It's almost June 29th!

...Which is the official birthday of this blog! I have lots of fun contests and give-aways planned, so make sure you tune in this weekend! My mother is coming here to visit on Friday and Saturday though, so the celebrations will probably not start until on Sunday. Just so you know.

I've been going through my stash and picked out some very nice prizes for you all to compete for! I've come up with the following:

Prize no 1: 1 skein of Colinette Jitterbug (100 % merino), in the colourway Jay.

Prize no 2: 5 skeins of Rowan Silk Wool DK yarn (50 % merino/50 % silk).

Prize no 3: 1 skein of Cascade 220 Superwash (100 % superwash merino), in the Dark Aqua colourway.

Prizes no 4 and 5: 2 ChiaoGoo Red Lace metal circular 24 inches, 3.5 mm needles (these will be divided into two prizes).

Prize no 6: 1 set of Addi Click Bamboo 3.5 mm needles with three cables (24, 32 and 40 inches).

Prize no 7: The book Folk Socks: The History and Techniques of Handknitted Footwear, by Nancy Bush.

Kind of neat, right?! Let's have a party! Be sure to check back on Sunday to get the details on how you can win any of these prizes!

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On Friday we had the day off, since it was Midsummer's Eve, and my mother-in-law, two brothers-in-law plus one girlfriend, and two of our friends came over for a traditional Midsummer's Party. We had pickled herring with new potatoes and clotted cream (which is a traditional Swedish Midsummer's dish), with schnapps of course, and we also had some barbecue and quiche, followed by strawberries and ice cream. We were very lucky with the weather, so we got to have a swim in the pool too. All of them stayed over, and we all had breakfast together on Saturday morning. It was really nice!

Then on Sunday I got to do lots and lots of knitting. First, I finished the Mind the Gap vanilla socks:

Even though I didn't really enjoy knitting with this yarn, I really like the finished socks. The colours are awesome, and they feel nice and durable on my feet. I haven't washed them yet, but I hope they soften a little bit. I used just over half of my skein, so I guess I might have enough to make something else small with it. I'm not sure I will though. Maybe I should offer it up as a prize this weekend too? Please, leave me a comment to let me know if I should!

As I was really in a sock zone, I actually picked up the Gördes socks again too, and I finished the first one!

These socks I really love, they are turning out very pretty and the yarn is great to work with (it's Shibui knits sock yarn). They are going to my mom, but I doubt I'll finish them for this weekend. She'll probably get them later this summer. They are a lot of fun though, and I'm really enjoying the cables now that I'm really into them.

And as I finished the vanilla socks, which were my work knitting, I had to cast on a new pair of mindless socks. I picked up the Mad Color Fiber Arts Trance yarn that was the May club yarn (the colourway They Church at Auvers, the Vincent van Gogh colours), and I started a pattern from the More Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch which is called Spaced Checks.

It is really easy, and I really love how this crazy yarn is spiralling! I know that you can't really see the spiralling in that photo, but I'm almost at the heel after today's day at work, and I'm too lazy to take a new photo. You'll have to wait until next time! I chose to make these toe up, as I want to use up most of the yarn, and I think I'll make an afterthought heel. The colours are completely insane, and they really shouldn't go together, but somehow it works. I love the yarn, the base is really soft and nice to knit with. Especially after knitting with the Trailing Clouds stuff, which was really stiff. I think I'll probably finish these pretty fast.

Yesterday I got the final shipment in the Doctor Who club from Mad Color Fiber Arts, and once again I love the yarn. This time we got a skein of Fugue (100 % superwash wool, 375 m/100 g), and the colourway is called The Fall of the Eleventh:

I really like the colours, but I think the coolest thing this month was the JessaLu bag that came with the yarn:

It has the Doctor's Foes on it! Me and Thomas sat for a long while yesterday evening trying to identify all of them, but I have to admit that my geek-dom isn't deep enough. There are several that I don't know, but the main, coolest ones are on there. I love the bag, this is my fifth JessaLu bag, and in three months I'll get one with Firefly on it too. But there's no such thing as too many project bags, is there?

