Blaka in use

Blaka in use, originally uploaded by Harpa J.

My daughter claimed it instantly. It's small size is convenient for her an small shawls are fashionable at the moment - or so she says.

Blaka

Blaka, originally uploaded by Harpa J.

A proper picture of the finished shawl.

A new "friend"

There is a big fish (or two) on each side now.

Creature of the night

Yarn - old eingirni (Icelandic laceweight) very uneven, but I like it anyway. I can imagine it's handspun. Anyway it's a rarity it's from the Gefjun factory that was run in Akureyri from 1930 - 1987. I think it´s 100% Icelandic wool - not mixed with "foreign wool" like the modern Icelandic laceweight - but I have not been able to confirm that.

Proper picture tomorrow.

The weather

The weather in my village is wonderful today.

Gone

The big pink fish is gone. It's tiny friends were allowed to stay, but it just had to go. Instead we have these two slightly weird fellows.

Depill

Depill, originally uploaded by Harpa J.

This is one of our budgies, formerly known as Dísa, but we have found out that he is a boy, hence the new name. Depill means spot - and you can clearly see the spots that inspired the new name. They are only on this side of the head. He is very strong willed and independent and not very tame. But he is kind of cute too.

A little bit more

The bowl is slowly being "populated".
I think the first fish (the pink one) might have to go. I'm going in a different direction now, all the other fish are lifted a bit from the surface - almost three dimensional - and the pink one is flat. So I'll probably remove it soon.

From No patterns

Spring

There are lambs in our village - not many, but there are some hobby farmers who keep a few near the beach. They are a lovely sign of spring and the coloured ones are my favourites.

Online

The pattern is posted - on Etsy and on Ravelry too. Perhaps it not much, but it's my first graded pattern so I'm very happy.

The test knit

Here is the finished test knit - along with the original.
Now I'm considering where to publish this. I don´t think there is a big market for this kind of (warm) dresses right now, but I'm going to put it on ravelry anyway. (Some of us live in the north where lopi is used all year round you know)and some people knit things well in advance of using them. (I know a woman who is knitting Christmas presents right now).

What do you think, should I put it on etsy now or not?

Blue

This blue fish took two attempts. In the first one it looked like a striped sausage so it was sacrificed to the scissors.

Things are looking rather good on the pattern writing front. The pattern it self is ready - charts and all - in four sizes. 4, 6, 8 and 10 years. I'm afraid it's not going to be free - but it´s not going to be expensive.
I now only have to get it proof read and on pdf form. Then I'm all done - apart from the publishing that is.

Update : It's on pdf - CuteWriter is magical I tell you! Last time I converted the Word document in Google documents and that was not hard - but this is so much easier.

My mother bought this dowdy cardigan on a sale a long time ago. Despite it's lovely colour and good quality fabric it has never been worn. And with good reason - it makes my tall and elegant mother look like a big purple egg.
So I inherited it along with a whole bunch of fabric recently.
I decided to recycle it and this is the result :




All it took was a few daring cuts, and a few seams with the overlock machine, (on loan from my mother), and a little decoration.

Silver

Some progress:
There is a bit of silver thread in the big fish and also in the eyes and tails of the small ones, but that does not show in the picture.

I have also added one more colour to the big pink fish and I put a lot of vegetation around and even on top of it, but I didn't like that so out it went again.

On little, two little..

More rock and the first fish.

Pattern writing

I'm test knitting the smallest size of the dress pattern. I have of course graded the pattern and calculated everything carefully - but I want to test it anyway to be sure everything functions as it should.

The Rocky Road

Can you see a difference from yesterday?
As I said then, I am working on all three sides at once so I'm not quite as slow as you might think.

Craft Talk

I found this here.

Make it, make it, make it, faster faster faster, work. through the pain, work through the pain...

Some progress

The rocks on the blue bowl are slowly emerging. I'm working on all three sides at the same time so I'm a little further along than you might think at a first glance. I still have a long way to go, there is the vegetation and all the fish. I really look forward to making the fish - they are a bit difficult and time consuming but great fun too.

Spring!

Spring!, originally uploaded by Harpa J.

We are seeing real signs of spring, here up in the north. I saw these little beauties on my walk to the beach today.

FO

These has been in my knitting basket for a long time. They started as a sampler I made at a short knitting course here in Vík out of rests of Kambgarn. I wanted to use it for something so I made another one slightly different from the first one, knit ribbed back panels for them both and made them into leg warmers for my dancing daughter.

Portfolio

I'm seriously contemplating an exhibition of my embroidery work. This might sound a bit pretentious but I really think I'm ready. But I have no idea how to go about the practical things, where to show the work, how to get a gallery or a similar place to accept my work etc.
But I do think I need a portfolio. So I have sent some photos to print.
I chose 13x18 cm (5.1x7.1 in) for the pictures - I hope that is big enough.
I have no idea how to make a portfolio of this kind ( have never even seen one) but I have some idea of what I want all the same.
Any advise you might have is greatly appreciated.

On the textile front - last night I started embroidering this blue bowl.

From No patterns

I'm putting a maritime motive on it. Rocks on the bottom, and fish and things on the sides. A little similar to this perhaps:

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter!, originally uploaded by Harpa J.

Happy Easter everybody, near and far!

And All Things Nice.

And all things nice., originally uploaded by Harpa J.

And here it is. Finally.

I think I'm going to write this one up - and try to put it in several sizes. Soon - I hope.

The yoke

From No patterns

Finished!

The dress is finally finished! I'll take pictures today.

Boring -

but practical...

Ripping again

I was all done when I ripped the yoke of the dress once again. It felt a little tight. Third time should be a charm. Or so I hope...

Much better

I have just drafted the new yoke pattern in Excel and it´s much better. I'm happy to frog the yoke now because the new pattern without the line and the green is going to be a big improvement and totally worth the extra work.

Ripping

I was well on the way with the hood when my little darling decided she wanted a wide neckline and no hood.
We had discussed this before (when she tried on the dress for me) but no - then she wanted the hood and the looped line. Now both the line and the hood are out. Actually I agree with her - it's going to look much better without, but it would have been nice to know a little sooner...

The dress

The dress is coming along fine, I have started the yoke pattern and everything is looking good so far. I would personally like to skip the hood, but the recipient is firm - she wants a hooded dress and she is going to wear it not me!

Trivia

Your rainbow is strongly shaded violet and green.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is says about you: You are an intelligent person. You appreciate beauty and craftsmanship. Those around you admire your fresh outlook and vitality. You are patient and will keep trying to understand something until you've mastered it.

Find the colors of your rainbow at spacefem.com.