Creativity

The jewellery making is still ongoing.

But also the colunary art is not neglected.
I've made rhubarb jelly folloging this recipe: http://dieraumfee.blogspot.de/2012/05/rhabarbergelee-vanille-rhubarb-gelee.html
Next time, I would use less of the juice (maybe 750ml ~ 800ml instead of a full litre to the 500gr jam suger. The jelly simply didn't firm up enough and eating it involves keeping your bread perfectly level else the stuff drips off said bread.
With the rest of the juice and strawberries I've then made jam.

All very tasty.
I personally, don't eat much jams (I'm more for a hearty breakfast), so I gave most of the stuff away already.
You may ask though, why then I made it in the first place? The answer is simple: I have fun doing it!

Language Challenge

I've had two jewelery kits, which both have instructions written in a language I'm neither native to, or even speak (or read)

The first kit was a present from my sister and it's in Swedish. A bracelet made from leather and stainless steel cord.

The second kit was in Dutch and I bought is last year at a fair. It's a collier made with semi-precious stones, seed beads and crystals. In the end it was 43cm long.

Basically, I only had the pictures to go by (and a little bit of babylon translation). Considering this handicap, I'm really happy how those two projects turned out.

The knitting I used as the background is my finally finished 'Nuvem' in Wollmeise Lace. I'll see if I can make some nice photos of it the next couple of days. Stay tuned.

Assemble

My sewing addiction is still going strong.

Exhibit 1: A patchwork project bag. I got a pack of 20 different fabric squares (2 each) and pulled out as many of the rose themed ones I could find. I then had 24 squares I patchworked to make one piece of fabric and the made the bag from it.

The bag has a good size for a somewhat larger project and was well received by a friend of mine as a birthdy present.

 Exhibit 2: The second finished project is a combination of not only my sewing addiction, but includes also the new Avengers movie, which I have seen three times so far. Not hard to figure out that I did like the movie a lot.

I thought about putting the Avengers Logo on a bag almost right away after watching the movie the first time, but couldn't find a bag pattern that would have worked. So in the end, I reverse engineered my current favorite hand bag (well, some of it at least) and got this:

It did cost me a couple of pricked fingers, two sewing needles and I even broke one of the needles on the machine.

I love it! I'm especially pleased on how the application for the logo turned out. Super easy, but very, very effective.

By the way, the bag is a dark blue, not black....

Sheep

My current main project is a little blanket, which is knit in the round and then steeked before adding a border to it.

Taking scissors to one's knitting is a nerve wrecking experience, but sometimes it can't be helped. What DID help was that the yarn I'm using is Lett Lopi, a yarn made in Iceland (I may, or may not, have bought copious amounts when I went there on vacation a couple of years back). Lett Lopi is also the yarn that is traditionally used for the lopapeysa, the famous Icelandic sweater. And, more often than not, those sweaters are also steeked. So, if they can do it, so can I.

After cutting through the steek it turned out to be 96 x 90 cm, without the border.

The stray blue sheep was an idea I saw in another project on Ravelry. I did work it in intarsia in the round, which is a very fiddly way of doing things, but it couldn't be helped. 

 I then picked up a gazillion stitches around the edge (okay, closer to 750) and started knitting the border, using all the colors again in an gradient from light to dark, and eventually back to light. In the end, the border is folded over and sewn to the other side of the steek and all is hidden.

The only issue I face now is that I'm going to run out of yarn (this border is eating up yarn, like there's no tomorrow). So, another trip to the yarn store is in order.

Oh, the hardship ;)

Wedding Bells

Friends of mine got married last weekend.
All the best to Sabine and Felix.

As they asked for money for their honeymoon, we got a little creative. We filled a glass bowl with coins, then poured sand and water with gelantine (well, technically, we used agar, as Felix is vegitarian, so gelantine was out) on top of it. Then some plastic palms and musle shells, some special beach towels and the happy couple represented by their lego counterparts. And finished is the wedding present.

I may have shocked those who know me at the wedding by actually wearing a dress. I have not worn a dress in the last five years. But as it was 30°C I thought I give it a try and actually found one I liked.

Actually, I think I was the one shocked the most.

And Now For Something Different

My sewing machine and I have a love hate relationship.
I'm not sure what my sewing machine is thinking, but convincing it to sew a straight line with the upper and lower tension exactly as it should be is a tricky proposal.
But then, last week, it decided to cooperate and so I made two bags.

