Posts tagged friends

Squee

By on November 11, 2010

Knitting. I may be grumpy about it at times, but there is no denying that I love it. This year I have been participating in the 10 Shawls in 2010 group on Ravelry (though I have not been social at all) and I’m currently knitting my tenth shawl. It has been a blast and also incredibly self-indulgent: I love knitting lace, I love knitting shawls and nowadays I really have very little knitting time left for personal projects so these shawls have all felt very special. I was pondering what I could do in 2011? I want to do something which feels just as good as these shawls and which can be spaced out throughout 2011. I hit upon my idea when I read Ms Mooncalf’s post about hats.

For a knitter, I have very few hats. This is strange because I love wearing hats. I love matching them with my outfits, love having warm ears and love using up random odd balls of wool.

2011 will be my Year of The Hat.

It’s official. I’ll knit eleven hats and my head will never be cold ever again.

Now to a bit about Recent Stash Enhancement of the Scandinavian kind. My purchases run completely counter to my Year of the Hat because, well, I am helpless in the face of North-Atlantic laceweight. Quite apart from the sweater’s worth of bulky pure wool which I found in my gran’s supermarket, I succumbed to a slew of gorgeous laceweights from an assortment of places: the Faroe Islands, Iceland and, well, Sweden. I also found some cheap preyarn/unspun yarn which I’m looking forward to trying as well as some double-knitting yarn in a very pretty green/teal combo.

Two other delightful things happened whilst I was in Copenhagen:

Firstly, my Bestest Friend Ever decided to give crocheting a go. Now she is on Ravelry and is talking about needing more yarn. I cannot be held responsible for this (cough) but it makes me very happy to see her employ all her cunning and skill in a crafty manner. She could rule the world if she put her mind to it. Next we’ll be exchanging placemat sets and toilet roll covers. Just wait and see.

Secondly, I was taught how to use a lucet as previously mentioned. A friend sent me a peculiarly looking instrument this spring and I had no idea what it was, what it did or why she had sent it to me. I had some inkling it might have to do with textile history as I’m a big geek and, well, she is into historical re-enactment (and thus costume history). She brought a friend along for afternoon tea and this person taught me how to use my strange little gadget. It makes me very happy to know people who just happen to know what a lucet is and how to use one. It is so freaking cool.

So, anyway, yes: tell me about the hats you like, the hats you have queued, and the hats of your dreams. I need to plan my hat extravaganza a bit but going through 81 pages of hat patterns on Rav is a bit daunting.

This entry is filed under Purls and tagged , , , , . | 5 Comments

Selected Highlights

By on November 9, 2010

  • Learning how to use a lucet. I love the Danish word for it: “at nulre”.
  • Biking around Copenhagen. Easily the best way to navigate Cph City.
  • Being told I’ll get a sewing machine for my birthday in February.
  • Walking around the new prehistory section of The National Museum. It’s really good.
  • Having way too much good food – and bringing back various specialities.
  • Finding a beautiful hand-embroidered table cloth for just 50p.
  • Spending time with people who really really matter.

I have a few rants to share – the state of the Danish language, how embarrassing people can be in an airport, biased TV-journalism – but I’ll save them for a rainy day. Likewise, I have a few knitting-related things to discuss but I’ll get back to them after I’ve done the laundry (it is so good not living out of a suitcase) and unpacked my things.

It’s good to be home. I just miss people already.

This entry is filed under Denmark, Personal and tagged , , , . | 4 Comments

It’s in the Air

By on October 24, 2010

IKEA’s Christmas 2010 wrapping paper and Christmas cards include Selbu motifs. Very cute. Clearly I had to buy a roll of wrapping paper.

Other recent shopping include a trip to Granny Would Be Proud, a fairly recent addition to the Glasgow crafts fair scene. Today they had set up camp at Hillhead Book Club, an atmospheric and eclectic bar/restaurant just off Byres Road, and we could not resist going. It was a good mix, actually. I tend to be fairly critical of crafts fairs as they can easily be quite bland or veer into unfortunate handmade-irony. The craft fair seemed well curated with some lovely touches: a photo booth where you could get photographed wearing vintage gear and Vintage Spectacles which let you try on frames dating back to the early 20th century. I tried on several 1930s and 1940s frames and now know where to get my next set of glasses. I may also have succumbed to some handmade buttons whilst looking wistfully at Sylvia & Nicola‘s bespoke dresses.

