Slacker

In stead of knitting my socks, I´m watching sock knitting on the Internet.



Kinda makes you want to have a knitting machine doesn't it?

Green sweater

I finished the green sweater I was making for Ása. It is a little big, but not too big. It will be perfect next winter :) I already have an idea for a sweater for Kamilla and can't wait to get the yarn and get started on it.

Here are some pictures, mostly modeled by Kamilla, who asked me what kind of smile I wanted and then supplied me with great many. I couldn't choose so you'll get most of them. If you click on the pictures you will get the full size version.



There is one of Ása Sóley modeling it. She likes it.




There are even more photos on flickr. You can see those by choosing one of the photos above and look around a little.

EZ´s April blanket

One skein of this:



With a dab of this:



Produces 2 of these:



Oh man, I'm hooked. I love the yarn and I love the pattern. The yarn is Lamb's pride Bulky in colorways: Prairie Goldenrod (the variegated) and Lemon Drop (the solid). The variegated knits up beautifully and the colors are lovely. Too bad I don't have more of the variegated. Originally I planned to have the blanket in two tones but once I got started I changed my mind. I have couple of green skeins I hope to exchange for the yellow and that will give me 4 more squares. I'm planning on making 24 a little at a time.

The pattern is from Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitter's Almanac and is the April project (the book has a project for every month). It's construction is interesting a la EZ. The squares are not sewn together, but crafted. That's why the stitches are kept live.

And the answer is ...

... a swatch!

Yebb, that little cylindrical thing is a swatch!

Thing is. I was swatching my plötulopi knit double on 4.5 mm needles and got 15 sts per 4 inches (10 cm). I need to get 18.5. But the thing is I was knitting the purl stitches too loosly because I was afraid to break the yarn and it showed on the swatch. So I want to see what my gauge is if I knit in the round and lo and behold that little cylindrical thing appeared. I cast on 20 sts and knit around with the magic loop. It worked just fine and I got 18 (or maybe even 18 and a quarter) stitches per 10 cm/4".

I was really happy to have outsmarted the old swatch until I realized that the jacket I had in mind for the yarn was knit back and fro.

Back to the drawing board, maybe I´ll swatch again and this time be less lenient on the purl stitches.

The jury is still out on this!

I wouldn't actually ask you a question you could answer, would I? Nope, that would be too trivial.

Another clue

This will help show porportion.

Question

What is this?