Progress of sorts

I have made it to the sleeves on the cardi I am knitting. I don't know what has happened to my poor brain, but I am making so many mistakes and I just can't work out what I am doing wrong! Lots of little snarls and holes which I have never had trouble with before...ah well. I still like how it's coming along.

And also, I did some shopping at the Dimples sale last week, went with a friend who is in the know and found some very cute things. These little ladybird booties were my favourite purchase.

Finish Fail

I took this (bad) photo of my cross-stitch thinking I had finished...then noticed that I haven't done the word 'three' underneath to match the other 2! Sigh.

I bought the pattern book for these a few years ago and intended to make all 12 of the designs. That isn't going to happen. I don't actually enjoy cross-stitch all that much, mainly because the end product is impractical and can't be used for anything. So I am stopping at 3 and will have to try and work out what I want to do with them. I'm thinking little cushions. Maybe.

Ny cykel (och mer stickning)

I bought a bicycle during the weekend. Isn't she cute? Try as I might, however, I'm unable to adjust the seat and handlebar height on my own - where's my handyman when I need him? She's a bit rusty and noisy, but I'm excited to explore the Swedish countryside with her over the summer. The weather has been so nice here recently - still cold, but really sunny and light until late.

I like to come back from class and sit with tea at the dining table with the sun streaming in. The light this afternoon was so lovely I thought it might be nice to take some pictures of the gorgeous Rowan pattern book I picked up today. It's full of inspiration for the warmer weather and I love every pattern in it. I'd like to make that sweet little top in the last photo for summer cycling...

And my Saroyan is finally blocked. You can see the ridge in the decrease section in this picture - quite disappointing, but I still really like it. It's so warm - I was nearly expiring when taking pictures!

Retail relief

To keep myself busy while Tim's away, I settled on a cabled scarf pattern for my brother's birthday and needed some new wool. So I met a few of the knitting group girls in Malmö this fine Saturday morning at Fröken Garn. Unfortunately, once there, everything they had was far too beautiful to even contemplate giving to my brother.

Instead I bought a skein of chunky baby alpaca in a brick orange colour for me and two little balls of Norwegian milk yarn. Yep, yarn made out of milk. The very idea that yarn can be spun out of milk astounds me. Ullrika, in the group, had recently been using it to make a gorgeous baby cardigan and she said it was lovely to work with. It's so soft. And now there's a baby coming who might appreciate it too...

I could only find one skein of the alpaca. Given that I'm finding the neckwarmer you made me so useful, I think I'll try something like that. It'll be a super quick knit.

So long Saroyan!

I have washed and blocked my scarf/shawl and it came up nicely, I think I may even wear it today. I have decided not to dye it, it will go with more in this colour. Got very bored with the pattern by the end, but your finished product and the fact that I badly want to do some baby knitting motivated me to get it done! I could probably have done one or two more repeats to give it a little more length, but it covers my shoulders and is so warm...good timing. It's getting cold here!

This little cardigan is what I am going to cast on today. I am going to use some of my Debbie Bliss wool in forest-green that I got in that swap last year (you have seen the stash, I don't need to buy anything!)

I am going to make the little bird mobile too, I think it's really sweet and I need a quick project. It also has the added bonus of using up some of my quilting fabric too. Damn quilt. That is still on my 'to finish' list. Do you have a new project lined up?