tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-336212502012-01-10T13:57:20.070-06:00Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.comBlogger2171100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-88680605676973140062012-01-08T23:58:00.001-06:002012-01-09T00:00:59.375-06:00

As soon as I found out that we had a grandbaby on the way I was looking for baby projects to knit for her. Baby items are small and quick to make so I made quite a few before this little one arrived!  Nothing like a first time grandma who loves to knit right? I decided it was about time I shared some of what I made. Because my daughter and her husband had decided not to find out the sex of the

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-52348476604452650372011-12-28T17:30:00.000-06:002011-12-28T17:30:24.631-06:00

ILENA -- One month old tomorrow.

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-16449186078467479912011-08-12T17:21:00.000-05:002011-08-12T17:21:47.787-05:00

I am really pleased with my State Fair results.  Though it is sometimes hard to understand just why they choose the things they do. Blue Ribbon (first place) and Best Child's Sweater award from the Des Moines Knitting Guild -- Cabled Sweater made in River Jeans cotton yarn.  Blue Ribbon -- Eggplant round-yoke sweater with stranded designs This is my favorite sweater of all that I have knit.

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-85395015372069822602011-08-09T00:49:00.001-05:002011-08-09T10:39:15.757-05:00

Ten Items or Less -- oh wait, that was the name of a children's book that we used to read to the children. This is the pile of knitting that I sent off to the fair. There are actually 10 items in the pile ready to go. Sweaters, afghan, hat, shawls etc.  Wednesday night there is a preview for the entrants.  Last year Ames was flooded on the day of the preview, let's hope that doesn't happen again

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-49279244014734531172011-07-06T17:14:00.000-05:002011-07-06T17:14:48.015-05:00

I love lace shawls.  They are so delicate and pretty! I have been reluctant to make them for myself though because I wasn't sure if I would wear them. This past winter, some of the women of my knitting group have been making and wearing some beautiful lace shawls though so I decided to try my hand at them too. I made the Multnomah shawl in a small size last fall. It was easy garter stitch and

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-73859961381543950522011-07-01T21:36:00.001-05:002011-07-01T21:38:07.061-05:00

Hats, hats and more hats!  Great way to use up scraps of yarn! Not really needed right now but they will be come winter.  These hats are destined for the kindergarten children of the Choctaw Nation Head Start program in Oklahoma.  A friend of mine has  been collecting 310 hats each year to send to this program. Here is her blog if you want to follow the progress:  310 Hats So far, I have made 7

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-81050399449220034562011-06-29T16:58:00.000-05:002011-06-29T16:58:21.685-05:00

With a grandbaby on the way, I had to knit some things for this little one to wear!  They live in Las Vegas which is generally pretty warm to so hot you can't stand it! But they do have cool weather in the winter and especially at night or in the air conditioning.  I just finished a cute sweater and hat in purple and greens which I hope they will feel they can use for either a boy or girl. I

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-74337527491355319622011-06-10T17:26:00.005-05:002011-06-10T17:42:24.425-05:00

I finally finished up some pattern design work this week. Some of these have been a really long time coming. I am glad to have them finished and hope people will like the patterns. You can find them all for sale on my web site www.denisesneedleworks.com along with lots of other great patterns, needles and some fun notions. I am working on adding more products to the site so keep it bookmarked

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-24142951868302339102011-06-09T16:40:00.008-05:002011-06-09T17:01:36.233-05:00

I love to knit. You all know that by now! My knitting enthusiasm had dipped a lot though this spring and I wasn't sure what to knit any more. Then my daughter, Jessie, announced that there was a baby on the way and when were her blankets coming! Ha! She knows me well!I started a blanket, of course but it got a bit off course somewhere. I think I was mathematically challenged. I started

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-44311938095129589542011-01-16T23:48:00.005-06:002011-03-18T23:45:54.501-05:00

I finished the first mitten! This one went really fast. Maybe it was because I really wanted to see it finished? Now I know I will have at least one mitten to display at Arnhild's Retreat with the patterns that I have ordered for the retreat store. Again, it is Terri Shea's Kitty Selbu pattern available through Ravelry. The yarn is Rauma Finullgarn. Finullgarn is a great yarn to work with

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-59920310615648279512011-01-14T14:06:00.008-06:002011-03-18T23:48:13.699-05:00

There is a group of knitters on Ravelry who have all taken up the challenge to knit or crochet 11 pair of mittens in 2011. Now, you might think we are all crazy but when next winter comes and your hands are cold, think of us with our beautiful mittens to keep our fingers warm. If you are really nice to us, we might share the warmth! A knitter always loves to have her work admired and

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-86570483330494144002011-01-14T11:42:00.018-06:002011-01-14T14:05:15.491-06:00

I have put together two blankets so far to send to Afghanistan for the current Youth Campaign. These will be put in a box and sent to SanFrancisco. From there the will be put into big shipping containers and sent on to Afghanistan. They will not arrive there until next winter. This shipment will go to children in schools operated by "Help the Afghan Children." It takes so much planning to get

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-27743007382722798682011-01-14T11:42:00.015-06:002011-01-14T13:36:17.707-06:00

I finished the White Clovers pullover. It went up and down several times as I tried to get the fit right in the shoulders and neck. Here it is finished as the designer has written the pattern, with a turtle neck:Then I ripped it back again and finished it with a crew neck. I like the looks of the crew neck much better. The Vamsegarn has softened up nicely with wearing. I am really enjoying

