Winter is here! I know this because we had our first proper snow here in the Netherlands this weekend! I love winter! I don’t mind having to cycle through the snowfall to get to campus, I love the cold. Wintery things I did was set up the Christmas tree, wear my lopi cardigan to university (to celebrate the first snowfall) and I bought Christmas presents (after I realised it was already December and I kinda freaked out)
While lots of knitting blogs I follow are in full-swing gift-knitting modus, in my little corner of the world we are not. This is not a principle thing or something, I do knit gifts… though admittedly I mostly knit for myself, it’s just that this year my family does Christmas a little different…and well nobody asked so nobody gets 😉 So here in the treehouse it’s knit for Nisse in full swing modus…like it is basically the whole year around. So on this glorious winter day I present to you my latest knit:
It’s Simple sprinkle, by Finnish designer Veera Välimäki. She’s know for her simplistic designs, clear lines and stripes. She obviously loves stripes and has a lot of designs with them including the ever popular Color Affection.
Raveled here
Soundtrack: Hollow Talk – Choir of Young Believers (anyone else fan of the Swedish/ Danish detective the Bridge?)
When Veera published the pattern for this cowl a couple of moths ago I instantly knew I wanted to make it as it combines a lot of the things I love: lot’s of colours, a long cowl, stripes and a fast knit. I started it last week on a whim…I needed some comfort knitting and this cowl was exactly that. I think it’s a great beginners project as it’s fun to make, doesn’t take up much time and the stripes and short row shaping keeps you interested. Short rows aren’t difficult! Just find a youtube video or someone who’s willing to explain it to you and you’re ready to go!
Three days fast forward and we have a finished cowl! I’m really happy with it and think I will wear it a lot. I only used scraps for this cowl and it’s the perfect stash buster. What makes it even better is that most of these scarps invoke memories of things I knitted with it or people I got it from. There is a piece of my first sweater, yarn I got from my both grandmothers, a blue piece which I made from leftovers I used to knit my brother a hat, leftovers from a scarf for my dad…combine this and you get a patchwork of thick wooly goodness.
All photo’s were taken at my parents house. The painting in the background was made by my aunt.
I hope you’re all having a great week and are right on track with your gift knitting! To all Dutch readers, I wish you a lovely Sinterklaas feest tomorrow!
wow, what a cosy cowl this is…and it looks supercomfy!
and i LOVE your soay cardigan, so pretty. i am working on a soay for my mother these days (in a purple colored rowan tweed yarn) after that i want to make one for myself too : )
happy knitting!
v
ps:
pippi is my hero too!
a couple of years back i got to visit astrid lindgren's childhood home and there i saw the tree that is said to be the tree that inspired to the "pippi tree" where pippi plays inside : )
Beautiful Simple Sprinkle,
You can – possibly maybe – knit a present, even if it's not on the Christmas list. Big surpise..?? I would not mind!
Have fun in the snow tomorrow..
Lance
Hey V, thanks! Rowan Tweed is amazing, I'm working on a sweater with it as well.
How cool that you got to visit Astrid Lindgren's childhood home. If I ever visit Scandinavia, it'll definately be on my list (though to be fair, my list would be quite long).
And Lance; I might, we'll see on Christmas eve, right? 😉