st brigid no. 2

here is my latest st. brigid. it wasn't less fun to knit the second. i love the pattern and learn a lot about cables when i knit it. my st. brigid's has a lot less ease than the original pattern due to my gauge that is obviously different than alice's. and i am happy about the more snug fit that in my opinion makes it much more wearable. especially for skirt girls like me and my sister. she is alba's grandmother.

i used to think it was not so hip to knit other people's patterns but i have changed opinion. there is a lot to learn when using a skilled knitter's patterns. as for example alice's or jared's . and from that learning experience it is possible to refine my own designs eventually.

the whole knitting process was very fast with this one. it made me think of when the mice helped cinderella hem the dress for the big ball. i almost felt like some one was doing the work for me. from start to finish the whole thing was done in a fortnight.

the yarn is hebridean 3 ply. i absolutely lurve this yarn. it has all the qualities a good yarn should have. and there are some amazing colours all inspired by different aspects of nature and especially the nature of lewis in the hebrides. i love reading alice's colourstories on her website. the colourway is fulmar which is inspired by the colours of this bird's wing. it is a kind of latte colour with whispers of rust, green and dusky pink. a very unusual colour that changes a lot depending on the light. i guess all colours do but this does it very much. and yes we like to wear hats indoors.

i have a lot of projects that i want to knit. i want to knit jared's new hats and ordered some jamieson's for one of them. and the red hebridean 3 ply is for a matinée coat for alba in a design by alice starmore from her book 'the children's collection that is available at her website at a reasonable price ( 12 gbp) and at an unreasonable price at ebay. maybe it will be a collector's item in time to come.

i have also started knitting irish moss from aran knitting for my brother in cushendale from ireland . it consists of a lot of purl stitches knitted from the back so i think it is important to have more than one project going on since it does make your hands and arms ache a bit.

oh dear what a lot of boring details.... i always wonder if my blog posts would be a bit more fun in danish.

swimmingly

i cannot begin to say what a big joy it is to knit na craga. the pattern is so well and logically orchestrated. and the result is quite beautiful. i only hope the sweater will stay in shape and not pill awfully..

i am knitting a lot in public these days. i get all kinds of comments from strangers passing by like:

how diligent you are (elderly ladies)

is this for someone for christmas (middleaged men)

and all such things.

the lady remark is very process oriented.

the man remark is very product oriented.

i wonder if that applies for most things in life.

but the funniest thing was yesterday when i saw a youngish woman sitting knitting by one of the lakes here i cph. i went to the bench and took out my knitting too. and after a very short time we were talking and talking about knitting and designers and colours and good and bad ways to write patterns. she was actually writing a pattern for a company. i was shocked to hear how little those companies pay for such a big effort. i sometimes think it could be fun to publish knitting patterns but i want money, that's what i want, as the song goes. it is sad that it gets paid so badly and it is even more sad that it is because knitting is so biased. but maybe that will change in the future. i think we need handwork in the world today where so many people don't do much else but eating and playing on the computer whenever they have some time off!!!

oh and i have decided to go on a small trip to vilnius lithuania. i have heard there is a whole lot of knitting going on there. i will indulge.