Somewhere else entirely I came across tops labelled “1930s handknit” which were neither. That is the side of the vintage industry which I really do not like.

Anyway, I have been buying Christmas presents too – and sent off my own wish list to my Danish family. I managed to think of other things besides 1-ply Faroese yarn and I’m pretty proud of that. Note self: I need to start utilising various online wish list facilities, so I do not start to panic come present-buying season. I tried using Wist but it never really clicked for me. Apart from the obvious Amazon wish list feature, do you use any other wish list facilities? Any recommendations?

(I cannot believe I’m already writing about Christmas! Then again I have just been swatching for some Christmas workshops I’m doing later this year..)

Things I have liked recently:
+ I met a girl recently who wore the nicest cardigan. I nearly ripped it off her back and ran away.
+ People can be incredibly wonderful sometimes.
+ Pretty film posters. I’m not sure I’m interested in the film, though.
+ We are now spending time apart but this is pretty sweet.

Highlight of my weekend? Probably not doing the laundry but it needs to be done, so I can start packing for my holiday. Not that I’m counting the hours or anything..

This entry is filed under Craft, Personal, Scotland and tagged , , , , , . | 4 Comments

Thank Yous Are Long Overdue

By on August 26, 2010

I’m having a pretty awesome week for various reasons and as a result I have not had much time to ‘grap a cuppa’ (as they say here in Blighty), sit down and think about what’s going on. I am not complaining about awesome things happening, but I do appreciate having time to breathe and having time to reflect.

First, though, a big thank-you to some very generous people.

Roobeedoo and I had a quick conversation whilst at Knit Camp and it went pretty much like this:

Me: You look like you!
R: You look like you too!
Me: I have some vintage sewing patterns. You rock vintage sewing patterns. You want them?
R: OK!
Me: Cool!
R: I’ll take a photo of you first before I go look at Knit Camp vendors!
Me: Ughdfsagr..

And so vintage patterns were sent north-wise and in return I received a very chic 1960s sewing pattern. Oh, and some yarn which was totally not part of the deal but who am I to complain when it’s two balls of Drops Alpaca in a very fetching coral-pink-red shade. Funnily enough I have some grey Drops Alpaca in my stash and I’m sensing stripes + wristwarmers + hat ..

Earlier this year my friend Paula ran The Race For Life and I had chipped in as part of her sponsor deal. As a thank-you, Paula made me a personalised scissor fob in my favourite colours and I received my gift this week. I’m using the fob as my keyring (alongside a felted sheep – don’t ask) because that way I’ll get to see my gift every single day. I’m a huge fan of handmade presents.

And finally Ms Old Maiden Aunt handed me a Knit Nation goodie bag, a Sanquhar gloves kit (because I’m a big sucker for local history & knitting traditions) and her Tangled Yoke Cardigan. When I protested about the amount of gifts, she told me that she was bribing me into knitting her a Laminaria shawl. Hmm.. cunning plan, Lilith!

Now, I’m off to sit down with my new autumnal knitting project and hopefully having time to ponder various going-ons. It’s been a mad week so far and it’s not over yet.

This entry is filed under Blogging, Craft, Personal and tagged , , , . | 3 Comments

Far-Flung

By on August 22, 2010

One of my favourite dishes is the humble tabouleh – a Middle-Eastern bulgur salad. Whenever I make it, I try to make enough for several days but I always end up (like tonight) scoffing down whatever is left over from dinner. This is a pretty good, basic recipe. When I chop the tomatoes I remove the seeds beforehand (this makes the salad less soggy) and I use a blender to chop the herbs because I’m too lazy to spend thirty minutes chopping parsley/mint.

Whenever I make tabouleh, I think of my friend Liz. Liz grew up all over the world – a true corps diplomatique child. She spent a good part of her upbringing living in far-flung countries and she would hang around in the kitchens watching local chefs preparing food. Liz’s arsenal of dishes is therefore very different to all my other friends. Not only did she introduce me to tabouleh, she also taught my taste-buds to appreciate fruits used in savoury dishes, made me fall in love with American pancakes, and made me dream of zabaglione everytime I see ripe raspberries.

And then there is Atole.

Liz would cook Atole for us on cold winter nights. We’d clutch our hot mugs whilst standing on her balcony overlooking Frederiksberg and the world would be reduced to hot milk with cinnamon and sugar – and so everything would be alright with the world.

