Merry Christmas goodies

Santa gifted me more yarn things.  My umbrella swift and wool winder are fabulous, and I can magically wind a ball in less than 5 minutes! YIPPEE!!!! If only I could knit socks that quick!

Socks #5 Phil's Socks

Phil's socks, completed just in time for Xmas Day.

The pattern is from Knit Today magazine, called Rugged Rambler Socks

Made from Aragon Yarn Classic Romney Aragon Yarn, on 4.5mm, 5mm and 5.5mm needles.

Phil says they are really warm and soft!

Isle of Skye scarf

A simple knit row, purl row scarf, for the handspun yarn I bought in the Isle of Skye, Scotland, at Easter. Knitted on Size 8mm needles, with the yarn wrapped around the needle once after each stitch, and dropped on the purl row,to create longer stitches. I can't explain it any better than that. I was practicing doing another stitch, made a mistake in the pattern, and came up with this, which I thought would look great in this yarn.

Teacher presents

For Alexander's teacher, a scarf to keep him warm during our cold Winter. For Cameron's teacher, a table runner for her lounge room (she got a scarf last year when she was Alexander's teacher).

Socks #4 Cameron's Socks

Here is Cameron in his first pair of knitted socks! He is really pleased with them, but says they are a bit scratchy...hopefully the first wash will sort that out! Cameron says all wool is scratchy!

The wool is called Schoeller + Stahl, Fortissima Socka. Colour 523. A simple ribbed pattern, knitted on size 3 needles. 

Table runner and tumblers

Table Runner :-Some blue and silver/grey triangles. quilt 2 :- Lots of blue tumbler blocks together... Current Quilt :-Colourful tumbler blocks together...

Socks #3 Alexander's Socks

Alexander is pleased with his first pair of hand knitted socks.

The wool is Lana Grossa Meilenwelt 6 Fach Special, colour 8862

Knitted on Size 3 needles

Socks #2 Child's French Child Sock

From Nancy Bush's book, Knitting Vintage Socks, New Twists on Classic Patterns. Page 57, Child's French Sock in Citron and Diaper Knitting. These socks knitted up really nicely, once I worked out how to do the pattern! 

The second sock seemed to knit up quicker, maybe because I could remember the sequence off by heart. I added extra pattern repeats for the length of the sock, but had to do 2 less pattern repeats for the length of the foot, because my feet are smaller that the pattern size. This is the first lace pattern I have ever attempted. There are a few mistakes in there, but nothing too noticeable (thank goodness for multi colour yarn. 

 The wool is Lana Grossa Meilenweit Cotton Fun and Stripes, Colour 353, on size 2.5 needles. The photo doesn't really show up the pattern well, but I love them! 

Next is a pair of children ribbed socks for Alexander, on size 3 needles, so they should knit up a bit quicker than these ones! Sock knitting is very addictive!

2007 Quilt #11

I booked the long arm machine at the quilt shop, and it took about 4 hours to do.....long arm professionals, do not look too closely at the quilting! It was great fun, and I got to talk to some different people throughout the day. 

Lizzie Kate April

Taking a small break from St Nick, so I can say I have finished something.  Here is a small Lizzie Kate Flip it design. I will try and work on these little charts once a week. So, after 2 weeks, here is the first of the April ones, not very exciting, but at least I can cross it off as finished. Sorry for the photo, it isn't very clear, although the colours stand out OK on the fabric, must be the light, or flash? 

 Can anyone explain Halloween to me? Why is it that kids throw eggs at people's homes and leave the egg cartons all over the ground. The streets around here are littered with egg shells....I thought Halloween was an American thing...not in Germany?, and why would you let your kids beg for food from strangers? I know I am going to cop a lot of flack from any Americans reading this...but I just don't get it?

1st pair of knitted socks

I have finally learnt how to turn the heel and finish the sock with kitchener stitch. I didn't do it well, even after 3 attempts! But I am happy with my first attempt.

This is a simple knit 2, purl 2 ribbed sock Wool :- Lana Grossa, Cotton Spirit, colour 3005. There are a few mistakes in them, but overall, I am really pleased with these...I think I have come a long way from scarves and hats! :) I am going to wear them today! I have already started my second pair, a more complex pattern for the main part of the sock. Also, the boys and Phil have put in an order for a pair too! My German knitting is coming along well!

St Nick: 100 hours

I am loving how this is evolving.

2007 Quilt #11 Tumbling Colours

I just realised this is my 11th quilt for the year...so I am really pleased with that. Apart from the quilt for Miss Pollock, the rest have been made from my stash, with very little extra fabric being bought, so I am really pleased with this. There is a quilt shop not far from home (20 minutes on the bus). They have a long arm machine set up in the store. You can hire the machine for the day for a small fee. I am thinking about taking this one up there to have a play on the long arm quilting machine....that will be fun!

Stricken und Rechte glatte

My first German knitting class...I am determined to learn how to knit socks on 4 needles, and having trouble doing it myself from a pattern. So I booked into the local knitting shop for some lessons.