Ok, I think that's it for today. I haven't knit anything on the Parcel sweater since last time, I think I lost a little momentum on it when I had to frog half of it. But I'll finish it soon! I might try to finish the Gördes socks first though.

Be sure to come back this weekend for an update on all the prize drawings and contests!

/ Jenny

Christmas shopping!

Happy New Year, everybody! I hope that you all had a wonderful New Year's Eve. We had some friends over for dinner and board games, and it was a very nice evening. Thomas spent two days in the kitchen, and he really outdid himself on this one! We served spring rolls with shrimp and cilantro, and mini quiche with saffron for starters. Then for the main course he did rice noodles with sesame oil-fried salmon, and red-boiled side pork (we saw a show on Swedish TV about Chinese food, and apparently red-boiled pork was Mao Zedong's favourite dish). Finally for dessert we had berries and fruit with ice cream and home-made sesame crackers. It was all delicious! We toasted on the stroke of midnight, and I think all of the guests left around 2 in the morning. I was really tired the day after, but it was well worth it.

I got some money this Christmas from my grandparents, and I think I told you last time that I spent some of it on Etsy. Some of it has arrived, and I figured I could tell you about it. Beware though, as there is a lot! Oh, and I totally swiped the photos of stuff from the respective Etsy shops.

First, yesterday I got a package from CackleBerryCreations, which contained a new project bag:

It is gorgeous, and I have already put a project in it! I started a new pair of socks yesterday, for the Self Striping Addicts KAL that the Stockinette Zombies are hosting (one each month all year long). I chose the Aquaphobia socks by Chrystal Flanagan, and I'm making mine in Regia Design Line by Kristin Nicholas Garden Effects, colourway Spring.

I very quickly realized that the yarn is not striping but variegated, so I'm not sure if they will count for the KAL, but I'll make them anyway. I love them! The colour of the yarn is so much fun to work with, and I think they are turning out great. You can't really tell that there are cables on each side of the leg though, as the colours kind of eat them up!

Today I woke up with a fever and a really achy body, so I've been home from work all day. This winter has not been good to me! I've had several times where I had to stay home with my stomach, plus several colds and stuff. Let's hope this spring will be better! Anyway, I actually had three packages arrive in the mail today too. The first one contained a set of interchangeable ChiaoGoo bamboo needles for my Spin set, which I ordered from Grandma's Knit and Crochet. This is really my go-to shop for the ChiaoGoo needles, and the shipping is always fast. I got a pair of size 3 mm needles, as this was the one size that didn't come in my set. 

The second package was a second project bag, this one from MissFiberFox:

It is super cute, and also very well made. It is perfectly sized for a smaller project, like a pair of socks, but I haven't put anything in it yet. It sits on the couch looking pretty, so far.

The last package was a small envelope from BerryNiceCrafts, and oh my God does she have lots and lots of buttons! I got a set of 10 small ones that I planned to use on my Morning Echo cardigan that I'm making with my Wollmeise DK. Well, I say I'm making, but I've actually frogged it. I just couldn't get gauge! The DK knits up more like a worsted, so I've decided to make something else with it. I think it will be the Julissa scooped neck sweater instead. Anyway, the buttons:

I love the little pale teal paisley! They are just so cute! Right now I don't know what I'll use them for, as I frogged the cardigan, but I'm sure I'll find something. They cost barely nothing, so it was well worth it anyway.

Ok, that was the stuff that did arrive already. I figured I could as well tell you about the stuff on the way too, and get it all out of the way. I'm waiting for a small bag from ElizabethQuintan, with owls on it:

I am waiting for a large box bag as well, with Russian dolls on it, from A Needle Runs Through It:

This will probably hold my Grey Havens sweater once it arrives, as that one will soon be too big for the RoseKnits bag it's currently residing in (RoseKnits doesn't exist any more, it was an Etsy shop that I got two bags from a couple of years ago). The Grey Havens sweater is coming along very nicely, now that I've changed needle size. I've been working on it for most of the day today while sitting on the couch (when I've not been sleeping), and the pashmina is working out really well with the cables. Unfortunately, you can barely see them in the photo:

But they are there, and in real life they are very clear. The yarn is a dream to work with, and I'm really glad I got a sweater quantity of it. I think I might actually rip out the cast on though, as that is a bit too loose for my taste. I have to wait until I try it on though, to see how it will look stretched. I bought some buttons for this one too, from a shop called FeiYa (that's the next package I'm waiting on). Aren't they cute! I bought a set of 10.