I miss Liz a great deal. She’s here in the dishes I cook and in the things I enjoy, but good cups of tea and hot mugs filled with Atole are scant replacements for her company. When I miss Denmark, I miss people rather than the country. I left Denmark four years ago. In so many ways it feels like it has been a lot longer.

Ah, homesick for Denmark. Let’s put on some (Swedish) music and dance around for a bit..

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The Knight With A Galleon On His Head

By on July 19, 2010

A friend of mine has crossed the North Sea to visit us here in rainy Glasgow. We took her to the Cathedral district yesterday. D. and my friend walked up the Necropolis while I lounged decoratively on a bench.

Afterwards we went inside St. Mungo’s Cathedral – one of my favourite places to see stained glass windows here in Glasgow (and you’d be surprised by just how much stained class you find here – both in public and private homes).

My favourite window keeps changing. Yesterday I fell in love with this slightly barmy one: The Knight With A Galleon On His Head. I’m sure it has a real title or epitaph, but I like my version much better than “David Tavish Farquar, the 16th Duke of Skirlie In Memory of His Brother Simon, Lord of Colcannon”.

Time for tea and buttered scones, I think. A busy day lies ahead.

This entry is filed under Scotland and tagged , , . | 2 Comments

Midsummer

By on June 23, 2010

Call for test-knitters! I have a pattern I need test-knitted before I can make it publicly available – we are talking one ball of Rowan Kid Silk Haze plus beads. Knitted lace. Get in touch by email (distantsunATgmailDOTcom) or via Ravelry.

Today is Midsummer’s Eve. In Denmark they will be lighting bonfires and singing songs right now. I always miss my Danish friends and family whenever special events come around. Midsummer’s Eve, or Skt. Hans Aften, is that curious Danish blend of pagan and Christian traditions. You gather with people near water – beaches are popular although many places it will be near a lake – and when dusk falls, you set fire to a big bonfire adorned with an effigy of a witch which is said to “fly to Blocksbjerg” (most Danish names for Hell are places in Germany. I kid you not). Oh, and the Danes sing. We sing whenever we can and, since Midsummer’s Eve is a Big Thing, we even have a special song (although most people prefer singing the modern version).

The photo was taken in 2006, my last Skt. Hans Aften in Denmark. I’m feeling a bit nostalgic tonight – especially because I know tonight most of my Danish friends are gathered just north of Copenhagen and I would have liked to have celebrated the longest day of the year with them. The older I get the more attached I become to my personal traditions and I have lost a fair few of them in recent years. It’s a bit difficult to stage a big bonfire here in Glasgow without getting arrested for disorderly conduct .. “Honest, guv, I was just celebrating Midsummer’s Eve. That old woman burning up? Well, it’s tradition..”

This entry is filed under Denmark, Purls and tagged , , . | 2 Comments

FO: Peach Trees

By on June 22, 2010

Last May I went back to Copenhagen for a week’s holiday. I had the pleasure of staying with a good friend, Peps, who had a spare room. If you have ever lived in Copenhagen, you will know that, as a rule, people do not have spare rooms: the apartments are tiny, every inch of space gets utilised, and you are lucky if a friend has the room for a sofa bed. So, Peps’ spare room was the very height of luxury.

I have known Peps since the late 1990s when we both worked for a computer gaming magazine. We started playing D&D together, she showed me how to cook hypo-allergenic food, and I supplied her with English-languaged books.

Peps turned forty this year and invited all her friends – including yours truly and D. We were unable to go, unfortunately, but I remembered what she said last year in May: “I love your lace shawls. I’d love to be able to knit one but maybe you can knit one for me at some point?” To my mind, this would be the perfect gift for Peps: something unique, something personal, and something very feminine.

Yarn: Rowan Kid Silk Haze, 2 balls in “Ice Cream” (discontinued colourway)
Needles: 4.5mm (US size 7)
Pattern: Ah, this is where it gets interesting..

I was searching high and low for a suitable pattern. Peps is petite, so I wanted something quite delicate which would not overpower her frame. She is also extremely feminine, so I wanted the shawl to reflect that (you may argue that a lace shawl is by definition very feminine, but I beg to differ). I pondered the Swallowtail shawl (but I have already made it three times), Ishbel (but we do not get along), and Zetor, to name but a few, but eventually settled on Nightsongs. I liked the graphic quality of the designs – Peps works in graphic design – but it was still very pretty and feminine. Perfect.

