Moved to Sweden - 39 weeks pregnant - started to knit again yesterday

Well, I am back with my blog. There has been a little break. There has just not been any time for me to knit or blog (and no energy) since we moved from Iceland to Sweden. But yesterday I started to knit again. Before that last time I knitted was in Iceland before we left. And that was in the end of October so it is a while ago. Then I finished the Icelandic Sweater for the German guy. But I never managed to put out a picture here. So below is a picture. And when we arrived to Sweden it was way to much other things to fix. And being pregnant at the same time was difficult. I have been feeling sick. I was stressed, had contractions, extremely tired, back pain and pelvic pain (or what it is called). And then I got diagnoses with hypothyroidism and got medicine for that. So it has not been easy. I thought for a while that the baby was going to arrive early. But it is still in the womb. Now after 1,5 months we have finally got it together here in the apartment. Just a little bit left. It has not been fun. But now I can finally rest. I have had some days of relaxation. Been sleeping a lot and have been taking it easy. I need to be rested before the delivery. I am in the 39:th week of my pregnancy so it can happen any time now.

And now I have finally gotten in to knitting again and it is fun. I started a Icelandic Sweater for myself in Iceland so I just continued where I left it yesterday. I will soon put out a picture. It will be more or less the same pattern as the sweater for the German guy. Just in other colors and in 3 threads instead of 4. Here below is a picture of his Sweater by the way. Johan had to stand model. But it is not washed yet. So I have to do that and try to get in touch with the German guy so he can get it. It is very difficult to get contact with him.



I made up the pattern myself. Just need to write it down and make a nice patternsheet and then I can sell it if anyone is interested. It is a very warm sweater. The warmest I have made. But that is nice when it is very cold like it can be in north Sweden. Around -40 degrees Celsius is not fun to be out in for example.

Anyway, I hope I will have more time to knit now. But then when the baby arrives I will of course not have so much time as I want. I will probably never be able to knit so much as I did before the first child arrived. I will of course be home with 2 kids now next year. But anyhow, I will try to start a new knitting group.

Two different project on the needles - One Icelandic Sweater and one Polo-neck Sweater

I am now working on two different projects. It was sale on normal wool (not Icelandic) in Europris (a retail store) so I went down there and had a look. I came out with wool for a turtleneck sweater for myself. I have been thinking about doing one in just these colors that they had and also this thickness of wool. So I started immediately. Here is a sneak peak:


Before that I started the German guy's Icelandic Sweater in 4 threads of plötulopi. But it goes slow. Maybe because I have not heard from him yet. This is how little I have done:


And now it is only two weeks left until all our furntiture is about to be shipped to Sweden. So then we are standing in an empty appartment. But we will live somewhere else. After those two weeks I will at least have time to knit in the evening since there will be nothing else do to then. Being with Olivia until she falls asleep and then maybe knit and go to sleep myself. I am very tired these days in my pregnancy.

Here is a picture of Olivia's pink Icelandic Sweater (lopapeysa), which I knitted a while ago:

Pink knitted Icelandic Sweater (Pullover) for a 2-3 years old

I finished this sweater during our holiday in July except the button edge in the front. So about 3 weeks ago I finally bought buttons and 2 weeks ago I sewed them on. And then I have washed it to of course. It just took a while to get out a picture here. I need to take som pictures on the sweater itself too. Not just Olivia wearing it.

Everything goes slow now. Or it is actually more like time is short. We have too much going on. In the end of next Month we are moving from Iceland to Sweden, which is a big move. We are shipping all our stuff including the car in a container. Need to pack everything first and that is not moving aling at the moment. Planning and fixing is taking all the time now. And then I started to get pelivic pain. I need to avoid carrying around and lifting Olivia now, which is very difficult. She also started daycare and is wilder than ever when she comes home.

Anyway, the sweater looks nice. It is a bit big on Olivia but she can grow in it. It is knitted in 2 threads of Icelandic plötulopi wool. It probably fits a 2-3 year old.

This is how it looks like:



I was thinking about putting out the pattern for sale in a near future ,since I have made the pattern myself. If anyone is interested just contact me on my email.

Now I have also started to knit a Icelandic Sweater for the german guy that I was talking about earlier in my blog. I have not heard any response but since I am moving very soon I need to start it before it is not even possible anymore. I need to buy all the wool now or never. At the moment it will just be a sweater. We will see if I get a response soon.

I have knitted dollclothes during the holiday

Now I am finally back at my blog with a new contribution. We were in Sweden whole July and since we came back to Iceland is has been full house here. We will actually move back to Sweden in October. Johan just got a job in Sweden in the beginning of July and he will start 1st of November. So it is a lot going on at the moment. Me myseld is 5,5 months pregnant and then we have Olivia, who is 20 months old and a bit demanding.

But even since I have a lot going on I knit now and then and during my holiday I managed to make a dress for Olivia's doll. It is made in Icelandic unspun wool, which makes it quite thin. I also made a matching pair socks. They ended up more like stay-ups but I like the set anyway. I made the patterna and everything myself so I just need to write it down in a nice pattern and it is available for sale. Just contact me by email if you are interested. If Icelandic yarn is not available something similar can be use. It just important to check the tension (gauge). I used 3 mm needles. You should use 2,5 - 3 mm needles.

Here is a picture:


It is buttons in the neck but you could also have them in the front. It does not matter. Everything is roundknitted. Here is a picture with the sock on:


Och finally a picture of only the socks:

I am pregnant and have been too sick to be able to knit

Yes, I thought it was about time to tell the world now that I am pregnant. I have gone 13 weeks and 2 days so far. And I have been feeling really sick since week 6. I have just not been able to knit. I have been having morning sickness and constantly been feeling sick during the day. Not been able to eat much, I lost weight and I have been extremely tired. I have gone to bed at around 8 every evening.
But now I have finally started to feel better. I have taken up my needles again. Or I took up the crochet hook actually and continued to crochet on a blanket, which I started last Summer.
So now I think I will be a bit more active with my knitting again.
It has been a bit weird. I have not even been able to look at the wool without feeling sick. But it gets better and better. I am finally in the second trimester, which is the best one. And I know that since this is my second pregancy.

I hope for a boy this time so I can knit some boy-things. But a girl is as good too. Olivia will probaly be best friend with her babysister if she gets one. We will see.

A period of inactivity

I am in a period of inactivity with regards of knitting. It will probably soon come back to me. At least I started a sweater for myself, which I found a pattern to on the website. www.dropsdesign.com. It just feels so booring to knit it. I am just having a bad period now. It will probalby be better soon. Here is the pattern in american:

http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/en/visoppskrift.php?d_nr=109&d_id=14&lang=us

And here is the pattern in english:
http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/en/visoppskrift.php?d_nr=109&d_id=14&lang=en

And here is a picture of the sweater:


Then for a while ago I finished a hat from the yarnovers of the pinwheelsweater. It became a dollhat and a pair of dolltrousers.

Olivia's knitted pinwheel sweater is finished!

It went slowly forward with the sweater in the end. It took longer time than expected. I have not knitted more than a couple of days per week either. The sweater turned out a bit big on Olivia. I guess she will have to wait a little while. Maybe until she is 3 or something. Here is how it looks like now at least:



Here is another picture of just the sweater:


I got some yarnovers from the sweater so now I am knitting a little hat for Olivia too. Then I will have to start something new. I wonder what. I am thinking about something white for myself. ....until I have to start on the german project.

Olivia's little Icelandic "farmers market" sweater finally completed!

Yes, now I have finally sewed in the buttons. I did it last Thursday at knitting night. So now the cute little sweater is finally finished. It fitted perfectly. Now me and Olivia can go together with matching sweaters. Funny!

Here is a picture:



And here is a picture of us both in our sweaters (lopapeysur, in Icelandic)



But with Olivia's pinwheel sweater it goes slowly forward. It takes longer time than I imagined. It is also getting bigger than I imagined. But it says that it is going to fit a 6 months old baby up to a 5 year old girl. We will see if I can finish it this weekend.

NEW BIG PROJECT on its way and something in between (PINWHEEL SWEATER for baby)

I got an order of a whole set of Icelandic knitted clothes. Everything in 100% Icelandic wool. It is going to be a knitted sweater (lopapeysa), a pair of knitted trousers, 2 knitted hats, a knitted scarf, mittens and a knitted T-shirts (or West).

It was a german guy, who was her last autumn, who wanted all of this. He said it was ok if it took some time. I guess about a year was fine for all of the stuff. Now, I was thinking about starting the project. Sure, maybe I do some other small things in between too. Something for me and Olivia. Sometimes I feel like having 2 differnt project so I can alternate a bit.

But first he wanted me to knit a testpiece and send him. Just so he could see that the colors and the thickness was ok for him. He wanted it really thick and warm so I am doing it in 4 threads of plötulopi, which is unspun plates of wool. I have already knitted the testpiece. What is left is to send it, which I will do as soon as possible. It looks like this:



But since I can not start with his stuff until he accepts the testpiece I started with something else in the meantime. I am doing a small pinwheel sweater for my darling Olivia. It is just knitted in one piece on the round.