While searching for suitable buttons I also found these super cool, steam punk cogwheel buttons:

They are from the shop TimberGreenWoods, and of course they had to come home to me too (they are also in transit). I got 12 of them.

I also got 3 buttons from Oritdotan, that I'm going to put on my For Good hat. I will probably only use one or two of them, but they were a set of three and I loved them!

Soooo, obviously I went a little over board... But it was so much fun! I also found some yarn clubs that I've joined, so I'll also be getting some yarn this year. I know I told you about the Sheepy Time Knits Time Traveller yarn club, which I joined last year. That one is three shipments, the first in December, the second in February and the last in April. A couple of days ago I also found Mad Colour Fiber Artist's Mad Geek yarn club, that also feature Doctor Who! This one will ship in January, February and March, and in the last shipment you also get a project bag from JessaLu! I've been raving one of her bags for ages, so I might actually buy one more later on. She has so many cool fabrics with geeky themes!

I told you about the Cookie A sock club a while ago, where I'll get yarn and patterns every other month for all of 2013. It will be awesome! I also joined the Knitting Godess' yarn club for 2013, which is called 7 degrees of Kevin Bacon. Instead of starting and ending with Kevin Bacon, she'll start with Helena Bonham Carter, and you'll get yarn and a sock pattern each month. The best thing is that this one can be paid for monthly, so I didn't have to fork out hundreds of dollars at once. 

I'm so excited about getting all of this mail during the year! As I don't knit a lot of lace any longer (I haven't stopped all together though, just slowed down on the lace knitting bit), I don't think I'll buy very much lace yarn during 2013 (don't hold me to that though!). And with all the clubs, I should be set for sock yarn too (and don't hold me to that either). So hopefully I'll only buy sweater yarn this year (and we all know how that's going to go, but I can have intentions, right?!).

Ok, this turned into a very long post, and my head is pounding! I had planned to do a podcast episode today too, but as I'm sick and in my PJ's you'll have to wait until I feel batter. I think I'll go turn in, and see if the fever is down tomorrow when I wake up. Let's hope!

/ Jenny

The Impulsive Knitter...

Well, first of all I finished my Bigger on the Inside shawl:

I love it! The Tardises (Tardi?) are gorgeous, and the shawl is really warm and cozy. The past few days have been kind of super warm here, so I haven't worn it yet, but come Autumn I see this one on my shoulders a lot! It was a fun, quick knit that more or less flew off the needles in the sport weight yarn (pattern originally calls for fingering, but this was close enough), and it's HUGE! 

Anyway, as I was casting off, I started thinking about what to knit on next, other than my Urdr shawl and the Faramir socks (which I still have no photo of!). I had been thinking of starting a new cardigan, but somehow that didn't really appeal to me right then, so I went browsing through my stash. I came upon three sport weight skeins that I bought last summer, in rabbit angora and lambs wool, and I was instantly re-smitten. 

I went on Ravelry to see if I could find something to knit with about 600 m, and I found the Put Together vest. I immediately cast on (well, I started with swatching three times first), and I'm using the pattern as a starting point. It is originally meant to be in reverse stockinette, but I prefer plain stockinette so that is the first thing I'm changing. I'm also going to make some colourwork at the chest area, in my leftover blue yarn from the Tardis shawl, which I'm designing myself. It might have something to do with the Doctor as well... I know, I know, but that blue colour just screams Doctor Who!

I've been knitting a lot on this at work, as it's been pretty slow in the afternoons these past few weeks. Since a lot of the doctors at the care unit where I work have vacations right now, we get a lot fewer patients at the lab too, so less for us to do. Which means a lot of knitting time! Last week, this week, and two weeks after that I am spending at the lab here in Mantorp (yay for being able to ride my bike to work!), where I'm alone at the lab, so I've also been listening a lot to audio books and audio dramas. I just wish I could sit outside when i don't have any patients, but the patio is on the other side of the building so that's not very practical! Maybe that's just as well - after all I AM there to work...