The first one (here in a not quite finished stage - the shoulder strap is missing) used scaps of fabric I had sitting around for ages. The dark brown on the right hand side is actually leftovers from a pillow I'm not using anymore. The heavily patterned farbic left of this and on the straps, I bought in Japan a long time ago.
For a test ballon to see if I can make this work, I'm actually quite happy, though next time I would re-think my color choices.

The second bag fills me with loads of happiness. It was fairly easy to make, and I love how it came out (especially as I totally made a mistake when I worked out the sizing). This bag also marks the first time I made a buttonhole with my sewing machine. The bag is already in use as a project bag, and it's absolutely perfect for it.

 

This was super fun to make and I have the feeling there will by more bags in the (hopefully near) future.

Easter Menue

This year's menue starts with a terrine de salmon enveloped in zucchini, with horseradish/whipped cream and pomegranate sauce and seeds:
The main course is lamb with lemon in a bed of potatos, carots, leek and garlic (lots and lots of garlic)

For the desert we have strawberry panna cotta

Please be seated and enjoy.

Happy Easter

Great, it's Easter and I've got a cold. Nothing all winter and now it hits me.

Being the Lemming I am, I hopped (ey, cool, an Easter reverence ...) on the bandwagon for another project everybody else is knitting, and started a Nuvem from the lace yarn I picked up in Pfaffenhofen last weekend.
The Nuvem is basically a large hexagon shaped wrap that's knitted in the round.

And, in case knitting just plain stocking stitch is getting too boring, I also started on a pair of socks using some of the yarn I dyed two weeks ago.
Pattern is 'Drip Candle' and can be found in the book 'Think Outside the Sox'.
I'm using four different reds/purples I dyed plus some Wollmeise 'Brombeere'.

Zugsocking

'Zugsocking' is one of those new word creations that doesn't really make sense, but somehow still hits the nail on the head. Zugsocking is when a group of knitters come together, hop on a train and travel to a destination where they can buy yarn. And while on the train ('Zug' in german), they knit. It doesn't have to be socks, but as socks tend to be small and portable, this happens more often than not.

Well, a couple of friends and I traveled from Frankfurt to Pfaffenhofen to the holy grail of yarn stores:

Inside we found yarns of all colors (well, almost all colors - I was looking for a 'Regenbogen' but when I asked for it, I heard only loud laughter)

Still, I managed to find a skein or two ....

From left to right: 4x Nautilus, Wasserratz, Wolke, 47Ag, Cassis, NiP Amethyst dark, 2x natur, NiP Iris Sibirica, Am kalten Polar, Thriller and Single Malt.

We stayed over night in Pfaffenhofen, and after breakfast we just sat outside in the sun for a bit. We totally lucked out on the weather - the forecast was overcast and rainy, but even though it was not exactly warm, we had blue skies and sunshine.Later we moved on to Ingolstadt, where, after a long walk from the train station, we stopped at the Paradeplatz where an easter market took place. I loved this fountain which was covered with hollowed out eggs hand-painted in blue. An amazing piece of work.Later we hoped back on the train and knitted our way back home.

Great weekend, with great company and great yarn - what else can a woman want?

Ain't It Kool?

Dying wool with Kool-Aid is really, really easy (and, as it is using only approved food colors, it's also save)

I started with some Wollmeise Twin in the 'color' nature (aka undyed Wollmeise). I wound the yarn into five skeins of circa 20g each and put them in lukewarm water to soak for half an hour.


I used then a pickle jar and added about 200ml hot water (the marker is for me so I don't have to measure every time). Then I added the content of 1 package of KoolAid (here it's lemon lime)

In goes the yarn. I then placed the jar into my microwave and nuked it for about 2 min (if the water is clear the dye has all been absorbed by the yarn and it's basically finished)

I left the yarn in the water until it has cooled of, rinsed it and - voila - bright, colorful yarn.

From top to bottom:

- 1 pack of lemon lime
- 1 pack of blue berry
- 3 packs of grape (I did first one pack, but decided that it's too pale and repeated the process with two more - I think 1 more would has done it, too)
- 1 pack of cherry and then a second round with 1 pack dark cherry (the cherry alone was no different then the last skein)
- 1 pack tropical punch

The colors are bright and vivid and I'm looking forward to knitting something with them.

Only ... what to knit?

...And Off The Needles

Finished three of the four project from last week.

First one is the Castlegar Cardigan - and the problem is, I hate it. Well, maybe 'hate' is a little bit too harsh, but after I put it on yesterday the first time after washing, I looked at myself in the mirror and thought to myself I'll never wear this in public. For once it's not really my style - the model is sort of 'cutesy' and I don't exactly do cute. And, in the end the cardigan is a good two sizes too large, too.
So, I'm not going to show any pictures (sorry, but it's really for the best) and I will rip the whole thing up to reuse it for another project. I already may have an idea .....

