Birkenwasser knits

This is one of those projects that stays on hold forever - and is then actually surprisingly easy to finish. Why did it take two years? No idea. Good thing there's Christmas, as it made me think of Christmas presents. The vest had been waiting in its almost-finished state for quite some time, so it was a quick last minute Christmas gift for Business woman. Why yellow? Well, her business is yellow and there's only one dress code at their office: wear yellow - that's why. Why vest? It's pure wool so it's pretty warm as it is, but without sleeves you can still wear it at the office without sweating.




This was also one of those projects that took more than one try. In the end I re-knit both shoulders twice, but I'm really happy with the result, so it was worth it.


Photoshoot on location at SOL City.

Time for the monthly round up: what's on the needles and what am I reading while knitting?
 

"The Children Act" is a novel by Ian McEwan. Does a child have a right to refuse treatment for religious reasons? If parents want to let their child die, because their religion prohibits blood transfusions, can a judge rule over their decision? Really interesting book. And the knitting, well, that's interesting too. Combining two hot topics here: tweed and broken seed stitch. Looks great, doesn't it? Yarn is Isager tweed.


For me, traveling is an opportunity to learn. I don't know that much about Cuba, so I wanted to prepare for the trip by reading more than just the travel guide. "La vie cachee de Fidel Castro" (The secret life of Fidel Castro) by Juan Reinaldo Sanchez gives an introduction to Castro's life and Cuba of his times. Sanchez was Castro's bodyguard who dedicated his life to protect his hero - only to get disappointed and flee out of country in his old age. The knitting is going to be Starling pullover by Helga Isager, using Isager Spinni and Isager Alpaca 1.


One of the long term visitors on my night stand is "Philosophers Behaving Badly" by Nigel Rodgers and Mel Thompson. It's an introduction to the crazy lives of great philosophers: Rousseau, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Russel, Wittgenstein, Heidegger, Sartre and Foucault, with Simone de Beauvoir as an added bonus. I don't remember how far I got the last time I picked up the book, but as I'm taking a course in philosophy starting today (by the Finnish philosophy super star Esa Saarinen) I thought that I might as well read the book now. The knitting is in Quince & co Sparrow, a linen top that I already showed in my previous Knitting and reading post. There's going to be linen stitch and stockinette stitch, and now you've seen both. Hoping to finish by the time we fly to Cuba!


More summer knitting, this one in silky form: Jaipur Silk Fino top, also hoping to wear it in Cuba. And the book might also come with me to Cuba. It's "The Paying Guests" by Sarah Waters, and it just might be long enough for the long haul flights with its 600 pages.


In the children's classics series we finished "Kiljuset" and started with "Pippi Långstrump" by Astrid Lindgren. First, Troll Princess and Young Warrior announced that there's no point in reading the book, because they have seen the movie and know what is going to happen. Ten minutes later they were loving it. Knitting should turn into a dress for Troll Princess. Yarn is Tuulen Tytär by Knitlob's lair.

Since last month's post I have finished both "The Death of Bunny Munro" and the Repeating Horizons pullover, finished "Kiljuset" and the Skerry cardigan, and finished "Swallows of Kabul" (turns out it wasn't written by a woman, but interesting to learn more about Afghanistan anyway). The brioche stitch is temporarily on hold, while I'm working on the summer knits for my holiday. I finished "Katoamisten kirja", but I'm still working on the linen stitch. I finished the yellow vest just in time for Christmas, but Knausgård is still waiting. The amigurumi fruits also made it to a Christmas wrapping and we have been quite busy with Lonely Planet Cuba making plans and reservations!

Playing yarn along with Ginny.

I made the first version of Skerry cardigan for Troll princess using Noro Haniwa. The yarn is a gorgeous mixture of silk (50%), wool (30%) and nylon (20%). It's variegated and textured, and I think that this kind of yarn calls for a simple design that shows off the beauty of the yarn. I wanted to balance the cardigan with solid color edging, so I chose a matching color in Novita 7 veljestä for a seed stitch edge.


Young warrior liked his sister's cardigan so much that he wanted one just like it. After the feedback from my test knitters I wanted to make some changes in the pattern, so knitting it again wasn't a problem. For his version I used Isager Aran Tweed. With a different yarn you get a totally different look for the cardigan.





The other day I noticed that Noro Haniwa was on sale, and as I really love the yarn I went ahead and bought all 6 skeins they had left in this colorway. It might not be enough for a cardigan for myself, but let's see what it will turn into.

Catwoman returns is a hat for a child, for a head circumference of about 52-56 cm [20-22 in.], leaving room to wear a merino wool balaclava underneath. This is a quick knit: start by making two ear flaps, continue with a seed stitch edge, then work in stockinette stitch until desired length and add ears with short rows, finishing with a three needle bind off.


The frontside of the hat is slightly wider than the back for better fit. This will result in decreasing sts during three needle bind off. If this seems too complicated, you can make both sides the same width, casting on 40 sts between the ear flaps on both sides.


Pattern: Catwoman returns (below)
Yarn: Novita 7 veljestä (70 g) or similar aran weight wool yarn 140 m (150 y)
Materials: Size 4 mm (US 6) DPNs, 2 stitch markers
Stitches used: Seed stitch: RS *k1, p1*, repeat; WS *p1, k1*, repeat; seed stitch in the round: Round 1 *k1, p1*, repeat; Round 2 *p1, k1*, repeat; stockinette stitch in the round: knit all sts.
Gauge: 22 stitches and 31 rows = 4 inches in Stockinette stitch

Instructions

Cast on 5 sts, leaving a tale of about 20 cm (8").
Work in seed stitch. Increase 1 st at the beginning and end of every other row 5 times (15 sts).
Continue until you have a total of 22 rows.
Break yarn and leave sts on one needle. Make another ear flap similarly, but do not break yarn.

Cast on 36 sts to the side of the second ear flap using cable cast on. (Backside of the hat)
Attach first ear flap by knitting its 15 sts. Place marker by the middle st.
Cast on 44 sts and join in the round to second ear flap (front). Place marker by the middle st of the ear flap.
Work in seed stitch with these 110 sts for 10 rounds.


Continue in st st.
After 20 rounds decrease 6 sts evenly.
Continue in st st for 10 rounds. Decrease 6 sts evenly.
Continue for 8 rounds and decrease 6 sts evenly (92 sts).

(Try the hat on at this point to see if the length is ok, and add a couple of rows if necessary.)

Start ear shaping with short rows. If you are not familiar with short rows using wrap & turn (w&t), check out this Knitty tutorial.

K15 sts after marker, w&t.
P30, w&t.
K to 10 sts after marker, w&t.
P20, w&t.
K to 7 sts after marker, w&t.
P14, w&t.
K to second marker, and shape the other ear similarly.
K one round.

Beginning at the marker: K1 (the middle stitch), start three needle bind off (place needles with sts before and after the middle st close to each other, k2tog - one from each needle - and lift previous st over this one). Continue for 13 sts. You have more sts in the front than in the back (exact number varies depending on how you placed the decreases). Mark 14 sts on both sides of the other middle st. Continue binding off the remaining sts so that you decrease the extra sts of the frontside evenly: k3tog by knitting 2 sts from the frontside needle and 1 st from the backside needle. Bind off the remaining 14 sts and end with the middle st.

Weave in the ends. Cut yarn into 4 pieces, about 40 cm (16") in length. Using tapestry needle pull two yarns through the bottom corner of each ear flap, leaving 20 cm (8") on each side. Twist the yarns together to make strands for tying the hat in place. (Alternatively: knit i-cords or crochet a chain). Block the hat and enjoy those winter days!