Our tiny little Toki (yes, we've been watching way too much Metalocalypse...) is doing very well, even though Hobbe is still not overly thrilled. Toki has SO MUCH energy, and his prime play time is between four and six in the mornings. Which means that we don't get very much sleep then either, it's almost like having a little baby! But he's adorable anyway, and I hope he will settle down once he gets a little bit older. He's four months old now, and once he gets to be about six months we'll have him neutered, and that should slow him down a bit. Right now he's sleeping in my lap, which is super cozy!

Oh, and last weekend my cousin got married! Thomas couldn't make it, but I went with my sister and my parents, and it was such a lovely time! Here we are, all four of us :)

I sang at the ceremony, which was very much appreciated, I think. The woman who played piano was really terrible, she played the wrong notes several times in both my song and the song that the sister of the bride sang. But after some editing I've come up with the verse that sounded best, so if you want to, you can listen to me sing! The song is originally by Andrew Lloyd Webber, but I'm singing it with Swedish lyrics :)

If you don't like it, please don't tell me!

Finally, I also bought some more yarn. I think this might be the last skeins this year, as I've bought quite much yarn this past month, but since I actually managed to catch a Wollmeise update, I couldn't resist. Three skeins came to live with me last week:

Pure (100 % superwash merino) in colourway Fuchsia (with extra Toki picture!)

Pure (100 % superwash merino) in colourway Teddy

Ever since I saw the colourway Teddy for the first time, I've wanted it! And now I have two skeins, that will eventually become a shawl I think. I haven't decided which one yet :)

Ok, now I need to get something to eat and then go to bed! I'll try to get some more photos of socks, shawl and vest (hopefully with some colourwork going) this weekend. See you!

/Jenny

House Guests

It's been a couple of busy weeks here at our house! On Friday last week we had a huge Midsummer's party, and we had over 30 guests here. 

I think 14 of them stayed over night, so we had people sleepeing in every corner! But it was a great success, the weather held up so we could have dinner outside (potatoes with sourcream, pickled herring and grilled meat, with strawberries and ice cream for dessert), and a lot of people swam in our swimming pool as well. Then Thomas' four brothers, two of their girlfriends, and two additional friends stayed one more night, and we played board games and watched movies for the entire Saturday (it was raining). 

Then on Monday afternoon my best friend Christine, her husband Martin and their three little boys came to visit for two nights, and let me tell you: We are not used to the kind of energy needed to keep three boys under the age of 10 entertained for two days! It was a blast to have them here, and I hope we get to have them back next summer too, but we are kind of exhausted right now!

So with all of those people staying here, we had a lot of cleaning and fixing to do around the house before they came, so the entire week before was spent just making sure everything was ready! We've finally got curtains in all the windows, we've unpacked the last moving box, we've bought new guest beds for the guest room and a pull-out sofa for the computer room, we hung the last lamps from the ceiling, and stuff like that! This last 1.5 weeks we have left of our vacation will probably be spent doing as little as possible :)

I did manage to finish some knitting though! First, on the weekend before midsummer, I finished the Ethereal Triangle shawl:

It's made with an entire skein of Madelinetosh Prairie yarn (100 % Merino), and I think I had less than a meter left when it was done! I actually had to redo the bind-off, as I ran out of yarn the first time, so I ended up skipping the last purl row and bound off directly instead. It's not huge, but it's pretty big, and I'm very happy with it! I wore it at the party, but since I held the camera I haven't ended up in any of the photos! But I'm going to wear it to my cousin's wedding in the middle of July, and I'll try to sneak in some actual action shots then.

On midsummer's day I got to sit down and knit while the board games were being played, and FINALLY finished the Silken Scabbard sweater! It's gorgeous!

It's made with 10.5 skeins of Rowan Silk Wool, and it's very comfortable and cozy, while the silk gives it a very glamorous sheen as well. I love it, and I almost wish for autumn so I can get to wear it!

Now that the house is finally empty (and don't get me wrong, it's been great to see all of our friends and have so many guests, we're just a bit tired), I'm going to knit a lot more! I'm currently only working on a pair of socks (Faramir socks, I'm using Opal sock yarn) and one shawl (Urdr shawl, I'm using Drops Lace yarn from Garnstudio), but once I get a little bit further on the shawl I think I'll start a new cardigan. I'm choosing between the Peanut Butter cardigan and the Austin Hoodie. I'll let you know which one I decide on.

Oh, and I also want to make the Bigger on the Inside shawl. I'm currently completely obsessed with Doctor Who, and I want my very own David Tennant! Too bad I can't knit me one of those...

/ Jenny

And the winner is...

... Klara! Kind of weird that I should pull out one of my best friends, but since there only were three competitors, the odds were pretty high I guess. Klara is also coming here today for some board game playing, so she'll get the book then. Maybe we should knit instead of game? I wonder what our boys would think of that...

I hope everyone had a lovely New Year's Eve! I had such a blast, the best New Year in a lot of years! We went to dinner at Klara and Micke's place, and saw a bunch of friends that we very rarely see. I think I haven't seen Jenny and Tomas (lovely names, aren't they. Not confusing at all when we hang out together...) for almost a year! We didn't come home until 3.30 in the morning, which I've been paying for all week. I think I'm starting to get too old to be out so late! But it was well worth it, so that's ok. Plus, the week was only four working days, since Friday is a national holiday here in Sweden (it's called 13th day, and I think we're celebrating when the three wise men visited baby Jesus, or something like that. I'm not sure!), so we've had a three day weekend here. 

In those three days I've managed to finish a shawl! Last week I picked up the Brandywine shawl again, after a very long time in time-out, and yesterday I finished it! Unfortunately, I've washed two of my old sweaters this weekend, and they're currently drying upstairs on my blocking mats, so I don't have any room right now to block the shawl. It will have to wait until some time this week. So I don't have any photos right now, I'll be sure to get them until next time too.

Today I think I'm going to knit some more on the Ookuru socks, so I can finish those as well. I think I might have found my knitting mojo again!

/ Jenny

Back in Borås again

I'm on vacation! Friday was my last day of work, now I have three weeks off, and it feels really good! We have no trips or anything planned (Thomas also has these weeks off), we're just going to have a relaxing time and hang around in our cabin. But the first week will be spent at my parents' house in Borås, as I have two weddings to attend! Yesterday me, my sister and my parents all went to the wedding of one of my childhood friends. It was a very nice wedding, and the weather was amazing (maybe a bit hot, but I'm not complaining as long as it's not raining).

Me and my sister before the wedding (I haven't asked the newlyweds to pot photos of them online yet)

Next Saturday my best friend is getting married (you know, I made the green Scheherazade stole for her), and I'm going to be a bridesmaid. That should also be fun! Although I'm getting a bit nervous about the speech I'm giving. But I think it will be fine. I'll be back with the full scoop on that wedding in a week :)

Last time I posted, I completely forgot to tell you that I finished my Jaywalker socks! They've been done for a while, and I really like them.

They were made with a Nordic yarn, Hjertegarn Sock, and they just about fit me. I was worried that they would turn out too big, but they're almost too small instead. They are a little bit tight to get on, but once they're on they fit me very well.

The same is true about the Hokie Socks (which are actually the Wrought Iron Socks from the Toe-Up Socks for Every Body book), which I've been working a lot on lately. I think when I told you the last time about them languishing away, I realized I missed them, so I've picked them up. Since they're toe-up, I decided to knit the first one until I reached half the skein, so they turned out to become knee-socks!

Please excuse the weird sun pattern...

The first sock is done (obviously), and I'm passed the heel on the second one too. The leg part is kind of sow going with all the cables, but I'll get them done eventually. I can't wait for fall to arrive, so I can wear them with a skirt!

I've also been working a lot on the Mystic Star shawl, by Anna Dalvi (Knit & Knag), I think I have about half a chart left. It's over 500 stitches now though, so each row takes me forever! But I really, really love it so far. The yarn (Chili Gredelin Madame) is a dream to work with, I think this is my favourite yarn of all time. I might have said this about lots of yarns, but this time I actually think I'm telling you the truth. At least of all the yarns I've worked with so far. And at least for lace yarns. Anyhow, the shawl is scrunched up on the needle, so you won't get a photo of it until it's done.

Last week I finally finished the wedding purse too. I got my sister to sew the inner lining bag in white silk fabric, and I attached it to the knitting with a bit of left-over yarn. I think it's really, really pretty!

I hope Christine will like it too, I'm going to take it to her this week for final approval. I think the white fabric really worked, I was a bit worried that it would be too bright, but it really shows off the knitting.

Ok, as I'm a bit hung-over after yesterday's excellent party, I think I'm going to spend today in the shade, knitting away. See you all in a week (as I'm at my parent's house with the incredibly slow internet connection, I won't be online very much, but I'll try to get back next weekend with the next wedding updates :)

/ Jenny

Busy June!

Wow, it's been ages! Hello everyone!

June has been such a busy month, with lots of fun stuff happening, but i think I'll start by telling you the really bad stuff that happened. On the very same day I posted last, June 8th, I went with my sister and her cat, Medoxa, to the vet since she had stopped eating. It turned out that she had acute renal failure, and there was nothing to be done, so we went back the next day to have her put to sleep. It has been a rough couple of weeks for my sister, and we have both cried a lot (I cry as soon as I see her cry!). Medoxa was a very pretty Birma cat, who loved my sister more than anything (an pretty much disliked anyone else). Now she will be put to rest next to my little Gizmo in our parents' yard, and I'm sure he is taking care of her in Kitty Heaven.

This happened on Thursday morning. On Friday I went home to visit my parents, and hold a bachelorette party on Saturday for my best friend, Christine! Talk about the opposite end of the emotional spectra! Me and Christine's sister have been planning this for quite some time, but of course I haven't been able to tell you anything about it, as I think Christine checks in here from time to time. Anyway, we started the day by invading Christine's home, we put LOTS of make-up on her and put her in a very funny Queen of Hearts dress. She looked very funny! We then had a dancing lesson at a studio, where we got to learn striptease dancing! There was actually very little striptease, more like a sort of "sexy" dance (we all looked more funny than sexy, I think), but it was so much fun! I don't think I'll post any photos of this here though...

After this we went and had a picnic lunch, and then went to a spa for the rest of the day (and you won't get to see our bikini photos either!). We sat in the hot-tub, made facial treatments on each other and painted our nails. So relaxing, and so much fun! Finally we went out for dinner at our very favourite restaurant in the world, The Olive, and the night ended with us dancing our socks off at a local dance club. I think Christine was very happy with the whole thing.

So that was that weekend (Sunday was spent with a mild hangover in the car back to Linköping - Don't worry, Sanna drove). The week was spent working a lot, and then the next weekend Thomas was in Borås for Christine's fiancé's bahelor party. They had a bit more action, and played paintball, pinball and bathed in a lake. And I think they had a LOT more alcohol than us girls! Thomas was pretty worn when he got back to Linköping on Sunday! I spent the weekend knitting more or less furiously on the wedding stole, and completely forgot to blog!

This weekend was Midsummer's Eve, which meant that we had Friday off work. It's traditionally celebrated pretty heavily here in Sweden, with Maypoles and dancing. This is the holiday where we mostly have Pickled Herring, which is exactly what it sounds like. It's small pieces of herring pickled in vinegar with different seasonings (I like the blackcurrant or the Shrimp salad flavour, Thomas likes the snaps flavour), and we have it with new potatoes, sourcream and chives. It's sort of an aquired taste, but I really like it! This Friday we had some people over for a dinner party, and we had a really nice time. Lots of laughter and good food, and just generally lots of enjoyment. 

And yesterday I finished the wedding stole! 

I'm very pleased that it's finished in time (the wedding is on August 6th), now I'll just have to make the little purse bag to math as well! That shouldn't be a problem though, as it is quite a bit smaller. I'm planning on making this one from A Gathering of Lace, in KnitPicks Palette yarn in the Forest Heather colourway (the same colourway I used for the stole).