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-42489439382759853802010-12-17T11:15:00.007-06:002010-12-17T11:32:37.161-06:00

I have been making a sweater for myself! Not for display in the shops but for me to wear! I had been looking at what I had to keep me warm this winter and found that I really didn't have much for warm sweaters. This will be a wonderfully warm, wool sweater for these cold, cold days.As I was thinking about what to make I ran across a pattern that a designer wanted to have tested to make sure

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-92061621789330597682010-11-24T11:24:00.012-06:002010-11-24T12:09:37.947-06:00

The Wild Blue Horses Cap is growing. You can start to make out the horses now. See the nose on the right and the mane on the left? Soon I start decreasing for the top of the cap. Then the rows get shorter and it starts to go faster.Here is where I am on the sides that have the flowers.I have also been working on some Norwegian mittens. The star mittens are from an Arnhild's Knitting Studio

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-76598361198393969752010-11-19T12:09:00.008-06:002010-11-19T13:58:36.177-06:00

You know that saying, right? Well, in this case the Wild Blue Horses dragged me away to knit this fabulous 5-sided cap. Here is the designer's picture of it:And here is my progress so far. It is going pretty well, I think. The colors look different in my photo because of different lighting but they are the same colors as the original.The design is by Cynthia Wasner of Norsk Needlework. She

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-35115467884987307042010-10-28T22:54:00.003-05:002010-10-28T23:04:17.268-05:00

I have almost finished another pair of fingerless mitts! It would have been nice to have them finished for Amy to wear last night. The Ames High School marching band was at the football game last night to support their team in the playoffs. It was cold and windy! She plays piccolo so she needs the fingers to play but needed to keep them from stiffening up in the cold. Maybe for the next one!

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-19982491403020628482010-10-26T18:03:00.003-05:002010-10-28T22:53:54.439-05:00

Lately, I have been working on blanket blocks for this organization of knitters and crocheters who send afghans, mittens, hats, socks and sweaters to the children and adults of Afghanistan. If you noticed, the project right now is for next winter, winter 2011-2012 not this coming winter. It takes time for the shipments to arrive in Afghanistan and more time for distribution at the grassroots

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-68001864823935514952010-10-14T22:35:00.009-05:002010-10-14T23:37:40.531-05:00

I have been knitting a lot of mitts and mittens this summer. You would think that I would want to knit tank tops or something cool for summer wear. But this summer mittens really took over my knitting.In August before I went to Norway I sent off a couple of pair of very simple children's mittens to a Ravlery group project called For the Children of Pine Ridge. They were bright orange and purple

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-49075947335755638652010-10-04T20:06:00.006-05:002010-10-04T20:36:48.466-05:00

The first thing I have to cover when the weather gets cool is my neck. If I get a draft down my neck, I am cold all over! So I have been making some cowls and scarves to keep myself and others warm.I started out this summer making a cowl from some beautiful, soft sock yarn called Mini Mochi from Crystal Palace Yarns. I had gotten 2 different colors in this yarn. The first one was greens, golds

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-31256472608156913992010-10-01T15:25:00.006-05:002010-10-01T16:05:02.638-05:00

I have been so busy since I got back from Norway! My kids are back to homeschooling, things are slowly getting sorted out with my father-in-law's estate--very slowly, the household routine is getting back to more or less "normal" and I have been knitting, of course!My knitting lately has been primarily for some patterns that I have been working on. I finally have the first new on up! DN1009

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-68102774632460636612010-08-20T15:17:00.004-05:002010-08-20T15:53:11.456-05:00

I have a fun 2 weeks to spend in Norway. Internet connections are not always good because we are staying in small local hotels but tonight it seems to be working for now at least so I will try to upload some pictures. Click them for a closer look.First our friendly sheep. They park themselves on the road over here. Drive carefully, everyone!The GPS was very helpful most of the time. We went up

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-62633934465307090872010-07-31T21:11:00.009-05:002010-07-31T21:30:04.663-05:00

I entered the fair for the first time this year. I have thought about it before but never followed through to get it done. Some of the knitters from the Ames Public Library's Knit and Crochet group were talking about entering so I thought maybe this year should be the year I finally did too. I found that there were lots of categories in knitting. I thought I might be able to enter a few things

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-88852266476652104312010-07-22T17:32:00.001-05:002010-07-22T17:32:28.234-05:00

I was given some yarns for charity projects. There was lots of orange Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride worsted yarn so I have been making socks for Afghans 4 Afghans. They will go to the women and children in Kabul. These are about a women's size 7-8.I have also made mittens for the children of the Pine Ridge reservation. They are sized to fit a 4-5 year old in the Head Start program. I already have

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-73559337149073410092010-07-21T20:29:00.008-05:002010-07-21T22:58:29.181-05:00

Cowls seem to be a very popular item with knitters on Ravelry at least. I think they are a great idea. They keep your neck warm without the dangling tails of a scarf. I found a pattern there recently that I wanted to try.This is the Willow Cowl, a free Ravelry download, if you are a member there. If you aren't a member go to ravelry.com and sign up! It's free. Ravelry is a wonderful

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-34205730045873276252010-07-14T22:56:00.004-05:002010-07-14T23:09:03.950-05:00

