Friday, December 31, 2010

New year with lace

Christmas is in the memories and the new year is just around the corner. The darkest day is gone and slowly the light is returning. This fall went past so quickly that I really don't know just where it went, I never intended to neglect the blog as much as I ended up doing. I did knit some but not as much as I have done during the past years. The blog turned five years in October and it is sort of amazing to be still here. I would not be if there were not you, so thank you for being here for all these years.

During the fall I did knit few hats that were all given away, they were knit out of necessity. I finished few cowls, few little scarves and couple of socks, and all of those were gone the minute they were off the needles, they were either used right away or wrapped into the gift paper. I managed to get pictures of Wallflower socks

and of Maya,

as they visited the house during the holidays, both of them have seen some use already, but I thought they were in good enough shape to be photographed.

Since much of my knitting was Christmas related and finished by December 24th, it was time to get something else on the needles. As always it is difficult to pick up a new project so I ended up digging through the ufo pin and came across Ice Fantasia.

Ice Fantasia (no picture yet, you all know how lace looks on the needles, not much) is a beautiful shawl designed by Anne Hanson and I cast on for it in the spring of 2009. I had some trouble getting started on it again but now the progress is quite good and the lightness of lace is working its magic on my knitting mojo. (I am now in part D in Ice Fantasy, it has patterning in both sides so the progress is going to slow down ...) I am truly hoping for mojo to return, it has been so odd not to be feeling the love of the process. I have knitted, but I have been missing the deep love, more or less my knitting has just been occupying the idle hands when watching TV and since I watch so very little, not very much has been accomplished.

I did visit few yarn shops to see if there were interesting new yarns out there and I did come across two that I have not noticed before:
Rustic Naturgarn (Karen Noe Design) 58% bourettesilk 42% cotton
Rowan Lima 84% baby alpaca 8% merino 8% nylon

I don't know what I will use them for and I really bought them just to remind me of the many different structures yarn can have and to give some boost on the spinning. I don't think I have even scratched the surface what it comes to spinning. Spinning is so often just this quiet act and I spin away in lost thoughts but really I should put some thought into it and try to produce something interesting.

Few weeks ago I received a beautiful book. It is written by two lovely Estonian women, Anu Raud and Anu Kotli. I took a workshop from Anu Kotli some years ago and she really taught me to knit. With this I mean that she gave me the toolbox and the courage to knit any shape and any figure and taught me to see the possibilities of yarn and that yarn can be sculpted into just about any form with few increases and decreases. The book ia called Kiri Kari, it is in Estonian and has the schematics for many animal patterns plus it has lots of traditional Estonian knitting patterns in the back of the book. The photos are just beautiful. (The isbn of the book is 9789985996416.)

I hope you all had beautiful holidays and are now well rested and ready to turn the new knitting page. So wool with you in 2011!

Love,

Lene

46 comments:

  1. Happy New Year Lene!
    I look forward to more blog posts from you in the coming year please :-)

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  2. Anonymous16:05

    you are the moste awesome knitter!

    I love both the socks and the shawl! and those little piglets are adorable!

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  3. Ahh, the Wallflowers are beautiful, as is Maya!
    Anne has so many beautiful designs and Ice Fantasia is outstanding!
    Wishing for you, Whatever mojo is striking, take it with good wool to you :^) and to you and yours, Happy Happy New Year!

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  4. Anonymous16:43

    Hi, Lene,
    It is wonderful to see a post from you. The socks turned out lovely as did the shawl. Thanks for the info on the book--my mother loves pigs and the little piglet would be the perfect surprise for her.

    Here's to the coming year and look forward to seeing the photos of the new shawl. Happy New Year,
    Melody

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  5. Happy New Year to you and yours, Lene!
    You have been missed during your hiatus and I look forward to hear more from you.

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  6. How beautiful the socks are.
    Stunning!
    And your Maja is nice and a little bigger, than I thought Maja to be.
    Happy New Year Lene!

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  7. technikat18:25

    Wishing you a Happy New Year!

    Thank you for sharing a bit of your life with us.

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  8. Those socks are gorgeous but I have fallen in love with the little piggies! Happy 2011 x

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  9. tess19:35

    Happy New Year! Always look forward to the inspiration you give with your sense of color and line - Wallflower is just gorgeous. May 2011 bring back the love and strengthen your mojo!

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  10. A stunning pair of feet and shawl. Such a treat to read what you are up to. Wishing you happiness in 2011.

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  11. Anonymous22:00

    Happy New Year, Lene! It will be nice for you to see a bit more light each day. We have gained 3 mins. total for the past three days. It does go slowly.
    We do have the most snow on our ski hill of any hill in the world!! Thankfully, here in the valley it is sunny and the ground is snow free.
    Peg on Vancouver Island

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  12. Happy New Year!! that Kiri Kari book looks amazing, and you;ve had some stunning projects in 2010. Here's to a great 2011!

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  13. A new post! I look every day with my fingers crossed.

    Love the little piglets! I wish my knitting abilities were up to that skill-level!

    Best wishes for a knit-filled (& blog-filled) 2011.

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  14. Hyvää uutta vuotta, Lene!

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  15. It was so lovely to have a Dec 31 entry on the blog from you.
    The socks are just beautiful.
    Thanks you so much for the lovely photos you have loaded this year and the wonderful knitting that you have shared.
    Its always lovely to see what you have been knitting.

