New cardi on it's way.
You might think that I'm not doing anything but knitting! At times it really seems that way - but I guess that I'm a fast and determined knitter and things are growing quit fast at the needles once that the idea is established. And the cardi I am working with at the moment - the one based on the Zebra Ruffel Scarf principle is a very good work in front of the television at night. Now it sounds that I'm not doing anything but watching television - which I absolutely do. In summer it can go days, and sometimes weeks between the moments in front of the TV, whereas in winter I watch something for some time almost every night. I bring my wool and needles no matter what programme - which can be pretty disatreous at times (either for the knitting or for me getting what it's all about...).
Normally I don't make too inrtricate patterns or constructions, that's probably the main reason why the production can be rather fast at times. I would love to make some really complicated things that I've been bearing on my mind for a long time - but I'm so eager to lance new patterns and I just have to wait for the right moment.
If the knitting is fast, the finishing can take so much more time. I must admit it is not my favourite part. In my teens I didn't know at all how to finish a garment - and my pullovers couldn't be scrutinized too closely. Then I learned a few tricks and seaming was getting easier. Not more amusing, just easier!!
Well, the cardigan I'm about to finish in a couple of days is practically without seaming! If you do not count a couple of inches under each arm you could say that it's completely seamless. I have had questionmarks about how to make the collar-construction, and today during my running I finally solved it!! Relief! I know now that my brain is working amazingly much better when running than in front of the television! - - -
Pictures coming tomorrow -
New Design on it's way
SInce I made my Zebra Ruffle Scarf in May I have wanted to use the same principle for a cardigan.
A reversible, easy to knit, versatile, feminine, gorgeous to wear cardi. And now it's on it's way!!! I'm awfully bad at scetching - and yesterday I tried to pencil down the idea I have been working in my head for months. This new design does not look presentable at paper - but once I started the work on the needles I felt reassured - the cardi is going to develop nicely. I have chosen an alpaca yarn to work with - the pure "Alpakka" from Sandnes garn. I know by experience that this is a great wool to work it - to wear and it also washes very well.
Pictures are coming soon....
Rowanberry Girl pattern
Launched! The Rowanberry Girl pattern is now out on Ravelry - and I can't wait for the weather to get colder so I can start wearing my new Aran sweater!! The color is so lovely - a deep, rich and vibrant green with much black to it. Goes with many things - and especially with jeans that I wear a LOT. The feeling when having published a new pattern is difficult to describe - I'm nervous for the response (or lack of it) - I'm excited, happy and strangly enough;, a bit sad and empty. But I know, I'll soon be on the go again with new projects! I have several on my mind - now I have to choose which one to get started.... More is coming up soon....
Here are amazing photos taken by my sweet daughter: she's not too happy with her "model" - but never mind!
The path in the woods above is part of my everyday-walk with the dogs. Just lovely to breathe in the fresh or dry leaves, the smell of earth, listening to all those birds....
Stellata
My newest pattern at Ravelry at the time being is the cardigan Stellata. As I bring my knitting everywhere I brought 5 balls of Rowan's Felted Tweed with me going to Spain for vacation this summer. At the poolside, gazing sun and enjoying the swimming in luke-warm water, I tried to focus on a cardigan for my northern hemisphere to be worn this autumn.
The result became a lightweight garment; short sleeves, open front, eyelets edging the frontpanels and sleeve-edgings. In fact a perfect cardi to be worn all year round in my climate; for cool summerevenings, in autumn and spring as a protection agains chilly winds and in winter as a layering-piece.
The result became a lightweight garment; short sleeves, open front, eyelets edging the frontpanels and sleeve-edgings. In fact a perfect cardi to be worn all year round in my climate; for cool summerevenings, in autumn and spring as a protection agains chilly winds and in winter as a layering-piece.
When working on it, a lovely English lady came up to me to look at my work. She showed med her fingers, full of arthrities, and told me with much sorrow in her voice that she used to be a keen knitter. She was so sad she wasn't able to knit anymore. I told her that it might be more gentle to her hands if she knitted on circular needles. I really hope she tries it, and that it would work. I felt so sorry for her, and immediately thought about myself in a similar situation; WHAT would I do to replace my knitting? Read more, of course, socialize more, maybe, use my money on more sensible things than wool, wool, wool.. As it is to this day I knit everywhere I go, in trains, in bed, in front of the television, by poolsides.... I enjoy it so immensely, I cannot think of a life without my knitting!
