Kittie Hat!

Yes, I have finally added the pattern. :) (The explanation is probably for idiots. :D If you can come up with something better and easier, be my guest. :)

NB. There aren't actual numbers for stitches, you will have to calculate things to match the person you are knitting to.


What you will need:
*6-7 mm needles, either circular or dpn
*Some Wendy Fusion or similar yarn (I used 156 White Pepper and a bit of 155 Cajun)
*Tapestry needle

1. Measure the head of the person the hat is for. My little girl measured 51 cm.

2. Knit a little patch with your yarn and needles, 20 st and 10 rows. Measure, how many stitches you have on 10 cm (4 in). I had 11, so that's a bit more than 1 stitch per cm (or 2,6 st per in)

3. Cast on the number of st you need - multiply the number of stitches per cm (in) with the measurements of head: 51 x 1,1 = 56,1. You can add one stitch, just for good measure. :)

4. Divide onto 4 needles (if you use dpn). Join the ends - pull the bit of yarn that hangs off from the last stitch through the first one and tie the ends together - be careful not to twist.

5. Now all you have to do is knit in the round. You don't have to mark the beginning - there should be a bit of yarn hanging off from the join. :)

6. You can try it on after about 15-20 cm, there's no need to do it before. Knit until the two opposite sides of your knitting touch each other on the top of your (or your baby's etc.) head when you try it on and the bottom edge of your hat is a)in the middle of your forehead and b)covering your skull and touching the back of your neck. The knitting should feel nice and loose around the head.

7. Fold your knitting in half, leaving the beginning on one side. Cut the yarn, about twice the length of the top end of your knitting. Now you'll need your needle. Thread it (yarn it :) and start pulling the yarn through the stitches, taking them alternately from both front and back needles. You don't have to sew, just thread through the stitches as if you would be putting beads on it.

8. When you get to the end, make a tiny little knot. Don't cut the yarn. Insert the needle back into your knitting right next to the knot and draw it out about quarter of the way back on the top. Sew an "ear" onto your hat. Make the "side" side of the ear a bit shorter than the "top" side. (See photo) Cut the yarn. Sew an ear onto the other side as well.


9. Now, if you wish, you can add a bit of pink embroidery onto the ears. Stitch is entirely your choice. I tried to imitate a knit stitch, the little "v". You also may or may not add a bit of twisted cord. If you make twisted cord, I recommend you attach it to the hat with cow hitch knot. Just don't tie a knot into and cut off the closed loopy end.

Good luck! :)

kerli,
sincerely

Mittens!!!

Sorry for not posting for quite a while! I should start getting ready for Christmas sales, promoting myself and all that yazz, but all my mind is on at the moment, is mittens. I joined Ravelry and have been looking around for a week now. Gorgeous. I want to make EVERYTHING!!!! :D

My favourites.

Also, I remembered making my first pair of gloves in school. It happened while we were meant to be knitting lace, like doilies and such, but I decided to knit gloves, since I found a nice pattern for the backs. It was so easy and nice to make that long before the next lesson I was up to the point where I was supposed to divide for fingers. So my mum helped me to calculate the number of stitches for them and I completed the glove that night. In the next lesson I was happily showing my glove to my teacher, and she started asking me questions about how I had finished knitting it. And then, suddenly I realised that she was thinking I had cheated - let my mum knit the glove or sth. (Yes, people did that sometimes) I am not sure whether I was disappointed that she could even think like that. Probably a bit. It's a strange thing to remember now, though.

I wonder if I ever have enough time top knit 100 pairs of Nordic mittens in a year?
Hmmm....

*Crawls back to the den with needles and yarn*

Kerli,
sincerely

More things to feed my estonian pride

I've been looking around in the net to find some interesting and nice yarns to knit things with, and especially these kind of earthly colours, browns, reds, oranges, and greens, which are especially rare here in our little shop. Like this series, which, they sadly only sell in USA and Canada. :S
Berroco Comfort And that: Berroco Vintage
Does anyone know where I could get it in UK?

But after browsing around in Ravelry, I found that quite a few people like Kauni and Evilla yarns, which, of course, are Estonian. Kauni - meaning Beautiful - is now a Danish company, but the wool is all estonian. Evilla - meaning e-wool - is based in Estonia and they sell their wool all over the world.

And now, Koigu. I've always felt that it sounds estonian. Well, Maie Landra, as you can read in quite a few places, emigrated to US after WW ii.

