Did anybody say Spring?

Wednesday was the offical start to spring - this pic was taken on Thurday on my way from Berlin after I've seen the Lord of the Rings exibition (which, by the way, was better then when I saw it in London a couple of years back, simply as there was more room and less people)

Pot holders: the blue one
See, blue pot holder on green pot holder.

Update pic on Not Forgotten:

Out of the Yellow Light

Well, that's where I am at the moment. Customer's cleanroom. And the light is yellow.

Short background to this. I'm an engineer in the semiconductor industry. Now, in order to create those niffty little computer chips everybody is graving, you need a very clean enviroment. I sit here with a white overall, two pairs of gloves (one over the top of the other), a face mask, a hood and some special pair of shoes (other customer prefer booties, but else, this is about the norm)
No danger of me getting durty - I'm the danger, really.
To get into a clean room, one has to walk through a long corridore with an air shower, just to blow any dirt that's sticking to you, off you.
Air conditioning is running all the time - normally, I don't notice it anymore.
And the light is yellow, because in the section I'm working in, we have photo-sensitive resists. Sort of like a dark room, only there you can work with a red light - here the resist have no problem with the yellow light.

Well, of course, the fact that I'm still working means that another weekend has been lost. Work vice I've made some progress, but I'd have prefered to spend the time with my friends.

Over the week I've was pretty busy with work, so all I managed was the finish the second pot holder in blue. I tried a few things to improve the pattern (like seperate cast on of the two colors) and most of it worked. I'm still not 100% happy on how the edges have turned out, but well, you can't have everything.

Last night, I also picked up 'Not Forgotten' again. And discovered that I have run out of 807 - the sea dragons will miss a bit, until I'm back home. I *think* I have another skein a home.

No pictures for obvious reasons (like having no camera with me)

Spring!

Yeah! It's spring *happy, joy*



It was a lovely, sunny day today. So I went and took a couple of pics of the finished pot holder in the sun - and I'm stunned how different it looks from the 'real' color.

That's a pic indoors - pretty close to the real color.


And that's the same pot holder outside in the sun.


Blue? When did that pot holder turn blue?
I swear, this is one and the same piece of fabric.
Funny though, that this looks pretty close to the colors I've picked for the second pot holder I'm going to make - I've already got the wool.

Here's the proof that I really finished the second cable sock - for a while I thought I wouldn't do it.



I've got about 25 grams left - I have to think what to do with it. Not sure yet.
Anyway, I'm off socks for a while - I've knitted to many lately, I've got no idea what to do with them. And I kinda lost my drive to knit them - at least at the moment. I have to see how long this lasts.

At least, this way, King Tut got back on the agenda. He's been terribly neglected the last couple of weeks. Didn't got much done on him today (at least nothing photo worthy) but he's back out of the bag.

I'm due for another working weekend next weekend, so don't expect any pictures for a while. It should be the last one for a while and at least I'll get overtime paid (due to the fact that I still have so much overtime from last year, that there's not chance in heaven or hell to get rid of it in a while - that is unless I'd take a month and a half off)

I plan on treading my somehow when this is over. I have my eye on the Lizard Ridge Blanket. It takes around 21 skeins of Noro Kureyon! I've got one skein which I bought last year at the Nadel and Faden in Osnabrück and used it to knit a test square and I think I'm hooked.

So, I'm off to pack ...

Knitting From Both Sides

Loads of work last week. I did manage to finish my part of the project, proofing in the process that the change that was done, might not have been such a good idea. Well, one more machine to inspect, and than that's over with.

Enough of the whining.

I finished one of the cable net socks and am about 60% done with the second.


The cable stands out wonderfully, but I didn't manage to get rid fo the 'ladder' that runs down the side of the leg *sigh* - at least I think it's obvious, don't know if others do.
It is still very slow knitting, but I hope to finish the second one some time soon.
The sock itself is wonderfully soft, a pleasure to wear.

Frustrated with the slow progress on the sock, I've started another little project. Pot holders.
Yippy, so exiting.
Of course, they do have a twist.


