Thanks for the compliments on Kiri, I also like it a lot! I just hope the winter would come soon so I could wear it. Just kidding :O) I'm really enjoying the warmth as long as we are plessed to have it.

Outi muisti minua tällaisella kunnianosoituksella; kiitos ja kumarrus! Yritin puolestani miettiä, kenelle olisin sen laittanut eteenpäin, mutta en löytänyt ketään, sillä kaikki omat suosikkini näyttävät sen jo saaneen, joten pidän sen vain itselläni =)

Outi honoured me with this distinction; I thank and bow! Trying to think who I would forward it to I found out that all of my favourite bloggers had already got it, so I'll just keep it to myself =)

I really had fun, at our local first ever organized grafts meeting, that is. There were six of us 'crafts-nuts': Katja, Kirsi, Marjo, Outi and Sini (links to blogs in Finnish) besides me - thank you ladies! One of us was cross-stitching and the rest, well, we were knitting. The meeting insiped me to finish my Kiri (pdf) the same night, so here's the evidence.

Kiri ennen pingotusta - Kiri before blocking

... ja jälkeen - ... and after

Malli (Pattern): Kiri, All Tangled Up, pdf

Lanka (Yarn): Schoeller Zefir, tex 26/2, 100% merinovilla (merino wool)

                     väri (colour) tang, 2-kertaisena (doubled)

                     56 g<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Puikot (Needles): 3,0 mm / 60 cm pyöröt (circs)

Koko (Size): 118 cm x 55 cm

Pesuohje (Washing): 40°C, käsinpesu (hand-wash)

Ok, the theme of the stole is now revealed and it’s – Swan Lake! Appropriate to the theme the other end of the stole is knitted as a wing-shape using short rows, i.e. it resembles ¼ of a circle, or rather an ellipse or an oval. Hmmm… The other option would be to frog back to the lifeline, almost 60 rows, knit a copy of the original design and then join the two halves with kitchener stitch. Hmmm… Right now neither of the choices Melanie gave us appeal to me, so I have to think about this. Of course I could just frog a few rows and knit a copy of this longer version to minimize the wasted work. Or, if I wanted to challenge myself “a bit” I could try to use the wing stitch pattern and still knit the same shape as on the first end… I really, really need to think about this. I’d better get back to my green shawl.

After the fourth clue the stole is about 60 % of its finished length, so we are past the middle point. I decided to stick with the original length even though it’d been possible to shorten or lengthen the stole at this point.

Seuraava vihje julkaistaan perjantaina, ja silloin myös selviää, miksi suunnittelija Melanie halusi meidän lisäävän ’elämänlangan’ tietylle riville ja mikä on huivin teemana. Uutta vihjettä odotellessa on puikoille päässyt toinenkin huivi, lankana merinovilla, jota ajattelin alun perin MS3:seeni. Se mukaan lukien keskeneräisiä töitä on tällä hetkellä juuri ja juuri kahden käden sormilla laskettavissa oleva määrä, mutta hei, elämässä pitää olla vaihtelua =)

The next clue will be posted this Friday and at the same time both the theme and the purpose of the lifeline Melanie told us to put on a certain row will be revealed. While waiting for the new clue a new shawl has jumped on my needles, the yarn is the merino I originally planned for my MS3. This included I currently have so many unfinished projects that I can barely count them with my ten fingers, but hey, you have to have some variety in your life =)

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The lottery with the yarn choice of MS3 ended in my frogging the start of the POW and using Kamena here. I chose not to use beads as I don't want anything hard against my neck or chest. The first clue was very quick and easy to knit. My first reaction when I saw the clue was that this is a triangular stole after all, even though I had learned that a stole is always a rectangle. However, the last few rows of chart B revealed that it is after all a rectangle with pointed ends – or is it? ;) The second clue tomorrow will probably confirm that. By the way, if there still is someone who would like to join ‘the madness’, to quote the stole’s 'mom' Melanie, you are about to be in a hurry – the KAL will close tomorrow on 6^th of July when the second clue is posted. There are almost 4400 of us taking part in this ‘madness’ – that amazing!