I goes quite quickly and I have knitted quite a lot already. I actually have some pain in my fingers now so maybe I need to slow down a bit. But I feel like knitting now durint Eastern. I have a bad cold too so I will not go out now. Johan was outside playing with Olivia today and I was lying in the couch knitting. Here is how the work looks like right now:



And I also have to tell you about the other day when I went in to a store I usually not go in to often. They have a lot of bad quality wool there but I buy there sometimes. The do not have Icelandic yarn. Anyway, I saw a really nice multi-colored yarn. I just had to buy some balls. So nice colors. I will definitely do something for myself in that yarn. I bought enough for a sweater. So we will se what kind of sweater I will do. That will be later. Here is how it looks like:

I have knitted a Icelandic Farmers Market Sweater for myself

I finished it for a while ago but I have not put up a picture here until now. It turned out really nice in blue. Maybe a bit wide but I like it. I have already used it a lot. It is perfect when it is cold or when I am cold, as I am almost every day. Here is a picture:



DO YOU WANT THE PATTERN CONTACT ME ON MY EMAIL ADDRESS TO THE RIGHT. I CAN WRITE IT DOWN IN ENGLISH

I also started a mini farmers' market sweater for Olivia. I am done with it too but I need to sew on buttons before I put out a picture. This weekend I guess I will have time to do it.

By the way, I have been sitting for some days now with creating a knitting pattern. It has taken up most of my free time. I actually started several Months ago but never finished it. So now it it finally finished. It is the pattern of the Knitted Icelandic Sweater with Skulls in the pattern from 1st of Juni. This one:


It is for sale in my webshop "Islina Garn & Design" as a PDF file. Got to the link below and pay with your credit card and get the file sent within 24 h:

http://islina.se/en/products/patterns/patterns-on-pdf-file/pattern-robin-icelandic-knitted-sweater-in-english-no-1.html $4.40

Or do you want to pay with paypal (more expensive) go to PAYLOADZ here below:

KNITTING PATTERN - ICELANDIC SWEATER

$7.00

PayLoadz Store Knitting Pattern - Icelandic Sweater

Pay with paypal. You need a paypal account and also an account in payloadz, which is free and takes just some minutes to get

Picture of Icelandic Sweater for a 2-year old girl or boy

I finished the sweater several weeks ago so it has just been lying there waiting for a zipper to be sewed in. So now last week I finally had some time and energy to sew it in when Olivia had fell asleep. It is too big for Olivia, who is 1 year and 2 months old. It will be perfect when she is 2 years old. She had to pose in it anyway. So here is a picture:

FREE PATTERN AND DESCRIPTION - How to knit a Icelandic Sweater

Here is a description with picturess and text on how to knit a Icelandic Sweater.

This Sweater is for a 4-5 year old.

MATERIAL:
Wool: Alafoss Lopi 100 g balls: 4+2+1 which means 4 Blue, 2 White and 1 Black.
Needles: Round twin pin knitting needle 4,5 mm and 6 mm, 60 cm
Double pointed needles 4,5 and 6 mm

Tension: 10 x 10 cm measured over stocking stitches (st st) = 13 sts and 18 rows

BODY:
1. Cast on 80 st with white and twin pin 4,5. Join into a circle. Be sure that your work is not twisted around the needle when you join it.


2. Knit rib (knit 1, purl 1, K1, P1 etc) for 4 cm.


3. When the rib is 4 cm change to twin pin 6 and knit st st. On the same round increase 10 stitches (sts) evenly spaced on the round. It means that you do an increase after every 8th stitch. Totally you have 90 sts.


4. After the rib comes the pattern. Knit according to Chart 1.


5. After the pattern continue in st st until work measures 28 cm.


6. When the body is finished put it aside and continue with the sleeves.


SLEEVES (BOTH ALIKE):

7. Cast on 20 sts on double pointed needles 4,5. Put a marker in the first stitch so you know where the round ends and begins.


8. Join into a circle.


9. Knit rib (K1, P1) for 4 cm. Change to double pointed needles 6 and knit st st. In the same round increase 10 sts evenly spaced. It means that you increase after every second stitch.


10. After the rib comes pattern. Follow Chart 1 again.


11. After the pattern continue in st st with blue and over the next round increase 2 sts. Increase 1 st after the first st of the round and 1 st before the last st of the round. You have total 32 sts. Put a marker in the first stitch.


12. Then increase 2 sts in the same way every 5th round 4 times. Totally you have 40 sts when all increases are done.

Ökning in the picture meand increase.

13. Continue knit with blue and st st until the arm measures 28 cm. Put the 4 last stitches and the 4 first of the next round on a stitch holder or thread for armwhole.


14. Put the first arm on other needels or a thread so you can use the same needles for the next arm if you do not have a extra set of double pointed needles no 6 mm. Knit the next arm in the exact same way.

YOKE:
15. When the body and the sleeves are finished it is time to join everything on one needle. You use the twin pin that holds the body.


16. Knit 37 sts on the body, put 8 sts aside on thread or stitch holder for armwhole, take arm number 1. Have in mind that you put armwhole of arm against armwhole of body.


