the emotional life of sølje

…now on to decide if these will be gloves or hand warmers… just one more repeat to finish before the decision has to be made for sure… better decide quickly.

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Last night I was able to work 12 rounds on my handwarmers/gloves (still undecided), which means I have worked three increases into the thumb gusset.

At the first increase, my right needle slipped out after three stitches, and I ended up picking up the second stitch wrong… so now it looks like there is a slight jog in the knit stitch. Darn, but oh well. Kevin said, “time to rip!”. I’ll live with it.

I’m pleased with the progress, and I love how pretty it is looking. At the band that will go around the wrist, I basically created my own pattern since I was having problems reading the directions in the book. I could have made it a little longer, but again, I’ll live with it.

From the book:
Handplagg til Bunader og Folkedrakter
(Hand Coverings for National and Folk Costumes) by Heidi Fossnes
Patterrn: Pulsvante fra Hallingdal
yarn: cashmere from Elann
teeny 0000 needles

Darrin has his 2mos well child checkup this morning, and then Daniel has piano lessons in the afternoon. Working in his theory book yesterday was a challenge. I am glad he likes music lessons, but make him pick up a pencil and write? There’s the challenge with my darling child.

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I finished one of the pattern sections today, and starting #2.

I was ready for a break from some of the colors I have been using… and I am loving the feminine look that these are taking on already. At the rate I am going, I should have these finished by autumn yah!

From the book:
Handplagg til Bunader og Folkedrakter
(Hand Coverings for National and Folk Costumes) by Heidi Fossnes
Patterrn: Pulsvante fra Hallingdal
yarn: cashmere from Elann
teeny needles: 0000 or 1.25mm.

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Here are a couple of things I have been working on. Things are growing sloooooooowly. I really need to work on my journal quilt, but I haven’t been able to get a sufficient chunk of time to devote to it. After hubby does some podcasting tonight, I might persist in requesting that chunk of alone-time that I need to work on the quilt. But at least knitting is more portable… however, sometimes I am only able to do a part of a round at a time. But one day Darrin will nap for longer than an hour or so at a time–then I will be able to really sink my teeth back into creating again!

The first, (from the book Handplagg til Bunader og Folkedrakter–Hand Coverings for National and Folk Costumes–by Heidi Fossnes) I was drawn to do a pair of gloves, but decided to make fingerless gloves to start. This pattern seems easy enough, and the fact that I am only really very good at reading Norwegian genealogical terms, I am having some problems reading this pattern. In some sections, I will probably need to make it up as I go (the thumb will be one part), but for the most part it should knit up easily. This pattern is from a pair of gloves (pictured) that are at the Norsk Folkemuseum, dating from 1871-1916 and are from the Hallingdal, Buskerud area. There is a rosemal pattern from Suldal (one of the areas where my ancestors are from) that I want to also make, but I wanted to do the lace pattern first.

Oh… BTW, those needles are 1.25mm. Crazy crazy crazy.

The second is a little more progress on a Dale of Norway sweater I started a couple of years ago for Kevin. This one is Finnskogen. I love the pattern. I am at the point where it’s straight knitting until the neck. I have already turned and tacked the hem at the bottom. Gotta love those DoN purl rows for the easy fold.

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Tummy time for Darrin. He’s getting strong! He is lifting his head and pushing up really well. Now if we could just work on a respectable sleeping schedule

Click on the image for more of Dad’s flickr site… he’s got the good camera!

Tags: A Family Affair by Solje
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My first attempt at baby socks The toes leave a bit to be desired, but I’m pleased with the outcome. Here is what’s left of my skein of Monsoon (from Blue Moon Fiber Arts) from the Feb/Mar sock kit. The first sock was too small, so I knit a third. The colors here are about right on in the pic (click on the pic to see a larger image if you are curious. Personally, I am tired of seeing these on my blog… I’m ready for something new!).

Darrin is 6 weeks old this week! He weighed in at his doctor’s appointment last Thursday at 8lbs 15oz. That’s a great gain from his birth weight of 5lbs 11oz!

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This pair took way too long to knit. Of course, I ripped three times so that didn’t help. I am nominating these socks as my April Socks (for my pair of the month completed).

On the cuff, I knit tight like the rest of the sock, but when it came time to knit on the cuff of the second sock, I loosened up. WAYYYYYYY loosened up! They fit nicer with the loose knit on the cuff. On the first sock, I loosened up by the last cable section (you can see on the top sock that the striping gets thinner, this is about where I loosened up).

Rockin’ Sock Club, “Inside Out”; in (Blue Moon Fiber Arts) Monsoon. US2 all the way

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Here’s what I have so far… This is my progress after my third rip on these socks. I know what others mean about the cables making the leg so tight. I have three sections of cabling done on the right side sock, and I think I am going to end it there. Trying it on, it was tight and I think if I were to do two more rows of cabling, I won’t be able to get them on. I really don’t want to rip back down to the heel again. I just want to be done.

I’ve used a size US 2 all the way, and still have a lot of yarn left.

Mom knitting, while dad calms and Gracie takes a hike: Remember the baby days? That sweet little guy? The one that has moments of inconsolability? so do we…

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