I also finished the first of the Jaywalker socks!

Do you remember me telling you that I thought it might turn out too big, since it uses 76 stitches? Well, I was very wrong! It's almost too small over the gusset instead! The pattern has almost no give at all, so I'm very glad that I've tried it on while I made it, so I know it will fit me. I like the wide stripes that this yarn (Hjertegarn sock, 75 % superwash wool/25 % nylon) makes, and I think the socks are a lot of fun!

I've also been working a lot on the Rusted Root top, and it's coming along nicely. I haven't gotten any photos of it yet though, as it's such a hassle to try it on as I have to divide the stitches onto two needles to fit it over my shoulders. But it seems to fit me though, and I'm almost at the waist (it's knitted top-down). I might be able to finish this one soon!

Ok, now I think you're all up to speed! I'll try to get back next weekend, and not let you wait this long again!

/ Jenny

Happy Easter everybody!

It's been a while! Last weekend I decided sort of on a whim to go home and visit my parents, and since they have the slowest internet in the world, I didn't even bring my computer with me! The weekend was spent shopping a little with mom, visiting my grandmother, and visiting my best friend and her three boys. She's getting married this summer, and I'm going to be a bride's maid! Yay! I'm also knitting her a shawl, so we decided on a pattern last weekend too. I've cast on for the Scheherazade stole, in my wonderful KnitPicks Shadow yarn in Forest heather (the colours in the wedding will be green and red). Actually, I've already frogged it twice. I started with 2 mm needles, and it turned out too tiny and tight. Also, I tried it with green beads, but they didn't look good with the yarn, so I've ordered clear silverlined beads to match the dress instead. Now I have to wait until next week when they arrive, to continue knitting on it. I haven't gotten a photo of it yet either, since I've made about 3 cm on it, so you'll have to do with a photo of the yarn!

This weekend, as it's Easter, we have Friday and Monday off from work, so Thomas' four brothers are visiting. It's very rare that they get together all at once, so it's great to have them here. They're 15, 18, 21 and 33 years old, so pretty spread out. 

We've been playing lots and lots of board games, some xbox and wii games, and yesterday we invited some friends to go out to the cabin with us to celebrate Easter evening. We barbecued (and my sister had made awesome mini cupcakes and white chocolate sufflé), played Kubb, threw some darts and just had a great time. Me and Thomas have been cleaning at the cabin for the entire week, so it looked really nice, and the weather has been awesome the entire weekend too. 

We've been sitting in the garden today just enjoying the sun and played more games (and I've knitted a lot too). As my sister lives next door to us she's been with us for most of the weekend too!

Oh, and yesterday morning we followed the swedish tradition of paiting eggs for breakfast!

Last time I wrote, I told you that I hadn't really gotten around to knitting any lace for a while. As I finished writing I figured I actually felt like lace, so I picked up my shawl just to find that the wooden needle had broken! It took two days for a new one to get here by mail, and by then the work week had started and I haven't touched it since. I'm thinking about picking it up tonight though, if I have the energy for it after dinner.

I'm also currently blocking the Chtulhu mittens that I finished two weeks ago, but they're not dry yet so no new photos.

The project I've knitted on today and the past few days (since I couldn't continue on the wedding stole without the beads) is my Devon socks. I'm almost at the toe on the first one (I took this photo this morning so I've gotten a bit farther today):

It's so hard to photograph red! I'm making them in KnitPicks Stroll yarn, colourway Burgundy, and I love this yarn! I love that it's so incredibly cheap, really soft with great stitch definition, very durable and comes in lots and lots of colours. The only thing I don't loke about it is that it is so hard to get here in Europe. Not that I need any more of it right now though, I have PLENTY of yarn to knit through before I buy any more!

Tomorrow the brothers are leaving, I think pretty early in the day, so I think we're going to have a cleaning day. The dishes have been fixed all weekend (a lot more is used when we're seven instead of two!), but there are lots of laundry to be done, and I think I'l clean the bathrooms as weel after having been so many more of us too. The shower seems to run more or less constantly this weekend :)

See you all soon, hopefully with some updated photos of lace!

/ Jenny