I had the chance to set up a booth for Scandinavian Days in the small town of Story City, Iowa at the Son's of Norway lodge last month. It is an annual celebration that brings the whole town and many from surrounding towns out for fun and food.I brought lots of great Norwegian knitting to show off. It was fun talking with people about their heritage. I heard so many say, "My grandmother(mother

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-82934825275991662522010-06-20T09:36:00.000-05:002011-07-08T09:37:57.782-05:00

TNNA -- The National Needlearts Association puts on a big summer trade show in Columbus every year in June. I went with Arnhild's Knitting Studio again to help display all of the Rauma Yarns and Norwegian knitting patterns. It is a lot of work but great fun too. The people involved in the fiber industry are wonderful! Here are some of the pictures from our booth. Many of these are new

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-11702376372021850672010-05-10T21:13:00.007-05:002010-05-10T21:27:12.715-05:00

I have it bad......I started another project. No, the pink AH103 mittens are not finished yet.These are going to be the Annemor #15 gloves from Terri Shea's book Selbuvotter. The yarn is Rauma Finullgarn colors #438 and 4705.People have asked if they can substitute Finullgarn in these patterns for the Rauma Gammelserie that is suggested. The 2 yarns are slightly different in gauge. It is

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-47908716404242226912010-04-14T09:34:00.004-05:002010-04-14T10:13:53.084-05:00

The past couple of days have been busy so I haven't gotten as far on my mitten knitting. There is a knitting group at Borders that I recently started attending on Tuesday afternoons so I took the mitten along yesterday. I should have known better! Talking and following a pattern don't mix well! HA! I think I need to look closely at the last couple of rows again before I go on. I did get to

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-65267607308325553592010-04-12T09:44:00.007-05:002010-04-12T10:33:47.499-05:00

A knitter commented on Ravelry that the AH103 pattern possibly had mistakes. Arnhild created the pattern in the early 1990’s for classes she was teaching. She hadn't had any comments before now, but mistakes can happen. She has gone through several computer systems in that time and has revamped many of the patterns. Sometimes in making changes and reprinting things can accidentally be changed.

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-28390889412852776052010-04-08T11:15:00.004-05:002010-04-15T09:02:55.969-05:00

I finished these in record time I think! I was really enjoying this yarn. It is soft and just a bit fuzzy and they colors are great fun. I didn't do any fancy stitching, just plain stockinette.

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-55510024318448599492010-03-30T19:39:00.003-05:002010-03-31T09:59:33.540-05:00

What a fabulous weekend! It was the last weekend of the Olympics so we had to celebrate that. This is our Olympic display. Aren't those sweaters gorgeous! The Norwegian ski team was not doing well in the Olympics, so there was some disappointment but overall, it was a great weekend for the 15th annual Arnhild's Knitting Studio Retreat. We packed up Brunhild (she is on the left here), and her

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-2917054802877392532010-02-24T22:51:00.001-06:002010-02-24T22:53:03.693-06:00

For Arnhild's Knitting Studio's 15th annual retreat!The cars are all packed. The new models are done (or almost done). The yarn and needles and buttons are waiting patiently. Tomorrow we unload it all at the hotel and transform one of the rooms into a full yarn shop!Let the fun begin!

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-83570298455530677892010-02-03T10:59:00.004-06:002010-02-03T11:36:54.578-06:00

I finished them last night. This is a picture against the snow bank, though you can't really tell it is snow. Yesterday was day 56 according to the weather man. We have had 4 inches of snow or more on the ground for the past 56 days! Several days ago, (about 2 snows ago) I heard there had been more than 40 inches of snow since winter started. That gives some indication of just how cold and

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-9106088740298709792010-02-01T08:52:00.015-06:002010-02-01T17:19:39.051-06:00

We had a busy week with our daughter home from Nevada for the first time in a year. It was such fun to have her here. Now it is back to our regularly scheduled programming... school, work, making meals, washing laundry, and hopefully knitting!I have found some time most evenings to knit. I finished up some slipper socks for the girls. Now they all have a pair of nice warm, thick, wool

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-91782026510430696852010-01-19T13:19:00.002-06:002010-01-19T13:23:26.504-06:00

My web host is having problems so I am not getting all of my email from my web site. I can access orders through Paypal so I will be sending things out. If you need to contact me, or have contacted me through my web site email (anything with a @denisesneedleworks.com on the end) I may not have gotten it. Please send me a message at dibalvanz@gmail.com and I will be glad to respond through that

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-53192030012451971802010-01-17T17:45:00.001-06:002010-01-17T17:51:41.207-06:00

As the old saying goes, "Time flies when you are having fun." It has been a great holiday season for us but also very busy. We have spent time with family and friends, helped a daughter move, rejoiced about a new baby in the family, mourned for relatives and good friends who are gone from us now, wrapped presents and opened them, played games, and laughed and had lots of fun together. I hope

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-86599158171901567652009-11-11T10:56:00.009-06:002009-11-12T08:02:56.917-06:00

Sunset over Ellison Bay, Door County, WisconsinWhat a fabulous way to take a break! I had an opportunity to go to The Clearing Folk School the end of October. It was sort of last minute. Arnhild was teaching a Reversible Knitting Class and her husband was planning to go along but something came up that he wanted to attend instead. I am so glad that I said yes when they asked if I could go in