This is the back and the front side of the pot holder - and both are knitted at the same time, at the same needle. I've seen that technic at some sides on the internet, and I always wanted to try it. Of course, when I went looking the other day, I couldn't find any pattern. So I somehow worked out the 'how' on my own - I'm a bit surprised that it worked.
I plan on crocheting around the side with one color when I'm done.

Finally, the promised update on 'Not Forgotten'.
I finished the rainbow (my version) and stitched the phoenix (incl. backstitch) and the gryphons (without bs)

Sunday at work

Sorry, not pictures today. Not much today of anything, really.
Sadly, I have to work this weekend - I have to finalized the acceptance of the last tool we've installed at a customer side in Dresden, and as this is already overdue for two weeks now, there's a lot of pressur.

On the creative front, I've finished the first of the cable net socks. I also went back to 'Not Forgotten' - finished the phoenix and the rainbow and got most of the gryphens done. I promise it picture next week.

Else, lots of work ....

Leftover Blues

I always thought that I had a reasonable speed in knitting - that is, a pair of socks a week is normally no problem. This is good for the socks output, this is bad for the need to buy new sock wool (though, I have to admit, I've still got enough sock wool left to keep me busy for many, many weeks, and that never really stopped me from buying more)
Looks like I've found that sock pattern that breaks the pattern - I'm working on them for one week, and am not even at the middle of the foot! The foot, I should point out, of the FIRST sock.


This is the Cable Net pattern from Knitty.com. They call is extra-spicy, and boy, they are not kidding. And I cowardly bowed out and did a 'normal' heel, instead of the cabled heel the pattern offers, and still it takes forever.
The wool is Regia silk, which feels like a dream and knitts like a bitch - well, not really, but it's a bit clingy and I forever pull the thread away from my clothing.

On the photo front, I've managed to take finally a picture of the Esther socks on my foot and it's in focus!!


So, that's more like it - the color is like it should be and the pattern is better visible.

Finally, last weekend, I made Leftover Blues Socks - I simply have a lot blue sock wool left over, hence the name.


Hmm, looks like I have a real big foot and a very narrow leg *grin* - when in truth it's rather the other way round ;)

After all that knitting I didn't get around to stitch any. I really need to change that.

Pomegranate

the new socks are not exactly photogenic. I took about 20 pictures - and every single one is out of focus. That is, they are out of focus as long as the socks are on my feet. Off the feet they are fine. Meaning, I guess, that I cannot wear a sock and take a picture of it at the same time.


So, here are the feetless socks. The pattern is Esther from the Socken-Kreative-Liste. More or less. I didn't do the picot edge (I tried, but this one just doesn't work for me) and made a small variation on the heel. But the pattern is true (here the only pic on the foot, that wasn't totally out of focus).


I enjoyed knitting it (even though some tinking was involved ... who do I kid: a lot of tinking was involved :))
Wool, by the way, is Wollmeise Superwash Sockwool in pomegrante. The true color is somewhere between the first and the second picture.
I weighted the left over wool and I've got 80 grams left - should be enough for a second pair. Luckily I have small feet (not very photogenic ones, but one can't have everything)

I didn't do a single cross stitch the whole week :(

I also had a cold last week, so I was a bit handicapped. I seem to be over it by now, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Wool from the Tit

... and if this doesn't sound strange ;)

Thing is, I've ordered last weekend three skeins of wool from 'Wollmeise' and if you translate that name it's the 'wool tit'



I think I am in love - this is the softes sock wool I've ever got. And the colors are beautiful. I've seen warnings that this wool is addictive and I begin to see why.
From top to bottom it's Granatapfel (pomegranate), Wellensittichvogelfeder (budgerigar bird feather) and Gewitterhimmel (Thunderstorm Sky) all in superwash sock wool.
I've already started on the first sock with the red wool.

