Pink lopapeysa (Icelandic pullover) on its way!

I started a léttlopapeysa (Icelandic pullover in léttlopi yarn) for Johan for a while ago, but I did not come far with that until it crossed my mind that my sister is turning 25 really soon. And I promised her one day that I will knit a lopapeysa for her so why not now. It was a good opportunity. I started immediately as the idea struck me. I wanted to use the thick Álafoss lopi yarn but it was not available in the colors I imagined so I went for the léttlopi and used two threads of it instead of one. It is turning out as thick as lopi, I think. My sister's birthday is getting closer now (It's the 7th of December), but I am almost done. Here is the progress so far:



I also just have to put out a picture of myself in my latest lopapeysa, which my darling shot today. We were outside of Reykjavik. We went to visit a family, who lives in Eyrabakki, one hour from Reykjavik. Here is the picture:

Black/white/pink Icelandic sweater (lopapeysa) finished!

Now I have finally sewed in the zipper in my lopapeysa (Icelandic sweater). It actually turned out really nice. The sweater itself is a bit unevenly knitted but I like it. I used 2 threads of plötu lopi (as it is called here in Iceland). Plötu lopi is non-spun and non-treated 100% wool. And it is very breakable. I knitted with needles no 5 (mm).

Here comes a picture of the result. It is kind of cool with a zipper on the side. It is absolutely easier to drag it over your head with a zipper there. It does not ruin the hairdressing for example. And then the pattern on each side on the zipper really come together. Sometimes it is difficult to get it right. I am not a pro.



And here is a picture of just the pattern and the zipper:



My next project, which I already started is a lettlopi sweater for my boyfriend. I made my own pattern and started to knit. The ground-color is black. It will be interesting to see the result. To see how the colors will match up together.

Picture of knitted baby hat

I finished the baby hat long time ago but I have not gotten a picture up here. So here it comes:



Otherwise it goes slowly forward. I have been doing a lot of handiwork lately. I am embroidering a flower pattern on a piece of fabric, which is becoming a pillow case. Look at my swedish blog if you would like to see some pictures of my handywork (sorry but it is only in Swedish) my

I am almost finished with the lopapeysa for myself by the way. Since I started to work again after maternity leave I do not have so much time anymore. After Olivia has gone to bed in the evening there is not much time left before my own bedtime.

After this lopapeysa I will start on a new lopaeysa called Farmers market lopapeysa. These lopapeysur are very famous in Iceland and are also shipped abroad. I think I will go and buy some wool for that soon.

The vest and a hat are finished and now I am knitting a baby hat for Olivia

I have been sick for about 1,5 week so there has not been much knitting. But I was actually donw with the vest before I got sick but I had no energy to put out a picture. And did not even have a picture taken and I did not want it taken when I looked so sick and miserable. It could have been the swine flu or it could have been a seasonal flu. Who knows? The symptoms are almost the same.
Anyway, I feel almost completely well again, just a little runny nose and some throat problems left. It is not much so now I felt like putting out a picture and write some text in my blog again. This is how the vest looks like:



From the yarn left-overs I made a matching hat. And now I have nothing left of that yarn. Here is a picture of the hat:



And here is picture of me in both the vest and the hat:



And here is the link for the pattern of both the hat and the vest:
www.garnstudio.com/lang/en/visoppskrift.php?d_nr=104&d_id=30&lang=en

Then I also made another square for the baby blanket I am planning to put together. I used a multicolor yarn in pink and lilac. It looked so lovely that I just felt the urge to knit a hat for Olivia in that yarn. And so I did. Here is what I have done so far:



Now I will continue a bit on the hat while Olivia i sleeping. If she does not wake up. And of course I should continue on my Icelandic lopapeysa (pullover) now when I have decided to have buttons on the side of the collar and down to the arm

I have started a new project again

I don't know what is wrong but I do not like it very much to knit on my Icelandic pullover (lopapeysa). Maybe because the yarn is so black and black and black and boring and itchy. I wonder? It might be that it is only black I have been knitting for a while. That is why I started a new project. I wanted to do something quick and thick so I started on waist coat that I found on the site www.dropsdesign.com. Here is the link to the pattern:
http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/en/visoppskrift.php?d_nr=104&d_id=30&lang=en

I so not use the yarn in the description but mine is similar and I also use 8 mm needles. It is as thick as mu previous sweater with hood. It goes very fast and I enjoy it.
Here is the result so far:



Then I also have my Icelandic pullover to work on. I have at least put on the arms. Now it is time to start the pattern. But I tend to let it lay there in a corner since I am not sure how I will do the zipper. I do not want to have a zipper in the front. I think I will do one on the side, which goes down to the armwhole. Here is how it looks like with the arm attached:



I think I will finish the coat before I continue with the Icelandic lopapeysa.

