Olympic knitting

The Rio Olympic games have had us captured in front of the TV for the last two weeks. We have spent many hours watching sports we've never knew existed and we have cheered on all the athletes in their attempts to achieve their goals. So inspiring to watch their dedication to their sport.





Currently my sport is knitting, and I am dedicated too.
A Danish instagrammer (and blogger) arranged a creative Olympics. You could participate in any creative discipline: sewing, crocheting, knitting, finish UFOs or whatever your heart or crafty hands desired. During the games we can follow each others' progress and achievements via #krealegene. So much fun to see what people have accomplished while enduring hours of couch sitting watching the 'real' athletes fighting it out in Rio.





I competed (and is still competing) in the discipline #shawlknitting and #blanketcrochet. My goal is to finish the shawl, and it is approaching the finish line, but with only a couple of days left there is a risk I will be disqualified for not meeting the minimum time line.





I knit the beautiful shawl Line break designed by  Veera Välmäki (link to ravelry). It is so simple and yet so beautiful with its asymmetrical shape. For this project I use Geilsk 100% pure wool in a lovely purple colour. Three balls of yarn left over from the Lady Marple cardigan I knitted a few years back, and I thought they would work perfectly with this pattern  - and they do. Love this shawl and love the knitting so much that the knitting needles have poked a small hole in the tip of my right index finger. Even though I carefully try to avoid the wound the needle unavoidably finds the little hole in the skin - and it hurts.





That's when the second discipline #blanketcrochet comes in handy, but more on that later.


What have you been doing while spending all your evenings and spare time on the couch watching athletes around the World achieving amazing victories?

Camomille - a black beauty

Suddenly 4 months have passed since the last blog post wishing you all a happy New Year and presenting the knitting of 2014. Now we are well into April - where did the time go??

The last few months have been challenging due to stress in my professional life. The stress is not due to busyness but more the opposite - lack of role clarity, a lot of changes and uncertainty of what the future will bring. I have used creativity and knitting in particular as a welcomed refuge to recharge my batteries and regaining emotional sanity. It has however also been a way to escape the outer world's craziness and sometimes I think I've used the creative space as a platform to avoid dealing with the challenges I face and the decisions and actions that need to be made. 

How do you use your creative space - as a recharger or as an escape? or both maybe? or something completely different? I would love to hear your stories.

One of the creative projects finished through this first quarter of 2015 is a 'Camomille' scarf/shawl,
which I made as a birthday present for my Mum.



This shawl is an easy knit - just knit stiches in alternating rows of different yarn weights, which results in a beautiful stripy effect - similar to previous projects. Plissé and the present for my Sister in law last Christmas.

The plain knitting is concluded with a beautiful but still simple lace pattern along the outer edges. It is easy - yes, but with 1800 stiches and a pattern that runs over 6 it did take a while to complete the countless number of small triangles giving the edge its beautiful appearance.

The shawl is light and cozy and yet warm enough to give comfort on a chilly winter day or as protection against the draught in an air conditioned room.

Facts:
Design: 'Camomille' by Isager - available in English and Danish in Amimono Knit Collection 2010 (link opens in Ravelry)
Yarn: Blackhill Highland 100% wool - colour Black and Blackhill Silk Mohair - colour Black both from Garnudsalg. The finished shawl weighs 175g with the wool yarn as the primary contributor.
Needles: size 4

Good or Bad: Love this shawl. Lovely to knit lovely to wear.




Ups - pludselig er der gået 4 måneder siden sidste indlæg som bød jer allesammen velkomne til 2015 med en lille kavalkade over færdige strikkeprojekter i 2014. Nu er vi så godt på vej til midten af April - hvor blev tiden dog af? 


Det meste er faktisk blevet brugt til bekymringer og stress. Ikke på grund af for meget at læve, nej nærmere det modsatte. Usikkerhed om min rolle i det professionelle liv, og hvad fremtiden bringer har givet mig mange hovedbrud og en lammende træthed.


Igennem disse måneder har jeg brugt det kreative rum til bade at lade op men måske også flygte ind i, så jeg ikke behøvede at tage stilling, tage de beslutninger og de handlinger, der ville hjælpe mig ud af suppedasen. Jeg er endnu ikke ude, men at have lyst og energi til at skrive dette indlæg er faktisk et skridt i den rigtige retning.  


Hvordan bruger I det kreative rum - til opladning eller som en flugtvej? - eller måske en kombination of begge? eller noget helt tredje?  




I disse første måneder er et Camomille sjal kommet af mine pinde og sendt til Danmark som fødselsdagsgave til min Mor. Da hun besøgte os sidste år var hun interesseret i at strikke et selv, men jeg tænkte, at jeg kunne nå at overhale hende indenom, og besluttede på stedet at hun skulle have et i gave.


’Camomille’ en god gammel traver, som vi vist alle kender. Simple ret riller i striber af garn med forskellig tykkelse afsluttet med en enkelt blondekant. Ja blondekanten er nem at strikke, men det tager sin tid. 1800 masker og et mønster over 6 masker giver rigtig mange små trekanter og jeg måtte mønstre en god del ihærdig tålmodighed for at få det færdigt, men det lykkedes.  


Sjalet er let, luftigt og lækkert men varmer stadig godt på en kølig vinterdag og til at slynge omkring skuldrene som beskyttelse mod drillende træk. Jeg ved at Mor er glad for sjalet og kommer til at bruge det rigtig meget.  




Facts:
Opskrift: ’Camomille’ af Isager  fra Amimono Knit Collection 2010 (link til Ravelry)
Garn: Højlandsuld – sort og Silk Mohair – sort begge fra Garnudsalg. Sjalet vejer 175g hvoraf højlandsulden bidrager med ca. 120-130 g vil jeg tro.
Pinde: str. 4. 


Godt og Skidt: Kun godt – en fornøjelse at strikke og en fornøjelse at bære. Denne version er stikket større end hvad opskriften foreslår, så det er blevet mere et sjal end et tørklæde.

En sikker vinder hver gang!

Yarn stash upgrade

We are currently blessed with dear Family visitors. 1,5 years have past since the last hug. Do I need to say how lovely it was to see out beloved family again. 

Tears bursted when we finally saw them coming out into the arrival area of Sudney international Airport. 

Back home at our small residence, Christmas fruit's on the table and excited kids looking for our guests to unpack their suitcases and reveal their content of Danish lollies and other treasures. 

I shared the kid's excitement. Less to the lollies but more to get my hands on the yarn I've ordered in Denmark and hoped it made it to the suitcase. 

I was not disappointed. So many whoollen lovelies. Blackhill 100% wool, wool and cashmere, and Blackhill Alpaca. Beautiful greys and browns, just as I like them. 

Everything ordered at www.garnudsalg.dk and delivered by hand to me at the other side of the earth.

Happy that the holiday is coming up. Guess what I will spend time doing? 

Vi har besøg. Familie besøg fra Danmark. Det er 1,5 år siden vi sidst kunne give kram og være sammen, sådan rigtigt uden en skærm og en halv klode imellem. 

Hvor var det bare dejligt at kunne lade velkomsttårerne trille, da de endelig entrede ankomsthallen på Sydney International Airport. Jeg har det ok med store følelsesstunder. Dette var en af de rigtigt store. 

Hjemme ved langbordet, mellem et udpluk af julens frugter, var forventningens glæde over kuffertrnes indhold til at føle på. Ungerne ventede spændt på at se hvilket bjerg af dansk lakrids, der skal forsøde vintertiden. Mig? Jeg ventede mindre på at se slikbjerget men mere nogle andre godter i kufferten. 

De lækreste uld lækkerier til mig. Alt sammen bestilt hos www.garnudsalg.dk og hånd båret til mig. 

Ih! Hvor er jeg bare heldig at det snart er jule/sommerferie. Så skal der strikkes!!!