Julehilse

I got a Christmas greeting (julehilse) from Garnstudio. In the greeting was a pattern for crochet Christmas ornament. I had glittered white crochet thread, which came in handy. That same night (same day as I got the greeting), Ása Sóley wouldn't go to sleep, which is very unusual for her. I took her back outside and did this ornament in about 45 min and then took her back inside to sleep. I think it would only take me 30 min if I did it again, since it is in Danish, so I had to figure out the names of the stitches, and that included treble, which I've never done before. So I actually made a Christmas ornament. I'm very proud of myself.

I tried to finish another ornament. It's a stitched ornament. I did the stitching long time ago. Then I was almost done finishing it up but I needed small pointed needles so I put it aside. I didn't even take it back out after I got the right needles. I almost finished it this Christmas, but I had trouble putting the cord around the edges. Maybe next Christmas then?

Post Christmas Stress Disorder

No, not really. I had the most relaxing Christmas ever. Chistmas in Iceland are just so much more big of a deal. More formal and more serious. Which is not a bad thing. It was nice, nontheless, to experience relaxing and laid back Christmas.

So what do you do on Christmas, when you've finished all your Christmas knitting? Why of course you start a Christmas stitching project. About time I did some stitching. This should be ready for next Christmas. I can't be more timely - 365 days for finishing IT.




IT is a Christmas Stocking kit from Bucilla, which I got in a birthday game in my cross stitching group last year (note - not this year). So I've had it for a while and I thought it was a good time to start on it. It's nice to get back in the stitching gear. I've been doing a little bit of stitching, maybe a month or so ago, although I didn't share it on the blog. I like this design because it only covers the cuff of the stocking, and not the entire stocking. So there is actually a possibility that I'll finish it eventually. It is also a simple design and I'm not used to stitch designs that have so large areas of the same color. I does make it fast though. I'm making a big progress already since I'm sticking to the large areas. I'm not getting bored either, since I cleverly listen to a audiotape while I'm stitching. I'm also remembering how exciting it is to see the design unravel on the canvas/cloth.

I still can't upload photos from my camera and the photo above is the only one I found online of this design. I hope you can see it at all.

Þorláksmessa

The title of refers to the name of this day in Icelandic. No skate for me today. Wouldn't mind it though.

I finished the Christmas knitting today and wrapped it save for couple of pairs of wristwarmers I wanted to press first. The iron is missing though so I don't know if I will be able to press it at all. So now I can knit whatever I want.

I finished a ballband dishcloth from Mason Dixon. This one has been lingering in my knitting bag (or one of my knitting bags) for over 2 months (since October). I'm glad to have it finished. I even sew in the ends. So what's next, the log-cabin or my sweater, hmm...

Christmas blog

Christmas is right around the corner. Wednesday I had another job interview, a repeating interview, where I had to prepare a 30 min presentation. So I didn't really spend a lot of time thinking about Christmas until now.

I'm making Xmas presents. They should be ready in time, if I work on them ;)

Rebecca had this nice little (or not so little) meme. I just couldn't resist.

