The benefits of procrastinating

So what do you do when you are finished knitting a jacket in the round that needs to be cut? And you are terrified. Well of course, you are absolutely right: you begin binding of threads on your previous project. The one you didn’t think you’ll ever finish.

Procrastination is a perfect fear-managing tool. Besides it goes hand in hand with “finishitis” and “startitis”. Because you always need a knit, and if you are procrastinating one project you either have to finish an older one or begin a new one.

Knit and cut

The waves are coming along. Slowly but steady. It’s the first time I knit a jacket in the round. With purl stitches in the middle as a guideline for where I need to cut.

I’ll begin on the arms tonight and almost hope they take me a while because I am terrified at the thought of cutting into the knit. I need someone to hold my hand while I do this. Yes, I am serious. You have no idea how serious I am. Just go ahead laugh.

I vision two scenarios. One where I cut the jacket, everything goes wrong and I end up in tears, frustration, and lots of wasted yarn and time. The other scenario is much jollier. I come back and write a whole post about how silly I am and how ridiculous easy cutting a knit is and how everyone should be doing it. She who waits will see.

Have a nice weekend!

Spring knit

It’s time for a cheerful spring knit. This time I have chosen a wool & cotton yarn from my stash. I am still working on my stash reduction. Longing to buy new yarn in spring colours, but doing with what I have. Once more, I turn to the Danish designer Samsøe.

I love her clean and simple knitting designs.The wave jacket is a perfect left over yarn project. And also a good stash buster since the main colour recalls for 200-250g depending on the size. I’m left with less knitting time but with a few knit minutes here and a few knit minutes there it will be done.

In case you are wondering, the fall coat and I have taken a little break. Has that happened to you? That you are almost reaching the finishing line and the air goes out of you? I mean, we are talking about perhaps an hours’ worth of knitting and I would be done… Ready to indulge in warm wool. Instead, there it is in the unfinished pile. Glaring at me. I’m just going to glare back. At least for now :-)

Hope you are having a nice week so far.

I-cord challenge

I’am almost finished with the fall coat from Pickles. This is my first ego-knit ever, beside hats and scarfs. If you read last post, you know that I am binding off with i-cord. At first, I thought it was a bit tricky and time consuming. Now that I have the hang of it, I love it and I don’t understand what I was fuzzing about.

I still have some i-cord frustrations though, because I have had to do and re do the I-cord cast off two times. Both times for the same reason. The first time I casted off, it looked great on the front pieces of the coat, where I have knitted garter stitch. However, on the back piece of the coat, which is knitted in stockinet stitch, the coat-end rolled up. Therefore, I undid the i-cord and knitted two rounds in garter stitch on the back piece before I casted off with i-cord again.

This time it looks better but the back piece still rolls up a bit. Now I am undoing the i-cord cast off, for a second time. I have a vague idea or memory that I might have read about this problem on a blog…but I can’t remember which one (...I even think I made a comment and thanked for the tip).

Anyhow, now I am not sure what to do. Should I knit a few more rounds with garter stitch on the back part before I cast off with i-cord for a third time? Or perhaps there is another way of doing i-cord cast off than then one I used (I followed the instructions on this video from Drops Garnstudio)?

Whatever I do, this time it must work. I do not think I could undo the cast off a third time. Hints and help are very welcome if you think or know what may help.

Fall Coat in Spring

Ironically enough, I began knitting the fall coat from Pickles during spring. It is in fact the warmest spring in years. We have had amazing (summer) temperatures these last two weeks. 20c in April is not common around here. The nice weather has definitely influenced my knitting time, which has been reduced to a minimum. Not only because of the weather but mostly because of it.

I have spent the last days outdoors, in the garden with my family and with what must be among Oslo’s most helpful, friendly and super neighbourhoods. The children play together in the back yard and when they eventually fall asleep in their beds after a long day, the grownups rest their behinds while sipping wine and sharing good conversations. I love my neighbourhood.

Now the weather is back to normal again and I need to pick up the needles to finish the coat. I am having some struggles with the i-cord bind off. I might ventilate my frustration and ask for help in a day or two (just have to try once more on my own first).

Have a nice 1st of May!

Happy Easter

We are enjoying the last day of this year’s Easter holiday. For once, after we had children, we were supposed to spend Easter in a cabin I can rent through my work place. But, yours truly managed to reserve the cabin for the wrong weekend! Can you imagine the joy and laughter when I told the other three family members that we were not going to a cabin after all (well it’s more like the other two, because Andreas didn’t understand much of it). Well try… Not fun.

Fortunately, city Easter has not been bad at all. The city is never as quiet and calm as during Easter and the sun has blessed us with its warm rays every day. We have gone for long walks, worked in the garden, read books, listened to Easter radio shows (“Påskelabyrinten” and “Radioteaterets Påskekrim”), played games and had Easter dinner with good neighbours. Oh, and of course, the Easter bunny came with Easter eggs filled with chocolate and candy (how could I forget to mention that).

If you would like to see more photos from our Easter, visit me on Instagram #lifeinyonder. I finally made the Insta leap. I don’t now how I didn’t do this sooner? I love photos. Of course I should have joined Insta sooner. Anyhow better late than never.

How was your Easter week? Were you in the city, in the mountain or by the coast? What makes it Easter for you?