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-37386261571952463112009-09-18T20:51:00.000-05:002009-09-18T20:51:32.922-05:00

I often seem to forget to take the final pictures of my projects in my hurry to get them delivered to where they need to go. So here are some that I finally caught up with again. These are all being used as samples for Arnhild's Knitting Studio. They sometimes get loaned out to yarn shops. You may see them at your LYS some time.Rauma Pattern 138 Man's Norwegian V-neck CardiganYarn: Rauma

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-4145151761616539362009-08-19T17:17:00.003-05:002009-08-19T17:22:58.458-05:00

I took my teal socks outside for better light. The colors are much truer in this one. Just look at how that left one has a beautiful spiral of little navy blips ! I started the right sock from the opposite end of the skein and it has much smaller blips of navy and less white. You can tell they are related but they look like they could have come from separate skeins. I love to watch the color

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-34331174862355859602009-08-17T20:37:00.006-05:002009-08-17T21:41:22.590-05:00

My knitting has been frustrating me lately. I have been ripping at least as much as I have knit I think. This is Rauma 1272 Margrethe. It is a lovely pullover sweater that I started in June. I worked on the hem and bottom border while we were at TNNA. The yellow recommended in this pattern has been discontinued so I have had to make a substitution for it. There is also a green in the

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-65036824880502259162009-08-12T22:31:00.008-05:002009-08-15T23:38:57.713-05:00

It has been a busy summer here. I have not had time to post much but I have been knitting right along. I already showed you the pictures from TNNA with the sweaters that I finished before the show. I also made one of the Bunad stockings from the new LVS 4 book that Arnhild translated. This is a beautiful cabled knee-high stocking. I love the cables in it.Before the show I saw some beautiful

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-15737487897115106802009-08-08T20:46:00.007-05:002009-08-12T23:13:32.883-05:00

I finished the work on these sweaters well before the TNNA show. I was so busy getting things ready that I forgot to take pictures of them though. These are pictures of them in the display at the show.Pattern: #138RS Man's Norwegian Sweater Black and White with Stars on the left of the two hanging sweaters.Yarn: StrikkegarnPattern: Children's Cabled Sweater-Red between the white pieces.Yarn:

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-22951959663898399362009-08-08T20:05:00.008-05:002009-08-08T20:45:34.700-05:00

I know it is a little late but I thought I should at least post some pictures of The National Needle Arts Association's annual trade show. I took these pictures on the day we set things up. Some things are not quite finished and the lighting was not the best but you can see everything I think. Cameras were not allowed on the floor during the show.We took lots of new models! The black and white

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-67545601993072498682009-06-03T23:30:00.003-05:002009-06-03T23:32:10.037-05:00

Another sample for the trade show. This one is only a size 2 children's sweater. It is going quickly in Vamsegarn, a worsted weight yarn. Good thing, we leave in one week for the show and this is supposed to be in the display! I have the body done and one sleeve started now but haven't been able to get photos yet.I had some problems along the way. No, make that lots of problems along the way

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-61928116624346685972009-06-02T10:20:00.002-05:002009-06-02T10:31:44.368-05:00

It is finished and ready to go to the show! I think I looks great. I will be a very warm sweater for my hubby next winter too.Here are the details:Rauma pattern 2064Vamsegarn 1100grams of 5 different colorsNeedles sizes 4 & 4.5 mm - US 6 & 7I would usually use a larger needle with Vamsegarn This was all done as knit 1, purl 1 which is always a looser gauge for me than stockinette.This is an

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-14196862982573596702009-05-30T19:09:00.006-05:002009-05-30T20:36:16.516-05:00

We are staying at the First National Bank location for at least another six months. Arnhild's Knitting Studio & Fiber Arts School is planning for some new classes and Denise's Needleworks will continue to provide the on-site Rauma yarn shop.We will be going to TNNA, the big needle arts trade show in Ohio, in a couple of weeks. When we return we will be rearranging the school and store and

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-22050328585621117142009-05-20T20:16:00.006-05:002009-05-20T20:39:26.753-05:00

I love to create things in crochet! I find it easy to "see" how to get the shapes I want in crochet. I am not sure why I don't do more of it? Too many other things to do I supppose, like taking care of my family, homeschooling, running kids to activities, working with Arnhild and running my own business. I guess you would say that my days are a little busy! HA!I made up this little purse

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-40301954740784336052009-05-12T09:53:00.008-05:002009-05-12T10:58:39.843-05:00

Do you like knee-hi socks? Cables, lace, ribs, stranded 2-color designs like the Norwegain star or even entrelac? You will love this book!We are working on the translation and samples for a new book to be released at the TNNA trade show in June. Those who came to the Arnhild's Knitting Studio February retreat have already had a chance to see the book.This is the 4th book in the LVS series.

