Summer equals socks

I love summer because there is always another pair of socks that is just waiting to be created. This year I am way ahead into the sock season. My thoughts are playing around with the pair number 3. It will be a tried and true vintage hound’s tooth design. I first thought of it when I found the yarn 'on sale'. Its Cascade Heritage sock yarn. The base color if dark green with a multi-shaded beige as the alternate color. During a session of lunch at my desk, at work, I put the various sizes of hound tooth design onto an excel spreadsheet. Last week I spent some of the evenings knitting the swatch. Now it is decision time.

Which one should I make? The 6 stitch pattern, the 4 stitch repeat, or the 8 stitch pattern.
I like them all equally!
Before I can start though, I had one more chore to finish. My previous sock pattern had to be 'published'. I called it Bricks'n Braid and FINALLY published it yesterday afternoon. It is free to download on my ravelry.com page, oberpfalzerin
 http://www.ravelry.com/projects/oberpfalzerin/bricksn-braid

Here are a few photos from the pattern. It was so easy to knit the socks and they do feel soft on slouchy on my feet. The instructions are written for women’s size medium and large. the small braid is only on the outside of the socks and supposed to make the socks more feminine.

Free sock pattern anyone?

I have been exploring new territory

Knitting Territory, that is....

I have always wondered about 'felting'. When I was younger it happened BY MISTAKE, but now that I am grown-up (supposed to be, anyway) felting has become a must have in a knitter's repertoire.
In April I have taken on the project of felting a purse. It actually started as a KAL (knit-a-long) from the German-American knitters group on ravelry.com. We suggested patterns, voted for the top 2 designs and started the project bags in April.
Here, as in every step of my life, life happened. My mother got sick with inflamed wounds on here feet, related to her diabetes. She tried suffering through it but finally my brothers and sisters in Germany intervened and she was admitted to a hospital. It took almost three weeks of hospital care before she was able to go home again. And that, going home again, was actually up in the air until that day. It was not clear if she actually could go home again. Us children had to figure out if she would be better cared for in an assisted living situation. The doctor's decided she could be trusted and care for herself with a little assistance of a daily nurse visit and more attention form my sister Monika. She lives within walking distance. My other sister Inge, who is a nurse, would also step up to the plate and visit more often. She lives in the next town over and is taking the bus to mother's place almost every Friday afternoon. My brother and I and Inge have settled my mother's financial 'mess' and things are now under control. I hope.

All throughout April's emotional discoveries I worked on my 'felting project'. I started out with a plan. I was doing purse 2. The wollybully bag. After I had purchased the wool for the project I changed my mind, because my mind has a mind of its own. I could not stop thinking about using the wool for a Messenger Bag and the rose pattern that my friend Rita showed me on skype one day put itself right on the bag.

So I began sketching

then I prepared a swatch and felted it 2 times

The swatch was measured before the washing, after the first wash and after the second wash. the difference in size was carefully calculated and my discoveries were then translated so my finished messenger bag would be the right size that could hold a laptop.
What I discovered was that the row height shrinks 30% but the stitch width only shrinks 7%. After all that calculating and in between worrying about my mother, I began knitting. The bag was started from the front flap to the back - down the back to the first section of roses - then the bottom - up the front to the inside edge.

Decisions I had to make along the way:

the red edge was knitted right along with the body from two strands of red, one on either side.

the rose design on the back had to be knitted up-side-down and mirror image to look right on the finished bag. Front and back appear now like one cohesive strip around the bag.

to offset the rose design I added a couple of stockinette rows before and after the roses

And finally I did decide to use the red wool to create the bag's sides and handle. It just made the bag more feminine in my eyes.

After washing it 2 times in very HOT water and with baby soft detergent I posed with it and the resulting bag looks astonishing, don't you think?

I did have to make sure the laptop fits and it does comfortably.

Another decision along the way:
The swatch I had made in the beginning was sewn onto the back inside wall as a pocket

For the finishing touch I had to find the perfect latch closures. I had tried a few I purchased, but 'as life so happens' the right ones were on an old sweater I had in my closet. The sweater had 8 sets of these. So now I have three more sets for future projects.

 Well, it is June 1. today. My mother is at home and still healing but happy not be shipped out into a strange Nursing home. She loves her chair, her bed, and her home.

I have gone on to my normal 'summer knitts' which are socks. This time, my first time, I am designing my own. If you are following this blog and also knit, please check back because this sock pattern will be a freebie and available here soon.

The pattern for my Messenger auf Bayrisch bag is being typed up, when I am not blogging or knitting, or running.

I will update this blog when the pattern can be purchased on my yarn-stube store on ravelry.com and etsy.com

We are now live on ravelry.com
yarn-stube designs by Renate

Our World

How lucky we are!

