Garn Boet - The Yarn Nest

During my stay in the archipelago I finished both wip sockpairs. The Snickets were almost done before we came there, but the Latvian socks needed more knitting. Fortunately I got inspired by my pictures of the first sock, and finished the second in a quite speedy way.

First up are the Snicket socks. The socks are knitted on 2,5 mm dpns, with VillaMokka's yarn Mokkasukka (75 % wool, 25 % nylon) in the colourway Viimeinen kejsari (Finnish for The last Emperor). The yarn is a hand painted one, and beautiful. You can look at more of Villamokka's yarns at her blog. The Snicket socks pattern is a nice one, well written, and as I mentioned the short row heel I so far like the best of all I've tried. It was first published in MagKnits, but is now available as a free download in Ravelry. In the smallest size they are perfect for my younger daughter, with a shoe size 37.

The Snicket pictures are from the east terrace of the house on the island, but it started to rain before I finished the Latvian socks, and we pictured them here at home.

The pattern for the Latvian socks is to be found in Nancy Bush's book Folk socks. I have again used Mokkasukka yarn, this time in the colourway Iris. The picot cuff is knitted on 2,5 mm dp needles, the rest on 2 mm needles. I used almost all of the 100 gram hank of yarn, and I must admit I had a slightly scary feeling when knitting the toe of the socks. It looked like so little left. The socks were intended for my mother, and she will get them as a thank you for taking care of Ludde while we were on the archipelago holidays. But they suits me very well too, and I have 38 in shoe size. A very nice pattern this too, as Nancy's usually are, they fit my foot very well.

I couldn't decide which pictures from the archipelago to post, so I a put them all in
an album, so you can have a look at more than a couple, click here! These pictures are all taken in the archipelago of Turku, in southwest Finland. It's a beautiful place, and you can see my love for stones and rock formations, I can't stop taking pictures of them. The house on the island is very primitive, with some solar energy, but no running water, and with a nice vegetable plot. It's easy to forget about the troubles at home when over there!

Posted by Maud at 03:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)

Huh, time has been flying! I can't understand it's so long since I last updated the blog! But it have been so busy months that I haven't even picked up the needles many times.

I started a pair of socks, with the intention to give them to my mother as birthday present. I managed to finish the first sock in May, but since Mum's birthday is on May 28th, I had to come up with something else for that, and the second sock is still not even started. The pattern is Latvian socks by Nancy Bush from Folk socks, and they are knitted on 2 mm dpns in a yarn by Villamokka called Mokkasukka in the colourway Iris. The yarn is a German Zitron yarn that is handpainted by Villamokka in Hämeenlinna.

The second Latvian sock has been suffering from the second sock syndrome, and when I finally had more time to think about knitting, I decided that instead of casting on for sock number 2 I would start a new sock. One reason was the weather, we have had a lot of rain, and the yarn I chose is the perfect antidote for rain: an other Mokkasukka yarn, this time in the colourway Viimeinen kejasari, Finnish for The Last Emperor. My girls are fighting over this yarn, but I think the younger one will end up as winner, the Snicket sock will be too small for her sister.

The pattern is the Snicket sock, a design by Sabine Riefler, previously published in MagKnits, but now available as free pattern in Ravelry. I'm knitting size one with 54 stitches on 2,5 mm dpns. And the heel. As you know I'm not a fan of short row heels. All ways now and then I test a new way to knit them, but so far, I haven't found a winner. But this heel is almost perfect, and I think the second sock will be even better, since now I really know what I'm doing. The stitches continue over the heel in a column not broken by the direction change of the heel, simply beautiful. Here is a close up of the heel.

And do not feel sorry over my older daughter, I bought two skeins of this beautiful yarn, she will get a pair of her own, but in an other pattern. I also bought two skeins of a blueish colourway, perfect for my boys. Or for Marina Piccola by Kate Gilberts, a design that reminds me so much of Italy that I'll knit it, sooner or later.

And while knitting these socks I dream of what to knit next. I long for a sweater project, but not a multicolour one, perhaps even something as opposite as charcoal or black... I absolutely need something in those colours. I love the colour of the socks I'm knitting right now, but for myself I feel for something more simple and serene.

Posted by Maud at 06:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)