What else? Some progress on 'Not Fogotten' - pics maybe next week.
No progress on 'King Tut' - he's a victim of the knitting needle.
I finished the Fetzenmuster socks


I did knit both, I swear. Wool is Hunderwasser 'Seeschlange' from Opal. For the photo I did wear a white sock underneath in the hope that would make the pattern more visible. I have the feeling it didn't work too well. Ah well, at least they fit.
What a difference to the new wool - the Opal is downright scratchy against it.

Started a new book. 'Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder' by Joanne Fluke. That is, I'm almost through with it already. Great fun and I'm sure to check out the others in this series.

Yeah, Germany won the world championship in handball. Contratulation to the boys.

Fetzen-Muster

No update on King Tut - I didn't stitch on him at all this weekend.
Instead I picked up my knitting needles and started on a fresh pair of socks.
I'm using this pattern here. The wool I'm using is Opal Hundertwasser Seeschlange.



One sock is done - after ripping is up (twice!!!) as I wasn't happy with the cuff and also not too happy how the pattern came out. So I switched to a standard knit 1 purl 1 for the cuff and also use a 7 repeat instead of an 8 repeat for the pattern.
You can't see the pattern very well in the picture, though you might get an idea.
I should have both socks by next weekend.

Stitching wise, an update on 'Not Forgotten'

I did decide to go for my rainbow, and started to do the right hand side (so I can finally do some backstitching on the dragon ...)

Yeah, Heroes has a new episode. The more I see of that show, the more I like it. Very well acted and written.

New Atlantis episode, too. I loved how McKay mangled the name of that one scientist.

Quote:
*shooting*
Weir: Weapon's fire.
Sheppard: 9 mil, this way.
McKay: Oh yes, let's race towards the gunfire.

*sigh* only two more to go, until the long time without new episodes.

King Tut II

Got quite a bit of progress on King Tut. It is an easy stitch (at least so far), but luckily not a boring one.

I've also got some progress on 'Not Forgotten' as well. The right dragon is almost done.
I'm thinking about changing the rainbow - the one in the pattern is a little bit too ... not circular. It's sort of filling out the edges, which from a design point of view, might be a good idea, but from a physicist's pov, I prefer a perfect circle. So I put the shapes of the poenix and the dragon (the only two who intersect with the rainbow) into PC Stitch and tried to plot a more circular rainbow

What do you think, should I go with this rainbow, or should I go for the original one?
Here's a link to the original one: Not Forgotten by Dragon Dreams
Not that much of a difference really ....

New Stargate Atlantis 'Sunday' - I liked it, except one bit, but that was to be expected *sigh*
Now Ii'm waiting for the fanfic to come pouring in.

Finally finished with 'Eragorn'. I thought it was sort of okayish, and I'm going to go on witht he series, but I will read something else in between. No idea what, though.

Holy blooming plant,Batman

I don't know if it's the mild weather, or something else, but I didn't even know that a schefflera could bloom. But mine is.
I've 'rescued' the plant from a broken off plant part from my office several years ago and it never did bloom before.



The blossoms are tiny, and as far as I can tell, don't smell of anything. But it's somehow cute. I wonder if I get seeds ... well maybe not.


Update on King Tut. Got quite a bit of him done.


Still a long way to go :)
He's a fairly easy stitch - no fractionals, no special stitches, no blends. I have to see how long it's going to take before I'm bored out of my mind. The pattern is 205 x 244 stitches (though not every single field is stitched, a good part is).
When I opened the kit (which I bought half price in London about a year ago) I've found that one thread color was missing. But a quick e-mail to Lanarte got me the DMC number and that's okay....

New Stargate Atlantis: The Ark
(only four episodes left in the season ... sniffle)
Good solid episode with a few nice interactions. I think it's kind of cute how by now they sort of expect that Rodnes is able to pull a technical miracle out of his hat every single time (though, this time he couldn't ... not his fault, really)
I also liked how they made the 'bad' guy's motiation understandable (at least the second guy's ... the first one, well, this is never a solution for me) - as Teyla said in the end, John would have done the same.

