24.9.10

FO: silken cowl

My first cowl and first time using handmaiden sea silk. Lovely pattern (a pdf link) and lovely yarn with great shine and lots of drape. The silk in the yarn gives a bit of halo; don't know how it will behave in the long run. Anyway, I doubt this will become an everyday piece.


I don't know the colour as it was not marked on the skein. A warm neutral anyway. Now I just have to figure out with what to wear it. perhaps I'll need to knit something to go with it?
More info in ravelry.

This has been a lousy week for me work-wise; did not get practically anything done and had the attention span of a fly. Finally, today, I understood that it was all due to my knee. I had the week before off work again, because the bursitis came back with a vengance. The worry about it has not been far away during the whole week; thus the lack of concentration.  Anyway, the exercise-prohibition ends next week and i'll start with slow swimming and see were it goes. I still have a tiny bump on my knee; I'm rather hoping it's just blood and will dissappear gradually by itself. If it won't or starts to increase again, back to the doctors'.

With all this time of work, I've really managed to knit a lot. Like this nearly finished pullover I started last week. Knit with 100% tweed merino wool and 3mm needles. The first time I'm using Elizabeth Zimmermann's EPS system.

12.9.10

Brave New Knits

A couple of posts ago I wrote that I had nothing else to do than to knit and read. Well, I had obviously forgotten internet shopping. Eventually, I did remember it and I ordered the Brave New Knits -book from amazon.com. I was tempted by Jared Floods really beautiful photos.

Also, the book contains a design by the talented Mari Muinonen. Anyway, here the book is. By the way, it took only a week to a day to reach me, and all the way from States to Finland, too.
 
There are several designs I'd like to knit at some point.
 
 
 
The first design to try out will be the Foxgloves by Clara Parker, I believe.  They look the be just the thing for nippy Finnish autumn mornings.
 

Although I have to say that this morning was really warm for the time of the year and during the afternoon, it reached 18 degrees centigrade.
 
Other me designs include Jared's own Woodsmoke scarf and Woolly Wormheads Lenina cap. All the socks in the book look interesting, too.

I'd love to knit Melissa Wehrle's Origami shrug for its construction, (could never wear it, would not flatter me and it has too much lace), Kat Coyle's Lace Flower pins for gifts, Norah Gaughan's Sprouting cloche for its shear audacity (but would I wear it?) and Mari's Krookus cardigan for it's architectural beauty (but raglan sleeves do not flatter me.) I wonder, would my mother like Krookus, in bold red perhaps? I have to think about it. 
 
There are a few designs I will not consider. They are those with too much lace or raglans sleeves.
 
Overall, a better book than most and the photos are beautiful and such which give a good idea of the knitted piece, too.  Usually knitting books have only one or two designs to tempt me. That's way I prefer to buy my patterns singly from net. Which reminds me, bought the Hawthorne pattern from Twist Collective the other day. I will knit it from an orangy-red colourmart cashmere/merino blend for Christmas time.
 
What else? I've eaten more tomatoes from my plant, but i fear I will not get many more this year before frost.
 


And the obligatory cat photo:

11.9.10

Girls, girls, girls

There were four women around a table at a friend's last weekend, and the talk turned into nails. All others present had lovely, long nails except me. I've never had long nails, somehow I just brake them. Always. Obviously I do not take care of them, enough. However, that evening I was convinced that all that could change. So, as per Midori'ss instructions, of I went to Stockmann, and bought a bottle of Nail Tek hydration II.


The first step was to exfoliate my hands with olive oil and sugar. Then I filed my nails and on went the Nail Tek II. You're supposed to add another layer every day, I was told, and clean all of once a week and start again. In couple of months time I will have beautiful, strong nails. I hope. This is the start:


Please do not pay too much attention to my cuticles.

4.9.10

Posing prettily

These were taken two weeks ago. Pikku-Hukka knows she's the cute one in our appartement.

She's used to making a stroll on the balcony first thing in the morning; stalking my neighbours and birds.

The flowers are not in as good condition anymore, i have to start thinking about cleaning them away soon, perhaps next weekend.