My Stellata wasn't finished in Spain, and sadly you are not allowed to bring your knitting in the aeroplane - well back home I used some spare time to get it all finished. I wasn't quit sure how good it was until I tried it - it's always a crucial moment . Then, wearing it for the first few moments I knew immediately that it had turned out beeing a really, really nice wardrobe-piece. The star of the wardrobe at the moment. I can use it with practically anything; jeans, skirt, dress, long sleeve, no sleeve, belt, brooch, open;.... so many possibilities. And the best thing; it's really easy knitting! You can find the pattern at Ravelry. The beautiful pictures are taken by my daughter, outside a cute flowershop in my local area.
New to Ravelry!
I have been a member at Ravelry since 2010, under the profile name of "Asmaloy" and have been surfing happily around, admiring all the beautiful and fantastic creations I have found there. Not for a single moment I had thought that I would ever publish my own patterns there! Earlier this year I had a "yarn-day" in Denmark - which means that I run around visiting fabulous yarn-stores in Copenhagen during one day and come back home loaded with new yarn and aching feet. Somewhere I saw a girl wearing a black-and whiite stripy shawl that really inspired me to do a copycat for myself to wear. I had lots of trouble getting the proportions and design right, and then suddenly the shawl took off in a direction of it's own, not ressembling the Danish shawl anymore, now it was the Zebra Ruffle Shawl! And I was so happy with the result! I guess it was a collaboration between brainwork, inspiration, creativity and of course a bit of luck. Suddenly I wanted to challenge myself by writing down the pattern row by row and then maybe publish it on Ravelry.
The pattern-writing was the easy bit. I guess I'm just so much better at knitting-related things than complicated computer-stuff... I didn't have much of a chance when trying to make pdf's, loading it down to Ravelry, starting up an account at Paypal and linking it to my new "shop" . Lucky me; my adorable daughter is good at everything that I'm bad at (she cannot knit!) and she helped me with all the impossibilities. And together we went by bicycle to the nearest beach taking nice photos in the wind. Then, from one second to another, I was launched as a designer at Ravelry!!! Wow! - I had never expected the respons I had - and how fun it was to receive "hearts", comments and messages! Worth every struggle. You can find my Zebra Ruffle Shawl at Ravelry. The shawl is great fun to knit and fantastic to wear, as you can find so many different ways to wear it.
(you can find me on raverly ---> here <---)
I wish you a warm welcome!
Welcome to my blog; the Rowanberrygirl blog.
The name of my blog was close to hand as I am working on a pullover bearing that name at the moment. We are approching autumn at full speed in my part of the world and the lovely rowanberry-trees are making the forest full of vibrant color. We have a saying here that if there are many berries on the Rowantree the winter is going to be hard. So, if that's true we can expect a winter full of snow and gaily winds. I'm going to be well prepared with my new sweater! I'm working with the merinowool "Cascade 220" for the first time. Having seen the immense popularity of this wool at Ravelry I thought I would give it a go. I'm so pleased with it! Smooth, even, "dry", soft in a nice sort of way. And it behaves very nicely when working the cable-and-knot pattern I create for Rowanberry Girl. The reliefs are really showing off - and it's worth the little extra effort it is to make the cables.
I hope you will come back to my blog seeing the finished result!
When calling myself a "girl" I have to admit straight away that I hardly fit into that category anymore. It's up to you to judge, but if I tell you I've been knitting since the 60ties I think you will judge me without a trial. Back then I WAS a girl, knitting clothes for my 5 beloved dolls and my teddybear. Now I have shifted focus, designing knitwear for people, but somehow the feeling is the same; the ideas that pop up in my head, the immense pleasure of starting up a new project, the mediative knittingprocess (except when everything goes wrong and I have to start all over again...) and the eager pleasure to try out the finished garment in the end. I just can't stop starting this process over and over again - it's my passion!
The huge advantage (maybe the one and only) to having knitted for decades is the experience. Come to think of it there is another advantage as well; my brain is full of impressions from so many different fashion-periods - and somehow I think it lies there in the background when I start a new piece of knitting on my needles.
It seems that I have always been knitting. Since the very first start with two of my aunts directing me from both sides I got addicted. I nearly gave it up at the age of twelve when I was knitting a baby-bonnet for my new cousine - and since then I have not been very good at following patterns. In the teens I had too little money and couldn't get enough of fashion and new clothes and I started designing my own knitwear. I didn't of course think of it as designing - it was just a practical way to get new clothing in my taste.
