A job well felted

We, Pikku-Hukka and I, have made a deal on how the space on window sills is divided between her and my plants, candles, curiosities etc. Mostly this works. However, the window sills are apt to be cold during the wintertime. And cats can get an urinary track infection, too. So I made a bottom warmer for my cat out of merino roving. 

I wanted a really colourful piece, as the cotton one she uses during the summer is white. Then I just placed the rovings under and over each other, choosing the colours randomly. Looking at the finished piece it looks suspiciously planned.

When I was happy with the look, I  felted the mat/bottom warmer by hand and left it to dry. I did the whole thing at Kissanviiksi one Saturday. It took a few hours (drying-time not included). I bought the roving from Kissanviiksi, too.

Quite a few people to whom I've told this have asked how I get Pikku-Hukka to sit on it. Quite simple. I placed the mat on her favourite place. It helps that her little bottom unerringly distinguishes wool, merino,  cashmere, angora and alpaca etc from inferior fibres.

And here she is, stalking my neighbours. Or maybe bird watching?

Successful weight loss and an FO

Congrats to Pikku-Hukka! She has lost a kilo, which is half of the total weight loss aimed at. She now weights 5.5 kilos, we aim at 4.5 kilos.

I’ve finished a pair of socks. I’m wearing my new socks and they have the best fit I’ve ever had with socks.

Here is the Ravelry project page link.

Oh, in the last post I wrote I only knit one pair of socks last year. That’s not true, actually.  I knit one pair for me but I also knit a pair for mom. So, two pairs of socks for 2010. I think I'll knit a few more pairs this year as I have my second pair on needles already.

First knit of 2011

For a knitter, I have woefully few handknit socks I've knit myself. Most of my woollen socks have been knit & gifted to me by my sister Marika (thanks honey! and yes, you can keep on knitting them...). Last year I knit one pair of socks, that's not enough so I begun this year as I plan to go. I cast on for a pair of striped socks.

For some reason this particular colour combo reminds me of Tigger, even though the colours are somewhat different. As I write this, the first sock is finished and I just turned the heel on the secod sock. I'm also knitting an anatomical toe to these. I've never tried that before.

The knitting box bag is from Splityarn. I treated myself to one last Nov and have been using it ever since. Impeccable sewing & finishing, a sturdy bag and I just love the combination of fabrics. The bag just fits my three center-pull balls of Sisu yarn plus the needles.  For the first time, I'm using Kollage's square knitting needles. I bought them because I knit loosely and I've heard one can knit tighter with these than with round needles. So far I like them, dunno whether I knit tighter but at least the sts are more uniform.

New Year, old things

The old year past into a new one rather quietly. I sipped sparkling wine and watched fireworks at my mothers.

This would be the time to make well-thought out pledges about how I plan to grow as a human being  in 2011. Duh. I promise to try to loose weight and to try to get me and my bloody knee fit. That's it. In more practical level: eat sensibly, eat less, exercise more.

More seriously, I try to have only one (1) serious knitting project in progress simultaniously. Accessories do not count as serious, no matter how many thousand stitches / difficult patterns they might contain. And this brings me to a few FOs or Finished Objects, my dear non-knitting reader. (I know I have one!)

This is Maija's vest, also know as a Vest of True Friendship

According to ravelry, I started this vest for my friend on January 13th, 2010. I finished it on November 23rd, 2010. It was meant to be finished quite a few months earlier. Thank you Maija for being so patient with me and still being my friend!

The pattern is my own, made to her measurements, but it was influenced by a pattern I spotted in Knit Simple, as I recall. The yarn is Drops Karisma. Here is the Rav link for the project.

Here's a hat for me, in ColourMart DK-weight cashmere/merino blend.

The pattern (free, by the way) is by Irina Saukh and its called Elementary Geometry. A well-written, clear pattern with a simple and effective FO. Really nice. Here's the link to my project page. I've knit a scarf from the same yarn to match the hat, more of it anon.

I gave a few hand knits as Christmas preasents. I don't have photos of them all - actually, I don't have FO photos of any of them!!! How did that happen? In a hurry, I bet. So, I don't know whether I'll blog about them or now. I knit legwarmers for both Merja and my granny, a pullover for father and a hat for Juhani. I planned to knit a hat for my sister, but ran out of time so switched the due date to her BD on Feb 11th.

Dear year 2011, be a lovely year, please?