Nice feeling, you know. I don't think big places like UK or US even could feel such pride. You can claim the credit for almost anything, so it's just too common for you. Anyway. I might just try and buy some wool. :)

Kerli,
sincerely

Oh, and NATURALLY, Skype is estonian. :D
And the teeny tiny spy camera? Was invented by an estonian. Honestly. ;)

***

I really really really want a flute. From now on I will start saving for it. Everything I earn here will go towards it. I need about £100.

Incidentally, I've noticed a lot of sellers in Etsy being from Istanbul, Turkey recently.Well, it has been when I've checked knitted scarves and shawls, they may simply need them there and create lots and lots of cute patterns.

I've started knitting a bit again, to use up my yarns. I'll see what comes out of it. I need a bit of thin pumpkin-coloured yarn now, for a matching hat and gloves for Emily. We got her some clothes in Mothercare fashion. :D While browsing around I found some really nice series of yarns, completely manmade, but they only sell it in America! Booo! :S

Also, send your good thoughts and patience to me, because I started making some brooch/hairpins with fabric flowers and fake pearls. Let's hope I can keep it up and make a few! :P

Kerli,
sincerely

Tutorials: Recipe of Beetroot Soup (Borsch)

250 g minced meat - beef or pork. You can use just chopped meat as well, I am sure
1 stock cube of your choice
1,5 l of water
1 biggish carrot
1 onion
2-3 potatoes
200 g beetroot
150 g cabbage
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp vinegar
a bit of oil
1 teasp of salt
1 tbsp of sugar
herbs and spices of your choice, definitely add pepper or paprika - something strong. dill and garlic won't hurt either. :)

A good dollop of soured cream/creme fraiche/greek style natural yoghurt

*Heat the oil in the bottom of a saucepan or pot big enough to fit all the soup in. Brown the meat until juices run clean, and if you like well done meat, even more, until it starts slightly burn and goes dark brown on one side.
*While the meat is cooking, cut the carrot into thin slices or small cubes. It's because carrots and swedes take muck longer to cook than potatoes and cabbage. When the meat is cooked to your liking, add the carrot and also chop or cut onion to add in. (I usually just kind of half-slice the onion in my hand above the pot. It's quick. :) Cover with lid and cook until onions are slightly transparent.
*While that is happening, peel and chop your potatoes and slice cabbage. also, you could start chopping your beetroots into smallish cubes. Add water, potatoes, cabbage and stock cube to your pot and steam the beetroot on a different pan (preferably on a wide frying pan, yes) with tomato puree and vinegar. Add few scoopfuls of soup from your pot.
*When everything is nice and done, add the beetroot to your soup. Cook for another 5-10 minutes, adding salt, sugar and all your herbs and spices.

Let it stand as long as you can. Serve with soured cream/creme fraiche/greek style natural yoghurt. Believe me, it makes all the difference.


So there you are. Quite a bit of chopping, but it's nice in the end, really. :) If you live somewhere where there is russian/polish shop, then you can go and look for some real borsch as well. It's usually in 1l glass jar, you have to add water yourself, and it looks and reads kind of like this:

Look for the text. It is pronounced BOR (then the fourth symbol reads) CHTCH (though you don't really say it like this, it's just a quicker "sssh" sound; and fifth is just making it sound more palatalized http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palatalization, so we add J)
BORCHTCHJ
:D

P.S. You can make it completely without meat, it still tastes nice. ;)

Kerli,
sincerely

upcycle treasury!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=80709

Kerli,
sincerely

New things again in my shop!

I have been a bit busy lately, concentrating on my family. We had a lovely bank holiday weekend away at hubby's parents' holiday caravan near West Bay. It's a lovely place. I'll include a photo from last summer, the camp is between these two banks, and when we took a walk on Saturday we actually walked to the end of the closer bank and back. Rest for half an hour! Emily was very cute and quite well-behaved, and very interested in everything. :)


Now, a few things, most of them made last winter. Obviously, I was late. :D I didn't want to put them up to my shop in the summer, not many of them, but now that it is officially September and therefore, autumn, I've listed them. Feel free to check them out! :)




















Well, here you are then! :)
These scarflettes are OOAK, well, maybe the rose one is not that much, but I am more than happy to knit more gloves and mittens, if you fancy some!

Kerli,
sincerely