I am sitting at my living room table in my home. UNBELIEVABLE, you got that right!
This iron worker's daughter, born in Sulzbach-Rosenberg-Huette in Germany in the early 1950s, is buying her own home in beautiful San Diego, California.
I am listening to Little Steven's Underground Garage on SiriusXM radio, on the TV. UNBELIEVABLE, mind blowing.
These songs playing right now are so 60s it's like someone bought all my old records and is playing them one by one, just for me. Eric Burdon and all the other British invasion bands. Me as a German back than heard more British than American music anyway. It's almost like they are doing this just for me.
I am writing a blog entry, now that is certainly the most UNBELIEVABLE!
Actually being comfortable on the computer, blogging, writing about my knitting, crocheting, sewing adventures, life adventures, dogie adventures, cooking adventures, etc. I could have never guessed that. Not back then when the music was recorded and not even 10 years ago.
After blogging on this Sunday morning I am also going to finish a pattern I wrote. The German version still needs to be published on Ravelry.
I am finally writing all my ideas down, create them, photograph them and then sell them. If that is not UNBELIEVABLE then I don't know what is.
The ravelry site and the etsy site are up and running selling my yarn-stube design. Recently I found another website named Patternfish. I will have to find the time to publish the patterns there too.
The most UNBELIEVABLE however is that I am working on the next aircraft carrier for the Navy. Yes, that is the most non grasping personal challenge that I could have ever wished for. I have become an American citizen and totally enjoy going to work every day. Shut the front door AMAZING!

OK, seriously. I must get back to writing the pattern. Stop stalling Renate.
More later

cau cau surfer is live

Well, the dress has arrived in Japan and one little girl is wearing it already.
This one was made following the size #3 of the pattern Cau Cau Surfer

It looks like she can go out and play as soon as the weather gets warm there.

This knitting pattern is now available at my ravelry and etsy shops for downloading. I must get back to making one more dress, the #1 size to be ready for Miss Allison's 1st birthday.

You know it is a really good thing that I actually like knitting the patterns I write. This Cau Cau Surfer in particular feels very soft and is flowing easily along on the knitting needles. It is also light and does not weigh much, so your arms are not getting tired as you knit along.

Cau Cau is a beautiful beach in Chile that this hand dyed yarn was created after. The waves, the eucalyptus forests, and the steep hills are all represented in the yarn. With my creation I’ve tried to continue the wave and the forest impressions into the pattern design. I think little girls will love wearing this dress as apron over their formal dress, as summer shirt over shorts, or as a beach outfit. The yarn is made of 60% pima cotton and 40% silk and will feel very soft and always comfortable. Since the yarn is hand dyed it is recommended to alternate between two hanks in assorted rows (2-4). I did not do that. Instead, when winding the hanks into balls, I’ve selected the darker shades for one dress and the lighter shades for another.
It takes 3 skeins for the three smaller sizes and 4 skeins for the size 2-3 years. You can find he yarn on e-bay right now for sale for $8.10 a skein e-bay seller

There are different color combination available from the yarn maker - Araucania

other color option available

Happy knitting everyone!

the shop is open

just wanted to point out a new phase in my life has begun. The shop is open. My ravelry shop and my etsy shop are now both open for business. My red kimono hoody is the first pattern for sale. The cau cau surfer will follow shortly.

Oh what excitement!

Links to the shops can be found on the right hand side under Important Links

Cau Cau Surfer Girl

My next adventure is called Cau Cau surfer

The test gauge and knitting pattern trial shows already how the waves will translate right into the finished garment. I can't wait to see the finished work on Miss Allison and show it all to you. So far I have the sketch of the finished dress, the knit stitches I will use and the gauge swatch. This will be a great knitting weekend!!!!

Since it is early and I am still on my first cup of coffee I thought you would enjoy to see my glamour shoots of the last design I have published. The pattern for 'My red Kimono-Hoody' is now for sale at www.ravelry.com and will be added to the www.etsy.com store shortly.

The pictures are from a trip to the "MIDWAY" Aircraft Carrier on Presidents Day last Monday.

shot from the Idol stage were Jessica Sanchez was selected to go on to became the Idol 'runner-up'

My Fichu Experiment is done

For a few weeks now I have been wearing my finished Fichu-Shawl and it is getting compliments, and "I want one", 'My aunt would really like something like that', 'Wauw this looks great on you', and so on.

I've decided, for people that read my blog and for people that know how to connect from the ravelry.com project to the blog, to re-post the already 'free' pattern ( Anleitung, in German).

Here are a few pictures of the one that I have made out of the yarn purchased in Muenchen, Germany last year: Filigran from Zitron.Since the yarn is lace weight and the needles I have used were 4.2 mm ( between a 6 and 7 US size) the finished Fichu-Shawl is light and airy.  The whole shawl just feels so European, I wonder why?



I have used the one on the right , color name is
FARBENWERK 06



Here you can see the Pearl pattern



On a green, or black, or red, or yellow, or orange, or brown
back ground it will always impress



The wing-view



this is the best color view

















The original was made with a yarn group 4 medium yarn and the finished shawl is much larger and covers neck, shoulders and then some.
The yarn makers website has the image that I fell for.
http://www.junghanswolle.de/stricken-haekeln/strickmodelle-junghans-wolle/accessoires-fuer-damen-herren/modell-235-1-fichu-schal-aus-charme

If you know German the "ANLEITUNG" is available on this website. If you don't know German, well, I might be persuaded to translate it. he he he 
Just leave a comment and I will get back to you!
Oh, what I also wanted everyone in San Diego to know: there is a small yarn store in La Mesa named YARN and THREAD EXPRESSIONS, 7882 La Mesa Blvd., that actually carries Zitron yarn. When I visited the store for the first time, just about a month ago, I found a few skeins of the Filigran lace weight in the store. I have noticed and remember. It was not the colorful version that I have used, but the yarn is available and someone might want to make this Fichu-shawl in a more green/yellow/orange version.

It is a friendly store with a wide variety of yarns. Almost every chair around the table was occupied with a knitter.