Done!

I did it! See the relieved smile on my face? Yesterday evening it finally started to look like I was going to finish this coat in time - and here it is!
Pattern: Heavily modified version of Clàsica Coat by Deborah Newton
Yarn: RYC Soft Tweed in Twig - approx 800g
Needles: 5mm & 6mm
Crochet hook: 6mm
I ended up reversing the crinkle stitch pattern, Had to recalculate all stitch-counts due to thicker yarn than asked for . Made the jacket longer & narrower than in the original pattern. Left out the "raglan detail" (which I didn't get at all - to me it looked just so weird - so I left it out) And I modified sleeve a bit to fit my taste better (shorter crinkle-stitch area - a bit narrower sleeves )
All in all I'm pretty happy with this. Only thing that needs fixing is the hood, that is a bit weird shape. (I keep my fingers crossed that I can mold it into better shape while wet-blocking the whole thing. That is the one thing left to do with this before I can wear it - but for Ravelympics 2010 purposes - I say it is finished! )

In the meanwhile...

I've been knitting this:

It is a BSJ for a friend's baby girl. She was born on February 17th and I still haven't sent the jacket to her.... At least the jacket is now ready and I also made little socks to go with it. Goal for today: post them to Emma & her baby.

(how many days do I still have to finish my olympic project? I have no idea - please say it is more than two days - otherwise I won't make it!)

Steady progress

Yep. It is going. Going. I'm knitting always I can my olympic project and 1 front is done and the other one lacks only hood extensions. So far so good.I've been thinking: When is the modified version modified/unique enough that it can be called a completely new/different design?
Just wondering - because I began to knit a Clasica Coat, but so far I've changed almost everything in it. The legth. Reversed the stitch pattern. Modified the fit (making it quite a bit narrower than in the original pattern).

And that's only 2 front pieces. I'm also planning to change sleeves and back.
After those changes - it hardly is a Clasica coat. But what is it then?

3, 2, 1- go!

The Winter Olympic Games of 2010 in Vancouver began yesterday morning at 4am Finnish time, and I cast on my olympic project right after the breakfast. It's gonna be Clasica Coat by Deborah Newton- although quite heavily modified version at that. I've no idea wheather I'm able to knit a thigh-length , hooded coat in a fortnight (or so) but I'll try. (I have a sneaking suspicion that it might be a bit too optimistic plan...)

True to myself, I'm substituting the yarn (cascade ecologigal wool) with RYC Soft Tweed, that I bought from sale over a year ago. This means I've had to recalculate everything. I've also decided to modify the length, the sleeve, the raglan detail, and the actual stitch pattern... so the outcome will probably be something totally unique and unrecognisable.

We'll see if I'm able to make it.

Guess who?

of course it's me - but could not resist. Just a quick post before Winter Olympics begin tomorrow in Vancouver - and I'm ready to pick up my 6mm needles and have a go with my Ravelympics 2010 project...( I already have doubts about it - I might have chosen a bit too challenging jacket to knit in two weeks ,but.... we'll see)
Pattern: Blossom Hat by Norah Gaughan from Vogue Knitting (Designer Knitting) Fall 2009 (ravelry)
Yarn: Mystery spanish wool yarn bought from Barcelona.
Needles: 4,5mm dpns

(sorry very dark photo. There is not enough light at this time of year!)
Because of my big(ish) head I added 1 increase round to girth, and some rows to get more depth. Knitted this on the round instead of back'n'forth. Easier that way. Like this? yes. Have been wearing this every day since I finished it.


Pattern: Yellow Harvest mittens by Mari Muinonen from Vogue Knitting , Fall 2008 (ravelry)
Yarn: Same as in the hat above
Needles: 4,5mm dpns

The photo has been taken pre-wet blocking - which is why they don't look so nice and even.. (fortunately wet-blocking fixes almost everything - as long as the yarn is wool:-) These had very tight cuffs ("cutting of the circulation - cannot feel my hands anymore" - sort of..) but I stretch them while blocking and now the fit is beautiful.

All in all a surprisingly fast pattern to knit.

Next time - olympic fever!

Sienna Cardigan

Finally photos! (This starts to be my trademark blog-text beginning...) Meet Sienna.
It was a pure stroke of luck when one day I was going through my unread Knitting daily emails,and found the free leaflet of gardigans there - pattern of Sienna included! I had placed Sienna on my ravelry queue the moment I saw it (over a year ago) and had wanted to knit it ever since. I was even lucky to have a very nice yarn for it - in a beautiful terracotta shade. So after finding the Knitting daily leaflet I cast on - immediately.
Pattern: Sienna Cardigan by Ann E. Smith (ravelry)
Yarn: Jaeger Extrafine merino Aran in 556 Maple (approx 500g)
Needles: 4,5mm

(btw. the above photo looks so weird - as if it was "photo-shopped" ... nice flash effect ?)

I really - really like this cardigan. The colour is perfect to me. And Jaeger extrafine merino is my favourite merino yarn of all times (still cannot get over it why they had to discontinue it??)

The thing I like the most is the collar - with laddered bind-off edge. How cool is that? I also like the lacy cables and deep ribbing on the hem - and I added ribbing also to sleeves - because I didn't like the idea of boud of edges in my sleeves. Love it this way.
I knitted sleeves round on dpns - because that's the way I make sleeves - without seams , please. Also the body has been knitted as one piece without side seams 'till under arms. Very nice pattern. Easy to follow and makes one awesome (not to mention practical) cardi.

Close to perfect - me thinks.