A charity project finished!

I was supposed to knit on my Icelandic lopapeysa (pullover) but I had a divagation. At the knitting night, Lisa had an idea to start a project where everyone knitting something for children in need. More exactly for the orphans in Bosnia. Her husband soon-to-bee is from Bosnia but they both live in Iceland. I joined the project since I have so much wool lying aound at home and since it is a nice thing to do. I had a couple of balls of grey wool from Sweden lying around at home. They have been there for years now. I did not like them very much myself so it was a perfect choice.
I made a little hooded pullover for a kid about 4 years old. But when I sewed the armes to the body it looked really ugly. I knitted with needles 10 (mm) and a very thick yarn and the wholes looked quite big. But then I found a similar yarn at home; A black thick yarn. I used it to crochet the edges of the arm, the body and the hood and made a small stripe over the ugly seems. Here is the result:

From the front:


From the back:

Been in Sweden again and started on a new smaller project to fit the yarn in my bag

I arrived from Sweden yesterday. Me and my beloved went on a wedding and grandad had to babysit Olivia. It went well. We stayed quite long time in Sweden actually. We left from Iceland last Tuesday and came back yesterday. I had a lovely time in Sollentuna (where my dad lives). It was so nice weather so I took many walks with Olivia in just a tank top. I also walked to two shopping malls not far off. Looked at some wool and bought a ball for crocheting together a baby blanket, which I am working on at the moment. I started the project before we went to Sweden because I new I could not bring a lot of yarn and half a knitted pullover in the bag. It would have taken to much space. I just brought two balls of yellow yarn. I actually made some squares a long time ago but I never put them out on my blog. During my stay in Sweden I only made five yellow squares and before I left I made a blue and a green. So the others on the following picture are old squares:



But before I started these squares i actually made five other squares for another secret gift (another baby blanket of course). We are a few people that made five squares each and when put together it will hopefully be a nice baby blanket. It will be exciting to see the result. I am not putting the squares together. Here is my contribution minus one square:



Now I am going to continue on my Icleandic lopapeysa (pullover) and maybe do one or two squares now and then.

Back from the holiday and here is Olivia's cute pink lopapeysa (knitted sweater)

Yes, now we have been in Sweden for a month on vacation. We traveled all around and visited relatives so they all could meet our litte Olivia. That is why I have not been updating my blog for a long time. First we were in the capital of Sweden (Stockholm), then Svenljunga (450 km south), then on the countryside outside Vallsta in Hälsingland (650 km north) and last in Strömsund in Jämtland (350 km more north). I finished the sweater just before we left from Svenljunga and headed for Hälsingland. Or actually I sewed on the cute buttons I found in Svenljunga during the car trip when I was not driving. It went extremely well with all the car trips in Sweden. The trip from Svenljunga to Hälsingland took 12h and Olivia was so nice in the car. Slept a lot and played with her toys. On the way we also stopped 1h at a friends place and of course we had many small stops along the road. Olivia is just 7 months old by the way.

In Hälsningland it could become a bit chilly in the evenings and even during daytime if the weather was not the best so then it was perfect to put on the little lopapeysa (sweater). Here is how it looks like:



And this is how it looks like on Olivia:



Then I had a lot of yarn left so I got the idea to make a afghan blanket (I think you call them that). I have seen them in many places and was quite interested in doing one myself. I started to crochet some squares. I just two threads together of the plötu lopi yarn and needles no 5. They turned out to be quite thick but I like it. And now after I made a few squares I changed my mind about doing a blanket. I will do a bedspread instead for Olivia, which she can have later when she has a bigger bed. I am not sure thought if I am doing it correctly since I had no pattern for making the squares. I just tried something out of the air and I think it looks quite ok:



Then I also started to knit on a new lopapeysa for myself (sweater). The old one I have is too small at the moment since I am 12kg heavier than before I got pregant. It is quite tight fit on it and it is difficult to zip it up over the stomach. I like tight sweaters. So now I will soon have a new one that will match up with Olivia's pink one. Mine will be black with white and pink in the pattern. And then I will have a zipper on one side of the shoulder. I have only started on the body so far. It is going slowly forward. I look forward to do the pattern. But first I have 12 more centimeters of the body to knit and then the arms. I just knit a few rounds every day. It gets to painful to knit to much. At the moment my fingers are very stiff. So this sweater will probably take a while. But since I am back in Iceland again I will start going on knitting nights again. So on wednesday it is knitting at my place. Maybe I will get something done then. This is how the result looks like so far:

Yes, now I am completely done with my skull lopapeysa. It is quite cool. But I actually finished it a while ago. It was just the zipper that took time. I put it aside because I really do not like to sew in the zipper. It is quite boring. But now I am finally done. Yesterday I was outdoors taking photos of Johan in the sweater. It was nice weather, which is not so common here in Iceland. We went to a small beach. Here is a picture:



And here is how it looks like from behind:


And here is with the hood on:


Do you want to buy the pattern and knit it yourself? Here you can buy it for $4.95. It comes in XS-XL.