Nice Ronon / Sheppard moment, as there's a good chance they're about to die and Ronon says that he'd rather die fighting:
Sheppard: Look if this rock burns up in the atmoshpere I'll fight you to the death myself. Deal.
Ronon: Your on.

Northern Lights Sampler

Yeah, finished my latest 'at home' project: Northern Lights Sampler by Jeannette Douglas


It really has been fun to stitch, interesting to try many different technics. I also remembered why I didn't like stitching with beads.

I did use the recommened fabric and color, but instead of a 28ct I used an 32ct (the shop I bought the fabric from didn't have enough of the 28ct, and as I don't come as often to the US as I like, I took what they had). For most of the pattern it didn't really matter, except maybe for the beads, which look a little crowded.
I've also got the embellishment package, which was plenty of most of the fibers, except the Wisper W88 white - I didn't have enough in the package to finish the last white dog. Luckily I've already got some of the Wisper for 'Not Forgotten', so it wasn't a real problems.

Now to find a good frame and a place to hang it up.

I'e also picked up a new 'at home' project: King Kutankhamen by Lanarte
I've bought the kit about a year ago for half price in London (else it would have been too expensive). For a change, I already know where I'm going to hang it once it's finished.
I've checked the theads and found that one color is missing (the card has a tear in the place it should have been). I've wrote to Lanarte - have to see what their reaction is.

A Dragon New Year

A happy new year to everybody.

Last days of the years I've snuck in a smallish Dragon Dream Pattern: Lost Dragon Sampler.


Cute and fun to do, too. My excuse is that I needed to find out how much of the specialty threads is needed, as I plan on kitting it up for a present for somebody I'm not going to name here (and for the records: less than a meter of each is plenty).
I've altered the 'it' in the lower text to 'him', switched two band colors (by accident, really, not that anybody would notice) and changed the color of the word 'Lost' to Distant Hills from Budding Leaves.

Also, for my travel project, I've started with 'Not Forgotton' also from Dragon Dreams.


My at home project (Northern Lights Sampler) is pretty far now, maybe five or six bands left to do. I'm sort of undecided if I start on a Teresa Wentzler next (either Castle Sampler or The Fortunate Traveler) or start on a large kit I've got in England last year.

I've discovered the series 'Heroes' and love it. I can't wait to see how it will go on.

No New Years resolutions, btw. Maybe loose some weight, but that's not something new, and considering the two parties I've been to the last three days, I had a pretty bad start at that anyway ...

I've finished posting my Thunderbird Story. Not many reviews *sigh* But it seems that it's not really a good season for reviews. I'm not the only one who noticed that there were little. Of course, that draws a little bit the fun out of writting. And it doesn't help that I looked at the stuff I've wrote for 'Where the Stars are Quite' (the next TB story I'm working on) and decided to trash the last two chapters.

Tomorrow it's back to work.

Merry Socks

I did knit some ...



















I'm in love with those socks. The pattern is a simply snowflake pattern I've found in a magazine, the wool is Admiral ombre from Schoppel Wolle. It was my second attmept on a boomerang heel, and it also worked fine.

And knitted some more



















I've had some of the Schoppel wool left and always wanted to try entralac, so I started this. No idea what to do with it, it's more of a swatch than anything else, but I think it works very well with this wool, and maybe I'll find something for it.


And I also stitched some














I was just looking for something simple I can carry around with me during the x-mas season, ad found this. I picked the pattern up at the Nadel & Faden in Osnabrück. Cute, easy (though I'm not looking forward to stitching the sky)

Merry Christmas to you all.

There's a Dragon in the Greenery

Last week I've linked to the new issue of Knitty and the cute little dragon that I found there. Well, here's what I've made of it. Not quite the same as the original, but still somehow cute. He's about half the size he should be, and the legs and the back ridge is bigger than it should be. And the tail is almost not there ...
Well, it was a first try and I'm sure to make another one.