Except the pattern was riddled with mistakes. Shame that Kid Silk Haze is a bit temperamental about getting ripped back, or I would have gone for another design. The knitting experience marred my enjoyment of the finished object, so although I am told it is a very pretty shawl, all I see are those poorly constructed charts and the hours I spent trawling through Ravelry threads for errata.Something I did out of love for a friend did not end up as a project I loved. Alas.

I’m yet to hear from Peps, but I’m confident that she likes it.

In other knitting news, my new wrist support has already helped and I was able to knit at my usual pace last night, which means that my 4ply cardigan now has a completed back and a half-way completed sleeve. Huzzah!

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The Candle in the Window

By on May 4, 2010

I put a lit candle on my window-sill tonight. It is a Danish tradition to do on the evening of May 4 in memory of May 4, 1945, the evening the Nazi Occupation of Denmark ended. I lit the candle in memory of family members, now long gone, who fought with the Danish Resistance. I also lit the candle thinking about democracy and the forth-coming British general election. I cannot vote in this election, and I have a sinking feeling about its likely outcome, but I appreciate living in a democracy (albeit one with a wacky voting system).

I liked this little re-drawn map of Europe (and in related news, my Eurovision Pundit Podcast debút)

And BIG, MASSIVE congratulations to the Hand-Knitted Pirate who is now Doctor Hand-Knitted Pirate.

This entry is filed under Denmark, eurovision, News, Personal and tagged , , , , .

Day Seven: Something About Yarn

By on May 2, 2010

Fourth Edition is taking part in the Knitting & Crocheting Blog Week, and you can read more about that blog project here.

I often get asked which is the best yarn I have ever used. I never know how to answer because, for me, the quality of yarn is wholly dependent upon what project I am doing. When I think about yarn, which I admittedly do all the time, I just try to think about it in context. What type of project am I making and who am I making it for? How will the object be treated, how will it be used and how often will it be used? Do I need to think about maintenance? In other words, every yarn has a purpose.

Many knitters shudder at the thought of acrylic yarns, but I maintain they have their place in the knitting world. Knitting for young children? Acrylic yarns (or woolblends) will seem like a god-send because they can be thrown into the washing machine with nary a thought. Acrylic yarns also have a better range of colours, they will not pill as readily and certain brands will arguably withstand nuclear holocaust (or toddlers).

I do not tend to knit for children, though, so I mostly use natural fibres. Since I live in chilly Scotland I also tend to use mostly woolly yarns.

New Lanark Aran is one of my favourite yarns. It is locally produced, is available in some truly beautiful colours and, best of all, it knits up like a dream whilst still being affordable. Old Maiden Aunt is another guilty pleasure – she dyes beautiful sock- and lace-yarns. I adore Rowan Kidsilk Haze which has a beautiful halo and yearn for a project in Rowan Lima, a soft and complex merino/alpaca-blend.  Drops Alpaca is one of my desert island yarns. I’d happily roll around in Noro Cashmere Island.  Also, I hoard Dansk Naturfiber 1-ply kidmohair/merino because I think it may be discontinued, it is absolutely divine, and I rarely get a chance to get my clammy hands on it (I used it for my Laminaria shawl). I dream of making something out of Garthenor 1-ply. And let us not forget handspun wool – I am lucky to count some hand-spinners among friends.

Meet the glittering star in my yarn stash firmament, though.

This is Färgkraft SoftBlend, a 2-ply laceweight Gotland-wool handdyed using organic dyes by textile artist Margrét Kållberg for the Färgkraft co-op in Sweden. 765 yards of utter perfection.It ticks all my boxes: rustic, organic, laceweight, Scandinavian, and dyed in my favourite colour in the entire world.

A Swedish friend of mine gave it to me last year as a birthday present. I am still trying to decide what to make from it. I feel tempted to pair it with my favourite shawl pattern, but on the other hand I also feel tempted to pair it with a traditional Scandinavian (or Nordic) shawl pattern.

I have many, many lovely yarns in my stash thanks to friends and family, but the Färgkraft 1-ply just stands out for me. I may never actually use it, you know..

This entry is filed under Knitting, Purls, yarn and tagged , , , . | 4 Comments

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