I printed off a English to German Knitting Vocab list, and with that and my English pattern, headed off to the shop to work out how to turn this heel


I had to unravel the heel twice, before I got it right, so I don't have much to show for it!

I managed well in my limited German, and will be going back again next week, and hope to have almost 1 sock finished! I learnt the word for turn "drehen", see this is good for my German!

Tumbling Colours

The current quilt laid out on the floor of the study/sewing room. The kids are under threat not to walk on it...

Here is part of the pile of blocks I am working from at the moment.

Aschaffenburg Quilt Show

I had booked in to do a 2 day workshop with one of my favourite quilters, Kaye England. I was so excited about going, and had everything booked.

About 4 weeks ago I got a letter to inform me that there were not enough people booked into the course and it was cancelled, money refunded! I was gutted! I was so looking forward to attending this one. I miss my quilt weekends with my quilting friends in Sydney.

I decided to go anyway, see some quilts and do the shopping area. Nothing much "new" and inspiring for me in the shopping area, but there were some lovely quilts, and "journal quilts" that I really liked.




I really like the idea of these mini quilts (about the size of an A4 sheet), but I have a lot of other projects to do before I start anything like these!

Tumbler Blocks and Pentagons

I hope to sew some of these tumbler blocks today, using a pattern I was playing with in EQ5 computer program. I have been busy making these pentagons while I wait for the school bus. My neighbour is very intrigued with watching me sew while sitting on the stairs in the garden

But just now, my IKEA order of book shelves for the kids has just arrived....so I will try not to be distracted by wanting to assemble them. I love assembling furniture!  First I need to get myself down to the doctor, I think I am getting an ear infection...my first visit to the doctors since I have been in Berlin..hopefully my German will stand up!

St Nick: 75 hours

Making progress slowly..I love working on this piece! This is 75 hours of stitching

Osnabrueck Nadel und Faden 2007

I took a train to Osnabrueck on Friday to a Needle and Quilt craft show on the weekend, about 3 hours west of Berlin, not far from Hannover and Dortmund.
It was a pretty town, these are the only photos I took of the town, because the rest of the time I was in the Stadthalle at the craft fair!

I swore I would never ever touch paper piece quilting in my life....but I sat down with Hilde and Liesel and sewed a few pentagons, and I am hooked.
http://www.liesels-ecke.de/
Well, I am not doing the traditional hexagon shapes, but these pentagons are terrific to work on. I have cut out a heap of shapes, and have started to take these down to the front gate, while I wait for the boys to get home on the school bus. I can sew about 8 while I wait.
A couple of cross stitch designs that I couldn't resist
Not a great photo, but shows you the beginning of an armband that I am making with beads. I did a 4 hour course on Saturday afternoon to learn how to do this technique. I did the whole thing in German, and surprised myself with how much I understood. This was lots of fun, and hope to get the armband finished before the end of 2007.
And enough beads to make all these bracelets....
There will be a few more bracelets to go...I ran out of beading thread...now to return to the beading shop, and only walk out of there with the thread (no chance)
(Note....I will not be wearing these all at once...I promise!)

St Nick: 60 hours

Here is the progress picture of St Nick. 60 hours worth of stitching. I am really enjoying doing this. While I am stitching, I have no idea what I am really working on. It is only when I put it about a metre away from me, then I can see the whole picture

Teacher Gifts

End of school year is close, and I have been making presents for the boys teachers.   A table runner for Alexander's teacher. A scarf for Cameron's teaching assistant and a beanie for Cameron's teacher. The beanie matches the scarf I made him for Christmas last year.I know it is the middle of Summer here, so these gifts will look odd....but we have hardly had a Summer here yet...and it won't be long till Winter hits us again!

2007 Quilt #10

Another disappearing nine patch quilt.  

2007 Quilt # 9

Not a great photo of the Disappearing Nine Patch....Phil is still in hospital.....operation went well, no complications, should be home on Friday! 

2007 Quilt #8

A surprise quilt for Miss Pollock, organised by Mr Boddy and I. The boys somehow managed to keep it a secret! She loved it! :)

Patchworktage Berlin 2007

The German Patchwork Guild and Berlin Brandenburg Guild got together and organised the Quilt Show this year. Alexander and I went on Saturday (Cameron was at BJ's for a sleep over, and Phil was in Russia). A few great tables were set up for the kids to do some painting blocks to add to a paper quilt, paper cut out blocks, which Alexander enjoyed doing, and he learnt to felt. Lots of quilts to look at, and of course the shopping stands. I was very good and only bought a few pins for my pin board, and some beads for Sonia. Three panels about Berlin without walls.
A different medium for Berlin Bears.....polar bears featured on many blocks...the influence of Knut the Polar Bear in the Berlin Zoo. Marga's quilt I picked up a lot of business cards from different stalls to internet shop later on. There was also a lady there who owns a Gammil long arm, and I spoke to her at length about sending quilt tops to her to quilt for me (quilts that are too big and difficult to do on my domestic machine).