Besides, I've decided to show an update on the Northern Lights Sampler



I'm about 2/3 done, I'd say. Currently I'm working on row 21. I've skipped row 17 for now, as I'll do all the beads in the end.
It's more or less my focus piece for home, that is if I'm not working on anything else - which happens a lot.

Yeah, I'm finally done with some Thunderbirds fic. First part is here. All in all there are 15 parts and if all goes well, I'll post one part per day.

And, new Atlantis. I've watched it already three times today and yesterday. "Tao of McKay"
Happy sigh.

One quote (of many possibles ... but I don't want to spoil too much)

McKay: …now is Sheppard still bugging you to let him use the ancient device to turn himself into some kind of superhero?
Weir: Oh Yes.
McKay: …despite the fact that the ancient database states that its effects on people are wildly unpredictable, and that I’m just lucky I wasn’t, er, instantly melted down into a pool of protoplasm?
Weir: Yes.
McKay: Well maybe, you should let him…
Weir: I think not.

Christmas Calories

Well, I didn't really plan on making x-mas cookies this year. When you try loosing weight it's not the best thing to have around. But then my mom came with crystalized orange peels and the request to make her beloved orange sticks from them (basically, cut the orange peels in stripes, then dip them in chocolade)
And as I already was in the kitchen and I was in the mood, I didn't stop there ...



On the top are ginger bread rounds. Below of them are marzipane balls with chocolate (the balls have also some of the orange peel and pecan nuts in them). Left of those are burned almonds with more chocolade and last, but not least I've made some coconut clouds.

The ginger bread was an experiment, which I'm not so sure that it worked out. The marzipan balls are also an experiment, but they are actually pretty good (normally I make them with walnuts and tried apricots, but this version also works)


Yeah, a new knitty is out. Look at Noberta. Isn't she absolutely adorable? I've already bought some wool for her and start working on her asap.


Last Atlantis wasn't really that great (well, they can't really always hit the mark) - but the episode gets one bonus point for working in a reference to one of my favorite movies of all time: The Princess Pride....

Storyteller

Now that the recipient got her birthday present, I finally can show my latest happy dance off.



The Storyteller by Teresa Wentzler. I didn't stitch the border that went with it, but I can't say I miss it. I think I like it better this way.
Took me a couple of months, but, as usual with my stitching, there've been a couple of other project cutting in.

I'm down to one mayor stitching project, so I need to start thinking about what to do next *big grin*

The Things I Do ...

... for Atlantis (that is the TV show)

Finally, a new episode shows up, but what does my darling DVD player decide to do? Yep, no picture, only sound. Not the way I want to admire my favorite gate travellers.
I guess it's been pure spite because I've extended my DVD shelf and now got more space for new DVDs
So, I've bought a new one - a Philips. It was the only one in the store which could do DivX and could be switched to codefree. I thought it was interesting that the second information was written by hand on the sign - looks like I'm not the only one interesting in code freeness.

On an another note, I've managed to write quite a bit this weekend and finally finished the first big story since in forever. The story's title is 'Walk on the Wild Side' and it's a Thunderbirds story I've started about two years ago. I thought it was fun how the story developed in the last couple of pages. In the beginnig I had this big plan. Then I decided that there needed to be some changes, so I could inclue a bit more whumping, so I built up the villain and pushed the plot in a certain direction. And in the end, there was much less whumping and everybody goes home happily (that is, except the bad guy, of course)
I'll start on editing it now, then push it to Mac and see what she thinks. And then I can start posting :)

On the knitting front I've finished the big shawl project. warm and cozy it is :)


Here it's draped more or less elegantly over my new office chair. It's a simple feather and fan pattern and the wool is called Zoom.
Knitting wise I've moved back to finish a pair of socks, and on the stitching front, I've picked up the 'Northern Lights Sampler' which I've negleted for so long.

