Clapotis

My second Clapotis.I love this pattern!

Clapotis Pattern by Kate Gilbert

wool Evilla Artyarn 8/2 on 5mm needles

(a reluctant model)

Knitting

Danish wool, with a Norwegian pattern in Switzerland!

I started this top on our skiing holiday...so far so good.

My friend Karen, is translating this pattern for me.

Drawstring Raglan Top

I know I haven't been around for awhile, but I have been knitting. This one I finished off on the weekend, and I am so pleased with it! It's from Interweave Knits, Summer 2008. Other things I have been doing.....a pumpkin coloured lace top from Rowan, socks, a green tumbler quilt (or 2), depending on how many blocks there are. 

I am also back at Uni this year, so I may be as prolific this year with craft.  I am studying my masters of Social Science in Library and Information Management. I hope to work through the UFO list that I wrote out at the beginning of the year, and not buy new supplies.  However, it has been a long time since I have studied, and this course is by correspondence in Australia.  There will be the problem of time difference, and I am expecting a lot of reading of papers on the computer screen.

2009 Fabric Stash

January 2009 pictures

It looks like all those Tumbler Block quilts really did make a difference! Phew! Still so many tumblers left to sew...and I am on the look out to do something with 2 1/2" strips to use up the strips in one of the large boxes on the top of the shelf!

I made a long list of "To Do" projects that are still to be completed or started..I am not brave enough to list them here.

Beaded Bracelets

Finally got a chance to make up these beads that I bought at the Import Shop in November! This is an easy thing to be working on while we watch the entire series of West Wing. Plenty of beading to keep me busy, working through the bead collection!

Teacher scarf gifts

I have been busy making these scarves for teacher presents, but haven't been able to share them with you until I gave them as presents. This one was for Cameron's teacher. One Row Scarf by Stephanie Pearl McPhee made from Fibreworks Merino on 5mm needles, colourwave #17 "Rain Forest" This one is for Alexander's teacher from Mon - Wed Diagonal Lace Scarf by Helena Frank made from Fibreworks Merino on 5mm needles, colourwave #15, "Bush Flame" This one is for Alexander's teacher from Thurs - Fri Knit 2, Purl 2 scarf. Made from Fibreworks Merino on 5mm needles, colourwave #9 "Blue Gum Greens" (the photo of this one does no justice to the gorgoues blues in this yarn!!

Charlotte's Scarf

A quick trip over to England to visit some friends, and it happened to be Charlotte's birthday (my penpal for nearly 10 years) So, I bought some gorgeous Noro Kureyon yarn and knitted this one up for her while we talked! It was a great visit, and the colours in this scarf will go with pretty much everything that is in her wardrobe! Drop Stitch Scarf by Christine Vogel knitted on 4.5 mm

Berlin Knitters

Through Ravelry I have met some other obsessed knitters, and there are plenty of opportunities to get together.

Most of these are in the evenings or over the weekend which is near impossible for me to manage. I suggested a morning/lunch meeting on the last Friday of the month. A few people said they were interested, and our Last Friday of the Month get together was born.

This group has saved my sanity here in Berlin. I can sit with other obsessed crafters and talk about the stuff I love to do. So, here we are....

We meet at Starbucks in Hackescher Markt with big comfy chairs upstairs. We chat, knit and then frog when we make a mistake! Today I remembered to take my camera.

Here is a great Dr Who doll in progress and a knitted Dalek.

Scrapbooking memories

Skiing from 2006 in Werfenweng, and some more Pixie photos.

Danish Wool

I was thrilled to find a wool shop in Hirtshals open on the north coast of Denmark.

The owner of the shop was very charming, and helped me with the Danish wool. She spoke very good English.

I bought these 2 balls of wool. She explained how the vest that was modelled on the mannequin was made from the same wool, and the pattern came free with the purchase of the wool....the only problem...the pattern was in Danish.

Who am I kidding....I have enough trouble with the German language. But I took the pattern anyway, and I am determined to give this pattern a go...it's a gorgeous vest!

I mght have to find a Danish Knitter in Ravelry to help with the pattern.

I think I can at least start it by myself. I can work out which needles to use, which size and how many stitches to cast on. So that's a start!