I am actually satisfied with the sweater. It will be exciting to see what my brother thinks about it. It is for him.

Then I have also started on a beby sweater, a small bright pink Icelandic lopapeysa. It is for a one year old. Olivia is almost like a one year old in size (she is only 6 months). I have almost finished it already. I am working on the pattern now. The arms are attached. I will bring it to Sweden and finish it there. Then Olivia can wear it a cold summerevening. This is how the yarn looks like:



It is called plötulopi and is made of unspun wool. It is the cheapest you can get here in Iceland. It will be a thin and nice sweater for her. Maybe a bit itchy. We will see. I do not have a picture of my work so far. I will put on in when it is finished.

Knitted Icelandic sweater (lopapeysa) with skulls almost finished!

Well, it goes slowly forward with the sweater. But it depends on me having more pain in my fingers lately. I read more books at the moment. I am really into the Twilight series now. Nowadays I do not knit as frenetic as I once did. But I keep on going as good as I can. Now I only have the hood left to do. I thought about how I was going to do it for a long time and finally I made up my mind. I am going to have a skull on the back side. We will see how it ends up. This is how the pattern turned out:



I think it is cool. I only need to buy a zipper for it too. But first I need to finish it, sew the armpits, sew in all loose ends and wash it. The drying takes usually 2 days or even 3 days sometimes. So it will take a while before it is finished. I have until 25th of June. Then we are going to Sweden for a month. So then I will have to have it ready to take with me.

Knitted hat finished and I have started on the sweater (lopapeysa) with skulls in the pattern.

Now I have finished the hat for Olivia. I like it. It is cute. But came out almost to small. But I think she can have it for a while. This is how it looks like from the front:



This is how it looks like from the back:


And then I have started to knit on the icelandic sweater (lopapeysa) with skulls in the pattern. I have not done so much yet but this is how the start looks like:



I have been feeling quite well in my hands the last week so it has been going pretty good with the knitting. During Eastern I was really bad. Had a lot of pain in my hands and was dead tired. Then I did not knit at all.

The socks finally finished, now it is time for a knitted baby hat and soon to come is a lopapeysa with skulls in the pattern.

Well, now I have finally finished the socks. It has been the most boring project I ever started. And it has taken the longest time ever to make them. I will not do anything like it again. I mean no more socks like that. No, no! Here is a picture of the result:



I got the result from the bloodtest I took by the way and it showed to be rheumatid factor in my blood, which meand I am getting some kind of reumatism. Not fun at all. But I have got another time the 20th of April at a specialist for rheumatism to investigate it more. I really hope I can keep on knitting. I mean that the sickness does not go to far ahead. I heard that some people with rheumatism had to stop knit. I would be so sad if I had to stop. This is one of my best hobbies. After I got the result I did not knit in a week. But finally I finished the socks. The thing is that I get pain in my fingers after too much knitting. It is troublesome. But it goes up and down with the pain. I also have pain in my neck, throat and toes and my feet feel swollen most of the time. It is a little bit better now actually. So I will start something new today.
I am going to start on Olivia's baby hat. I will use this yarn:



We will se how the result becomes. It will be exciting to se since it is a tri color yarn. I will knit with needles 2.5mm. It is a bit small but I am kind of used to it after the socks.

Then I have also sketched a pullover, which I will start on as soon as I can. It is a gift for on of my brothers. Since he is never looking at this page it is safe to mention it. So here is even a picture of the sketch.



I have just recently finished sketching the pattern for it. I think it will look great. It looks really cool. Now I just have to figure out what size I am going to make. Then I can start. I think I have all the yarn at home.

Old project found (knitted socks) and our cute little daughter Olivia in her new knitted dress.

Here comes a picture of Olivia in her home knitted little dress and socks. She had it on when we went to my work and showed ourselves. She is sooo cute.



I found an old sock, which I started to knit for over a year ago or something. I do not remember really. I thought that I have to finish it some day so it has to be now. But it is taking very long time. I am using needles 2,5 cm and the yarn Fabel multicolor. So you get a cool pattern automatically. The socks are not knitted as usual socks. You just use two needles (see picture below). I have recently started the second sock but since I have a lot of pain in my shoulders and neck at the moment it goes very slowly. My fingers are very stiff and getting numb a lot. I guess it is some side effects after the delivery. I hope it is just carpal tunnel syndrome and not rheumatism. My mother has rheumatism. It will get difficult to knit as much as I want if I have rheumatism maybe. I took a bloodtest and will get the result on Friday. Here is the picture of the socks:



Then I have also been sketching some Icelandic lopapeysur (lopa pullovers) that I am planning to knit. I wanted some new and homemade patterns. Now I am really looking forward to start them but I have to finish the socks first. Then I actually was planning to make a baby hat for Olivia too.