Voyages at Sea

Yeah, 'Voyages at Sea' is done. Took me quite a while, but it was my travel project and there were interuptions, so it wasn't too bad. I really like how it came out. Really nice.
I've also finished the big secret, which needs to to be a secret a little bit longer, but then I can show it of.
Well, big question is what to do next. I've got a second design from the same guy who did 'Voyages' as a kit, so this is a possibility, though probably not right now.
Then there's a couple of Teresa Wentzlers, but most of them are not very good travel projects as they need so many colors, so maybe something else.
Good chances are that I go for something from Dragon Dreams. I've got one designe ('Not Forgotten') pretty much kitted up (missing only the DMCs), so this is a good canditate.
Well, I'm sure I can find something, if I try hard enough (some voice inside of me it giggling like crazy)

...and there's still some knitting to be done.

backstitching

Well, I've finshed all the cross stitch on the big secret and also all the cross stitch on Voyage on the Sea. Meaning I'm off to backstitch - and both projects have plenty of it. Oh happiness oh joy.

To get some fun stitching in, I've started with this fall alphabeth.



I adore how the smaller leaves come out, but the bigger leaves are a bit strippy. Still, it's fun.

I've also did a quick knit in between, the Narkisa headband from knitty (again ... meaning, I love the stuff they have in knitty). I've did it in red though to match a scarf I've already got. It's to keep my ears nice and warm after swimming ...

Return of the Muse

Today, just some rambling, no pics ...

Over the years I've written quite a bit of fanfiction. Certainly never as much as Mac (but then, who does?), but I've did my fair share. I've written for Stargate SG-1, Quantum Leap, Forever Knight, Thunderbirds and an assortment more (individually, and as crossovers, alone and with others).
My writting spouts are usually pretty sporatic - I write some and then, for a long time, I don't write anything, at least not on paper (or computer as it is nowadays)
My last big writting phase with any considerable output to my name was when 2004 the new Thunderbirds movie came out. The movie might not be what the fans had expected and it definitly focused too much on Alan (my least favorite TB character), but at least it rekindled my interest in the old Thunderbirds show and I got some writting done.
Then I went on vacation, and somehow misplaced my muse.
Well, she found her way back...
Since last week I've been back to writting Thunderbirds (very much to the dissapointment of my friend who rather would have me writting Stargate Atlantis) and I'm having a blast. I know I had some certain path in mind when I started writting the story, but funnily enough my characters seem to have other ideas. Well, I'll see where they lead me.

On the craft front I've started a new cross stitch project, an autumn alphabeth with Needle Necessities threads - not that I haven't got four other projects in the works ;)
Speaking on older project, I've finished the cross stithing on the big secret project and am pretty much on my way to there on the Sailing Ship I'm stitching.

Last week I've read two books I really loved:
- Notes from a Big Country by Bill Bryson
- The Fairy Godmother by Mercedes Lackey

Both are favorite authors of mine and I even though there have some hit and misses in the past for both of them, I really enjoyed them both.
Right now I'm reading The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud. Started very good, but now in the last part it lost some of its drive and I have some difficulties ...

I've also got the DVD box set of another old favorite of mine The Champions, a British TV show from the 70s. Wonderfully dated and having the old actors do an audio commentary 40 years after the fact is also something worth listening too. I never realized that there was also a TV movie which was a compilation of some of the episodes about 15 years later after the show was cancelled (side note here, the show was actually cancelled before one minute of it was ever aired - and that after 30 episodes were made)
I definitely have a blast watching the show

WiP

yeah, I've got my stitching mojo back - though there are still a few knitting projects on the go, I've picked up one of my older wips and already did some head way on it.
As it's a present for somebody, I can't really show it, but at least I can give a peek ;)

Here's the pattern I stitch from:

With this pattern I've gone and started to mark every stitch twice - once with yellow, so I know where I have to go next and once with orange when I'm done with the color. This really helpes to cut down on the searching time and to reduce the missed stitches (I'm not saying I've got none ...)

and here what I've stitched in that little corner of the pic:



I've got about 10 ~ 15% of the whole picture still to do, but that shouldn't be too tough.

more socks

I found I did have a picture of the Scottish Snicket Socks after all. Though not of the full sock, but some detail shot of the heel

I'm pretty proud as how the pattern moves very subtle from the leg to the heel :)

Also here's a peek on my next sock project - one down, one more to go.