Hats

I have been knitting these hats. They are simple to knit up, but serve a sad purpose. We have 3 friends going through, or about to go through chemo treatment.

There isn't much we can do to help from here, but I can at least knit up these hats to send to them as the weather gets colder here.

Here is the link if you need to make some too! No Hair Day - Hairy Chemo Hat

2 very reluctant models with these hats, and I was only allowed to take photos from the back (but you get the idea of what they look like!) I have a few more to knit so I can send a few each.

Scrapbooking pages

I finished off these 3 groups tonight while watching George Clooney in the movie Michael Clayton. Michelle and Tony's wedding the purple card is over the info I don't want to share on here. The small card behind the group wedding photo is an update of their growing family. More Pixie photos that get put away in a box and never see the light of day again as they are replaced with more recent photos.

Scrapbooking pages

I have been busy with these pages (and working on another 7 other double pages as well.) Finally found a reasonable scrap shop here...and can get some nice papers and other bits and pieces as well.

Steph's wedding

Bridge Climb

Kelly and Theo's wedding Karen and Steve's wedding Pixie Photos these 4 are a work in progress. They are photos of weddings we have been to over the years, I am currently tracking down old friends to update "where they are now" Until the ringing in my ears is resolved I can't cope looking down at a 45 degree angle for too long!

Spring Fling in Autumn

Here is my latest knitting project complete (and I wore it today). Spring Fling by Jordana Paige 

Knitted from Lana Grossa Asia Wool

Scrapbooking memories

Scrapbooking is something I have been meaning to do for a long time. I want to get the photos I have taken into some sort of order and make them easier to look at, and cull them down a bit. I have been buying bits and pieces for many years, and this week I actually got a couple of pages done. Some of my scrapping friends and I are doing a challenge by using the same layout each month. This is what I came up with for my October challenge. Our Ski Trip to Austria in Feb 2008. Now I have finally done a couple of page layouts, I am keen to keep going...now can someone tell me how to squeeze in an extra couple of hours in each day?

Osnabrück Nadel und Faden 2008

I love Osnabrück, this is the second time I have been there, and it is so peaceful (on reflection maybe it is so peaceful, because I am by myself).

I had a great couple of days at the craft fair, and enjoyed looking around and talking to other crafty people!

I bought some gorgeous fabrics and yarn for some future projects. There were some interesting quilts on display, mainly art quilts for wall hangings.

Osnabrück is a town that had a large wall around it (some of it still exists). The cobbled streets and building are lovely to wander around.

After the craft show, I went into town to have a look around and get something to eat. All along the footpaths, people were sitting on garden/outdoor chairs. I was a bit confused by it all, but thought perhaps later on there was going to be a concert or something.

I went back to the hotel, and after 9pm, I went back out to see what was happening.

An enormous Trödelmarkt. Flea/Second hand market. The Trödelmarkt was an all night, family friendly event. Start at 9pm, and went all through Saturday night and all day Sunday.

People were claiming their places during the day with their seats, but they were not allowed to bring their tables and stuff to sell until after 8.30pm.

So, no concert. However it was interesting to see what people were selling and what other people were buying. There were 2 spinning wheels that perhaps I would have looked at a bit closer, if I didn't have to carry it on a train back to Berlin.

The "die hard" buyers had their torches, as it got dark they would use the torches to look over the tables to make sure they didn't miss any bargains!

Peacock Feathers Shawl

pattern by Dorothy Siemens. Currently up to Chart 4. It is the first shawl, and first lace project I have tried  I can only manage to do about 4 rows in one sitting. I am scared I will make a big mistake in the pattern, and this mohair yarn doesn't frog well at all! There has been a bit of swearing when frogging the mistakes.

Beaded Bracelets

I bought some beads at the Melbourne Quilt Show, and made some bracelets when I was in Melbourne. I went to Harmony Beads in North Balywn (opposite Coles on that scary corner with the trams and 5 roads all joining together), to match up smaller beads with the larger beads. These ones were done with a clover "knitting nancy"..I don't know the correct name for it. They were fun to make, and I have bought some more beading wire is different colours to try, and also some different clasps.