knits

Are you on Pinterest, too? I got to join a few weeks ago and have been pinning away since. If you'd like to follow me there, please do! The link is http://pinterest.com/worstedknitt/

I especially like the boards Fun & Knitterly and Innovative knits.

The things I have knitted myself go to Knits I loved to make and the queue to Want to knit. And so on! Please follow me and let me know your Pinterest link in the comments!

I took part in the All in One Color swap in the Ravelry Ten dollar swap group this month, and was through and through spoiled! My spoiler was Nicola from Wisconsin, and she had really though about the package - it was so great! Take a look:

First of all there was a skein of Lamb's Pride bulky wool and mohair yarn. It's so soft and I love the shade of red! But that was only the start. There were all kinds of candy which I really like like the Twix, Baby Ruths and Reese's peanut hearts - and Hershey's Kisses, which I got to taste for the first time!

There was also green jasmine tea, cranberry tea and a ginger herbal drink sachets, some Kool Aid, a spice which I can't wait to try, nail and lip balm (really good ones too - I had to try them right away).

In 2011 I knit a lot of scarves for charity. In spring, I learned a new stitch, the "half patent" as it is called in Germany and I guess it's called brioche stitch in English. Please correct me if I'm wrong!

Anyhow, I got bitten by the scarf bug and I made scarf after scarf with this new stitch, plowing through my stash of woolen, warm yarns in different weights. Last year I had donated some scarves and hats to the homeless in a nearby city, and exactly these homeless people I had in mind right from the beginning.

I finished 8 scarves in brioche stitch in 2011! Here they all are. There's also a hat I made and a scarf I made in 2012, and that's what I sent to the charity to donate for the homeless a few weeks ago. Good timing it was, as it's just now starting to get really cold here.

In Oktober 2010 I started a series of interviews, where I asked knitwear designers from around the world questions about their design process, the yarns they use and how the designs come to life. By publishing these interviews, I've learned so much, and I hope you have too.

But now it's time for a break. I didn't plan one, but the signs gave me enough feedback to notice it's time for a break: I had a designer lined up for January, she had even agreed to participate, but never answered the questions and won't answer my mails. The one I had planned for February never answered me, and the third said she has no time at the moment. Pretty clear signs, don't you think!

So Designer of the month series is going on a break for a while. To make up for the loss I'm planning on making more of WorstedKnitt's Pattern shows and perhaps I'll have a new idea or two for the future!

In 2009, I made my first 101 goals in 1001 days list, which I continued to refer to during the last 2,5 years. I wrote a wrap-up of it a few days ago, and now it's time for the next list. With no further ado, here it is for all to see & keep me accountable!

101 in 1001 vol 2

02.01.2012
29.09.2014

Travel

1. Visit Croatia
2. Visit 3 countries new to me, one of these must be Scotland
3. Visit 5 German cities outside NRW
4. Go on a cruise
5. Travel on a historic train
6. Bathe in a sea
7. Go to Nördlinger Freibad
8. Go to Nördlinger Christmas Market
9. Visit Madeira
10. Cross the Polar Circle
11. Go to the Eiffel tower (and actually go up)
12. Bike tour in the Ruhr area

For Christmas 2011 I gave exactly one knitted item as a present, and this is it!

In fact, it's not even a real present... you see, my mother-in-law had a few balls of Lana Grossa Giava Print, a viscose and linen blend yarn left over from a vest a friend of hers had made her - so she sent the balls to me with a note "I'd like a slightly triangular scarf, with a pretty edging, but have no idea on how to make one - will you please knit me one?"

I was a bit annoyed, but I started looking and found the perfect pattern: knit in one piece (without crazy sewing-on-lace-border activity), slightly triangular, and free!

The pattern is called Chinook Scarf and it's available on Ravelry.

On 11th of April, 2009 I posted a list of 101 goals I wanted to reach during the next 1001 days. And behold, on the 2nd of January 2012 these 1001 days were through. Such a long but still such a short time - about 2,5 years.

Throughout the years I kept coming back to these goals, and actually finished the majority of them. I updated the list (see it here) the last time a few days ago, and here are the results:

Reached: 52+4 (from bubbling under list)
Abandoned officially: 4
Partly reached of failed: 45+2

Makes a ratio of 52/49! Successful - with a small difference, but still!

Umm... socks for homeless animals? Well, it's not what you think. In fact, the animals won't be wearing the socks, instead they will be sold and the profits will go to the homeless animals.

These yarns were donated to me by the animal shelter to work them into socks. So that's what I did. The purple pair is about size 36-37, and was knit with 60 stitches across with using the Rinsessa stitch.

The blue pair is size 39-41, with 64 stitches across with a simple 2x2 ribbed cuff and a plain foot.

In fact, I made these a while ago already, and indeed the blue pair has already been sold! It's not big money, but if a homeless cat can eat for a few days or weeks from that money I'm more than delighted.

These would then be the 62nd and 63rd FO on my Charity knits 2011 list!

On the 8th of January 2011 I made a list of Knitting Resolutions for 2011 (see the original post here). I haven't forgotten about them, nor abandoned them, but actually made some progress on them!

See for yourself:

1. When obtaining yarn, focus on ecological, reclaimed, and / or second hand yarns.
Well, I didn't rock this resolution, but I did decent. I've made some t-shirt yarn of my own, and received a lot of second hand yarns this year. When I bought yarn, though, I didn't really think of the ecological aspect.

2. Knit a sexy thing
I knit a pair of hotpants!

3. knit a Drupal hat
I missed this goal

4. knit a linen shawl
I started it, but haven't finished yet!

5. knit real gloves and
I missed this goal

I took part in another swap before Christmas, the Finnish Christmas swap, Jouluvaihto.

My partner received her present and liked it, and I like mine too! I waited for a long time before unpacking them, as I wanted to wait until Christmas (well, almost, as I was away over actual Christmas so I opened them on the 21st).

Anyway, take a look: a lovely, very warm cowl from a merino blend yarn, a skein of Finnish, handdyed 100% wool and two skeins of Cascade yarns in reddish pink! Not to mention the cute sheep measuring tape and a lovely house scent. There was also a ceramic piece included, on which the scented oil could be used on, but I was so eager to use it that it was already in use by the time I took this photo!

Thanks a lot, Tui!