Cuff, heel and toes are larna laces rainbow - and I love it.
Pattern is another knitty: Cut your teeth socks

I also did a little bit of hardanger, finishing a placemat that will go to my parents at one point - though I guess the pic has to wait for another time, as the upload is taking forever. Sorry.

Lots to do

I'm on vacation still, so naturally, I've got no time :)

I'm trying to catch up on my tv watching. So far the new season hasn't really impressed me much. Returns are Supernatural, Numb3rs and Criminal Minds and of course the various CSIs.
Of the new stuff, I've checked out Heroes (saw only the pilot, but sort of like it), Kidnapped (didn't grab my attention really), Standoff (same as Kidnapped) and Vanished (which I like so far)

Working on my office at home - got a new desk. The old one was way too small (it was still from the old appartment and the only thing that had fit in there). Now I've got something custom made - a friend helped me to cut a new desk top fitted to the space I've got and then I finished it (or however it is called when you try to make the surface of wood smoother) and varnished it here at home. Yesterday a friend came and we mounted it to the wall. Perfect fit :)

And while I'm got the tools, I've also finished and painted the small shelved I've over my radiators - after the move I saw there were a lot of water spots so I got rid of them now and they look nice and pretty and almost new.

Then I've got various dentist appointments. The day after we came back from Scotland I've had a 3 1/2 hours session to prepare four teeth for crowns and inlays. Got them fitted yesterday. Nice and pretty now and they also feel pretty good. Slightly different than before but I think I can get used to it.

Got two new lamps, one for the hallway and the other for the guest bathroom (I'm still not over the fact that I have a guest bathroom now with the new appartment ;))
Still got to hang them up though - somethign for today afternoon.

Did some shopping.
Need to do more shopping. I need new shoes and there's also some other little things I need.
Need to see the hair dresser today.

Did some knitting - and forgot to take a picture of the finished Scottish Scnicket Socks before they got sent out to Canada for a friend.
Started on some hardanger for my parents.

And post some more pics of Scottland here:

Scone Palace (with the indoor curling ring)



Street signs:



and view over Loch Ness



My friend is writting a more detailed log of the trip in here life journal - mostly in German so, but there is some English there as well and the load of pics (most of which I took -- well, I had the camera and I was not afraid to use it ;))

Steffi's Life Journal

Stitching Sudoku

I love stitching
I love Soduko
So, that said, I decided to try and combine these two and came up with the Stitching Sudoku:



Rules are the same as for a normal Sudoku, except that there are colors instead of numbers; you can not use the same color in a row, column and 3 by 3 block. And of course, you need to stitch your solution instead of simply writing it down with pen and paper.
These few blocks above is all the information you need to finish the pattern.
Really.


If you have the preparation finished, one can go and make a little kit with the threads used in the puzzle and give it to a friend to finish it. And, voily, you (or she) get a cool little something that can be finished into an ornament.
Here are the colors, but of course, you can choose any color you like - I just was in the mood for a rainbow.


Speaking of rainbows. We had a cool rainbow while we've been in Scottland, looking over the water from the Isle of Skye to the next island across the bay.

There and back again ... well almost

I've been away for a while, but now I'm back (and excuse me for borrowing the line from LotR)

Me and a friend of mine have gone to Scotland for nine days. Proof is here:


It has been fun, even though it has been tough to be away from the computer for so long (well, I missed my e-mail at least)

The next coupe of days, I plan on writing some more about the trip and a few more pics. I took about 500 pictures, but really, I'm only willing to impress about 10% of those to the puplic (and here, I will probably show less than 10 pictures ....)

Knitting wise I've got a almost finished pair of socks out of it. I've used Regia Africa color and this Snicket pattern - fiddly but fun. Here's what it looked like after the flight from Frankfurt to Edinburgh (I was pretty glad they allowed for the wooden needles on the plane - airport security went really crazy in London)


Seeya later ...