Blog archive

All blog posts

A chronological list of project notes, design posts, and machine knitting updates.

  • Marius peysa 4

    Spring time

    Ever since I started knitting I have been fascinated by the traditional Norwegian sweater patterns. I have earlier in my blogs mentioned this and how strongly I connect these to early spring and skiing at easter. I have hand knitted many of these patterns, including this popular "Marius" pattern and made several machine knitted sweaters and jacket as well. I have often used the free …

  • Brontosaurus peysa 2

    Jurassic Park for children

    I don't think that I have ever met a 4-6 year old that is not fascinated by dinosaurs, and well perhaps not only that age is. I have a pamphlet with dinosaur designs by Irish Bishop. I find that these work quite well on sweaters and pants. One of them is a Mini brontosaurus. Brontosaurus had a long, thin neck and a small head adapted …

  • Black heather lace light blue

    More lace knitting

    Only 3 months until Christmas, winter is coming and it's time for knitting socks, hats, mittens and scarfs. I love using the Icelandic wool, although it may sometimes need some care before knitting in a knitting machine. This time I have worked with Einband from Istex. I wind it up with wax, three times before it is soft enough to knit the lace pattern …
  • Bleikt sett

    Rose petal baby pants

    There is something so charming about baby clothes with lace pattern.

    Lace is a style of knitting where holes in the fabric are used to give a visual aesthetic value. Famous examples of lace knitting include the wedding ring shawl of Shetland knitting, a shawl so fine that it could be drawn through a wedding ring. It is probably from these that knitting patterns for …

  • sock automated 1

    Frost nights

    It's that time again. The temperature is going under the 0°C at night and time for some warm and cosy small knitting.

    I have knitted socks made out of Hot Socks Sherwood from gründl. The yarn seems not to be available longer but has the same characteristics as Hot socks stribes

    I have made a knitting automation calculator for socks and I …

  • Jolakulur 12

    Christmas preparations

    It´s this wonderful time of the year again. The temperature drops, the light fades (at least here in Iceland) and it´s time for Christmas preparations. This year I am knitting some Christmas ornaments using my Brother 950 with AYAB installed. The idea comes from Arne & Carlos christmas ornaments,

    However their design is not easy to knit on knitting machine so I have made …

  • April Mills pattern 2

    Meeting a fellow knitter

    Some days ago I met April Mills, a lovely lady from Lynnwood Washington who stopped briefly in Reykjavík, Iceland. It is always nice to meet other knitters. She has been knitting on machines for much longer than I have and there are a lot of nice patterns on her webpage The Knitting Mills Home Page. I decided to knit the free hat pattern posted …
  • Ayab headband 4

    AYAB on my Brother 950

    I have now successfully installed AYAB interface in my Brother 950 knitting machine.

    When I bought an electronic knitting machine it was partly because of the possibility to install AYAB on these machines and thus being able to use a computer to design and use patterns when knitting. At first I had some problems with the AYAB interface not selecting the needles correctly, however …

  • Zigzag2

    Lace knitting

    It is almost exactly a year since I posted a piece on making a lace scarf after finally working out how to knit lace on the knitting machine. I find knitting lace on the brother 950 much easier to accomplish than on the older Brother 820 knitting machine.

    Lace is such a beautiful material, so light and sheer with its see through quality. I find …

  • Infinity21

    Its winter out there

    Last weekend we had our share of winter, it was a snowstorm out there and when the weather behaves like that there is nothing better than to stay indoors and knit. I have always been fond of colorful items and try to use colors in accessories as I, like so many other dress to much in black. I wanted to make something where the wonderful …

  • Fairislehats18

    Fair isle hat

    Its February and all Christmas presents where delivered a long time ago, and yet I have not found the time to insert and write about any of the designs made during the autumn months to give away at Christmas. Here comes one, fabulous for winter months birthday presents as well. I have enjoyed learning to use my new knitting machine the KH950 during the autumn …

  • KH950 sponge bar

    My Brother KH950 adventure

    Last week I went to England to pick up my new knitting machine, a very well kept Brother 950. Coming home with my new possession I was very excited to get set up and turn on the electronics.

