christmas everybody agrees that they will do things like last year, like every year, James.

When I was little I got these cheap advent calendars of chocolate, so I still do, I love the feel of that awful chocolate in the mornings, they feel so stolen and childhood-like. 

When I was a teenager my aunt started buying my mum and me lottery ticket advent calendars, and she still does, only now M gets one too. I love tradition, and I have won a tiny bit of money from them before, which makes it a gift that keeps giving.

 Boyfriend gets a Finnish Scout Christmas calendar from his family so that is a tradition now too, it doesn't really do anything, but the pictures are always cute and Christmas-like, so I guess it helps to get one into the spirit of things...

And new this year is this tea calendar, I bought it half off last year to start this year, and so far I am loving it. Much more healthy than chocolate, but equally fun. M also borrowed an advent calendar book that we are going to read each day. (Jostein Gaarder, Julemysteriet, which I know some of my friends have as one of their traditions, I wonder if this too will turn into a tradition?)

Something that I hope will turn into a tradition is me finishing things, my mother just like me, have a bit of Start-itis where starting new things become too alluring and finishing things gets forgotten. The socks I found in her treasure chest almost done I quickly finished them and then mine as well. 

Yay me...

I still have three hats to make before Christmas, and I need to get a move on, things are going very slowly these days because my fingers are really hurting, my wrists, elbows, knees and shoulders are hurting a bit too, but it is the fingers that hinders me to do anything, but it gets better further into the day, so in the evenings I can craft a bit. I find it weird that they seem to hurt on both sides, usually when I have crafted too much it is just the right side that hurts...

So maybe I will start tomorrow with a chocolate, my new tea of the day and reading "Julemysteriet" until my hands are more mobile. Holding tea seem to help a bit too.

Friday Finishes

I made another two finishes!

Two light blue wash clothes for Christmas

and another Tristan hat in Drops big merino. Next hat I am going to make will be in another pattern I think, because I have got the hang of this now:)

Oh, and yes, it is for a man so it is way too big for me, luckily.

Lots of trees turning into sixty

First off I want to say Happy birthday to my mother, and we look forward to celebrating you next weekend. Hope you will like your present.

I promised to show some ornaments, these trees were super fast and simple, I used thick embroidery wool I already had but were not going to embroider with anytime soon to make these. One skein made about two trees, but some skeins were started so some trees ended up being a little bit creative. I started making these thinking I needed lots of green but then I thought if the recipients wanted to hang their trees on their tree they would be invisible so I made some in other Christmassy colours. And I really like the colour combinations. These days my colour appreciations have been growing, I actually like green now:O

I made another ornament, this one for my friend who loves owls:)

I think they might get a tree garland as well.

The plan was to make some hearts, snowflakes and stars as well, but I got so into making those trees that I just couldn't stop, I made 27 already, but I am keeping some so we will se if it will be only tree garlands or something else as well. Still plenty of time before Christmas!

In my ongoing knitting adventure I am still making hats for Christmas, only three to go, one of which I will crochet, the lonely sock will hopefully have its mate in time for the holidays and the yarn I bought when my mothers local yarn store went out of business is finally started and will become some wash cloths for Christmas.

I think I need to actually finish some of those presents soon if I am going to have time to make about ten more;)

Friday again and finishes again

 I know these past few weeks I have only showed off finishes, but most of the stuff I am making needs to be a semi-secret thing since the recipients might be reading;)

But anyway I have two finishes! I made two sitting pads for some cousins for Christmas, they have a dog so I hope they take a lot of walks;)

But in either case they could be used when waiting for the bus in the cold and take very little space so can be taken everywhere.

 I used mostly leftover yarn about four balls each.

And I have started making some ornaments, but you will see that on Wednesday as that is the ornament day;) Hopefully I will have made a few more and perhaps other shapes too? These are sort of like stocking fillers for sudden presents or for people I don't have time to make a big thing for.

I have also started another hat, yes, I am knitting, and yes, it is still Tristan for garnstudio:p

I might branch out later into other hat patterns.

And yes, it might not be for Christmas, since it barely fits me, but I will make M model and see, if it fits him I can give it away to some male relative for Christmas. I know I make lots of presents, this year I counted 25, but this Christmas we will be celebrating with a lot of extended family, so I am looking forward to that.

It started to become more winter and less autumn these days and these guys are telling me it is a bit chilly;) Inside is a cosy 19 degrees but these buys are spoiled, I prefer a toasty 20-21:P 22 is too hot and I do wear wool inside as well.

M and I are having a pizza today, looking forward to it, but I need to get started before it is too late, and hopefully we will watch Walking Dead.