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-17875765588683893752009-05-06T18:33:00.006-05:002009-05-06T18:59:54.026-05:00

My current knitting is getting rather boring. I think it is because this is such a big project and is pretty much the same throughout.This sweater went with me to Texas for spring break in March. There wasn't much to see along the way. It is growing steadily and hopefully will be finished soon. I have taken it to all of the classes we have been teaching. The students all look over eagerly

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-48779536329340756802009-04-28T14:23:00.011-05:002009-04-28T17:59:50.377-05:00

I wanted to share some pictures of our school and store. We have 2 small rooms in the basement of the First National Bank on Lincoln Way in Ames, Iowa. One of the rooms is set up for classes and has lots of projects displayed. The other room is my store.We currently have 2 classes going: Basic Knitting and Norwegian Knitting. The classes are running one night a week for 8 weeks. We cover a lot

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-81000370011727595132009-04-21T20:43:00.005-05:002009-05-07T11:29:10.376-05:00

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Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-42442688805150602612009-04-20T10:53:00.008-05:002009-04-21T20:54:14.151-05:00

Denise's Needleworks Rauma store at Arnild's Knitting Studio Retreat It took 6 of of us most of a day to set up this yarn shop in a hotel conference room for the retreat. There were also many hours put in before the move to plan and pack everything into the truck and vans. It turned out very nice and we got lots of compliments on how beautiful the shop was. The shop was available to those

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-16767021370644578382009-04-03T09:54:00.007-05:002009-04-03T10:43:30.232-05:00

Thanks to Terri Shea's beautiful design and finishing work this is a gorgeous sweater. I knit the body and sleeves for her and she did the rest. Now the pattern is ready so you can make your own!Here is the link to the pattern ordering information on Terri's web site spinningwheel.netThe yarn is Rauma Finullgarn colors #487, 488 and 417Gauge: 30 sts to 4" over stranded stockinetteSuch a

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-6070368473777793832009-02-14T21:37:00.005-06:002009-02-14T21:51:40.701-06:00

Such a young lady! Amy is off to the Winter Formal dance at the high school tonight. There is a story behind this beautiful periwinkle blue dress. We were going to buy Amy a dress because I was so busy trying to get things ready for the knitting retreat and our new school and store set up. Last weekend we went one last time to try to find a dress. There was nothing. It wasn't that she was

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-42249579148278816222009-01-28T09:47:00.010-06:002009-01-28T10:57:40.829-06:00

I finally found some time to take pictures of the knitting I have been doing. I really have been knitting but just hadn't found time to blog about it. I have spent that past couple of months trying to keep up with Arnhild's business as well as my own business and taking care of my family. I found some time in there to knit apparently too, as you can see!There are hats and a cowl to go to

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-1061012809954564162009-01-15T20:24:00.010-06:002009-01-15T20:56:21.803-06:00

The Norwegian sweaters that I have been making lately usually take pretty small needles because of the fine yarns. I had found that these sizes were often not available at local craft stores. Rauma carries a full line of PT needles in a wide variety of sizes and types. I have added some of them to my online store. I am hoping to expand the available sizes in the near future but for now I have

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-21922606153676254572009-01-08T21:36:00.007-06:002009-01-08T21:50:17.191-06:00

really I did. I really left you all hanging though didn't I? Sorry about that! We had a wonderful time in Michigan with the classes, the people in the classes and with the owners of Threadbear Fiber Arts Studio. Then things got very busy for me!Arnhild has been in Norway since mid-November so I am in charge of her business as well as my own. Things have been going well for both. We had great

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-79039933084756034092008-11-05T08:42:00.003-06:002008-11-05T09:03:42.414-06:00

We leave tomorrow morning! I am going to assist Arnhild with some classes at Threadbear Fiber Arts Studio in Lansing, Michigan this weekend. I have heard a lot about this fabulous store and I am looking forward to seeing it. I will be taking along the sleeves of the Norwegian Star sweater to work on as we travel. I am never sure how much knitting I will actually have time for so we will see

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-83679521582649887282008-10-24T10:04:00.006-05:002008-10-24T10:41:03.459-05:00

I am finally to the top of the shoulders! Look at those beautiful Norwegain Stars!!I really enjoy the geometric shapes of typical Norwegian designs. Squares, diamonds, parallelograms, triangles. The small dot pattern is called "lice" because...well...it looks sort of like lice I guess. I think it looks like snowflakes. Actually, the whole thing looks like snow to me. The big snowflakes of a

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-80397293202495885492008-10-11T15:32:00.004-05:002008-10-11T16:15:14.620-05:00

This month is Socktoberfest again. Everyone is knitting socks for the winter. Or at least I and a bunch of sock enthusiasts are. I have joined a group of people who are trying to finish up the second sock of a pair. There are 3 on my list that I would really like to get finished soon. Winter is coming, the days are getting cooler and I have already started wearing my wool socks some. Of

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-26806233301449457272008-10-08T21:42:00.006-05:002008-10-08T21:50:05.292-05:00

After sending the Berries Cardigan to Terri I picked up this Man's Norwegian Cardigan again. It has gone much faster than the Berries! Partly because it is 6 rows to the inch instead of 11 and partly because the "lice" pattern is very simple and fast to knit.Here is where I am now:I have started the V-neck shaping and the larger patterns at the shoulders.This is fun!!!

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-58846967852657963552008-10-08T21:37:00.004-05:002008-10-08T21:41:44.919-05:00

I sent it off a couple of weeks ago to Terri Shea. The knitting was done and she will do the finishing. I am looking forward to seeing the finished results when she gets it photographed for the new pattern!Keep and eye on Terri's blog www.spinningwheel.net for further developments.

