End of Year Statistics

There've been 42 projects for me this year.

8 projects have been weaving, the rest mostly knitting with some crocheting thrown in.
I wove a couple of scarfs, but knitting some as well.
I've made 7 pairs of socks, though only 3 pairs stayed with me, the rest went to friends and family.
I finished two large blankets (one knitted, one crocheted)
I also made two cardigans for me.
For collegues I've made two bady cardigans (and probably will make another one for next year)

If I put all the bandwraps of all the yarn I've used last year into a big bowl I get something like this:

That is 116 band wraps!
If I add up all the yarn I've used this year, I discover that I've knitted about 24.5 km of yarn.
As I have - according to my stash list in Ravelry - still 55.3 km yarn available at home, I should be okay for the next 2 years at least.

The last project for 2011 is this hat. It has the lovely name 'Wurm' and it made with two shades of Wollmeise Twin yarn. The lighter yarn does match my new jacket, so I hope I'll get a lot of use out of it.
To all, a Happy New Year 2012. Stay healthy and be happy.

Military History

The Museum for Military History reopened a couple of months ago after its remodeling by the US star-architect Daniel Liebeskind (funny little side note here, when I had my prom at the end of dancing school, my partner's name was also Liebeskind, though I think he was a Detlef ...).
I do like this new addition to the place, a pretty cool mix of classic and modern. From the tip of the wedge you also have a pretty good view out over Dresden.
The museum itself was quite interesting - we Germans have a somewhat strange view at our military history and it certainly wasn't always flowers and songs. So it's not an easy task to find a good balance to show to the audience.The building has a lot of unusual angles and corners, and on one of the slanting walls they displayed a couple of bombs seemingly falling directly down on you. Not a nice thought to know that not too long ago those weren't just props in a museum, but real bombs made to kill people.


Mom, the second jigsaw is done:

Hey, this is post 300.
Go me!

Knitting Update

The knitting part for Cria is finished. I got 20 buttons (10 for the front and 2x5 for the cuffs) but still need to sew then on. After than it's washing and blocking and then the exciting moment where it turns out if it fits or not.
For my new Jack Wolfskin winter jacket, I made a short scarf. It's just long enough to cross properly on my chest, which is okay, and enough to keep the wind out. I would have liked it to be a little bit longer, but I ran out of the light yarn. It's nice and warm and soft, though - everything a scarf should be.

Still, a few more centimeters would have been nice.

Everybody is knitting a Hitchhiker shawl, so I'm doing one, too. I'm using Wollmeise Twin in the colorway 'Wasserratz' plus some beads on each tip. Totally love it. I did a test on the Magic Square Potholder and it turned out okay - only, there's not enough yarn left to make a second one in the same color way, so this one will be a single. So, instead, I'm making a striped version with some leftover cotton yarn I still have. It will be very colorful, I think.

That Season Again

It might come as a surprise to some, but it's x-mas season again. Didn't we just have one last year and the year before? It can't be THAT time of the year again!
As my family decided years ago to not give presents among the adults, this time is actually fairly relaxing for me. No need to hunt for that one perfect present among throngs of other desperate shoppers with the same goal. I have the whole year to look around and if I happen to come across something I just know one of my loved ones will like, I can buy it and give it to them any time I like.
Ah, the season of peace.Being in Dresden, It is inevitable that at one point or another I'm going to check out the local Christmas Market. The Strietzelmarkt is Germany's oldest Christmas Market and it's been held for 577 years. Yupp, that's longer than Christoph Columbus 'discovering' America.
The Market is held in the Altmarkt square and attracts millions of visitors.
As it was just too warm for the famous muled wine tradionally drunken on a christmas market, I just stroled around and looked at the things on display.Funny thing about Dresden, though, there's not just one christmas market, there are (at least) five.
There's the one on the Newmarket square, which is more craft orientated (it's my personal favorite)There's the medievil one in the Stallhhof (stable court yard)There's one next to the Frauenkirche (not to be confused with the one on the Neumarkt, even though they are no more than 50m appart).
There's one on the other side of the river with a big ferris wheel.
And I'm sure, there are more ...

Finally, Mom, prove I finished the jigsaw puzzle:
It was easy and it took me 2 ~ 3 hours, tops.