Accessorizing the season

I am sorry about jinxing everything. Yesterday I said it was springtime, but today it snowed all day... So I guess I was wrong.  I don't feel too bad about making those hats now, fitting the season and all. I had made the decision to take a break on that snowflake table cloth until it started snowing again so I might just have to start on it and actually finishing this season because of the snow and all. 

Here I am knitting a second hat. I am starting to get a hang of this hat business. Yay progress, although it takes forever making in comparison to my crochet skills. But I do remember I used to be really slow at that in the beginning too so there is room for improvement.

Here is the scarf I started yesterday in the same pattern as the last one, and I have high hopes this one will be long enough to wrap a couple of times around the neck and I am making it all for me.

I have made a few flowers too for my secret project. I need more pink in different shades I think, so it might not turn out to be cheaper than real flowers in the end, but it is more fun and less stressful.

If anyone wants to join in and make some for me let me know. 

I was going to show you this thing that I made the other day, but as I said it started snowing and I couldn't take pictures outside. Can anyone guess what I have made?

Monday Blues Stripes

 So this past week I have had a cold, with a fever and no brain power at all just walking about like a zombie... I am sick of always catching something and becoming ill and I don't even work in a kindergarten anymore...
But I am starting to feel a bit better now. These past few weeks (yes, weeks, no brainpower remember and all zombie) I have been trying to knit a hat. If I am ever going to finish that awesome hat with beard for my cousin I need to practise making hats. So I went into my stash and found some gifted yarn from my friends family and started knitting, I don't really have anyone to help me so I scratched my head and googled and found out how to properly knit in the round which makes this hat better than the other hat. And as long as there is progress in my skill-level I am happy. :)

And one day boyfriend will have knitted sweaters and vests and I will be able to knit my own socks without having to tell anyone how many pairs I go through in one season, which is ridiculous btw.

Bunnies are more often than not begging to come to the living room to play and I keep letting them. Valmin gets a treat (pellet, hush, don't tell them it is just normal food that they'd get anyway) everytime he hops onto the sofa while we are in it. And Mimle gets a treat everytime Valmin gets one or else she will steal his. 

He is still a bit wary of people and faces, so I guess we just have to invite more people over to help him get over his fears.

I couldn't resist that face and let him into the living room, but now that I am sitting in the kitchen typing away I have Mimle as usual under my chair with Valmin close by. So I guess what he really wanted was attention, or to see if I would open the gate and let them in if he begged. And begging is better than gnawing and thrashing at the gate so I guess that is progress too.

And I am herby done with colds for this season, I refuse to get sick again. So now you know.

Late February Accessories

I am finally all better from having a cold for a couple of weeks. So I thought I should blog a little again. When I have a cold my head feels like it is full of cotton and I have a hard time thinking and with a runny nose and clogged sinuses things have hardly moved at all these past few weeks. Boyfriend was only sick for a week, lucky him.

Anyway, I started another wrist warmer from Simply Crochet number 11.

This is the fourth set I am making, and this one I am making just to have a present if I am in dire need one day, plus I loved the pattern, it is really fun.

I am practising making hats as well before I tackle the hat for my cousin and his big head, my head is child sized so no help there. Which is why I am buying yarn and making a hat for boyfriend. Remember the bow I showed you last? I thought it looked good on this hat. I used some wool I had lying around on a 6 hook. The pattern I loosely used was this. Only I increased the size to fit me. I wonder if I am going to add whiskers and eyes. I might. But not today.

This is wrist warmers number 3. Made for me, here I used the same number of starting chains as the pattern suggested, in number 2 and 4 I have added ten chains if memory serves me right....

Simply Crochet magazines is a magazine I highly recommend crocheters, they make lots of modern and stylish clothing that even I can make. I made the first in two weeks and the second in one day so you can say I am back to feeling better.

Before Christmas I splurged on this yarn, it is black with reflector yarn so that the wearer is visible for traffic both from behind and the front. I used the same pattern as the other hat, only this hat is not finished yet because I ran out of yarn. Gluhwurmchen, from Rico, but my mother has kindly said she would check her local yarn shop to see if they have more in stock. (I have no idea how to make the appropriate dots over the letters, sorry.)

Sorry about all the bad pictures, there is not that much light these days and my phone is bad at taking pictures, but I thought better bad pictures in the blog than no blog post right?

Anyway I am feeling better now, so hopefully I can finish that table cloth within February as was my goal. Even if I am feeling a bit fed up with those snowflakes at the moment... The end is in sight so I better just chug along, make a couple each day before I start one of my more interesting and new projects? Might be a good plan.