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-77074329937974664812008-08-27T21:32:00.003-05:002008-08-27T21:42:00.235-05:00

My camera is broken. It wasn't saving things very well and then ds, Philip, dropped it. Now the flash doesn't work either so the pictures are coming out very dark or over flashed. So no pictures for a while probably until I can get a new camera.I am working my way down the first sleeve of the Berries Cardigan. This week has been very busy again so I am not getting as far as I would like with

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-40678842233731755932008-08-21T10:58:00.006-05:002008-08-21T11:10:47.884-05:00

Anyone know that song from the Muppet Movie? My older kids loved the Muppets. We have been introducing the younger ones to them through the DVD's. Good wholesome fun!I feel like this Berries Cardigan had been moving right along until last week. Then I got super busy with preparations for school, meetings that are starting up and a dozen other things that had to be attended to.The body is

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-2176454640704777772008-08-05T20:24:00.005-05:002008-08-21T11:11:25.599-05:00

have I been? Sorry, I haven't posted in quite a while. I don't usually go this long without something to post about.I have been working faithfully on the sweater for Terri Shea. I have gotten to the front neck decreases and will soon be to the shoulders.I was hoping to give you another peek at it but ... my camera died. That is the other reason that haven't posted recently. I think it is

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-13584792343861532692008-07-13T22:34:00.005-05:002008-07-21T23:20:20.800-05:00

I finished a pair of mittens this weekend!!I finally got the thumbs finished and there are no holes! YEA!The Berries Sweater for Terri Shea is coming along too. I have completed 2 repeats of the berries now. Hopefully it won't take as long as I originally thought it would! It is going to be a gorgeous sweater.Pattern: Esther's McMittens

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-2436301816451239102008-07-10T20:31:00.005-05:002008-08-21T11:11:54.140-05:00

So,Terri Shea asked me to knit a sample sweater for a new line of Selbu inspired patterns she is designing. Her design ideas were so beautiful that I was intrigued.They will use Finullgarn which is the fingering weight of the Norwegian yarns from Rauma. It makes a nice lightweight sweater. I have fallen in love with all of the Rauma yarns so I couldn't say no.Saturday a box of yarn arrived on

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-28792710190583147662008-07-10T20:14:00.006-05:002008-07-21T23:21:30.125-05:00

I keep starting mittens! I really need to finish some of them up don't I?This yellow one is for a Mystery Mittalong. Basically, the person leading the knit along gives us a few rows of knitting to do each day but we don't know what it is going to look like until we knit it. I am not quite done with clue #3 here. These will fit a pre-schooler.This orange pair is from a pattern that my friend

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-39050856191732052692008-06-22T18:21:00.008-05:002008-06-22T18:43:10.976-05:00

I have several charity projects that I knit for.There areprayer shawls for our church ministry,hats & mittens for the international families -- also part of our church ministry,hats for www.knit-a-cap.org, and recently I started making wool mittens for Macuwita-Sni (on Yahoo) (and here on Ravelry) a project for the Cheyenne River Sioux in South DakotaThe hat that I started on my way home from

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-74571896245958605272008-06-22T18:06:00.006-05:002008-06-22T18:21:06.260-05:00

Of course I had to have some knitting to do while at a trade show that was focused on Needlearts!!On the way to Ohio we were trying to finish up some of the display projects. I made several rosettes for the green Pillpi/Chiri hat/scarf/wristwarmers set that was displayed. We needed 20 rosettes so as we took turns driving we also took turns knitting them.Then I started a pair of adult women's

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-49229650592866350022008-06-22T17:37:00.005-05:002008-06-22T18:04:53.377-05:00

I have been very slow to report about our trip to The National Needle Arts Association trade show. I went with Arnhild from Arnhild's Knitting Studio and her other helper Linda. They are still setting things up in this picture. It was exhausting but great fun! We have been very busy since then trying to fill all of the orders.The day we set up was very hot and humid in Columbus, Ohio. I

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-77327771284343343442008-06-02T10:16:00.002-05:002008-06-02T10:27:45.182-05:00

Nice warm wool mittens! These are for charity. They will go to the Cheyenne River Sioux in South Dakota through the Macuwita-sni (which means "I'm not cold.") group. In other knitting, the Chiri baby sweaters are drying after their final wash. I will try to get pictures of them up later. I think all of the knitting I needed to do for the trade show is finished! Now, I need to start

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-74867816982536508662008-05-27T21:07:00.004-05:002008-05-27T21:33:51.409-05:00

It's finished! I found the perfect buttons too!This sweater has taken a lot longer to make than I thought it would. I got interrupted a lot with other projects while working on it. Then I got bored and really didn't want to do the sewing up parts.I really don't like the sewing up. That's why many years ago I taught myself how to make seamless sweaters!This will be a great winter sweater. It

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-83717926312764914822008-05-22T17:05:00.004-05:002008-05-22T17:49:31.187-05:00

Things are coming together for the TNNA trade show. Only 2 weeks to go and much to do yet! Arnhild and I went over the preparations list again yesterday. We are pretty much packed up for the display now except for the models that are not finished. These 2 projects will be going into one of the rolling suitcases.The River Jeans cotton Cabled Sweater. I made the size 2-4 toddler. This yarn

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-2568092649053369542008-05-07T20:01:00.006-05:002008-05-07T20:15:45.092-05:00