What I finished and like and never will rip up, is my scrap yarn pillow. Perfect size (roughly 45 x 45 cm), I love the colors and it had been a load of fun making it.Hmm, lets see, what scrap yarns do I still have ....

Then I have a new pair of socks. They will stay with me for a change, even though it looks like the time I need woollen socks may be over soon.

Because it looks like spring finally has arrived.

On The Needles

Four projects in progress (though only three pictures - the socks, well, they are socks, nothing exciting or so)

Project A) A Crazy Patchwork Blanket.
I while ago I was suckered into buying acrylic yarn in 10 different colors. I'm no big fan of acrylic yarn, but, hey, it was cheap, so I actually bought some more, only to realize that if I want it out of my stash I have to do something with it one day.
Along comes this pattern from one of the blogs I follow.

This is maybe 15% into the project and currently I'm taking a break from it to knit ...

Project B)
This is the Castlegar Cardingan by Laure Chau in Wollmeise Twin 'Blaue Tinte'. It is knitted bottom-up and just yesterday I put everything on one needle (450 stitches) and started knitting the yoke.
This is good, fairly mindless knitting and I'm mostly working on it while watching 'Castle' on TV (I just bought the third season on DVD - love that show)
As this is sometimes mindnumbingly boring, I alternate with ...

Project C) Scrappy Yarn Pillow
I have a pile of leftover yarn in DKish weigth. I picked some colors I thought might harmonize, then cast on 200 stitches and make up the pattern as I go.
The size turns out ot be in the 43 ~ 45 cm width range. I gave it a bath (still on the needles) and blocked it lightly to see how much I still have to go. Answer is: not very much. So I've stopped for now and will see how the pillow fits (which, of course is a 'The Other Place' and not accessable until next Friday), then I will add a little bit more, just enough to sew in a zipper.

Hellau

Fasching (or Karneval, or Fastnacht, as it's called in some areas) is somewhat similar to Halloween in the US, especially if you look at the costumes and all the sweets that are handed out. But in other things it couldn't be more dissimilar.
For once, Fasching is a very serious event. In some areas it's political - nothing can get more serious than that. It has traditons - according to Wikipedia (and we all know if it's in Wikipedia, it must be true) it goes back to the 13th century, possibly even longer.
On the other side, it's about having fun, being somebody different for a short while and gourging yourself one last time before Lent starts.

In the little town I've grew up the traditional parade happens on Tuesday - and as far as I can recall we never had bad weather on that day. It may have rained on Sunday on the parade in Frankfurt, or snowed on the big parade in Mainz on Monday - we had neither (not always sunshine and rarely warm, as this is usually February, but no rain or snow)

So I went out and watched purple cows pass by.

I cheered for the guests from Venice.

I crossed my fingers as the little frogs crossed the street that they are not run down by cars.

I tried to catch my breath as large octopus swam by. And I picked up a ton of sweets.

Hellau to you, too!

Lemmings

Knitting - like a lot of other things - is driven by 'things that are IN'
What I mean with that is that there are certain designers whose pattern are cast on by hundreds knitters all over the world the moment the pattern is available.
Stephen West comes to mind. Some of his patterns get more than 1000 projects on Ravelry. The wide shawl 'Daybreak' for example has currently 3257 projects (two of those are by me)
There must be about a million - well, okay, maybe not a million, but A LOT - Cookie A socks out there ('Monkey', the most popular, has right now 15.286! projects - that is a lot of socks)
Last year I made Elizabeth Zimmermann's 'Baby Surprise Jacket' (16.761 projects).
A fairly new star to the knitting world is Ysolda Teague - I have made at least two of her designs so far.

The latest fad I've followed is the pattern Color Affection by Veera Välimäki - at first the pattern was only available as a kit - you had to buy the yarn to get the pattern, but finally, this month, the pattern came out for download.
I had already picked my colors so I could cast on right away (only to change my color choice mid knitting). The yarn is Wollmeise Twin in the colors Neptun, junge Maus and Moses. In reality the blues are far more petrol than on this photo.

A simple, relaxing knit, with an unusal construction, I zipped through the whole thing in a little over a week.

I don't consider myself a follower of every new trend out there to knit - but somehow I end up quiet often with the in-patterns. Well, there must be a reason they're in, right?