17. Knit arm 1, which means knit 32 sts on the arm. Knit 37 sts on the body, take aside next 8 sts from the body for armwhole, knit arm 2 (32 sts) and you are at the beginning again. Totally you have 138 sts.


18. The round starts after the first arm. Here is where you start knit your pattern. It is good to put a marker if you are not sure where the first stitch is. Knit one round st st in blue before you start the pattern.


19. Knit pattern according to chart 2. Decrease according to the chart by knitting 2 sts together.


20. After the pattern change to 4,5 mm double pointed needles and knit rib (K1, P1) for 4 cm.


21. After 4 cm rib cast off loosely by casting of with knit over knit and purl over purl. Be sure to cast off looseley. It can be difficult to get the head through the whole.


22. The rib is done and the sweater is almost done.


23. Sew or knit the armwholes sts together. See a description here under finishing:




24. Weave in loose ends, handwash the Sweater in 30 degrees, spin-dry on low rotation speed and let it dry. FINISHED!

Here comes a picture of the latest knitted Icelandic lopapeysa (sweater) for a 4 year old boy

It was actually 2 weeks since I finished it but I have not had the time to update my blog. But now since I am at home today with my sick daugher I thought that I could put out a picture of the latest lopapeysa. She is just taking a nap.

Here comes a picture of both the kids in their lopapeysas (sweaters), which I of course knitted. The pink one was one of my first lopapeysas that I made. And the blue one is of course the one I just made.



I will soon put out a short description on how to make a lopapeysa.

There is actually a reason why I am not knitting so much at the moment. I went out to buy a fish tank. So I am a bit absorbed in that for the moment. I just bought fishes and can sit and observe them for long long times.
However, I also finished another lopapeysa. It is a small one for my daugher Olivia. I just need to sew in the loose ends, fix the armholes, wash it, buy a zipper and sew in the zipper before I put out a picture of it. That will probably take a while.

Black létt lopapeysa (Icelandic knitted pullover) finished

Yes, now I am finally finished with Johan's lopapeysa. It is made from léttlopi, the thinner yarn than lopi. And it will be his first lett lopapeysa. He was supposed to get it as a Christmas gift, but nowadays it takes time to knit. Time easily runs bt when you have a family. I just recently sewed in the zipper. I wanted to finished it tonight. And now it is time for bed. I actuallt should have washed it before I sewed in the zipper, but it will be fine anyway. I just wash it tomorrow evening.
Here is how it looks like:



Now I am soon going to start a new project, which is a small lopapeysa for a 4 year old boy. It is a family we know that asked me if I could do it. I already made one for their daughter, who is one years older. I have a picture if that one in a earlier contribution. I am actually going to do the same pattern. They wanted the same, just other colors. I got the yarn a while ago so I can just start to knit.

We will see if I can start it tomorrow or on Saturday. Olivia is sick so I might have to attend to here fully.

Pink Icelandic knitted lopapeysa (sweater), knitted baby blanket and a knitted hat

Here is finally another contribution. It was a long time ago I wrote something on my blog. December has been quite hectic. But now it is better. I am relaxing in the sofa tonight. Olivia (my daughter) has turned 1 years old too (30th of December). We had a small birthday party.

I finished my pinkish lopapeysa (Icelandic sweater). I guess it is quite nice. Could have changed a few things and it is a bit too long. I do not know what I was thinking when I knitted it. Maybe I forgot to stop knit. My sister got it as a birtday gift. But it has not arrived yet, which is really sad since I sent it 3 weeks ago. So we will see if she likes it as soon as it arrives. I tried it on myself and this is how it looks like.



After that I finished a baby blanket for my sister's newborn daughter Wilma. She was born 6th of December. It has of course not arrived either since it is in the same parcel as the lopapeysa above. We will see if they like it.



After that I quickly knitted a hat in lopi yarn just using a pattern in my head. But it was not that nice. Maybe it will come to use one day.



On the needles right now is a start of a lettlopapeysa (or Icelandic knitted sweater in léttlopi yarn) for my darling Johan. I intended to finish it for Christmas but I had to little time for it. It takes very long time with needles 4. I have just started on the pattern. The first part (body and arms) took forever. It was only in black with no pattern. The pattern will go in light brown, redish brown and green. Maybe it sounds weird but I like the result so far. I depicted the pattern myself before I started. A picture is coming soon.

Someone also asked me about instructions on how to knit a Icelandic sweater so why not put out a whole description with pictures and text. My next project after this lettlopapeysa I am doing is a lopapeysa for a 3 year old boy. I will take a lot of pictures and put them out here with the exact description of how it is done. For example how you put the body and arms together and start on the pattern.
It may take a while until it comes out here but it will come out.