Knitting in Norway

I have many favorite knitting sites I visit. Currently, they are stored in two Bookmarks' folders, Knitting Blogs and Knitting Blogs II, and each folder links to about 30 sites.

One of those sites is Helenes side, a knitting and craft site from Norway. Helene writes in both Norwegian and English and posts lots of pictures.

Helene's most recent project is making sheepskin rugs. She also has had some interesting posts on medieval/Viking craft fairs, camps, and re-enactment events.

Pattern Books Online

I keep forgetting about the riches of Project Gutenberg. In the "old" days, the books were only available in plain text. But now many of them include illustrations, for example, Beeton's Book of Needlework by Mrs. Isabella Mary Beeton. There are some interesting Victorian knitting and crocheting patterns in it, given a bit of patience for downloading the book.

Knitting in Staggerford

From Jon Hassler's novel, Staggerford:

Lillian Kite began to knit. She was a constant knitter. She never sat down without taking up her needles. She had begun knitting seriously when her husband died—not after the funeral when time hung heavy on her hands, but immediately upon finding him dead. [...] She called the doctor and the minister and the undertaker, and she picked up her needles and a ball of yarn and she went to work at high speed. When one by one the doctor and the minister and the undertaker came to the front door, she did not rise from her chair but said merely, "He's in there," pointing at the bedroom with her right-hand needle. She had been knitting ever since. (pp. 57-58)

Log Cabin Socks

I just finished these (Christmas gift) socks yesterday. This is actually the first pair of socks I've completed.


Pattern: Log Cabin Socks, by Anne Woodbury
Pattern from:Handknit Holidays: Knitting Year-Round for Christmas, Hanukkah, and Winter Solstice, by Melanie Falick
Wool used: Cascade 220, 100% Superwash Wool. One 100 gram/3.5 oz/220 yard ball, plus part of another ball. Color 816 - steel grey.
Where purchased: Unraveled, Monrovia, California
Needles: Brittany wood 5-inch double-pointed U.S. size 4 (3.5 mm)
Size: Woman's - 48 stitches. The socks comfortably fit my size 9 (U.S.) feet. They are for my sister, who has size 8 1/2 but wider feet.


Started: Mid-December 2005
Finished: January 21, 2006
For whom: My sister, who asked for warm socks for Christmas.
What I learned: Knitting socks on size 4 needles is much faster than with size 0 or 1! How to do Kitchener stitch to cast off the socks. On the first sock, I think I wrapped the wool the wrong way, so the toe is a little pointy (on the right). But it doesn't look too bad, I hope, when the socks are being worn.


I like the cables that come all the way down the heel, so the socks can be worn with clogs.

Lace Hat, Striped Sock, Mountain Colors Scarf

Originally posted February 9, 2005.

Knitting Content!

I finally got a disposable camera of pictures and a roll of film developed today. (The pictures on the camera were almost a year old....) So, I'm eager to post some knitting pictures. (Click pictures for a closer view.) Full details will be posted later.

1) Lace Rib Watch Cap, from Hats On! by Charlene Schurch.




2) Self-striping sock, Wendy Johnson's Generic Toe-up Sock Pattern. (Yes, I still need to knit the second sock.)




3) A rather extravagent scarf, in Mountain Colors Wooly Feathers and Merino Ribbon using their Gypsy Scarf pattern in the Yellowstone colorway.