    Before starting, as I knew that the machine had not been used for awhile, I changed the felt bar (sponge bar/needle retainer). The old one was completely …
  • Sokkar tilbunir

    Warm socks for cold autumn evenings

    This design is made for the colder autumn days and evenings when it is nice to have warm cosy socks to wear. These are made to fit my son. I have used the 2x2 rib that I like and learned to use when I first learned to knit socks and I make the rib just long enough to be able to fold the rib over …
  • Glacial water crocheting

    Glacial waters in summer time

    Summer tends to be a time when little knitting gets done, its been very long since my last blog late in June. Now that the autumn has come its time to start using the knitting machines again. I love the colours of summer and this weeks blog and design is inspired by the wonderful colours of nature. The Icelandic glacial waters take on quite unique …
  • Pusher setting blue blanket

    Blankets for the winter

    Summer is a great time to prepare for the cold wintermonths in Iceland. These blankets are perfect to cuddle under during the winter months and ideal as christmas presents for friends and family. My Passap Duomatic knitting machine is working nicely after standing unused for a long time. The patterns and possibilities that come with the Passap Duomatic are so nice that it deserves much …
  • Cotton summerdress front

    Patterns in the colours of spring

    Having finally made peace with my Passap Duomatic 80 knitting machine and discovering the wonderful pattern that I used for my last design I became a bit preoccupied with the endless opportunities that I saw in this pattern. I could imagine making cardigans, sweaters, blankets and shawls in this pattern in all sorts of colours, diffuse earthy tones or bright illuminating colours.

    I am quite …

  • Small red blanket pattern

    Making peace with my Passap Duomatic 80

    My Passap Duomatic knitting machine has just been standing quietly in a corner this winter without being used. This is because it is much less challenging to use the Brother knitting machine and it is thus usually my first choice to use. However, the patterns and possibilities that come with the Passap Duomatic are so nice that it should get much more attention and so …
  • Springtime front blog

    Rose buds and flowers

    Posting every fortnight is becoming a bit more difficult as my other hobby, gardening takes up more of my time, it has been three weeks since I posted my last design on the page. I hope it has been worth waiting for. This time I have found some wonderful flowers to inspire me.

    I recall my grandmothers with all sorts of craft and very …

  • finished dish cloth

    Spring cleaning

    Its spring time, easter is coming up next week and the sun is shining so brightly showing all the dust that gathers in the window sills and on shelves so clearly and its time for spring cleaning. I first encountered knitted dish cloths almost 20 years ago when visiting the sister of my mother in law, in Denmark. She knitted the finest cotton dish cloths, …
  • Easter sweater

    Middle of march

    With spring in the air I think of easter and all things yellow. Having lived in Norway for several years at one time in my life I also think of skiing and the warm and cosy colourful sweaters that I always associate with Norwegian knitting culture. I made myself one with wonderful yellow pattern from one of Sandnes garn free designs. For those who can …
  • Lace scarf 5

    Lessons learned: Read the manual

    I do not know how often I have said to others "read the manual" it usually solves most problems, wether you are putting together an IKEA furniture or getting some advanced machinery to function it is all in the manual. I should have listened to myself when it came to knitting lace on my knitting machine.

    I have started projects with lace several times …

  • Icelandic knitting 6

    Traditional Icelandic sweaters

    I came across these birds in the Sjonabok patterns it seems like they are “talking” to each other over a small tree.

    A wonderful picture in a cold winter day. The Icelandic Lopi sweater patterns often have this zigzag form that I somehow associate with the Icelandic mountains, starting off in dark colours growing lighter as they come up to the …

  • The blue and white hat

    Symmetries and matching sets of accessories

    As I mentioned in my previous blog I am very fond of symmetrical patterns.

    Symmetry is a result of using some simple forms and transforming them by rotation, reflection or translation or a combination of these to form all sorts of rosettes or planar patterns. These isometries are very well known in mathematics and chemistry and partly due to this I find these patterns …

  • white and yellow mitten

    Knitting with knitting machines

    After knitting on my Bond USM for a while, my interest for knitting machines just increased and I started looking for a machine that could knit finer yarns and also with a ribber. One day a friend on Facebook shared an ad for selling a Brother KH820 with a ribber and I knew that I had to have this machine. After agreeing on a price, …

  • The Einrúm cardigan

    Knitting

    I have always loved knitting. I believe that I learned to knit when I was about 5 years old. I remember starting a craft club with my friends when we were 10 years old and that was when I made my first sweater. I have always loved all sorts of crafts, quilting, making clothes and jewelleries. At the age of 16 to 20, I knitted …