MS3:n vihje 1 - Clue 1 of MS3

Choosing the yarn for my MS3 is a tricky project. Alternative number one is a dark-green cobweb weight 100% merino wool, which I would knit doubled with 3 mm lace Addis. The yarn is really soft and I like it a lot.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Tästä langasta huivin leveydeksi tulisi n. 28 – 32 cm, joka juuri ja juuri riittäisi haluamakseni kaulaliinaksi, shaalin sijaan. Varsinaisessa mallissahan on 99 silmukkaa, ja suunnittelija Melanien mukaan valmis huivi on n. 10 - 20 % leveämpi kuin mitä mallitilkku vihjaa. Sitten se ongelma, eli tuo väri. Kesällä tekisi mieli ennemmin neuloa vaaleaa, ja huivin teemaankin kuulemma sopisi parhaiten musta tai valkoinen…

Using this yarn would give me a scarf about 28 – 32 cm wide, which would only just be enough for a scarf (instead of a shawl) I’d love to get. The actual pattern has 99 stitches, and according to the designer Melanie the actual width of the stole is about 10 – 20 % wider than the swatch indicates. Then the problem, ie the colour. Since it’s summer, I’d prefer knitting something light, and, furthermore, the best colours for the design theme would be black or white…

…ja valkoista lankaakin löytyisi, nimittäin tässä. …and I actually have some white yarn, namely here.

Olen aloittanut Eunnyn POW:n (pdf) Tekstiiliteollisuuden Kamenasta, mutta työ uhkaa kovasti ufoutua, ikuisiksi ajoiksi. Kuvasta ei näe, mutta karvainen lanka ei tee oikeutta kerrassaan hurmaavalle mallille. Tämä ylellinen malli vaatii ehdottomasti ylellisen, sileän langan ja varastossa olisi Merinosilkkiä… Todennäköisesti tämä huivinalku menee kuitenkin jossain vaiheessa purkuun, joten miksi en purkaisi sitä nyt ja käyttäisi lankaa tähän? Tosin lanka ei ole suosikkiani karvaisuuden ja karheuden takia, mutta toisaalta se voisi olla turvallinen valinta mysteerimallille.

I started Eunny’s POW stole (pdf) using Tekstiiliteollisuus’s Kamena, but the project is a highly potential ufo, for ever. You can’t actually see it from the picture but the quite hairy yarn doesn’t do this lovely pattern justice. This luxury pattern needs a luxury, smooth yarn and I have some Merinosilk in my stash… This start is likely to be frogged anyway so why not frog it now and use it here? On one hand, the yarn isn't one of my favourites because it's quite hairy and harsh, but on the other hand it could be a safe choice for a mystery pattern.

Surprise, surprise, I'm in, too. This is the very first KAL I'm actively going to take part in. I'm just wondering if it's sane or insane to knit 100 % wool stole in the middle of the hottest summer =)?

Finished - finally! They don't exactly look like a pair, but I'm still quite happy with them. Only quite happy because at least now they don't feel soft enough when worn on bare feet. It feels like walking on sand, as the name applies =) Furthermore I think I have to add some elastic band to the rib in order to keep them on.

Malli (Pattern): oma; (own)

Lanka (Yarn): Online Supersocke cotton 45%CO, 40%WO, 15%PA; 100g = 380m<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

                     70g

Puikot (Needles): sukkapuikot (dpns) 2,5mm

Pesuohje (Washing): konepesu (machine wash) 40 C

Valkoisen puseron eka hiha päätyi purkuun 20 cm:n neulomisen jälkeen. The sleeve of the white sweater is unravelled after 20 cm.

Sometimes there are times when nothing is finished. The white lace sweater is still in progress, only the first sleeve has been started, as well as a sock - pure waiting room material, i.e. only knit and purl. The yarn almost got better of me: mostly of cotton and variegated is a difficult combination. First I tried Monkey, but the colour differences of the yarn are too big for the pattern - so no lace. Then I remembered Jaywalker; I was sure it'd show the yarn nicely. Yes, it was beautiful, but since both the yarn and the pattern are inelastic, the otherwise right-sized sock is too small to fit the heel! Great. So I should find a pattern which is both elastic enough and shows the colours of the yarn as well. Well, here's what I've accomplished in about two hours in a waiting room: