For my sweet little Gerður Lilja

Remember this Hexagon sweater I made the other day? Since I finished that sweater, I´ve been wanting to make another one using totally different yarn, a bigger crochet-hook and only 2 colors... just to see how it looks and how quick this project can be.

When it came to choosing yarn for this sweater, it was really important for me that it would keep my sweet little Gerður Lilja warm... it really is getting colder here in Iceland at the moment :-) I went to Litla Prjónabúðin (lucky me - this shop is just around the corner from where I work) and bought some amazingly soft baby-lama-wool in wonderful purple/pink/blue. I also used icelandic unspun (tvöfaldur plötulopi) in grey and crochet-hook nr. 5. I almost couldn´t believe it myself, but it took me only 1,5 day´s to finish this piece... so quick!

I found out the hard way that the lama-wool and the icelandic unspun don´t have the same gauge... but the good thing about it it , that the sweater got "shaped by accident" in a really interesting and nice way. Just take a look...

Balloon-shaped sleeves

soooo soft!!

 

Buttons: a gift from my sister, Guðrún Dröfn 

Baby blankets

Two people I know recently got a baby - both of them happen to be boys...

 ... and I really wanted to create something that would keep those little ones warm and cozy

The rules I set up for myself where:

1. No typical baby-boy-colors

2. What´s the best material to keep warm? Icelandic wool (unspun/plötulopi) of course, my favorite. 

 3. Since I have enough wool in my stash, especially leftovers, I also decided,

I could only use this material, meaning: no buying yarn.   

4. It had to be a quick project, since I really don´t have time for anything else at the moment

3.stranded-unspun icelandic wool, (þrefaldur plötulopi)

So thick and cozy!

1.stranded plötulopi - so thin, light and warm (einfaldur plötulopi)

So yummi!!!

looking at this one... I might have to crochet some pillows...

crochet blanket

I´ve been creating so many things for other children than my own lately, so I decided it was time to make something for my boys. My older one loves Icelandic wool - he want´s to cover himself with it, swim in it, dig in it... he loves everything about it, even the smell :-) So.... why not make him a crochet blanket of his own, big enough to wrap all around himself? 

Details: 

I decided to use the traditional granny square pattern for this blanket. What I like about this blanket is the simplicity&at the same time "happiness" of the colors. It only took me 1 week to make it since each square only has 2 colors.  

I didn´t make an edging because I want to be able to add some rows around it when he grows...

hook: nr. 7 

material: icelandic unspun, 2 strands (tvöfaldur plötulopi). I mainly used wool from my stash.

Do you recognize the system behind the color-arrangement?

dig in...

my big boy enjoying&loving his new blanket

 

Finished

The first crochet blanket I actually finish is ready! It was a quick project (at least for me, making a crochet blanket), since I used hook nr. 7 and two strands of unspun icelandic wool for it, from Istex and Thingborg. 

But... something happend to it, when I washed it: the lopi from Thingborg (grey) got slightly felted and the lopi from Istex almost nothing at all! Strange enough, I actually like it even more that way; it´s warmer, sooooo cozy and the baby (not mine :-) will never, ever get cold covered with this one! :-)

I had a lot of fun making this funky blanket and really like it. My oldest son really loves it too and has been testing it for the baby for the last few days... I might even have to make him one too...

You can read more about it and the pattern I used for the squares in this post.

the perfect size: not too big, not too small so that it can be used used from age 0-100

funky, a little bit retro and happy

partly felted and very cozy

Unfinished

Like always, I´m working on several projects at the same time - it seems to impossible for me to work on just one project at a time. But I think it´s important to adapt the choice of knitting-projects to your mood - it´s just more fun like that: sometimes you´re in the mood for something complicated like a lace shawl, and sometimes you´re just too tired to do something that requires too much thinking (simple crochet squares or my Pan are perfect) ... or you get sick in the car if you have to look on what you´re doing (I prefer the body of sweaters without shaping)...and sometimes there are just things I have to knit like socks, mittens, hats and sweaters for my boys no matter what!

This weekend I added one more project to my long list of things I´m knitting/crocheting! The reason is, that I was recently told, somebody very close and dear to me is having a baby and since that, I´ve been browsing different babypatterns like a crazy person... hats, shoes, socks, sweaters and blankets. I want to knit them all!!! I decided to start with a crochet-blanket. while I decide what to knit next. This baby is arriving in the middle of winter, and  really needs a warm blanket to stay warm. I decided to use only plötulopi (icelandic unspun wool) from my huge stash.

Details:
The pattern I'm using is this free Bullseye Squares Pattern by Little Tin Bird (with a step by step photo-tutorial) - I´m adding one row around each square because I like it more that way... it´s kind of funky, retro, cool and minimalistic and reminds me of pom poms! The best thing about this pattern: it´s so quick and easy. It´s going to be a bit bigger than my livingroom table, perfect for the stroller. 

But what to knit next? What´s your favorite thing to knit for a baby? 

the colours - not sure about that white... (she doesn't know if it´s a boy or a girl)

I still have to make about 12 squares...