Guatemalan yarn shops är inte bra

It's so hard to find wool in Guatemala city. I have gone to shop after shop and get the same blank stare back when I try to explain that 'acrylic' is not 'wool'. Natural fibers? Nope, not even registering.

So I finally found a shop in a posh part of town... and I went there with my mom to find two women who could hardly knit trying to make me buy this awful, static-charged acrylic swearing it was Merino wool. Alas, I came fully loaded so I think I have enough to make my mom a scarf. I did manage to get a circular needle (which was almost brain-surgery level for these poor women).

I can't wait to go back home and be able to go into a store and find what I need. I will miss going around in shorts in January, though. 

Practicing cast-ons

Since I am back home for an extended holiday/introducing my boyfriend to my family-visit, I can take time away from my thesis to relax and just focus on the things that matter: being with my family and friends, and reading my new 'Wendy knits lace' book.

Today, after I came back from a long breakfast with a friend from grammar school that I hadn't seen in a good 20 years (and I'm only 30!) I sat and finished a pair of lovely day-gloves. They are now on top of a towel on top of my bed drying after blocking. After, I still wanted to knit a little more and started to practice different ways of casting-on. I managed to 'master' the lace cast-on and maybe do a passable easy garter stitch tab. Not bad this just being the second day of the year.

I will take pictures of my lovely gloves tomorrow, once they are dry and hopefully, even prettier. I am kind of glad no one reads my blog, because they will be a present!

Casting on!

Having grown-up in a sub-tropical country, I hardly ever had the chance to develop my curiosity when it came to knitting. Three years ago, I started a PhD program in northern Sweden and almost two years ago, one of my supervisors taught me how to knit in the round. From then on, I just got hooked. Living in such a cold part of the world has let me jump right into knitting, and the weather also lets me wear everything I make (and knit things for my friends!).

This is my last year as a student. I'm set to finish my thesis this spring semester and defend in the autumn. In my department, PhD students usually give a small present to their supervisors in the post-defense party. Rather than giving them something bought back home, I decided I would make something for all three of them. This blog is to help me document my knitting as I navigate my way through learning how to knit lace and maybe share some of my baking stuff. It feels nice to write something that is not meant to go through peer review! (or my supervisors!)