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? One Christmas, me, Clint and couple of friends came together and made real alcaholic egg nog. It was nice and tasty. I don't think I've ever had non-alcaholic egg nog so I can't really tell if I like that or not. I've never associated Christmas and hot chocolate - perhaps jólaglögg (juleglögg?). Jólaglögg is pretty tasty - I think I'd pick jólaglögg over egg nog.
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? I don't know how this Santa character operates.
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? I like blue personally. But it depends. White are festive and tasteful. Red are good too. I think I like one color better than mixing of colors.
4. Do you hang mistletoe? No
5. When do you put your decorations up? Hopefully around Dec. 1st. This year we don't have any decorations though. Left them in Iceland.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Rjúpa (Ptarmigan) og skata (skate) but I don't like hamborgarahryggur (smoked pork back), unless it's lightly smoked lamb's back.
7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? Meeting my cousins on Christmas day at a Christmas party at our Grandmother/Grandfather's house and playing with each others christmas presents.
8 . When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I was suspicious and then I notice my mom put candy in my shoe and not the julelad (see here: http://www.icelandweatherreport.com)
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? We've always opened all of our presents on Christmas Eve. That's just how we do things in Iceland. First Service, then Christmas dinner, then dishwashing and then presents.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? Just regular christmas decorations.
11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? White Christmas is nice.
12. Can you ice skate? Yeah.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? No
14. What's your favorite thing(s) about the holidays? In Icelandi it was all the lights.
15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? Möndlugrautur - is there another one?
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? University really screwed Christmas for me since I had exams until Dec. 21st. I'm not back on track yet.
17. What tops your tree? See nr. 5.
18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving? Giving, especially if I can give a handmade gift.
19. What is your favorite Christmas song? Gloria, that latin one.
20. What is your favorite holiday book? There are holiday books?
21. Candy canes yuck or yum? They make for nice decoration and those little ones are nice for eating.
21. What's number one on your Christmas list this year? World peace, yarn (not necessarily in this order). No, just kidding. I'll be glad to get anything at all this year.

I'm going to try to post this through Google Docs. I didn't succeed doing that for my diary blog, hopefully it'll work here.

I'm even going to try to attach some photos. My camera still wouldn't connect to the computer. I fear the connection is broken.



Here above you can see another pedal bib from One Skein (the book). This time I knit it using Rowan Handknit Cotton. I like the colour and I like the heaviness of the cotton for the bib. I made the previous pedal bib from a acrylic blended cotton. It was soft but not sturdy enough. My little niece got it and her mom likes it. It'll be fine for drools.

Ása Sóley is trying to grab the bib through the grid. I just managed to take the photo before she confiscated the bib ;)



Here you can see one of the Mason-Dixon washcloths all wrapped up and ready to be gifted. I gave this to a nice lady that found and returned my wallet few months back. I don't think I ever shared this photo.

Now, let's see if I can publish this on my blog.

Christmas knitting

I couldn't resist knitting for Christmas. I'm in the process of knitting 2 pairs of Fetching for my sisters-in-law. It's a fun little pattern. It's a quick knit but at the same time it's interesting. I even learnet a new technique - cable cast-on, which gives the mittens a nice edge and at the top there is a picot bind-off, another first for me, also a nice finishing. All I have left is the thumb for the last one. Weave in ends for two of them and block.

I am going to make 3 more pairs of wristwarmers/gauntlets/fingerless mitts / whatever you call'em for our Nieces and nephew. I'm waiting for the yarn and it should come on Monday (Rowan Felted Tweed). It's a pattern I thought of myself, and I'm very excited about it. It's quite clever, if I do say so myself. I'm going to try to submit it to an online magazine so I don't want to talk about it too much. I made a prototype of them in kitchen cotton. Even in cotton the mittens are quite warm. I will, however, have to change the pattern when I make them in the Rowan yarn, since it has a smaller gauge. That shouldn't be too hard.

Strings

Strings
Originally uploaded by rajnos.

I felt like sewing in the ends of my Log Cabin blanket and ended up with this mountain of strings. In the background is my podcas running, probably Cast-on (cast-on.com).

I started an Icelandic zipped up sweater in Lamb's pride bulky. I love the yarn. It's so soft and it knits up in the same gauge as Lopi (for me at least). I just don't feel like knitting it. I just wanted to continue with the blanket tonight.

Ása's Socks in Use

Ása's Socks in Use
Originally uploaded by rajnos.

Off the needles and on the foot!

Not much knitting done this weekend. We had a rental car and made the most out of it, so I wasn't home (and no I can't knit in a car, I get carsick).

I had a job interview on Friday. It went well. Friday night I met with some Icelandic women, so it was a long day. I left at a 6 AM and wasn't home until 12 PM. Saturday we went for a drive after the kids woke up from their nap (gave me time to finish the socks) and on Sunday we went to meet my husband's great grandmother. She's 96 and a very nice lady. She lives in her own home and is very agile for her age. She even played the organ for us.

Nice weekend, despide the little knitting that took place, he he.