This time I get to write about two small projects that I am particularly fond of, for different reasons. Both are made in cross stitch - a craft that I have found as particularly relaxing and enjoyable lately. That might be the case because in knitting and crochet, I am gradually moving towards bigger and more complex projects, whereas in cross stitch, so far, my attempts have been small and quick to complete.
It's been some months, I have been meaning to write about two wonderful books, Knitter's Almanac and The Opinionated Knitter by Elizabeth Zimmermann which I bought last Autumn, but now I have a great opportunity to write altogether about books with the very recent addition of Íslensk Sjónabók!
A spring shawl just in time for spring!
If you ever happen to visit Iceland, even during Summer, you will definitely come across one for their most awesome woolly accessories: the Beer Mitt.
During my stay in Iceland I got the idea of a new design, that would depict all the colors, landscapes and beauty I experienced there. The idea came early, and I took quite a few inspiration pictures. Truth to be told, I have already created the sample charts! xD
Of course with such kind of a trip I didn't miss the chance to get some film with me. I took with me two cameras, my Balda, and a newly found vintage Nikon. Why two of them? Just in case something happens to one of them, like last time, and I am left without camera.
Now that the road trip story is over, I can finally focus on the more knitterly part of the trip!
During buffer day, and after having split up into two teams (5 and 4 people each) we enjoyed completely different things.
After our first encounter with the warm and comfort of hotspots, we couldn't help ourselves but continue the practice on camping area situated around a famous hotspot, Hveravellir, in the Highlands.
That sweater really left me with much yarn! after making the pair of gloves, and then completing a pair of socks, I still have enough for more!
We stayed a bit more in the same area, and visited Myvatn lake and the geothermal spots at Hverarond, before we continued to visit the biggest city of the North, Akureyri.
We were now in the North-East of Iceland and moving through lands that looked like rocky deserts. We had the most fascinating driving - it really felt like we were in some kind of James Bond movie, hiked in the snow, crossed at least 3 big rivers, met fellow travellers that faced the harsh nature as we did.
Moving on through flat lands, slowly melting ice caps and greenish pointy mountain tops, our way through Iceland continued to change radically every few km.
After leaving Reykjavik we took the east road and followed the coast, stopping every now and then for any attractive thing we came across. This when Icelandic nature hit us on the face with it's beauty. And it was just the beginning!
In the first few days of the trip in Iceland it became apparent that the weather would be a lot more chilly than expected. So I ditched the socks that I had just started making with leftover wool from the Aftur sweater, and started these babies:
Iceland is the land of Ice and Fire, of imaginative fairy tales, of kind people, of unexpected events and rapid weather changes. A land that resembles no other, but sometimes places of our imagination or even other planets!
So it's no wonder that during our trip we saw and experienced things we wouldn't have anticipated. Because no matter what you read, or what kind of pictures you look at, living the Icelandic landscapes is something unique and unreplicable!
Have I mentioned that I am a Lopi fan? I should, because Lopi yarn (and designs) are amazingly awesome!
During the June exams and while being stressed, depressed, running from one thing to another and multitasking, I managed to finish my Aftur just in time before the trip to Iceland. And I LOVE IT.
So, the big news are: this summer we are going to ICELAND! And by we, I mean myself and some friends from our last trip to Scandinavia.
Winter is over, and finally the Flowerpot coat is done! But words can't describe how awesome it is - and this comes from a person that doesn't really like knitting the garter stitch.