I can't believe it! I won one of these skeins of beautiful hand dyed yarn from Ray at Knitivity!He asked people who read his blog to answer the question: “Why did I name the single ply line Biagio?” or indicate the significance of the name. The correct response, of course, is that Biagio is named after Santo Biagio (St. Blaise), the patron saint of wool-carders.Ray makes some of the most

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-17212508615223019082008-05-07T14:41:00.009-05:002008-05-07T18:20:13.643-05:00

I haven't posted in a while because I have been busy trying to get this little toddler sweater knit up for the TNNA trade show next month. This pattern is newly translated into English by Arnhild and will be available as soon as it arrives from Norway.I am making the size 2-4 for display at the show. We don't have a lot of the yarn on hand yet either but there was enough for this size and it

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-20788412308785179232008-04-23T10:33:00.003-05:002008-04-23T10:50:52.722-05:00

When the cabled sweater was giving me problems I would work on this for a break. Ha! Some break! I did the increase row just above the ribbing on this one 6 times!!!! The first few times I was doing the math wrong, or at least thought I was. I kept coming up with too many stitches near the end of the row. Now you have to remember that this row started out with 277 stitches supposedly! So, I

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-47319389597914358582008-04-23T10:21:00.006-05:002008-04-23T10:53:38.288-05:00

It seems like this sweater has taken forever to knit! I would knit a ways and discover that I had forgotten to change the second strand to the next color. If it wasn't that I would find a cable that was crossed wrong. I actually had the right front knit all the way to the shoulder when I discovered that one. I had to rip a bunch of it because some of the stitches were already bound off for the

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-39113310849648560522008-04-07T11:25:00.006-05:002008-04-07T12:10:57.963-05:00

Last week I was going to show you my progress on the hat and sweater set that I am making for Arnhild to take to the TNNA trade show. I didn't find the time to get it posted though. So here is where I was last week and where I am now. The sweater is going really fast!The hat is finished. The sweater is now about 27 centimeters or 10.5 inches. The cables are looking really nice. There are 4

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-21327986700613575492008-04-03T12:00:00.006-05:002008-04-03T12:29:15.333-05:00

Arnhild and I made a visit to Decorah this past weekend. I was able to sit in on Arnhild's Norwegian Sweater classes at the Blue Heron Knittery. Sarah has a beautiful shop on West Water Street. I just had to share some pictures of it with you.I didn't get a photo of the outside of the shop though. I will have to go back for that! Downtown Decorah is beautiful with l0ts of historic

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-47036557740546286402008-03-26T09:59:00.004-05:002008-03-26T10:53:18.114-05:00

I have the task of making a sample for Arnhild's Knitting Studio for the TNNA show in June. This is my sweater kit for one of the new patterns from Rauma Designs of Norway. Pattern #2090RVF and 19 skeins of Vamsegarn and Finullgarn for the size medium. It is quite the pile of yarn!This cabled cardigan uses 2 strands of yarn which change colors to make subtle horizontal stripes. The blue is

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-42500738845768319492008-03-13T22:31:00.007-05:002008-03-13T22:57:32.097-05:00

We did it! The online shopping cart is up and functional now! You can see it at DenisesNeedleWorks.com. You can shop for Rauma yarns here. All of the patterns are here.My congratulations go to Philip, my second oldest, who did all of the web work for me! He has put together a beautiful site which I hope will be easy to use too. You will find his name on all of the pages.Thanks also to

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-34511466157263293342008-03-11T09:03:00.008-05:002008-04-10T20:47:47.806-05:00

I finally found time to post a picture of the felted mittens that I started during the knitting retreat in late February. These beauties are nice and thick and warm! Too bad I didn't think of this sooner. They would have been nice to have when the weather here was below zero.I used Rauma Vamsegarn for these on size 8 needles. They were knit in the round on double point needles. It took less

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-32862544724858039812008-02-26T21:35:00.026-06:002008-03-11T09:20:22.714-05:00

Arnhild's Knitting Studio Retreat 2008Rauma Retreat Shop hosted byDenise's NeedleworksKnitting retreat was fabulous!We had a pampered weekend full of knitting, classes, excellent food and fun. Well, I didn't get to attend any of the classes but I still had a lot of fun.We set up this beautiful store on Friday and started the weekend with soup, salads and lots of shopping.Saturday there were

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-51747279379517918702008-02-21T21:01:00.006-06:002008-03-13T17:15:53.039-05:00

I got the striped sweater finished earlier this week. It is in the tub ready to go to Arnhild's Knitting Retreat tomorrow. It is made of Vamsegarn, a worsted weight yarn from Rauma of Norway. It is a cute sweater but there were sooooo many yarn ends to weave in!Carl says that he would like it if it didn't have the pink in it. He is okay with the purple though.I also finished the little pink

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-42951929047667606322008-02-14T18:42:00.003-06:002008-02-14T18:55:56.892-06:00

Wow, time has been flying by! The weather here hasn't improved though. I was really hoping for a few warm days so we could thaw out a bit. The temperature seems to hover around zero far too much right now. It is sort of scary when you go out knowing that it is only 20 degrees and it feels WARM!My kids have been keeping me busy with activities like basketball, music lessons and concerts. I am

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-153722667499495532008-01-31T09:24:00.000-06:002008-01-31T09:37:11.822-06:00

