konfekt ferdig and red jumper started

Finally, I have something substantial so show finished. I finished all the knitting and sewing up on konfekt 18703 about a week ago, but had to wait to declare it finished finished until we got a new ironing board (the old one used to collapse while you were using it so we decided it wouldn't be joining us in Helsinki). The sun shone and I managed to take a couple of pictures in natural light, for once, with the help of Felicity-Anne. I'm pleased with how it's turned out. And quite surprised considering I was following Norwegian instructions. I managed to have two balls of wool un-used, which makes me think I've done something wrong, but it looks fine, and fits OK. The pattern called for some popcorn wool to be used around the collar and cuffs, but I decided against adding that.

So, as I've finished one, I've decided to cast on another - keep the momentum going and try to keep the wool stash under control. I'm knitting lemonade as published in the August edition of Magknits. I've had this red cotton wool lying around for ages after I bought it and then didn't like what I was starting to knit with it. It'll feel good to finally use it. I've been looking for a suitable pattern for ages, and thought this one was very cute when I saw it a few months ago now. It's shown in magknits pictured on the designers daughter (I think), so am hoping it looks as flattering on a more "developed" figure! I haven't done much yet, but it's a start.
We're planning on walking into Helsinki today from home (about 7km) as David has the day off work. We've been directed to a goldsmiths that we think may be able to make us some wedding rings (we have a couple of old wedding rings that we'd like re-cast for us). We're hopeful that that will be another thing ticked off the immense wedding planning list that we're slowly making our way through.

purses and hats

We woke up this morning to Helsinki having been covered by a dusting of snow overnight - it's very pretty and makes me wonder whether we'll finally have a white Christmas - we thought we'd get one last year in Trondheim, but they had some freak mild weather and it never happened. So, fingers crossed I haven't just jinxed it for this year.

I've followed through on my thoughts about knitting a change purse. As you can see - a few rows of ribbing and then just plain old stocking stitch. As I'd thought, I knit it in the round and then did a three needle cast off along the bottom.
I've also put a zipped lining into it:

The wool's fritidsgarn by sandnesgarn. It's nice and chunky - I wanted to make a fairly firm fabric so used 3.5mm needles (more than anything because I seem to have a gap in my needles for knitting in the round (both dpns and circulars) from 3.5mm to 7mm and didn't feel like going out and getting more at that point). I'm pleased with how it's turned out. I've made it so that it's big enough to put a bank card in it - for those times when you want to just take out a bit of cash, but then a bank card just in case...

I've got another ball of this same wool in the greens colourway, so am going to knit another one, but this time with more texture - maybe some cables? I have a change purse at the moment that I made (sewed rather than knit) and can never find it as it feels the same as the inside of my bag, so I think some texture should help.

I ended up going into Helsinki yesterday in order to swap over our modem so that we could get the broadband TV service to finally work. While I was in town I decided to check out a wool shop that had a stand at the Arts and Crafts Fair that we went to last Friday and also had good reviews on knitmap . So, I wandered around and found Käsityötalo Priima. A nice little shop with some interesting and well known wools. I also found out that they have a knitting group twice a week - so I'll probably try to go.

So, I bought two balls of Debbie Bliss' casmerino aran in order to knit the Koolhaas hat that's in the interweave knits holiday gifts 2007 magazine.

What else? I photographed all the wool I have and uploaded it into ravelry - I seem to have an awful lot of pretty random parts of balls, or just odd balls of wool. so I need to have a think about what I can use it for.

I've also made a start on my wedding dress - but no photos...!

Bootie parade

I thought it was time to have a bit of a knitting update:

The Konfekt 18703 has been making good and steady progress and now has two sleeves - so I just need to pick up stitches around the top edge and knit the neck and then it can join the ferdig list. I'll be pleased to have one largish project behind me - means I can move onto another one!

The first of my Mum's socks is done, and I've cast on the 2nd one. I realised as I was starting the pattern on the 2nd sock, that I've actually not followed the beaded rib pattern correctly from the sensational knitting socks book - so not only have I not knit these sock toe up as in the book, but I apparently haven't followed the stitch pattern either - whoops. I guess as long as both socks match each other it doesn't really matter. I think I might start at the beginning of this book and try to knit a pair of socks from each section - but first I'd like to knit some hats.

