New job!

I've had a slow autumn applying for lots of jobs and not hearing back from any of them and was actually starting to loose a little faith in myself. 3 weeks ago I finally got an interview, and then a follow-up interview and then I was offered the job! All in less than a week.

I started my new job a week after the first interview and have now done 2 weeks. It is so nice to be back in the rhythm and get a change of scenery every day. 

Unfortunately I don't have as much time to knit anymore, but at least I get to spend my days surrounded by yarn, needles and patterns. I am really enjoying my new job and my nice colleagues.

Mr A gave me a gift for getting a job, which arrived with great timing on the day I started the job. Two skeins of merino/silk 80/20 fingering in Metallurgy from Northbound knitting, absolutely gorgeous! I am thinking a shawl and lots of garter stitch, it is going to be fab!

The Yarn Fairy came for a visit

This week has been a bit low for me, for various reasons, the dark evenings is one.  Yesterday I was even lower with a cold trying to kill me. Lucky me the Yarn Fairy came for a visit and left some yarn for me. Cascade 220 fingering for a shawl and lots of Drops Fabel for socks. I am going to have warm feet this winter!

I also got a Knitpro Thames bag, to keep needles, cables and other notions in. Even a small project would fit in it. It feels a little like an old fashioned doctors' bag, but with all the tools you need for knitting! I can't wait for an excuse to use it! And all the yarn certainly made my day a little better and the cold seems to be going away!

Knitpro bag model Thames

Space for needles, cables, measure tape, stitch markers and more

Cascade 220 fingering and Drops Fabel

Grey Monday

Mondays always seem to be a bit greyer than all the other days, today is not an exception, grey skies and rain. I'm waiting for replies to job applications and my head hurts. At least I have hand knit zebra socks and a couple of knitting podcasts to cheer me up and of course 2 skeins of Wollmeise twin that just made it to my door!

Restart

I have really been a bad blogger and I'm intending to make up for that. It's easy to make promises to be better at posting more photos, or more knitting, or less private posts or to actually post more regularly. I am promising no such thing, my only promise is to try and take myself and life less seriously. I am going to post when I feel like it and I'm going to write about whatever I want and I'm going to do it because I feel like it.

Meanwhile, here's a couple of my knits since May

Spring time

Spring is certainly here, flowers are showing off their petal skirts and the park is full of people enjoying the sun. I've been knitting outside and realised that the sweater I finished Sunday is too warm to wear in this weather! Luckily I'm going to Sweden over the weekend and need warm clothes so the sweater can be worn.

When I went to the weekly knitting group the other day I was greated by a grin and a neon pink skein of Alafoss yarn, straight from Iceland. Lovely C saw the yarn on her vacation and thought of me. I'm pretty sure she read my mind because the other day I was planning a new project in neon pink and charcoal grey. And now I have the perfect yarn for it, thank you C!

Today I got two skeins of Blacker Yarn Blends 4-ply wool in the mailbox so I have all the yarn I need for a pop spots shawl. But it has to wait until I've finished the Firefly shawl I started Sunday.

Unravel 2014

Last weekend I went to Unravel yarn festival in Farnham with some of the ladies from my knitting group. I've never been to a yarn festival before but realised the danger of letting my debit card too close to yarn sellers. I made a list of projects I'm planning to do and listed quality and quantity of the yarn needed. I also made sure I had cash and could avoid using my card. It worked...more or less.

I bought yarn for the projects I had intended, just one skein of lace yarn that wasn't planned. And some needles.

I came home with a beautiful yellow yarn from Jillybean Yarns, intended for a Siri cardigan. A skein of lovely pink lace yarn from Easyknits. At the Easyknits stall I also met the lovely Visalisa, so nice to meet the person behind the blog and instagram that I'm following, lots of beautiful knitting there.

After a couple of hours walking around the stalls I made my way to one on the knitter and natter rooms where I found some of the others from our knitting group, tired and happy with lots of new yarn in the bags. The afternoon was spent mostly knitting and looking at the others purchases. Almost all of us came home with at least one cone of yarn from Uppingham yarns.

My finds from Unravel 2014

Shiny brioche

The last few months it's been a neon fashion trend and of course in knitting fashion. I've been planning to join in the neon game but haven't figured out what I want to do.
Another trend I've found in the knitting world is the brioche technique. I must admit it didn't appeal to me in the beginning but then I saw a couple of really cool cowls and hats on Ravelry and thought I'd give it a try and throw in some neon while I'm at it!