Arnhild's knitting retreat is coming up in just 3 weeks! We decided that we needed more samples of the new patterns that have come in from Rauma in Norway. My assignment is to make this stockinette children's sweater. I don't have the pattern picture to show you so you will have to wait to see what the rest of it looks like.It is made in worsted weight yarn: Rauma VamsegarnThe pattern uses

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-77501217541374195192008-01-22T22:32:00.001-06:002008-01-22T22:53:04.023-06:00

Since the mittens were done I decided I needed to cast on something new. Well, it isn't new exactly. The Baby Surprise Jacket pattern has been around for quite a long time. You can find it in Elizabeth Zimmermann's books and as a separate Spun-Out pattern, all from School House Press.I wanted to try out the Rauma Babygarn. It is a wonderfully soft, washable, 100% wool baby yarn. And there

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-70511538289572703592008-01-22T21:47:00.001-06:002008-01-22T22:30:35.882-06:00

I finally got these finished this week! Aren't they cute? These are from Rauma's Selbustrikk pattern book: Barnevott #9 to fit 7-9 yearsRauma Gammelserie yarnSize 2 needlesCheck out Arnhild's Knitting Studio for sources.I am finding it much easier to follow the charts now. This is my third pair of Norwegian mittens so far. Rosie has asked me to make a pair with a moose on it for her. She saw

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-38777432654336579072008-01-10T17:34:00.000-06:002008-01-10T17:36:01.236-06:00

Introducing Tofutsies Weave SocksI mentioned this project in October. It was an entry for a sock design contest so I couldn't give too much away then. Now that the contest is over I can show them off. Oh, and I got second place!I love the bright colors of this yarn but I was disappointed with the way my first pair turned out. Two of the colors blend together as you knit to make a spiral of a

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-12081111862735200402008-01-10T16:30:00.000-06:002008-01-10T17:17:38.322-06:00

Then end of 2007 was rather stressful for me. I had some health problems before Christmas which put me in the hospital for a couple of days and I spent the next couple of weeks having tests and seeing doctors. I am feeling better now but still don't have an answer to what was going on. Hopefully the problem won't return.I had a great year otherwise. Our kids are growing up way too fast. As

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-3830420608239626002007-12-24T16:27:00.000-06:002007-12-24T16:29:27.983-06:00

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-75516461496402142672007-12-05T21:59:00.001-06:002007-12-05T22:17:07.881-06:00

I am working on a pair of Mitered Mittens. This is an Elizabeth Zimmermann pattern found in both Knitter's Almanac and Knitting Around. The mitten is knit straight using pairs of decreases and increases to give the shaping. It is a very interesting technique and very simple to knit. The thumb will be added later by snipping a stitch and unraveling some stitches to pick up and knit with. Take

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-17393389334887540392007-11-24T20:16:00.001-06:002007-11-24T20:39:29.016-06:00

I finally finished the first pair of Selbu mittens. Barnevott #10 in the Selbustrikk book. It is a child size pair of mittens. They just fit my 5 yo.I have already started on the next pair which is a slightly larger size child's mitten. Again it is in the black and white. That is the traditional colors for the Selbu mittens.Details of the mittens:Pattern: Barnevott #10 in Selbustrikk LVS-5

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-14439368097274744392007-11-20T09:09:00.000-06:002007-11-20T10:04:43.539-06:00

Some finished item pictures: My Candy Wrapper Hat pattern done in Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted yarn. This will be a nice warm hat! More mittens for the International students. They are 100% wool. Should feel good to someone who is not used to Iowa winters I hope.And lastly, a child size hat. I knit this during Amy's basketball game. Remember how I said that I could knit simple things

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-70927186746369102942007-11-09T21:07:00.000-06:002007-11-09T21:55:39.783-06:00

I have been playing with Rauma's Vamsegarn. It is a 100% wool worsted weight yarn. Slightly heavier than Nature Spun worsted or Patons Classic Merino. It has a really nice hand though and I love how crisp the pattern looks and how even the stitches are.I had a lot of fun designing this hat. It is done on size 7 needles. The snowflake pattern is the same one that is on the Selbu mittens that

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-46151914465878164922007-11-03T16:57:00.000-05:002007-11-06T21:07:55.753-06:00

Well, my knitting has been going rather slowly in the past week. I have been busy working with Arnhild and learning all about the Norwegian company that she works with and the Rauma yarns and patterns. Their yarns come in so many beautiful colors! Many of the yarns are in the lighter weights which are hard to find. But Rauma has them! And Finullgarn comes in 100 colors!I have been working on

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-62030858672294721772007-10-25T19:42:00.000-05:002007-11-03T18:20:53.383-05:00

I am so excited! I am going to be working with Arnhild of Arnhild's Knitting Studio!!!!She is the US distributor for Rauma yarns from Norway. She also has written or translated scores of Traditional Norwegian patterns. The latest, which she gave me, is a book of patterns called Selbustrikk. It includes: patterns for votter, vanter, sokker, stromper, luer, and skjerf or in English: mittens,

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33621250.post-17652127340834023052007-10-25T19:36:00.000-05:002007-10-25T19:42:11.680-05:00

I started this pink and navy wool mitten Monday night while at the Prayer Shawl meeting at our church. We are making hats and mittens for the International students too. One of the women asked how long it takes me to knit a mitten like this. I couldn't give her an answer at the beginning of the evening because I knit while doing other things, between other things and just about any time that

Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615986311298068296noreply@blogger.com1