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  16. I've enjoyed looking around your blog today for the first time. Couldn't resist visiting when I saw the name of your blog. Your work is wonderful and the piglets are dear. Wishing you all the best in 2011. Happy New Year!

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  17. Lovely socks. I also made Maia last year. HAppy new yer.

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  18. Gail H.15:05

    Happy New Year to you and your family Lene! It is always nice to see a post from you. Those socks are beautiful! Thank you for sharing your knitting and creativity with us.

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  19. Hooray! You're back! I hope to see you often in the coming year. Happy New Year!

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  20. Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2011!
    Thanks for the posts and photos in the past year.
    Lisa in Toronto

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  21. Luisa20:06

    happy new year, Lene, and thank you for this beautiful blog (and everything inside it!)

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  22. Anonymous21:02

    Ah, a gift for the end of the year from you~a new blog post!!!! I am SO looking forward to more posts in this New Year! The socks turned out so lovely! Happy 2011~Jan

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  23. Happy New Year to you Lene!

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  24. michelle in cali23:49

    i don't think i have ever seen socks modeled so beautifully! obviously by your dancer daughter. =] you must be extremely proud!

    those little piggies are extremely cute! i've fallen in love!

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  25. Cindi03:59

    The socks are beautiful. They look so pretty in a ballerina pose.

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  26. I wish you and your family a Happy New Year, filled with creativity and colours!

    You made really wonderful socks. And the shawl is so beautiful, too...

    The book you mentioned seems to be very interesting. Although I am not so interested in knitting animals, i have to admit that these look really good and not "kitschy" at all!

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  27. Happy New Year!

    The Wallflower socks are gorgeous - I especially love the heel!

    And those little pigs! So cute, but I'm not sure I can handle patterns in Estonian!

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  28. Lene, it is always lovely to see a new post from you, I missed them when there was none for so long!
    The shawl is pretty, but those socks! just absolutely gorgeous!
    Thank you for the inspiration...again :-)

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  29. lizzi11:41

    Happy new year, Lene. It's so nice o see a post from you.

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  30. Love those socks! I can tell they are modeled by a dancer - great ballet arch and perfect pointe!

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  31. Happy new year, Lene! Though there is much winter left, especially for you, I hope the brightening days lift your spirits.

    Gorgeous socks, and I love the Estonian book. Even the yarn you show is often yarn that I might never see otherwise.

    As for the love of knitting; I definitely don't believe that craft should feel like an obligation--I hope that you enjoy whatever you choose to do in 2011, knitting or no.

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  32. Those socks are gorgeous, Lene! I love the piglets too. Happy 5-year blogaversary to both of us and I look forward to continuing to see your beautiful work in 2011!

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  33. Beautiful,beautiful socks!!
    I'll have to check that book out, if it's possible to buy it here in Norway ;)

    Happy New Year!!

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  34. Carol in Md.00:02

    Happy New Year.. it's good to see you back knitting and blogging about it. I have been in love with the Wallpaper sock pattern for some time, but don't want to get it until I am truly ready to sit down and knit them. Hopefully this winter... Yours are wonderful - no surprise there, All your knitting is so beautiful and inspiring...

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  35. Hi Lene,
    I've looked all over the internet to find the Estonian book with the piglets. I love it. I even tried the bookstore in your link but couldn't read it. I contacted a distant cousin in Oulu who said he couldn't find a phone number or email so that I could try contacting them that way. And amazon.com here in the USA doesn't have that ISBN. Do you know of any bookstore or knitting store in Finland that perhaps I could contact and get the book. It's wonderful! Thank you. Love your blog.

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  36. Anna15:08

    Happy New Year! Always glad to read your beautiful posts. I have an off-subject question for you. We saw the 1984 Swedish film version of Ronja, Robber's Daughter again this holiday. Both my daughter and I are smitten with the hooded ponchos that Ronja and Birk wear, and we'd like to knit them. I haven't found an exact pattern. My husband suggested that you might know where to find one (he loves to hear about your blog, and longs to move to your neck of the woods). Thank you!

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  37. marbella00:58

    Thank you for such an interesting and inspiring blog. When the sun hours grow your enthusiasm will return too. It is natural to need a short spell of hibernation at this time of year.

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  38. Those socks are a work of art. Just stunning.

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  39. Happy 2011! Wonderful post!

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  40. So beautiful socks! Greetings and best wishes for the new year. Annette

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  42. Anonymous17:59

    Happy New Year! It's good to read
    from you and I look forward for your posts. The socks are so beautiful.
    Greetings.

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  43. Anonymous00:15

    I've just looked at your blog for the first time. I'm in awe. I have tried to find "Kiri Kari" on the Web here in the USA, but am having no luck. I would truly love to buy this book. Can you help me find a source for it? I would greatly appreciate it.

    eboochev@myfairpoint.net

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  44. Anonymous18:16

    Anne Hanson is my favorite designer of lace, but I save my lace knitting for summer.

    Your blog is beautiful!

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  45. i have just stumbled across Kiri Kari and your wonderful blog today! i am trying very hard to find a copy of this book online which i believe is out of print and probably was not mass marketed outside of europe. any suggestions would be great appreciated!

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