A trip to John Lewis resulted in white and neon yellow chunky yarn to knit a cowl in brioche technique. If I'm hooked I might make a pair of fingerless mittens to make a set. So far I've just knitted a few centimeters to learn the technique and it's looking good! The bright neon colour combined with the calm white is coming out really nice.

Needles at work

My needles have really been working this last week. I've finished the cowl I test knitted, my January socks from the sock knitalong and a Winchester hat in reflective yarn.  It feels very inspiring when finishing several projects within a short period of time. But now I don't know what to knit now. I have my Sprig sweater that needs arms and the February socks in the sock knitalong. I've decided on a pattern but wasn't very excited about the heart pattern on them so I've been drawing replacement ideas. So far non of my ideas has worked out with the numbers of stitches I have. Even A helped and drew some ideas! Hopefully the inspiration will come soon!

A pair of Nutkins

Hat in Schachenmayer Lumio without flash, only missing a pompom

Hat in Schachenmayer Lumio WITH flash, only missing the pompom on top

Hello London

Snowdrops in the park

I've now been in London for a week. I feel lost, confused, excited, curious, all feelings at the same time. The contrast was striking, from 20 cm of snow, overcast and a couple of minus degrees to 8-10 degrees and sun, I've even seen snowdrops! I know it's warm for the season but I can't help but feeling like spring is on it's way (but we could just as well get snow here as well)

Me waiting for the flight to London

Monday we went to IKEA and survived both 3 hours in the warehouse AND assembling the furniture afterwards. Yes, you read furniture, me and A bought furniture together. Exciting, exciting!

The week has been spent trying to figure out the best way to store our stuff so that it feels like we're both living here. It's not the easiest thing when one of us has been living here for years and I had 3 suitcases with all my belongings coming here. I have managed to occupy the living room with yarn and needles without any loud protests from A though, so far so good.










Since I haven't got a job yet I have to make use of my days.
Monday I joined a test knitting of a lovely cowl pattern, I'll post photos and link when that's released.
Tuesday I went to Liberty to check out their yarn and crafts department. I must admit I got pretty excited in there and had to be strict on myself. I came out of there with only one ball of yarn, intended for the test knitting.
Wednesday I went to a knitting group at a pub nearby. Lovely bunch of people who meet every week to chat and knit. Actually there's a few people there not knitting, they still go to the knitting group and have a chat. I really enjoyed and my Wednesday evenings are now sorted.
Thursday I was ill and slept most of the day, I tried to knit but ended up having to correct mistakes half the time.
Friday I knitted on the tube to and from the city. I got a smiles of approvement and the ride was rather enjoyable. I also sneaked in a visit to John Lewis' crafts department. I started to get very tired late afternoon, otherwise I could've spent a veeeery long time there. Lots of nice yarn and also fabric and other crafts. I found some Lumio reflecting yarn that I intend to knit a hat from. Perfect to wear at night when out and about and wanting to be seen by vehicles.
Friday I also visited my local yarn store, small but nice yarn.

Trafalgar Square

Lord Nelson and the Blue cock

Almost empty Trafalgar Square

Distracting needles

My needles are very distracting while packing. I'm just done with the body on a Sprig sweater and started the first arm but put it down for a week because my gauge was slightly off when I got on the doublepointed needles. 

I also needed the time to knit the hat Lina for A for xmas. Lina was an easy knit that took just a few days to knit, the pattern wasn't selfexplanatory and I had to look for notes in other projects to help me get it right. A was very pleased with the hat and so was I. Great project when short on time and in need of a gift or a hat for yourself.

I've been knitting on an easy side project for a while, but I'm not very fond of knitting with this yarn, it slips off the needles way too easy. Entrelac is a rather fun technique but the yarn is not fun to knit with. I've just finished my second Grey Gardens headband, I love that pattern. Entrelac and a turban twist makes it exciting. Now I'm just waiting for some snow to match it with.

Countdown

The new year has just about started and the countdown for my move to London has hit T-27 days. My flat is being packed down into boxes, everything I own is sorted into bring, storage, charity, trash or 2nd opinion. The first bag of my stuff just landed in London, the remaining bags are on the floor in the living room, waiting to be filled. The hardest part will be to choose what yarn, needles, patterns and various yarn related tools to bring along.

This blog is intended to be about my adventures in London, mainly yarn related but also dancing and exploring a great city and being an expat and possibly other exciting things coming my way.


Checklist

A place to live - check
Letting the flat - check
Flight booked - check
Temp leave from work - check
Pack all stuff - in progress
Find a knitting group - check
Job in London - searching

On my needles
Sprig sweater
Snow white entrelac headband