Cute knitted babydress and knitted socks or indoor shoes!

Now I have finished the dress for Olivia and also a pair of socks or indoor shoes (I do not know really what to call them). They turned out really cute and the dress too of course. The dress was knitted a little bit unevenly because it was so thin thread and small needles. I was not really used to it. But I like the result anyway. The pattern can be found on www.garnstudio.com. You can choose english there and look in the baby section. It was knitted with 100% alpaca and needles 2,5 and 3. I used the pattern from the dress in the socks too.
Here is the result:



I also put two buttons in the neck. Here is how the back side looks like:



And here is a separate picture of the socks. They are so cute.



On Tuesday I will put on the dress because then me and Olivia will go for a visit at work. All the people are curious to see how she looks like. So there will be cake and stuff. Then I will shoot some pictures of her in the dress and the socks and put out a nice one here.

Icelandic poncho, hat and scarf!

Now finally I can put out a picture of my secret project I was doing. It was an Icelandic poncho. I made a black one not so long ago for a friend that turned 30 years old. Now I made another one in olive green for Linnea (dad's wife) for her 50th birtday. This is how it looks like on me:


She had her birthday yesterday and she got it delivered before the weekend so it is all good. I used Icelandic wool of course (Lopi) and knitted with needles 4,5 and 6.
Then I had some left-overs of the yarn so I felt like doing something quick. So I made a hat in with similar pattern as the poncho. I casted on 68 stitches with needles 4,5 and then changed to needles 6 after the ribbing. It was a good size for me with 68 stitches but too small for Johan.8 maskor. Here is the result:


But I still had some left-overs so I made a scarf too with vertical stripes. I knitted this one with needles 4.5 and 200 stitches cast-on. I could have done a longer cast-on since it turned out to be only 137 cm. But I like it and will use it. This is how it looks like on one side:


And this is the other side:


Next time I hope I have a picture on the cute baby dress I am knitting. There is still not much progress since I have been doing the hat and the scarf instead. But now I have nothing else going on so this time I will finish it.

Knitted patchwork quilt and knitted pullover plus other projects going on!

Now it was a while ago since I finished the blanket I was working on for so long. It did not turn out to be so good actually. Not as I expected at least, which is a shame. It became so wrinkled; the squares is not as straight as I wanted them to be even if I pinned them down before I sewed them together. It is quite ok at least. Nice colors! Here is a picture:



Olivia has been sleeping underneath it in the sofa when it has been a bit chilly inside. But before I finished the blanket I actually first finished the green colored pullover I was working on. I made it up myself as I already might have written. Now I just have to write down the pattern. Of course I took notes while I was knitting it. It became a long model. I like sweaters that goes over the bottom. I could have had it when I was pregnant. Then it would probably have ended below the waist.
I did not stand as a model for the pullover this time. My stomach is still not back to normal after giving birth so it did not look so good, I thought. It is a slim fit model. I have to wait a while until I wear it. I took a picture of it hanging on a hanger at least. Here it is:



I am also knitting a baby dress as I mentioned last time. But there is not much progress, no no. I started over 2 times since the first time it came out to big and the second time I just made mistakes in the pattern. We will se how it ends up. At the moment it is standing still since I had to start another project in between. This project is something Icelandic and it is a gift so I can not show it or tell what it is. I will put up a picture next Friday when I believe that it has been delivered. I will send it on Monday or Tuesday.

Knitted and felted slippers and soon to begin a baby dress

The Christmas Gift I made for Johan was a pair of knitted and felted slippers. I used a yarn containing 80% baby alpaca and 20% silk and I knitted after a pattern on garnstudio.com (see link to the right). After that I put them in the waching machine in 60 degrees and with detergents with no enzymes. The result is really good actually. They ended up really thick and fitted Johan perfectly. I also sewed on a button.

This is how it looks like in different stages:


And here is another picture of the result:


After that I have not done any more knitting actually. I was supposed to start a cute dress for Olivia but I got fatigue the day after Christmas Ewe and was just sleeping all days long. I went up in the evening around 5-6 pm every day. Och then she arrived 1 week early. I gave birth to our little daughter 30th of December. So now I have been taking care of here of course. Not much sleep and time for anything else. I have not been knitting in 2 weeks but i will start as soon as it gets a bit calmer and easier with everything. It is so new for us. I am breastfeeding a lot during nights so there is not much energy left for other things. I have to run an breastfeed now. But as soon as I have more energy I will start on this cute little dress.