my exams are over, finally

I had my last exam on the 24th of June, and since then I've had lots of time to knit!
I've finished the laptop cover and the main part of the patchwork bag

I made a little crochet pouch on the inside of the cover to put my usb mouse and keyboard connector in, as my laptop is only mine because the keyboard on it doesn't work anymore! It was my mother's and she spilled a glass of water over it) It fits really snugly, so that's one FO I'm happy with! I used leftover yarn from a red cardigan my mother knitted, and the button was also a leftover one from that project! That's one of my favorite aspects of knitting: there's always something that be done with the leftovers :)

On to the other bag: It's coming on quite nicely, even though I say so myself! -Another project using leftovers :)-
I've made a start on the handle, but that'll still take some time...




Remember the shrug I had to take apart? Well I'm reknitting it now. It still needs some work, but I hope to finish it soon...






Ps. The Leuven culture authorities (30cc) are organising a yarn-bombing event at the Dijletrappen on the 17th of September. More information here. I've got some more stuff to post, but I'll have to do that tomorrow!
Mnz

So it's exam time....

... and because the term has been so short and we've just had a long weekend, I've been knitting quite a lot, instead of studying. Very bad of me, I know.

On Friday, I worked on a laptop cover I'm knitting: It's knitted with the yarn that was left after my mother had knitted herself a jumper, and it has my favourite cable on it! It's I got it from a book I have: 'The Essential Stitch Collection' and designed the bag around it. It's not much of a bag really, just a long strip that will be sown closed on either side. What I still have to think about is whether I'll sow in a zip or use a button to close it at the top, or if I'll just leave it open ... I also took this project to the knitting group on Saturday, and it was received with quite some interest by the people sitting close to me!

Another WIP, the patchwork bag, is also coming on nicely.
Now, one side and the bottom are completed. This bag has two layers, but I decided to make the bottom three-layered, so it would be stronger. I don't like sewing that much, so I decided to pick up stitches on either side of the bottom and then knit the strengthening piece straight into the bag, witch was quite a challenge, as I had to do a four-needle bind-off at the end! I'd like to finish this project by the end of the month so I'll be able to use it to go and get my report on the last day of term, but somehow I don't think I'll get there...

And finally, another hat I knitted this winter for one of my classmates who has only just sent me the photo... Same model as the two Noro caps I knitted, but a different yarn. If you're wondering what the black and white sploge in the corner is; it's my sheet, this one happened to have a cow print on it ...

Mnz

Bits and bobs

A little bit of everything in this post. To start with, a pair of mittens I knitted this winter for a boy in my class. We do a kind of a gift swap at Christmas, and I gave him this, some biros and and a chocolate letter (Very popular in Belgium and Holland for St. Nicolas, but also much appreciated for Christmas.

 And two scarves: one for a cold winter and one for when it gets cooler in the autumn.

Red Katia Ondas scarf for autumn/spring

Green Veritas Laura scarf, very warm, for a cold winter

Now some WIP's.
 
These are the two sides of a patchwork knit bag I've designed myself. I'm a bit worried It'll give to much but I'll have to see that when it's finished....

Something else I've been doing is making a scraps blanket. I bought a black fleece blanket at Wibra's and every time I knit a little patch to test a gauge I sew it on. I know there are a lot of different colours in it, and they don't always work incredibly well together, but I like it because it's something very personal. Nobody will ever have one exactly the same.
It's been quite a slow-growing project, and I've still got some scraps to sew on :)

This is a shrug I knitted , but the fronts aren't wide enough to close it, so I'll have to reknit them.... It had a crochet border, but I took that off before I took the photo...






Oh well, that's all for now, I'll be having exams soon so I'll have to knit a little less and study a little more ...
Mnz.

KVLV-event

Yesterday there was a big event in Leuven, the KVLV organised an event to celebrate their 100th 'birthday'. Of course there was an activity involving knitting :) At the Ladeuzeplein they had put some chairs in a circle so people could sit down and knit together. On each chair there was some knitting (scarf-shaped) and there were various yarns to choose from. The principle was 'knitting together', so you could pick something up and knit for a while, and when you'd had enough, you got up and somebody else would carry on where you had stopped. As for the stitches, you could knit whatever you wanted to, as long as you slipped the first stitch and knitted the last one...

 This was the one I picked up. A jumble of different colours and textures, as you can see... I started it after the first row of red loops and then carried on with that yarn for a while, and when I got fed up with it I switched to yellow. Loads of people were intrigued about the red loopy yarn, and I got lots of comments for being so young (I always seem to be the youngest, wherever I am...) and being able to knit without looking at my knitting.! :] After a while, some ladies from Zandhoven came and sat next to me. They said they would like to go the sock knitting workshop at my LYS, but they had no idea where it was, so I showed them the way. While I was there I bought some Katia Ondas for a scarf a someone wants me to knit, and some extra cotton for my crochet. I walked back to the station to get my bus (I was in a walking mood...) because it'll be the exams soon and I had to study some Greek (a text by Herodotus; Gyges and Kandaules). In the end I had a very nice afternoon, even though it was a bit hot to be knitting outside...

Knitting group :)

 People at the knitting group were very interested in my Braided Balls, so I thought I'd post some photos of the two I've completed so far. I discovered there's a KVLV event in town next weekend, and there will be a lot of textile workshops, including knitting :). I will definitely go, as my LYS will also have a promotion on (sock) yarn on! Although only a relatively small number of us were there, it's so enjoyable to sit and knit together!

Mnz

Back from the MEP

The MEP week is over now, and I wasn't selected to participate in the other projects. I think this a pity, but I had a nice time and learned a lot.
There wasn't much time for knitting though, I've knitted the components of another Braided Ball, but I haven't had time to sew them together yet. And I don't think I will have this weekend, because I've got so much schoolwork to do. I think I'll just go to the knitting group for an hour, so I can see my pupil and spend some time with the people there, but also leave enough time for schoolwork....

PS. some more hats

I just thought I'd upload some more photos of hats I knitted this winter: a cable hat (same pattern as the ones in previous posts) in red, witch I knitted for my mother, and a cap, in a Noro yarn that I received at the gift swap we did in my class. I got two skeins, and managed to make those into two caps, one for me and one for my mother, with even a little left over. They're both the same, so I only bothered to take a photo of one of them....