Snow report

On Saturday night we had about 5cm of snow here, it was lovely to wake up and it be white over. There was the peacefulness that comes with everything being covered in snow too. David did a bit of snow clearing and we walked through it to get to and from the swimming pool, but apart from that we just enjoyed looking at its whiteness and wondering how long it would last. It didn't take long to realise that the temperature was rising during the day, and when it was 4°C by the evening we knew it wouldn't last. There's still a little bit left today, but according to the BBC the temperature's meant to get to the heady heights of 7°C by the middle of the week. I'm sure it'll be back and I'm still feeling positive about a white Christmas.

I've finished the socks I've been knitting for my Mum. It seems to have taken me ages to knit these - I guess I did have three attempts at starting them, which didn't help. As I said in another post the pattern isn't exactly as written - but it gives an interesting textural ribbing, which I like, and I hope my Mum does too.

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.

The calm week before the storm....

...at least for me, anway.

Now that all the furniture has gone and is on its way to Helsinki, apart from making sure our current house is in a respectably clean condition when we leave, there's not a lot more for me to do concerning the move until we start driving next Saturday morning. I think I'm going to have to go and see the tax man at some point, but apart from that my life continues pretty normally. David's on the otherhand is very busy at the moment as he has one last big commercial review thing to do at work this week.

In this calm, I've managed to take a few photos of my current projects that are on the ikke ferdig list, and that have managed to not get packed.

I've kept back the socks I'm knitting for my Mum - it's coming on well now after its failed first attempt as a toe-up sock (that's why the wool coming from the ball is all crinkly).
I'm also thinking about making some knitted purses - I bought this wool on Saturday in town: I'm thinking about knitting a simple tube about 10-15cm in diameter, which I'll then do a 3 needle cast off in order to seam it up at the bottom. I've got in my head a fairly dense knitted fabric so will probably use smaller needles that the wool band calls for - I'll probably just do stocking stitch for the first go. The plan is then to make a lining out of some cotton fabric with a zip in the top, which I can then insert and attach. That's the plan anyway!

I've also sewn in the 1st sleeve into the Konfekt 18703 top - I'm pleased with how it's shaping up. So 2nd sleeve is on its way and then I think I pick up stitches around the neck area and knit around for a bit. Lets hope the Norwegian on that bit isn't too difficult as the Norwegian-English dictionary is on the lorry.

Other things that I'm thinking about:

Should I change the name of my blog to reflect that I'll no longer be in the land of brown cheese?

How can I knit more quickly and efficiently - I don't sit and knit for hours at a time, but it would be nice to know that I was being as efficient as I can be when I do. I have a feeling that I'm not holding the wool in my right hand quite right - I'm sure I was taught the correct way to hold everything when I learnt when I was 4 or so, but there was quite a long hiatus until where I am now.

I've set up my ravelry account and added some things to my stash and current projects etc etc. I've also joined some groups - I joined a Helsinki group, so will make contact rather than lurking once we've actually got there - I'm hoping some of the members of this group will know about knitting groups, and maybe classes so I can start meeting some people.

Getting there.....

Things seem to be fitting into place in preparation for our move at the end of next month: rental house has been secured, ferry from Stockholm to Helsinki is being booked, medicals have been carried out, dentist has given us the thumbs up - although I'm having two of my wisdom teeth out :-( , removal people have carried out a survey of how much stuff we have (lots), customs and insurance forms filled in. I think we're just left with being given a date that the movers will come and get our stuff (w/c 22nd October), and then physically setting off on our adventure east once David has finished up work here. Very exciting, I can't wait to be there now - not that I'm wishing my life away, or haven't enjoyed my time in Norway, but there's only so long you can think about something happening before it's nice to have it happen and be able to get on with your life.

I have been doing some knitting - I thought I'd get more done this week (as well as some sewing) as work is slow at the moment, but I haven't really felt like it since my 1st wisdom tooth came out, and I doubt I'll feel much like it next week when the 2nd one comes out - yuck.

So, here's the slow progress:

I restarted the sock for my Mum, I got almost finished with the 1st one, but wasn't happy with it, so unravelled it and started again. I had been doing a toe-up sock using a pattern from sensational knitted socks, but I wasn't happy with its sizing (my Mum has normal sized feet, bigger than mine, but smaller than David's - and the sock I was ending up with fit David easily), I also didn't like the heel - there were gaps where it started back up the leg, and I'd spotted a minor mistake I'd made with the pattern quite a way back. So, I started again, this time from the top down, I am still using the pattern from sensational knitted socks.

I've also been working on the first sleeve of the konfekt 18703:



On a couple of my previous posts I received a couple of anonymous comments, which I'm presuming are from someone in Helsinki, with a hint about a wool shop to check out (Menita's) and also a mention of a Marimekko sale (as if my appetite needed whetting!) - it's nice to receive these comments. I'm hoping that there is some sort of craft/sewing/knitting community going on in Helsinki that I can get involved with, I've read that there's a knitting group that meets in the centre somewhere, and I'm sure there must be more going on. (maybe the anonymous commenter can tell me I've added a contact email address to the side bar).

Edinburgh

We were away again last weekend - this time to a wedding in Edinburgh - David's cousin. I meant to take a photo of them both standing next to each other, as they definitely have a resemblence to each other - but didn't manage. Maybe there'll be one of the official photos with them both on. The wedding was good - quite traditional, the bride looked beautiful, of course; and there were quite a few kilts. It gave us some ideas about what we do and don't want at our wedding next year.

We stayed with a friend of mine that I was at university with - we did use her place as a bit of a hotel as we were coming and going to the wedding etc while she was at work, but managed to hang out on Saturday night and have some dinner with her, her boyfriend and another couple of friends that were visiting Edinburgh that weekend, and catch some of the Edinburgh fringe. We saw some late night comedy (Maxwells fullmooners), which was very funny - and very late (especially for David and I who are usually tucked up in bed pretty early).

This weekend we're not going anywhere - hoorah - but on Monday we're going to Helsinki for the week - yes, Jamie and Dylan have been evesdropping correctly - it looks like we're going to be shifting again (at this rate we'll get our professional nomad certificates in no time). So, we need to learn all about saunas, wife throwing and nokia. And figure out if we're even going to attempt to learn the language.

And now for some knitting progress:

The konfekt 18703 top is still making progress - I misread the pattern the last time I blogged about it, so 18cm (rather than 9cm) on from my last blog entry about it, I am now ready to get the dictionary out and figure out what to do next - I think I basically put the front part aside and continue on the back and shape the armholes, and do something similar with the front and then join them back up again.

I've also started some socks for my Mum - they're more purple than they appear in the photo - I'm using the beaded rib pattern from Sensational Knitted socks, and am using some Sadnesgarn Sisu - I didn't mean to use magic loop again, but after I knitted a swatch or two, these needles were the best size. I'll take these to Helsinki with me and hopefully make some progress while we figure out where we want to live.