the dolomites

(here we go, the rest of the posts about our northern Italy trip back in March ... I need to get better at  organizing these posts in a timely manner)

Our first trip to the Dolomites didn't go very well. That was in 2004, during our first time in Italy, when after visiting Venice we decided to drive up to Cortina d'Ampezzo, and take the great Dolomites Road. It was very cloudy and foggy most of the day, so we didn't see a thing the whole time. Not even a tiny glimpse of the Sella Ronda ...

So this time round we decided to go back and hope for better weather. After we left Bolzano in the morning we spent the day driving all around the Dolomites. We didn't go all the way to Cortina, but drove through the Fassa and Pordoi passes and stopped briefly in Canazei and other countless times along the road. The scenery was breathtaking...

A friend of mine who skied in this area before told me it was the most beautiful place he had ever skied in, and I think I have to agree. We found several ski resorts along the way, and although the snow was clearly not in the best of conditions, the views were nothing short of spectacular.

We had lunch in Selva Gardena, and during the afternoon drove around the Sella Ronda till we finally arrived in Ortisei where we spent the night and most of next morning in the beautiful and charming Hotel Uhrerhof (which was so nice it deserves a post of its own).

And, as you can see, we did have better luck with the weather this time ...

amelia, an angel dress

This is a test knit I've completed recently for Jenny Wiebe. The original pattern is for a dress, but I made it shorter so S. could use it as a top. I made the 18-24 months size and it fits her quite well, and I'm hoping that since it's a bit loose on the waist that it might fit next year too.

Pattern: Amelia - an angel dress, by Jenny Wiebe

Yarn: Rosários 4 Regatta, 2 skeins

Needles: 3.25 mm

Size: 18-24 months

Ravelry project page  here

Changes: Shortened skirt length, and knit 5 rows of seed stitch at the waist, skirt hem and sleeve cuffs.

herdade da cortesia

Não havia melhor sítio para passar uns dias de férias. Adorámos e queremos voltar em breve ...

There was not a better place to spend a few days vacation. We loved it and plan to go back soon ...

it still fits

... at 6 months

... and at almost 22 months

 

Huumm, maybe it's time for a new jacket ?

icelandic star

 

Someone has been wanting to feature in all my knitting photos lately ;-)

I finally finished this ill fated cardigan I started a few months ago. A few days after I posted that photo I was almost done with the body when I noticed that there was a subtle color difference between the two red skeins I had used. Subtle, but immediately noticeable ... It just so happened that I had brought 4 of the red skeins from Iceland, and then purchased a fifth when I decided to start this cardi. Of course they were different dyelots, so the colors didn't match exactly. So I ripped the body all the way back to the colorwork (did I mention that I was d.o.n.e with the body at this point ? *sigh*) and started it again with another skein. The odd colored skein I used for all the ribbings and on one of the button bands.

If that was not enough, I almost ran out of the red yarn at the end, and had to scrape all the bits and pieces I had to do the finishing. Also, I had to re-knit the button bands twice, because my first attempt came out too long and all wobbly. The first time I tried it on I almost cried because it was too small and it wouldn't close properly. But then the wonders of a good blocking turned into the right size. 

Definitely this was the most troublesome cardigan I ever knitted.

The good part is that I love the end result a lot. These are some of my favorite colors all together, and it's a cozy, nicely fitted cardi which I think I'll wear a lot next winter.

The Lett-lopi is a bit scratchy to the touch and I wouldn't wear against the skin, but over a top is just fine. Also, it blocked beautifully and is incredibly warm.

Pattern: Icelandic Star by Sarah Hoadley (from Interweave Knits Winter 2009)

Yarn: Istex Lett-Lopi

Needles: 5 mm

Size: 32.5

(more details on the project page at ravelry)