I tend to struggle a little in the winter months, and feel like I'm totally suffering from SAD these days. The darkness and the cold can make me feel a bit blue, and it's easy to get stuck inside when the weather can be so miserable. It's been a while since Graeme and I have been able to head out for a photo adventure, so I figured I'd share some from warmer and sunnier times as a much needed ray of sunshine! We had such fantastic weather last summer, even though it's a bit hard to imagine right now (as the wind roars outside and makes my house creak). Fingers crossed we get a similar summer this year!
These were taken on the islands outside of Stavanger, and at Bogsteinen on the other side of Gandsfjord. I used Graeme's La Sardinia camera with 35 mm film. I've actually managed to break this camera since these were taken, and it's currently being held together by a band aid and I'm not sure it's actually usable anymore. So sad! :( Think we'll defintately have to replace this camera, as I love how dreamy the images come out. That double exposure of Graeme feeding a swan in the sky is my favorite!
So I guess knitting for my sister's baby got me on a bit of a knitting kick! It's totally the season for it too--miserable weather outside is kinda ok when you're sitting in front of the fireplace knitting, enjoying some home baked goodies or a good movie (...what do you mean I sound like an old granny?). And after knitting this blanket, I was inspired to use the same technique to make some cowls to give as gifts for friends and family this Christmas.
It was pretty simple to modify the original Pickles pattern into a cowl pattern, and since you're knitting on such big needles these were done in no time at all--I managed to fire out three of these the last week before Christmas (while also fitting in a weekend trip to my friend's cabin, Christmas baking and shopping!). They're super cozy, and I'm now also very tempted to make one for myself. Or ten. Or one in every color. I might need to get an extra wardrobe for my future cowl collection.
For this cowl, I used four balls of 50 g yarn, or more specifically: Drops Nepal in 65% wool and 35% alpaca. I used 80 cm round 10 mm knitting needles. To make the cowl, start by knitting 81 stitches in double yarn. Join up to make a round, and knit your first row. The way this pattern works, is that for every even row you will knit the star pattern, and every odd row you'll knit a full round. So far all your even rows, start by knitting one (to move the star patter over one), then repeat the following to the end of the row, creating the stars (your last star will overlap one stitch to the next row): purl together three without letting go of the left needle, knit one slip stitch, and purl together three again. Let the stitches on the left needle go, and repeat. Give yourself plenty of space and make big, loose stitches. It might look like a big mess, but keep going and stay consistent, and you'll see the lovely star pattern emerge. Finish on an odd row and then bind off. Attach any loose ends and admire your work!
Since Bo's been such an excellent dog this year, Santa brought her a GoPro Fetch. Pretty much the first thing Graeme and I did when we got a GoPro was attaching it to Bo. I mean, we had to. We already used the hashtag #boview on instagram when we drove her from Scotland to Norway in 2013, and find that pictures taken at Bo's eye level with her two pointy ears are absolutely hilarious. Those ears were made for this stuff. We couldn't find any dog mounts in the shops anywhere, so I bought a regular dog harness and some duct tape. The results were so-so. The harness was a little too big for her, so the camera wasn't as secure as it should have been. It bounced around a little too much, and when I filmed her jumping from the bed to the floor (which was a bit terrifying to watch), the camera slipped to one side, and as she managed to hit the side of the laundry basket, we ended up with a sidewards #boview.
Trial two was a simplified version (that I'm not entirely sure why we didn't try first?), where we just attached the camera to her collar. The results were perhaps a little better, though instead of her ears, you'd see the underside of her mouth (awesome view for when she was dangling after a ball I was holding). The main issue though, was how much the camera would jump as she ran, and the fact that her wee legs were just not long enough—the camera was restricting her movement a bit.
So we did a bit of research and came across the GoPro Fetch dog mount, and I excitedly bought this for her for Christmas (what do you mean this is actually a present for me and Graeme?). It fits her much better (though still a bit big, Bo's pretty small for our breed), and it doesn't seem to bother her at all when she's wearing it. We did a test run at the dog park, and watching the video afterwards cracks me up! We look like giants walking next to her. But without any further ado, here is the world according to Bo:
