Tásur

Tásur, originally uploaded by Harpa J.

The pair I finished the other day.
These are similar to the ones I did last summer, dyes with rhubarb stalks and embroidered with linen floss. But these have a scalloped edge so there is a little renewal going on. I working on still another pair, but they have quite different embroidery, even if the colour palette is similar.

Vík

Vík, originally uploaded by Harpa J.

I forgot this one the other day!
This is my handsome son in law, modelling Vík.

Send

I sent a hat pattern to Japan just now. I love the feeling you get when you hit "send"; don't you?
Now I'm not going to do any pattern writing for a while. My other writing has been completely neglected for a long time now and I long to continue where I left off. Not to mention the knitting and the stitching. I did finish a pair of baby boots last night though, I just have to find a ribbon for them and then I'm going to photograph them if I can.

The thing is - and I quiver as I write this - my camera is bailing on me! The zoom function is gone and the focus is unreliable at best. I'm looking for a new one - but this is really not the time to buy anything in Iceland, let alone expensive imported goods.

On the cover

My photo of my lovely daughter is on cover of the winter issue of Knit circus.
The pattern is familiar to my regular readers, but the photo is new and I also have an article in the issue.

Pattern making

The dress pattern is done - I hope. I have calculated all the sizes (from S to XXXL) and I sure hope I haven't made any mistakes. But the magazine does have a tech editor who will go over my work. Now I just have to photograph the dress and off it goes tomorrow.
The sketch is from another project - anything connected to the dress is off limits I'm afraid.

Hallgrímskirkja

Family, originally uploaded by Harpa J.

Hallgrímskirkja, originally uploaded by Harpa J.

Two pictures from the capital for a change. I took these last weekend, when I went there to set up my exhibition.
The church is Hallgrímskirkja - a well known landmark in Reykjavík.

Done!

The dress is done, blocked and all and it's beautiful. You just have to take my word for it - as it's for a magazine I can't show it to you. I sure would like to, but my hands are tied.

Now I'm calculating the different sizes, and that is not my strong side I can tell you. But I can do it - it just takes me a very long time.

Knitting

I'm knitting like crazy! I'm up to the yoke pattern on the "magazine" dress now and I have to do some minor adjustments. But it's going well all in all. And it must go smoothly - I have to be finished with the pattern and everything this weekend...

More pictures

Hulda, originally uploaded by Harpa J.

Kristrún, originally uploaded by Harpa J.

Sjöfn, originally uploaded by Harpa J.

Pictures

Glómosi - modelled, originally uploaded by Harpa J.

Björg, originally uploaded by Harpa J.

I took some modelled photos of my embroidery work the day before my exhibition opened. My lovely stepdaughter took some time off from her very busy schedule and posed for me in her garden. I'm very lucky to have such a beautiful model - don't you agree?

Exhibition

Kristrún, originally uploaded by Harpa J.

My exhibition Foldarskart opens in the National Museum tomorrow !

Hens

I went for a walk in the lovely weather today. I decided to visit my feisty friend on the hill - but he was not in good form today, very quiet and subdued. Some of his female companions were more than happy to pose for me instead, but most of them ignored me completely. Which is no wonder - they know they are beautiful and they are used to the attention.

Not finished

Today is the fourth day - and the dress in not finished. Not nearly so even but I'm not despairing because of that. I did not knit very much over the weekend because I was busy making embroidery drawings of some of the hats that are going to my exhibition in the National Museum in Reykjavík next week. I need to finish them first - so the dress gets a little more time. But I'm almost done with the intarsia part and when that is done it's a much faster knit and should be done fairly quickly.

Sunset without sheep

Today's rock picture, originally uploaded by Harpa J.

This is taken few minutes before the others. I saw the pink clouds when I was on the beach, and in the time it took me to walk home and get the car (and drive up the hill)they were gone.

Sunset with sheep

The sunset was lovely last night. I went up the hill to photograph a beautiful pink cloud over the glacier. I was too later though - it was gone when I got there, so I just took some pictures of the sky with some sheep (barely visible) in the foreground.

The Storm

Storm, originally uploaded by Harpa J.

Storm

There is a storm in the village today and the school is closed. My son is sleeping like an angel but my daughter is up, planning cheerleader routines. She has always dreamed about being a cheerleader - but we don't really have that in Iceland. When she was seven or so my sister brought her a little cheer leading outfit from Kansas - and she loved that and wore it every chance she got. That outfit has now been passed on to a little cousin who loves it no less.

Last weekend we had this big cultural weekend - remember? One part of that was a marked I and a friend organised. In that marked three sister had a wonderful stall with all kinds of used things - and among them were five pairs of cheer leading pom- poms! They were only 200króna (1.5$) a pair so I bought them all. So now the plan is to start a small cheer leading squad.

On thing I was wandering about - the poms are rater heavy - I that usual?

On the knitting front: I'm up to the intarsia part and it's fun but kind of slow. I'm doing it on the round, and that is much easier than I thought.

A dress

I might be mad. Or a little mad at least.
I want to finish an adult size dress, with lace edges, some intarsia, and a yoke pattern before Monday. That is in 4 days. The dress is knit on 3mm ( US 2 1/2)needles with lopi light. But I'm nearly finished with the bottom lace and that is almost the most time consuming bit.

The is a reason for this hurry. I need plenty of time to write up the pattern and especially for the grading. I'm not very good at that.

Today's rock picture

Today's rock picture, originally uploaded by Harpa J.

These tourists were dangerously near the sea (I did warn them - but they didn't listen). Even on a quiet day like today, one should always respect the sea here on the south coast, one never knows when a rouge wave hit's and once in you don't stand a chance. But the black beach is always stunningly beautiful and worth a visit all year round. (Now I'm starting to sound like a tourist board commercial - I better stop before I bore you to death)

Press

The Icelandic press is starting to call. Two interviews so far about the 1000 hat thing.

I'm knitting as fast as I can - a dress this time for a UK magazine. I went for a lovely walk though to rest and refresh my mind. The weather is beautiful and I´ll show you a picture later today.

My show

The cultural festival was a great success! The market war very popular, the weather was great and everybody was happy. And my show was very well received. I'm exhausted, but happy.

I won!

I won!
I won the 1000 Fabulous Knit Hats competition! That was my secret, I had to write up the pattern and the embroidery drawings were are lot of work. Fun, but kind of hard under pressure, as I am also preparing for the culture festival. I deliriously happy, but exhausted.