I've also been knitting and finishing off baby booties. This first pair is the small pair I was knitting just before we moved. I decided that, even though I thought they were too small it would be worth adding buttons and sending them to one of my friends that's just had a baby - just in case I'm wrong. So these went to Sophie:
Along with a bigger pair in the same wool:

I also knit a little blue pair for Anna's baby boy, Henrik. These came out a lot better looking than my blurry photo lets on. They were in the post before I realised I'd taken a rubbish photo.
I've had a request for some bee booties to match Dad to be Rob's bee socks - and if I have time I might try to knit Mum to be Rach some bee socks too - so the whole family will match. Their little one isn't due till mid-January, so I have a bit of time.

Moving photos...

Hoorah, we're online at home now. Let's celebrate - ginger beers all round.

Now that we've got the computers set up at the new monkey house, I've finally properly downloaded my photos from during our move and thought I'd share a few:
This is us driving over the pass between Norway and Sweden - I don't think the Abba was quite playing by this time - as you can see there was a bit of snow!
This is a statue of George and the Dragon in Stockholm.
This is the boat we were on between Stockholm and Helsinki.
This is David enjoying a beer on the boat.
And this is David pretending to be a pirate (he needs more practice)


And this is us arriving into Helsinki the next morning. Arriving at a city (especially one that you're just moving to) by boat is different than arriving by plane - there's something less immediate and quick, and therefore more real about it. Or maybe I was just pleased to finally be in Helsinki at last?

Getting back to normal

We went to see Atonement last night, we've both read and enjoyed the book, so it was on our list of films we wanted to see and finally we had our chance. We weren't disappointed - a really good film, tragic in parts (most parts), a good adaptation of the book and some beautiful cinematography and images. I'm not a big Keira Knightly fan, but she was very good - I think it's her jaw I'm not keen on (I didn't say I had a good reason for not being a fan!). Afterwards we went to go to a Thai restaurant - we looked in the window and found that it was packed (very small restaurant with a good reputation - I guess we will book next time) so tried next door in a Malaysian restaurant. There was nothing pretentious about the Malaysian restaurant - good food, no airs or graces. To top the night off we bought me a mobile phone - so I feel all connected and mobile again.

I mentioned in my last post that I was having a bit of a bootie knit - I've got one pair finished:

I used the same pattern and wool as the last pair I was knitting, which came out tiny - but have used larger needles this time. This pair look much better, and I found four yellow buttons for them too. I think these look more girly so I'm going to send them to Sophie for Beatrice and start another pair, probably with some leftover sock wool for Anna's Henrik.

Helsinki one week on...

Well, as I said last Thursday we've made it to Helsinki safe and sound, our stuff (which seems to be getting more and more with each move despite the efforts to not let it grow) arrived the day after us, which is good - as now a week on we're pretty much packed and able to live. The house is better than I'd remember when we'd seen it back in August. It feels very grown up, I can't explain what it is about the house that makes it feel grown up, maybe it's that it's new, or that it has a working dishwasher (that isn't from the 60s), or that it has a walk in wardrobe (or should I be pretentious and call it a dressing room?), or that it has two bathrooms - I don't know, but it feels grown up. It's nice and warm, so despite the fact that the temperature is going to plummet we have underfloor heating and a very efficient fire, and lets not forget the sauna, to keep us warm.

David seems pleased with the kitchen and has already started restocking the freezer!

We've been given a date of next Monday (Nov 19th) for the internet to be turned on - ahead of the expectations we'd been given, which is good - and hopefully in time for a work meeting I have scheduled. In the meantime I'm hanging out in our local library, which is part of a culture centre in our local area - from what I can tell it is very well used and looked after.

While we've been in the midst of moving two friends have had babies - Sophie has had a baby girl, Beartrice on Oct 31st and Anna has had a baby boy, Henrik on November 2nd. So, I'm back to knitting booties, the booties I was knitting for Anna's baby turned out too small so I'm starting again with those ones, and now that I know she's had a boy, maybe they won't be pale yellow.

Internet connection-less

We've made it to Helsinki, but it looks like it's going to take 3 weeks until we're connected to the internet. So, I guess my entries are going to be even more intermittent than they have been!

bits & bobs

I thought I'd better show some pictures of the outcome of the miracle freezer emptying desert from last night...They baked up fine...

They were an oozy mixture of apple and chocolate with a very subtle texture of dried apricots... And they disappered just fine! Yum yum. Not bad for a cobbled together use-up desert. And the condensed milk was the pièce de résistance.

I spent most of the morning putting back up the horrible pink shiney curtains that were in the living room when we moved in. They're still just as pink and just as shiney, I think they can be seen in a previous post at about the time we were moving in. The other thing that is pretty hideous about this house is the wallpaper in the toilet - so I thought I'd take a photo and show it to the world...

The toilet's only about 1m squared - so it's pretty overpowering.

Oh well, we'll soon be in our all white house in Helsinki and miss all the colours.